Just Like Martha

Weekend Escape - Hyams Beach

Another weekend escape this time to the stunning HYAMS BEACH close to Jervis Bay on the south coast of New South Wales...famous for stretches of white sandy beaches that are perfect for a mid winter escape with good friends.

We packed the car and headed down after work one Thursday, grabbing dinner on the way, before we knew it we were sitting in front of the fire with a glass of wine. An early night followed by a pre-breakky walk along with beach, coffee in hand was the perfect start to a few days of R&R and catching up with good buddies.

Shhhhh don't tell anyone but it really is the perfect winter escape...everyone flocks down here (including the tourist buses) in summer but the truth is Hyams Beach is only a few streets and it can get overcrowded in summer but in winter for some reason everyone forgets about it...lucky for us!!!!

A lazy day of lounging, walking, eating, lounging, more eating followed by a few wines, more eating and some card games, meant for another early night so we could get up early and venture off on a long walk..more than 20 kms in total.

So many opportunities to snap the camera along the way, this really is a magical coastline.

We did treat ourselves when we arrived in Huskisson with some morsels to keep us going for the long walk home.....and they were delicious!

Ahhh YES just what we needed, a winter weekend escape in a magical part of the world.

Thanks for stopping by x

 

Weekend Escape - Canberra

I LOVE a weekend escape and even better if it involves a road trip, a wonderful hotel, good food and drink and some activities thrown in for good measure!

Friday morning we hit the road, the landscape notably drier and 'browner' than last time we travelled to Canberra. We stopped on the way in Bowral to catch up with friends for a leisurely lunch so didn't arrive at our destination until late afternoon. The Hyatt Hotel - Canberra never disappoints such a wonderful hotel. We checked in, went for a walk then decided a glass of wine, cheese platter and luxury bath robes whilst we watched a movie was in order - the perfect night in!

The next morning we were up early to enjoy the hotels buffet breakfast (yum - it never disappoints) then it was time to explore. On todays agenda was the National Arboretum, featuring 94 forests of rare, endangered and symbolic trees from around Australia and the world. Many of the trees are still young but two of the forests are over 100 hundred years old. There was a wonderful bonsai exhibition to see along with the featured 'knitted' tree exhibition.

Not only trees on display but a few very funky sculptures as well....

Time to head back to the hotel for a swim, spa and sauna before getting dressed for dinner. First stop a glass of wine near the roaring fire in the Library Bar at the Hyatt...second stop our favourite restaurant in Canberra Otis Dining Hall for an amazing meal. John ordered the 4 course truffle menu and was VERY happy.

Thank you Canberra for another wonderful weekend...hope to see you again next yer for another weekend escape!

Vietnam & Nha Trang (part two)

Whoaaa don't faint I'm back already with part two!

After our wonderful few days in Ho Chi MinhCity it was time to board our flight to Nha Trang to enjoy the relaxing part of our holiday. We left behind the hustle and bustle of the city and headed north - east to a fairly new resort area of Vietnam. Popular with Russians this area has begun to boom! On the drive from the airport to our resort we witnessed hotel after hotel being built, it will be different for sure once its all complete. The area we were staying was on the other side of the city on a more remote beach area.

Welcome to Amiana Resort, a five star oasis nestled on a natural lagoon and featuring a few swimming pools and beaches to choose from, breakfast daily, nightly cocktails, dinners as well as massages, mud baths...need I go on!!!

After all that pampering we needed a break lol, so it was off to the 'big smoke' for a few hours...we caught the hotel shuttle to downtown Nha Trang and discovered the wonderful local markets and a pretty cool Buddha! It was pretty hot and sticky walking around so of course we rewarded ourselves at the end with a ice cold beer, local of course!

Such a wonderful holiday, lots of eating, cocktails, reading, sleeping, relaxing and pampering as well as exploring. I am getting "holiday remorse" as I type...better finish off with a few sunset shots and call it a day...

Until next time...thanks for stopping by xox

 

Bali...part two

The second part of our holiday was Bingin Beach, an area well known to surfers for its great surfing and relaxed lifestyle...

We spent the morning with our friend Made who collected us from Jimbaran and drove us to our next villa stopping enroute to explore the Uluwatu Temple....

We settled into our new 'home' and headed out to enjoy the first of many sunsets the beach...and a delicious dinner...Bingin Beach is located on the "bukit" which means hill in Indonesian and is its main attraction...hilltop resorts with stunning views against the dramatic water of the Indian Ocean...

Acacia Bungalows was our home for the next week and it was "perfect"...

(the following two photos are from Acacia Bungalows website)

We pent our days at the villa relaxing, reading, napping and enjoying the pool....there was also plenty of eating and happy hour started a little earlier every day lol...

Did I mention the food......it was a vegetarian paradise for us, so much choice, hard to go past the menu at our 'local' The Cashew Tree but we did enjoy a few meals along the beachfront and our villa staff made a mean Indonesian Gado Gado and Mie Goreng.

Sadly our holiday came to an end and it was back to reality...work and home beckoned...time to go home...

Bali...time to relax

For those that follow me on Instagram you will have been inundated with our "happy place" photos recently as we headed to Bali for a quick holiday. John's shoulder replacement surgery was over 14 weeks ago now so we were feeling much more comfortable about heading overseas and it was perfect timing for a getaway to relax and recuperate!

Bali is definitely our "go to", our "happy place", I am almost too embarrassed to admit how many times we have visited this beautiful island but lets just say its more than 20 and less than 40! This time we stayed away form our usual beloved Ubud and headed instead to Jimbaran Bay. Our villa, The Leaf was everything it had promised to be, the perfect spot to relax and unwind..

A fabulous roof top bar where we may or may not have unwinded on more than one occasion for happy hour.

We took use of the complimentary shuttle down to the beach one day to soak up the sun and dip our toes in the ocean...Jimbaran Bay is famous for its fishing and the boats were all along the shoreline.

Apart from that are time at Jimbaran was all about relaxing, reading, eating and ahem maybe drinking...oh I dd manage a few yoga sessions so my exercise regime was not all lost. We learnt how to make a local "tonic" called JAMU, definitely going to make this at home, not only was it delicious but so good for your tummy...

 

The gardens around the villa were filled with vibrant colours and glorious tropical plants ...

We did venture out of the villa one day to gather supplies (happy hour was an important ritual), a quick trip to Kuta, a spot of shopping and lunch at an old favourite...

So now its farewell from Jimbaran Bay...next stop the glorious Bingin Beach...stay tuned for a photo overload!

Weekend Away - Canberra

Another weekend away...this time a sneaky visit to our nations capital - Canberra. I say it was sneaky as we have dear friends living in Canberra but this weekend was about just John and I as we were celebrating our wedding anniversary. The Hyatt Hotel was our choice for a weekend of luxury, we were spoilt with a wonderful room, amazing buffet breakfast every day, drinks in front of the fire in the evening and visits to the clubhouse for a swim and spa - total indulgance.

 

We did venture out of the hotel for some sightseeing, first stop (as it was such a stunning day) was Black Mountain Tower with its sweeping views of Canberra.

Next it was the Australian War Memorial. Sadly it has been a long time since I visited this amazing museum. Do yourself a favour and if you find yourself in Canberra put it on the top of the list - it truly is a remarkable exhibition and well worth a few hours!

It was truffle season and we were lucky enough to enjoy a degustation meal at one of our favourite restaurants - The OTIS Dining Hall - OMG delicious!!!!

There are some amazing vineyards close to Canberra so we may or may not have stopped in to sample a few wines....and a few made it into the back of our car...oops!

Ahhh I love a good weekend away, recharge the batteries, fresh air, good company, great food and wine - whats not to love...right!???

Photo credits: Hyatt Hotel Canberra - Hyatt Hotels

 

Weekend Away - Coffs Harbour

Gotta love a weekend away...a mini-break....we have had a few lately LOL. First up we flew up to Coffs Harbour to visit family, such a great weekend away and with magical winter weather it was just perfect!

Just over an hour flight from Sydney and less than 10 minutes to family from the airport its an easy weekend away. The arrival and departure flight with spectacular views did not disappoint. A drive on Saturday afternoon saw us rediscover Nana Glen and Woolgoolga..lots of photo opportunities.

Sadly it was Sunday before we knew it and time to fly home...back to reality...another busy week was awaiting!

Watch this space....next weekend away - Canberra - wedding anniversary celebrations!

The Caribbean...part three (finally)

Finally, nearly two months after we flew back into Sydney am I finding the time to blog about the final part of our wonderful family holiday...the Caribbean!

After a wonderful but exhausting, action packed 12 nights in New York we were ready to relax on our cruise. We sailed out of New Jersey (just around the corner from NYC) on a fairly gloomy winters day...bound for sunshine! All aboard the amazing "Anthem of the Seas", one of Royal Caribbeans larger ships and only a few years old. What a beauty, she is 348 m long and has 20 decks with a capacity to keep 4900 passengers happy!

Sailing out of New Jersey we had three days at sea, time to relax and explore this amazing ship...hmmm there may or may not have been an awful lot of yummy food consumed also during this time....this amazing photo was taken from inside the 'North Star' an observation tower which highlights just what an amazing ship it is!

We shared a stateroom with a balcony, we figured we were only going to our room to sleep...actually there was plenty of space for the four of us and surprisingly lots of storage. The beauty of a 12 night cruise is you can unpack then put your suitcases under the beds. The girls double bed sofa was pulled out every night and made up as a bed.

The first stop on our cruise was PUERTO RICO (actually still part of the USA), we arrived in the afternoon and didn't sail again until later that night giving us plenty of time to explore and even sample a few frozen margaritas at a local bar...so much fun!

From here we sailed to the island of ST MAARTEEN ...half French, half Dutch...two countries, one island! We explored ourselves after catching a water taxi from the ship dock into the main beach..then it was time to negotiate a 'deal' on deck chairs and beers...it was a hard day walking from under our umbrella on our deck chair to the oceans edge to dive in after a cold beer LOL...well someone has to do it..right!

Next stop the island of ANTIGUA, I have to say not our favourite...we arrived on a Sunday and sadly everything was closed...we should have negotiated a driver with one of the many that appeared from nowhere once the shop docked and spent the day exploring one of the many beaches (apparently there are over 100 beaches around the island)...still we enjoyed exploring the port town then headed back to ship to enjoy its many facilities (without having to share them).

Next stop BARBADOS (one of our favourites)...we had booked a shore excursion to sail on a catamaran and swim with turtles...as amazing as it sounds! We had a wonderful day, the water was amazing and swimming up close and personal  with such majestic creatures like turtles 'in the wild'...well what can I say truly a holiday highlight!

MARTINIQUE was a great port to discover, very French and very local with loads of history.

Turns out its famous for rum and pirates!!!!!

Another day another island...this time the beautiful ST KITTS & NEVIS and another booked shore excursion this time swimming with dolphins!!!!!!

YES there were photos taken of both John and I with the dolphins...but...ahem can't compete with these two pics...couldn't wipe the smiles off their faces!!!

Now I could go on and on about the ship telling you about ALL the amazing restaurants and choices of food, loads of activities, spa, pool area, evening shows, cocktails etc etc but you get the picture we had a FABULOUS time...

Thanks for hanging in there....sorry photo overload!

 

New York...part two

New York part two..the Brooklyn addition. After an amazing 6 nights in New York City we headed to Brooklyn keen to experience another area, we had booked 6 nights in an apartment which proved to be the perfect base for us to explore.

We really enjoyed seeing New York from "the other side" and it was nice to spread out in an apartment even cook the odd meal and "eat in'. We explored the trendy areas of Dumbo and Williamsburg discovering the famous One Girl Cookies for Instagram worthy coffee and cookies, enjoyed a delicious "Happy Birthday to Taylor" lunch at Atrium Restaurant and of course snapped away at the famous Brooklyn Bridge....

It seems everywhere we went there was a fabulous WALL...just worthy of a photo or two....

We were lucky enough to be on American soil when the famous "super bowl" was being played....not content with just one footy game we decided on a "day of sport" and took ourselves off to a local A-league basketball game at the famous Barclays Centre one of the BROOKLYN NETS, so much fun. Then it was off to shop for supplies then home to the apartment just in time to turn on the TV and tune into an amazing game of American football....with its famous last minute decider. Now we are not usually 'footy fans' but fun to get into the spirit of the local once a year event.

So glad we made the decision to 'change up' our New York visit and stay in Brooklyn as well, it certainly gave us a different perspective. Before we knew it our time was up and we were once again packing our bags this time bound for New Jersey (just around the corner) and the fabulous Royal Carribbean's "Anthem of the Seas", destination...none other than the Caribbean...watch this space!!!

New York - New York - part one

We are just back from our amazing family holiday and I am even more in love with NEW YORK than I was before!!!

We stayed 12 nights in this magical city 'that never sleeps', we walked and walked and explored every inch. Our hotel was fabulous, the Park Lane Hotel a great location opposite Central Park ad next to the Plaza Hotel, it offered lots of extras like $ credit to spend at the hotel each day and "happy hour" every evening as well as spacious rooms (the four of us shared a room) and floor to ceiling windows with spectacular views across the park....

We spent a few hours exploring Central Park and enjoyed a lovely brunch at the famous Boathouse Restaurant which was pretty special.

Although content to just immerse ourselves in this magical city there were a few "tourist attractions" to tick off our list and we had a great day visiting Ellis Island and Lady Liberty, took in the spectacular views at Top of the Rock  and paid our respects at the 9/11 Memorial.

We were lucky enough to get some tickets to some amazing Broadway shows...Beautiful - Carole King Musical, The Great Comet with the wonderful Josh Groban, Waitress and had a great evening of music at 54 Below.

The weather was very kind to us and although it was at times chilly we were happy to rug up in our coats and scarves and embrace a 'real winter' (quite a novelty to a Sydneysider lol). We had hoped that it would snow at least once during our stay, Taylor and Lilly have never seen snow, how special if the 'first time' was in NYC??!!

The day after we saw this sign our dream came true...snow...powdery, perfect, movie like snow...and we were in Chelsea exploring the The High Line it could not have been any more perfect...the girls reaction was priceless.

Back with more holiday snaps later...too many for one post...