Moffat Rocks!

I just love this pic taken on my mobile phone's camera of "Rock Star" (!) Banx standing on the jagged rock pools at Moffat Beach last weekend.. We took time out from furnishing the little beach pad to get back to Nature.. the waves were about 4 metres high, the weather was dramatic and thunderous and it somehow brought back many childhood memories of spending hours at rock pools at the seaside, time just slipping away, imagination running wild as to whom or what lived in each little salty pool. The strata of the rocks is fascinating, years and years of water wearing away stone, producing a stunning natural slate floor! Soon enough it was time to get back to assembling flat pack bedside tables and we had to tear ourselves away....

Langkawi

We have just returned from an idyllic week's holiday in beautiful Langkawi, Malaysia... aaaah! sheer bliss! We have actually been a few times before, the only place we return to frequently in all of our travels.. not sure why - we just 'click' with the place - the people are gentle and don't hassle you to buy things you don't need or want; the weather is amazing (bordering on a tad too hot!); the Indian Ocean is wonderfully warm to swim in; the food is absolutely delicious (especially for my curry-and chilli-aholic partner!; the pace is relaxing to the point where we just STOP! As Banx says, we go on holidays to DO NOTHING and we do it very well! What is always amazing is that a day can pass so quickly doing nothing! Time evaporates when one's own natural body clock and body rhythm kicks in - eating when we feel hungry rather than by the clock (watches, along with shoes are confiscated in the Villa on day one anyway, to be replaced with swimming togs, sarongs and flip-flops!).. whether to eat, nap, swim, or read become the biggest choices of the day.. ah! we never take holidays for granted! Enjoying the "now" is paramount..

The Simplicity of the Beach

I love the simplicity of the beach more than almost anything in the world (besides chocolate). Remember when we were little and someone said 'Come on, we're off to the beach', and all you needed to grab were your togs and a towel and if Mum could catch me as I flew out the door, a splash of sunscreen on the nose.... well now it's half an hour preparation time just to walk across the road to the surf! Check list.. sunscreen? hat? towel? extra t-shirt? thongs? book? spare change? mobile phone? spare undies? keys? beach umbrella? chair? By the time we collapse on the sand these days, groaning under the weight of the beach bag and its items, the sun is almost setting ha! well, not quite.. Even packing for my glorious week with Mum and sis at Coolum last week was bigger than Ben Hur. I have travelled and worked around the world with small suitcases, but last week needed our mini van to take everyone's "stuff" to Clubb Coolum!! And you know what... MOST, no in fact, nearly ALL of it remained untouched... books unread, CDs not played; DVDs unwatched (no TV watched at all); unfinished art pieces still not finished.. no jewellery worn; no make up put on for the entire week; no pretty flouncy dresses worn out at night (way too over-dressed), we three just sat mesmerised by the ocean view right across from our balcony (see pics above from our balcony) listening to the loud crashing waves.. we were literally drowning in the ocean's chant.. absolute sheer bliss! Who needs all that STUFF! I have to remember this as we start to excitedly decorate our new little beach bungalow at Moffat Beach.. the KIS principle.. Keep It Simple! A true escape from the mind clutter of our daily lives.. want a sneak preview of our bungalow's website.. www.moffatbeachbungalow.com Stay tuned!

Moffat Beach Barefoot Bungalow, Sunshine Coast, Queensland

This is it! Moffat Beach Barefoot Bungalow!!! On the stunning Sunshine Coast about one hour north of Brisbane, this will be our barefoot escape from the urban jungle, we can't wait!

Show and Tell

What did we do over Christmas.. well we had a wonderful family Christmas lunch, then we escaped to the coolness and serenity of Seaview Farm Retreat up at Mt Tamborine, sheer bliss, where the only visitors were the friendly kookaburras and alpacas (one alpaca was called Jamie... Jamie Paca of course!) and the view from our private deck was spectacular - the full length of the Gold Coast's distant shimmering lights could even be seen from our spa bath too! Local wine from Witches Falls winery completed the getaway, not to mention all the delish local produce.
But there is just one other thing we did over the Christmas break too.... mmmm, veeeeeery exciting, we bought a beach bungalow at Moffat Beach! Stay tuned....as it will be available for holiday lettings - it's GORGEOUS!

Tree Change

On Saturday we headed off to the Scenic Rim, a stunning day for our ‘tree change’ weekend. We drove all the ‘back roads’, the roads less travelled, and stopped at historical Harrisville, home to pioneer female filmmakers at the turn of last century. The thing that strikes me immediately as we leave the city behind is being able to ‘breathe’ again – yes, literally breathe! The air is crisp, fresh and so unpolluted, and we could tell the birds loved it too as they chirp louder! Whip birds, bell birds, hard to imagine that 20 million years ago this was the centre of a volcano. We arrived at Boonah and had a sensational dinner at Vue Restaurant in front of the fire: huge king prawns and barramundi by a very talented chef. Today after an early morning dramatic thunderstorm, we headed off to Queen Mary Falls via Spring Creek café. Sometimes two days away in the country feels like two weeks holiday.