All posts tagged: victoria

Surf Jack Hotel, Waikiki best hotels honolulu hawaii

Wild Spin of the Web {3}

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A sneak peek into one of the fab hotels I’ve booked into for my upcoming honeymoon, some natural spas to get you planning your next relaxation break, a charming author’s guest cabin, and a retreat in Tasmania to truly get away from it all (but in rustic style), welcome to the next installment of Wild Spin of the Web. STAY: Surf Jack, Waikiki – I’m endlessly on the lookout for unique, boutique hotels to add some style and comfort to my trips, and this was especially the case when planning my upcoming honeymoon to Hawaii. Sure, Hawaii seems like a cliched choice, but I’ve been itching to get there to experience the natural beauty of Kaua’i, otherwise known as the Garden Isle. But flying in and out of Oahu means a few days in Honolulu, so I was on the lookout for somewhere exciting to stay that doesn’t break the budget (the wedding has already done that, people!). Enter Surf Jack, complete with a pool that is blazoned with Wish You Were Here (also a …

Chasing the Twelve Apostles, Victoria

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Freewheeling through the evergreen patchwork of Victorian countryside, a Samoan chief (with a kiwi accent) steering the ride, this day trip down to the Great Ocean Road’s Apostles (once there were Twelve), was worth the long day journey to this gloriously  eroded stretch of coast. Heading Southwest out of Melbourne, we took an early pit stop in Geelong, a bay city of just over 170,000 people around an hour from Melbourne city. One of my (and probably yours too) skills is to be able to seek out places to eat/stay/shop/visit in a place at short notice. Which brings us to breakfast at Freckleduck (I didn’t say I’m skilled at seeking out well-named places!). And holy shitballs will you take a look at that ricotta, seed and maple covered, mascarpone (how do you hide a small horse?)-topped hotcake pile of deliciousness!? The coffee was great too. This was a very good omen for the day ahead. For this trip, I was reuniting with my ‘ol buddy Phil (not my fiance Phil, this Phil) who moved to …

Daylesford Lake sunset ducks swim

Daylesford: A winter break in spa country, Victoria

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Daylesford, a mere ninety minutes from the centre of Melbourne, is one of the most charming Australian towns I ever did see. You’d assume that it’s status as the jewel of Victoria’s spa country would mean it is gentrified to within an inch of it’s white-slippered life – and there are the gourmet dining options, ornate interior shops and grand lake house accommodation you would expect from such a title – but there are also cracked historical building facades, simple country bakeries and stores with locally knitted finger-less gloves. It retains the heart of a rural town, with the trimmings of an indulgent weekend stay. And after a stroll around the peaceful lake, or a soak in one of the many natural mineral spring bathhouses, you’ll be daydreaming about relocating to country Victoria – or at least Melbourne, so you are within comfy reach. STAY: Daylesford Hotel Ain’t nothing wrong with a stay at the local pub, I say! In fact, with many pub/hotels renovating their rooms to include crisp white linen and designer touches, …

24 Hours in Melbourne

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A visit to Melbourne is always a good idea. With a vibrant arts scene, a smorgasbord of the country’s best cafes and restaurants, graffiti-clad laneways, excellent shopping, the leafy banks of the Yarra River, and cool urban neighbourhoods, even a short break in the city will leave you buzzing from Melbourne’s endless energy. We stayed at St Jeromes – The Hotel, which is on the third floor of Melbourne Central, where in addition to the impressive central skylight architecture, you can find Australian fashion labels like Sass & Bide and Scanlan Theodore, and in the exit laneway towards Swanston Street we stumbled on graffiti artists working on a mural, a common sight in the city. Two laneway visits are a must in Melbourne city – the narrow cafe-clad Degraves Lane and graffiti-filled (it was where Banksy created rat murals which were later cleaned up by council workers) Hosier Lane, which is also the site of one of my favourite Australian restaurants, the Spanish gem MoVida. EAT: Gazi is a modern Greek restaurant owned by restauranteur …