31.7.12

Hobbit shaped footprints...

Hello from Auckland! 

I arrived on a rainy Sunday with a suitcase weighing the same amount as me and a list of gumtree rooms to view. After numerous viewing failures I landed upon a small goldmine within Mount Eden...a lovely flat-share with an even lovelier couple.

Landing in a country which I have never visited, knew not one soul who lived there, yet waving a years working visa in my hand certainly meant I had my work cut out for me...not only to make good friends, but to also find work within the industry I want.

Right now I feel like the 'Yes Man' (you've read that book right?!) ... I'm currently saying yes to everything, going everywhere and meeting everyone I can. And boy what a positive experience it has been so far! From birthday invitations to finding freelance work, after only a week I'm on my way to making friends, and getting a job. To coin a phrase 'jammy' is how I would describe whats happening at the moment. Thanks life. Now if you could bring the sunshine out that would just be the cherry on the cake!

I've even had a new hairdo as I figured new city, new hair. And for the first time in 25 years I actually left the hairdressers smiling. Finally I've caught up with the trends and joined the ombre brigades. And if the wines I had this afternoon are anything to go by, blondes definitely do have more fun!

Emily x

23.7.12

Sugar highs, Leaving lows...



Three weeks at The Golden Door Retreat in Queensland left me invigorated, healthier, more energetic, and positive. Whilst their my eyes were opened to natural ways and means to cure your body, holistic health, the benefits of vegetarianism, and alternative therapies. Whilst there I embraced the life change and tried several of the treatments on offer : flower reading, naturopathy, feldenkrais, hypnotism. I tried to cure my sugar addiction, found out about my intolerance to gluten, attempted to realign my posture, and sort out bad sleeping habits.

I left the Golden Door with a spring in my step clutching my two sugar-free muffins determined to make some changes to my lifestyle and diet. I arrived home to Melbourne to find a welcome home spread of pick and mix, chocolate, cheesecake and wine. Needless to say I couldn't get to sleep until 5am that night...my body was so high off the sugar it hadn't had over the last three weeks I just could not sleep! Not even a bottle of wine was enough to put me into a slumber.

 Old habits die hard and I spent my last day in Melbourne with the girls re-toxing my body with cider in the sun, then crying into an open suitcase as none of my things would fit. A fair chunk of outfits had to get left behind in various friends wardrobes, and when I toddled off to the airport there was little weight difference between myself and the 50kg of clothes I 'had' to take with me.


Australia has treated me better then I ever could have hoped, and its a country I will always hold dear to my heart. But as the fortune teller at the Golden Door said to me : Australia is just a pit stop for myself. So on to the next one : New Zealand awaits!

Emily x

8.7.12

"Good Neighbours become good friends"

Well my visa is almost out, and I've worked the 6 months I could at 'Neighbours' so sadly the time has come for me to say goodbye to Lou and the rest of the Ramsey Street residents! I have met some lovely people there, and I will miss rather a lot of them.

But all good things come to pass and it's time for me to move on to my next adventure. A health retreat! Many a 12 hour day at 'Neighbours' I dreamt of meditating and just having time to myself, so I decided to make this dream a reality. 'The Golden Door' in Queensland offers a work experience program, and I was lucky enough to be accepted on. In return for helping out 5 days a week for several hours with the guests I get free board, food and use of the facilities. A sneaky way to save the $3000 a week it is to stay here!

I'm currently embracing Tai Chi at sunrise, walks through the forest, meditation, yoga, delicious vegetarian food, swimming under the stars and the positive attitude that everybody seems to embody here. It also helps that Queensland is ten times sunnier and warmer then Melbourne! I'm here for the next three weeks but I'm quite tempted to extend my stay as I'm enjoying the stress-free, simple pace here. 

Now whats the bets I'll be running for the nearest MacDonalds in a few days? 

Emily x

9.6.12

Corking stuff!





If anyone ever visits Melbourne, or even lives in Melbourne and is looking for something to do I cannot recommend highly enough the Yarra Valley wine tours. Myself and five girlfriends took a Sunday to refresh our palettes, and get slightly merry along the way. Starting off on the champagne, and ending on the fortified's (with cheese!) we all came to the conclusion that a man with his own vinyard is like the new Ryan Gosling. Something we all want!

Costing around $100 you get picked up from the city and driven around several wineries, touring and tasting each one. A beautiful Italian lunch was included in the price... mmmm bellisimo! My favourite day in Melbourne to boot.

Seriously whether your a wine lover or not, this is great day out. Im already booking myself in for Christmas time...!

Emily x



2.6.12

old places and faces...

So the month of May has gone past and I have neglected the blog. Again. I honestly cannot believe how fast time has flown, days turn to weeks which turn to months far too quickly!

This time last year I was out in Peru up a Mountain suffering from altitude sickness, having just finished my final year at University. 
 


Now I'm living in Melbourne with friends, and working my first proper job at Neighbours. The last year has been monumental and life changing. Life is what you make of it and that is what I am doing. Whether I stay or leave Australia in July is a decision that is wholly out of my hands, and I am at piece with the idea that if I don't stay in Oz fate only intends better things for me than I could get out of being here.

I took a walk down memory lane last weekend, going to visit one of my best friends Jenna at her hometown of Toowoomba. Jenna is a gorgeous soul, who lives her life with the mantra 'there is no such thing as luck, only preparation meeting opportunity'. And Jenna appears to be one of the luckiest people you could meet. I met Jenna when I studied in Brisbane for the year.

She picked me up at Brisbane airport and on the drive to her house we passed the bus route that I used to take back from Uni to my house. I love Brisbane SO much. Its a different vibe to Melbourne, a lot more relaxed, tropical and carefree.

Toowoomba is a small town about an hour out of Brisbane. I ate and shopped my way around the town. The best beef chilli pizza is there, as well as the most insane opshops. I bought a furcoat for 30 dollars and several other items which I do not need but I could not resist! All in all a lovely weekend, thank you to the Holmes for your hospitality!!

Emily x








30.4.12

nah nah my friends sweetcorn pattys are better than yours...Three Bags Full review.

Sunday morning/afternoon and brunch is on the menu at Three Bags Full in Abbotsford. We pull up and it looks popular...people lining the sidewalk for a seat. But we catch a glimpse of the food coming out and make the decision to wait on the street with the rest. And wait we do...


But finally we are seated, and after much deliberation myself and my sister decide to share the Beetroot cured salmon, with corn, pea and feta fritter, avocado, rocket and dill sour cream, and the Roasted pumpkin and sage fritters with grilled haloumi and a parsley, pinenut, Parmesan and pomegranate salad. We added eggs, as what is a breakfast without eggs?! and had a fresh juice of apple, pear and mint - (cannot recommend this enough!)

The food came out - literally a picture of perfection, an artists dream on a plate....yet unfortunately the taste did not quite live up to the delightful presentation. Both the corn, pea and feta fritter and the pumpkin and sage fritters needed a little extra zing, and were only helped out by their toppings, leaving me wishing I was eating my friends home cooked sweetcorn cakes instead. The long wait and huge crowds had just made my expectations rather too high, and unfortunately Three Bags Full did not quite deliver on the palate. 7/10.

Visit Three Bags Full at http://www.threebagsfullcafe.com.au  

                                                               Emily x

14.4.12

Weekend Notes

If the previous review took your fancy and you are a Melbournite trying to find places to go/things to do then I highly recommend my housemate Lauren Jackson's reviews of Melbourne's hotspots. Check her doing her thang at : 
http://www.weekendnotes.com/profile/161966/

Have a lovely weekend!

Emily x