Endless summer

As a child, winter was always my favourite season. I lived for skiing and summer – for obvious reasons – doesn’t make for ideal snow conditions. It's been years since I picked up a pair of skis (too long in fact, that’s life with toddlers for you) but these days I much prefer summer to winter (at least in Australia, because yes it gets cold down here, and who doesn’t love a good Australian beach day...)

Luckily for us, this summer, which finished nearly 3 months ago, appears in no hurry to go anywhere. Temperatures are still in the mid 20s, the water is still pretty warm and apparently we’re heading for a record "endless summer" (that's the press talking, not me).

Either way though, I’m not complaining. This is how we’re spending our free days...

On a completely different note, next week I'm off on a photography course! I've been meaning to get used to shooting in completely manual mode for ages, but when push comes to shove I always end up reverting back to aperture selection and autofocus (there wouldn't be many pictures even vaguely recognisable, let alone worth publishing otherwise).


The problem though is that it's forever leaving me with slightly blurred images (like the one above), particularly during my favourite golden hour with that gorgeous sunflare streaming into the lens.


I'm not quite sure whether with two fast moving objects (that is of course my children) using manual focus is simply ambitious or plain crazy, but apparently it can be done and I can't wait to find out how.


I'm looking forward to sharing the results with you here and wishing you all an equally sunny Spring/ Autumn wherever you are,

xxx

Autumnal pursuits

What can I say? So far, our autumn has involved the beach, the beach and more of the beach. Not exactly breaking boundaries but when the weather is this nice, there really is no better place to be. When I’m on my own, I tend to pick small beaches, with easy access and plenty of shade, but when hubby comes along, the world really is our oyster.

Easter was one of those adventures, spent in Seal rocks, a place I have dreamt of taking the girls ever since they were born. We first went camping here almost a decade ago and it’s safe to say this is one of my favourite places on earth. It’s stunning, quiet, and aside from two campsites and a little shop, there is really nothing there, which is precisely what makes it so magical. If I can live here one day, I'll be a very happy soul indeed!

But for the time being, we are very happy in Sydney, where our autumn looks like this... 

Looking ahead, we’ll be spending the next long weekend in country NSW (in a sheep shearing shack. Yes really!), diverting our attention from the beach to endless views of the middle of nowhere. I have a feeling it's going to be brilliant, 

Have a great Autumn/ Spring, wherever you are in the world!

xxx

Moments in the sun

My first month back at work after another beautiful year of maternity leave, a year so wonderful it almost makes me want to have another baby. Almost...


Jokes aside though (and yes that was a joke because there are a million good reasons why two is definitely our perfect number and three is not), returning to work is an adjustment. That's not exactly rocket science, but it’s something I have always underestimated when I’m in my stay at home bubble.


On paper, it sounds so easy, drop the kids at daycare and enjoy a few blissful hours of peace and quiet to actually concentrate and produce something vaguely intelligent. In reality, at least in my world, it’s a race against the clock, from the moment they wake up until the blissful moment my head hits the pillow. 

Thankfully for me, I only work part time, and entertaining the kids on my days off is never a chore. Here’s what we’ve been up to so far this month...

Forget fairies, they are building a hut for Peppa Pig. Toddler life these days...



Just a regular Saturday morning for this little one...

Ocean blues

Friday mornings in Sydney, pre-schooler style...

Little Miss E, flying her very own kite. A very proud mummy moment...

Daddy and the kite. Two of their favourite things. All that's missing is a breeze;-)

And another hut. Peppa is one lucky pig!

Wishing you all a very happy Easter, wherever you are in the world xxx

Home sweet home

We're back in Australia after a glorious few months in Europe. I've loved every minute with our families and, as always, saying goodbye was just about the hardest thing in the world for me, but to come home to this... the sunshine, the beaches, our friends... It never takes long for me to realise that this really is the best place for us and for our girls. Some snippets from our life this month...


Are you an expat, or have you considered expat life? I'd love to hear from you how you balance the trade off between a life in the country of your dreams, and your family and friends "back home".


As for me, I've finally made the decision that an annual 6 week trip to Europe (and thankfully we are in the fortunate position to be able to do that) will get me as much good quality family time as I probably would have if we all lived in the same country. It doesn't make it easy, it remains a trade-off, but it's a trade-off that gives me the best parts of everything in life that makes me happy. I'd love to hear your thoughts on what makes you happy in life!


xxx

Off the beaten track

Being 35 weeks pregnant with our second, I think I can be forgiven for dreaming of a time when I had the energy to go for long adventurous hikes in Sydney’s beautiful national parks. These days, if it’s not lack of sleep and energy that’s letting me down, it’s the fact that there’s big cliffs, fire trails that are unsuitable for prams and other child unfriendly hazards. Which essentially means that I am pretty much confined to the beach - about the only place where our darling daughter will sit still long enough for me to have a rest. I know, it’s a tough life :) 

Sedentary though my current lifestyle may be, it doesn’t stop me from dreaming about all the beautiful walks and views around here.

Here’s one of my absolute favourites from my pre baby days – the Bundeena to Marley head loop track in the Royal National Park. 

It’s about 11 kilometres long and both starts and finishes in Bundeena, which is accessible both by ferry from Cronulla, and by road through the park. 

Part of the Royal National Park's coastal track, this walk features stunning views of Sydney, as well as out to sea, with huge cliffs and amazing white rocks. 

As you can see from the trail, this terrain is unsuitable for even the most off-road worthy of prams (and trust me, I've thought of trying) but that no doubt adds to the charm...

And at the end, or rather half way through (it is a loop track after all) you get to hang out on this gorgeous beach...

Just make sure you leave enough time to get back on that last ferry...:) 

Playing tourist

What an amazing couple of weeks it has been. After almost a month of non-stop rain, the sun is out, the skies are blue and to top it all off, we were lucky enough to be able to spend lots of time catching up with one of my very good friends from the UK who came to visit us. It’s been such a magical couple of weeks that I’m feeling quite sad they've had to come to an end, so I’m going to cheer myself up by blogging about some of the highlights we have shared...

Gorgeous beautiful Bondi, without the masses of tourists that will be a familiar sight come summer...

A magical afternoon on Jibbon beach in the Royal National Park – I really can’t get enough of this place, for obvious reasons, and it’s been so lovely to be able to share this beauty.

Rose bay – perfect for children, due to its shallow waters. Which means it’s perfect for parents too. A great place to actually relax :)

Milk beach, quite possibly the most perfect beach in Sydney...

And brunch at Watsons bay, followed by more beach time...

Saying goodbye is the single one part of expat life that I really don't like and I don't think I will ever get used to, but at least we have some amazing memories that will last a lifetime...