Back to Work for 2010

2010 is here and I'm back at work. I knew it was going to happen, but reality hit pretty hard!

Tips for coping with "back-to-work-itis":

1. Go to bed earlier than normal

2. Eat healthy - Holidays are over! It will take away some of the gluggy feeling if you're not stuffed with food!

3. Plan to buy yourself good cups of coffee. Good caffeine is essential!

4. Schedule in relaxation time every night - for me this is a photography magazine in front of the TV.

5. Don't schedule too many meetings on the first weeks back...ease into it!

The Great Barrier Reef

You can't come all the way up to Port Douglas and not visit the Great Barrier Reef.

World Heritage Listed, this truly is a phenomenon and a great experience!

We did a tour with Quicksilver Cruises Tour which I would highly recommend. The tour started at 10am and we were back by 4:30pm. I was a little worried about how to survive with a toddler out at sea all day, but a handy mummy's bag filled with books, snacks and toys was enough to distract Princess M on the 1 1/2 boat ride to the reef.

In fact, the boat was great. It was air-conditioned and we had our own little corner where Princess M could sit on the lounge and run around. Superb!

The reef itself was beautiful...gorgeous water and amazing views from the pontoon (which we docked on in the middle of the reef!).

It's a shame we couldn't get in and snorkel with the young one, but we still enjoyed our day and have some great memories from the semi-submersed glass bottom boat and from the pontoon and boat ride itself!!!

(Image taken from the semi-submersed vessel)

Barron Falls

Princess M is such a great little traveller and today was filled with a trip to The Coffee Works (I will feature this place in my next blog), Barron Falls, Kuranda, Mareeba and the Cairns Highlands.

The rainforest is dense and so beautiful. Very high railings made it a great place to let our little princess walk/run as much as she wanted.

And run she did...

Barron Falls is just spectacular!

After a day of fun, the trip back to the hotel gave Princess M time to catch some...zzzz's

Port Douglas Sunday Markets

I have finally started to really relax and soak up the tropical atmosphere! A trip to the Port Douglas Sunday Markets was on the agenda today and in true tropical style it was hot, humid surrounded with palm trees and a breath-taking backdrop of the Coral Sea.

The markets were filled with original handmade jewellery, freshwater pearls (which I bought!), fresh tropical fruit, Australian photography, clothes, many other souvenirs and lots of tourists! The picture above is from FrangipanisNTropical Arts & Photos on Canvas. Through Markets Online some of the stores come to you via the web! Very exciting!

One artist that stopped me in my tracks was Cara Stevens. A unique way to express art with an amazing textured detail in her works. Below are just a few examples taken from her website, however there were many other sensational pieces on display at the markets!

I enjoyed drinking straight out of coconut (very tropical and my favourite!!!) and looking at the coconut heads - hilarious and a great gift idea if I could work out how to fit it into the suitcase!

One thing that was truly remarkable is the setting. You are right on the beach with palm trees, lush tropical grass and clear blue ocean... The only thing that might disturb this picturesque scene is a sign that says "Crocodiles inhabit this area, attacks may cause injury or death"...what the???

Is this Heaven?

Welcome to my first blog in Port Douglas, Queensland! Here is what I'm currently looking at...This is just part of our stunning Villa at the Peppers Bale Resort in Port Douglas and it is just lovely!

We have our own plunge pool, day bed, full kitchen and just our own little piece of paradise. It is hot and humid here, so we relish in the airconditioning, regular dips in the pool and really cold beverages.

I must say that overall this place isn't as toddler friendly as I would have liked, but then again, it could be because I'm a highly-strung Sydney-sider who just needs to chill out more! It is a very unusual layout as each separate living area or the bedrooms for example are separated by outdoor breezeways. It's all very tropical, very luxurious and a place that takes you away from your regular world.

For more beautiful pictures of the downstairs layout, please click here.

Everything Italian, Si!

Whether it be seeing a gorgeous picture of the Spanish steps or the rolling hills of Tuscany, or perhaps overhearing a conversation in the language...I love everything Italian!

However, I must limit myself, I really do love everything, Czech, French, German, Greek, Swiss...but I shall leave those to another blog and another day.

I stumbled across some beautiful photos taken by RoSSella Rebenato which are truly inspirational and capture a unique essence of Italy.

And so it begins...

As I sit here at 1:14am creating my very own blog, I am pondering exactly what this blog will look like. I know I have ideas that I wish to share with the world wide web and it's ever increasing community, but I am still working out the finer details. For starters you see, I'm a mother of a "T-O-D-D-L-E-R", a two year old - to be exact, and what mother wouldn't have ideas to share or in fact, which mother doesn't need a "blog" to keep sane? The best part is, the blog can look like whatever I! ME! C'EST MOI! wants it to look like. Now that is just delicious...