Category Archives: Australia

The Flying Fish Café

The Flying Fish Café at Port Elliot on the south eastern lip of the Fleurieu Peninsula. A 42 degree day in February. A jetty. Scalding sand. Basking children. A lapis lazuli sky reflected in a glittering sea. Norfolk pines march … Continue reading

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Undercooked

In the course of a once-in-a-lifetime family reunion for our parents Golden Wedding Anniversary, many well-known and oft-repeated tales,  some gospel, many apocryphal, came out of the closet for yet another airing. In light of the fact that many of those present … Continue reading

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Walking to Coogee

Bondi. That iconic beach on the south east coast of Australia. In the summer, it swarms with surfers, sunseekers and swimmers. Today the sand is clear of bathers, but tents are being erected for the City to Surf fun run next weekend. It … Continue reading

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Talking to the Birds

After almost two months in Adelaide, one of the things I realized I really miss about Australia is the wildlife. From our living room window in Manila I occasionally see a  team of four racing pigeons, looping round and round the apartment … Continue reading

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The Retro Vibe

As I wander through the streets of my hometown, I am constantly amazed at the ever expanding Adelaide cafe culture. Chains, franchises and independent coffee shops abound. It seems everyone is drinking coffee these days, and I have certainly been … Continue reading

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A-Wandering Through the Vineyards

“Wine is constant proof that God loves us and likes to see us happy.” Benjamin Franklin. McLaren Vale lies less than an hour’s drive south of Adelaide in South Australia. Originally a region of small farming communities, orchards and pink … Continue reading

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Of Beerenberg Jam & Bavarian Mustard

I had not even thought to bring my tiara to Adelaide (my ‘must-have’ accessory for afternoon tea ever since a trip to the Shangri-La with nine Travelling Tiaras), so I felt a bit wrong-footed when a young friend suggested an … Continue reading

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Waterfront Dining

It was a cold and blustery day in Canberra. The wind was trying to blow the branches off the trees and Piglet’s ears would have streamed behind him like banners if he had been there (see A.A. Milne’s book, The … Continue reading

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Climbing the Beanstalk

Another country, another market. The EPIC market (Exhibition Park in Canberra) is a farmers market brimming with fresh, seasonal (mostly) produce just off Federal Highway, north of the Canberra City Centre. Open on Saturday mornings from 7.30 am till midday, … Continue reading

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Being Australian

Australia’s national Day is January 26th. It is also the same day that the First Fleet landed in Australia in 1788, holds laden with convicted felons, to establish a penal colony far from the rectitude of upper class Britons. Perhaps … Continue reading

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