Escaping the winter blues.  

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As much as I consider myself a summer baby, winter along Australia’s east coast holds a special place in my heart. It is a beautiful and peaceful time of year to spend by the sea. The days are shorter and we find ourselves making the most of each moment and the winter sun before retiring to the warmth of indoors. The skies are bluer and the ocean is clearer. The wattle is flowering bright yellow and the gumnuts are blooming - our nations colours of green and gold are everywhere. Beautiful beaches, golden sand and warmer days are what the Sunshine Coast is famous for, and even in the depths of winter it can still provide the most magical days for sitting on the shore and water warm enough to swim. With daily temperatures sitting steady around 22 degrees (celsius), winter may actually be the perfect time to take advantage of Queensland’s sub-tropical climate and make the most of that seemingly “endless summer".

ON THE ROAD, AGAIN: With COUNTRY ROAD X Live With Us // NORTHERN RIVERS. A change of season is coming; you can feel it in the air. You know the kind, those mornings that are so crisp and fresh that the cool air sends goosebumps all over your body. The sun is beginning to rise a little later and curling up beside one of your best friends in a loft apartment nestled between the beautiful coastline of Byron Bay and the rolling hills of Bangalow is the perfect escape. 

ON THE ROAD: With COUNTRY ROAD X Live With Us // THE BLUE MOUNTAINS. I started out on this journey heading in the direction of the unknown. That’s the true freedom and beauty of the open road. You get to discover more of Australia with the windows down, hair blowing wild in the wind, nostalgic songs and good company – all of which makes heart sing. 

Maintaining an active lifestyle and always dreaming my next adventure, big or small, near or far. Camping is a fantastic way to get outdoors, to escape the bustle of everyday life and find some stillness, some peace and tranquillity in nature — to reset. 

I’d had been looking forward to heading to South Africa for quite some time and before I left everyone kept saying to me “Oh you just wait, you’re absolutely going to love it.” and LOVE it I did. I have to admit I had no idea what to expect, I mean, I knew it was going to be a beautiful destination, but I don’t think I was prepared for just HOW beautiful it is. 

Taking a break whenever I can back in Australia and visiting all my favourite places to just “be.” A chance to recenter and immerse myself in the beauty that is a place, which I am lucky enough to call home. Kick starting a micro-adventure series with TEVA Australia. // Please head to the full blog post here. Get out there! M. x

Checking in from paradise.  Recently I had the opportunity to visit Bali with my beautiful, beautiful friend and roommate Chelsea. A girls trip combining a holiday with work, which was perfectly timed – – we spent some time getting back to our roots, taking the moment to appreciate every day and a new rising sun, exploring Bali, slowing down, practising yoga and eating incredible, nourishing food. Collecting memories not things. 

We are all visitors here, in this time, in this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow and to love, and then we return home. – Australian Aboriginal proverb Spent some time with good hearts in my soul place. It’s so good to be home. M. x  

The world is huge and we are tiny. Explore it. ✧♡• In just under two and a half hours from Brisbane you can escape to paradise.  You know those places that you instantly connect with, that pull at your heartstrings in an unfamiliar but almost comforting way? Calling you back again so much so that you spend days dreaming about your return, before you even leave? I was pleasantly surprised and completely blown away with the incredible untouched beauty of Vanuatu. 

Life is not about milestones, but moments • The open road, fresh air in our lungs and laughter filling our bellies: eight days on the road with Tourism Queensland and Toyota Australia.  One of my biggest photo updates this year. I’m feeling incredibly grateful to have spent time with good friends exploring all the natural wonders of my home state along The Pacific Coast Way, a 1700km stretch linking Brisbane to Cairns. 

The stars will remind us of the beauty in our struggles and we won’t feel so lost anymore. I recently spent a week on the road with some of my favourite Australian Photographers/Instagrammers and friends. We took the Grand Pacific coastal drive which starts in the Royal National Park, less than an hour south of Sydney and makes its way through the Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama and Shoalhaven regions.  

Beautiful things don’t have to cost the Earth • I was recently a part of @etsyau’s #city2outback adventure featuring Evie and Essie, based in the picturesque foothills of Hobart’s Mt Wellington. The Children’s clothing label Evie & Essie is the joint love of best friends and lifelong crafters Suki Hopgood and Sarah Crawford. Suki and Sarah hosted myself and the Etsy team for a few days, showing us around the unique beauty of Hobart with the city and its surrounds being a constant source of both inspiration and escape. 

I was really excited to head back to the Northern Territory, this time to explore a new region and parts of the Top End which I hadn’t yet made it to. The Northern Territory is truly is one of my favourite places in Australia and the world; the natural beauty, culture and that night sky are all second to none.

Today in the Courier Mail with thanks to Linda Silmalis. helloworld x Insider Journeys. “While Laos is often foolishly skipped by travellers, those who do venture here often come for one of two reasons – to learn more of its wartime past or to spend time with its elephants.”

“I wonder if the things that remind me of you, remind you of me.”  I recently went on a whirlwind (and I really mean whirlwind) adventure to Colombia with Kathmandu. What can I tell you about it? My itch for South America has only just been scratched and I’m left wanting more. We hit the ground running and began filming at the airport in Medellín city. I’ve never hidden that I am not much of a city girl, but I think the cute streets, botanical gardens and salsa-dancing nightlife in Medellín are attractions I’ll go back for. 

“Can we take a ride? Get out of this place, while we still have time.” My heart feels heavy today. Reminiscing on this afternoon drive and always an adventure with you. Still, learning to let go. 

Saturday afternoon just gone I was sitting on the beach for hours with one of my best friends, we were discussing the impermanent nature of life and how ‘when we were younger’ (that sentence itself makes me feel old, but what is age?) we used to have countdowns looking forward to certain events or certain holidays.

One day / 10 photos. One an hour from sunrise to sunset. Bourail to Nouméa, New Caledonia. 

Wollongong is one destination in Australia I’ve always wanted to visit, so when I booked this job earlier in the year I was really excited about it. It would be a working-reunion of sorts with some of my favourite travel buddies and personal mentors. Plus, my friend and ridiculously talented Photographer Will Patino has been showcasing the best of Wollongong for years now and I couldn’t wait to get down there and see it for myself.  

Any time with you is time well spent. From the floors of the airport to this beautiful destination, with all the highs and lows in-between. Worth every minute.