The Silver LiningDown South
Posted on January 17, 2014
Heading “Down South” is a common turn of phrase in this part of the world. Invariably it means going on a road trip to one of the beautiful towns south of Perth, getting away from city life, relaxing on the beach and taking it easy. Late last year when Steve visited us from Scotland, I took the chance to show him how beautiful this part of the world is. We ate cheese, drank wine, sat on the beach, took photos, mountain biked and spotted some whales, kangaroos and possums. Poor Sarah couldn’t join as due to work commitments but happily we both have some leave and are scheduled to make a return visit very soon!
– Jinn
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Zebedee
Posted on July 5, 2013
Saturday morning was spent idling and floating in the nourishing waters of Zebedee Springs. Located within the vast El Questro wilderness park, Zebedee Springs is a naturally-occurring thermal spring. It gets its name from a character from the Magic Roundabout (Who? Nah, I don’t remember it either…) and is said to always remain a comfortable 28-32°C (82-90°F), perfect for soaking and lounging in.
As we wandered through the towering Livistona palm trees (and past a stray bull – watch out!), we found ourselves in the natural paradise. We left our clothes, towels and cares on the nearby rocks and steeped ourselves into the soothingly warm spring water. Somehow, the time just flew by. Two hours later and with great reluctance, we eventually had to tear ourselves away – our minds and bodies cleansed by the calming waters. 
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Follow the sun
Posted on June 19, 2013
What Kimberley holiday would be complete without a lazy afternoon spent at the beach? We tried our hand at a little snorkelling but alas the water was a tad too choppy for that! We contented ourselves with a nice snooze in the afternoon sun, cooling down with a bite of refreshing watermelon. Sometimes I just love doing nothing.
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Tagalong
Posted on June 17, 2013
One of the best things we did whilst up at Cape Leveque was join local elder, Brian Lee, on a four-wheel drive tagalong tour. Brian led us along the pristine beach and down to a nearby creek, all the while sharing stories about his Bardi people and the land, and showing us how to spearfish and catch giant Kimberley mudcrabs! Brian was so expressive and enthusiastic. A couple of times he hopped out of his car like a flash, spear in hand, jumping into the surf to retrieve his catch. His face also told many stories by itself, the light in his eyes shining as he explained how his grandparents would have lived in harmony with the land years ago, and his features undeniably showing his Bardi, English and Japanese heritage, testament to the history of this region.
We came to Hunter Creek, traversed its sandy banks at low tide and made our way to the mangroves where the mudcrabs hide out. Expertly, Brian showed us how to extricate these giant crabs from beneath the roots of the mangrove trees before giving us a chance to do the same (quite unsuccessfully!). After a few hours in this amazing wilderness we found ourselves perched on a rocky outcrop, hungrily eyeing the catch from the day: two successfully speared mullet, three giant mudcrabs, and a branch covered in tiny oysters. All were deliciously smoked on a coal fire, and we feasted. I’m not sure I will ever eat crab this good ever again. Ever.
Brian Lee / brianleetagalong.com.au / brian-lee@live.com /0437026262 / Meet him in this awesome video
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Pointe Saint-Mathieu
Posted on May 29, 2013
Wearing – Karen Walker t-shirt (on sale at Anthropologie!), ASOS overalls, Madewell sunglasses, Fossil bangle (similar), Donelli shoes (similar)
What he’s wearing – Urban Outfitters jumper and jeans
Our first destination in France was the incredibly picturesque and tiny little village, Pointe Saint-Mathieu, perched right atop part of the spectacular coastline of Brittany. It gets its name from an old abbey in the centre of the village (sixth century according to legend) which was said to have housed the skull of the apostle Matthew until it was lost in the ocean off the point. After the icy cold of Glasgow it was nice to get out into some sunshine. Look! No coat!
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Cable Beach again
Posted on March 20, 2013
We went back to enjoy Cable Beach on my last evening in Broome. I had vowed to watch the sunset from a different beach each night I was in Broome, and true to my word we saw the sun set from a different part of Cable Beach to before. We stayed out late, well after the sun had set, deep in conversation and watching the sky turn from red to black and then erupt into a magnificent starscape. Beautiful scenery, warm nights, a sweet smelling breeze and excellent company – what could be better in life? – Jinn
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Happy weekend! + breaking news
Posted on January 11, 2013
So who knows where this is?
Well, first and foremost – happy weekend! Hope you all have fab plans now that you no longer have to peel yourself off the car seat/pavement/any surface you found yourself on during the 40 plus degree heat wave.
Secondly, I’m moving to Broome for six months starting this February! Work is sending me there and sadly I’ll be going alone as Jinn has to stay in Perth, also for work reasons (Curse you, work gods!). But on the up side, how beautiful is Broome? I’ll also be given the fantastic opportunity to travel to other areas including Derby, Kununurra, Halls Creek, Fitzroy Crossing, and places I haven’t even heard of! So aside from being apart from my family and friends for a bit, I’m really excited to heading up there. (For those of you not familiar with Western Australia, Broome is 3000 kilometres north of Perth [here’s a map!] and sits right near the top of the state and is surrounded by some pretty sweet coastlines.)
As a result of the impending move there’ll be a bit of a lull while I pack, unpack, adjust and settle in but I hope to continue blogging from my new base.
And thirdly! (Yes, there’s more…) We’ll be updating the look of our little site. Well, when I say “we” I mean Jinn. Jinn’s whiz-bang talent and natural eye for graphic design never fails to amaze me, and I hope you love the fresh look too. 🙂
***Photo courtesy of Gary Hayes.
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A very merry Christmas indeed!
Posted on December 27, 2012
Summer finally decided to unleash its glorious but scorching self upon us on Christmas Day, and in full force! Christmas for me is a typically relaxed day spent with all the gorgeous people I love. The morning began with our annual ritual of present opening with my immediate family, and I have to say I scored…big time. Jinn was given the task of buying my present on behalf of the entire family and the poor thing was racking his brains so hard – I wasn’t exactly lacking in anything since only recently coming back from that very fruitful holiday in New York I keep mentioning! He’s also very bad at keeping secrets. So I thought I had it all figured out when I saw a shopping bag from one of my favourite stores (Atlas Divine in Leederville!) peeking out from under a chair when I got home one day. But honestly, nothing prepared me for the boom-bap-pow of those shiny gold Super Duper Strength sunglasses from Karen Walker’s latest Fantastique eyewear range that popped out from that unassuming little package with my name on it. All I can say is – Thank. you. I. Love. Them. And. I. LOVE. YOU. ALL. !.
What followed was a food dream filled with beautiful dishes definitely befitting the occasion (Jason served up five meats at his “little” Christmas barbecue, I certainly got my protein load for the next month or so). Thankfully there was time for a quick dip before Jason’s dinner to help get the digestive system going and burn off a few calories, and of course play with my cousin’s underwater camera! She usually uses it to photograph fish/turtles/rays/sharks when she goes scuba diving but we were more than happy to be the wildlife on this occasion. 🙂
There’s nothing quite like days like these that bring everyone together for the sole purpose of enjoying each other’s company and for sharing gifts, stories, hugs and laughs. I cherish every single moment and find that as I get older (wow, I’m not that geriatric!) they mean more and more to me.
The Silver Lining 