BoomingOn

13/08/2026

Quick overnighter in Melbourne staying in the old world charm of The Hotel Windsor in the city. It’s not far to walk to Lucy Lui’s for a delicious quick dinner and perfectly placed to catch a show at the Princess Theatre. Thrilled to catch one of the earliest shows of Its a Beautiful Noise which I thoroughly enjoyed. Great music and a killer band pumping out the beats. Praise be to Ticketek’s official marketplace to enable scooping up some last-minute tickets, VIP to boot. I love being special! And found two French patisseries with excellent pastries. Winning!

09/08/2026

When you’re heading out for dinner but can’t decide exactly what you feel like eating, the latest offering from the Chairman Group stable in Canberra - casual diner World eatery may be the answer. It’s part of the new dining precinct at East Traders Hall. Some really innovative and delicious fare crossing culinary borders. My review just out in the latest edition of.Australian Traveller magazine. Their take on a Waldorf salad with candied walnuts a stand out.

07/08/2026

Went along to this production of the Jungle and the Sea last night at Canberra Theatre Centre. To be honest, I was a little bit sceptical about going to see a three-hour production (there are two intervals) but I got entirely swept up in this epic tale that spans 26 years of civil war in Sri Lanka. It’s gripping and tragic and even very funny in parts, authentically telling stories of love and loss in war that we all should know about but have so easily forgotten. The cast were exceptional, treated to a rousing standing ovation at the end by a very appreciative audience and even the director came on stage too. It’s on for another two nights. Well worth a night out.

06/08/2026

It may be a little chilly in Dunedin in winter (did I just read about some dare-devil skiing down the city’s steepest street freshly dusted with snow???) but a scenic bike ride around Otago Harbour is a great way to warm up and take in the views, and probably much safer. A few weeks ago I did just that. Clearly the bike ride and not the street skiing. What a wonderful way to spend a day. Grabbed some electric bikes from electrify.nz in the centre of town to make the ride to Port Chalmers and back a breeze, stopped to read all the cultural signs along the way, hopped across the harbour to the village of Portobello to on a ferry, took in a delicious lunch at (fantastic array of farm-grown snd house-made preserves and pickles too) and back by four, flying along the water’s edge with a bit of extra power from the bikes. It’s a whole day of activities and a great way to get to know the place. Highly recommend. Great ride with Dunedin, New Zealand!

05/08/2026

26/07/2026

Earlier this month I zipped across the ditch for a few days in Dunedin to join in the local celebrations of Matariki, the Maori New Year. It was wonderful to see how this celebration, which is a time for remembrance and renewal and which has been a public holiday for the last few years, has really been embraced by the broader New Zealand community. Some of the highlights included included a dawn Matariki celebration of remembering loved ones and setting intentions, a community festival with music and finished with a drone show, a cultural coastal, a carving workshop, a ride and a night train ride to view the stars, which sadly stayed pretty well hidden that night. It really felt like a beautiful recognition and coming together of cultures. Here’s some snippets of the visit to the South Island that has much to offer. With thanks to Dunedin, New Zealand and the Fable Hotel for putting me up in their beautiful historic hotel.

12/07/2026

A visit to Milan earlier in the year was a fabulous way to end our European jaunt, full of treasures including ones we had heard about and some which were joyful discoveries. Thrilled to see my selection of things not to miss in Milan in today’s Escape including a number of different ways to discover the city - by foot, bike, Fiat 500, via your taste buds or with new friends. I put in some extra pics as well, just because I can.