Christmas in July - Blue Mountains - Weekend Away from Sydney

Christmas in July is a tradition all the Brits in Sydney partake in each winter. July in Australia is winter time, and sees groups of friends wearing obligatory Christmas jumpers/onesies, heading for the Blue Mountains to get in on the yuletide action.

Why the Blue Mountains? They are close by to Sydney and as Christmas here is in summer, aka the hottest time of year, the temperature during winter feels more like back home at Christmas time. It can get quite cold in the Blue Mountains, and the thought of curling up to a log fire with some wine after a big meal is very appealing.

We headed up after work on Friday in my housemate's car. You can also get the train to the Blue Mountains for day trips too. One of the girls Cathy had organised the whole thing, the house and all the meals. She had managed to secure a massive house in Blackheath, a town near Leura. There were around thirteen of us altogether. Each meal was prepared by different teams. One of the best meals was breakfast on Saturday morning, Baked Eggs with Chorizo by Ed.

The Three Sisters are perhaps the most famous attraction of the Blue Mountains. They are pretty amazing to look at, but for me, the valley behind adds to how magical this place is. I want to explore some more one day.

We then moved onto another part of the park, where we walked down to an amazing waterfall with an incredible view of the valley. Some cockatoos also joined us.

Back to the house, I helped head chef Cathy prepare the main meal, a full on roast with all the trimmings! The rest of the night continued with party games and dancing.

The next day we left Blackheath behind, spent the early afternoon in Leura and then back to Sydney for work the next day.

Memory
When my family visited Australia back in 2005, we stopped off in Katoomba for a few nights. Back then I remember visiting Scenic World, and our parents having to buy us hats, scarfs, fleeces etc as it was unusually cold and we were not prepared, despite being Scottish! My father still has his beloved fleece. We had stayed in some random hotel, which was like being transported back to the 1970s. I also remember watching the news about the crazy queues and shortages of the new Harry Potter book around the world (the one where Dumbledore dies) and then us walking into the Kmart in Katoomba to a humungous pile of untouched Harry Potter books. It was like heaven!

Double Bay - Sydney - Day by the Bay

A few months ago, a friend called Jenny invited me to come to her flat in Edgecliff, and from there we went for brunch in Double Bay.

Edgecliff has quite a few high rise flats, but when you get up to the 16th floor, you can understand why people live here. The view is incredible! Jenny and her housemates are able to see most of Sydney Harbour, and all the secluded bays.

We then made our way down towards Double Bay. On the walk you come across some beautiful old houses with old trees, which give the place a sense of history. Difficult to come across in such a 'new' country.

We ended up brunching in a local restaurant, Indigo. Jenny got the baked eggs while I had the most delicious fruit salad.

Walking along in Sydney, you always get reminders of where you are. Sometimes, and I know this is cliche, but I have to pinch myself. I still can't believe I live here!

When we got down to bay, we watched as the sun set. Upon doing so, we decided to sneak into the Yacht Club for a drink. To be fair, we didn't realise we had to be members, and no one said anything. We had a glorious view of the Bay and washed it down with some fabulous wine.

Views, brunch and wine - a perfect Saturday in Sydney.

Vivid 2014 - Sydney - Festival of Light

Vivid is the festival of light, which happens at the end of May/start of June each year in Sydney. The whole of Circular Quay is lights up in colour and amazing light shows are projected onto landmarks around the area.

Most notably the Sydney Opera House.

The best place to enjoy all the wonders of Vivid is the Opera Bar, just under the Sydney Opera House. We managed to get a great seat with a view of the Harbour and of the famous monument behind us.

It can get very busy, so I suggest getting to the attractions as early as possible, but dark enough to appreciate the shows!

There are various events on during Vivid, but unfortunately I didn't get a chance to go along to any of them. There is always next year.

Ferry to Manly and Shelly Beach Snorkelling - Sydney

Although I love the Eastern Suburbs, I also quite like getting out of the bubble. Living in Sydney, the best way to get around is by ferry, especially when travelling to Manly. You can get a ferry from Circular Quay and Watsons Bay.

One particular morning I was able to get the front seat of the ferry. This is an unusual occurrence, as they are usually packed full to the brim with tourists.

I love how the ferry allows you to see all the famous Sydney landmarks from a different angle.

Sydney Harbour is teeming with life, above and below. There are so many different water sports played on the surface, such as sailing and paddle boarding. However, I won't be jumping into the thick of Harbour anytime soon. There are quite a few bull sharks in there, and I don't fancy meeting one of them! I will stick to the shoreline and netted areas!

Below is the entrance to the Harbour. You can see North Head near Manly on the left and South Head on the right. Watsons Bay is not too far from here.

Manly is like a chilled out version of Bondi. It also acts like a bubble, as it is quite far to get anywhere from. There are so many surf shops and cafes to choose from.

I actually prefer a beach just round the corner from the main one, Shelly Beach. Here you can take your snorkel and explore the bay. There are also some cute cafes to purchase snorkel gear if you forget/ don't have any.

Shelly is far quieter than Manly, and you can pretty much leave your things to the side and spend hours in the water without any worries.

Back at Manly Wharf, sunset. Bliss. Manly and Shelly are without a doubt the must see places when visitors come to Sydney

One of the many ferries in service.

My Love for Bondi Beach and the Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk - Sydney

As I was still living in Newtown with friends, it was about time found my own place. For me, the search began in the Eastern Suburbs. To begin with, I didn't want to move to Bondi. This is where all the Brits come to when they get to Sydney, and never leave. I didn't want to get caught in the bubble. I hadn't moved half way across the world to live somewhere like Shoreditch, and I also wanted to live the Aussie lifestyle and live near the beach...

Back when my family visited Sydney in 2005 my father even refused to take us to Bondi, as it was too touristy. I had all these preconceptions of how it was going to be. When I eventually arrived in Bondi, I hadn't prepared myself. I fell in love immediately. Sucker!

I managed to find a place on Beach Road, about 5 minutes from the Beach. Living with an Aussie guy and an English girl (who has since been replaced by an American guy). The perfect place for living the Aussie dream. I honestly cannot believe how lucky I am to live here. I know now this is where I need to be at this stage in my life. I may not be the typical Bondi person, but I don't really care!

Bondi itself is pretty special. The coastal walk to Coogee offers incredible views. It is the best backyard I have ever had. The walk probably takes about two hours to complete. Sometimes I only walk to Bronte, get a smoothie and then head back. These photos were taken over the Easter weekend.

The pathway gets very busy at times, as lots of people use it to exercise and walk their dogs. Earlier in the morning is probably the best time to go.

Tamarama has an iconic surf life saving club sign, and marks the next beach from Bondi.

Just on from Bronte, Waverly Cemetery looks out to sea. Not to be morbid, but this would be my ideal final resting place. Next to the ocean with a stunning view.

Icebergs pool is also an iconic Bondi snap. I have sooooo many photos, as I love all the turquoise and blue colours.