Country Music Capital of Australia

Tamworth is a major regional city and is also known as the country music capital of Australia. I am a massive fan of country music and was so excited to find a country music radio station!!


I did a quick visit to the iconic Big Golden Guitar before heading further north west to the small town of Manilla. Manilla is known as a hang-gliding and paragliding destination, however the only reason for my visit was due to the fact that this was my former colleague's hometown. No, it wasn't to visit him but I was just curious what the place was like. Honestly, that really is the explanation for most of why I do things - curiousity.

Chasing Waterfalls in NSW

Another year, another roadtrip! This was my first trip of 2017 and I decided to head to New England region in NSW. My roadtrip is mapped below.

I had been putting this roadtrip off for a while due to distance from Sydney however as I had the first week off from work I decided to make the most of my precious free time. Sadly the day on Waterfall Way was quite miserable weather-wise; it was raining on and off, overcast and foggy.


My first stop was to Wonga Walk to see Crystal Shower Falls and Tristania Falls. It entailed a 6.6km return walk on a relatively easy track. It started to rain halfway through the track, however I was reasonably protected from the rain by the foliage.

Monthly Recap: January

January is always a bit of a weird month. Before the commencement of full time work (namely, being a student) it was more of an exciting month and full of opportunities and new beginnings. However these days, it feels a little anti-climatic and more like an extension of the previous year; I suppose that is a dumb thing to say because ... well that is what it actually is!

Travel 
• Road trip to New England region in NSW (posts to come)
• Revisited Figure 8 Pools. This time I didn't bring my camera however I have written about it previously. There are so many more people now and there are tours from hostels as well. I am still not convinced that it is the most incredible thing to see.
• I have been a little obsessed with wild swimming (creeks / lakes / dams) since my trip to Tasmania and headed to Jellybean Pool at Glenbrook. Although I did end up slipping and grazed half of my thigh.
• Decided that I won't be going overseas this year. I have been toying with the idea of heading to South Australia for 1.5 weeks to roadtrip around the state.

Hobbies (life outside travel)
• Tried to start a bullet journal. I didn't realise exactly what it was until early this month and discovered it was something that I used to do back during my university days! My bullet journal lasted all of one week as I came to the realisation that I really don't need a journal these days.
• Have started experimenting with watercolours. It is something that I play with as I am watching a show / movie.
• Maintained two blog posts a week for the entire month! Sometimes I feel that is too frequent, however I am also on a backlog right now and get a little anxious when I am too far behind. Is this unique to me?
• Gave my blog a little makeover with a new template, banner and 'About' page!
• Have been on an audiobook listening spree. I prefer reading a physical book over listening to audiobooks. However, I have become bored of listening to music on my commute and would rather spend the time more efficiently. I cannot read on buses as I get motion sickness which is why audiobooks are my only option!
• Books: ISIS: The State of Terror by Jessica Stern; 1984 by George Orwell; 11/22/63 by Stephen King; The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon; The Opposite of Lonelinesss by Marina Keegan; The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff; Snowblind by Michael McBride; The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking; The Vegetarian by Han Kang; Spark Joy by Marie Kondo
• Watched: Vikings, A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Shannara Chronicles, 11.22.63, La La Land, Arrivals (♥), Hope, Passengers, Lion, Hidden Figures, Moana

I have spent quite a few days this month (when I am not at work) at home and relaxing which is a little foreign to me. As mentioned previously, I am wanting to slow down a little and learn that I don't always need to be doing something. However that being said, it is quite clear that I spent a lot of time on Netflix this month. 

Bridestowe Lavender Estate

Lavender is definitely one of my favourite scents and it is attributable to the bushes that my mum had planted in our garden at our childhood home. After my semi-failed visit to a lavender farm in Victoria, I did some research and discovered that the blooms happen between December to early January which perfectly coincided with my trip to Tasmania. Visiting a lavender field has been on my list of places I have wanted to visit and I was reminded of this from Cherie's visit back in August 2015.

Glengarry Bush Maze

During my research, I discovered that there was a bush maze in Glengarry. It is a bit of a novelty and, as I had never participated in one, I thought it would be good to tick it off my Things I've Never Done list. I had planned to take it a little slow that day as my quads were still so sore.

Quick stop to see the opium poppy fields. The farms in Tasmania produce around 50% of the world's (licit) supply!

So pretty!

Waterfalls in Tasmania

The day after Cradle Mountain was painful. The hike to the summit was honestly the hardest hike that I had ever done and it was reflected in how sore my muscles (especially my quads) were. I woke up early from my campground (where I was the only person there...) and drove to one of the tallest waterfalls in Tasmania, Montzeuma Falls. There is a bit of conflicting information about whether or not it is the tallest at a height of 104m. Unlike the previous day, it was a very grey morning and drizzled for most of the drive there. I hadn't done enough research and didn't realise that the walk to and from the carpark would entail a 3 hour return walk. Yikes. Despite how sore I was I ended up walking to the falls, encouraged by the sign that marked the walk as easy. It definitely was easy.

Haul: MooGoo Skincare Products

A bit of a different post! A few weeks ago, I was researching serums / oils to incorporate into my skincare. For those who have tried to research products online, it is completely overwhelming! There are so many products out there and of course, every product works differently for each person. I have normal / dry skin and my biggest concern (aside from wrinkles) is darkness particularly around my eyes.

I wear make up almost every day and a large part of it is due to the fact that it evens out my complexion. I have a lot of freckles which I have grown to ... tolerate. Honestly, I don't really care that I do have freckles except for the fact that without make up, my skin never looks clear even if I don't have breakouts. Ultimately, freckles make my face look ruddy and no they are not cute, they are only cute when there is a light smattering across the nosebridge and cheeks (look on Youtube for all those ridiculous 'How to Fake Freckles' tutorials). Laser for my freckles is a possible course of action and in the meantime, I wanted to address the darkness around my eyes. Cue researching new eye creams on Reddit and then I stumbled upon a recommendation of Moogoo for their Vitamin C oil. Shortly after I then made a purchase online.

I purchased the MooGoo super Vitamin C Serum $34.90 AUD.

Product Description
This serum is based around an oil soluble form of Vitamin C called "Abscobyl Tetraisopalmitate" or VCIP. Most forms of Vitamin C are water soluble. Because the skin is protected by a layer of oil, this means that water soluble Vitamin C does not penetrate well. However our Vitamin C dissolves in oil and so can be absorbed deeper into the skin.

VCIP at this concentration is especially good for pigmentation and sun damage. For this reason, we recommend it pigmentation around the eye area or other areas of the face where pigmentation is a problem

I also purchased the Tamanu Oil ($15.90 AUD) which I had briefly been researching last year when I was trying to find a product to help with acne scarring.

Product Description
Tamanu Oil is now becoming famous for its anti-ageing benefits abased on promotion of new skin and its assistance in repair. Ideal for acne, acne scarring and wound soothing. It is best applied in the evening or under a moisturiser.

They also kindly provided two samples: anti aging cream and small sample of the tinted moisturiser. I will start using the Vitamin C oil shortly and maybe I will write a follow up about my thoughts in a few months time.

Tasmania: Cradle Mountain

Cradle Mountain is 1545m above sea level and is the fifth highest mountain in Tasmania. There are a few day walks in the national park however I intended to walk to the summit and back. This equated to a 13km hike and recommended time of 6.5hrs.




Christmas Day in Australia