discovering tasmania

tasmania happens to be one of the most beautiful parts of australia. last weekend i had the pleasure of taking an extended break to the apple isle. we flew into launceston, drove to freycinet via st helens and coles bay (stopped at Jansz - methode tasmanoise obviously). in coles bay we stayed in the cutest little wooden cottage, went to wine glass bay (what a walk, make sure that you take your water and are prepared.. it is steep and unsuspecting.. especially if the only exercise you do, like me, is walking to the kitchen). from here we went to hobart and were very lucky to arrive just in time for snowbart. apart from the loveliest fresh produce everywhere you went, dinner at stillwater in launceston was most probably the culinary highlight, but the beautiful countryside was also captivating. this little getaway was like an entree into tasmania, i know i will certainly be heading back, any chance i get! 

my favourite places to eat in Sydney

Many people avoid food. I adore food. Perhaps they avoid it because, like me, they know that once they start eating they wont be able to stop. Sydney has some of the best restaurants in the world. I have slowly been eating my way around this town.  Some of my favourites include: Otto's, Papi Chulo, The Apollo, Cho Cho San, North Bondi Fish, The Butler, The Burger Project, Ms G's, Queenies and of course, my house for a cook up of the best meats from Victor Churchill.  I have been busy... more to come, stay tuned.

my blog

So for a really long time I lost interest in the concept of blogging. I found it time consuming, it felt soulless and one sided. I felt awkward about having a place, even if it is just a tiny drop in the web ocean, where I wrote about my feelings. I really wanted to make my blog work, to write something that people wanted to read. Then I thought about that. I need to write something that I want to read. Something that makes me happy. So here are some things that make me happy.

weekend adventures

on friday, i decided to surprise michael with a quick getaway to the hunter. when i say quick, i mean quick. a friend of mine was in town on saturday and i wanted to catch up with her, so after some sufficient girl talk and catch ups, michael and i dashed away to the hunter.  as we drove through the beautiful hawkesbury region, rain sheeting down, there was the most beautiful blush sunset that took my breathe away. upon arriving in the hunter we settled into the most delightful inn, 'the vine valley inn' which i book at the last minute and what a treat it was!! after checking in we dashed up to the royal oak hotel for a delightful dinner. 

the next morning we had a big breakfast before i started into the the wines, michael was skipper.  the wines in the hunter are so completely different from the barossa and margaret river and we totally loved exploring the region. tyrells wines was a great surprise then we grabbed some beautiful cheese from the hunter cheese co. what a treasure! overall it was a super quick trip, but what a wonderful trip. i loved exploring the region with michael and can't wait to head back to give the hunter some serious time! 

betsy is here, in sydney, now

six months ago I moved to sydney, I followed my heart and took a leap. moving cities is a challenging task at the best of times and the whole process, moving, finding a new job, new friends and learning to live with my lovely boyfriend has, at times, been challenging. it's a difficult thing, to learn to live without all of the things that you took for granted. somedays i miss my family and friends, more than I ever knew I could. but, every other day i get to explore all that this city has to offer.  this is a slice of my new life, one i get to share with the love of my life.

bib & tucker

i recently hit up bib&tucker in north fremantle with a friend. and i can say with confidence that is one of the most beautiful spots on the coast. the atmosphere and the surroundings were perfect. the chips were also delicious and we were able to enjoy a 'cheeky monkey' drop.  i always love bars/restaurants that support local producers and this is a great example.  cant wait to head back!

happiness, according to my instagram photos

this past weekend i escaped with a friend to margaret river. the weather was perfect down south, sunny and crisp in the day and cool in the evening. despite trying to get over a stomach flu i was still able to enjoy some of the food and alcohol from the region, which is always terrific. the food at the farmers market, i wanted to eat it all.... especially the cheese from the worlds best salesman.

it has been about a year since i have headed down south and this time we stayed at llewellins guest house, run by the brilliant Joanna and James Llewellin, this was the most delightful bed and breakfast.  we were heading to the cheeky monkey brewery 1st birthday party, which was excellent. i had never been there before and it was fantastic, such an awesome range of ciders and beers. overall it was a perfect weekend getaway.