People often ask me what was the highlight of our 2014 trip around Australia, and I generally reply that “everywhere was special”. However there was an experience that probably stands out in my mind, and that was a swim with the “Gentle Giants” on the Ningaloo Reef. Firstly, a bit about the Ningaloo Reef. The…
By 50 Shades, February 15, 2023
Kathy was a 50 something year old when she started up this blog 6 years ago, but has since turned over another decade and is now in her early 60s. She is married with two adult children and lives on the Tweed Coast of New South Wales, Australia. Kathy enjoys living life to the fullest and loves to keep fit and active by maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly. Some of her interests include reading, photography, travelling, cooking and blogging! Kathy works part-time as a freelance writer but her real passion is travelling and photographing brilliant destinations both within Australia and overseas and writing about it.
Australia is an island country with an incredible 34,000 kilometres of spectacular coastline. Although, rugged in the southern regions around the Great Australian Bight, and crocodile infested at the northern Top End of Australia, there are an abundance of beautiful beaches. This begs the question “have you been to Australia’s most beautiful beaches”? Recently Qantas…
By 50 Shades, December 22, 2022
Kathy was a 50 something year old when she started up this blog 6 years ago, but has since turned over another decade and is now in her early 60s. She is married with two adult children and lives on the Tweed Coast of New South Wales, Australia. Kathy enjoys living life to the fullest and loves to keep fit and active by maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly. Some of her interests include reading, photography, travelling, cooking and blogging! Kathy works part-time as a freelance writer but her real passion is travelling and photographing brilliant destinations both within Australia and overseas and writing about it.
On our third trip to Cairns in Far North Queensland, we managed to spend a little more time checking out this gateway city to the Great Barrier Reef, The Daintree and the popular resort town of Port Douglas. Although there is plenty to do and see in Cairns itself it is advisable to take as…
By 50 Shades, November 10, 2022
Kathy was a 50 something year old when she started up this blog 6 years ago, but has since turned over another decade and is now in her early 60s. She is married with two adult children and lives on the Tweed Coast of New South Wales, Australia. Kathy enjoys living life to the fullest and loves to keep fit and active by maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly. Some of her interests include reading, photography, travelling, cooking and blogging! Kathy works part-time as a freelance writer but her real passion is travelling and photographing brilliant destinations both within Australia and overseas and writing about it.
What is it about the place we affectionately call ‘The Bay’, aka Byron Bay, that makes it one of the most sought after holiday destinations on the east coast of Australia? Is it the fact that it is unspoiled and non-commercialized, with no hi-rises, no traffic lights and strict environmental protection laws? Is it the…
By 50 Shades, October 27, 2022
Kathy was a 50 something year old when she started up this blog 6 years ago, but has since turned over another decade and is now in her early 60s. She is married with two adult children and lives on the Tweed Coast of New South Wales, Australia. Kathy enjoys living life to the fullest and loves to keep fit and active by maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly. Some of her interests include reading, photography, travelling, cooking and blogging! Kathy works part-time as a freelance writer but her real passion is travelling and photographing brilliant destinations both within Australia and overseas and writing about it.
Spreading from Cairns to Cardwell, Far North Queensland Cassowary Coast is one of the regions we explored during our recent motorhome trip. It is a relatively quiet stretch of coastline bordered by the Wet Tropics Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef. It takes in the townships of Cardwell, Tully, Kurramine Beach, Etty Bay, Innisfail and…
By 50 Shades, October 20, 2022
Kathy was a 50 something year old when she started up this blog 6 years ago, but has since turned over another decade and is now in her early 60s. She is married with two adult children and lives on the Tweed Coast of New South Wales, Australia. Kathy enjoys living life to the fullest and loves to keep fit and active by maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly. Some of her interests include reading, photography, travelling, cooking and blogging! Kathy works part-time as a freelance writer but her real passion is travelling and photographing brilliant destinations both within Australia and overseas and writing about it.
One of the best ways to see the natural beauty and wonders of our countries is to get out into the great outdoors on a hiking trail. We’ve all probably heard of some of the infamous hiking trails such as: Camino de Santiago through France, Spain and Portugal; The Path of the Gods along the…
By 50 Shades, October 6, 2022
Kathy was a 50 something year old when she started up this blog 6 years ago, but has since turned over another decade and is now in her early 60s. She is married with two adult children and lives on the Tweed Coast of New South Wales, Australia. Kathy enjoys living life to the fullest and loves to keep fit and active by maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly. Some of her interests include reading, photography, travelling, cooking and blogging! Kathy works part-time as a freelance writer but her real passion is travelling and photographing brilliant destinations both within Australia and overseas and writing about it.
On our recent trip to Far North Queensland we spent five days exploring the magical and mystical Atherton Tablelands. In vast contrast to the tropical cities of Cairns and Port Douglas, the Atherton Tablelands unearthed a diversity of terrain from savannah grasslands; to green rolling hills; to vast fruit orchards and coffee plantations; to dairy…
By 50 Shades, September 29, 2022
Kathy was a 50 something year old when she started up this blog 6 years ago, but has since turned over another decade and is now in her early 60s. She is married with two adult children and lives on the Tweed Coast of New South Wales, Australia. Kathy enjoys living life to the fullest and loves to keep fit and active by maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly. Some of her interests include reading, photography, travelling, cooking and blogging! Kathy works part-time as a freelance writer but her real passion is travelling and photographing brilliant destinations both within Australia and overseas and writing about it.
I don’t know about you but I love a lighthouse, particularly the lighthouses of New South Wales. There is something alluring and enticing about them. It may be because: a) They are strategically located to alert ships of danger, or b) They are situated up high on a bluff or on a hilltop with the most…
By 50 Shades, September 16, 2022
Kathy was a 50 something year old when she started up this blog 6 years ago, but has since turned over another decade and is now in her early 60s. She is married with two adult children and lives on the Tweed Coast of New South Wales, Australia. Kathy enjoys living life to the fullest and loves to keep fit and active by maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly. Some of her interests include reading, photography, travelling, cooking and blogging! Kathy works part-time as a freelance writer but her real passion is travelling and photographing brilliant destinations both within Australia and overseas and writing about it.
It’s been a while since I visited my hometown Bendigo in Central Victoria. Because Australia was in effect closed for tourism for the past two years, it has not been possible to travel interstate. This provincial city is only 130 kilometres north of Melbourne and is an easy drive along the Calder Freeway. In February…
By 50 Shades, August 11, 2022
Kathy was a 50 something year old when she started up this blog 6 years ago, but has since turned over another decade and is now in her early 60s. She is married with two adult children and lives on the Tweed Coast of New South Wales, Australia. Kathy enjoys living life to the fullest and loves to keep fit and active by maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly. Some of her interests include reading, photography, travelling, cooking and blogging! Kathy works part-time as a freelance writer but her real passion is travelling and photographing brilliant destinations both within Australia and overseas and writing about it.
I tend to subscribe to numerous travel offer companies as I’m always on the lookout for good travel deals. This means I get bombarded with emails on a daily basis offering travel deals that are sometimes very reasonably priced. One such Luxury Escape offer was a deal for five nights at a four star resort…
By 50 Shades, July 14, 2022
Kathy was a 50 something year old when she started up this blog 6 years ago, but has since turned over another decade and is now in her early 60s. She is married with two adult children and lives on the Tweed Coast of New South Wales, Australia. Kathy enjoys living life to the fullest and loves to keep fit and active by maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly. Some of her interests include reading, photography, travelling, cooking and blogging! Kathy works part-time as a freelance writer but her real passion is travelling and photographing brilliant destinations both within Australia and overseas and writing about it.
