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.
We all probably conjure up a holiday to a tropical island paradise to exotic islands like Bali, Phuket, Fiji, Hawaii, The Whitsundays, Santorini, or Ibiza. However, in Lonely Planet’s new publication titled “The Islands Book”, it unveils some of the more dramatic, diverse, and unusual islands around the world. The world’s most amazing islands can…
By 50 Shades, February 9, 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.
You may have heard that 50 is the new 30, and rightfully so. At this stage of your life, your kids are already older and more independent, and you’re probably at a point in your career where you can take leave and able to afford to travel to some of the world’s most incredible destinations….
By 50 Shades, January 23, 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.
A big drawcard for many visitors to Japan in autumn is to partake in Momiji-gari, (in English meaning “hunting red leaves”). Deriving from the Japanese words of momiji (red leaves, or maple tree), and kari (hunting). The autumn colours of Japan generally start to appear from October through to the end of November, and transforms the country’s many forests…
By 50 Shades, January 6, 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.
Since Australia resumed domestic and international travel just over 12 months ago, it has been a shaky start. Unfortunately, there were teething problems, particularly with airlines, airport staffing and trying to decipher international Covid-19 requirements was a maze. I think if I’d had my time over again, I would have waited a little longer to…
By 50 Shades, December 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.
In what has been a tumultuous year of travel for me, a luxury stay at Ayana Resort in Bali was just what the doctor ordered. It was as if the Gods were set against me, with a bout of Ross River Fever earlier in 2022 and then three days prior to travelling overseas to Hawaii…
By 50 Shades, December 7, 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.
Failing to stick to a travel budget can mean unexpected expenses can catch you (and your wallet) off guard. Recent research suggests 1 in 5 of us rarely or never stick to a holiday budget. Over 55s are the main culprits, with just over 1 in 4 (26.38%) throwing the budgeting rulebook out of the…
By 50 Shades, November 30, 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.
In Australia, we have all started to travel again, both within our own country and to overseas destinations. This year I’ve actually caught flights to Sydney, Cairns, Bali and more recently, Japan. Naturally, my husband and I always look for the best air fare deals with some of the low coast airlines. However, after having…
By 50 Shades, November 23, 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.
