Beautiful Newcastle

Catching up with friends and having a lazy day is always fun! What even better is when they show you around a city, that you have pretty much lived in for 10 years, and you see things that you never knew existed.

Today we were bumming around Newcastle. We started off with a yummy lunch in the Junction at Talulahbar its a bit of a Spanish fusion restaurant and its pretty damn good!

We kicked off lunch with some tapas (well that's really all we had - we couldn't fit any more in). Tapas is all about flavour and sharing, well to me it is anyway. So its a perfect meal for catching up with friends.

We had...

Vine tomato, Basil and Garlic Bruschetta $9.70
Roast garlic and Cheese focaccia $6.90
Grilled Chorizo with house marinated olives, pepperonata, arancini balls & focaccia $19.90
Thick hand cut chips house-made w garlic aioli $7.90

Yeah - so, you can see why we were full.

Instead of taking a nice big walk to burn off lunch - We drove to Mereweather to look out over the ocean bath and ocean. I forgot how beautiful this part of the world is.

My advice - if you're coming to Newcastle don't be confined to the city centre - It doesn't do it any justice!

Thanks Michelle for a great day and showing me some beautiful sights around Newcastle!

Nan Tien Temple

Take a 1.5 hour drive from Sydney and you will hit the old working beach-side town of Wollongong. If you are heading south down the freeway you may notice a very large temple popping out from the side of the mountain on your left. Most people will gaze in awe as they continue to drive past it. STOP! Its well worth it!

Nan Tien Temple is the largest Buddhist temple in the southern hemisphere and is a hub for the Buddhist community. It welcomes everyone from all backgrounds to come and experience the majestic practices of this sacred way of life.

The temple is free to visit! There are donation boxes through the complex and if you have spare change  - throw it in! You are allowed to enter the prayer rooms and halls (just remember to remove your shoes) and there is an amazing vegetarian cafe that serves home style veggie food.

Downstairs there is an amazing tea house with a large variety of yummy green and herbal teas and fine vegetarian food (try the Jasmine Flower Jelly dessert - its softly scented with jasmine and tickles your taste buds!)

The temple offers retreats (daily, weekend and longer) and for those interested in practicing Buddhism, they even have their own university.

Check out their web site for upcoming events and information!

South Coast Beach Life - Kiama and Gerringong

I find the South Coast of NSW to be a soothing and tranquil place. Its strange that I take such delight in this place. It's not like I come down here to escape the hustle and bustle of city life - I live on the beach! No, the South Coast has an aura about it, it pulls you in and makes you want more.

Along the coast line is the perfect mix of country farms and chic little beach towns. A weekend get away is sometimes all you need to experience and fall in love with the South coast.Depending on how much time you - is the direct relation as to how far down you can go. For a weekend trip from Sydney, I would recommend heading to Kiama or Gerringong.

Kiama is a hub for tourists, so the novelty can wear off pretty fast. But please do stop here! I recommend using it as a 'break stop'. Stop on the way down and on the way back! There are some great walking paths to stretch your legs and take in the sea air - after being couped up in a car for hours, this will be welcomed!

Sites worth seeing around Kiama:

• Kiama Blowhole - This is actually great to see when the weather is not so good - Take an umbrella or a poncho

• Little Blowhole - Is the little brother of the big blowhole
• The Lighthouse

There are plenty of things to see and do - This website here has a great list.

Moving further south, 20min from Kiama is the very small town of Gerringong. I LOVE this town.

It is quiet, peaceful. the beaches are pretty and the people are friendly.

If you are looking for a weekend get away and want to splurge than I would recommend staying at www.mercuregerringong.com.au - This was formally known as the Bella Chara and was very famous amongst the locals. It still has beautiful rooms and great service!

The restaurant there serves amazing food and If you up for a bit of a night out - Start you Friday with Cheap Cocktails during happy hour!

Eating out in Gerringong is easy! There are plenty of dining options - My favorite is Point Break Cafe - Its a veggie cafe and serves amazing food (The nachos are the best), it is connected to the major surf shop in town.

Into swimming and surfing? The beaches around this area are sure to please, they tend to pull in a good swell. Gerringong also has an ocean bath for though who do not like to swim directly in the surf!

To wrap it all off - If you are a keen hiker (like me) you can put your hiking boots on and head out on the Gerringong to Kiama coastal walk - Its not too hard - and has the MOST amazing views!

Ripples on the water

Milsons Point, holds a soft place in my heart. I use to live in the neighboring suburb, McMahons Point and spent every afternoon running around Milsons Point and every morning in the Olympic Pool. There is an atmosphere here that is hard to explain, but its a nice place to be.

I don't think Milsons Point gets enough attention. It has one of the best views of the Harbour and the famous Sydney icons. It is the home of Sydney's Luna Park. You have amazing views of Balmain to the west, and the harbour to the east. Really, what more could you ask for?

There aren't lot of restaurants, but the few that are here are top quality. Ripples Cafe in particular is great. They are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, or in my case I met with my friend Peter for a mid morning brunch session.

Luna Park is now as iconic as the Harbour Bridge for most Sydney-siders. The big smiling face watches over the harbour and welcomes you in to an art deco world (it opened in the 1930's) of childhood fun and excitement. Not into rides? Not a problem, you can enter Luna Park for free! Yep - pop your walking shoes on, take a stroll through the amusement park and people watch, its a lot of fun!

If you do want to go on the rides and have some fun at Coney Island then this is what you will be looking at - price wise

How do you get to Milsons Point? Coming from the city there are 4 ways.

1. Ferry - You can catch a ferry from Circular Quay to Milsons Point, this is fun because you get to be out on the harbour and its not that expensive
2. Train/bus - Its kind of cool, you get a good view as you go over the bridge... but its a train.
3. WALK - always my favourite! Its free, its fun and you get to walk across the bridge! You need to start at The Rocks and it will take you right over to Milsons Point. Great to do at dusk.
4. Drive - There is parking it's all metered

Places to stay? I can only advise on one place - as this is the only place I have stayed at to vouch for. The Vibe Hotel at Milsons Point is easy to get to, nice rooms, good price (but not super cheap) and great service.

It smells as sweet as a... Rozelle

Looking for a trendy place to idle away your Sunday, with some good coffee, food and shopping? Rozelle is the place you will want to head to.

Classed as the inner western suburbs of Sydney, it is a short (depending on traffic) 15min bus ride from the city, most of the '500' buses will get you there, or close to it. You can also walk there...yes, its actually not that far. If you're around the Pyrmont/ Darling Harbour area and have some good walking shoes on...take a stroll over there. Its a good 60min walk, but you get to walk over the ANZAC Bridge and take in the sites while preparing your body for all the amazing food you will eat!

Rozelle is famous for its 'high street' - Darling Street, which is very long and stretches over several suburbs. It doesn't really matter which direction you head in - both ends of Darling Street have something to offer. But, I suggest you start by heading towards Balmain.

On the weekend the Rozelle Public School plays host to the ultra trendy and always popular Rozelle Markets. You can find ANYTHING here, and I dare say it is one of the best bric-a-brac markets I have been to in Australia. Every store is overflowing with past loved items, treasures that hold amazing stories and eclectic gift ware.

You will not be led astray with an abundant choice of cafes and coffee houses, some of my favorites include:

• Piccolo Padre (this is where Vic and I ate on this visit to Rozelle)
• Iku - amazing vegan food (nom nom nom)
• C'est Bon - It is good! trust me. Amazing french pastries and coffee! You cannot walk past the window without your mouth watering!
• About Life Cafe - This is also a massive organic supermarket that I love. They stock a great range of organic, vegan, and gluten free foods as well as everyday products.

You can easily spend a whole day wondering around this area, but to get the most out of it, I would go there in the morning and spend a good half day!

If you're feeling like getting in touch with your zen side. There is an awesome yoga studio here also. Its hot yoga, so you will sweat. The teachers are amazing and the classes are always fun -
Body Mind Soul