Australia Day

In honour of it being Australia Day, I thought I’d celebrate the things I love (and miss) the most about that gorgeous corner of the world I call my homeland (for it is all these things, and a wealth of other memories, that have shaped who I am today):

1) Seemingless endless summers (though I don’t miss the associated sunburn, heatstroke and melting face that goes with the 40 degree days) which make it possible to waft about in white cotton dresses and eat mangoes for breakfast for months on end;

2) Hours spent collecting seashells along the whitest beaches I’ve ever come across, warm sand underfoot, and vast stretches of azure blue waters (if you do one thing before you die, make sure you sail around the Whitsundays and swim in the Great Barrier Reef);

3) The fact that our default national attitude is to be laid-back, relaxed and happy (all the sunshine and the tanned, athletic men don’t hurt with this disposition!);

4) The smell of sunscreen and nightly backyard barbeques in the evening all summer long (I don’t even like meat, but one whiff of this smell and I’m instantly transported to my childhood where meals were eaten beneath the shade of trees in our garden on balmy evenings);

5) When the sun eventually does go down in the evening, there is nothing quite as spectacular as the sight of the Southern Stars (I once went camping in the desert and vividly recall the sight of those stars stretching from horizon to horizon, brighter than anywhere I’ve ever seen them before);

6) The sounds of the beach, of the birdsong in the tropical rainforests, of thunderstorms on tin roofs and the haunting strains of a didgeridoo being played;

7) Lazy weekend trips to the beautiful, slow-of-pace wine regions for sunburnt hills, luscious green vines and wines, and unfailingly exceptional food;
The most majestical landscape you will ever find. I can think of few other countries that can boast fiery red deserts, tropical rainforests, seas that glint like jewels, and rolling green hills as this proud land does.Happy Australia Day to all my lovely readers Down Under! Now, I’m off to hunt for some cheese Twisties, a lamington and a Kath and Kim marathon….

Love, Miss B xx

Grapevines and Sunburnt Hills: The Barossa Valley, South Australia

To mark Australia Day today (a special wave to all my Australian readers!!), I thought I’d share a few more pictures from my recent trip back to Australia.

Whenever I’ve travelled any distance in Australia, I’ve been constantly reminded of the awe-inspiring diversity of the spectacular landscape there; from tropical azure reefs to beautiful rainforests, from arid red deserts to white sandy beaches, sunburnt plains to luscious green hills, bustling cosmopolitan cities to tiny outback towns (population: 12). It always will be one of the things I most appreciate about the country in which I grew up.

On my second to last day there, all I wanted to do was take a trip to one of the magnificent wine regions for a last dose of Australiana before hopping on the plane back to ‘Ol Blighty. The Barossa Valley, less than an hour’s drive from the city of Adelaide, is universally accepted as one of the world’s best wine regions. All the big names are here, as well as countless tiny, but wonderful, boutique wineries; if you’ve ever had a good Australian wine in your life (if not, I suggest you rectify this immediately!), chances are that it’s from precisely this spot.

But more than a wine-lovers paradise, it is simply the most breathtaking landscape. The leisurely drive around around the valley feels like a moving postcard, with the landscape changing every few minutes from flat roads flanked by lush emerald vineyards as far as the eye can see, to red earth, to rolling sunburnt hills and native scrub, to tiny German-settled towns perfect for a spot of antique foraging or a feast of local produce.

There’s just something about this place that reminds you to have a change of pace. The air feels different (somehow warmer and cleaner), the trees sway on winds that seem as lazy and syrupy as the gorgeous wines produced here, the native birds and butterflies flit happily about, and the countryside seems to just ask for you to throw down a blanket, spread it with a picnic of local gourmand delights, and lie back and just gaze at the fluffy clouds through a canopy of green vines for a few blissful minutes.

Do you have a place you love to go for a change of pace or a beautiful scenic day trip? I’d love to know!

Love, Miss B xx

Stuffing Australia in my Suitcase

Vintage brooches to adorn a summer blazer lapel: Australian native flowers, rhinestones and bejewelled glasses that remind me of Dame Edna Everage

Despite my best attempts to travel light, I somehow managed to return from Australia with 15kg more than I had arrived with (this was also despite offloading several kilos of English souvenirs to family along the way, and not having time to go shopping for clothes for more than a single hour…). To say this was a point of tension between the Clever Boyfriend and myself en route to our departure gate is a serious understatement.

And so, to save my lovely readers the same luggage-induced relationship anguish, here are some of my favourite souvenirs from my trip and a guide to a few of the things I think are worth the excess luggage dramas.*

Blush and petal silk to make my wardrobe (and lingerie drawer) smile.

Sartorial treats: Australia boasts some truly exceptional fashion labels, as well as a focus on niche boutiques that you just don’t find in the UK. Aside from the obvious things I miss, I’m forever mourning the fact that in Australia you can buy a gorgeous dress from an established designer for a fraction of the cost of a comparable designer label in the UK. I don’t know how I would have survived my early twenty-something years there without brands like Lover, Zimmerman, Karen Walker (who, if you want to get technical, is actually a New Zealander), Sass & Bide, Camilla and Marc, Alice McCall, Fleur Wood, Willow, and Nicola Finetti (plus pyjamas from Peter Alexander, whose stores all look like marshmallow pink boudoirs, and gorgeous lingerie from Elle Macpherson) .

MOR candles that smell like a summer’s morning, Kit cheek stain to maintain the holiday glow, a haul of Aesop and Jurlique rose shower gel that smells like an explosion of garden roses and turkish delight on a cold winter’s morning.

Beauty: As a self-confessed beauty addict, I can honestly say that I’ve tried a lot of products. And in my opinion, Australian beauty brands are on par with the French as being the best in the world. Between an obsession with avoiding sun-damage and the laid-back, healthy lifestyle, the Australians are all about anti-oxidants and organic ingredients. My bathroom shelves would be completely naked (and my skin tortured) were it not for the wonders of Aesop and Jurlique skincare, organic rosehip oil (does wonders for the skin) from Trilogy or Kosmea, divine body creams and scented candles from MOR, and cult items from Kit and Mecca Cosmetics.

A new chunky pearl necklace from Mimco.

And finally, I’d throw a tantrum if these things didn’t find their way into my suitcase on an outbound flight from Australia (such are the frivolous cravings when one is an expat living abroad): beautiful pearl necklaces, acetate cuffs and accessories from Mimco; Haighs chocolates (simply the best you will ever try); Cadbury Cherry Ripe bars; Allens Chico Babies (chocolate-flavoured jelly babies); luscious red wines and summery pink moscatos from the Barossa Valley; crisp copies of Australian Vogue, Rush and Frankie magazines; cookbooks by Bill Granger, Donna Hay, Kylie Kwong and Maggie Beer; a giant jar of Vegemite (love it or loathe it) to be spread on hot buttery toast on grey English mornings; a small handful of sun-bleached shells collected from the perfect beaches; and enough proper coffee (to be drunk while lazing about at alfresco cafes with a spot of people-watching), gelato and fresh mangoes that my cravings for them don’t induce homesickness for the next year.

Souvenirs for the home: an antique French map of Australia from the 1800s; seashells collected from walks along endless stretches of white sandy beach.

What do you love buying as a souvenir when you travel to a new place (or conversely, what do you have to cram your suitcases with when you return home)?

Love, Miss B xx

* Most of these brands can be found in the UK (through their own stand-alone stores, at Selfridges, on Net-a-Porter, or via My Catwalk, who ship to the UK), though, as with anything, are always significantly cheaper in their country of origin.