Manly Marina and Afternoon Tea

A few weeks back we met up with Dad and Leonie for lunch and sweet treats.  The week prior had finally signalled the end of our studies for the year so we had no guilt in eating, drinking and chatting the afternoon away.  We headed down to the William Gunn Jetty at Manly Marina for a seafood lunch before returning to the family home to continue celebrations over afternoon tea and plenty of sparkling wine.  The bay is so beautiful on a bright sunny day.

Sunshine Beach and the Australian PGA

We have just arrived home after spending our first weekend at the beach since the end of winter... and it was divine!  James bought tickets to attend the PGA at Coolum and organised for us to stay at Sunshine Beach just south of Noosa.  I love the fact that Sunshine Beach is much more tranquil and tucked away than the busy Hastings Street stretch Noosa is known for.  The perfectly hot Queensland summer weather is definitely upon us.  This is how we spent most of our time...

This is the view from the top of the beach...

The water felt amazing...

We spent a lot of time looking at this view...

And of course some time watching these amazing golf players.  There were so many people at the Hyatt Regency Coolum!  It was really hot walking around the course so we found a shady spot for a bit of lunch with a good view of all the players coming in.  This is Robert Allenby on the 18th green just before the playoff.  Greg Chalmers won the championship...

I stopped in at Montville on our way back to Brisbane today.  I have always loved this cafe called the Poet's Corner.  The food is ok but the setting is what is amazing, amongst lush hinterland greenery overlooking the Sunshine Coast stretching way out below.  It's usually packed with people on weekends but it was lovely and tranquil on a Monday afternoon.

Back to work tomorrow but looking forwards to many more summer weekends just like this one!

Perfect Pineapples

One last beach birthday blog, I promise!  I took these quick snaps around the place while we were at the beach house during the week.  I recently found new shades for our pair of vintage pineapple lamps and I couldn't resist carting them down with us (raised eyebrow from James)... but they were great to have as in my opinion one can never have enough lamps.. or pineapples for that matter!  James needed a latte...

Sunny Bilinga

Thankfully the weather reports were wrong.  The sun came out and today was stunning.  We've been inside though and not just because it's winter but because we have a couple projects on the go.  Anyway, this afternoon we indulged with an afternoon stroll along the beach.  The sun warmed our faces despite the cool breeze.  Helen is off to Whyalla tomorrow and I'm hauling our stuff (half our apartment) back to Brisbane.

Bilinga Beach

We managed one more trip to the beach this weekend and it possibly may be the last swim we get in before the weather cools down much more.  There was definitely a chill in the air as the late afternoon sun tracked across the sky.  I admit we are so lucky to be able to enjoy the beach into late Autumn here and I really do think we have some of the most beautiful beaches.

The annual Anzac Day parade through our city is about to start at the top of our street.  It's a day of remembrance for those who fought on another much more distant beach 95 years ago...

Herringbone on the Harbour

On the weekend we went for a wander through the city and I noticed the new Herringbone campaign.  Herringbone is a Sydney fashion label and I am especially taken by the current nautical, relaxed style of their Winter collection shot on the Harbour.  However what struck me most was that the very charming garçon in the second image has a very similar profile to dear James...  Especially the furrowed brow!

Sunny South

For the second week of our holiday we decided to head south to Provence, Marseille and the Mediterranean.  It was a few degrees warmer in the south and the vast blue skies made winter fade quickly in my mind.  While in Marseille we wandered in markets, explored numerous colourful (and hilly) streets, visited Notre-Dame de la Garde, and strolled along the waterfront soaking up the fresh air and warm sun.  It was the first time we had been to see the Mediterranean Sea.  The contrast between magnificently clear and blue sea and rugged coastline was perfect in the afternoon sun.

Coastal Style

Back to Kirra Beach yesterday, this heat calls for constant cooling off in the surf!  The weather was beautifully clear and the water was the perfect temperature.  The beach had formed pockets of shallow pools from the sand having moved from the previous week.  We divided our time between swimming in the surf, lying on the sand and wading in the pools. I love the salt in my hair after a long day at the beach, it always makes me feel like I am on holidays even if it's only a day trip to the ocean.  For me, these images from Lonny capture the ideal relaxed style of the season.

Currumbin

Having enjoyed our fair share of sun yesterday we decided to push on in search of food.  A short drive up to Currumbin Surf Club for dinner at sunset.  The club was bursting with life but we still managed to find ourselves a table on the balcony overlooking the rocks, Currumbin Beach and sea towards Surfers Paradise.  Fresh whole barramundi with kipfler potatos and salad, just what we were after.

Queensland Homes

Back to Kirra Beach again today after trying a different offering from the Lady Marmalade menu.  The weather held up and it was a beautiful day on the beach.  I saw a couple of houses today which grabbed my attention.  The top image is of a house along the same street as the cafe in Stones Corner.  A quintessential Queenslander albeit a little rough and tumble but the golden palms at the front stairs and the faded beauty of the house appealed to me.  The second image is of a beach house at Kirra which I just adore.  Simple, blue and white, high ceilings and facing the beach... what's not to love!

Beach Life

Continuing on with the Australian beach theme, here are some of my favourite beach accessories of course!  I love the fun and uplifting colours and patterns on these beach umbrellas, towels, bags, outdoor furniture and homewares from Australian brand SunnyLIFE.  Loving the geometric navy and white outdoor cushion especially.  I think it would make for a very chic outing to the beach indeed!

image source:
http://www.sunnylife.com.au/

South Australian Coast

Alright, so it's pretty obvious I love the beach.  I think it's because so many of us Australians live along the coastline that it's inevitable we have a huge beach culture.  And what better way to acknowledge Australia Day than to pay homage to our beautiful beaches all around this sunburnt country.  These photos were taken last week during my whirlwind trip across to Adelaide and Whyalla in South Australia for work.  I managed to squeeze in a quick wander along the beach and a wade through the shallows.  The tide was out and you could walk right out along the sand and the water was wonderfully warm.  Happy Australia Day everyone!

Kirra Beach

Talking of seeking out new places, we took an impromptu trip down the coast to Kirra Beach after breakfast on Saturday.  I hadn't known of this sleepy stretch of beach just north of Coolangatta until this weekend at James' suggestion.  It was surprisingly quiet despite it being the height of an Australian summer and practically the first weekend the rain (and floods!) stayed away.  It's still a relatively undeveloped area with mainly old fibro shacks and 1970s brick units, although I noticed the tall apartment blocks are starting to appear beyond. We almost had the beach entirely to ourselves and spent a perfect day in the waves, lounging on the sand and beachcombing for shells and bits of coral.  It was a much needed escape after a stressful couple of weeks.  I'm finding more and more that wherever there is sun, surf and sand is where I ultimately want to be most...

Christmas at Caloundra

This year we spent some quiet days over Christmas at Caloundra to de-stress from what has been a very busy year.  Of course it rained almost the entire time but it didn't make the sea any less beautiful.  We managed to take a stroll along Shelly, Moffat and Bulcock Beach between bouts of rain and a swim at Golden Beach when the sun appeared for a brief moment. Many houses in the area though modest were very charming with their Australian beach shack authenticity preserved.  I hope they will all remain rather than being demolished and redeveloped.  One thing that has been an advantage of all the rain was how beautifully green and lush it was all around the coast as well as the fact it was so unusually quiet. It never ceases to amaze me how restorative spending time by the ocean is.