by Krista | May 15, 2014 | Autumn
Whenever we can, Bear and I drive over to the coast of Queensland to sit or walk on the beach and soak up sunshine, brisk salty wind, and lusciously invigorating seawater. So when it came time to celebrate Bear’s birthday, we simply had to go back, this time to a part of the coast I’ve never seen before: The Spit.
I think it’s my new favorite spot, especially mid-week on a blustery Autumn day when there’s hardly anyone there but us.
The rocky coastline reminds me of my beloved Pacific Coast in British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California where I spent so many happy times when I lived in the US. Especially when the wind is billowing and waves are crashing wildly against the rocks.
Isn’t the sky wonderful?! I had to keep stopping to look up at it, mesmerized by the color and the clouds.
There’s so much to look at on The Spit. Gorgeous yachts motor past, flying fish flutter above the waves, and the boulders are dotted with fishermen casting rods, hoping for something delicious to take home for dinner.
This fisherman made a haul of fat, glossy mackerel tuna. Apparently most people just use these fish as bait, but I’m told that if you prepare it similar to ceviche by soaking it in vinegar, onions, garlic, and chilies for an hour, it’s pretty darn fantastic. You can also marinate it in soy sauce, sake, and shallots, or smoke it for fish jerky. I hope to try it one day.
The Spit is a place to invigorate you as the wind buffets and the waves splatter with salt water. You want to clamber over rocks and explore, strike up conversations with people you don’t know from Adam, and generally feel pleased as punch to be alive.
We absolutely loved it and cannot wait to return.
Before long all that walk and fresh air made us good and hungry, so we ambled back along The Spit, smiling and nodding hello to others similarly occupied.
We passed the dunes and decided that next time we’ll take the trail through the lowlands to see what we can see.
We made our way to the Seaway Kiosk, thankful again that our mid-week visit gave us the peace and quiet of no crowds. We chatted with the cheery waitress, ordered our sandwiches, and sat down in plastic chairs to sip our drinks and wait.
The Seaway Kiosk is not a fancy place. There’s nothing posh or elegant, and you won’t find pristine linens or sparkling glassware. I’m so glad. It’s the kind of place you can walk into with sandy bare feet and wet hair, sitting down in your swimsuit with your mates for some good, simple food before dashing off to the beach again.
The food isn’t flash either. There are no sides or dressings, no artisan loaves or aioli. Nope, you choose two slices of bread (white, wheat, or multigrain) that are slathered with butter and topped with fresh mud crab. You can add lemon and salt, and that’s it. I loved it. So often crab is hidden beneath sauces or toppings, but in the sandwich, all you taste is the sweet mud crab. Delicious.
It was a beautiful day, a wonderful way to celebrate Bear, this man who is my hero in so many ways. I feel so grateful to get to spend this life with him, to have a best friend and true partner, someone who doesn’t give up on us when we’re going through hard stuff, makes me laugh until tears are rolling down my cheeks, and gives me confidence to try anything. I love him to bits.
Wishing you a beautiful day. xo
Seaway Kiosk
Seaworld Drive
Main Beach, QLD 4217
(07) 5591 6970
by Krista | Sep 9, 2013 | Bits 'n' Bobs
“We need the tonic of wildness…We can never have enough of nature.”
Henry David Thoreau
This weekend Bear and I loaded up the car with much excitement to head to the Gold Coast for a full day of running errands and a bit of fun.
We got 30 minutes down the road before realizing we’d forgotten the NavSat – essential to our day of gallivanting hither and thither in parts unknown. Grrr. So back we went, picked it up, plugged it in and were on our way.
90 minutes later the low battery warning came on and upon pulling out the plug discovered that the end was missing (how on earth???). Grrr. Thankfully I had my phone with me so I hastily pulled it out and attempted to navigate Bear through the maze of construction blocked streets.
Alas, my phone chose this time to blank the screen every 8 seconds leading to conversations that went something like this: “OK, babe, take your next left…no, bugger, just a sec, wait, wait, OK, yeah, take the next left. Uh, yeah, that one we just passed, hold on, wait, wait, oh bugger!”
Somehow we managed to find an electronics store and popped inside to get a replacement cable. But of course they only just stopped making that version and it would cost $?? to find a new one and they didn’t actually carry them anymore and didn’t have any in stock and really, it would only be a bit more to just buy a new NavSat. Grrr.
Ten minutes later we bustled out with new NavSat in tow, got to the car, and continued on our way.
By this time, as you can imagine, nerves were frayed, tempers rattled, and our blissful jaunt to the coast was a mere memory.
But then a few things happened that restored our rumpled spirits and got our jolly day out back on track.
Firstly: food.
Really, is there anything more restorative than a good meal? I think not.
We got an outside table at one of our favorite Gold Coast haunts: Milan on Main. The weather was exquisite, a balmy 78 degrees F with cool breezes and brilliant sunshine, and as we sipped our freshly squeezed strawberry, passion fruit, and watermelon juices and soaked up all that delicious fresh air, the mayhem of the morning began to dissipate.
By the time our food arrived we were in downright good spirits and could start to laugh about the gong-show we’d just experienced. We visited in between mouthfuls of poached eggs and smoked salmon, savory sausages and roasted tomatoes, crispy hashbrowns and delectable sauces.
Any lingering vexations disappeared completely when we arrived at Main Beach after brunch.
Although I’ve loved every Aussie beach I’ve visited thus far – from Coolangatta to Bribie Island – Main Beach will always have a special place in my heart because it’s the first Aussie beach I visited when I moved to Australia.
It’s also where Bear and I had our first date, the place where I knew that this bloke was the one for me.
Kicking off our shoes we trudged down the sandy slope to the beach and found a spot with ample scope for people watching and more than enough room to stretch out and snooze in the sun.
I confess I had been nervous about going to the beach so soon after being ill for so long. My poor ol’ body isn’t back to fighting strength yet and it shows. But I gave myself a good talking to and reminded myself that me and my wobbly bits have as much right to bask in sunlight and turquoise water as the svelte young things next to me, and I wasn’t going to let one more happy opportunity pass me by while I waited to be skinny enough, pretty enough, enough enough!!
And I’m so glad I didn’t.
Learning anew to see myself with love filled me with love for the parade of bodies I saw around me – the gorgeous old ladies with wrinkly everything, positively beaming as they played in the water with their grandchildren, splendid pot-bellied men spending hours building sandcastles with their kids, muffin topped young moms flirting with their husbands, lithe teenagers doubled over in laughter as they posed for pictures and chased each other through the waves.
It made me so happy to be part of the human race and wish I could tell each person there how beautiful they are, no matter what.
We had a wonderful time, laughing with a neighbor when he nearly decapitated me with his rogue kite, grinning at children shrieking as they ran away from the waves, closing our eyes and snoozing happily as the sun soaked into our bones and melted away the stress of our journey.
It was just what we needed.
We returned home with our first tan lines of the season, clothes full of sand, and happy sighs every time we thought of the beach.
It was a wonderful day after all.
Where’s the last beautiful place you went to relax?
by Krista | Dec 17, 2012 | Bits 'n' Bobs
Hi lovelies!
It is roasting hot here in our part of Australia, and it’s hard to believe that it’s nearly Christmas when I’m watering my gardens and getting sunburned.
I do miss the snow and pine trees of my childhood, but I’m learning to love the uniqueness of a warm Christmas.
Last night my friend Jackie took me to Carols in the Park – a wonderful local tradition that I absolutely loved. Carting a picnic basket and lawn chairs we joined hundreds of others at Leslie Park in Warwick, finding a spot on the grass where we could see the stage. We sipped coffee and nibbled on crackers topped with Camembert and Jackie’s homemade quince paste, visiting happily as we watched the performers bustle around getting ready for their turn on stage.
As night fell and the sweltering heat of the day was replaced by cool evening breezes, we listened to local talent strut their stuff and belt out Christmas carols, joining in whenever the mood took us. How I loved hearing hundreds of voices raised in a jaunty version of Jingle Bells as little kids waved glo sticks and danced madly in the grass. It was a great evening and truly put me in the Christmas spirit.
After a wild month of doctor visits and tests, deadlines and end of term busyness, Bear and I are heading to the coast for a much-needed break.
We are so excited to see our dear friend Elizabeth for good visits, jaunts to foodie shops, and a nighttime tour of Brisbane Christmas Lights.
We will also get to recreate one of our very first dates at Main Beach, Queensland with brunch at Milan on Main (I’ve been dreaming of their smoked trout crepes with balsamic reduction for two years!). I’m really looking forward to a leisurely meal with my man and time in the sun, walking barefoot in the sand and letting those warm ocean wave crash over me.
In preparation for leaving I’ve been doing a bit of Christmas preparation so I don’t have to stress about it when I’m back home.
I made cranberry white chocolate scones (recipe later this week!) and some lovely pickled heirloom beets. My favorite thing thus far is cherry-infused vodka for Christmas toasts or just a cheery evening tipple.
The color is so gorgeous and I can’t wait to use the boozy fruit in something scrumptious like a dark chocolate cherry tart. 🙂
What is your favorite Christmas treat?
Cherry-Infused Vodka
Ingredients:
1 bottle good quality vodka
1-2 cups fresh cherries, pitted and halved
1 Tbsp raw or granulated sugar
Directions:
- Sterilize one mason jar or other bottle.
- Fill with fresh cherries.
- Sprinkle sugar over cherries.
- Pour vodka over cherries and sugar.
- Seal and shake gently to dissolve sugar.
- Let rest in cool, dark place 3-5 days, shaking once a day to make sure sugar dissolves completely.
- Strain and use fruit over ice cream or another dessert.
- Store cherry-infused vodka in freezer until ready to use.
by Krista | Apr 5, 2011 | Gulliver Tuesday
There’s something about going out for breakfast that always makes me feel like I’ve stolen away for a little vacation.
I love getting up while most folks are still in bed, driving through early morning sunshine, and finding a just-right table angled perfectly for people watching.
That’s just what my friend and I did one morning in Australia. The sun was GLORIOUS, the skies brilliant blue with wonderful breezes blowing inland off the Gold Coast.
We secured a spot at Milan on Main, a splendid little Italian Cafe in Main Beach, Queensland, and ordered coffee. Delighting in the palm trees and tropical flowers blooming lusciously, we visited happily, content to chat and observe passers by before perusing the menu.
I started with a delectable cocktail of fruit juices: passion fruit, strawberry, mango and I know not what. It was wonderfully refreshing.
My friend and I happily plotted out our day as we sipped our drinks, choosing the beach we wanted to sun ourselves on and the park we wanted to hike through later that afternoon.
Soon our meals arrived and we eagerly tucked in.
My friend had a fluffy omelette stuffed with ham and cheese and served with buttery rye toast.
I had a smoked trout crepe filled to bursting with tender trout, spinach and tart feta cheese and topped with an avocado and tomato salsa. The proverbial cherry on top was a decadent balsamic reduction that both surprised and entranced me. We both agreed that the oh-so-rich reduction took our breakfasts from delicious to absolutely fantastic.
We lingered long over our meals and coffee, visiting contentedly as we savored every last morsel.
At last it was time to leave and begin our adventures on the sublime Gold Coast.
What is your favorite thing to eat when you go out for breakfast?
by Krista | Jan 19, 2011 | Plucky Thursday
I have dreamed for many years of visiting the beaches of Australia, and yesterday I got my chance.
About a 2-hour drive from my home base in Allora, Queensland, the Gold Coast is a combination of exquisite white sand beaches, warm turquoise water and more skyscrapers than I’ve ever seen outside a major city.
I’m not a crowded beach type of girl, so I was delighted to discover that The Spit, part of Main Beach, was described as “uncrowded.” The description was wonderfully apt.
Although there were crowds to the left and the right, The Spit was virtually empty and my friend and I happily spread our towels and stretched out for a snooze in the hot sunshine. It was pure bliss. I couldn’t keep from smiling as I closed my eyes and drifted off to the sound of waves crashing and wind rustling the sea grasses on the dunes above us.
Before too long I was roasting! Off I went for a dip in the water, trying to quell fears of possible sharks, water snakes and lethal jellyfish I’d read about. My Aussie friends chuckled at such notions and assured me that the beaches are watched vigilantly by qualified lifeguards, and at the first sign of shark fin or jelly fish, they call everyone ashore. Since the water was being enjoyed by little kids and the elderly in addition to daring surfers, I set my fears aside and waded in. I’m so glad I did. The water was warm and refreshing, the waves perfect for riding and bobbing along. I felt like a little girl again, getting knocked off my feet now and then, rogue waves leaving me sputtering and laughing. It was great!
Do you like going to the beach? What is the best beach you’ve ever been to?
There’s so much to look at on The Spit. Gorgeous yachts motor past, flying fish flutter above the waves, and the boulders are dotted with fishermen casting rods, hoping for something delicious to take home for dinner.
The Spit is a place to invigorate you as the wind buffets and the waves splatter with salt water. You want to clamber over rocks and explore, strike up conversations with people you don’t know from Adam, and generally feel pleased as punch to be alive.
We absolutely loved it and cannot wait to return.
Before long all that walk and fresh air made us good and hungry, so we ambled back along The Spit, smiling and nodding hello to others similarly occupied.
We passed the dunes and decided that next time we’ll take the trail through the lowlands to see what we can see.
We made our way to the Seaway Kiosk, thankful again that our mid-week visit gave us the peace and quiet of no crowds. We chatted with the cheery waitress, ordered our sandwiches, and sat down in plastic chairs to sip our drinks and wait.
The Seaway Kiosk is not a fancy place. There’s nothing posh or elegant, and you won’t find pristine linens or sparkling glassware. I’m so glad. It’s the kind of place you can walk into with sandy bare feet and wet hair, sitting down in your swimsuit with your mates for some good, simple food before dashing off to the beach again.
It was a beautiful day, a wonderful way to celebrate Bear, this man who is my hero in so many ways. I feel so grateful to get to spend this life with him, to have a best friend and true partner, someone who doesn’t give up on us when we’re going through hard stuff, makes me laugh until tears are rolling down my cheeks, and gives me confidence to try anything. I love him to bits.
