Thursday, November 23, 2017

A Mary Valley Treasure


During our recent leisurely drive through the picturesque Mary Valley we stopped off at a little town called Amamoor. The local Gympie region tourist brochures advised to head straight for the lookout for a view of the surrounding valley.

Which of course we did, although there are no such signs for any lookout. In the end we figured we needed to head uphill and google led us onto the correct path. Whilst the 'lookout' certainly gave us a view of the valley it wasn't really what we had in mind. In fact the centre piece of the lookout were the huge electricity towers streaming down the mountainside. We didn't even bother to get out of the car.

Well that was disappointing!

We'd taken the time to head off the main thoroughfare though into the town of Amamoor and so it deserved at least a look around.

Thank goodness we chose to do that or we would never have stumbled across this delightful gem!


The Blue and White Teapot as it is so aptly named has been a part of the Amamoor community for a little over two years.


It has been lovingly cared for and decorated with everything blue and white. How could you not with a name like that!

As soon as we saw the blue glittering at us as we drove down Thomas St we new we would need to stop. It was most definitely past morning tea and a tad too early for lunch but we stopped none the less.


Not only were we greeted with the wash of colour from the building itself and the gorgeous gardens but their lovely dog was also there to say hi and of course the kids thought that was just the best.


Inside the quaint little cottage I didn't know where to look first. There is so much to see in such a small space. Delicious cakes and slices.


A tiny corner that sells jewellery, tea drinking accessories and local books.


A quiet place to enjoy tea for one and spend some time reflecting.


And of course tea, many varieties of tea to take home if you please.

We placed our order and were all set to choose a lovely little table out the front amongst the flowers when one of the lovely ladies behind the counter says, "Just wait until you see out the back!"

Well that was that, the kids were off and we couldn't believe our eyes.

A lush tropical paradise filled the entire backyard space.


There are larger more open areas for bigger groups to meet and mingle and then there are many smaller, quieter more intimate spots, delicately chosen and slightly hidden within the lush grounds.

We spent quite some time oohhing and ahhing over it all, every where we looked there was something new to see.


Finally we settled on a table to wait for our brunch.


Now this is what should be in the local tourist booklet as a destination.


And what a yummy brunch this was. There's nothing quite like a delightful scone, but with so many other yummy looking treats it was hard for me to choose this option. Boy I was so glad that I did though. Warm, fluffy and fresh. Yum!

This is one place that we will definitely return to. What a shame it is a good couple of hours drive from us or we'd be there much more regularly.

The Blue and White Teapot is situated on the corner of Thomas and Busby St Amamoor Qld, although you can't miss it when driving down the main street.

It is open Thursday's through to Sunday's.

Check out their facebook page at The Blue and White Teapot.

Find out more about the Mary Valley region by visiting the Mary Valley Country website.

Happy Travels,
Kylie

Saturday, May 6, 2017

Tangalooma Sunsets


We recently snatched a few days away and headed to Tangalooma Island Resort, which is situated on Moreton Island, just off the waterways of Brisbane.


If you're a lover of great sunsets then Moreton is a must do. Every day gave us a spectacular show of glimmering, gorgeous light.


The withering rusty old wrecks make a simply stunning backdrop with an equally beautiful sunset.


Ships abound through this stretch of water as it is a main thoroughfare for traveling to and from Brisbane.


All of us were inspired to pick up a camera, night after night as we sat and watched the sun setting. Yes, there may have a million midgies trying to eat us alive but still the views were mesmerising.


These photographs are our family collective, each and every one of us has a hand in taking these.


And with sunsets so stunning you are pretty much guaranteed to get some great shots.

Happy Travels,
Kylie

Monday, October 10, 2016

Exploring Christchurch


Our flight from Brisbane landed in Christchurch. I had only booked us two nights here before we started our road trip around the South Island of New Zealand.

After only having one day to explore I now wish we had spent longer here. It is such a quaint city, even after all of the devastation of the 2011 earthquake, of which the city is yet to fully recover from.


After quite a bit of deliberation on choosing motels or caravan parks in the weeks leading up to our trip. I decided that we would go with the motel option for the vast majority of our accommodation in New Zealand. I am ever so thankful that I made that choice now.

We stayed at the Amross Court Motel, whilst in Christchurch. Our family of five always needed a two bedroom unit, with one child sleeping on a roll away or fold out sofa lounge in the living area. This worked well for us.

The motel was clean, comfortable and spacious. It was a good 15 minute walk from the CBD, but there were a small handful of stores close by.


After a good nights sleep we made the leisurely stroll into the CBD, wandering through parklands and along the Avon River.


Seeing wild daisies growing on the banks of the river was wonderful, they were everywhere. So small and delicate.


Of course we had to try our hand at blowing some of the little daisies as far as we could.


It is still painfully obvious that Christchurch has a way to go with rebuilding their beautiful city. Whilst there is a great deal of construction going on and new buildings dotted throughout the city. There are also several vacant blocks where buildings had to be demolished and of course the cathedral, that they are painstakingly rebuilding.


One of the larger vacant blocks is home to a market area of sorts, where the city has arranged art installations to occupy some of the space and pretty it up somewhat.


The CBD's main shopping and eating areas, the mall, are housed in the new ReStart area, with each store working from within a shipping container. It was a bustling hive of activity and the shipping container concept is a great one.

I do look forward to the day I can return to Christchurch and spend more time exploring everything it has to offer.

Happy Travels,
Kylie