COCKATOO ISLAND

I've been reading fashion blogs for years and while the bloggers with the increasingly more professional looking photo shoots grow in popularity, my favourites are still those who post mirror shots and bedroom selfies clearly taken with a tripod on self timer. There is something off-putting about holiday photos that look more like a magazine photo spread than an actual holiday. I can only imagine the 'great time' that was had while the photographer/boyfriend/best friend lugged around a variety of cameras and lenses to create those outfit posts everyone seems to love. The (often amazing) locations of these holidays are dismissed as just a background to yet another shoot, appreciated only for how they compliment the outfit or nicely juxtapose. Recently the blogosphere imploded when a fashion blogger took "hey, a backdrop's a backdrop" to a whole new level, posing crassly in front of the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin. As ignorant as the idea of shooting an outfit post at a memorial was, it was made worse with the accompanying quote "it doesn't make you think about the past".
WOW.

Living in Sydney I certainly have the opportunity to take outfit posts with beautiful backdrops, but mostly I think it's better just to let the amazing place I live in speak for itself. This is a fashion blog by description, so there will always be an element of me and what I'm wearing but it's all about keeping an element of perspective. With that in mind, last week I visited Cockatoo Island, a World Heritage-listed island in the middle of Sydney Harbour, once home to a convict prison and one of Australia's biggest shipyards. In London, I had my fairshare of the industrial landscape, but to be able to roam freely, exploring abandoned warehouses and timber sheds whilst completely surrounded by water was an incredible opportunity. Below is just a snapshot of my day, I implore you to visit if you find yourself Sydney side.

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HOME AND AWAY

So on Sunday a couple of girlfriends and I hired a car and headed north of Sydney to 'Summer Bay' the fictional setting of Home and Away, better known to locals as Palm Beach. The main reason I wanted to go there was so I could stand outside the surf club looking really geeky but I wasn't prepared for how stunning it would be!





So the majority of the show is apparently filmed in Sydney in a studio but the famous Surf Club is there at the beach, so I got my tourist shot!




Sadly Alf Stewart was a no-show (the flaming galah!) but it was warm enough to dip our toes in the water so I was happy. Saturday was the 1st day of Spring and we've definitely seen a slight rise in temperature, THANK GOODNESS because I am desperate for the Summer I missed out on and let's face it, beach photos look much better with clear blue skies.


After a bit of a paddle on the beach we went for lunch at The Boathouse where I consumed a burger bigger than my head. This was my first encounter with the Aussie Burger a.k.a the burger with the lot - containing beef burger, bacon, cheese, lettuce, tomato, beetroot and a fried egg. Mine had chilli jam for good measure. Honestly, I could barely move afterwards but it was a delicious experience I will definitely repeat. 








The Boathouse is situated right on the water, so after lunch there was time to take in the beautiful views from the jetty before making our way back to the city.




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GET OUT OF TOWN

This weekend I headed to a small town along the south coast called Kiama, about 2 hours train ride outside Sydney. The Winter weather seems to have turned a corner in the last week and Saturday was no exception with glorious blue skies and sunshine, which only added to the already beautiful setting.

I started off at Black Beach where the Saturday seaside markets were taking place full of fresh local produce and handmade goods. Sydney is pretty friendly, but I definitely felt the difference being in a small town, everyone wanted to say hello and comment on how great the weather was!




These boys were singing The Cure's 'Boys Don't Cry' when I arrived, they were awesome and the perfect backdrop.


The views from Blowhole Point and the lighthouse, are amazing as you are completely surrounded by sea.





In the distance behind me is Surf Beach which I didn't make it to, but I did go to Bombo Beach (below). I walked through a pretty residential area to get there and it was nice to finally see a bit of Australia that looks like the Australia I know from the soaps!!





Of course being in a seaside town, I couldn't not try the local fish, so I had Barramundi and Chips in the harbour which was as good as promised (though I thought I was going to have to share with a seagull at one point).




Finally I got gelato and spent my last hour or so reading Russh magazine, sitting by the water, which actually sparkled!


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