For me Queenstown was a lot of firsts… First ski trip, first zipline, first hot air balloon ride, first helicopter flight, first white water raft, first (and only) proposal, and… first Fergburger. Well, considering that you can only get a Fergburger in Queenstown, the fact that it was always going to be a first is [...]
Truffles… such an odd and unlikely ingredient, yet it is one that is entirely intriguing. Who would have thought that an ugly little ball of fungus could stir such fervour and emotion and be such a prize possession in the gastronomic world? I admit… I used to wonder what the big deal was. I thought [...]
It is debatable which of Sydney’s two icons, the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House, is the more scenic/popular/iconic. It would be hard to choose. But take into account the rich history, the incredible construction, the stunning vantage point, the starkness against the skyline, and we are edging slightly towards a winner… the [...]
With this sudden burst of cold weather, thoughts turn to snow and a newly found favourite ‘pastime’… skiing. I never thought that I would look forward with so much anticipation to my next ski trip, but with Queenstown still fresh in my mind, I can’t wait for winter to really set in and those fresh [...]
I recently visited my dad and when scouring through the bookshelves, as I always do when I visit him, I came across a little, somewhat worse for wear, book, The Nürnberger Trichter. It is only a short book, 20 pages or so, and it is written in German, but I found myself taking this book [...]
Excited at the prospect of having ample space for a herb garden, I could possibly have been a little over zealous when it came to planting my basil… two little basil bushes would have been ample, but they are so tiny as seedlings in their punnets... So, if one punnet of common basil wasn’t enough, [...]
I have been itching to indulge my taste buds for quite some time and every time a fellow foodie mentioned Sake and how wonderful / fantastic / sensational it was, I would squirm uncomfortably on my seat and make a mental note: Must. Visit. Soon. Finally the stars aligned and my evening was locked in [...]
Paddington has always been a favourite of mine, long before I ever started spending reasonable amounts of time there. There is an eclectic blend of old and new that makes this busy little precinct especially charming and unique. Art galleries, antique stores and their poorer cousins, bric-a-brac and second hand stores spill out on to [...]
I have spent a lot of time thinking about snails. More than I ever would have expected since I have never been a great fan. As a common garden variety, I thought they were pretty yuck and the main reaction they provoked was stomping. As an edible dish, well, the garlic coated snails I had [...]
STROM… has been doing some amazing things… What is it? STROM is a traditional Czech spirit dating back to 1870, the recipe of which has been brought to Australia (Sunshine Coast) by a very dynamic, beautiful young lady, Hana Tolhoek, and it is she who has been driving these amazing things. Last year I enjoyed [...]
