Boxing Day on the Shoalhaven River
My typical Boxing Day usually consists of a long winter walk followed by a lazy pub lunch back home in England, however here in Oz I experienced the very opposite of days. Starting bright and early at 7am, me and my boyfriend packed the boat and hopped in the defender to spend the morning cruising on the Shoalhaven river in Nowra.
We met with some family friends who also own a handsome ‘Malibu’ boat and got going on the water by 8:30am. It was a beautiful summer day with a light breeze to cool the air. With the tunes pumping and sun glistening on the water, I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my morning.
It was a great opportunity to test run my boyfriend’s new stunning little boat which he got for a bargain on Gumtree recently. We made a stop at a little beach where we could pull the boat up and jump off a cliff before having a swim in the gorgeous clear water. I even got to try my hand at waterskiing for the first time which is a lot harder than it looks! My boyfriend then showed me how its done as he showed off his stylish moves on the wakeboard.
Following our morning on the water, we hit the beach and cracked open the only Aussie drink necessary for Boxing Day, Victoria Bitter beers! It was a dreamy afternoon laying on the beach with friends sipping our VBs, feeling like we had truly seized the day with our morning of fun on the river and the entire afternoon and evening still ahead of us to enjoy…’Carpe Diem!’
Christmas Day reached scorching hot temperatures as we were welcomed with open arms to my boyfriend’s auntie’s beautiful farm in Berry. Overlooking the luscious green fields with cattle and kangaroos grazing side by side, we were treated to a delicious spread of food very much different to the traditional English Christmas roast dinner. To accompany the roast ham there were platters of lovely salads as well as plenty of seafood including a whole baked salmon with pesto herb crust and buckets and buckets of prawns – yum!
Being an acai bowl addict, I strolled down the road to Surry Hills where Bare Naked Bowls has opened another cafe. Serving every kind of acai bowl with toppings galore and health drink blend you can imagine, this place is my idea of heaven. Arriving in the late afternoon on a Saturday, I managed to grab a little table overlooking the bustling neighbourhood corner of Surry Hills.
After much consideration over the delectable choice of blends and toppings on offer I chose the Hippie Bowl, a blend of organic acai berry, banana, blueberry, organic hemp protein and macadamia milk with a topping of handmade nut granola, banana, goji berry, strawberries, blueberries, organic hemp seeds and natural peanut butter drizzle. I asked to swap the hemp seeds for coconut chips to complete what I believed to be the perfect combo; creamy sweet acai paired with crunchy granola, chewy gojis and morish peanut butter.
Coming in at $16 per bowl, it was worth the price given the generous portion size and immaculate Instagramable presentation alongside friendly service. I can’t wait to return to try another one of the inticing bowl combos at their other stores in both Manly and Bronte; here’s to those hot summer days munching on a cooling bowl of delicious acai by the beach.
We chose to settle ourselves amongst the greenery of Centennial Parklands nestled in the shade away from the 33 degree heat – always be weary of that powerful Aussie sun! Once all of our friends arrived it was time to lay out the spread of delicious food we had prepared. The original plan was to BBQ, however following a trip to the grocery store we opted for a ready cooked rotisserie chicken which we could serve straight up alongside the mezze of goodies. Everyone was so generous and contributed to the feast which included deli meats, cheeses, pickles, chutneys, dips, crackers, fresh bread, salads and fruits to finish.
Now I find myself back in sunny Sydney and ready for more adventures and challenges as I embark upon a new job in PR and continue the fun and games of city life. I’ve even got my city escape back in the idylic Southern Highlands where my Aussie man is based…honestly couldn’t have written the story better myself, here’s to the next chapter!
With lavish table decorations and a swanky whiskey bar just next door, the night oozed glitz and glamour of the 1920s. My mum was delighted with the array of dresses we had lined up for her and looked stunning in her chosen floor length, fish tail, beaded white gown complete with pearls and a head piece.
For my outfit I chose to channel my inner Peaky Blinder with a suit, braces, glasses and flat cap all dressed up with pretty jewels and pearls; think Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City 2 when she is best man at the gay wedding.
Every single guest made such an effort with their costume and we were grateful for how many friends and family came along. It was a night to remember seeing so many faces from the past and close friends who all came to put on the party of the season for my fabulous mum.
The dance floor was popular all night and we continued into the early hours at the bar next door. We couldn’t have asked for a more fitting location to put on our Great ‘Cazby’ (my mum’s name is Caroline) evening in celebration of such a special year for my mum. It wasn’t to be missed and certainly was worth flying from the other side of the world for!
Returning to the area following my time away there was some new places I wanted to visit alongside the old favourites. As a trending place on Instagram, Petersham Nurseries was somewhere I had to see for myself. It didn’t disappoint with it’s quaint exterior and beautiful courtyard of flowers, so we stopped by for a coffee in the deli. They had offerings of delicious baked goods, lovely salad choices and the menu for their restaurant looked fantastic too, perfect for pre-theatre.
Having had our caffeine kick, it was time to shop and explore the streets of my old stomping ground. Towards Seven Dials we went to Dr.Martens, Brandy Melville, Urban Outfitters, Mango and the best vintage store in town, Rockit.
We decided to enjoy a late lunch at Balthazar, a modern French Bistro with exquisite interiors making you feel like you’ve stepped into a restaurant in Paris. Having visited before for brunch, I was excited to try their lunch menu and wasn’t disappointed. I went for the Moules Frites which was paired perfectly with the bottle of white wine we shared for the table. They even brought out a platter of macaroons with candles for my Mum’s Birthday, how sweet!
Following our idyllic afternoon strolling around Covent Garden, we headed to the Tower of London to see the poppies being lit in commemoration of WWI. It was hauntingly beautiful watching the ex-soldiers light 10,000 torches in remembrance of those who lost their lives all that time ago in The Great War.
To complete our day in town, I took my Mum and Auntie to Sky Garden which is at the top of the walkie talkie building in the city. With 360 degree views of the city lit up by night and a glass of wine in hand, it was the perfect setting to finish the day as a visitor back in my home city of London.
Always being one for a cheese board and regular customer of our local wine bar, I had to provide a platter of delicious offerings including lots of fruits, pickles, cured meats and chutneys to accompany the carefully selected array of cheese. Also known for my love of creating and consuming beautiful salads, I made a salad inspired by a recent visit to Cote Brasserie which included apple, currents, walnuts, goats cheese and a honey mustard dressing. A board of fresh french stick with oil, balsamic and basil leaves was the perfect accompaniment to complete the nibbles table.
When originally planning the gathering, I had envisioned using my bar skills and putting together some fancy cocktails. However I was far more concerned with getting the food prepped so opted for pink sparkling and endless bottles of prosecco to quench my guest’s thirst. My mum even kindly lent us her stunning antique prosecco coupes which were the perfect prop for photos too.
Another important component to creating the perfect setting was the music. I linked my spotify to the speakers and put on my go to chilled house music mix from Majestic Casual. Some cute fairy lights and candles made for a cosy setting around the coffee table – the girls said it looked like Christmas in there!
I wore my new knitted jumper which I’d spotted in a little boutique in Farnham along with my favourite ruffle suede mules from Zomp Shoez in Sydney. When the girls arrived at 4pm I couldn’t wait to pop the bubbly, relax and catch up on life with my friends. It couldn’t have been a more perfect setup in which to enjoy each other’s company and soak up the time with my girls.
Of course we had planned on moving the night onto the local club in town and having started in the late afternoon, by the evening we were more than ready to let our hair down on the dance floor. This is where the night got a little more boozy as we ordered in the tequila shots and jaeger bombs! Let’s just say there were definitely some memories made and stories to be told…
Dani Aneka 