Sunshine Coast

It is always such a buzz at the airport! ✈️🕺🏼…Seriously, no other place gives me such a sense of freedom and adventure… it is exceptionally atmospheric at the moment due to the Christmas 🎄 vibe! I can only imagine the exhilarating feeling of travelling 🧭 overseas (…to London perhaps 😉) for the festive season.

It is so nice to know I am heading out of Melbourne‘s unpredictable weather to, what I hope 🤞 will be plenty of sunshine ☀️ and consistent temperatures! Melbourne weather has been exasperating lately. The wind 🌬️ was freezing 🥶 on the tarmac! 😳

Arrived at the ‘International’ terminal of Maroochydore Airport to be greeted by cloudy skies, and 73% humidity and Robyn and Mike greeted me & we headed to the Surf 🏄‍♂️ club at Bob Downe’s old stomping ground: Mooloolaba for a refreshing XXXX 🍺 then continued on to the hills to Montville, where they are now residing. It’s a great little village with a Dandenong Ranges Sassafras-type feel & vibe. Their apartment sits atop a coffee shop and a bakery; both owned by a friendly local who greeted us on arrival. Robyn has the fairy lights twinkling ✨ on a balcony overlooking the village with the Italian 🇮🇹 bunting flapping in the breeze 💚🤍❤️

Robyn prepared a delicious spread of typical Italian meats, cheeses 🧀 olives 🫒 and scrumptious pickled cauliflower with olive bread 🥖 Such a great treat which inevitably led to much talk about Italy & sharing photos of past trips.

We walked along the main street of Montville as the wind 🌬️ rustled through the trees 🌳 and Christmas 🎄 lights adorned the buildings. We even saw a kookaburra sitting quietly on an art installation looking a bit lost…

Back at the apartment we had some delicious poached pears that tasted of red wine, cloves, cinnamon and sugar with marscapone cheese. A perfect way to finish a delightful day 🥰Read more