Paradise Found: Lizard Island
Recently I was lucky enough to visit a place that could be easily described as heaven on earth. The beaches were pristine and sprinkled with white sand, the water was all kinds of shades of beautiful blues, the food was fresh and delicious and the mostly importantly, it was an island with no phone reception. Where is this place I hear you ask? Lizard Island!
Lizard Island the the type of place that you dream about and put as the screen saver on your work computer so you can stare at it. Located in the heart of a Barrier Reef the island is only accessible by boat of a very small plane. Being a Queenslander myself, I am naturally bias, but it is one of the best places I have ever been.
As you might have guessed, a place this heavily and hard to get to comes at a price, a pretty big one too. Even though I am (for the most part) a frugal traveller, it was money well spent because how many luxury, private, beautiful islands are there left in this world? I am not sure exactly, but they are all on my bucket list regardless. So start saving your pretty pennies, because it is an absolute must.
The lodge:
There are only 40 rooms on the island, we splashed out on an upgrade to stay in one of the beach cabanas because I was having one of those 'treat yoself' kinda days. However, I was nowhere near close enough to be able to afford one of the multiple room villas, but to be honest, the beach cabanas were so nice, I didn't get any room envy what so ever. The room was spacious, had a bed that felt like a fudge brownie and a day bed on the balcony where you can watch the waves lap on the lagoon during the day and star gaze at night.
Activities:
Snorkelling here is mandatory! The Barrier Reef (what what is left of it) is home to some incredible sea life. You can either take a day trip (which you pay extra for) or just snorkel out the front of the lodge. I did both, and I have to say the lagoon accessed by the beach was the best, there is a clam garden in the coral and you get all the gear as part of the package.
Make sure you book one of the little dingy boats for a day (again, included in the package) so you can explore some of the beaches and have a private picnic on the sea. There isn't enough per guest so make sure you book.
The beach club at the end of the beach as lots of things for you to do including kayaks (some of which you can see through), standup paddle boards and snorkelling gear.
There are also plenty of hiking trails if you want to burn some of the many calories you will likely consume here. For the ambitious hikers, definitely tackle the Captain Cook walk early in the morning. The hill at the end of the main beach is also worth walking up, it is far less strenuous but has the best seats in the house to watch the sun set.
I high recommend doing absolutely nothing while you're here too. Watching the sunset, lazing on the beach, enjoying the day bed. You're in paradise, so kick your feet up.
The food:
As I mentioned before, Lizard Island ain't cheap, but all the food and drinks are included (with the exception of a few). We had 3 course meals twice a day which was indulgent but, you know, when in Rome.
There is also a public bar called the Marlin Bar where the staff on the island, guests and people coming in land from boats can drink and eat. It is super casual and a lot of fun and the pizzas smelt damn good too. It is only open a few nights a week so definitely get down there
Getting there:
Private charters and shared plane journeys can be booked directly with Lizard Island via there website. All flights leave from Cairns, Queensland which has direct flights to and from all major Australian cities.
Like a Local: Helsinki, Finland
This week's Like a Local guest is Mel Dower, a kiwi who now calls Helsinki home. I was lucky enough to use a lot of her tips for my own trip to Helsinki which has become one of my favourite cities of all time. I hope these amazing tips inspire you to head north and experience Finland at it's best. Enjoy xx
What do you do for work?
I work for a mobile games company in Relocation, helping new employees and their families settle into life in Finland. I’ve also recently released a book, Helsinki – People Make the City. It’s an insider’s guide to the city and was a collaboration with local photographer Laura Iisalo. This was a personal project and a labour of love.
Where are you originally from?
I’ve lived in several towns in the North Island of New Zealand and spent 11 years in Sydney, Australia.
Describe Helsinki in 5 words:
Hidden, seasonal, changing, urban nature.
What are the 3 best areas or neighbourhoods to explore in Helsinki and why?
Katajanokka – for architecture, cafes and the huge ice breakers ships.
Teurastamo – for food festivals, ice cream, hammocks and Helsinki’s only gin distillery.
Suomenlinna – for beautiful summer wild flowers and its incredible frozen landscape in winter.
If you only had 24 hours in Helsinki, what would you do?
I’d walk to Café Regatta and have a cinnamon bun and coffee in the garden. It’s a favourite spot in summer or in the grips of the coldest winter and open every day. Then I’d have a drink at Helsinki’s highest bar (14th floor!) at Torni Tower and enjoy the view before having pizza and drinks at Puttes.
Where is the best place to have a weekend away near Helsinki?
Fiskars Village is very beautiful with stores and exhibitions featuring local artisans.
What night of the week is the best night of the week to go out in Helsinki?
Thursday – but to be honest I’d say ‘summer’ as we make the most of every night while the sun is out.
What is an experience that people can do that is truly unique to Helsinki?
Sauna. I recommend Löyly, the city’s newest sauna. The architecture is incredible and it’s a popular place for meals and drinks. The three terraces have views towards Estonia and you can sit all over the exterior of the building. Or for something more traditional visit Yrjönkatu Uimahalli where swimsuits have only recently been allowed in the pool and are still optional for swimmers.
Where is the best place to get breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks in Helsinki?
Breakfast – Gastro Café Kallio for delicious baked pastries & shakshouka
Lunch – Kiasma Café for their delicious curried cauliflower & lentil salad
Dinner – Putte’s Pizza for their chanterelle pizza
Drinks – Skiffer – with views from the island back to the city
All images courtesy of Mel Dower.
Lemon Chicken, Tomato & Haloumi Salad ...
Serves approximately 4.
What you need:
• 2 large chicken breasts, cut in half length ways • 100g of haloumi, thinly slices • Bunch of asparagus, cut into 4cm • Punnet of mixed cherry tomatoes, all cut in half • 2 large lemons • 4 eggs • 2 sprigs of rosemary • 1 cup of basil leaves • 4 cups of baby spinach
What you need to do: • Preheat the oven to 200 degrees and place chicken in an oven try and top it with one of the lemons sliced into pieces and rosemary and a dash of olive oil and place into the oven for 30-35mins • While the chicken is cooking, blanch the asparagus and toss it with the basil, spinach and tomatoes • Grill the haloumi until golden brown, squeeze with lemon juice and place it into the salad and dress the salad with the remaining lemon juice and serve into 4 bowls • Once the chicken has almost cooked, poach the 4 eggs so the yolk is still running • Remove the chicken from the oven and slice before serving into each bowl and placing the poached egg on top • Enjoy!
Oink oink, Truffle Pig.
iPhone 6
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Off to the Next Adverture
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5 Easy Ways to Detox ...
Whether you have had a long week, a heavy meal or overindulged in a few beverages, your body will need a detox once in a while. Here are 5 of the easiest ways to detox that require little money and hardly any effort that will have you hitting reboot on your body: 1. Hot water with lemon juice – start your day with this and your digestive system will love you.
2. Coconut oil pulling – swish around a table spoon of mouth for 20 minutes, spit and rinse. Sounds weird, yes, but it will rid your mouth of all the toxins and bacteria before they enter your body.
3. Sweat – whether you sit in a sauna for an hour, do a hot yoga class or run up a mountain, you will go from feeling a million baht to a million bucks!
4. A shot of apple cider vinegar – this potent liquid might stink like smelly feet but it does wonders for your body. Research shows that it can help stimulate cardiovascular circulation and help detoxify the liver.
5. Fast – not eating for 24 hours might sound daunting but once you have given your digestive system a well-earned break your post- weekend recovery will be a breeze. Drink a tonne of water to flush that system out.
Oink oink,
Truffle Pig.
Coconut chicken with asian salad ....
This salad is a great lunch or dinner option for warmer weather thanks to its crisp freshness and the tropical punch in the coconut. It is light, fresh, quick and easily “beefed up” with some vermicelli noodles. What you need:
- ½ bunch of wombok, thinly sliced
- ½ bunch of red cabbage, thinly sliced
- Cup of coriander, roughly chopped
- Cup of mint, roughly chopped
- 3 cups of bean shoots
- 2 x chillies (leave out if you don’t like it hot)
- 1 can of light coconut milk
- 500g of chicken
- ½ cup of roasted, unsalted peanuts
- 3 shallots stalks, finely chopped
- Soy sauce
- Fish sauce
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 carrot, grated
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
What you need to do:
- Cut chicken into thin strips and place into a pan on medium heat with the coconut milk, a dash of soy sauce and the chillies finely diced and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 5-10 mintues.
- While the chicken is cooking place all vegetables into a large bowl and toss
- To make the dressing place about 4 tables spoons of soy and 4 table spoons of fish sauce into a bowl with the sugar and lime juice and stir, then place over salad, add more ingredients based on your tastes
- Once the chicken is cooked, place it on top of the salad along with the peanuts and serve.
Oink oink,
Truffle Pig.
The Corner Store Cafe, Toowong ........
This Corner Store offers more than your daily papers and a carton of milk. The cafe offers ridiculously good breakfast and lunch daily, prepared and served by the trendiest of wait staff in one of the best looking cafes in Brisbane. Thankfully, this architecturally designed, open plan, tasty-as-hell haven is nestled into the quiet leafy streets of my home suburb, Toowong. When the Corner Store Cafe opened I felt like all my piggy prayers had been answered. I no longer had to wake up hung over on a Sunday and drive in a post-kebab and tequilla shot daze to New Farm or Paddington to get my hollandaise drenched bacon fix, I could now trot on down the street to feast on some of Brisbane’s best food.
I know a place is going to be good when I can't decide what to order - the impressive yet unpretentious menu (which changes regularly) had me perplexed - corn cakes or the Boston beans? The bacon swayed me toward the corn cakes and I am glad it did. They were simple but full of flavour, perfectly accompanied with home made chutney and crispy bacon. The eggs were poached to perfection - water free, firm but the yolk warm and runny on the inside (crappy cafes please take note!). To tie me over I ordered a cold press coffee which had been brewed for over 12 hours then mixed with ice and milk, which was just as delicious as their freshly squeezed juices.
My counterparts ordered from opposite ends of the spectrum. One ordered the incredibly indulgent Belgium waffles served with home made roasted pear, chai and date ice cream lathered in maple syrup and the others opted for the wholesome but healthy avo on rye option, which was served with a delicious tomato and coriander salsa. I tasted both (much to their dismay) and I can confirm that the deliciousness was consistent across the board.
Just when I thought things couldn't get any better I looked to the right hand side of the menu and my taste buds went into a piggy tail spin! Cheese burger, pork sandwich, prawn tacos and a beef dip baguette... I was torn and struggling to make a decision once again. The friendly waitress suggested with overwhelming enthusiasm that I should go for the beef dip and I soon understood why.
I was presented with lashings of rare, slow cooked rib fillet tucked into a crusty baguette with caramelised onion, teamed with a side of salty roast potatoes and a bowl of horseradish dipping jus – piggy perfection! I ate it quickly as everyone around the table was eyeing off my meal like a pack of hungry hyenas. Despite being a pig and eating it all myself, I still managed to fit in a prawn taco which was also delicious surprising because my loyalties usually lie with the hard shell (but I would be willing to make an exception here).
Corner Store Cafe is also the perfect place to grab something if you're on the go. The cabinet is always full of gourmet sandwiches, salads and sweets to satisfy all tastes. There is also a gourmet groceries, flowers and vegetables you can take home with you if you're feeling inspired to cook after your great meal.
The bitter: barely any bitterness here but you might have to wait a while on weekends to get to the good stuff.
The sweet: It is all good but the beef dip has stolen a piece of this pig’s heart.
The damage: Minimal a meal and drink at breakfast and lunch is about $20 - $25 and worth every penny in the piggy bank!
Oink oink,
Truffle Pig.
Corner Store Cafe - 113 Sylvan Road, Toowong, QLD - www.cornerstorecafe.com.au
