SHAKESPEARE AND CO, PARIS
Shakespeare and Company has been on the top of my bookshop wish list for years, so when I finally set my eyes upon the iconic green and yellow shopfront on Rue de la Bûcherie it was love at first
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THE JANE AUSTEN ROADTRIP
Some people enjoy swimming with sharks and hiking mountains, but I am quite content with more civil pursuits, like wandering country lanes and searching for scones with jam and clotted cream.
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VICTORIAN STATE LIBRARY
Once upon a chilly Sunday morning, the call of a million books drew me out of bed. The middle of autumn is my favourite time in the city, the leaves in Melbourne’s parks are turning a myriad of shades
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CHARLESTON FARMHOUSE
Following a sombre visit to the home of Virginia Woolf, I continued on with my literary pilgrimage to a magical creative sanctuary that ironically bears my name, Charleston, the eclectic and artistic
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SUMMER ROSES AND SUNSHINE
When Melbourne bestows you perfect blue skies and glorious summer sunshine, there is no better opportunity to dust off the picnic basket, fill it with delicious treats, and pack your Mum in the car
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VIRGINIA WOOLF IN EAST SUSSEX
Tucked down a sleepy lane in the pretty village of Rodmell in East Sussex is Monk’s House, set within a beautiful big garden and orchard filled with apple blossoms, once home to Virginia Woolf and her
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MELBOURNE FLOWER SHOW
Stop and smell the roses has always been my motto in life. Nothing brings me greater joy than flowers and spending time amongst them. Like Alice down the rabbit hole, I quite curiously
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TRIENNIAL AT THE NATIONAL GALLERY
Triennial, the most recent show stopping exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria has been running since December, but finishes up next weekend. My diary has been so jam packed lately that I nearly
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THE HOUSE OF DIOR
To celebrate seventy years of The House of Dior, the National Gallery of Victoria hosted an exclusive exhibition of Dior Haute Couture from 1947 to 2017. The vast collection showcased 140
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SPRING IN AMSTERDAM
The Netherlands became a special part of my life when I fell in love with a Dutchman. Following the completion of my university degree in Sydney, it was time to move back home to Melbourne
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MOTHER’S DAY IN MELBOURNE
My gorgeous Mum is truly like no other and I feel so grateful to have been raised by such a strong and spirited woman. As I grew up, she has become my absolute best friend and like so many of us, I have
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BRIGHT AUTUMN FESTIVAL
Bright by name, bright by nature. The picturesque township of Bright is an autumnal paradise set afire with the colours of the changing season every April, offering mild sunny days and cosy evenings
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A DAY WITH MARIE ANTOINETTE
On my last day in France, I figured that there was no better way to end my Parisian spree than wandering all 800 hectares of the most beautiful palace in France, Château de Versailles.
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CLASSICAL VIENNA
Vienna. A city that truly captures your heart. Beautiful and elegant architecture, grand palaces, horse drawn carriages, parks bursting with cherry blossoms, spectacular museums, apple strudel
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AUTUMN IN NEW YORK
The Big Apple. The City That Never Sleeps. Gotham City. The Empire City. The Melting Pot. Manhattan. City of Dreams. New York City is an absolute dream destination for a literature lover like myself.
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CHRISTMAS AT HOTEL WINDSOR
Christmas in the Southern Hemisphere is a little different to the stereotypical images most people associate with the festive period. Given that our Christmas takes place in summer, we enjoy
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DUTCH TULIP TIME
Keukenhof is known as the most beautiful spring garden in the world. Located in the Netherlands’ tulip capital of Lisse, there are 79 acres of gardens and 7 million tulips, daffodils and hyacinths.
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TEN DAYS IN PERU
How do I even begin to capture the essence of this colourful and diverse country without writing a novel the size of War and Peace? South America is home to a myriad of special places and I consider
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MONET’S WATERLILY GARDEN
Normandy in northern France is home to a garden that has literally been on my travel wish list for decades, the inspirational waterlily garden and estate of Impressionist artist, Claude Monet.
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MAGICAL MELK ABBEY
Along the Danube River in Austria is a majestic Benedictine Abbey that overlooks the town of Melk. The original Abbey was founded in 1089 when King Leopold II graciously offered one of his
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A LITERARY LOVE LETTER
There are stories to tell in so many aspects of daily life, and I am endlessly fascinated by the human psyche, our minds control our entire world. Reading offers a socially acceptable outlet to try on
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ONE RAINY DAY IN OXFORD
Oh England, not even your blustery rainy weather will not dampen my spirits. Armed with an umbrella that has a tendency to flip inside out during my hour of need and a flimsy raincoat for
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A GYPSY AT HEART
As a young child I was forever dreaming about exotic destinations and I knew that my life would take me adventuring to new and unfamiliar places far away from home. Being Australian, I did not
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READING WISHLIST
Going into the new year I want to be crystal clear on my goals and what I hope to achieve. While I am never going to get through this list in a year, I do want to embark on a journey of reading my way
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A ROOM OF ONE’S OWN
This thesis had such a profound impact upon me the first time I laid eyes on it. What can I possibly say about this remarkable piece of work without merely copying and pasting all of the paragraphs
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THE CELESTINE PROPHECY
Popular books have a habit of becoming critically unpopular when they attract the attention of the masses, but rather than scoffing at Twilight and Fifty Shades of Grey, how about we appreciate that
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WUTHERING HEIGHTS
Wuthering Heights has been dividing audiences for nearly two centuries. You will be either consumed utterly upon first reading, or hate this book with the fire of a thousand suns. There is no middle ground.
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RADICAL SELF LOVE
Sometimes a quiet long weekend spent in your own company is just what you need to fully recharge your batteries. Three days of solitude, reading, cooking, writing, pampering, long walks,
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THE TURN OF THE SCREW
I absolutely adore Victorian literature. The Turn of the Screw is perhaps the most famous ghost story ever written and to this day there are elements of this creepy tale woven into the framework of so
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THE REAL DOWNTON ABBEY
With only one day left in England, Lady Jessica finally found her way to Highclere Castle, the real life setting and filming location of the wonderful television series, Downton Abbey. Highclere Castle
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MY WEEKEND WITH MARILYN
I have always been more obsessed with Audrey Hepburn than Marilyn Monroe, but when I discovered that Marilyn’s glamorous costumes would be showcased in Australia I couldn’t pass
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