Last month we took a day trip along the Great Ocean Road.  This coastal drive stretches from Torquay just outside Melbourne to Portland.  We took a tour from Melbourne but the drive can be spread over a few days in a rental car. Great Ocean Road Here are 5 of the highlights of the day: 1. 12 Apostles The 12 Apostles are magnificent eroded limestone rock stacks which change colour in the sun.  Located in the Port Campbell National Park about a four-hour drive along the Great Ocean Road, there are only 8 of the original 9 'apostles' left after one collapsed in 2005. 12 Apostles 2.  Loch Ard Gorge A few minutes drive west of the 12 Apostles is the Loch Ard Gorge.  The gorge is rich in history being the site where a large ship called the  Loch Ard beached on nearby Muttonbird Island after a tumultuous journey from England.  Only two of the fifty-four passengers survived, one of whom was a fifteen-year-old boy called Tom Pearce, and the other a seventeen-year-old

Auckland Council manages 26 regional parks.  Isn't that incredible?  We chose  to spend a long weekend over Waitangi at  Muriwai Regional Park .  This beautiful area boasts 50km of surf beach. Muriwai Regional Park We stayed at Muriwai Beach B & B , a five minute walk from the beach accessed by a steep stairway on the Lookout Track.  After a morning cuppa at the popular Sand Dunz Beach Cafe  we followed the Otakamiro Point trail which led us down to the beach and up a path to viewing platforms overlooking the gannet colony. Muriwai Gannet Colony Gannets come to nest from late July and chicks are born in the spring.  Each pair lays one egg and the parents take turns on the nest.  As the chicks mature, they grow juvenile feathers and begin to exercise their wings in preparation for the one-shot jump off the cliff.   Once airborne, the young gannets leave the colony and cross the Tasman Sea to Australia.  Having a stretch! There are other trails to take varying

In New Zealand, many people choose to walk around barefoot.  At first this surprised me but then I learned about 'grounding' or 'earthing'.  This wellness practice is based on the ideas that the electrical charge in our bodies is neutralised when we get in touch with the planet.  By grounding we're accessing the planet's natural supply of antioxidants. While more research needs to be done, studies have found that grounding can improve sleep, reduce stress and pain, and speed healing.  Here are three ways to earth yourself. 1.  Lose your shoes Find a patch of grass and walk barefoot.  Who doesn't love the feel of grass underfoot? 2.  Beach is best Take a walk on the beach or go for a swim in the ocean. 3.  Sit in hot water Take a hot bath with some Epsom salts mixed into the water.  

There is a saying that nothing beats Wellington on a good day, and it's so true.  Reknowned for it's blistery, blustery days, Wellington  is a true gem  on a sunny day .  Here's how I spent the day and made the most of the sunshine. Wellingtion boasts coffee brewers like Havana, L'Affare, Mojo and Flight.  I started the day with a bowl of Granola and a cuppa at the Hangar on Willis Street.  This highly rated cafe is worth the visit. Granola from Hangar Next I walked down to Lambton Quay and took the cable car up to the Cable Car Lookout.  The cable car runs every ten minutes and climbs 120m in just 5 minutes.  Take in the views from the top and visit the Cable Car Museum. Find Cable Car lane for the entrance to the cable cars. A short but scenic ride Wellington view from the lookout Cable Car Museum I took a leisurely walk back down to the city centre through the Botanic Gardens.  There are different tracks to choose from with walks f

Sculpture in the gardens  has been on show at Auckland Botanic Gardens since last November, but will come to an end on February 25th. Here are three of my favourite sculptures at this year's exhibition: 1. Seed Introspection by Ramon Robertson Relaxed and contemplative 2. Full length mirror by Sam Duckor-Jones Love the extra leaf prop! 3. Survey by Bryn Jones There is a man on the ground looking up at his mirror image in the tree!

I've been in my new job for almost a month and although I still feel like a deer in the headlights most days, I'm really enjoying the opportunities for learning new things.   My first week in the new role was spent meeting new colleagues, reading, and getting set up on all systems.  Then it was all go as I travelled down to Wellington for my very first week long  Sprint .  Before you ask, no it wasn't some kind of corporate relay!  A sprint is a set period of time during which specific work has to be completed and made ready for review.  In our case, our squad of 4 from different areas of the business sat in a meeting room and drew on our inspiration to tackle a problem and design a prototype solution. This is the premise of Agile management  which includes collaboration, self-organization, and cross functionality of teams with the aim of changing the way we work to meet the ever-changing demands of the global market. Not that kind of sprint! 'to be happier,

In my blog post  The best self-care over the holidays-sleep , I talked about how sleep is an absolute must for self-care.  Here are some great podcasts about sleep. 1.  What will be your spiritual wake up call? Oprah speaks to Arianna Huffington about her change of perception of success and having a meaningful life. 2.   The brain benefits of deep sleep--and how to get more of it Daniel Gartenberg  is a sleep doctor and is interested in how to accurately track people’s sleep quality and alertness.  3.   Freakonomics – The Economics of Sleep This two part discussion of sleep explores a number of questions around our slumber.  Could a lack of sleep help explain why some people get much sicker than others?  Do people who sleep better earn more money? Part 1 Part 2   Did you know that koalas sleep up to 23 hours per day?