Cavalia Rendez-Vous VIP Show

I love horses. And Cirque du Soleil. So when I heard Cavalia, the “Magical Encounter Between Human and Horse” was coming to town, I knew this was one show I'd have to see. 

It may be new to us in Australia, but Cavalia has been around for almost ten years and has been seen by more than three million people in America and Europe. It even popped up in an episode of American Dad that I saw the other day that had me chuckling away (an episode named Adventures in Hayleysitting, no less. You know how I love an adventure.)

Photo courtesy of Cavalia

So you can imagine how happy I was when the lovely folk at Cavalia's official hotel, Fraser Suites, Sydney, invited me along to try one of their Cavalia VIP packages. 

After checking into my suite and soaking up the corner views over Sydney, I was joined by my friend Jason and swept away in a car to the Entertainment Quarter, where Cavalia's signature White Big Top is now in residence. 

Just as you can now buy VIP tickets to music festivals, Cavalia sells VIP tickets with backstage passes to meet the horses afterwards. Sure, it may sound a little odd, but after falling in love with them on stage, it really is a treat to meet the stars of the show. 

Bush Rummy Card Game Rules

"Do you know what we've forgotten to do?" I asked my mother. We looked at each other, smiled, and both said "Play cards!" 

Considering we were only one day into a four day escape in the Winnebago it wasn't fair to say we'd actually forgotten. But I was very happy to see that she was also looking forward to a game, and that it didn't take much to convince my father to join us around the card / dinner / work table. 

Over the last few trips together we'd gotten into the habit of playing a frustrating game called Frustration. This time my folks had a new game to teach me. Bush Rummy.

I loved it. So much so that on the last day I decided I'd make a note of the rules and do my best to explain them here so other travellers and card game lovers could give them a try. 

Sculpture at Scenic World, Blue Mountains

It’s been 17 years since Sculpture by the Sea first started in Sydney, and what a wonderful addition to our gorgeous city it is. Wandering from Bondi to Tamarama and taking in the works of art is the perfect way to catch up with friends and celebrate the fact that spring is here every year. 

Well now I’ve found a new sculpture exhibition to look forward to, but this time it’s an autumn treat. 

Sculpture at Scenic World in the Blue Mountains 

Sculpture at Scenic World in the Blue Mountains is a very new creation. It only started last year, and I unfortunately missed out on that one (and the chance to say ‘yes, I was at the first one’ in the years to come). 

But last week I managed to get along for the start of the second annual Sculpture at Scenic World and I have a feeling it will be the first of many for this gal. 

How To Sleep Well in Hotels: 5 Top Tips

I love my sleep. At home, I’ve recently spent the sort of money that could have paid for a very nice holiday on a new mattress.  I realized as much as I want to continue to see the world in style, I spend around a third of my life in bed, and most of that is in my own bedroom so it’s money well spent.

While a good night’s sleep is important at home, I find it’s also vital when I’m on the road. If I’m exploring a new place, I want to wake up refreshed and full of beans ready to take on the day. There’s so much to see and do out there, I don’t have hours to lose feeling groggy and trying to perk myself up with coffee.

Whether it’s jet lag or just being in a strange environment, some people find it difficult to get that good night’s sleep when they’re travelling. So I turned to sleep expert Carmel Harrington for five top tips.

1) Make Your Hotel Room More Like Home  

Hotel rooms can be exciting places to be, and even if you’re not loving your room, your body may be thrown by the simple fact that you’re somewhere new.

Carmel says the best way to help your body get to sleep is by mimicking your home environment as much as you can.  

You like to finish the day with a cup of herbal tea? Pack some in your suitcase and unwind with it in the hotel. While you’re at it, throw in your cup or mug from home. Sometimes those hotel ones just can’t soothe you in the same way as your old favourite can.

When it comes to books, don’t buy the one you’ll read at bedtime at the airport. Take something that you’re already reading and enjoying at home. You want to be sure that it will help you unwind, rather than possibly winding you up if you’re finding it hard to get into the story or the characters.

Our sense of smell is particularly powerful, and certain aromas can send signals to the brain. Burning your favourite candle, or even using the same body wash or scented products that you use at home can help.

There's a pillow with my name on it... 

You may also want to consider taking your own pillow. Not only is it comfy to curl up with on the plane, laying your head down on something familiar at the end of the day can make a real difference.  

Ace Hotel, Palm Springs for Coachella review

It may seem like Coachella 2012 was only yesterday, but somehow it's that time of year again... time for music lovers to go back to the desert for one of the greatest festivals on the planet. 

Where to stay can be a bit of a challenge. For my friends and I last year The Ace Hotel was the answer. But was it the right one? 

Coachella's calling 

 After four Coachella nights at The Ace, I can report there are definitely pros and cons. 

For those who aren't familiar with The Ace Hotel & Swim Club, it's 170 achingly hip rooms with two pools and a funky diner found just south of downtown Palm Springs.

Addams Family Musical Spooks Sydney

They're creepy and they're kooky, mysterious and spooky, they're all together ooky, The Addams Family! 

Dunna na na *Snap Snap* 

Oh, it's such a good theme song. The kind that gets stuck in your head, but you don't mind because it's so much fun. The strange thing is - it doesn't feature the way I expected in the Addams Family Musical. 

The Addams Family Musial - photo credit, Jeff Busby 

Sure, there's a taste of it, and we get to snap our fingers (or should that be click our fingers in Australia?) along with the music. But at no point does the cast sing the words or do we get to sing along. 

But don't let that small fact put you off, because while it was a little disappointing, for me it was the only disappointment of the night. The rest of the show was a highly entertaining ride. 

British Airways' New Planes for Australian Route

High tea, high fashion, flying high... it's been that kind of morning as British Airways launched their Australian route update with a special event on board their new Boeing 777-300ER.

British model Georgia May Jagger strutted the catwalk / airline aisles in a gorgeous PPQ frock as we sipped Tattinger and nibbled on high tea from the Langham Sydney.... a hard start to the day, but someone had to go check it out. 

The Langham's High Tea at BA 777-300ER launch

Now before you get too excited and look forward to high tea in the skies, I should point out this was a special treat for the launch. As were the bunches of roses and the birdcages (can't you just imagine take off and landing with bird cages flapping around above you?). It's a shame that the logistics work against keeping them because they were gorgeous, but safety first! 

Sydney Mardi Gras Museum Opens

There are currently two permanent gay and lesbian museums in the world. One, the Schwules Museum, is in Berlin. The other is the GLBT Historical Society Museum in San Francisco. This year, Sydney will take its rightful place and open the third. 

This week the inaugural exhibition was opened to the public. While it is currently in a temporary space on the corner of Oxford and Palmer Streets in Sydney's Darlinghurst, it will be housed in a permanent home, which is still to be decided upon. 

Pierre et Gilles' 1995 Mardi Gras Poster 

Australia's first gay and lesbian museum draws on Mardi Gras' rich, and sometimes violent, history. From the police brutality and horrors that the "78ers"went through in the first march down Oxford Street 35 years ago to the wonderful celebration that now brings tourists from around the world - there's a lot of ground to cover, and it's ground that should be remembered. 

Original Eureka Flag, Ballarat

It's been 162 years since the Gold Rush started in Ballarat, but last week a man who had very little experience in prospecting managed to find a 5.5 kilogram nugget worth around half a million dollars. 

Apparently his wife was a little miffed with him when he spent thousands of dollars on some new fangled metal detector. Needless to say, he's had the last laugh, and I have a feeling she's happy to have been proved wrong (just this once).

I'm sure I'm not the only one who immediately wished they'd tried the same thing. I was in Ballarat for the first time the week before this huge nugget was found and it didn't even occur to me to go out prospecting. But the next time I'm there I have a feeling I'll be getting my hands dirty. 

The owner of the Mining Exchange Gold Shop in Ballarat, Cordell Kent, says he thinks this will lead to a lot of other people heading to Ballarat and trying their luck. 

Even if they don't find gold, one thing they will find in Ballarat is a great piece of Australian history.

The original Eureka Flag, Ballarat 

The Little Alabama Zoo That Could

Just outside a small town in Alabama, there’s a little zoo that I fell in love with. A little zoo that you don't have long to see in it's original location before it moves to a new home.

The Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo started as an animal park in 1989, but it was in 2004 that it became known around the world when Hurricane Ivan led to the emergency evacuation of 270 animals. 

Zoo director Patti Hall only had 28 volunteers and 36 hours to get all of the animals out of the zoo, and to higher ground at Patti’s home. 

Zoo Director, Patti Hall, with a lion she raised from a cub  

The operation, the effort it took to rebuild the zoo, and the drama over missing 12 foot long alligator, Chucky, (who was fortunately found soon after) led to international headlines, and to an Animal Planet special “The Little Zoo That Could”.   

HMAS Vampire at Sydney Maritime Museum

Between your Twilights and your True Bloods, and pretty much half of the young adult literature in bookstores these days, there's no doubt vampires are big. And when it comes to big vampires, the biggest one I know of can be found in Sydney.

Sure, she's a different kind than the kids are used to these days. But she's still beautiful and fascinating and well worth checking out. 

HMAS Vampire, Sydney

HMAS Vampire is a Daring class destroyer (which sounds rather dashing in itself) and the last of Australia's "big gun ships". After the Darings our warships were decked out with missiles and things changed for the destroyers. 

That's not to say this Vampire didn't have teeth. As well as her anti aircraft guns she had torpedo launchers and anti-submarine mortars. But I'll admit I'm relieved she didn't see much action with them and had what is described as a peaceful career. 

Ryan Corr talks Sex with Strangers

Intelligent, funny, engaging… they’re all sexy elements, and ones that can be found in the Sydney Theatre Company’s production of Sex With Strangers. 

The play stars Ryan Corr as a twenty-something blogger and Jacqueline McKenzie as a thirty-something novelist who are stranded together at a wintery writer’s retreat. Described as an intergenerational love story in a digital age, there’s more to this play than we see in the title.  

After falling for Sex with Strangers, we chatted to Ryan Corr about love in a digital age. 

Shark Island, Sydney Harbour

It's Hump Day. And that means we need a Happy Snap.

Today's is the view from one of my favourite places on earth... Shark Island in Sydney Harbour. 

I've been having my birthday on Shark Island for many, many years (well, except for my London years of course, and a couple extreme weather exceptions).  But most birthdays you'll find me out there with friends having a wonderful old time. 

It's such a beautiful spot, and by the end of a picnic on Shark Island it feels like you've really gotten away for more than a day. 

How's the serenity.... 

A Hotel Security Basic I Love

There are a lot of things I love to see when I first walk into a hotel room. Some have to do with comfort, others to do with style. One in particular has to do with security. 

For me, this is one of the best things I can see on a hotel door:

 All hotel doors should have a lock like this in my book

It's simple, but effective.

A lock that I can use to stop people with the same key entering the room. 

I used to just like them. Then a few years back I saw that film Derailed in which Clive Owen and Jennifer Aniston's characters are getting it on in a hotel room and someone breaks into the room. As the bad guy points out, they should have put the chain on the door. Not just used the lock. Anyone with a key could get in. 

And these days, with electronic doors opened by bits of plastic I find it even more comforting when I can push across that extra lock or put on that chain. 

So how about you? Do you also find it a little unnerving when hotel rooms are missing this tiny piece of metal? 


And while we're talking hotels, you may want to check out my post on 5 tips to get a good night's sleep in a hotel room. Sweet and safe dreams!