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Back to the Barossa: Because one day is not enough

Reading Time: 9 minutes
Barossa Valley, South Australia (Aug 2025)

Some places just stay with you. For us, the Barossa Valley was one of those. When we first visited a year ago, Steve and I tried to squeeze as much as we could into a single day—dashing between four wineries, popping into Maggie Beer’s, snatching a few moments in Tanunda, and wishing we had more time. We left promising ourselves we’d return at a slower pace, to savour what we’d missed.

So, we did. This time, I booked two nights in Tanunda, right in the heart of the valley, and gave ourselves the luxury of time when planning which cellar doors and places we’d visit during our two day stay. We wanted to revisit our new favourite, Hentley Farm, discover spots we had skipped last time, and simply let the Barossa unfold without the pressure of a ticking clock. And it turned out to be everything we’d hoped for and more.

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34th Euro Lambretta Scotland 2025

Reading Time: 19 minutes
Ayr, Scotland (June 2025)

A Tale of Scooters, Camaraderie, and Scottish Spirit

The anticipation had been building for months since the 2024 Euro in Magny-Cours, France. The prospect of attending another Euro Lambretta —a gathering that stirs the souls of Lambretta enthusiasts across the European region and beyond — was enough to carry us through the routine of our daily lives over the past year. This year’s edition, in Ayr, on Scotland’s South West Coast, promised more than just a rally; it was to be a celebration of Scottish culture, on top of the usual shenanigans involved among friendships without frontiers and everlasting fascination with all things Lambretta. Plus, who could resist the allure of haggis and bagpipes?

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London tips for a first-timer

Reading Time: 17 minutes

As you may have read in my other post How to do London in one day, usually when I visit London it’s a day trip, as my trips to England are generally to visit and stay with family in Dorset. However, there have also been a handful of occasions when I have been fortunate to travel from Sydney to London for business. On those trips I have stayed up to a week, squeezing in some leisure time (generally solo) around my work commitments.

Recently, a good friend was planning her own work trip to London, which was allowing her some spare time for leisure too. She asked for my tips on where to stay and ‘must-see’ sites ; of course I was very happy to oblige. This post is inspired by the loose itinerary and recommendations I shared with her.

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A day in the Barossa

Reading Time: 18 minutes
Barossa Valley, SA (Oct 2024)

Taking advantage of a Qantas double status credit promotion earlier in the year, I booked flights to Adelaide and started planning a weekend visiting its nearby wine region. I’ve been to Adelaide a few times and even drove to Mount Gambier once, but had never visited the famous South Australian winery areas. Having heard good things and enjoyed a tipple or two from some of their well known vineyards, it seemed a good idea to plan an adventure to somewhere new. I soon realised there was quite an extensive choice of places to visit and regretted only booking 3 nights away. After a bit of research into the Adelaide Hills, Eden Valley, Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale, I determined it was possible to spend a day in the Barossa and a day in McLaren Vale. The hard part was working out where to stay and which vineyards to visit due to the abundance of choice!

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