Join 1000+ subscribers for my weekly newsletter with travel tips and ideas for where to go next. It's for anyone looking for an authentic and sustainable travel experience with a little luxury, especially 50+ travellers. Come along with me to taste the food, explore the culture, go hiking or stay in a stylish boutique hotel. I feature exciting destinations in the UK and Europe, as well as further afield such as Canada & USA, Caribbean, India & Sri Lanka, Jordan and many more.
Share
I'm off to Australia - follow for sun, food & travel tips!
Published 4 months ago • 4 min read
Hello Reader
For the last couple of weeks I've been dreaming about sunny days, whether it's a relaxing break in the Caribbean or catching some early season sunshine in southern Europe.
But next week the dreams become reality, as I head back to Australia to visit family and soak up the sun. Next time you hear from me I'll be sharing tales of brunch in Bondi, hiking in the Blue Mountains or a weekend break in Hobart, Tasmania.
I've already written about the best things to do in Sydney and our hike from Bondi to Coogee along the coastal trail. I plan to write more articles from this trip, but in the meantime, this newsletter and my instagram stories are the best place to follow my Australian adventures.
As always I'm sharing latest travel deals and other resources I recommend. Also check out my 'What I'm loving right now', including my latest travel purchases for Australia.
Wishing you happy travels wherever you're heading next.
VRBO: Browse Early Booking Deals on holiday apartments and villas worldwide, when you book at least 60 days in advance.
Omnio: We used this booking app in Spain, to book trains and buses all in one place. New customers can get 10% off app bookings (up to value €10 discount on purchases up to €100) - use promocode APPWINTER10valid until 31 March 2026
Sykes Cottages: Search for special offers and discounts on holiday cottages around the UK.
Warner Hotels: Up to 20% off on adult only leisure breaks in Warner Holiday's own hotels.
Jet2 Holidays: Check out the £100 per person discount and an additional £100 off some 2026 holidays with code NOTHINGBEATS for sunshine holidays from the UK.
Australia - tales from my previous trip
Read about some of the things we enjoyed on our previous trip to Australia
1 day in Sydney - an itinerary for first time visitors
My 1 day Sydney itinerary covers all the city highlights if you are short of time or are visiting on a cruise.
Explore Sydney's history, enjoy waterfront views at the Sydney Opera House, dip into some art and culture and enjoy the relaxing green space of the Botanic Garden.
If you have additional time, I also cover extra days trip ideas at Bondi Beach, Manly or Watsons Bay.
Bondi to Coogee walk - a scenic coastal trail in Sydney
The Bondi to Coogee coastal walk starts at Bondi beach, where you can watch the surfers, grab brunch or swim at the Icebergs sea pool.
Between May and July keep an eye out for whales that swim close to shore on their northern migration, then continue to Bronte beach with its lovely rock pool for a cooling dip.
Passing Waverley cemetery, where the residents of Sydney enjoy a clifftop view for eternity, you'll end at Coogee, a broad sandy beach with a number of seawater rock pools.
Just ordered: I needed a new day sack that would work for both city sightseeing and hiking in Australia - so I ordered this Osprey backpack from their Daylite range ( USA link here). I love the new moody burgundy colour which I hope will work with most of my wardrobe. I'll report back on how it performs in Australia!
Click for prices and colours - Osprey Daylite backpack
Loved this exhibition: At the weekend I visited the Lee Miller photography exhibition at the Tate Britain in London (until 15 Feb). Having watched Kate Winslet in the film Lee, I found it fascinating to see images from each phase of the photographer's career.
Lee Miller - photography exhibition at Tate Britain London
From her glamorous life as a model in the 1920s, Lee Miller stepped behind the camera and worked for Vogue. Initially she photographed wartime fashions, but later became the magazine's war correspondent, following the American army through war-torn France and Germany.
She was a friend and collaborator of many surrealist artists such as Man Ray, and an artistic eye shines through in her work.
Picasso - Lee Miller exhibition - Tate Britain London
One for the food lovers: I've enjoyed watching Rick Stein's new TV show about the food of Australia. I hadn't realised this much loved TV chef has such a connection with the land Down Under, which he first visited as a 19 year old.
Of course things have changed a bit since the 1960s. The sweet sherry of his youth has been replaced by fine wines, and it's all about Sydney rock oysters, indigenous flavours and kangaroo steaks perfectly cooked over a camp fire.
The 6 part series is screening weekly on BBC2 and available on BBC iPlayer.
Rick Stein - new Australia series on the BBC
Travelling soon?
If you are travelling soon it really helps us if you use the booking links below.
We make a small commission at no additional cost to you, which helps keep this newsletter and blog free.
Hotels: I use Booking but Expedia is also good for flight + hotel packages.
Tours: For top end food tours, we recommend Devour Tours and small group tours with Take Walks. Both Get Your Guide and Viator are also great for tours and experiences.
Trains: For train bookings in Europe use Rail Europe. Byway Travel also offer great no-fly itineraries in Europe and beyond.
Car Hire: For car hire I use the car rental arm of Booking.com (but always check the scores and reviews of each provider).
Villas & Cottages: VRBOfor villas and holiday rentals worldwide and Sykes Cottages for UK cottages.
Printable resources to download
As a thank you for being part of the Heather on her travels community, I provide extra travel resources exclusively for subscribers (that's you!)
These FREE resources are easy to download, to print or save on your mobile as a handy reference - check them out below.
Authentic, sustainable travel with a little luxury
Join 1000+ subscribers for my weekly newsletter with travel tips and ideas for where to go next. It's for anyone looking for an authentic and sustainable travel experience with a little luxury, especially 50+ travellers. Come along with me to taste the food, explore the culture, go hiking or stay in a stylish boutique hotel. I feature exciting destinations in the UK and Europe, as well as further afield such as Canada & USA, Caribbean, India & Sri Lanka, Jordan and many more.
Hello Reader I'm just back from Scotland, where we spent a long weekend staying with friends and visiting some of the lovely Scottish Gardens. The area of lowlands around Perth has some glorious rolling countryside, where the soil is perfect for the colourful azaleas and rhododendrons that we saw flowering in all the gardens. This newsletter includes my impressions of three very different gardens that we visited, including Glamis Castle, the childhood home of the late Queen Mother. Talking of...
Hello Reader It's cherry blossom time, not only in Japan but in London too! I know this because having recovered from my Australia trip in February ( the jet lag is real!) I've been out exploring London. I grew up in London and go back often to visit family. So I thought I'd make use of these visits to explore some neighbourhoods - both new and familiar to me. Spring is a great time to see things afresh! I'd eaten out in Kings Cross but not discovered the extent of the new development in this...
Hello Reader Since the war kicked off in the Middle East I've been thinking a lot about the people in that region and the trips I've made there. Luckily, our return flight from Australia transferred smoothly through Doha's impressive Hamad International Airport, just days before its airpace was closed. I visited Jordan a couple of years ago for a friend's wedding and was overwhelmed by the warmth and friendliness of the people. After the wedding, we drove south to the UNESCO World Heritage...
