Category: Food and accommodation

Two Bare Feet- Waihi Beach, New Zealand

Two Bare Feet the perfect accommodation in Waihi Beach, New Zealand.

Located in the Bay of Plenty and roughly 2 hours from Auckland, Two Bare Feet was the perfect place for us to spend a few nights before we headed back to the UK. We wanted somewhere romantic, secluded, relaxing and unique from the hotels we had been previously staying at on our journey around the North Island.

After looking online for the above specifications we found the stunning Two Bare Feet in Waihi Beach. And my word did it live up to photos, reviews and our high expectations.

The wonderful hosts have converted the downstairs of their house to a secluded coastal retreat. Renovated and decorated to the highest spec and teamed with the fact it was literally a stone’s throw from the glorious white sand of the beach it was all we had hoped for. There are 3 accommodation options available – we had the Apartment stay option. There were two other guests in the private room option but we didn’t see or hear them. Which as antisocial as it might sound was just what we wanted. The other option is exclusive stay in which you would have access to the whole area and would be ideal for two couples.

Our apartment was huge! With the dreamlike king bed, large flat screen tv, the comfiest sofas, kitchen/ dining area and a substantial bathroom, we had more than enough space for the two of us to relax comfortably. I could have lived there with pleasure.

There are Bali and Coastal influences all over the apartment and gardens. The outside area was beautiful with a daybed just made for reading in the sun, BBQ and outdoor seating area for alfresco dining listening to the sea, pretty lights and beautifully manicured garden area.

Everything is designed and laid out to be just perfect, and it really is.

Breakfast was left every morning in the kitchen also there is a cooker etc if you really fancy it. We, however, opted for eating out and can recommend The Porch in Waihi Beach. Do speak to the hosts they have lots of recommendations for places to eat throughout the area for all budgets.

For those wanting a little more of an active holiday, there is sporting equipment available to borrow. Including mountain bikes for the Hauraki Rail Trail, tennis racquets for the local tennis court and they can arrange surfboards and paddle boards along with lessons.

If the accommodation wasn’t’ enough to get you to visit then the charming little beachside community of Waihi Beach should do the trick. Located in the Bay of Plenty Waihi Beach is one the of the safest surf beaches in New Zealand. A sweet little village with cafes, restaurants and boutique shops with local artists and handmade items paired with the glorious 9km of sweeping white sand we hit the absolute jackpot with coming across this gem of a place.

While you are in the area you should also check out the numerous walking and cycle tracks around Anzac Bay, Karangahake Gorge, Hauraki Rail Trail, the beautiful Owharoa Waterfall and get historic in the gold mine town of Waihi and view the open pit of the Martha Mine.

It really was the perfect beachside retreat and one that I would go back to in a second.

To see more about Two Bare Feet click here

As much as I would have loved for this to have been sponsored post it is not. This accomodation was paid for by myself and all view are my own

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Queenie, Murwillumbah – An Airbnb Gem

If you find yourself in Northern NSW and in need of a funky place to stay then I have just the place… Welcome to Queenie.

Queenie is located in the lovely town of Murwillumbah in Northern NSW. Surrounded by sugar cane fields, tropical hinterland and the majestic Mt Warning watching over the town.  It’s close to Byron Bay, Tweed Heads and the Gold Coast and is sat on the banks of the Tweed river so it’s in pretty fabulous company and some of the best landscapes Australia has to offer. It’s always been a key place in my life as my grandparents have lived there for most of my life and my grandfather was born and grew up there. Many holidays and breaks from Uni were spent with family exploring the hinterland, swimming in the Murbah pool, exploring the coastal towns nearby, taking a million photos of Mt Warning and just sitting outside drinking tea and taking in the tropical surroundings.

On a recent visit to Murwillumbah, my family and I discovered the retro paradise Queenie. First, off I was quite surprised there were any Airbnb’s in Murwillumbah (i have since found out there is several) and secondly, I was in awe that it wasn’t just your standard house (not that there’s anything wrong with that) but…  Queenie was bursting with character, it was just like stepping into the pages of an interior design magazine.

The attention to detail, the charm, the style, the colours, the beds. OMG, the beds.  It is hands down one of the best Airbnb I’ve ever stayed in. As a vintage lover, this place was what my dreams are made of and ‘house’ Pinterest board is full of. Light muted tones, tropical vibes, hand picked vintage furniture, art deco styling that all just went so well together and was totally #housegoals.

The beds were like sleeping on a cloud. My jetlagged self just melted between the Tommy Bahamas sheets. There is room for four guests with two bedrooms- one king and one queen. There is a bright open kitchen/diner area with a super cute little retro bar. If you do want to watch a film or Tv there is a small entertainment room with a million DVDs to choose from. If you want to eat your breakfast listening to the birds there is a lovely outside area to sit and take in the sounds…

To get into the town there is a very short walk to the main street which is full of cafes, eateries, boutique and antique shops. There is a pool with waterslide, lots of brilliant walks, the Wollumbin National Park is only a short drive away. I haven’t been myself but I’ve been told the Margaret Olley Exhibition and Tweed Regional Art gallery are well worth a visit. Byron Bay and the Gold Coast are also within a short driving distance. I can thoroughly recommend having fish and chips in Kingscliff and visiting Point Danger where you can stand with one foot in NSW and one in QLD (obviously doesn’t take much to entertain me). Green Point, Currumbin and Kirra are also within a short drive. You won’t run out of things to do and places to explore.  Also If you are a fan of I’m a celebrity get me out of here then its filmed in Murwillumbah as well so you may even catch a glimpse of Ant and Dec!

The only downside for Queenie (and I’m clutching at straws for a downside!) would be there is no wifi which isn’t really that big of a deal but as I was travelling with an international sim card I wanted to the internet without the data roaming charges so wifi would have been a bonus. Thankfully a lot of cafes in town had free wifi.

We loved our stay at Queenie and if you want to explore this beautiful house and area then I thoroughly suggest jumping on Airbnb and booking them up. To see more reviews or to book check out their Facebook and Airbnb pages below. Trust me you won’t regret it!

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Airbnb

This was not a sponsored stay and this post includes all of our own opinions.

Do check out their reviews on Airbnb and you’ll see it’s not just that are big fans.

Do you have any amazing Airbnb’s that you’ve stayed at? If so share below in the comments.

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Why you need to visit Papirøen when in Copenhagen 

Copenhagen is expensive there is no denying that. But foods food and girls gotta eat. Almost every blog I read prior to coming to Copenhagen mentioned Papirøen so naturally, this was something firmly on the ‘to visit’ list. There had to be something behind the hype.

Papirøen (Paper Island) is a small island in the harbour and once was where the Procurement Association of the Danish Process used to keep their paper storage. So the name Paper Island is rather fitting! With these big halls empty over the years the concept of the Copenhagen Street Food came into fruition in 2014. And what an awesome idea it was. In the last few years, a bridge has been built linking Paper Island to both Christianshavn and Central Copenhagen.

It’s a beautiful spot in the harbour opposite The Royal Playhouse and Nyhavn and next to the Opera House. It’s in very good creative company. Within the old halls and smaller buildings, there is a creative space which has a current exhibition from Yoko Ono, offices, cafes and The Copenhagen Street Food. Whilst the Street Food opened in 2014 and they had to wait till 2016 for the bridge linking it to central Copenhagen to be completed. The bridge like most of Copenhagen has a cycle lane so make sure you are walking in the right place so you don’t get mowed down by the cyclists!

Part of Yoko Ono art piece

The main pull for Paper Island is the street food and trust me it’s well worth a visit. The place is huge! There is a substantial selection of food covering all cuisines from the four corners of the globe. You can get main meals, selections of sides, the naughtiest of sweet treats, great beers, cocktails and juices.

There is a nice outdoor section which would be bliss on a beautiful sunny day overlooking the harbour. The beaches and tables outside are all communal and there are shipping containers which double as eating areas and seating platforms. Some of the seating areas are also positioned around huge fire pits which on the day we visited were much needed! Even being a chilly day with the sky threatening to rain the outside areas were packed with tourists and locals alike. It is the place to be.


As soon as you walk into the big factory shed it’s like walking into a travel food heaven. There is more communal benches inside and even some ‘restaurant’ style set ups with tables that you actually book in advance. We opted for the communal benches and some poor chaps had us staring (sorry salivating) at their food while we were trying to decide if we go Chinese, Thai or Mexican. Playing on the industrial feel there were rooftop style areas built upon shipping containers, benches and tables made out of old oil drums and milk cartons, some handy work was made with pallets and they were fashioned into tables and benches. Danish Architecture at its finest.

All of the food stalls had such brilliant designs. My favourite was this pancake stall. The roof was made of old egg cartons! All of the designs worked well together to create fabulous space.


Some of what we eat and drank included below and spoiler alert it was all DELICIOUS


Chicken Penang
Chicken pad Thai
Pizza slices
Nachos
Burrito
Raspberry mojito, passion fruit mojito and strawberry mojito- maybe we had a few too many mojitos
Whisky sour
Apple cider and beers
Decadent chocolate mousse

And the things at the topped it for the boys was .. a delicious creme brûlée doughnut. They are still talking about how amazing it was!

The easiest way to reach is across the Inderhavnsbro bridge at the end of Nyhavn or if you are in Christianshavn then it’s only a short walk from the canals.

If you’re not hungry (and trust me you will be once you get there and the smells hit you) it’s still worth a visit to see what it’s all about and take in the views around the harbour. We didn’t find it overly pricey but it’s still Copenhagen so expect to pay more than you would in the UK.

More details including opening times and the specific food stalls can be found here


My Little Kitchen

One of the best things of being away is doing things that you don’t normally do. On our recent trip back to Australia my partner and I got up at 5am each morning and went for a walk along the golden Gold Coast beaches. At home we would always enjoy a lie in but the sun is up so early in Queensland we didn’t want to waste a second. We would then on our way back home stop and have breakfast. I’m not going to lie one of those breakfast dates did happen at Macca’s. Don’t make that face- we were on holiday and hotcakes are my WEAKNESS!

But then on one of our ‘breakfast dates’ we came across a lovely little place called My Little Kitchen. Located just off the beach in Broadbeach it had a beach vibe and decor to suit.

My sister and her husband opted to join us on this morning so we all had high hopes of a yummy breakfast. They had a small selection of tables outside with a bigger area inside. Obviously most people opted for outside which is what we did. They boasted great coffee but as none of us drank coffee I can’t comment on it. What I can comment on is there amazing smoothies!

I had the Very Berry Blast and it was possibly the best smoothie I have ever had berries, yogurt, almond milk and ginger. The right pick me up for early mornings. I could literally dink this smoothie every day of my life.  The deliciousness didn’t stop there. We tried a few things off the menu- my partner and brother in law had the eggs beni, my sister had the DIY breakfast board and I had the Caramel Belgium Waffles. All are thoroughly recommended and were delish! For a look at other things they have on the menu you can find here http://www.mylittlekitchenbroadbeach.com.au/mlkmainmenu

It was so good that I also had lunch there the very next day. We had tapas which isn’t on their online menu.  I am not sure if that is a regular lunch option or not but it was available when we visited. We had the most amazing squid and prawns. Team those up with the smoothie mentioned above and I would be set for the rest of my life. Almost 2 months on and I still am thinking about them.

On both visits the service was great and welcoming. The only down side is that the bathrooms are shared with a hotel next door and it all just felt a little odd. Other than that the decor was relaxed, great artwork (by a local artist) on the walls which is also for sale and the food played to all the senses.

For the Gold Coast the prices were reasonable however the exchange rate to pounds did push it into the higher breakfast bracket. Another issue that we found in both Australia and NZ is that some places add on a public holiday surcharge to bill and this can range from 10%-20%. As we were away from the 23rd December to 10th of Jan we did seem to have a hell of a lot of public holidays. Something to bear in mind if you are travelling to these countries over the festive season.

If you find yourself on the Gold Coast then make sure you do stop by its a great little find and trust me you won’t regret it.

 

For more info – http://www.mylittlekitchenbroadbeach.com.au/

 

 

Hidden Gem- The Subhouse, Wells UK

Its been a bank holiday weekend here in the UK (exactly the same as Public Holiday just a more British way of saying it) and my other half and I went and enjoyed a day in Wells.

Wells is in the South West of England and is home to the Wells Cathedral, Bishops Palace, markets and is also where the film Hot Fuzz was filmed.  We live just down the road so it was bit of being a tourist in your own area type of day.

My other half had been told about a newish restaurant and we thought we should check it out for lunch. And oh my was this suggestion a good one.

You wouldn’t have known it was there walking down the street kinda like one of the secret bars that keep popping up everywhere. Locate in an all old sub station on a very unassuming street opposite a hideous night club and next to a car wash was the black door that took you to meat heaven.

The atmosphere, décor and communal seating  had been cleverly thought out and all made you feel comfortable, relaxed and like your at home just with way better food.  The staff added to this and we had fantastic service.

The food is mostly burgers, wings, ribs, sticky, saucey and pure delish. My other half opted for the biggest burger on the menu (thinking it may cure his hangover)  and I had a spicy chicken wrap. Both of these were amazing. Super tasty, full of flavours and just  hit the spot. They stock a lot of craft beers and ciders which due to aforementioned hangovers we didn’t try. I did however have a Bounty Hunter milk shake which came with the added bonus of a bounty bar (big thumbs up from me).

Upstairs they have a bar which I am assuming they have for the evening and two games rooms one had Mario Kart on and the other had a foosball table. Beautifully quirky! After speaking to some friends I’ve also heard they do amazing cocktails so will need to go back one evening and give these a try.

Everything was reasonably priced and between the two of us cost under £25.

If  happen to find yourself in this lovely little city then make sure you stop by The Subhouse. Who knows we might be sat on the table next to you- I’ll  be the one with the pink carnation

 

Check them out here- http://www.thesubhouse.co.uk