January is an interesting month, isn’t it? This is especially true in Australia.
It never feels like you can accomplish so much in January. I mean, the first week or so is a write-off and the calluses are still growing in the new year. Even into week two, everyone is still in Christmas vacation mode—or legitimately still on vacation.
The third week was taken up by the Australia Day public holiday and the looming threat of school districts resuming operations.
Then came the steep downhill slide until the madness of early February.
Let’s not forget, this is pretty much the center of summer and everyone is slowing down.
Having said that, we’ve still managed to incorporate a lot of content since the starting gun sounded in 2026. Here’s the truth.
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What a great way to start the new year! Had dinner with some great friends from the travel industry. It’s a very close-knit field, almost everyone knows everyone, and we’re excited to be a part of it. Especially when our good friends set the table for such a crowd.
This Ashes series is so weird, but I managed to complete the entire series, which is pretty cool. I was at First (unfortunate) test in Perth I came back to take my final exam in Sydney.
Perth was over in two days and Sydney had no chance of winning, with Australia winning three of the first four Tests.
Like exams in WA, it all starts with beer. I had a few breakfast beers (8am) at the Madison Hotel in Surry Hills with my friends Nim and Brett and then found a seat with my other friends Anton, Paul and Woody.
They were great seats but right out in the sun while we cooked before lunch.
Shortly after the team came out, dark clouds gathered and it started to rain, followed by some impressive lightning. Needless to say, the first day of the Sydney Test was cut short. Maybe just as well. I don’t think I can last much longer in the hot weather.
Today we are in the beautiful Bondina. This remote town on the edge of the Royal National Park is a real gem.
We are lucky enough to have multiple groups of friends connected to Bundeena, which is unusual. This afternoon we are visiting one of Christina’s oldest friends, whom she has known since school. She lives a glamorous life half in London, half in Macau, but she returns to Australia for Christmas, where her sister has also found a place to live.
We put our feet on the sand and spent the whole afternoon talking and laughing. Very wholesome stuff. But it does remind us how much we miss these people.
Today was a bit dramatic but looking good.
Christina’s birthday was in December – a week before Christmas – and she decided to have a belated birthday party somewhere in our garden. The only problem was that it was rainy and stormy.
Last minute change of plans put us in a bind Balmain Bowling Club. It’s not a bad venue (the beer and food are cheap), but it would be nice to have us here. Christina says “Leave it to me” which always makes me nervous!
(See below for more information on how this happens)
Still, thank you to everyone who attended the party. An absolute legend. How about sister Christina’s cake?
This afternoon, Christina and I were getting a ride from our good friends Brownie and Louise. We’re heading south for the Australia Day weekend. Usually – like last year – We’ll stop at a few pie shops along the way. Hayden’s,I’m watching you!
But since we had a late start, we decided to go with the cheeky burger.
We stopped at the iconic Paul’s Famous Hamburger Located in Sylvania, on the other side of the Tom Uglys Bridge.
These are classic milk bar style burgers. No messing around, no scrimping on anything. And they’re delicious. By the way, only cash is accepted here.
We arrived at our destination – Tuross Head – around 8.30pm and I thought everything was settled. Almost everyone was still up and about, and the champagne soon started flowing. Our friends even prepared some dinner for us. Perfect landing.
We stayed up late into the night chatting at the dinner table and getting ready for the days ahead!
It’s been a slow start for most of us this morning. But once lunch time came, we jumped into action.
we are all here rivera cute little waterside restaurant in the nearby town of Moruya. This casual restaurant is popular with locals. Christina has been there.
We had enough people to go for the set menu this afternoon and I must say it was excellent value for money. With three options for each of the three courses, the $90 is well spent.
For mains, Christina had the shrimp cocktail, which was filled with scallop shells and served with compressed watermelon, avocado, and lettuce (a far cry from the Thousand Island-filled cocktail glasses of my youth!), and I had the octopus skewers, served with tarama salsa and salsa. The octopus was so tender that I could happily eat a large plate and eat nothing at all!
But the power came on, and we knew our choices were wise.
The beef eye fillet (cooked rare) was awesome and cooked to perfection and the crispy finger roast potatoes had more butter than 1:1 which means delicious!
Dessert was almost too much for us.
My chocolate hazelnut tart was so rich I couldn’t finish it. Christina’s spiced rum pudding – which I didn’t expect her to order – was surprisingly light and satisfying. It comes with coconut ice cream and dark rum, coconut and pineapple caramel sauce. marvelous!
Everyone was assigned the task of preparing food for the Australia Day weekend feast, so after a delicious lunch at The River, Christina got to work on the pavlova she would be serving tomorrow.
Of course, she had some help with this and I think you’ll agree the results are pretty impressive.
The big day arrived and Christina woke up early enough to watch the sun rise over the sea.
I’m not, so I’m glad she’s here to show me what I’m missing. No, it’s not that I missed something, but that I didn’t see something. I think I did the right thing by staying in bed!
Soon the food preparation and cooking begins in earnest. Not only were there two pork rolls crackling over the coals (and some inappropriate physical contact), there was also a spit full of picana (rump cover) on the other grill. Meanwhile, a whole lamb shoulder and pork belly are cooking in the oven.
Not to mention salads, veggies, cheese platters and more.
I hope everyone is hungry!
Of course, the beverage bucket is also in a state of constant refueling!
It had been an amazing long weekend on the beautiful far south coast but it was soon time to head home.
Once again, we’re ripping off Brownie and Louise’s lives, let’s take it easy and stop at Turos Boatshed and Cafe Have a cup of instant coffee. This rustic little spot on the water is popular with locals and a must-see if you’re in this part of the world.
We decided to drive home via Goulburn inland, hoping to avoid most of the seaside holiday traffic.
We wanted to try a road pie at Bryant’s but that place was closed! Instead we head to Trap Bakery Right next to the iconic big merino wool. It’s not as good as Kobe’s, but it’s okay. The drive back to the city from there is easy.
Another great time spent with our friends.
One of the best ways we know the year has officially started is when we receive an invitation to visit our good friend Peter Hook Visit the Sunshine Coast Media evening. There is always a luncheon, but we rarely leave before 4pm and Peter’s parties are not to be missed.
This year, we are Restoration Wine Bar and Restaurant Located on Elizabeth Street in the city. The food was outstanding – the veal schnitzel and rump steak were both excellent, as were the crispy pica catafee-wrapped prawns and a huge salami platter – and the wines on offer inspired a newfound passion.
If you’ve never heard of Picpoul wine before, get used to it. This French variety is well suited to growing in Australian conditions and has a sharp, almost savage minerality. If you like dry white wine, today is your lucky day!
But what about the Sunshine Coast?
With the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games taking place in Brisbane, things are about to kick off in southern Queensland. The Sunshine Coast is seeing huge developments in its infrastructure and tourism product, including its first major hotel in almost 38 years!
The 180-room, 12-storey Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel will open in April 2026 and will bring a range of services to the area, including a rooftop pool and bar. This will also be Avani’s first hotel in Australia, which is exciting.
The Avani Hotel is just one of eight new hotels on the Sunshine Coast. Highlights include the old Sofitel Noosa (née the Sheraton Resort and Spa) Heading to Elysium Noosa Resort, Calile Noosa is coming soon. If only the last one were as good as the previous one Carlisle in Brisbane (our review)which would be an exception property.
The Sunshine Coast will also host a range of new or reinvigorated events and activities. Saltwater Eco Tour, its excellent We went on a cultural Aboriginal tour not too long agois bringing a new canoe trip to its inventory. The tour even comes with state-of-the-art equipment, making it a completely accessible experience, which is awesome.
Of course, let’s not forget the Sunshine Coast Food and Drink Festival. The carefully curated plates will be back this year (July 24 to August 2), offering more Sunshine Coast-centric food, and the Noosa Food and Wine Festival will also be held from June 11 to 14, so mark those dates in your calendars!
Thanks as always to Peter Hook and Maddy Schilg Visit the Sunshine Coastand Noosa TourismSusan Ewington had a great afternoon.
This afternoon we are planning a do-over party for Christina’s birthday. As I mentioned before, Christina’s “Leave it to Me” echoes all the way to the last day of January when we finally fully trust Sydney’s fickle weather.
Today looks like it’s going to stay warm and dry with fairly calm winds, so Christina is setting up the pool for the afternoon fun.
Of course it’s fun!
From daring swims to multiple vandalized champagne bottles and rejected kids reject Coming out of the pool, it was a great day.
We were also very keen to try out our new 6m long pergola, which performed brilliantly.
For some extra entertainment we even managed to organize a cruise to go before the party!
We hope you enjoy the flavor of the month for May 26th and that you have a great new year.
Cheers – Jim and Christina xx