SOFIA na AUSTRALIA

IMPROVE YOUR SURF!

2012-02-11T16:39:00.000-08:00

Some people prefer surfing on a point break. Some on a beach break... Every surfer loves a sweet beachie. The clarity of the water, the colour and special lack of consequences! A beachie takes the pressure off you.. It doesn't matter so much if you fall, or how you fall... It's one of those places were you should try new things.. Adventure a little bit more! As some may say: "At a beachie you

SHALLOW WATERS

2012-02-09T01:03:00.000-08:00

Digging the paddle into the shallow waters, the kayak swung round to point due southwest at the unmistakable crooked top of Mt. Warning. It's perfect to start the day like this... Paddling along with this astonishing view... I cannot complain at all. Paddling is all about access to places you couldn't get to any other way than being on the water. It was in complete serenity that we passed

THE SPARKLE TREE

2012-02-06T03:51:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't like fairy lights? Who doesn't like fairy lights hanging on a big fig tree? This the main street of Kingscliff- our home. I love going past this tree, whether it be at the end of a day travelling past here on my way home or riding my skateboard down the road, along the beach. There is nothing better to remind me of how good life is than to sit under this sparkling pretty tree as

SUNNY BREEZY DAYS...

2012-02-02T02:55:00.000-08:00

Man, how I love a nice beach! Today was a great day just made for the summer beach days! After the heavy rains, you really appreciate the sun and summer time just that bit more... Thankfully there's often surf, but if there isn't Paul and I are in the water anyway, swimming, fooling around, fishing or snorkeling. I like the sunny breezy days, when the amazingly clarity of the water allows you

IT'S ALL ABOUT SURF!

2012-01-28T17:23:00.000-08:00

Kirra Surfriders Club. The first surf riders club in Queensland had it's 50th birthday yesterday. It was a great reunion with the presence of all the big figures in the surf industry: Mick fanning, the Peterson brothers as well as many of the upcoming junior surfers. The Junior World Championships ended but there are many more contests just beginning! The Burleigh Pro will begin in early

THE YEAR OF THE DRAGON

2012-01-27T21:13:00.000-08:00

Can you believe this is already the 4709th year according to the Chinese Lunar calendar? Chinese New Year 2012 is officially the Year of the Dragon, connoting a mystical and noble image that symbolizes power from heaven in traditional Chinese doctrine. But the best news is that, according to Chinese astrologers say there is no end of the world in sight. ... If you were born in the

WHERE WE LIVE

2012-01-25T15:20:00.000-08:00

This is where we live. Actually this is where we used to live - Kirra. Long been famous with surfers for its exceptionally long and perfect, fast cylinder waves that has captivated boardriders for fifty years. It is an idyllic spot to walk along the point and look back over the sand and dunes for kilometers. Further to the north, past the southern end of the Gold Coast strip you take in

SAVE THE TURTLES

2012-01-20T01:44:00.000-08:00

My eyes could not believe it.. A loggerhead turtle dead on the beach... Apparently this turtle was killed by a propeller strike from a passing boat. This kind of occurrences are doubly tragic given the declining number of turtles of reproductive age left in Australian waters. It takes at least 20 years for a turtle to reach reproductive maturity. Between November and December 2011, 40

STORM LIGHT

2012-01-15T14:01:00.000-08:00

A cold front was sent to blow things away.. I barely felt like leave the house yesterday, but with bit of Paul's push we went for a short drive "...just to see the waves.." He stopped the car and the combination of storm clouds and sunlight made the white wash look brighter then ever.. I knew this light wasn't going to last long. (click here) A couple of shots...a brilliant feeling of

THE HAUNTED HOTEL

2012-01-13T02:42:00.000-08:00

Seeing it is Friday the 13th I thought I should tell you about what happened a couple of days ago... Paul and I stopped at a pub for some food on our way up north... It was a grand old pub and looked like an interesting place to stop- and it proved very interesting... There were some strange pictures hung up on the wall which got us to start exploring... It turns out the Grand Hotel in

SURFING RESERVES

2012-01-10T18:05:00.000-08:00

If there's one state that's forever been on the crest of the wave when it comes to Australia's surfing culture, it's NSW. Dotted along the coastline are surfing reserves, dedicated areas protected for use by the people and the surfing community and recognised as sites of environmental, cultural and historical significance. Of the 11 National Surfing Reserves along Australia's coastline, 9 are

LAZY SUNDAY

2012-01-07T15:56:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we had a big day... The last day of the weekend, the only thing I wanted to make sure was that Paul and I took it easy before the week of work starts! We did a massive clean up and organisation of our house yesterday, and thought I should share these pictures of some kangaroos that we took recently on the Sunshine Coast. These guys understand how to have a lazy

KODAK MOMENT

2012-01-04T01:15:00.000-08:00

There is something special that comes with surprises... Before it comes all the preparation - what the surprise is going to be, who is going to be involved in it, what's it going to be... Sometimes we really need to make sure we have a plan B or even a plan C! You will get ants in your tummy.. A mixed feeling of anxiety and nerves! But I guess that's good. Actually, I think it's half of the

THE 3 THINGS YOU ONLY SEE IN THE NORTH OF AUSTRALIA

2012-01-01T21:21:00.000-08:00

Well I have made it back to Australia! And Paul has got back from north Queensland (QLD) after seeing his sister for Christmas and we each talked about our time away... I thought I would share some of what Paul described about his time up in the north- it is such an amazing place- I can't wait to go up there again with him... 1. Fishing on the back of a ute Ute= utility truck. It has to be

BEEF COUNTRY

2011-12-24T03:09:00.000-08:00

by Paul... A town on the trip north that catches you eye is Rockhampton. Rocky as it is known as by the locals, is famous for beef, and not just any type of steer- the |Brahman. This type comes from the Asian sub-continent and is sturdy and well acclimatised to the heat of northern QLD. Rocky is famous for having the bulls and it celebrates this association with many massive statues

FEELING SPRIGHTLY

2011-12-23T01:55:00.000-08:00

by Paul We are on the road and feeling sprightly... Thought I might give you an idea on the essentials for a road trip: Water It's bloody hot in a car for 12 hours through the tropics! The bottles come in handy for filling up tap water in your engine overheats as well...) Fruit There is so much good fruit during summer and the great thing is it just gets cheaper and

X-MAS ROAD TRIP

2011-12-19T01:15:00.000-08:00

Ver mapa maior While I back in Portugal, Paul is taking a big road trip without me!!! Some things are just not fair... Anyway, Paul has promised me that he will keep me up to date with some quick entries about some of the places he calls into on his road trip north. He says it is going to be hot and we can see anything from cattle (Paul keeps telling me about cows...), crocs or coral. I am

BRISBANE - A LUCKY CITY FOR ACTIVE PEOPLE

2011-12-10T04:22:00.001-08:00

Brisbane is not as fast paced as Melbourne and Sydney. But Australia's third large city is never short on leisure pursuits - whether it be cycling in the city, rock climbing by the river or scuba diving near Moreton Island. Opposite the botanical gardens on the other side of the river, Kangaroo Point is linked by a good walking/ cycle path and there is a small strip o0f grass running along

KOALA BEAR IS NOT A BEAR!

2011-12-02T13:38:00.001-08:00

Lately I've been spending lots of time photographing koalas... But even more curious then watch the koalas is watching peoples reaction when they spotted one!! seriously, even if they spotted one at a wildlife park, people get completely smitten with these real life teddy bears... I alomost had to hold a asian fellow back from climbing up a eucalyptus tree to cradle-rob a baby koala! Anyway...

The Best Sydney Vietnamese Restaurants

2011-11-30T01:26:00.001-08:00

I’m a huge fan of authentic and tasty Vietnamese food. It’s a healthy and really tasty food to have on a night-out. With a large Vietnamese population in Sydney, there is no shortage of excellent Vietnamese restaurants and takeaway options in the city and the quality is often high. The range of Vietnamese restaurants on offer ranges from cheap no-frills affairs to high-end celebrity

FANCING A PHYTON!

2011-11-27T22:18:00.001-08:00

This bloke's a familiar face for Australians... but hey I' m not Australian!! It scared the hell out of me.. This morning I was walking to the car with Paul, and when I was going to open the door I randomly looked at the ground and .. HELLO!!! This beautiful carpet python was staring at me, with her head up and her tongue ssssssss at me!! I just froze with my heart racing.. I managed to

THE BEAR'S BIRTHDAY!

2011-11-19T15:10:00.001-08:00

BUNDABERG! So, we had a great trip up to Bargara and saw an amazing turtle at a nearby beach... There was only one thing left to do in the area and that was of course, stop in to Bundaberg for a look at the famous rum factory. Bundaberg rum is the most popular rum in Australia and our friends who were regular drinkers loved the idea of doing the tour... So, we pulled in to the street and there

BIG MAMA TURTLE

2011-11-13T21:02:00.001-08:00

"Turtles are wild animals and therefore we can't guarantee that you can see them.. the last turtles that we saw came 3 days ago...Our rangers are on the beach at the moment trying to see if they can spot any.. but we can't guarantee.." So we found ourselves in group number one, the first of the evening to go. We toured the information centre and then watched an introduction film

CAMPING IS COOL

2011-11-08T00:59:00.000-08:00

From the camper van heaven of the Great Ocean Road to the tenting paradise of the Whitsunday Islands, Australia's east coast has a site for every happy camper. Drumming workshops aside, it's Australia's national parks and other wild places that make camping here really, well, wild. Wake to a mob a kangaroos grazing outside your take, take a hike up the Blue Mountains, or chill out on one of

GATHERING...!

2011-11-05T06:07:00.000-07:00

Gather.. Gathering things is one of my passions... Not everything, just precious things. Shells are my real treasures! There's nothing like starting the day with a walk on the beach to gather treasures... Early in the morning when it's still a little bit cold and while you walk you can actually feel the sun coming out and hitting your cheeks... ah I just love it. You can do something in a