Sometimes you feel like a nut...

So, in attempts to prolong my vacation mindset (and tan) upon returning home, I purchased this coconut scented hand and body lotion by Desert Essence Organics at my local Whole Foods.  I figured it would bring me back to the blissful state of lying on the beach, feeling the sand between my toes and listening to the rolling surf.  Something about coconuts...they're tropical, they're nourishing, and smell like relaxing under a palm tree (may have something to do with the scent of most sunscreens...)  


I assumed the scent would wear off in an hour or so, as typical scented products do... But on several occasions, several hours after applying the stuff,  I'm either told that I smell "nice", or that I just flat out smell like coconuts.  So, although I don't plan on pushing products here on a regular basis, if you're looking for a healthy product to nourish your skin don't mind smelling practically edible, I recommend you start with this...

just thought I'd spread the love...

Noosa, a little gem on the Sunshine Coast of Austraila...but you didn't hear about it from me.

After about a week in Sydney, my friends and I headed up to the recently flood-ravaged territory of Queensland for even more R&R.  We arrived in Brisbane airport and hopped in our rental car.  Direction: The Sunshine Coast!  Sounded lovely...but the region unfortunately hadn't seen much sunshine in the previous weeks, so we were a bit concerned about the weather not living up to our expectations.

Blue skies ahead!

About 90 minutes later (unfortunately without any kangaroo sightings!), we arrived in Noosa, a laid-back, chilled out town with more gelato shops and boutiques than you can shake a digeridoo at.  The flooding had caused a lot of people to rebook their family holidays this year, so the tourist traffic was down a bit, and the normally crystal clear ocean looked more like the color of coca-cola at certain tides, but we didn't let it keep us from enjoying the tropical waters and white sandy beaches...

Noosa Main Beach

Signature on Hastings

Billabong Surf Shop

In typical fashion, the first morning in Noosa, I headed out the door in my running shoes (hat & sunscreen!) to go check out the Coastal Track in the Noosa National Park.  I figure I would see a bit of nature and get in a fun run in the process.  I had no idea how beautiful this place was...or how quickly it heats up in the morning!  Here are some photos of my little running adventure...

Noosa Main Beach

Boardwalk to Noosa National Park

Entrance and map to Noosa National Park

Tea Tree Bay

Granite Bay

Catching a wave...

Tree with interesting root system...

At Hell's Gate (it is quite toasty) overlooking Alexandria Bay

Track signs throughout the park

The best way I found to cool off and refuel after a nice hot tropical run is with a scoop of gelato at one of the numerous establishments (although I have to vote Massimo's as my fave...try a scoop of the Rocher...yummo), or head into the Noosa Heads Surf Club (bring your ID to prove you're not local) and have a nice cold schooner of Aussie beer or a glass of chilled wine along with a prawn/avocado/mango/macadamia nut salad...OMG.  

Massimo's gelato...our fave.

Salad at Noosa Heads Surf Club! And by all means, do not call them shrimp!

If Noosa had a mascot (and maybe it does!?!), it would be the wild turkey...they are everywhere.  So that rustling you hear in the bushes alongside the trail that you have set in your tourist head is a crocodile or bigger-than-a-breadbox spider is 10 times out of 10, a harmless turkey foraging for food. You've been warned. When they're not spooking humans, they're trying to blend in with the locals, meandering through the streets, and trying to get into stores and restaurants...

Noosa mascot

Parrots as seen from the Surf Club balcony

Surf lifesaver as seen from my beach towel

Another thing Noosa is known for (besides a world famous triathlon held in May during their "Winter Festival" - see link below!) is being a sweet surfing spot.  

http://www.usmevents.com.au/

A great place to sign up for lessons and chat up a few professional surfers is at the Noosa Longboard store on Hastings street.  They even convinced me that even at my "advanced age" (for surfing, that is) I could learn to surf...and they were right!  I'm afraid, however that I  won't be furthering my mad surfing skills while living in Minnesota...but isn't that the BEST reason ever to relocate?!?!  

Tell them I'm coming back to stay next time...and I'll need a job.

Noosa is a little gem of a town that is relatively undiscovered by non-Australian tourists, so like the title says, keep this to yourself!  It's no Bondi or Byron Bay, and is not exactly a hot-bed for fun-loving singles. Perfect for the family...you can even take the kiddos to sing karaoke with you...everyone else does.  It's a great place in which to chill out, relax, eat and drink well, work on your tan, buy a few bikinis or boardshorts, and take a surf lesson or two...you'll leave wanting to move there...immediately.  

Cheers!

Keeping to the left Down Under

As I travel quite a bit for work and for pleasure, I've learned that the best way to stay in shape while traveling abroad is to tie on my running shoes and head out the door. Whether it's a big city or closer to nature, it's a great way to see your host city in a different light.   

Coogee Beach

On a recent trip to Sydney, Australia, I discovered the Coastal Walk which winds itself along the Eastern Beaches of Sydney for miles.  I was staying in Coogee Beach (always opting for beach hotels above the city center may have something to do with feeling landlocked in Minnesota), which is a laid back, smaller alternative to staying in the more famous Bondi Beach, and just a few miles south. Those few miles however, when taken by the Coastal Walk, provide one of the breathtaking runs/walks a traveller or local could wish for. 

But before you set out for your stroll/run, be advised that Aussies not only drive on the left, they also walk/run on the left as well... This takes some getting used to, and you'll get more than a few funny looks until you do.

Coogee Beach nippers

The Third Date - Listen to their warning...

The big difference between meeting someone through "natural" circumstances and meeting someone through an on-line service, is the frequency in which you "meet" them.  One thing remains the same...However you meet someone of interest and begin to court each other, when it comes to the third date, the truth comes out.  In my experience, (always with the intention of finding "The One"), the third date always brings a warning.  I've noticed that this phenomenon definitely increases in intensity with age, as people have gathered more experiences with past relationships/life and have labeled their personal baggage with little stickers that read "been there, done that". (I much prefer those whose baggage is covered with gobs of vintage travel stickers, but that's for another post)  


For instance, in my 20's I might have heard on my third date:  "Oh, by the way, I have to leave the US in about 6 months when my visa expires", but now in my 30's it can sound more like "Oh, and by the way, I'm still technically married" or "Oh, and I don't know if you want kids or anything, but, just so you know, I technically can't".   And for some reason or another, this kind of information usually comes out on the THIRD DATE.  OK, so it may be the second if you're lucky, or the fourth if you're less so, but let me tell you, you need to heed this warning, whatever it is.  


If you're anything like me, you'll hear something that just might not sound right, but give the person the benefit of the doubt, thinking to yourself 'I can live with that'.  I just urge you to really think about whether it's true, because what I've noticed is that what they warn you about on that third date, is what eventually will break up the relationship if either of you can't live with whatever "it" is...and it won't always be your decision.  And then, you're just left there kicking yourself for having investing so much time in trying to make it work...and bruises can be SO unsightly...


Everyone's got their own experiences that make them unique. Everyone's got something.  I call it all "part of my charm".   But I don't think it's so bad as to scare away a potential mate, unless he always has to be on time...but I don't intend on dating a Dutch train, so I should be OK, right?


You've been warned...

New Year's Resolution = to start my blog already!

And what better way to start 2011 but with a trip to Australia!

Last time I went to Australia, it was January 1998.  I was working away at my first "real" job in Portland, Oregon, and living with regrets of not having backpacked around the world before settling down into my life's career.  So, I saved up my vacation hours, and went with a relatively new girlfriend, Pia to go "see about an Aussie boy" whom she met the summer before.  Yes, I was the third wheel, but it wasn't as bad as it sounded.  I actually acted as a bit of a translator back in those early days, as Pia, being Swedish, could hardly understand her new "mate".  1997 was a time before digital photography, before I started waxing my eyebrows, and when denim shortalls were all the rage in casual attire...at least I thought so anyway.  Needless to say, my photos from that first trip are rather funny to look back on, and aren't the best quality (I would've retaken most of them had I been able to see them before I developed them!)

Funny enough,  I'm going back to OZ with the same couple, who have become two of my best friends and travel buddies over the years, and finally tied the knot last year!  But this time, I'm bringing my fancy camera with me.  Eyebrows are tidied up, but I'll still probably look back at what I'll be wearing in a few years and wince...that's just the way it is.


We'll be going to spend a week in Sydney, and then go up to the Sunshine Coast (Eastern Queensland) for 5 days.  It's actually raining buckets and flooding on the Sunshine Coast at the moment, but I'm really hoping it will be living up to it's name by the time we get up there, and I'll come back to winter in America looking like a "Bloody English Tourist" yet again.  


Cheers!


  

Hello!

Hello there and welcome to La Velle Vie!  I've been promising to start up a blog about all of the crazy and cool things I come across, hear on the street, the people I meet and places I go. This is to satisfy my friends who tell me "You should write a book"...and my desire to share my life's happenings and discoveries with anyone who cares to read about them... And I promise to not make stuff up...trust me, I don't have to.