Australia / NSW / South Coast

To drive an hour and a half for good food may seem absurd to some, but this is not uncommon for my mother and her friends. My Mum has forever talked about this little vegetarian restaurant, in the middle of... Continue reading Zen Oasis vegetarian restaurant, Berrima »

Happy new year! Thank you all JENIUS readers for your friendship, support, emails & comments, and for making 2010 a fabulous year! I spent this morning with the boy and his mother at the tranquil Nan Tien Temple down at... Continue reading New Year's Day at Nan Tien Temple Vegetarian Food Fair »

With Zen being a massive plane enthusiast, and I being the keen traveler, we were both thrilled to discover that a dear friend's hubby flew his very own plane. Not as the pilot of a commercial airline of any sort,... Continue reading A day trip from Sydney to Merimbula »

From first appearances, you'd be forgiven for thinking this was just an average senior's bowling club bistro. Oh, how wrong I was! Zen's workmate DC has been a local at the club for decades and even celebrated his 50th birthday... Continue reading Wiseman Park Wollongong City Bowling Club »

I had been back to work for exactly 4 weeks and felt like I needed a break more than ever. I love Stanwell Park because the Sea Cliff Bridge is absolutely amazing to drive on and the beach is peacefully full of energy. Hand gliders were out and about... but i simply enjoyed the sand and the sun. Continue reading A day trip to Stanwell Park Beach »

According to eatability, Coconut Thai is THE restaurant to visit... fabulous service, authentic, tasty and affordable food. So when the restaurant across the street asked us to wait 15mins to be seated, we naturally declined and gave Coconut Thai a go. Continue reading Coconut Thai, Wollongong »

Piato Grand sits within a shiney new apartment block and has only been operating for a couple of months. It's sister restaurant, which i've heard operates under the same name at the mall, has been running for over 3 years. This uber contemporary restaurant has all the ingredients that make it a place you would visit time after time. The specials menu was definately popular, as the rosemary quail with baba ganoush and the seafood risotto was sold out early in the night. Continue reading Piato Grand, Wollongong »

Saturday morning was cold... and that's the best excuse for a big greasy breakfast. Zen and I strolled down the street to the Mall. Cino Cafe has plentiful seats outside which was already starting to fill up at just 10.30am. We decided to step inside, away from the breeze, and placed ourselves in round leather booth chairs. The tables were slighly high... but this could have been the result of my slouching posture. On my left was a glass cabinent full of delicious treats. There were portugese custard tarts, cakes of all sorts, pasteries and more. Mmmm.. Continue reading Cino Caffe, Wollongong »

April is awesome! How often do you get a 4 day weekend? I've always wanted to see a waterfall... so here was my chance. The Minnamurra Rainforest is a 2 hour drive south of Sydney. There are 2 fabulous walks which take you through elevated timber boardwalks and swinging bridges. Part of it was so steep... but the workout was definately worthwhile. The waterfall was amazing! And it was lovely to take in deep breaths of nature... ah.... Continue reading Easter long weekend »

The Nan Tien Temple is the largest Buddhist temple in the southern hemisphere... so it has kind of become a tourist attraction for any visiting relatives. And depite the rain yesterday, it was no exception for my great aunt. The temple is gloriously tranquil, filled with the grandeur of giant monuments, fancy landscapes and rich chandeliers. The dining hall, too, maintained the airy and peaceful ambience, with Buddha statues, soothing chants in the background and staff whom were extremely quiet and courteous. The vegetarian lunch set menu is available on Tuesdays to Fridays, 11am - 2pm, and on weekends from 11:30am until 2:30pm. Continue reading Lunch at Nan Tien Temple, Wollongong »

I spent last weekend camping at Green Patch, inside the Booderee National Park at Jervis Bay. So it reminded me to post up some of these pics which were taken during another trip down the south coast, last year. Continue reading Jervis Bay »