Seppeltsfield Winery

Back in 2014 I toured Half Moon Bay with the Get Reading team and I had the pleasure of speaking at a high tea in the Seppeltsfield Winery. I promised Graham I’d take him back one day as it is a beautiful winery with a rich history. While we were in Adelaide for the RWA Continue reading


Congratulations to all the RUBY winners!

Congratulations to all the 2016 Romantic Book for the Year winners. The results were announced at the recent RWA Gala dinner in Adelaide – and what a fabulous night that was too! You can find all the details  at the RWA Blog. Special congrats to Michelle Somers, whose Romantic Suspense story, ‘Lethal in Love’, took Continue reading


Up the hill to Hahndorf

Despite the lovely hotel concierge and the nice man in the information centre doing their best to dissuade us, Graham and I had an adventure on Adelaide’s public transport system today. Perhaps we look a little too old for changing buses three times in one journey or perhaps guests of the Stamford use more salubrious Continue reading


Why are ships so fascinating?

It seems I am my father’s daughter… I don’t know whether my fascination with ships started with Dad being an engineer on oil tankers or whether it’s a genetic thing, but the older I get the worse it gets! I was delighted to find a bulk sugar carrier in Mourilyan Harbour when we sailed through Continue reading


Farewell to Hinchinbrook Island

For eighteen years I looked down on Hinchinbrook Island from the cockpit of my Dash 8 as we flew between Cairns and Townsville and I marvelled at its moods. Quite often the skies would be clear accept for the thunderstorm brewing over the craggy island. Under the care of Captain Lyle Cook I joined a Continue reading


Cairns Tropical Writers Festival

We have six days to make our way north to Blue Water Marina in time for the Cairns Tropical Writers Festival – I do hope the weather behaves! Check out all the details of the full programme at: CTWF Programme. The Literary Dinner, starring Madga Szubanski in conversation with Helen Chryssides, is sold out, but there’s Continue reading


Exploring Orpheus Island

Our day started with a leisurely kayak ashore as the tide reached its high for the morning. In the shallows a black-tipped reef shark did its best to pretend we weren’t there.   The walking track to the ridge line starts from the picnic table. It’s loosely marked with varying colours of tape and string but easy Continue reading


Under the waves

What a day! We’re both exhausted from exploring, kayaking and snorkelling. If you get the chance to visit Orpheus Island then take it. The fringing coral reef is spectacular and my photos don’t do it justice. Even more special is the clam garden which is full of giant clams. They were bred here in the Continue reading


Orpheus Island

We had a delightful sail from Horseshoe Bay to Orpheus Island – although I lost count of the sail changes as the wind was up and down. When it reached 17 knots in a rush, and we still had our beautiful pink spinnaker up, I think we were both a little concerned we were headed Continue reading


Maggie Island

I love North Queensland! We hopped on the bus to go to Nellie Bay and the driver was busy checking up on the health of one of his elderly regulars who’d been taken ill yesterday. Same driver on the way back announced to the bus via the PA that ‘the couple that wanted to buy Continue reading