Friday, February 28, 2014

Port Douglas – Escape the Winter!


Sunset at the Tin Shed
Now that summer has officially ended in Melbourne (boo), some of you may be starting to think about finding the sun again.

I have been traveling to Port Douglas for many years, both when I was younger and more recently (over the past five years) with my husband.

Port Douglas is a great place to go for warm weather, access to the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest.  It is perfect for young families, couples and groups of friends.  There is absolutely something for everyone! 


Where to stay?

Four Mile Beach
There are so many places to stay in Port Douglas.  Houses, resorts, backpackers’, self-contained apartments…  Have a look on Trip Advisor to find what suits you and your budget.  Last year, we stayed at Bay Villas Resort.  The reason we stayed here was because we wanted somewhere with a decent kitchen.  We were staying for two weeks and wanted to have the option of cooking for ourselves if we wanted to.  Bay Villas is also family friendly. 






We have previously also stayed at Martinique on Macrossan (in the main street) and this is also a great place.  Martinique is a boutique accommodation with self-catering facilities (not really suitable for families).  However, the kitchens are kitchenettes rather than kitchens that you can truly cook in. 

Bay Villas Resort is about 10minute walk out of the main town, but is five minutes from the beach.  We were very happy with our apartment.  It had everything we needed (except I always miss a good pasta pot at these types of places, but that might be just me…).

What to do?

Most importantly, relax (however it is you do this)! 

Of course there are many options available to suit all tastes.  You can hire a car or and drive to Cairns, Palm Cove, Cape Tribulation or the Daintree Rainforest.  You can visit Habitat Wildlife or Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures.  You can go fishing, hot air ballooning, the list is endless!  I have briefly described below what we did when we last visited (August 2013)…

Four Mile Beach is a great beach and if you have perfect weather, you can stay there all day.  It is not unusual for the wind to pick up in the afternoon though, and shade covers most of the sand by about 4pm.  You can hire umbrellas, chairs and chair cushions for $40 per day ($25 from 9am – 1pm).  

You can hire buckets and spades ($5 per hour), paddle boards, big rubber tyres, paddle boards ($25 per hour).  The beach is patrolled so swim between the flags (there are salt water crocodiles around, so keep an eye out if you swim elsewhere)!

Sand Cay and Reef views with Safari
Visit the Great Barrier Reef!  Snorkel, scuba dive or look through a glass bottom boat!  We did two trips to the Reef – one to a coral cay via helicopter with a company called Sky Safari (very luxurious but I highly recommend it – it was incredible!) and a trip to the Low Isles on a sailing boat with a company called Aquarius.  Both amazing days with great service provided by both companies.  


You can book these yourself or through one of the many agencies in town or at your hotel or resort.

Safari Tour




Low Isles with Aquarius

















There is a basic yoga class held every morning on the beach, just up from the Surf Life Saving Club.  Classes are $15 for an hour (8am – 9am).  There are also other options available with other providers around town.  We did a mix of our own practice and joined the beach class a couple of times.

Pearls at the Market

There is a local market every Sunday (8am – 1pm) where you can pick up great jewelry (particularly pearls), local fruit and vegetables and some other local fare.  It is worth a look if you feel in the mood.












Where to eat?


We always make a visit to The Tin Shed.  If you want to have a drink and watch the sun set, this is a good casual place to go.  They serve pub style food, which is fine.

We tried Seabean for the first time and it was great for tapas in particular. 


Zinc was also very nice.  Lovely service and a great Barramundi dish!

We revisited Salsa.  Whilst the atmosphere is more casual, the food was very impressive.  Make sure you book!


Nautilus by night





For a special occasion (or even just on your last night), go to Nautilus.  It is a memorable experience as you sit amongst the forest of palm and mango trees.  You feel like you are miles away from the main street and the food and service is fantastic.  They have a tasting menu available ($115 per head, matching wines extra).  Make sure you book this place too.  You wont be disappointed!








Other information

Port Douglas Tourist Information and weather information can be found here.  Be mindful of when you go as the summer is humid and wet (but might be a fascinating time to visit the Daintree!). 

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

BODY FREEDOM FOR THE PERFECT PREGNANCY MASSAGE


For my most recent birthday, I was lucky enough to receive a voucher to use at Body Freedom Urban Spa Retreat, South Melbourne.  I am not typically a massage person, but, my goodness, the massages and beauty treatments have certainly been a welcome treat during my pregnancy!  If you are ever uncertain about what to buy as a gift for a pregnant lady, don’t underestimate the gift of pampering. 
I have just returned from what is likely to be my final treatment at Body Freedom before I give birth.  The pregnancy massages are ahhh-maaazing.  Particularly when you are in the final stages of pregnancy.  
The best thing about the pregnancy massages is that they are carried out on a futon on the floor, rather than on a table.  Later in pregnancy it is not recommended that you lie on your back and it is not possible to lie on your front!  Therefore a massage on the futon is perfect!  I also thoroughly enjoyed the Pregnancy Foot and Leg Pamper, which is particularly good if you have swelling in your feet and/or ankles. 

 I can’t recommend Body Freedom highly enough for indulging in a treatment while pregnant (or perhaps you already have regular massages and want to continue these while pregnant).  Body Freedom provides a calm, relaxing environment and the staff and practitioners are all lovely, always taking the time to ask you how you are going before commencing the treatment. 
The only down side about these treatments is when they come to an end…

Oh, and don’t forget that you might be eligible for a rebate on your health insurance for some of the treatments.  Always worth looking into!

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

BEST CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES EVER!

These really are the best chocolate cupcakes I have ever made and they are really very easy.  I made them for our baby shower recently and the feedback was so positive I thought I had better share the recipe!
This recipe is very similar to a cake recipe I was given almost 20 years ago and, at the time, I was told it was a ‘top secret’ recipe!  What makes it unique is the coffee and the oil.  I found this particular recipe (although I have slightly varied it) on a blog called “Add a Pinch”.  However, I used a different icing recipe.





This recipe makes 12 cupcakes. Try making them; I promise you will not be disappointed and nor will the people you share them with!  Also, don’t be concerned about the coffee, you can’t taste it at all once the cakes are cooked.

What you need
Cakes
1 cup plain flour
1 cup white sugar
½ cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup milk
½ teaspoon vanilla essence
¼ cup vegetable oil
½ cup black coffee (boiling – make it just before you need to add it). If you do not have an espresso coffee machine, just substitute the coffee with 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder and ½ cup of boiling water.

Vanilla buttercream icing
115 grams unsalted butter, softened
1 ½ cup icing sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
1 tablespoon milk

How to make them
The Cakes
Preheat the oven to 160°C.
Place all dry ingredients in your mixing bowl and combine.  
Add milk, oil, egg and vanilla essence to the dry ingredients and stir roughly.  Add your hot coffee and roughly combine.  Mix on medium speed until all combined.







The mixture will seem very runny.  This is how it should be.










To pour the mixture into the cupcake cases, I tip the mixture into a jug because I find it is much easier to transfer to the cake cases.  Fill each cupcake case to about ¾ full.

Bake in oven for 20 – 25mins.  Test with a skewer before taking them out of the oven.  Depending on the size of the cupcake cases you use, you may find you need to give the cakes a bit more time for larger/taller cases For example, in the picture you will see I used taller pink cases and more shallow silver cases. The pink spot cases required an extra 5 minutes in the oven than the silver cases.
When cooked, set aside on a cooling rack until completely cool.

The Icing
To make the icing, place the butter in a bowl and mix until light and creamy.  Gradually add the icing sugar, vanilla essence and milk.  Mix until well combined.  If you need to, you may need a bit more icing sugar.  Just check that the icing is thick enough.
Place the icing in a piping bag with a large nozzle attached and pipe icing onto cakes.  If you don’t have a piping bag, just use a butter knife to spread the icing onto the cakes. 
Tip: You can buy disposable piping bags from the supermarket and they come with a selection of fittings. 

Enjoy!