• Ideal growing conditions

    Thursday, February 22, 2018

    I believe that the real work of life is trying to figure out what kind of person you are, and what your ideal growing conditions are. We’re not always born in the right climate. Just like a plant, we all have basic requirements: soil, sun, water, temperature, nutrients. Have you ever seen a frangipani trying […]

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  • Phone-a-phobia

    Wednesday, February 21, 2018

      I have a confession. I hate mobile phones. I like being able to check my email and social media accounts. I use the banking app. I love Spotify. But the actual phone that rings? I HATE IT. 15 years working in the media has made me allergic to the sound of a ringing phone. I […]

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  • The circuit

    Wednesday, February 14, 2018

    I have a theory. It’s nothing new but I thought I would share it with you anyway. I believe that love is a circuit. You only get out what you put in. I am fortunate in the sense that I have an abundance of love and support around me. Subsequently, I believe that it is […]

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  • Why I need retreats

    Monday, February 12, 2018

    I recently returned from a two night stay at Billabong Retreat and – wow – what a difference. The 48 hours I spent there shifted something. The past month has been really tough and I’ve felt it in my body. My stomach has been sore – in both the muscles and digestive system – and sleep […]

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  • What happens when you damage a rental car

    Sunday, January 14, 2018

    Have you ever wondered what will happen if you damage your rental car? Well, friends, you can rely on ol’ spatially challenged Castle here to deliver. On my recent East Coast road trip adventure, my friend Michael and I hired a car from Avis. To our great delight, when we went to pick it up […]

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Oct
12

Inside the baby bubble: balancing your needs with your newborn’s

Few things are more eagerly anticipated than the arrival of a new baby. From the moment you know that your baby is on its way, life takes on a whole new meaning. Anxiously waiting for hospital appointments or excitedly buying first baby clothes; new parenthood sits you precariously on an emotional rollercoaster. In awe of […]

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Oct
11

80/20 rule

I suffer from an overwhelming desire to plan things. After all, a failure to plan is a plan to fail, right? Wrong. All this planning inevitably leads to disappointment as nothing ever turns out the way I hope it will. The weather is bad, I have a fight with someone, I get sick. Something goes […]

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Oct
7

Mat leave is over

Yesterday was my last official day of maternity leave; a very reluctant end to 7.5 months of the most magnificent/mundane time of my life. I have been drugged, cut open and had an organ (and a glorious baby boy) removed. I have been pooed on, something that I thought only happened in German sex clubs. […]

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Oct
7

Two new tours

I know some pretty gifted people and two of them have launched new tours. If you’re in the market for a foodie experience, I cannot recommend these tour operators highly enough. Tawnya Bahr’s new Air Bnb Farmers Market Tour is sure to be a cracker. I went one on of Tawnya’s tours to the Pyrmont Grower’s […]

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Oct
1

For Amy

I went to your funeral on Friday. I think you would’ve liked it. The weird thing is, I kept expecting you to show up. But your face wasn’t in the crowd. It was printed on the card that the funeral directors were handing out at the door. Your friends and family are a cool bunch, an […]

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Sep
29

Family culture

Families have incredibly complex micro-cultures. You can take two middle class Aussie families and, on the surface, they appear similar. They live in brick and tile houses, they spend Christmas together, they go on holidays to Thailand, or Fiji, or New Zealand. But the minute you start to investigate, gaping differences appear. It’s not just […]

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Mount Annan Botanic Garden
Sep
6

Camden, NSW

It’s taken me a while to write this. I wasn’t sure about Camden at first. It’s supremely weird moving from a tiny apartment in the city – complete with yell-y crazy neighbour, sparkly city lights, ambient bus noise and a fancy cafe on the doorstep – to a giant house in the country. Bridgewater is one […]

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Kindess
Jul
18

Kindness

Forget everything you’ve been taught. Forget about achieving. Forget about Bachelors degrees, or Honours, or Masters. Forget about owning things. Forget about money. Forget everything but this. Kindness is the only thing that matters. Kindness to yourself, because that’s where all kindness begins. Look upon yourself with love. With compassion. With humour. And then turn […]

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Australian freelancers
Jul
3

Australian freelance writers

Freelancing is a tough gig but it’s one worth pursuing if you want (or need) to manage your time in a way that sits outside the 9 to 5 norm. On the upside, you are free to follow your interests, have full control – and responsibility for – your schedule and business administration, and you can […]

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Travel quiz
Jun
27

SheGoes travel quiz

Trivia Tuesday is back! Trivia and travel tragics (alliteration overload) – this one is for you! Questions What is the airport code for Dallas Fort Worth? Which continent would you be on if you were eating pap? Where does the sun rise first? What does IATA stand for? Where does the Trans-Siberian railway start and finish? […]

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