Travel Archives - Page 2 of 4

NZ Cruise Ship Diaries – Day 2 (day at sea)

I’m back home from our 10-day cruise aboard the Carnival Splendor! I wrote these posts along the way, usually at night before going to bed, so they’re written as though I’m still on the ship. I’m just a little behind on actually posting them, since we had limited internet while we were away.

We woke up this morning to grey skies and some pretty choppy seas. But I’m happy to report that I slept pretty well!

Man standing on balcony of Carnival Splendor

Choppy grey seas viewed from Carnival Splendor on our second day at sea

When I sleep, I need some weight on me, and normally in hotels they either give you crappy sheets and barely a blanket, or… nope, that’s usually about it. Surprisingly, Carnival provide sheets and a really fluffy doona, so I slept really well! I thought the rocking would get to me, but once I closed my eyes I passed out pretty quickly, and slept the whole way through.…

Kel me about it
13/10/2026

NZ Cruise Ship Diaries – Day 1 (Sydney)

NZ Cruise Ship Diaries - Day 1 blog header

A little note before we start: I’m back home from our 10-day cruise aboard the Carnival Splendor! I wrote these posts along the way, usually at night before going to bed, so they’re written as though I’m still on the ship. I’m just a little behind on actually posting them…

Oh hey friends! It’s been a minute since I posted, and that’s because I’ve been off getting ready for one of the biggest 52s on my list, “Go on a boat”.

You guys, today I boarded a 10-day cruise!! And so far it’s fantastic.

Last year my family and I decided to take a cruise together – my parents, sister, her wife, and the three of us: my husband, D, my son, L, and me.…

Five Things for Friday (vol. 7)

It’s Friday, and here’s five things.

1: I’m having a bath

I could electrocute myself at any time but I’m living on the edge. Kidding.

Anyway, I’m still feeling yuk, so after sitting out by the fire with my husband for a bit, he kindly ran a bath for me to soak in. He even added scented Epsom salts, he’s so sweet.

I still feel blah tho. Thank god for cold and flu meds.

2: I started a puzzle this week

Whenever we go places and I see puzzles, I want to stop everything I’m doing just to get a piece in. It’s just so dang enticing!

When I visited a friend last weekend I took a puzzle with me but we didn’t end up doing it.…

Daily Gratitude Days 12 and 13: Japan Wands and Perfectly Imperfect

Wah! It looks like I’ve finally caught the lurgy that’s been going around Australia recently. It’s been a pretty rough winter for colds and flus, and I’d managed to escape it so far. Last night I felt tired, so instead of blogging, I made our bed with fresh sheets and went to bed early.

This morning I woke up feeling a bit yuk. L and I spent the morning working on a jigsaw puzzle before school, and after dropping him off, I pushed through and got my workout done on the bike. This afternoon I realised I was tired, my throat hurt, and my eyes were dry and hot. I went to talk to my husband about something and bam, my voice was going.…

American Friends Visit Day 3: Australia Zoo

Group photo at Australia Zoo entrance, Sunshine Coast

When Kim first announced she was thinking of a trip to Australia, I don’t think the words had barely come out of her mouth before Australia Zoo got added to the list of things to do. It was a no-brainer, the Irwin family are basically Australian royalty, and the zoo is incredibly popular overseas. Living only 20mins from the zoo ourselves, sometimes we forget just how famous it actually is.

Well, today was the day we were visiting Australia Zoo, and it would prove to be one of the biggest highlights of their trip to Australia.

(If you’re just catching up, you can read about Day 1 and Day 2 first.)

We also had a new addition to the group for the day, A2.…