Bushwalking, sailing, Ents and dinosaurs: a Great Barrington winter escape Down Under

Story by guest blogger Judith Shaw. Photos Copyright © Judith Shaw THE BEST THING about our arrival in Sydney was the warmth. It was a toasty 27 degrees centigrade, or 81 in Fahrenheit. At home in western Massachusetts it was freezing. We’d had more than a month of the Polar Vortex, and if you counted...

June 12th, 2014 | GUEST BLOGGERS, AUSTRALIA | Read More

Carols by Candlelight: Purely an Aussie Tradition

Story by guest blogger Al McCartan. Photo Copyright © Denise Harding. CHRISTMAS CAROLS. Oh, yes! We still love and sing them all, but we in Australia have gone one step further. We have Carols By Candlelight and have rallied to it for the past 73 years. I haven’t quite reached 73 years but a good...

December 27th, 2011 | GUEST BLOGGERS, AUSTRALIA, SHOWS/FESTIVALS/HOLIDAYS | Read More

A Writer’s Retreat, Katoomba, Australia

Dear Visitor, This story was a labor of love and, as you can tell by the comments, did once appear here in its full glory. Somewhere along the way, it simply vanished, and I haven’t discovered why yet. Still examining the HTML for clues. And I hope it’s not a database issue. Apologies for...

May 21st, 2011 | STAFF, AUSTRALIA, WRITER'S RETREAT, WRITING | Read More

Parakeet Café, Katoomba

Story by Milli Thornton. Photo Copyright © Milli Thornton. KATOOMBA IS a two-hour train ride from Sydney airport. You don’t have to go by train, but that’s my favorite way—and that’s how I got to Katoomba last time I was there, in 2002, when I did a writer’s retreat at Varuna...

April 18th, 2011 | STAFF, AUSTRALIA, COFFEE | Read More

Bathurst’s Cool Climate Wine Show

Story by guest blogger Al McCartan. Photos Copyright © Al McCartan. Bathurst is in New South Wales (NSW), about two-and-a-half hour’s drive west of Sydney. Of the six states and two territories, NSW is Australia’s most populous state. YOU’RE OUT OF Sydney, the freeway is less choked, and...

September 17th, 2010 | GUEST BLOGGERS, AUSTRALIA, WINE & BEER | Read More

Sofala, So Good

Story by guest blogger Al McCartan. Photos Copyright © Al McCartan. Bathurst is in New South Wales (NSW), about two-and-a-half hour’s drive west of Sydney. Of the six states and two territories, NSW is Australia’s most populous state. WE BATHURSTIANS CAN lay claim to two movie star towns in our...

August 9th, 2010 | GUEST BLOGGERS, AUSTRALIA | Read More