The Art of the Stay-cation

I am at the end of a wondrous Summer holiday. I have fallen asleep on the beach as I watched the waves lap at the shore, sipped cocktails poolside and nourished my soul with many a visit to art galleries and museums.

Sounds like a typical Summer holiday, does it not? Indeed it is, but with one slight difference...I did all this while staying at home. This Summer I vowed to be economical (incredibly hard for a hedonist such as me) and save the pennies I would ordinarily spend travelling abroad. Thus, I decided the embark on a “Stay-cation” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staycation).

For the first few days, I admit I was at a loss. It is rare for me to have time off and when I do, I am typically off jet setting, so a mild case of cabin fever began to set in, not helped by my insistence to watch Season 3 of Modern Family in a single day. To combat my boredom, I started researching Brisbane's tourist attractions and came to the staggering realisation that one doesn’t have to be in a foreign country (or even another State) to be a tourist.

I spent the remainder of my holiday taking in the sights of Brisbane and the Gold Coast and had a truly wonderful time. Best of all, I won’t be going back to work jetlagged and with a huge credit card bill from too many duty-free indulgences!

Some of my favourite parts of the Stay-cation were:

1. Spending two full days sipping decadent fruity cocktails by the side of my very own pool. Not only did I avoid paying $18 for a drink, but also cultivated a tan to rival anyone who spent time sunning themselves in the Maldives or St Bart’s.

2. Christmas with my family- usually I am in transit and miss out on at least some of the festivities. It was an absolute treat to spend time with my wonderful extended family, eating, drinking and being merry.

3. New Years Eve- it has been a few years since I spent New Year’s Eve in Brisbane. While I’m the first to admit the fireworks don’t hold a candle (pardon the pun) to those in New York, it was a joy to see in the New Year surrounded by friends (and copious amounts of Moët).

4. Exploring the Gold Coast and Tweed Valley- I was lucky to spend some time with my wonderful godparents who live in Northern New South Wales and who happily gave me a guided tour of their backyard. Together we visited the Red Rattlers cafe near Murwillumbah, a converted rail car, selling mouth-watering homemade cakes. We also took in the wonderful art (and view) at the Tweed River Art Gallery, sampled seafood at the ever-delightful  George's Paragon and swam in the crystal clear waters of Rainbow Bay.

Some of the delicious treats I whipped up for the

family Christmas celebrations.

Celebrating NYE with copious amounts of Moët.

The gorgeous view of the Tweed Valley

from the Tweed River Art Gallery.

Perfect day at Snapper Rocks (near Rainbow Bay).

 

My bank account is most thankful for my Stay-cation, as am I. It just goes to show, fun doesn't (always) have to be expensive.  Xx