My Canberra Travel Guide!

Who knew that a trip to the perfectly landscaped streets and modern buildings of Canberra could be just the break I needed? Since the last time I’d been to my nations capital, it has developed quite a good food scene and has painted some colour on its roads – finally hit puberty! To save you from being trapped in the mindset that Canberra is boring, here is my little travel guide to keep you occupied and excited!

Where To Stay

Avenue Hotel
80 Northbourne Ave, Canberra ACT 2602

Where To Eat

Marble and Grain
25 Mort St, Canberra ACT 2612

Doubleshot Deakin Cafe
7/18 Duff Pl, Deakin ACT 2600

Akiba
40 Bunda St, Canberra ACT 2601

Frugii Dessert Laboratory
28 Lonsdale Street, Braddon, Canberra ACT 2612

Urban Pantry
5 Bougainville St, Griffith ACT 2603

What To Do

Australian Portrait Gallery
King Edward Terrace, Parkes ACT 2600

Bus Depot Markets
21 Wentworth Ave, Kingston ACT 2604

These are just the few things that I managed to fit into my 3 day adventure. As you can see, I took quite a few photos (and choosing just 4 from each place was a struggle). If you ever find yourself in Canberra, I would highly recommend paying any, if not every, one of these places a visit. And don’t forget to pick up a donut on the way 🙂

Until next week, I love you all and I hope you have a fantastic week!

xx Julia

PS be sure to check out my social media for more!
Instagram: @anaestheticmind
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Melbourne in 30 Hours: Part II

For a 30 hour adventure, there is simply no time to slow down. The second day of my adventure was just as jam packed as the first!

After a late start, a brisk walk to breakfast woke us all up. After an interesting meal in a little alley at Hashtag café, it was time to explore the city. First stop was Manchester Press café where I got myself a second breakfast of a dill cream cheese bagel and coffee – it was so delicious!

Wandering the streets of Melbourne felt like a home away from home. The beautiful shops with screaming colours and styles captured my attention at every turn. Florists, ice cream shops and everything in between, there was always something exciting to look at and photograph.

Chinatown was a quaint little spot on this journey, with bright colours littering the street at every level. Wandering a little further, I found my favourite spot of the day – a 100m alley with both walls covered in paint, graffiti and street art. It was fabulous!

A trip on the tram was a comforting few moments to sit, before we were up again heading to Market Lane Coffee for the coffee and the gram (not going to lie). Followed by a simple lunch, we made our way back into the heart of town for one last go of exploring just as the sun began to set.

Reaching the parliament house, we stopped for many, many photos before slowly making our way back to the hotel, stopping for a sugary waffle on the way. Bags packed and tickets ready, we head to the airport ready to depart from our adventurous travels.

By the end of those 2 days, it felt like I had been there for a year and gotten to know the place like my second home. Travel is such a special part of my life where I can explore and discover so many new things, and I definitely suggest that you do too when the opportunity arises.

As I’ve said before,

Well travelled and well read: two things I aspire to be.

xx Julia

PS be sure to check out my social media for more!
Instagram: @anaestheticmind
Pinterest: @juliakrivs
Tumblr: @anaestheticmindblog

PPS I know I promised a vlog, which is all ready and made, but the website is not letting me post it so I’m sorry to say I can’t do that for you right now… Big apologies but I hope you like the photos!

Melbourne in 30 Hours: Part I

Travel is always worth it. Whether it be for a year, a month, a week or a weekend, there is definitely a sense of joy and excitement when you take a break from your usual scene and immerse yourself in a whole new place.

With my HSC just around the corner, big trips are not an option. But my perfect little adventure was a weekend in Melbourne. Yep. Fly in Saturday, fly out Sunday. But, oh the things you can do in 30 hours.

Saturday was quite an adventure, hurrying to the South of Melbourne to spend daylight in St Kilda. This place was stunning – a small town with a big street full of shops, a gorgeous beach and, to my happy surprise, Luna Park Melbourne.

First on the list was breakfast after not eating properly on the plane. 95 espresso bar did just the trick. With the cozy décor and riddles that came with coffee to keep you occupied, what more could one ask for? My pulled pork and applesauce benedict was simply superb and just what I needed. Coffee was also great and started my Melbourne weekend on a high.

Now to burn off a big breakfast was a pleasant walk along the beach, taking pretty photos and meeting a few dogs! This was followed by my absolute favourite part: LUNA PARK! Not going to lie, we didn’t go on any rides but boy was it fun to run around and take photos. I was happier with my camera than I would have been on any ride! There was nothing stopping my pure delight as I ran from place to place, taking photograph after photograph.

By then, all that running had me with quite an appetite. Time for some cakes from St Kilda’s infamous cake shops! After painstakingly having to choose what to order, we settled on a few little things and had ourselves a delicious mini cake feast. This was followed by a quick wander down the street of shops (and several sock purchases).

What a way to end the day than by watching the sun set at the penguin lookout, the Melbourne city scape on one side and the ocean on the other.

Beauty.

Quick trip to our hotel and we were off for dinner at an Italian restaurant in a quaint little alley. Ending the day with hot chocolates at the hotel bar, it really was a perfect day.

Stay tuned for Day II and a VLOG next Friday! And be sure to check out my social media:
Instagram @anaestheticmind
Pinterest @juliakrivs
Tumblr @anaestheticmindblog

‘Til then, I love you all and have a great week!

xx Julia

Not Blue in the Blue Mountains

Everybody has that one place that they love to go that feels comfortable and relaxing when it’s time for a break. For me, this place is the Blue Mountains. It’s far enough away that the feeling of the busy city is paused, but close enough that we can make the trip back and forth in one day, getting there in time for breakfast.

A relaxing hour and a half drive later listening to music, we drove down the Leura main street and to Zest café for breakfast. Porridge and chai latte for me: it was okay – not incredible but good enough. This was followed by a relaxing walk up and down the street, popping into bookstores, kitchenware shops and another café for a takeaway coffee. Some photos with a pretty mural later, it was time for high tea!

Since the renovation of the Hydro Majestic, it’s always been an incredible place to visit. We sat down to high tea and were quickly served with incredible towers of finger sandwiches, tartlets and scones – my favourite. Accompanied by a lovely cup of tea, there is nothing I’d rather do on a Sunday.

Following this delicious adventure, we wandered around in some antique shops, grabbed a coffee and took a drive following the sunset to a lookout. After almost getting lost on a hilltop, the day came to an end and we drove calmly back into Sydney, eating chocolate and listening to Tchaikovsky.

What a stunning day! There is nothing quite like a spontaneous road trip! Comment down below any spontaneous adventures you’ve taken and we can all share in the excitement!

For more, be sure to check out my social media:

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Saturdays

For the last 8 years or so, my Saturdays have been filled with sweat, dirt and screaming parents, also known as school sport. Since joining the stunning senior years of school, I’ve dropped off the chilly Saturday morning soccer games and opted for a day of freedom, rest and exploration. Needless to say, Saturday is my favourite day of the week.

My absolute favourite thing to on my day off is go and explore an area. This time, it was Surry Hills, ultimately one of my favourite suburbs in Sydney. With it’s cute and stylish boutiques, creative start-up businesses, gorgeous cafes and everything in between, there is always something new to find upon a walk down a Surry Hills street.

On this day, so many things made me smile as I walked down Crown Street. Grey aesthetics in clothing stores made me long for a bigger wardrobe while the assortment of books made me wish time was more abundant to read and learn everything I could. The beautiful woman at Lixie Chocolaterie who gave us free chocolate turtles made me so happy, as did meeting the manager of Citizen Wolf – a new T-shirt company creating customized clothes for the perfect fit.

So many little discoveries of this adventure made the blisters on my feet so worth it! I look forward to further discovering Surry Hills and further out to all the hidden gems of Sydney.

You never really get to know a place until you get lost in it. So go on! I encourage you to take a day off and spend some time getting to know the places you think you already do but in a new way. Explore, Dream, Discover!

Hope you have an awesome week!
xx Julia

For more, be sure to check out my instagram @anaestheticmind or email me at hellojuliakriv@gmail.com!