Off on a winter getaway!

July 16, 2020

winter getaway

Hello there!  If you’re reading this on the day it is published, I’m not here.  I’m away on a winter getaway!  I typed this on Monday and scheduled it to post today (Thursday).  Before you start getting too jealous, I’ve been away since Tuesday and will be back tomorrow.  I’ll reply to comments as soon as I can after my return.

Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE winter!  Of course, living in Brisbane means that our winters are mostly very mild.  Since our summers are very harsh and very long, I like to capitalise on winters as much as possible.  Considering we’re living in a Covid-19 world these days, I feel safest to stick to my own state of Queensland this year so we’re heading to the coldest part of the state I could think of.  For safety reasons, I don’t like to reveal where I’m staying until I’ve left, but I will say that we’ll be staying in a cottage on a vineyard in the Stanthorpe region.  Of course it’s not a winter getaway unless there is a lovely warming wood burning fireplace which thankfully our cottage will have.  I will be taking heaps of photos when away, and will share the exact location and more details when I return.

Winter Getaway

Can you believe that the weather forecast says that the coldest winter day in Stanthorpe region is Tuesday morning (Min 0° C / Max 9° C) and there might be a SNOW FLURRY!!  [See this article]  We don’t get there till after lunch on Tuesday!  We’ll miss a snow flurry by one day!  Drats and bah humbug and all that stuff!  Wonder if they get that forecast right?  It’d be great if they were a day out and it all happened on Wednesday morning!  I’ll let you know in my post when I get back.  Meanwhile, here’s the weather forecast for Tuesday through to Sunday from the BOM app on my phone.  This is about as wintery as you can get in Queensland!  

The plan is to leave home on Tuesday morning and stop in at Warwick for a nostalgic drive around and lunch before heading on to our cottage.  I lived in Warwick for a year when I was in Year 3 (went to school at St Mary’s).  I also visited Warwick a lot during my childhood because that is where my paternal grandmother lived.  I have so many happy childhood memories from Warwick.  I look forward to driving around to look at the school, the house where we lived, Nanny’s house, parks I loved to play at, and more.  

This trip couldn’t be timed any more perfectly, as I’ve been feeling my anxiety escalate with what’s happening in Melbourne, the new outbreaks in New South Wales, and of course the fact that Queensland’s borders are now open (though not to Victorians).  I think these few days away will help very much.

Have you had a getaway recently?  Do you need one?  If you’ve been away – where did you go?

See you on the flipside!

Ciao for now,

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19 Comments

  • Reply Helen July 16, 2020 at 6:22 am

    Hi from the west coast of Canada! Love the fireplace – and your shot of the kangaroo at sunrise! I showed the photos to my husband this morning as we have just begun planning a getaway in October, the start of our cold season. We love cabins by the ocean with wood burning fireplaces and lots of hiking trails. We have no desire to travel just yet – so October will give us something to look forward to!

    Enjoy!

    Helen

    • Reply Min July 21, 2020 at 2:15 pm

      Hi Helen – I’m so glad you enjoyed my photo’s. A cabin by the ocean with a wood burning fireplace and lots of hiking trails sounds fantastic to me! I agree that it is lovely to have something to look forward to. Stay safe! xo

  • Reply Sydney Shop Girl July 16, 2020 at 8:10 am

    Enjoy!! We are off to the snow tomorrow!! Can’t wait.

    SSG xxx

    • Reply Min July 21, 2020 at 2:16 pm

      Yippee – the snow would be awesome. I look forward to reading about it on your blog! xo

  • Reply Natalie July 16, 2020 at 8:39 am

    Enjoy your getaway, Min. I look forward to hearing about it after you return home. I’m enjoying summer in my city and Toronto islands which are not far from the city centre but very different once I cross the harbour. #lovin’lifelinky

    • Reply Min July 21, 2020 at 2:17 pm

      Thanks Natalie – it was fabulous and just what I needed. It was sooo cold but no snow or snow flurries. xo

  • Reply Leanne | www.crestingthehill.com.au July 16, 2020 at 12:18 pm

    Hi Min – I know you’ve been hanging out to get away for a while – so I hope it’s a relaxing and restorative time for you. Nice that you get to take a walk down memory lane to some childhood haunts while you’re there. x Enjoy!

    • Reply Min July 21, 2020 at 2:18 pm

      Thanks Leanne – I’m back now and thoroughly enjoyed the time away. Loved the cottage, the fire, the wineries, the shops, the taste testing of wines and cheeses and jams and chutneys and loved the bush and the wildlife and so much more. So nice to get away! 🙂 xo

  • Reply Pradeep July 16, 2020 at 10:19 pm

    Glad to see you are having a good time. Enjoy!
    It’s good to take a break like this, especially in these times. And good tha,t situation is better there for you to move around safely.
    Nothing like being in places where you have spent your childhood, is it not?
    In India, it’s really hot in the north and raining in the south.
    Thanks to the situation that we all are in, I can’t think of any sort of getaway.
    Enjoy, and take care.

    • Reply Min July 21, 2020 at 2:23 pm

      Thanks Pradeep. I had a wonderful time. It was short but helped so much. I think we all need a little something to lift our spirits during these trying times. I loved visiting Warwick and looking at places from my childhood, getting out into countryside, the cottage, the fire, and all the exploring over the few days. It was very very cold but no snow flurries or snow. I’m glad I got those few days away because the current situation is very unpredictable and things here could change at any time, as they have already in Melbourne and Sydney. Stay safe over there! xo

  • Reply suzanne vosbikian July 16, 2020 at 10:54 pm

    Hi Min, enjoy your time away. And yes, I am a bit envious! I need a change of scenery, but Florida and this virus are not cooperating with my wishes right now. Enjoy!

    • Reply Min July 21, 2020 at 2:24 pm

      Hi Suzanne, my few days away were wonderful – so uplifting though there was no escaping Covid (it’s all over the news and reminders everywhere you go – the need to sign contact tracing registers, hand sanitizers everywhere, x’s marking distance apart to stand etc etc). The news in Florida is very worrying. Please take care and stay safe. xo

  • Reply Leslie Susan Clingan July 17, 2020 at 9:29 am

    I am seeing green, I am so jealous!! Yes, yes, yes I need a getaway. It has been sooooo hot here, and then there’s Covid. We talked about going up into the New Mexico mountains on Saturday just to cool off and see something out of doors other than our backyard.

    Hope there was a snow flurry, and cool enough temps to warrant a fire in the wood stove. Safe travels home.

    • Reply Min July 21, 2020 at 2:26 pm

      I can understand feeling jealous Leslie. I’ve been the same with so many others going away that I’ve seen. We had but a few days but I’m very grateful and loved every moment. It was a big help for my state of mind. There wasn’t any snow or snow flurry but it was very very cold and the fire was delightful. xo

  • Reply Christine July 17, 2020 at 11:06 am

    I’m on a little getaway right now, enjoying the warmth of a Queensland winter and escaping a little of the Canberra chill. Will be a quiet visit with not too much getting out and about and just catching up with family and playing with the grandson. Enjoy your break.

    • Reply Min July 21, 2020 at 2:28 pm

      I hope you’ve enjoyed the warmth of Queensland, a change of scenery, and time with your family Christine. I bet it’s cold in Canberra these days! I had a wonderful few days – opposite to you – I was chasing a bit of winter. I love it! I so love a fire in winter and we don’t really do that here in Brisbane – never gets cold enough. xo

  • Reply Joanne Tracey July 19, 2020 at 3:29 pm

    I loved your pics on Insta & look forward to the post!

    • Reply Min July 21, 2020 at 2:29 pm

      So glad to hear! I am so unorganised – no post underway yet for Thursday. I enjoyed your FNQ pics too! So glad you had a good time. Thanks for linking up this post for me! xo

  • Reply Leanne @ Deep Fried Fruit July 23, 2020 at 6:02 am

    So funny that you’re escaping to the cold when I am dreaming of escaping to your heat. Dreaming! Every year we escape the Canberra cold This time last year we were at Hamilton Island. This year we’re meant to be in Thailand. Damn you Covid!

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