Seoul (South Korea) - 50 in 5eOuL

 Seoul (South Korea)

06 July 2025

I turned 50 just four days ago and you know what,  it’s not at all what I expected it to be.

When I was a kid, people in their fifties seemed to be ancient relics. Not that children today see their elders too much differently but back then 50 really looked the part, grey hair, extra weight, general resignation and a quiet acceptance that life was unwinding into the inevitable final chapter.

I’ve read arguments online about whether it’s a myth that people today look younger for their age and whether they are in fact ageing at a slower rate. Part of that seems to be true, part of that is perspective. All I know is that  for me, 50 feels far , far better than I ever imagined it to be. I can still do almost everything I did in my twenties. The only real  changes are that I can’t run quite as fast and my eyesight has slipped noticeably within the last two years. Beyond that, there’s little difference in my physical or mental capacity, which I’m going to keep going for as long as possible.

But, what has this got to do with my time in Seoul? Well, here I was – 50 in 5e0ul, at an age where life was meant to be pulling the reigns and slowing me down. But let me tell you now, that’s not even moderately close the truth and the way that I’ve been operating. There’s plenty of wanderlust, curiosity and energy to keep me going for a long, long time yet , as a well as a 6 yr old son that doesn’t quite know just yet that his dad was on the older side of the scale when he was born….he pushes me and I certainly will be pushing him for as long as I can. As long as I can maintain a decent amount of health then 50 doesn’t need to be the signal for taking my foot of the accelerator.

Anonymity in travel is a gift. I love being able to move through a new city, immersed in its culture and its crowds, absorbing everything that I’m able to whilst remaining comfortable in my own bubble, free from the need to perform, to communicate in a certain way, or to live up to any personal brand. There’s almost a sense of unburdening in that there are no real expectations on you and what you discover, what you absorb and what you learn, it’s totally on you. There’s no right or wrong answer. That’s a part of travel that I really love, and maybe there’s a form of unrealistic detachment in that approach, but many times I feel as though I’m a voyeur, observing remotely rather than noticing that I’m an active participant.

View of N Seoul Tower from the rooftop of the AirBnB - Jongno district - Seoul - South Korea

Changdeokgung Palace - Jongno District - Seoul - South Korea

Streetscape - Jongno District - Seoul - South Korea

My first full day in Seoul began with the journey from Incheon to the Jongno district, where I’d booked an Airbnb for the next three nights. As would become the norm during my time in South Korea, even with the obvious language barrier, everything in my daily scenario, each activity and action felt efficient that the usual challenges of travel were reduced to little more than exercises in logic and deduction. Navigating the metro, in particular, was a pleasure and quickly became one of the highlights of Seoul, offering effortless access to every corner of the city.

My first afternoon was centred around Gye-dong, within the Jongo district. The area is characterised by a traditional Korean style of build, ‘Hanoks’,  which are buildings designed to evoke and reflect the distinctive character of Korean aesthetics within its design quality. Whether the area was ‘authentic’ or just a modern characterisation of the traditional Korean ideal, it was very appealing to me. An historic area infused with contemporary cafes, dining and retail, it was a lovely place to immerse myself for the afternoon and just walk around within my own tempo.

The first place that I randomly found but recognised through earlier research, was Café Onion. Located in Anguk,  it is one of the most popular cafes in all of Seoul, known for its location within a gorgeous hanok, its wonderful courtyard and exquisite interior (and exterior). Aside from the aesthetic, the house made pastry and bread options were divine but as I discovered, not at all unique within a city that has an incredible passion for café’s, bakeries and great food. Indeed, everywhere small alley that I wandered in this area revealed another artisanal bakery or vibrant café – which just added to my quickly expanding list of must tries.

Cafe Onion - Anguk - Jongno District - Seoul - South Korea

Cafe Onion - Anguk - Jongno District - Seoul - South Korea

Min was kind enough to spin some tunes for me at this wonderful bar (bar name forgotten) - Anguk - Jongno District - Seoul - South Korea

Hanok - Jongno District - Seoul - South Korea

Jongno District - Seoul - South Korea

I had a quite comfortable and ‘smooth’ afternoon in this area of Jongno. In fact, reflecting on my time in Seoul, it all seemed to tranquilly wash over me, no challenges or difficulties. Kind of like wading through the shallow end of a pool, there’s not going to be any major surprises unless something goes dreadfully wrong, or, you feel an uneasy warmth around your legs because you’ve just past through a group of 5 yr olds.

My evening stroll drew me down into the area of Ikseon-dong, apparently one of Seoul’s most atmospheric neighbourhoods, and certainly one that became a favourite of mine during my stay. Tucked away within the heart of the city, its known for its narrow alleyways lined with traditional hanok houses, that very much like Gye-dong, have been transformed into stylish café’s, boutique shops, teahouses and restaurants. The area felt intimate, and at night, had a sense of mystery about it. Being so close to where I was staying the area was a real pleasure to allow myself to simply meander around and let myself just absorb my surrounds, taking in its vibrancy & charm, all without having to be on a deadline.

Ikseon-dong - Seoul - South Korea

Ikseon-dong - Seoul - South Korea

Ikseon-dong - Seoul - South Korea

Walking back to the AirBnB late in the evening, I strolled along Seosulla-gil, which sidles up against the grounds of the Jongmyo Shrine. A truly pleasant night with an evening temperature of about 28 degrees and thankfully dropping humidity. The day had seen the temperatures head into the mid-30’s with humidity in the mid 80’s, so the respite was welcome and even better were the proliferation of bars. My walk turned more into a bar-hop, with each stop being a new discovery, a new memory and a new reflection on what was starting to feel like quite dynamic & engaging city.

Seosulla-gil - Jongno District - Seoul - South Korea

Seosulla-gil - Jongno District - Seoul - South Korea

View of N Seoul Tower from the rooftop of the AirBnB - Jongno district - Seoul - South Korea

Seoul (South Korea) - Traveling Seoulo

Melbourne (Australia) - Seoul (South Korea)

05 July 2025

It may sound almost absurd to say, but each adventure is different—shaped by its own unique structure, the frameworks through which you hang your expectations, desires, and lessons. Having travelled to over 70 countries, the vast majority in the past ten years, this is one truth I have come to know without question.

Seoul was never high on my list of must-visit destinations; it lingered somewhere in the “someday” part of my mental travel map, as if patiently waiting for the perfect set of circumstances. Well, Seoul, your time has come.

Here’s the context. My current workplace is quite restrictive when it comes to annual leave. The bulk of time off is overwhelmingly concentrated in the Australian summer, with a Christmas/New Year lockdown effectively forcing 12 days of leave into a period that has become increasingly inconvenient. For those of us with European families, the ideal window to travel is mid-year, during the European summer, when the weather is far more pleasant. Attempting to travel anywhere in the Australian summer is almost a trial by fire—overcrowded destinations, inflated prices, and a general sense of “too much of everything” make it a season best endured rather than enjoyed.

So what happened? How did Seoul become the Steve Bradbury of my minds travel destinations? Well, sometimes, all you need to do is stand on your feet. The story goes a little like this…

Inga wanted to return to Latvia for the European summer. Since we had also planned extended leave at the end of the year, I was faced with a dilemma: how could I navigate my cruelly rigid leave schedule to make both trips possible? The fact of the matter that I couldn’t. With that said, I didn’t want to prevent Inga and Aiden heading overseas, and I impressed on her that that’s what I wanted.

…but then… my adventurer’s heart launched a full-scale campaign against my inner logic. The only real barrier to travel was work—specifically, ensuring a stable internet connection and syncing with a time zone that allowed for daylight working hours. And so the hunt for a destination began:

• Kuala Lumpur
• Jakarta
• Tokyo
• Bangkok

But true inspiration came from Inga, who suggested South Korea as the best option.

Of course—South Korea. I’d seen Anthony Bourdain’s journeys through Seoul, remembered the pigeons roasted in the Olympic cauldron during the 1988 Games, and had enough pop culture knowledge to differentiate between a BLT and BTS. The timing was perfect too—just one hour behind AEST. Everything aligned.

Jetstar Flight JQ 53 from Brisbane - Australia to Seoul - South Korea

Jetstar Flight JQ 53 from Brisbane - Australia to Seoul - South Korea

Seoul0 Travel - Brisbane (Australia) to Seoul (South Korea)

After making the decision, however, days of doubt and misgiving followed—too many to count. My mind repeatedly pulled the rug of optimism from under me, as I questioned whether I could truly make it work while being so remote. Inevitably, in situations like these, something always fails—logins, systems, phones, stable connections. The tyranny of distance has a way of unravelling everything.  Even up to the day of departure, the doubts in my mind kept coming. I’d never encountered anything quite as unsettling as my drive to Melbourne Airport with my mind preying on my misgivings and targeting every possible thing that could go wrong.

But then, somehow…once I had walk inside the terminal and past through security and customs, there was silence. Never has the doubt been so quickly disconnected and never has trip away from home proceeded so smoothly, without a single glitch. No minor hiccups, no interruptions, this was Rob Thomas smooth.

This pocket wifi was OUTSTANDING - Incheon International Airport - Seoul - South Korea

My first public alert - received with a large dose of anxiety - what the hell was this? Tsunami arriving? Asteroid heading for the downtown? .... none of the above. It was merely a heat warning with additional information to let people be aware whilst in the water....phew

Seoul - South Korea

I always find it amusing that even though I'm the foreigner, I never feel like I am. It's almost like I convince myself that I'm in my place and everyone around me is different. Is that an unusual perspective to have?

Benikea - The Bliss Hotel - Incheon - South Korea

Certainly not even close to my greatest photo of all-time - in fact, this is less than poor, but, it reminds my of the satisfaction and small dose of joy that I felt knowing that a bed was but a few mins away

And Seoulo I arrived

I hadn’t truly travelled alone since a weeklong trip to Buenos Aires back in 2012. But this time was different. Nearly ten years into marriage, with my son already six, there they were—on the other side of the world—and here I was, alone. No familiar noise, no familiar distractions. This felt completely unlike anything I’d experienced before but hey, here I was, ready-set-go.

From the outset Seoul made sense. I had apps available to me that could translate text on the fly, I had a portable router that gave me unlimited wireless access 24-7, I had Korean ingenuity and efficiency at my disposal. Now came its time to shine.

Incheon - South Korea - I just loved how different it looked

Incheon - South Korea

My lovely work station on Yulgok-ro 10 Gil - Jongno District - Seoul - South Korea

First stop for me was Incheon. Booked on the basis that I thought that the hotel that I booked was near the airport, or at the very least a short cab ride away. When I discovered that my first destination was a 45 mins, $75 cab ride from the airport, I thought much better of it. So what better time to throw myself into acquiring innate knowledge of the Seoul metro and logically working my way to my port on night 1 via public transport.

Some 3 hrs after arriving in Seoul and 3 train connections later, there I was dragging my carry-on luggage through Bukseong-dong park under the weight of the midnight hour, thinking that perhaps that $75 opportunity cost was the sleep I was denying myself by walking through the humidity of the night, but, I made it to the Benikea The Bliss Hotel a min or two before my second day in Seoul. Tomorrow was going to be a new and exciting day.

The Great Otway National Park - (Victoria, Australia) - Slip Away

The Great Otway National Park (Victoria, Australia)

29 - 31 March 2025

My earliest memories of the Great Otway National Park go back to when I was 25. I had gone down to Melbourne to attend the wedding of a friend that I worked with. The next morning after the wedding I had drove out alone, having given myself a few days to simply escape along the Great Ocean Road – partly to soak in the breathtaking, rugged coastline, but mostly, just to have some time alone with my own thoughts. I wanted a bit of solitude, to have some time for introspection and reflection in a place that I thought would give me the freedom to get lost in my thoughts.

On reflection, that time of my life, all of my 20’s and into my 30’s, I found extremely challenging. I was consumed with all sorts of feelings of inadequacy, and didn’t have the tools in my kitbag to be able to resolve the  ‘deficiency’, nor did I believe that I had the right connections (relationships) that I could utilise as an outlet to assist me in pulling out of that mindset. I felt alone and isolated. Sure, I had some decent friends, but I had difficulties socially, had not achieved any sort of minor success in my life and really, just felt like my life was stuck in an endless cycle of discontent, dejection and persistent gloom.  This drive  was a highlight. It was classic escapism, and even though it was fleeting, I remember that it just felt liberating.

 Cruising through several coast towns on my drive of discovery, I recalled heading inland after making it past Apollo Bay -  where at some point I became immersed in a greenscape of steepling, cathedral like eucalypts (Mountain Ash trees), which towered majestically high above the road. Following the B100 – Great Ocean Road route, with my sights set on getting to the twelve apostles, I felt enveloped by their size and the extensive canopy – there was a breathtaking sense of scale and grandeur that I really enjoyed. What I distinctly still recall is making my way to place named Laver’s Hill, which by its name you can probably guess is set upon high, on a ridge line where you're able to look back down onto the coastline and the Great Southern Ocean there beyond. I remember that during that trip I had been playing Ian Moss’s Worlds Away on tape, and specifically had been listening to one song relentlessly (Slip Away). Cruising into Laver’s Hill I remember slowing down and taking a left hand turn to continue along the Great Ocean Road. I don’t know what it was about that place (Laver’s Hill). It’s not at all exceptional, or notable. It’s nice, but for some reason it made such an impression on me that I knew that at some point in my life I specifically wanted to come back to this spot, there was just an allure for me that I couldn’t quite explain.

Otway Estate - Brewing, Distillery & Cidery - Barongarook West - Victoria - Australia

Otway Estate - Brewing, Distillery & Cidery - Barongarook West - Victoria - Australia

Otway Estate - Brewing, Distillery & Cidery - Barongarook West - Victoria - Australia

Roll forward half of my life and there we were, making plans to spend time in the Otway’s to celebrate both Inga and Aiden’s birthday. It’s not a stretch to say that the initial drive I took to the Otways felt like a lifetime ago to me now, because it really was (25 yrs prior), but that time and my drive through the area had made such an impression, that I knew way back then that there would be times in my future when I would return. In those years since I have had the opportunity to pass through, mostly whilst taking drives along the Great Ocean Road, but on this occasion, we had deliberately made plans to spend an extended weekend in the Otways after I had discovered a charming cabin in Kawarren. What attracted us was the sight of a beautiful wooden cabin surrounded by lovely trees set amidst the tranquillity and gentle beauty of this serene Otway landscape (thank you AirBnB - it was an easy decision to make.

It's become somewhat a tradition for us to get away for Aiden & Inga’s birthday considering they're within days of one another.  So it was with absolute pleasure that we found ourselves at Otway Brewery Estate Brewery Distillery & Cidery (https://otwayestate.com.au/) on an absolutely magnificent Saturday afternoon. With the sun streaming down, it was an absolute pleasure two be sitting outside with my two favourite people, have a couple of domestic red wines and just enjoy one another’s company.

The cabin (aka Otway Treehouse) that we’d booked was only a short 5-7 min drive from the brewery. A secluded haven of peace and beauty, set on nearly three acres of Otway majesty, this was exactly the type of retreat we were looking for. Surrounded by the gentle hum of the forest and the crisp clean air of the Otways, we found our way into a extremely cosy, three bedroom cabin, that was going to be our home for the next two nights.

Otways Treehouse - Kawarren - Victoria - Australia

Otways Treehouse - Kawarren - Victoria - Australia

Otways Treehouse - Kawarren - Victoria - Australia

Otways Treehouse - Kawarren - Victoria - Australia

Otways Treehouse - Kawarren - Victoria - Australia

Of course, during my time there I did find myself drifting off and remembering when I had initially driven through the Otways and how different my life was now to back then. Its times like now that I wish that I could somehow send a message back to myself…just to let myself know that things do get better, that hanging in and believing that things can change is where the real battle is – and maybe there’s a philosophical interpretation to that outcome where somewhere in a non-linear sense that consciousness might somehow transcend ordinary time. It’s in the same way that I recall distinct times in my life where I had distinct thoughts and feelings in locations that I knew at some point would hold significance for me, for example, Melbourne, Riga, Buenos Aires and distinct locations in those cities, that in the moment, in that very  first instance of discovery, that I already had a sense of it being significant to me. Now that might be my own sense of cognitive reframing, where the current moment resets the framework or the construct of who I thought I was, or what I truly thought at the time……BUT…..what defeats that notion (I think), is this blog. I have written on many occasions the feeling of a place and time, in the moment, that somehow eluded to its significance in advance. Here in the Otways, it seems like I had always known that this would be a special place for me.

The next day was Inga’s birthday and in the morning we headed to Otway Fly Treetop Adventures (https://otwayfly.com.au/), to experience an elevated walk amongst the treetops. The treetop walkway is set high above the forest floor, about 25-30mtrs off the ground, which gives you the opportunity of giving you some fabulous view amongst the lush canopy and truly enjoy being in the midst of the forest. On this morning the rain was a little on the average side with a persistent drizzle become an unnecessary nuisance but we persisted and made our way to a 47-metre spiral tower which held a commanding view over the surrounding area. It was fairly impressive, although when the wind picked up there was slight panic amongst the ranks with the amount of movement that the tower got. Even from an old hand like me, it felt a little disconcerting.

Otway Fly Treetop Adventures - Weeaproinah - Victoria -  Australia

 

Otway Fly Treetop Adventures - Weeaproinah - Victoria -  Australia

Otway Fly Treetop Adventures - Weeaproinah - Victoria -  Australia

Otway Fly Treetop Adventures - Weeaproinah - Victoria -  Australia

Post treetop experience we headed off to find a place to have a celebratory lunch for Inga, making our way to Laver’s Hill.  The semi-intention was to have a late lunch at ‘The Perch at Laver’s Hill’, https://theperchlavershill.com.au/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=GMB, which is a really lovely place – and would have been a great birthday option, other than the fact that between lunch and dinner the place is closed for several hours, which is exactly the time we arrived. So our default option was to head to Apollo Bay in order to find something down by the beach but for some reason I selected a random route that ended up being closed about midway through the drive, turning us on our heels and forcing us to backtrack in totality. Unfortunately we ended up settling for the unremarkable outpost of Colac, at a desperately cavernous La Porchetta restaurant. This place was huge! It looked like it could accommodate upwards of a 150 eager diners, which to me felt slightly ambitious for what it was, and for the fact that evening there were a total of 10 people in the restaurant, five of which were staff. Of course, I apologised to Inga and promised to make it up to her next year.

The Perch - Laver's Hill - Victoria -  Australia

The Perch - Laver's Hill - Victoria -  Australia

Our final day was a slow journey back to Melbourne via the Great Ocean Road, which was the first time I’d actually travelled in the ‘opposite direction’, i.e., driving into Melbourne rather than away from it. 

Drives back home are always bittersweet in that you lament the time that has past but in some small way look forward to crashing out in your bed that evening. Driving along the Great Ocean Road at any time is a fabulous experience but doing it in your own soft top GT 5.0 Mustang is slightly elevated, in my own humble opinion. Once again, I did catch myself in moments, whilst Inga & Aiden dosed during the drive, thinking back to 25 years earlier, having driven in the opposite direction. Driving in exactly the same location, in the same space, just with time separating me from now and then. How different that time was to me, and yet, how necessary it was.(I believe), to have allowed me to get to where I was in this moment.

We rounded out our day in the lovely beachside town of Torquay, having ourselves a late lunch and spending a few mins on the wind blustered Torquay Front beach attempting to throw around a frisbee.

And there you have it, a lovely weekend in the Otways. For me, somewhere between then and now, the landscape remained, whilst I transitioned to someone, and somewhere else. In its quiet, I felt both the weight of the years and the freedom that its granted me. I wish I could have access the me of then, just to say, ‘mate, its ok, you’ll be alright’, and maybe somewhere deep inside me I knew that because I honestly always believed that someday that would be the case, I just didn’t know how or where. But now I do 😊

Melbourne (Australia) - Staycation: The Lazy Person’s Passport

Melbourne (Australia)

05 - 06 January 2025

I used to think the whole concept of a staycation was the pinnacle of lameness, the travel equivalent of taking your cousin to your end-of-year formal. Let’s be honest, it’s not a choice made from a rich pool of enticing options. It’s a last-ditch, hail Mary attempt to dodge the quiet shame of showing up solo… or not showing up at all.

And look, I get it. In Year 10, my date  for the evening sat at our table for all of five minutes before vanishing into the ether, cloaked by a blanker of darkness, never to be seen again. By Year 12, I thought I would have had time to have crafted myself another opportunity — or so I thought — only this time the girl that I had my eye on asked to go with me erected so many barriers and produced so many creative excuses that I eventually end up going alone. To top it off, at the end of the night, I ended up driving home a friend that was dumped AT the formal. That’s what a staycation feels like to me, the result of what happens when all your opportunities have disappeared before your eyes.

In fact, let’s stretch the metaphor a little further. You know that person who’s been perpetually single, and when you ask why, they sigh dramatically and say, “I’m just really picky"...No, you’re not! You just don’t have any options. Start by reviewing your personality, your look, or whatever else that might be holding you back — but please, don’t pretend it’s about being overly selective. You’re not curating your best life by selling yourself on the idea that your excruciatingly high standards are preventing your from getting what you really desire.

Melbourne staycation

Given that we were wedged awkwardly between overseas holidays and sitting firmly on the wrong side of available annual leave, we made a last-ditch decision to experience Melbourne through the eyes of a tourist.

Now, in our own pathetic defence, Inga and I aren’t Melbourne natives. We’re part of the “from somewhere else” crew , the ones who still reference out past cities of Sydney and Riga as back home -  unironically, even after seven years of calling this city ours. By now, we knew Melbourne pretty well, but still felt that we could assign ourselves the ‘tourist tag’.

The Langham Hotel - Melbourne - Australia

Darkfield Productions - Arts Centre - Melbourne - Australia

To justify our newfound sense of local tourism, I’d armed us with a couple of Christmas vouchers: one for a Darkfield experience, an immersive audio event that uses 360-degree surround sound and total darkness to toy with your senses inside a purpose-built shipping container (yes, really),  and another for Rare Steakhouse Downtown, a place we’d walked past for years, always promising ourselves that one day we’d go in.

Well, as it turns out, “one day” had finally arrived.

I think the idea for the Melbourne staycation first came courtesy of Aiden, who strongly advocated for a hotel stay “with a pool” sometime after we returned from Penang. The notion was left to simmer for a while, but once the new year rolled around, the idea of a brief mental escape from the grind suddenly felt appealing. After a bit of poking around we settled on the Langham, a high-end hotel perched on the banks of the Yarra River that gave us direct access to Southbank and the CBD. Being just a 15 min drive from North Melbourne, it really felt like we were visiting our backyard.

Staycation benefits

I admit, right up front I could see the benefits of what the staycation would allow:

·       Classic escapism

·       No need for a ridiculous amount of preparation

·       Familiarity with out surrounds

·       Flexibility in scheduling

·       Cost-effectiveness

So off we went, arriving at the Langham in the early afternoon, and promptly dropping Inga off at her Darkfield experience which she loved. The rest of the afternoon was devoted to the pool, which, given the merciless 40-degree heat, felt like a small slice of paradise. The Aperol Spritzes didn’t hurt either and in those early hours, I could practically feel my internal framework recalibrating, grudgingly acknowledging the perks of a backyard holiday, because against all prior cynicism, it was starting to feel like a proper break after all.

Art Centre - Melbourne - Australia

The Langham Hotel - Melbourne - Australia

The Langham Hotel - Melbourne - Australia

St Kilda Rd, outside the Arts Centre  - Melbourne - Australia

Reservations for dinner that evening was set at the Rare Steakhouse Downtown, a place, which they themselves say ‘offers a refined, yet inviting dining experience, seamlessly blending sophistication and warmth’. House in a three-story heritage building, the interior features a harmonious mix of exposed brick walls, timber floors and contemporary lighting fixtures. It felt warm, inviting and comfortable from the outset, which when accompanied by the excellent food and equally as good red wine, made for an extremely pleasant evening.

Ludlow Bar & Dining Room - Southbank - Melbourne - Australia

Rare Steakhouse Downtown - Melbourne - Australia

Rare Steakhouse Downtown - Melbourne - Australia

Stealing a kiss whilst on holiday - Melbourne - Australia

Melbourne in Summer

Melbourne has a vibe all year round, but in summer it honestly feels like the city’s own little festival. I suspect it’s our southerly position that makes us treat these months like precious currency , doing everything possible to squeeze the most out of them. Add in the city’s endless calendar of sporting events, and it’s no wonder Melbourne seems to hit peak energy in the season. Late January is all about the Australian Open, and for that fortnight, the city practically glows with the excitement of having the world’s eyes trained on it.

That evening, we wandered down the Yarra, pausing at Ponyfish Island before making our way to Arbory Afloat. Watching small boats drift lazily up and down the river, feeling the pulse of the city around us, there was a perfect blend of holiday frivolity and local energy, the kind of mix that makes a staycation feel like a proper escape. And yes, I was finally starting to appreciate the upside of staying home, conveniently selling myself the fantasy of being an “option-poor local” while secretly enjoying the luxury of having it all on our doorstep.

Arbory Afloat - Melbourne - Australia

Arbory Afloat - Melbourne - Australia

Heading for home

On the morning, we were scheduled to head back home, we tried to pack in as much as we possibly could. Acceding to Aiden’s request of heading to the pool for the morning, it was ‘Dad’s duty’ to support the little action machine in the pool whilst ‘Mum’ did her duty of relaxing on a sun bed. I’ll get my own day in the sun….one day.

Checking out of the Langham, I had lined Inga up for an afternoon massage, a little indulgence to keep the holiday vibe going  but first, we made a detour to a café on Spencer Street that had been on my radar for a while: Higher Ground. Housed in a heritage-listed former power station, the place oozes industrial-chic charm, with 15-metre-high ceilings, exposed brick walls, and expansive arched windows that flood the space with light. Six interconnected levels wrap around the original structure, creating a series of intimate, tiered platforms that, to me, perfectly capture what Melbourne is all about. It’s the kind of aesthetic that first drew me to the city, the exact counterpoint to what Sydney was offering a decade ago when I finally decided to leave.

Higher Ground - Melbourne - Australia

Higher Ground - Melbourne - Australia

Squeezing every last drop out of our short staycation, accompanied by a few glasses of sparkling, we reflected on what had been a surprisingly satisfying break, the sort we’d spent far too long internally scolding ourselves for considering. Safe to say, Melbourne had converted me: a staycation, done right, can genuinely feel like a holiday. So, if you’re contemplating a little escape from your reality, whether you’re time-poor, cash-poor, or simply energy-poor , look no further than your own city. Take it from me: the Elisher Seal of Approval has been officially granted for this option, and no, it won’t feel like taking your cousin to the dance.