I let my boyfriend post - Nagambie

So for this week's post, I thought it'd be fun to let my boyfriend write about the latest place we went to visit! I was pleasantly surprised when he actually was keen to get it done and he was pretty good at it! (at least i'll have someone to fill in when I'm feeling lazy.... JOKES)

Saturday morning everything was prepared, sausages, veggies, bread, hotel reservations and most importantly, beverages.  For those of you that do not know, Nagambie is a small town approximately 122kms from the Melbourne CBD. Well known for its watersports and of course the birthplace of the one and only queen of Australian horse racing... Black Caviar! 

After driving 90 mins, we approached the signs that read "Nagambie", and shortly after arriving into town, we were met by the local police. So after passing my first ever breath test we continued down the main road until we came to our place of stay, The Nagambie Motor Inn.

Simple yet a very inviting little inn. The owners and staff were extremely hospitable and friendly, even informing us upon arrival that we had been upgraded to a king room at no extra cost! The room was quite cozy, with a king size bed, TV, small kitchenette area and even a dining table for two. Would definitely recommend The Nagambie Motor Inn for anybody who is interested in exploring the area or if you just need somewhere to stay whilst passing through!

Once we had a little look around the town (a few very cool antique and second hand stores), we made our food, had some drinks and settled in for the night. The real adventure wouldn't start until the following morning!

Sunday has arrived! Check out 10am. Handing back the key to the room, we asked the owner if there was anywhere she would recommend for us to visit at this time of year. Out of all the places that were mentioned, one really jumped out at us... Mitchelton Winery! But first we had to find somewhere to have breakfast. After a quick google search, we found Phillips & co, which was almost hidden in amongst an IGA and bait and tackle store.

A hidden gem I thought! Which yes it did turn out to be that way. The food was to die for and the freshly squeezed juices were amazing!!

After breakfast, we headed to Mitchelton Winery. Fully equipped with red, white and sparkling wines, it also had a Chocolate factory and cafe! Knowing that chocolate and wine are two of Karine's favourite things in this world, I knew that this would have to be the place to visit before returning to Melbourne.

Ayyyy? How great was that post? Thanks Dylan!

Location: 4770 Mitchellstown Road, Nagambie
Website: https://www.mitchelton.com.au

I had such a blast at Nagambie with Dylan and even though it was a very small town, there were some pretty cool things to see and do!

Have you ever been to Nagambie?

Lots of love, Karine xx

Food Truck - Donut festival

Scrolling through my Facebook feed looking at dog memes, I was quite happy and satisfied but I had no idea that the next notification was going to make me even more happy. As a little red "1" popped up, I noticed that it was an invitation to not only a Donut festival but it was at a Food Truck park!

Now if that doesn't scream heaven, then I don't know what does! I immediately accepted and decided that I HAVE to go!

Getting ready for the festival included a full hour of fasting to ensure that the maximum amount of donuts can be consumed at the place.

Preston is a 49 minute drive (49km) from mine and a 30 minute drive (11km) from Melbourne CBD. The drive was so worth it!

Full of yummy delicious foods and fun activities for the whole family, this place is definitely on my list of recommendations! Other than donuts, they had a wide range of other food trucks available including seafood truck, ice cream, churros, corn, chicken and more!

 

I was very impressed with this place which has been well thought through! Even though I expected it to be a little bit bigger than it was, I really enjoyed my time there! The vibe was great with people of all ages able to find something of their taste. 

Kids were entertained by donut games and competitions while the parents could relax with a glass of wine or beer from the bar! 

The wide range of food available was excellent! As each truck provided something different and brought something interesting to the park, I had to try to figure out what I wanted to get! I ended up just getting donuts... Since that was the main reason for visiting the place! But a few friends and I shared Calamari and chips (Absolutely fantastic!)

  

And they also allow dogs!!

Located at 518 High St, Preston VIC 3072
Opening times: 
Friday: 5–10pm
Saturday: 12–10pm
Sunday: 12–9pm
Monday - Thursday: Closed

They have different festivals and events every week! To check the list of events and to read their FAQ go to their website: thefoodtruckpark.com.au

Are there any other places you recommend checking out? Leave them in the comments section below and I will try to!

Thank you guys for reading and I hope you have a happy and safe weekend.

Lots of love, Karine xx

The KitKat Chocolatory Store

There comes a time in a chocoholics's life where they feel like they got a chance to see what heaven looks like. My turn was on the weekend! 

So as a formal event quickly approaches, the need to get an outfit, hair and make up booked for the day is something of the utmost importance - or so I thought it was. 

Getting off the train at Melbourne Central to make my way to Emporium, I was amazed by the view. 

There, in front of me, located on the Ground Floor were the words "Kit Kat Chocolatory" in big writing across a red wall. Could it be? Have my prayers been answered?

"Yeah" said Ashley "You can make your own KitKat bar"

At that moment, my heart started racing, my palm got all sweaty yet I kept a straight face. This excitement burning with a cold flame was trying to be contained. I had to try it. I HAD TO.

Walking into the shop felt like I was 6 again... IT WAS SELF SERVICE. Okay so basically, you get to choose the type of chocolate and get a choice of 3 toppings to put on your chocolate bar. 

Coolest thing!

So as I said earlier, you get to choose your toppings but also get to design your package AND name your break! We went for pretzels, mini marshmallows and raspberries, in the lady with the blue background and "Kashley's Rather Dashing Break" as the name and VOILA!

WHAT A MASTERPIECE!

The creation takes roughly 1-3 hours depending on how busy they are at the time and an SMS is sent to your phone when the order is ready! Need to go somewhere and can't wait? No worries! The chocolate is held for 3 days so you can pick up whenever!

Location: 

Shop 156, First Floor, Melbourne Central

Corner La Trobe & Swanston Street

Melbourne VIC 3000

Opening Times:

Monday - Wednesday 10am - 7pm

Thursday - Friday 10am - 9pm

Saturday 10am - 7pm

Sunday 10am - 6pm

We shared a bar as it's quite big but my half of the chocolate bar didn't even make it home. IT WAS SO GOOOOOOOOOD OMG!

Definitely recommending this as a place to go in Melbourne! LOVE!

Lots of love,

Karine xx

***This is not a sponsored post, I genuinely like the place***

Queen's birthday weekend part 1

Life is such a strange thing. When you think about it, most of us are stuck in this pattern or routine which we can't seem to escape from. We live each day in this rhythm and most can't seem to drop a beat. They ride each wave as they come yet don't move when the sea is calm.

It's funny that I say this because I'm so guilty of it. I tend to stick to what I know and only work around some things rather than use all of my time efficiently. I used to see life as this massive adventure waiting for me but I've found myself doing things because I have to rather than because I want to.

It's a battle I have to deal as my lazy ass doesn't seem to have the energy to do things that I love and end up treating them as chores instead of hobbies. How silly does that sound now that I've put it down in words? RIGHT?

I did however end up finding a bit of time to actually go out there and enjoy the little things in life. With  the Queen's birthday public holiday, I grabbed that extra day with both hands and decided to put my exploring jacket on!

Next stop: DANDENONG RANGES!

Drove just over an hour to get to this beautiful and welcoming area full of green and wildlife. The first thing on our agenda was Sherbrooke Falls Walk!

Sherbrooke Falls Walk: A 2..4 Kilometres (return) track which is fairly easy with fairly flat gravel pathway. Started and ended at the Sherbrooke Pinic Ground.

Note: Slippery and muddy when wet including some deep shoe sinking areas along the track. Gumboots would be your best friend!


Very family friendly as tracks are suitable for all ages - just keep your kids from climbing on fallen trunks as they are slippery and they will end up with a muddy bum (saw it happen to this girl - the poor thing was freezing after)



After the hike we went down to Grants Picnic Ground (There's a lot of picnic areas around that place)

Grants Picnic Ground: Probably the biggest attraction of the Dandenong Ranges simply because it allows you to get closer to nature. You'd think that Cockatoos, Rosellas and Parrots would stay well away from loud humans but these guys know exactly where to come get a feed! Being only place where hand feeding native birds is permitted, it is a slice of heaven for animal lovers who would love to get greeted by a friendly pair of wings. A token from the gift shop gives you a tray of seeds to hold while the birds happily make themselves comfortable on your shoulder or head!

As it is winter, the night made an early appearance which meant one thing!

DINNER TIME!

A cute little restaurant/cafe (to be honest with you, I'm not quite sure as I am not fancy *struggles*)
Just the look of the place was enough to convince me to go in.

Located in the village of Sassafras, this classy establishment full of charm provided beautiful views of nature. Having natural light shine through made this place extremely relaxing and comfortable.

The friendly staff are accommodating in every way. Even though we got there late - we didn't realize that it was a breakfast to lunch place - they still worked around us and were able to provide us with an early dinner!



And don't even get me started on the food! Omg I'm still dreaming about it! It was delicious and left me wanting more! The cool thing is that they are a venue that provide services for special events like weddings, birthdays and functions!

Fortnums Restaurant
Opening times: 11:00am to 4:00pm
Location: Sassafras
Karine's rating: 8.9/10

So that's it from me for now, I thought I'd break up this trip into  two parts
Part 1 - Sunday and Part 2 - Monday

A big shoutout to my best mate Rob for tagging along and being my photographer! Much appreciated!

If you've ever wanted to visit Melbourne, I cannot recommend the Dandenong Ranges enough! Pure beauty and full of activities for the whole family!

Til next time, lots of love,

Karine xx

P.s. Stay tuned for part 2