2016: My Year in Numbers

Now that 2017 is upon us I can't help but look back on everything that happened in 2016, and I personally think it was my most incredible year yet. I have achieved and experienced so much in the past 12 months,  leaving me to go into the new year older, a little wiser and full of excited anticipation of what this next year will bring.

Here are a few numbers from my year which pretty much sum up what I got up to in 2016!

Coogee to Bondi Coastal Walk // Sydney, Australia // A Photo Diary

During my time in Sydney I did the Coogee to Bondi Coastal Walk; a cliff top walk in the suburbs of Sydney which offers stunning views and takes you to five of Sydney's beautiful beaches.

The walk takes you to Coogee, Clovelly, Bronte, Tamarama and Bondi beaches, giving you the chance to chill out and have a swim in the sea after each section of the walk. 

The beaches are one of favourite places to visit in Sydney  (and I listed the walk in my Ten Things to Do In Sydney post here)  so I thought I would share some of my favourite photos from it!

Hunter Valley Wine Tour, Australia // A Photo Diary

During my first week in Sydney, I went on a wine tasting day trip to the Hunter Valley Region. The Hunter Valley is a beautiful area full of vineyards and is also Australia's oldest wine growing region. We had a scenic drive from Sydney to our first winery through stunning bushland and countryside, which seemed even more beautiful and it was sunniest, most gorgeous day we'd had since arriving in Australia. Our tour guide was funny and chatty, telling us interesting facts about Australian history as we drove along, and he stopped the mini bus regulary to point out different Australian trees, plants and also some wildlife!

Australia Photo Diaries

Australia is, without a doubt, my favourite country that I have visited, and in a couple of months time I am lucky enough to be going back there for a third time. I will be revisiting a couple of my favourite places on the east coast, as well as going to some places I've never visited before, including Melbourne, Adelaide and Alice Springs.

Therefore, I thought it was fitting that my first posts now I have started up my blog should be about Australia! 

The Exmoor Coatsline: A Photo Diary

Just a quick little post today! During my holiday in Exmoor we went on a absolutely stunning walk along the dramatic cliffs of the Exmoor Coastal Path. I didn't take masses of pictures that day but I wanted to share the few I did take in a little photo diary as the views were so stunning! Hope you enjoy!

Italy Update!

So I'm one week in to my 16 day trip in Italy and I'm loving every second. So far I have explored Venice, taken a night time gondola ride with new friends, spent a morning on Murano, explored Verona, arrived in a apartment in Naples to views over the city and Mount Vesuvius, taken a day trip to Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius,  and spent a day on the beautiful island of Capri. While I've got some decent wifi I though I'd upload a few of my favourite pictures from these adventures,  enjoy!

Venice

St Mark's Square, Venice

Hello Italy!

(source)

So today is the day I have been looking forward to for ages! Today is the day I fly to Italy!

I'm going interrailing around Italy for 16 days visiting Venice, Verona, Naples, Pompeii, Capri, Sorrento and Rome! So many months of planning and preparation have gone into this trip and I'm so excited it's finally here. I'm going to be writing a lot of blog posts about my time in Italy when I get home in September but if you fancy seeing pictures from my Italian adventures as they're happening then make sure to click here and follow me on Instagram!

Thanks for reading!

Chloe xox

Walking The Valley of the Rocks

On the Monday morning of our family holiday in Exmoor we headed off on a walk through The Valley of the Rocks. The Valley of the Rocks is a dry valley with stunning rock formations along the Devon coastline. It was one of the most touristy places we visited on our holiday as it's a very popular walk, and for good reason. The route we took was fairly easy-going and didn't take too long to walk but still boasted amazing views over the sea. It's such a stunning area that many writers, poets and musicians have taken inspiration from it. The valley has featured in the works of William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and R. D. Blackmore. The poet Robert Southey described the valley as:

"the very bones and skeletons of the earth; rock reeling upon rock, stone piled upon stone, a huge terrific mass"

Sailing the Whitsunday Islands: A Photo Diary

The Whitsunday Islands has to be the most incredibly beautiful place I have ever visited in my life. With the gorgeous islands, picturesque beaches, bright blue waters and colourful marine life you will literally think you have died and gone to heaven. 74 stunning tropical islands make up the Whitsundays, located in the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Queensland, Australia. Some of the most well known islands include Hamilton Island, Daydream Island and of course Whitsunday Island which is home to the absolutely breath-taking Whitehaven Beach.

Feeling Lucky

This is the time of year when I start to get a huge sense of wanderlust. The festive period is over, the new year has begun and novelty of frost and snow is wearing off. I'm now well and truly ready for long lazy summer days, sunshine and some travelling adventures!

So this is always the time of year when I start planning holidays and trips and looking into all the places I want to visit in the future. I also always end up procrastinating by looking through all my old pictures from holidays and travels and reminiscing the good times! As I've been browsing through snaps of all my amazing adventures I've realised how truly lucky I am. I've visited some beautiful places, had amazing experiences and made lasting memories with friends and family.

While I was feeling all grateful and reminiscent I thought I'd share some of my favourite photos from my trips and holidays over the years.

Jet-Skiing around the caves and cliffs in Los Gigantes, Tenerife.We were also lucky enough to have some dolphins come right up to us and when we cut our engine they started diving and swimming underneath us, amazing! (2014)

Sky Diving from 14,000ft onto a beach near Cairns in Australia. (2013)