All too soon my last day in New Zealand had arrived. The previous day’s drive from Queenstown to Fairlea had seemed to take forever and I wasn’t even the one driving. Jeff was such a good sport throughout my trip and was incredibly accommodating with my many, many stops for photos. Damn you South Island for being so gorgeous! We started our day with breakfast at the Fairlea Bakery which is well known in the region for its delicious pastries and in particular, its cronuts. For those who haven’t tasted one, the cronut is a cross between a doughnut and a croissant and the Fairlea Bakery version is absolutely enormous.…

I love a good last minute getaway and the Southern Highlands did not disappoint. Somehow the stars aligned and I managed to find accommodation only a matter of days before the Labour Day long weekend. I took a leisurely drive down to Bowral via the Mittagong tourist information office to collect some brochures on the various hikes I could do in the area. I checked in to my Stayz accommodation, a cute room with a separate entrance attached to a lovely home in Bowral owned by some ex-Sydneysiders, then mapped out my plans for the next couple of days while enjoying a nice pot of tea. I decided to walk…