for a day out!

Today I decided to head out and about in the great outdoors and explore an area that is so close it's almost a crime I have not spent more time there.

I stopped at all the stops along The Falls Drive

 

First stop Browns Falls and as the sign suggests ‘track suitable for able bodied persons only’... this is no joke... while the track is not long, just 600m, and it’s not steep... it is difficult terrain.

For the most part the path is a little difficult to navigate as it is not always obvious. This has its pros and cons, great in that the area is remaining relatively untouched by humans, however difficult for a first timer to feel confident they are going the right way! Word of warning is that you will need good hiking shoes and all your hands free to negotiate some of this track. 

Am sure the path is there somewhere.... 

Little red reflective discs dotted the way. Although in some cases they were difficult to locate and some appeared to be more of a ‘here I am’ marker rather than an actual indication of which way you were meant to go!

Can you spot the one across the creek.... Peek-a-boo!

Coming back seemed a whole lot quicker, and easier as I managed to remain mostly to one side of the creek bank, unlike the trek there where I seemed to be zig-zagging most of the way!

It was definitely worth the trek.

Round trip to just under an hour... sign says allow 20mins there but then you have to allow for photo time, staring into the beautiful waterfall time, getting lost in thoughts time and standing around with your hands on your hips wondering if you’re going the right way time!


Next stop.... Daggs Falls... which is really just a 5m walk onto a lookout platform but still very beautiful!

A gorgeous lookout

The Queen Mary Falls track is by far the most popular in the area and one I have completed many times before. The 2km circuit is well paved with gravel and bitumen to guide the path making it accessible to most. 

The path at Queen Mary Falls is a lot more obvious and user friendly!

Being a circuit there is no back tracking, depending on which way you go you start your journey by weaving your way to the bottom of the Falls... 

Queen Mary Falls from the bottom...

but of course, what goes down must also come up... 

and from the top..

it’s not overly steep but it will get the heart pumping and the sweat dripping on a hot day. There is of course the option to do it in reverse and at one point even a post that indicates the ability to choose your own adventure... 

If the climb was all a bit much fear not... there is a cafe waiting for you at the end with lots of yummies and goodies to refuel you...

and chances are you will have some company to enjoy your snacks with....

Lunch date!

Driving further up the road is the amazing Carrs Lookout which is definitely worth the extra drive up the winding range.

Was such a beautiful way to spend my day, and only a short 30 minute drive from my home. Really must make an effort to go there more often!

for a breakup

This year I had a breakup.. A breakup that I was sure was going to be an extremely difficult one. But to my surprise it really wasn't as difficult as I thought....

I pondered the decision for months... I would stand in the shop and stare at you and imagine the day that I would make you mine... just before leaving for South Korea and with the help of my tax return I finally made you mine.

⌚️ NEW WATCH ⌚️ Little tax return present to myself and a hope that it will keep me on track and motivated while living overseas!!! Yep! Moving to South Korea to teach English in 2 days!! Eeekk! . #motivation #exercise #determined #present #taxreturn #fitbit #blaze #watch #smartwatch #tracking #photooftheday #picoftheday

A post shared by Zita... (@_themakingofme_) on Aug 2, 2016 at 3:08pm PDT

I became obsessed and was sure it was going to help me stay on track as I moved to a whole new country! I constantly checked my wrist to see how many steps I had done. The first thing I did each morning was refresh my app to see how my sleep was the night before.

It was meant to be a motivational tool but soon it became a distraction and a disappointment. In my mind I wasn't motivated to do more steps, I'll confess that some days I would simply shake my wrists a few times to get to my goal. It was having the affect I wanted it to.

The boiling point came when I was working towards my goal of running 10km in under an hour at the Sunshine Coast marathon event. I had been training for weeks. Diligently wearing my Fitbit, constantly glancing at it to see my stats. 

The day of the race arrived and with nerves I lined up with just a few thousand of my closest friends, all with one on the other hands wrist, ready to start our 'smart watches' as we crossed the start line. I felt like I started the run strong and felt really good. I told myself not to focus too much on my time and not to look at my Fitbit and just focus on my rhythm and feel comfortable. I did this until I saw the 5km marker sign. That's when I looked at my watch and saw my time was 30:12 and I thought I could continue at the pace I was running and maybe, just maybe, get close to that 1 hour time. But then I think I just got inside my own head too much. My toes started to go numb and when that happens my knee starts to ache. 

According to my Fitbit my time was 1:04:27 but the distance was only 9.33km so am not sure I can really claim it as a 10km run PB.... I felt so many emotions that day, most of all frustration and disappointment.

It was that day that I decided I needed to break up... with my Fitbit.  I had become so focused on it and feeling like a massive failure if I don't meet some kind of target that I felt like it was stopping me from just enjoying my runs and enjoying exercise in general. I hate the inner-struggle and dialogue I was having with myself both during and after the run that day and I hate the use of the word failure.... 

To me, I am not failing...... at 38 I know I am close to the fittest and strongest I have ever been. I know I live a healthy balanced lifestyle and I know that my thoughts and feelings about myself and my body are improving every day. I know that my health and being healthy is and always will be top of my priority list. So I'm "breaking up" with the obsession I had with checking my Fitbit all the time and with the word "failure" because being the best version of myself means being ok with where I am at and the decisions I make throughout my day and living in what is my reality.... and now I just run because I want to, and I enjoy it and don't focus on anything else except the very next step...

9 months on...

I stood at the harbour at the port of Yeosu in South Korea and watched the sunrise in the distance and decided it was time to put into action something I had been thinking about for a while. I have always enjoyed watching both the sunrise and the sunset. Each signalling an important time of the day... A sunrise, a new day with new beginnings possible.... A sunset, a time of reflection of the day that was...

January 1st, 2017 ~ Sunrise at the harbour in Yeosu, South Korea. 🔆💛🇰🇷 . #iphone5 #lpfanphoto #photooftheday #picoftheday #wanderlust #travel #traveller #travelling #instapic #instatravel #visiting #instago #instagood #tourism #tourist #southkorea #instatraveling #mytravelgram #travelgram #igtravel #sunrise #sunrise_sunsets_aroundworld #foreignfocus #sun #kissfromtheworld #instapassport #january #travelpassage

A post shared by sunrise.or.sunset (@sunrise.or.sunset) on Dec 31, 2016 at 3:34pm PST

The one that started it all.... my first sunrise picture.

for my plans for 2017

Since announcing to many family and friends that I was coming home at the end of January after a 6 month stint teaching English in South Korea I have been repeatedly hit with one question and one question only....

What are you plans for when you get home?

to make a comeback...

I got overwhelmed, I started drowning from information overload. I thought I had to be something I was pretty sure I could never be and wasn't even sure I wanted to be. I lost sight of why I even started in the first place. 

til next time...

I must confess this is my second attempt at writing this and I am frustrated beyond belief! I had more or less finished my post, drafting it using the blogger app, walked away... app closed... draft gone...

Really just links in with what I am blogging about today anyway.

Today we are confessing words that makes us cringe... Here goes...

New York regrets

"Research Things to do in New York"

"Write out your Must do things in NYC list"

 "Plan, plan, plan, you'll need a plan"

These were all great pieces of advice I was given when talking to people about my trip to New York City. And despite listening and taking this advice fully on board, I still have regrets and things I wish I had of done!