Birthday, Yoda and Whales

After finishing our Collaroy housesit with the gorgeous Chilli we decided to stay on in Sydney for a couple of days and celebrate Kevin's birthday with family and friends. I looked up Air BnB for the first time and booked an apartment at Newport. I first discovered Air BnB some years ago when I saw a tiny guest house advertised in Seattle.

Tiny Guesthouse Tour from David Guilbault on Vimeo.

Air BnB is now in Australia, and has a wide range of accommodation in 192 countries. The stays range from a quirky stay in a treehouse in San Francisco life on a boat, a croft house at the top of the world, your accomodation seems only limited by your imagination, and perhaps your bank balance!.


View from our Air BnB apartment Newport

Anyway, where was I? That's right in Newport in a lovely little apartment under someone's home overlooking the Pacific Ocean. From our private deck we could see the whales on their way to their summer swimming homes. They and put on quite a show jumping, while not far away, yachts were making their way down the coast. We assumed to the Navy celebrations that are on in Sydney at present.


I really liked the entrance to the BnB where we stayed, and wouldn't mind creating something like this at our home. Creating homes are a bit of an ongoing project, we always come up with new ideas and staying in other homes can be very inspiring. Aside from staying in a lovely BnB, I was also inspired by the owner's travel journals that were on the bookshelf. I'll need another few stops to read them all.

We both love art and we've found that we have brought many ideas home with us, new creative ideas and dreams. My latest find was the very comfy bed I recently slept in. I'm off to find a bed just like it - the most comfortable one I've ever been in was discovered during Chilli's house sit.

Tuesday morning ended up being a beautiful day, so we wandered down to Newport Beach...

down a set of very steep steps and past a quirky garden...


that had a very sad looking discarded Teddy... I thought for a moment about rescuing it, but since I'd already rescued one lost bunny, it was decided to leave it there - I can tell you where it is though if you feel like finding it. HINT: track, Hillside Road and Newport...

Being the boring repetitive people that we are, we ended up back at The Waterfront Store Cafe again for Kevin's lunch - we can't find a lovelier place to eat while we are in that area. So we sat there for hours and caught up with Kevin's cousins and neice.

Birthday treats: Lemon Pillow - with toffee dolphins, Menage a trois, and Pavlova - they were so good we went back for more Lemon Pillow - sadly we all fought over who had and had not had toffee dolphins - and this time chocolate cake

Later that evening we caught up with some close friends at YODA Food at Avalon... it was a lovely day for Kevin's birthday and we can't wait for the big 60 next year.

After a great night out we awoke to the beautiful sight of three masted yachts making their way down the coast to Sydney harbour...


You'll have to imagine the sight, my iphone has it's limits.


Leaving our BnB I saw this quirky surfer letterbox a few doors away... I love these little touches that make a house a home... I wonder what other little delights we'll discover on our journey.