The Gibb River Road

This is a 'heavy on the photos' style post. I just completed the iconic Gibb River Road with a dear friend over just two days. It's the end of the dry and many of the tourist stops/stations have closed up shop for the season. It was also on the warmer side - late 30's every day. There are arguments for both sides when travelling this time of year, the biggest plus being that it is quiet and many popular spots are not so busy. It was such an amazing trip though, and I feel so blessed to be able to cross it off my bucket list, oh but I would do it again in a heart beat. 

2 things: this post is really really long. 

and, the photos have been doing my head in, they refuse to sit right within the margins, please ignore this fact and just enjoy the content. 

Imintji Community/Roadhouse

This photo is blurry for a reason...he was coming for my ears...

Station pets

Mt Barnett - Manning Gorge

Set into the back drop of the King Leopold Ranges the camp site sits next to the Manning River, when we visited it was very quiet, but I hear the camp ground is heaving in the height of the dry. It is such a beautiful spot, you would be crazy to miss it. We camped out under the stars with the full moon shinning down on us and woke early with the sun. 

The walk was warm, and fairly unprotected for much of it, however it made it all worth while when we finally hit the gorge. It wasn't in full flow due to the time of year, it didn't matter an ounce to me though, the water was a welcome relief after the sweaty up and down climb. 

630am wake up swim

Manning Gorge walk

First sight of the Gorge, that steep hill was well worth it

We had the whole gorge to ourselves, it was spectacular

dunny - Mt Barnett Roadhouse

Gibb River Station

Oasis

road

Home Valley Station 

It had been a really long day of driving and the road seemed to go on forever, lost in the wilderness of the Gibb it was hard to calculate how far we were away. At the top of the hill just before Home Valley we came across mobile coverage, so we had a quick pit stop to reconnect with the real world, before switching off again.

Home Valley is beautiful, and the staff were fantastic, I would highly recommend a stop in on your way along the Gibb - they have a pool. You could just relax there for a few days, there are lots of tours that operate from Home Valley too, see their website: hvstation.com.au

A welcome sign after a long day of driving

Reception and dining hall at HV8

El Questro

It's a beautiful part of the world nestled in the Cockburn Ranges. There is lots to see and do, from guided tours to bush hikes. Lots more information if you are interested can be found on their site: www.elquestro.com.au El Questro is most definitely unmissable when travelling the Gibb, it is also possible to do in a day from Kununurra, so late in the season a 2wd would easily make most of the roads. 

Cockburn Ranges

Zebedee Springs

Hike a short 750m distance to Zebedee Springs, through dense Livistonia Palms that open to a series of rocky thermal pools. This trail is open to general public from 7.00am – 12 noon daily. We ask that you respect that this trail is closed in the afternoon to facilitate private tour groups to this area, helping to ease the pressure on this delicate ecosystem. source Apparently in the dry season it gets very overcrowded, it's a very small area so you either want to get there at the break of dawn or visit later in the dry season when the roads are quieter. Absolutely worth the visit. 

Mere days before they had done some seasonal burning, it did add a level of beauty, imagine the place in full bloom.

Thermal spring

Canopy 

El Questro Station

This is the hub of El Questro, the epicentre of this iconic Kimberley location, there are camping facilities, a shop, restaurant, administration offices, and most importantly it's close to the airport and the helicopter parks itself within eye shot. We didn't stay long here, but the lovely guy in the shop/cafe made a delicious coffee.

Emma Gorge Walk 

As one of the best-known, most spectacular gorges of the Kimberley, Emma Gorge is a sight to behold. The brisk 1-hour walk (it was a tough walk, over uneven rocks, would recommend a medium level of fitness) ends at a large cool waterhole, graced by a 65m droplet waterfall, perfect for a relaxing swim. Nestled beneath towering cliffs, a second smaller thermal water outlet trickles from the rocks. source

It's only when you think you can go no further that you hit gold. We only had a short amount of time here, but it was unforgettable. 

One of the best weekends of my life. 

xo

Lectures and hummus

I'm just a ... (fill in the blanks)

I have been trying to be more aware of what comes out of my mouth lately - Broome has made me somewhat lazy with my speech, but it's not just that. It's also how I perceive myself and how I promote myself to others. 

So, in light of this I have decided to cull JUST from my personal vocabulary, you are never just someone, something, anything. You are who are you, be proud of it, and stand up for it. 

Here is a common example of a conversation I might have with a new acquaintance. 

'Hi, what do you do?'

"Hi there, I'm a teacher."

'Fantastic, where do you teach'

"Oh no, I'm JUST a relief teacher, so I teach everywhere. *awkward laugh* "

ACTUALLY, you are NOT JUST anything, you are a professional relief teacher and you are happy about it. It's true, I love it, it is varied, challenging, unpredictable and I don't have marking to do on my weekends. True I wouldn't choose to do it long term, and the money is very up and down, however it has been an invaluable experience, taught me so much about teaching and I will be forever grateful for this year of teaching and it has given me the chance to grow into this gig a little more. 

What if you aren't a teacher though? This self depreciating attitude common in Australians can be found in many areas of life both professional and personal. Lets stop making excuses for who we are and be proud about it. 

Please note; I am not looking to boost my ego in any way with this post, just sharing thoughts on personal experiences. xx
Alright, that's your Monday lecture over with. Now for a recipe. 

I've been making hummus for many years, I go in phases with it though, I just recently came across this recipe by inspiredtaste and it is totally mind blowingly delicious and easy. 

I have changed the recipe slightly, here is mine:

Easy Hummus

One can of chickpeas (400 gm) (or soak and cook your own, it's easier for your body to digest them that way)
1/4 cup (59 ml) fresh lemon juice, about 1 large lemon
1/4 cup (59 ml) tahini
Half of a large garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving
1/2 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt, depending on taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 
Dash of ground paprika for serving (smoked paprika has a wonderful flavour)

I throw it all sans the paprika in the food processor and blend. Then spoon into a dish and sprinkle with the paprika. 

My best tip for you comes from a dear friend, whom when I said I disliked the strong taste of cumin suggested I roast the whole seeds, then grind them and add them in. Wow, Andrea thank you, it made such a difference, the more rounded slightly smoky flavour changes the taste significantly. Well worth the little extra effort. 

Here's how I did it; I heated up my non stick pan over a hot flame I then sprinkled the seeds onto the pan and let them roast for about 5 mins shaking the pan regularly. I then poured the seeds into my mortar and pestle and crushed them before adding to the hummus mix. 

Serve with your favourite raw veggie sticks - my current favourites include raw zucchini and green beans. 

Happy Monday :)

Untitled

self-centred

adjective

1. preoccupied with oneself and one's affairs.

   synonyms:

   egocentric, egotistic, egotistical, egomaniacal, self-regarding, self-absorbed, self-obsessed, self-seeking, self-interested, self-serving,wrapped up in oneself, inward-looking, introverted, selfish, self-loving,narcissistic, vain; inconsiderate, thoughtless, unthinking, uncaring, uncharitable, unkind; informallooking after number one

I started writing because I wanted a space to share with family and friends when we left Adelaide to start our adventure, I stopped writing because I felt like it was becoming too much of a self centred space, I felt as if I was ignoring the real issues of the world, and in such a public space I felt like I 'should' be addressing those issues.

Then I floated the idea of more recipes, chronicling our journey to health, but you only have to type "health" or "wellness" or "paleo", "vegan" into the search engine and you have a plethora of blogs and websites to access...why would mine be any better? How could I compete with photos of such extremely good quality? How could I stick out from the crowd? Who is even reading this blog?

I started studying Nutritional medicine at the beginning of the year, I am still in the very early stages, of the degree due to our location and work commitments. I also started teaching at the beginning of the year, casually but regardless I started. Life sort of got normal, Broome became normal, and still is, I felt like I didn't have anything exciting to write about....I still don't feel like I do. And honestly world issues, well I choose not to go there because that's way out of my comfort zone. I don't have enough knowledge, time to research or passion to write about them. I am by no means saying I don't care, I just feel as if my driving passions lie in different areas.

So here I am again with the dilemma....

How are you? What do you think about blogging? Is anybody out there????

Here are some photos for you.

We flew down to Perth in the Baron - it was amazing

We ate some pretty delish food in Perth, would do that again

Our accommodation had a fresco...

Two good lookers

Susan Rush had an installation...she's super talented.

I mean...come on! You can see her art and buy a hat at onethousandhats

This chick moved to town...pretty much (she has a permanent bed anyway) Also, the Good Cartel - Best Coffee in Broome. 

We moved and I miss this view a lot.

Random day of amazing clouds - that's a fire...tis the season

Fresh, tasty vegetables out of Broome during the dry, weekly market haul #jerf

Just another day

Also my nephew moved closer, so I get to baby-sit him...we have loads of fun.

Break bread...

Disclaimer: little blog, I have been neglecting you. I'm not making any promises, but I'm going to try to be more present this year. 

How often do you bake bread? I know, it takes hours to rise, you have to plan in advance, your body can't process glutenous flours, it takes hours to rise, you have to plan in advance etc.

Yes, I know all those things, and can relate to them personally. I used to make this amazing no knead bread from Jim Lahey's bakery in the US, I bought his book, we also used to make his pizza dough, at least once a week, its a game changer...

Until, you find out your body really cant tolerate that much gluten or you go on a quest to answer the age old question regarding what we put into our mouths and how it effects our health. 2013 was the year of health for us, it wasn't a great year, but we did lots of discovering.

2014, I'm coming at ya with an enlightened more in tune view of my body and what I put in it.... excuse me just one second brb...hello choc chip biccie, how are you today? mmmm....delish! Oh, you're still reading...sorry. 

Right, back to the bread thing: My aunty, who lives in Tasmania used to make this bread all the time, and when we went to visit her it was one of my favourite favourite things about our trip, watching her make the bread, and then eating it straight off the skillet with butter and honey. OMG heaven.

Basically, she made a simple flat bread with just 4 ingredients, that took only a couple of hours of rising that was then cooked in a dry pan on the stove, preferably an Aga, just to add to the country long cabin vibe, much like an Indian Naan bread. 

I have recently adapted her recipe to suit our health needs (requirements), less gluten, less bread in general, but just as satisfying if not more. Also, it comes in way cheaper than gluten free bread, which makes me feel a bit icky anyway.

Spelt Flat Breads

2 cups of flour*

1 1/2 tspn dry yeast

1/2 tspn or large pinch of salt

enough warm water to make into a dough.

(these are loose amounts, which can be easily adapted, you can't really mess it up)

I always mix the salt  into the flour before adding the yeast, I have heard yeast and salt do funky things if you don't do this step. Once your mixture is combined make a well in the centre and add the water a little at a time gradually combining preferably with your hands.

When you have a good doughy consistency, even if its a little wet, don't worry, place on a floured board and knead for 5 mins. 

*kneading can be so therapeutic, enjoy these 5 mins, immerse yourself in the process, put lots of love into it. I mean it, this is my favourite part.

Once your dough is well kneaded place back in the bowl, cover with a tea-towel or glad wrap and place in a warm room until doubled in size.

Place your dough back on the board and knead for a further few mins. Now you can break it into 5 cm ish size balls (it's up to you how big you want your flat breads, I find smaller ones end up working better than larger ones) you want to roll or stretch your ball into a flat disc, about the size of a small side plate. 

Now, I recommend letting these rest for 10-20 mins before cooking, it gives them a little more height. Once they have rested, you can cook them, use a dry frying pan on a high heat, or you can use the BBQ plate. We have just recently started using the BBQ and it works a treat, no burnt pan base (this has happened to me) no smoky house (also happened to me) and it gives great flavour to the bread. 

Cook until there is a bit of colour on the underside, and you can see air pockets start to appear on top, then flip over and cook for a further 2 mins. They don't take long and will be cooked on the inside. Eat them all up!

We use these flat breads for a variety of dishes: 

Two flat breads with a turkey burger and salad smooshed between them will be the best burger you have ever eaten.

One flat bread cut in half and then sliced through the middle to create a pocket and stuffed with lamb, salad and sauerkraut. Mind blowing.

One flat bread the next day with a soft boiled egg perched on top, or lashings of raspberry, chia seed jam.

The options are endless, your biggest problem will be making enough to last till the next morning. 

Go forth and break/bake bread with your family and friends. Or don't, you don't have too, I'm not here to order you around, merely plant the seed in your mind.

On the seed thing very quickly, I planted some rocket and silver-beet seeds the other day, apparently they are the only things that will grow all year round in this humid land, and three days later there were little shoots everywhere, it appears warm humid soil is good for baking seeds. I'm curious to see how they go, because if they keep growing at this rate they will be going to seed next week. Any tips?

*- I use spelt as we can both digest it, but buckwheat, gluten free flour, brown rice flour, normal wholemeal flour or a combination should all work, end results may vary slightly.

PS. That choc chip biscuit I devoured was #iqs friendly and I will share the source of the recipe with you another day, along with my own variation. 

PPS. Please excuse the quality of my photos, they are iPhone shots because how can I be expected to get out the camera when those tasty morsels were staring up at me.

Creating

I owe you a post on B's painting experience and success! 

Who knew the pilot had such a creative side!? Well, I did, creativity is such a brad term, it reaches far further than putting brush to paper. b is particularly good with precision and persistence, two attributes I have to battle with my mind to achieve. 

We had a bare wall in the Villa which needed a sizeable piece of art to fill it. Living where we live many things city slickers (even boarder-line city slickers) take for granted are challenging to achieve here, and with some spare time on his hands and a need to create he decided to create a piece of art that had always fascinated him, Piet Mondrian's signature grid-based paintings. Read more about Mondrian here

Enjoy:

I think he did a fabulous job and it fits the area perfectly. 

Have you been creating lately? 

xo

9 things to celebrate for September

It's (half way through) September can you believe it? (Update: this was scheduled to go live in September, but never did....so here are 9things that we celebrated in September!) 

Gantheaume Point - shot with my iPhone 5/no filter

Nine (9) things to celebrate in September: 

• Turning 27 on the 27th OMG!

• Our 6 year anniversary...funny side note, the date has always been a bit vague with us, we aren't big anniversary celebrators, but we spent a good while the other night trying to work out exactly when our first date was, eyebrows furrowed over the iPad calendar, way back in 2007...lucky they go back that far, where would we be without modern technology I ask you?!

• School Holidays at the end of the month - whoop whoop!!

• Getting back on the IQS bandwagon, I slipped off last week, but I'm back on and loving the challenge, and really loving cooking tasty and new foods.*

• On the subject of food, my biggest challenge this month is to cook gluten and dairy free. Please pass on any of your tried and tested recipes.

*NB if you would like more info on going sugar free check out this site: iquitsugar

• The Shinju Matsuri festival is on in Broome celebrating the wonderful rich culture that the history of the town has grown from. 

• The changing seasons, although this is not as visual as it is in more temperate parts of the world, September marks the slowing of the tourist season, which means the wet season isn't too far away. The humidity is already showing 99% many days and the last couple of days have even seen some cloud build up. I don't relish the hot temps, and high humidity, but I CAN NOT wait for the rains...

• B painted an incredible canvas recently (in September) I will post about it soon, add artist to his list of talents, so proud.

• and just as a last note, and I know it was in the past (but it was in September so it does count), we are so lucky that we have the right to vote in this country and to have a say, and even though the results of this election might not have made you particularly happy, what a great opportunity we now have to make our voices heard, because when faced with disaster humans have a wonderful way of fighting for what they want with a whole lotta determination. 

Gantheaume Point - shot with my iPhone 5/no filter

I came across this on an evening run - no filter pure, natural light.

What is happening for you this September?

xo