Your One Stop Guide To Kangaroo Island

Kangaroo Island is an island off the southern coast of South Australia. It’s a beautiful place to wind down and take in nature at its best. Here are some thing I got up to and would recommend if you ever visit!

Stay at a local motel

We stayed at the Kingscote motel which was your typical bed and breakfast. It was a one minute walk away from the seaside which was my favourite

Visit a honey farm

The island has locally produced pure honey which is worth a try at least. Visit a locally owned farm to find out how honey is made and stock up on honey products

Go seal-watching

Seal Bay conservation park is dedicated to protecting the declining population of seals so this place is worth the visit if you’re a wildlife freak. It also has some stunning views

Eat some oysters

Seafood is a delicacy on the island. Indulge in some freshly caught fish at a local fish and chip shop or if you’re extra like me visit the Oyster Farm Shop to satisfy your oyster cravings

Adjoining the farm is also the American River which offers serene riverside walks and fishing opportunities

Stroll around a lavender farm

As it is winter here the lavenders are not in bloom. Nonetheless, it is interesting to see all the different types of lavenders that can be produced and to stock up on some handmade lavender products

Catch a sunrise

Since it is an island you’ll find the sea at every corner so I’d recommend getting up a little bit early just to see that first light just blossom. Alternatively, you can catch a sunset

I hope you all get to visit this beautiful place one day!

 

TV Shows You Need To Start Right Now

The holidays is prime time to dig into much needed television which you wouldn’t normally have time for. So if you’re stuck on what to start next, I’ve got you covered

Jane The Virgin 

Nor the type of show I would typically gravitate towards but if you loved Gilmore Girls you’ll absolutely adore this. I’ts filled with romance, comedy and a ton of life lessons. While the show does focus heavily on family, it’s spiced up through murders and bizarre happenings

The Good Doctor 

While medical dramas typically aren’t my thing, the hype around this show definitely made me check it out. I do not regret it one bit! What makes this show different is that the protagonist has autism which really opens up a dialogue about a part of society that has been in the shadows for a long time

Bates Motel

 

After watching the good doctor i fell in love with Freddie Highmore’s acting so I had to check out the other big show he’s performed in. This time he acts as the infamous serial killer Norman Bates. The series is dark, twisted and will feed your obssession of serial killers

Tess of D’urbevilles 

This one is a little bit different in that it’s a BBC mini series. I haven’t gotten around to watching it but I’ve heard it’s one of the better adaptations of the novel

Comment below some other TV shows worth watching!

What Camping Away for 24 Hours Taught Me

So the fam and I decided to take an impromptu trip to the mountains to stay away from reality for one night.

The holiday season can be quite draining so it’s important to take time away and just reflect on the year and what you want to achieve going ahead

We stayed in a spot about 5 hours out of the main city. No cell phone service. Just the kangaroos, the mountains and the wild

I realised that we should be doing this kind of thing more often. After all, humans existed in nature way before we existed in the city.

So take some time away from your phone and just go exploring in your own backyard!

2018 Travel Inspiration

Happy New Year guys!

I hope this year brings you health and happiness and of course some much needed travel so here’s some inspiration

Handmaid’s Tale | Book vs TV Series

One of the most anticipated adaptions of  the year was Margaret Atwood’s dystopian phenomena.

When the first read the book, it left such a lasting impact on me. The themes of feminism, fertility and control echo so prominently in our society that the novel’s relevance is eerie.

So of course having watched the show and read the book, I just wanted to comment on the differences and the similarities.

For the most part, the book and series stay on the same track. The cinematography and world building in the show is done incredibly well. The actors themselves deserve great recognition. The show captured the whole monologue sequence of the book really well.

However, Offred, the main character, in the book seemed cold and distant even to the reader, same with some of the other characters. So I appreciate that the show managed to capture the characters in a more vivid light, they seem more like people.

The treatment of women in the show is also very graphic, just to drive in the point that what is happening is unjust. Some things that were not explicitly mentioned in the novel include some of the torture methods, how devastating it actually is for the Handmaid’s to be separated from their children etc.

Of course, the fact that Ofglen has a storyline in the show is a major point of difference. I read somewhere that the producers really wanted to explore her story and they did that so painfully well.

The show just seems to amplify everything like the affair with the driver. Offred’s family isn’t explored as  vividly in the novel as it is in the show. Even life before Gillead was not explored thoroughly in the novel.

I understand that the show has endless means of explorations especially becomes the novel was written such a long time ago. I like where they are going with it though and cannot wait for season 2!

The Exploring

CHEAP Book Haul

So as I was walking the streets of Melbourne with my good friend, we noticed a sign saying 

CLOSING DOWN SALE ALL BOOKS $6

Inevitably we freaked and went straight in and did some damage.

Nelson Mandela in his own words: A compilation of Mandela’s best speeches throughout history 

The scarlet letter:  I have been meaning to read this book for SO LONG NOW 

Portrait of a lady: I’ve heard a few thing about this novel here and there and you can never go wrong with a classic 

A Parisian affair: I’ve been wanting to expand my love for French literature and thought this would be a good place to start 

Dante’s Inferno: Again, been meaning to read this for so long!

I am soo excited to read all of these books and cannot wait to share what I leant with all of you! 

10 Things I Hate About Christmas

Everyone is always raving about Christmas and they’re all excited this time of the year so I decided to do something a little different. Happy Blogmas Day Seven!

1. The Pre-Christmas shopping rushes and crowds
2. Post Christmas Boxing Day Sales rushes
3. Australians don’t ever get to experience a White Christmas and it’s always freaking hot
4. Christmas-Kilos as in putting on weight
5. Basically everything is shut down on Christmas Day
6. Christmas means the end of the year is literally 6 days away
7. I find Christmas movies annoying
8. The gifts I buy for others I secretly want them the most
9. Gifts are expensive
10. Christmas Day means I have to wait another 365 days for Christmas!

Pieces | Trojan’s War

Pieces is a new addition here on Infinity Reads where I share some fictional pieces of writing I have written. Happy Blogmas Day Six!

Trojan’s War was a spur of the moment writing adventure. The original story is five pages so I’ve decided to add only a little snippet

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“Watch your step, girl”

Spat a toned man as she bumped into him.

Probably another blood thirsty bastard from the fighting pits 

She could take him down. A jerk in the knee, a twist of the shoulder and a revolver to his head would bring the coward out in him.

But no. Trojan wasn’t here to attract attention, pulling her hood even lower she continued into an alley where it was hard to find ground amongst the sewage water. Trying to ignore the smell of shit she entered the first house on her right.

What was supposed to be a hospital had become the equivalent of an overflowing refugee camp. The sick lay on either side of her as she walked down the aisle trying not to step on a bleeding arm here or a disfigured face there. The only nurse in sight fed someone from a cup, she eyed Trojan suspiciously but by now she must’ve been used to the unexpected turnout of people so one more didn’t exactly matter.

But that wasn’t even the worst of it.

It was the wailing that drove Trojan mad.

Children wailing from hunger, men and women wailing to the Gods above for mercy, the old ones wailing for death to take them. So much sorrow and she couldn’t do a thing to help.

Because she was here to pick up a bomb.

“Within the storage room at the back, you will find a box of syringes, in there should be another box, wooden, you’ll know when you see it, and it’s very small but highly lethal”

Lord had given her those instructions while briefing her mission but as always, he’d forgotten to be specific enough.

It was a hospital which meant the storage room was full of syringes and with the welcome she’d received upon entering who knew however many sorts of diseases these things were carrying!

Using the folds of her robe as cover Trojan gingerly pursued from one shelf to another.

No. Wool gauges no. Ew was that blood. No. Oh wait yes

A dusty, transparent box full of syringes opened and unopened now rested in Trojan’s hands.  Instead of digging her hands into the horrifying stack she emptied it on the floor hoping the noise wouldn’t bring any attention.

It stood out like a thorn between roses, smaller than her palm and wooden as Lord had said, it was ugly.

But Trojan liked ugly, ugly meant anger and she had plenty of that

“Twist the knob on the bottom, give it ten seconds and boom”

Lord had gestured so wildly with his hands and the glint in his eyes had made even Trojan uncomfortable.

Ten seconds

“You know what that means right”

Lord had said, trying to look sympathetic but failing, no, he knew how this was going to go down all along.

“Suicide bombing”

The Literary Dinner Party

So I found this tag on DreamlandBookBlog and thought it would be super fun. Happy Blogmas  Day Five!

In this tag, you’re hosting  a dinner party. You can invite any character you want, but there are 10 different categories you need to fill, and there are only room for 11 people:

1. One character who can cook/likes to cook

Adrian Ivashkov from Bloodlines/Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

2. One character who has money to fund the party

At first I wanted to say President Snow but I wouldn’t want him at my dnner party. So let’s go with Richard Gansey from the Raven Boys

3. One character who might cause a scene

Effie from the Hunger Games. With her grandeur she would have all eyes on her the whole night but most importantly she would go around criticising and fixing everyone’s outfits

4. One character who is funny/amusing

Tyrion Lannister from Game of Thrones. While his humour is not up everyone’s alley, his wit is definitely amusing!

5. One character who is super social/popular

I have not heard many bad remarks against this certain individual. So I’m gonna go with Prince Maxon from The Selection Series. Being from a Royal Family he is very socially adept.

6. One villian

The Joker. Hands down.

7. One couple – doesn’t have to be romantic

of course it’s gonna be a romantic couple. Anna and Etienne from Anna and the French Kiss. Swoons

8. One hero/heroine

Katniss Everdeen. I have had a crush on her since I was like 12

9. One underappreciated character

Charlotte Lucas from Pride & Prejudice. She’s Lizzie’s best friend and I feel like she needs some love

10. One character of your own choosing

Well since I am inviting Charlotte I might as well invite Lizzie!

I encourage you to do the tag and leave it in the comment! see you tomorrow!