I’ve been quiet on social media, in my Facebook group and on the blog lately. It’s hard to know what to say. I’m sure you already know this but parts of Australia are on fire right now. There have been fires for weeks and they are likely to carry on... Read More
It’s that time again to look back over the last year and see what has been accomplished. I think it’s a really valuable thing for all of us to do. It’s too easy to think you haven’t done much, but when you sit down and start thinking, you’ll find you’ve... Read More
If you follow my Instagram account, you’ll know how fond I am of having a barbeque in Australia. (Don’t follow me already? Find me here!) We have a Weber gas BBQ at home on our deck and use it all the time. I’m not sponsored by Weber – we... Read More
I moved to Queensland from the UK and learning to deal with the extremely fierce weather here has been a big learning curve. Skin cancer rates are high in Australia and it’s something everyone needs to take seriously (check out this post on the Cancer Council... Read More
I’ve always loved travelling and since moving to Australia we’ve travelled more than ever. It’s funny how you don’t travel much in your home country but, when you move somewhere new, you can’t stop exploring! This post is sponsored by Philips and it contains affiliate... Read More
Get yourself ready for the summer season by investing in the best beach wagon! If you love going to the beach as much as I do, and you take as much stuff to the beach as the guy in this photo, this guide of folding beach wagons and pull along beach carts with big... Read More
I’ve been getting a lot of worried messages from readers about the bushfires that are raging in Queensland and New South Wales at the moment. It’s a really scary time and many of our favourite places have been on fire including parts of Noosa and Lamington... Read More
Father’s Day in Australia is on a different date to Father’s Day in the UK. It totally throws me every year – even after five years here. It means that I often (almost) forget to send gifts to our dads in England in June as there are no reminders of... Read More
For anyone who has missed the announcements on Facebook, we’ve recently launched a new closed Facebook group: Thrive in Australia. While the established Move to Australia group is focused on providing a supportive community to help people actually make the move... Read More
I love spending time on the beach with my family. The sun in Australia is fierce, so you need to be prepared with your own beach tent, beach umbrella or beach shade. We wear sunscreen, long-sleeved rashies, hats and sunglasses for our beach days but if you plan on... Read More
Sometimes you discover a product and it makes your life so much easier that you wonder how on earth you coped before you owned it. This post is sponsored by Buddy Wagon. The post contains an Amazon affiliate link which means I receive a small commission if you buy... Read More
Want to get to know the Founder and Editor of Smart Steps to Australia a little better? Here’s five minutes of quick-fire questions with Karen Bleakley. Did you always want to move to Australia? Weirdly, I did always imagine myself living here. When I was... Read More
OK, I’ll start by saying I haven’t TOTALLY quit alcohol. I love wine, I really do and I still drink it occasionally like if we go out for dinner, if I go out with the girls or if we’re celebrating something because, well Champagne is lovely. I... Read More
If you’re a regular around here, you’ll know that I’m OBSESSED with beaches. I’m a travel writer for Australia and New Zealand magazine, I write travel blog posts on this site, and I love exploring the world around me. The thing that got me... Read More
I read this awesome post by Denise Duffield Thomas about her year in review, and it inspired me to write my own. Every Christmas, I spend some time reviewing the year that has almost finished because it helps me to appreciate how far I’ve come, and it helps me... Read More
A few people have asked me what Christmas in Australia is like as it’s difficult to imagine a hot Christmas unless you’ve experienced it. So I put the call out on Facebook a couple of years ago to ask people: ‘how do you spend Christmas in... Read More
