Joy lives in the space where you are free to create by the will of your heart
Tapping into my divine feminine energy, layering inspiring multi wear pieces from Free People. Feeling ever inspired to create and express myself through these beautiful designs, silhouettes, embroidered details, colours and textures. I love these trans seasonal styles, making my wardrobe more versatile and sustainable. I’m obsessed with pieces that can be layered, worn multiple ways, and mixed and matched.
Free People is a brand I’ve loved for many moons. Their designs truly reflect my wild spirit and bohemian heart, and I’m so happy they are available in Australia. Make sure to check them out. For all my outfit details head to my Like to Know It profile. It’s an easy place to follow along and find all my favorite looks.
While international travel is still not on the cards for Australia, I’m finding gratitude for all the incredible adventures I’ve had, reminiscing and dreaming of these magical moments in paradise. I’m sending my love to all of these places I’ve been fortunate enough to visit. This island, like many, rely on tourism, and have really struggled this past year. If you are in a position to help, you can donate here to help feed a family.
Nusa Lembongan holds a special place in our hearts. It’s a place both Bobby and I have visited multiple times. It’s much quieter than Bali, and I always have a sense of really connecting to the beautiful Balinese culture when we visit.
Our last trip to Nusa Lembongan, we stayed at the lovely eco-conscious Batu Karang Resort, in the Occasion Wedding villa. A perfect, romantic, luxuriously appointed villa, equipped with a spa bath, private pool and breathtaking turquoise ocean views with the most incredible backdrop of Mount Agung. Bobby and I don’t have family who live close to us to help with our children, so when we get the opportunity to travel together, just the two of us, we absolutely treasure it. This was one of the most romantic trips we’ve had, making the most and best of our time together. We were surrounded by opportunities for stand up paddle boarding, snorkelling, island hopping, beach clubs and chatting with locals. Our days were spent exploring by motorcycle, learning about the locals, underwater adventures, balmy sunset beach dining, night swims, and enjoying the privacy of our villa.
Batu Karang is located only a stone’s throw from the boat harbour on Nusa Lembongan. You can in fact walk to the resort from the beach. It’s an easy boat ride from Sanur on the mainland of Bali, and well worth the effort. From the island you can also visit the sister islands, Nusa Ceningan and Nusa Penida. Both are very accessible from here and have loads of experiences on offer. Crystal Bay beach is one of my favourite snorkelling spots in the area that can be accessed on a boat tour.
For those wanting to unwind and relax, the resort has 3 pools to choose from; an infinity pool overlooking the ocean, a lap pool for swimming, and one with a swim up bar, perfect for lounging with a coconut under the palm trees.
There are multiple dining options within the resort at Muntigs and also on the island. The resort restaurant is set around the infinity pool and a perfect spot to watch the sunset. The Deck also offers amazing ocean views and is a great spot for an afternoon cocktail. Around the island we also loved Hai Bar and Grill, Sandy Bay Beach Club and Nyomen’s Warung for a truly local experience. We had no issue eating plant based anywhere, and I often find Indonesia is one the easiest and most delicious places to enjoy plant based cuisine.
Writing about this place has brought back all those beautiful memories in a very visceral way. I hope to revisit again once it’s safe to do so, to explore this magical island and support the local community. And I recommend you put Nusa Lembongan on your travel list if you haven’t already.
With love and gratitude, Helen xx
Copyright Images and Text | Helen Janneson Bense 2021
Throwing it back with this blog post to a simpler pre-covid time, reminiscing about this wedding scene of my dreams. This was a passion project of mine, born from a creative vision I had one afternoon. A spark was lit and I knew I had to follow this impulse. This shoot ended up being such a leap of faith as we juggled bad weather and travel schedules to make it happen. At the last opportunity we dove heart first even amidst a storm and 90% chance of rain forecast for the day. It was a miracle that it only rained once, thankfully only between outfit changes.
We were so blessed with beautiful sunshine, beautiful light and a magical sunset. As soon as we packed up the rain came once more.
It was such a joy working with the ultra talented Pretty Willow and Lush Floral design who created a scene more extraordinary that I could have imagined. If you’re looking for some extra talented, ultra committed Perth creatives for your wedding, then look no further.
As we set off on this unfamiliar journey, to this pristine, remote part of WA we’ve longed to visit, our hearts yearned for the wild, for the joy that comes with deeply connecting with nature. It’s a connection we all need to thrive and survive in this world. Being in nature is where we come home to ourselves, our very existence intertwined. It was a reminder of how we must treasure and protect our wild places and it’s vital biodiversity.
Our first stop on our road trip was Wave Rock. In the middle of what felt like nowhere is this 2700 million year old, 15 metre high, wave shaped granite rock. Viewing this ancient and sacred place at sunset was breathtaking, with colour and light dancing upon the wave. Wave Rock known as Katter Kich by the Indigenous Ballardong People is known as a keniny (dancing) ground. Nearby are a collection of 450 ancient rock paintings telling the story of a local Aboriginal legend at Mulka’s Cave.
We stayed in a lovely, simple cottage right by Wave Rock surrounded by wildflowers and the most amazing natural salt water pool. It was so perfect after a long drive to float and soak up the natural salty goodness.
After a wonderful nights sleep we rose with the sun and made our way to Esperance. This coastal town is known as Kepa Kurl to the Noongar People. Kepa means wave and Kurl means boomerang; “where the wave lies like a boomerang”. I spent hours watching the waves here and noticed incredible patterns and shapes that are so unique to this part of the world. The landscape even shows climate change since the days of the Ice Age. It’s quite a spectacular and majestic sight as you drive along this coastline. You’ll be struck with the vivid crystal clear turquoise blue of the waters. It surely is the clearest water I’ve ever seen, and that includes the Maldives!
Esperance really is a nature lovers paradise. If you love the beach, ocean, surfing, wildflowers, wildlife and hiking it’s your place! I’ve put together a list here of must visit beaches as we spent every waking hour exploring. We stayed in the most amazing Airbnb overlooking West Beach. We could hear the waves from here and watch the sunrise and set from every window. We even had a bedroom ocean view! This is a great beach for surfing, swimming and whale watching. Even though the water was pretty cold when we visited we still enjoyed swimming in the protected lagoon with our wetsuits on. In summer I’m certain you won’t need a wetsuit.
First and number one beach stop is Lucky Bay and Hellfire Bay in Cape Le Grand National Park. Lucky Bay is known as one of the best beaches in the world and it has very friendly wild kangaroos visit the beach daily. The sand really is so white it could blind you, and the water so turquoise and clear. The biggest attraction here is of course the kangaroos. My experience here brought mixed feelings about this. While it’s so cute to see them, some of the tourists hovering, grabbing and touching the kangaroos was distressing to see. My children stayed completely away in protest out of respect for the kangaroos, choosing not to have a photographic memory, but instead to enjoy seeing them and allowing them to move about in peace. If you find some patience and allow them to move freely they will come and investigate you, generally searching for food. It’s absolutely vital for the sake of their health and wellbeing you do not ever feed them. Luckily we didn’t see any of this happening while we were there. As far as timing to see them I think it’s just up to luck and patience. I read a lot of conflicting information and many other friends shared their experiences. Every single one was different. We arrived at Lucky bay around 8am for a beach day of kayaking, exploring and hoping we’d see some kangaroos. It was around 2pm when a couple ventured onto the shores, focused mostly around the pop up food truck.
Besides the kangaroos, this spot is absolutely stunning to walk around the rocks, take a kayak out to explore the bay and laze on the beautiful white sand. Close by is Hellfire bay which has the most incredible blue waters. I watched the waves for an hour while my family when on a bouldering expedition. It’s a nice quiet beach with picnic tables in the shade to enjoy lunch.
West of Esperance, and just minutes from our Airbnb was Blue Haven beach. This beach is very calm, protected, so blue, and perfect for dolphin spotting, swimming and stand up paddle boarding. You just need to be able to get your board up and down those stairs. It’s a mission, but definitely possible. And worth it once you’re out in that beautiful water.
From here it’s so fun to beach hop. You’ve got Twilight beach which is so fun for some rock jumping into the pristine waters. Make sure to take a drive further along this coast to 10 and 11 mile beach. 11 mile beach was one of our favourite spots with a huge lagoon on either side of the stair entrance. It’s a great spot to watch the sunset from. Another amazing spot for sunset is the Rotary Lookout overlooking West Beach. A beautiful spot for exploring the wildflowers during Spring. Bring a picnic rug and soak up those expansive views.
We still have many spots to visit. Next time we’d love to hike Frenchman’s Peak in Cape Le Grand National Park. When tours are up and running again we’d like to take a scenic flight to Middle Island and see the Pink Lake from above. We are yet to explore more of 10 mile beach, Wharton beach and Wylie Bay. Sadly a local surfer was lost at Wylie as we were on our way there. Out of respect we stayed clear of this area. It was a tragic loss for the town and his family.
If you’ve been to Esperance and have any other must see spots please leave them in the comments! It’s a true natural, wild wonder of our world and I hope it always stays that way.
It’s a funny thing getting older. You start to notice every part of your body like never before. You start to remind yourself of your parents! The aching joints begin, the need to go to bed at 9pm starts, along with the early rising, and for me in particular the ability to metabolise alcohol has diminished. For the past few years my tolerance has reduced significantly. And I really love to enjoy a fancy cocktail or 2. I was thrilled when I recently discovered Recoverthol, a liquid formulation that you add to your first drink, that helps to reduce the symptoms of a hangover. And I was even happier when it actually worked :)
Recoverthol is a nutrient formulation that assists in the metabolism of alcohol. It provides the body with the essential nutrient co-factors required for the enzyme, Alcohol dehydrogenase, which is responsible for breaking down alcohol. The nutrient co-factors required by this enzyme are already present in our body, however we only have enough to process 1-2 standard drinks. If we replenish these co-factors with Recoverthol, then we can assist the body to process alcohol more efficiently.
And it’s so simple to use, you simply snap and squeeze the liquid into your first drink, allowing the co-factors to reach the enzyme right away. Your drink will look and taste exactly the same. If you drink moderately and responsibly, you’ll wake up feeling fresh and ready for your day.
This innovative product is not about drinking to excess and trying to find a way to counter that. To me this product is a way of giving back to your body what it actually needs, so you have a choice to enjoy a few drinks without the hangover.
I am always looking for balance in life. I’m always looking for ways to be healthier and enjoy some small indulgences on occasion. I have a lot of self discipline when it comes to my diet and lifestyle and it seems the older I get the more I’m unable to compromise on that. I’m grateful to have discovered Recoverthol that I can 100% stand behind as the perfect adjunct for your next cocktail party so you and your guests can enjoy a few drinks and enjoy your tomorrow as well. Because tomorrow matters and there is so much life to enjoy.
If you’d like to trial this product use my discount code GLL30%off to purchase online.
Imagine flying on a private plane overlooking an ancient rainforest paradise surrounded by turquoise seas as far as the eye can see. This is Soneva Kiri; one of the most unique locations I’ve ever visited in Thailand. It has it’s own micro-climate and it’s own time zone. This way you will always have so much time to enjoy the the glorious sunset.
Soneva Kiri is an inspirational, eco-friendly, and sustainable resort that grows it’s own organic produce, recycles it’s own waste and reuses and repurposes it’s own waste to create the very building blocks required to maintain the resort. It’s setting the highest standards for resorts on every single level. The food quality and options are endless. The staff are always happy to accomodate any dietary need. There’s an all you can eat ice-cream and chocolate room, including a whole range of vegan sorbets that are just so refreshing in the Thailand heat.
I had the absolute pleasure of traveling here with fellow travel blogger, Lisa from @seewantshop. This is why I love traveling so much; connecting, creating precious memories, and forming beautiful friendships. Lisa and I shared so many hilarious moments on this trip, and found it so refreshing to have some real and honest chats about the ups and downs of blogger life.
The highlight of our day was our lunch trips by boat to North Beach. This beach is one of Soneva Kiri’s most hidden jewels. It’s the clearest, most beautiful, picturesque paradise that has everything you’ll ever need for a day of total relaxation, adventure and mermaiding. Head out for some stand up paddle boarding, snorkelling, kayaking, or hang on the beach for some badminton, table tennis and the most delicious array of culinary delights. Lisa and I spent many days here sipping on coconuts and enjoying the views from the swings. The water hammocks were probably the most relaxing spot on the entire island. Imagine being gently rocked by the soft waves as you cool down under the hot sun. It’s so relaxing, refreshing and it almost put me to sleep like a baby!
A must do at Soneva Kiri is book the Treetop dining in the Tree pod. It is hands down the most unique way of enjoying high tea. You can book it for any meal, though I loved the afternoon light overlooking the beautiful turquoise water. While we sipped on rose, our waiter brought our meals via a zipline! It was crazy cool how fun and exciting this was.
And when you’re tired from all the snorkelling, dining, mermaiding, and sunset cruises head back to your luxuriously appointed private villa. We stayed in the most grand 4 bedroom residence with our very own waterslide! I couldn’t believe it! It was unreal! It definitely made it hard to leave and explore the island when our room was this amazing. And when you do decide to explore again, you have your very own buggy to drive around! How fun is that! If you want to book the exact villa we stayed in check out Villa 18 :)
I’m so grateful for time in nature like this….to explore this world and live my passion capturing beautiful moments. I’ve realised how much my perspective of this world has changed since my blogging journey began. I notice so much beauty everywhere I go. I see the world through a magical lens that truly brings me into the present moment where I can deeply feel my connection to nature.
FOLLOW
