Les Miserables at QPAC

Last week I headed to QPAC to see Les Miserables. I got tickets for my mum and I for Christmas, so I had been looking forward to this for months!

We went for a matinee session on Wednesday, which was much better than I had expected.  I had thought that it wouldn't have been as busy because it was during the day, but it was fully booked. There were great amounts of excitement rippling through the theatre prior to the shows commencement.

I am a huge fan of stage shows and musicals in general. As I was already a lover of Les Mis I couldn’t deny myself the opportunity to see the stage show. For those who are not familiar with this melodramatic musical, Les Mis is centred on the convict Jean Valjean and police inspector, Javert. In the first scene Valjean breaks parole after serving nineteen years for stealing a loaf of bread. Set in post-revolutionary France, Les Mis follows Valijean as he is hunted by Javert after breaking his parole. 

The show was incredible (as you would expect)! It was really fast paced, so I definitely recommend having some kind of idea of what it is about before you go, just so it's easier to follow. But this pace definitely added a layer of excitement and anticipation to the musical, making it riveting to watch. 

The set design definitely exceeded my expectations. With each scene the stage was totally transformed, which I believed contributed to allowing the audience to be totally swept up in the story line.

Of course the vocals were outstanding. The sheer range that the actors could sing took my breath away. Although I love pretty much all of the songs, 'Red and Black' and 'At the end of the day' have to be my favourites and they were both done justice!

Besides the performers vocals, one of the most impressive aspects for me was the accents the characters put on. It really helped to set the scene and grasp the context of the story line. 

The comedic aspect of this musical should definitely not be overlooked. So often I was left laughing. Though in saying this, it was perfectly balanced with a range of emotions including, loss, love, joy and sadness. Undoubtedly, this musical will make you both laugh and cry. I thoroughly recommend checking it out next time its in your city!

An incredible oasis: Stradbroke Island

Happy New Year!

An opportunity to get out of Brisbane and explore a new, enchanting place has been long overdue on my agenda, so I was more than excited to I end 2015 with a trip to the incredible Stradbroke Island.

For those who aren't familiar with this oasis, Stradbroke Island is located just 30km from Brisbane. I got there via ferry, which took just 25 minutes from Cleveland. We took our car on the ferry, which made it really easy to get around the island. However, there is public transport available throughout the island if you don't take a car.

Once you get to the island there is a lot to do and explore. The North Gorge Walk was probably my biggest highlight.  As someone who is a big lover of breathtaking scenery and just being immersed in new places, you could probably imagine why this was my favourite part of the trip.

The boardwalk gives you the opportunity to gaze upon Straddie's impressive headland. The walk delivers the most spectacular views of the beautiful coastline. It is the perfect vantage point to admire the evanescent, turquoise water.  Just being beside the water and being surrounded by such luscious greenery filled me with so much joy! This walk really is a must do if you're visiting Straddie.

We also headed to Cylinder beach. The weather when we went was really warm, so heading to the beach fitted in perfectly. The sky was reasonably clear, causing the sunlight to give the water a stunning ombre effect. 

Thankfully, the beach wasn't very crowded at all, which gave me the perfect opportunity to catch up on my reading.  I have been reading 'Death at SeaWorld' by David Kirby. As someone who is against animals in captivity for entertainment purposes, I just had to pick up this book. I have been following Orca’s in captivity for years and years, long before the passing of Dawn Brancheau, as they have been my favourite animals since I was a kid. I was on the lookout for a novel that was a bit more challenging when it came to learning about these animals and this book has definitely delivered! Hopefully I will have a blog post up on it soon. 

I definitely hope to head back to Straddie very soon. The island itself is so special as its not over crowded with people, making it the perfect, relaxed getaway. To think that this little slice of heaven is located so close to Brisbane, why wouldn't you go?!

Moments that never made it to the blog #4: December

Hi everyone! Here is a long overdue blog post covering some things I got up to in December.

Burleigh Heads Beach

Earlier this month I headed to Burleigh Heads with my oldest friend for the day.  I absolutely love Burleigh. In fact, it’s probably my favourite beach that I have explored so far on the Gold Coast. The water is always perfect and I find that it is not nearly as crowded as some of the other neighbouring beaches (which of course is a plus).

Burleigh Heads beach also offers great walking tracks and even a national park, making it the perfect place for a summer day filler.

South Bank Christmas Markets

Last week I headed to the Christmas markets in South Bank. Even though they are no longer on as Christmas is now over for another year, I thought I would still post about it as they are a yearly event!

The strip of Christmas stalls were located right next to the South Bank pools, making it really easy to get to. Not only were there stalls offering great gift ideas, there were also stalls offering delicious Christmas themed treats.

The markets were dressed in the most enchanting assortment of Christmas decor. You couldn’t help but be plunged into the Christmas spirit with all the fairy lights and Christmas trees around every corner. Everything was so luscious and vibrant, making a trip to these markets perfectly suited for the festive season. I will definitely be back here next year!