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The Stories I Was Always Meant to Tell I never set out to write across more than one genre. But some stories simply refuse to stay quiet, and eventually, you stop fighting them. I'm Julia, an Australian author with Welsh blood running through my veins. I write the kind of stories that have been niggling at me for as long as I can remember. Where It Began My great-grandmother Margaret boarded a ship alone in 1898. In a man's world that considered a woman at sea to be bad luck,

In the vast landscape of Australian literature, there is a niche that shines brightly - stories of strong women, support, and friendship....

Domestic violence is an issue that affects millions of individuals worldwide, with women being disproportionately impacted by its...

Empowering Women: A Dive into a Riveting Novel As we navigate through the vast ocean of literature, sometimes we come across gems that...

My last day in Lisbon was sunny and breezy. People were out getting lunch and visiting the beach, although the water was far too cold for this Queensland girl to attempt a swim. I toured a palace, stopped to admire a magnificent graffiti wall along the coast, a giant surfer's tube that would have made any Burleigh local proud, and sat for lunch next to a table of Americans getting their rowdy on. Lisbon itself is a traveller's haven; chaotic, charming, historic, and alive. Bu

Well, Lisbon is not the sandy beach tropical paradise I expected; it's more of a hectic city, but it is a traveller’s haven. I've been a bit bleary-eyed since arriving, and suddenly, my body wants to sleep when the Aussies do. Six countries in a few weeks, and my internal clock has completely lost the plot. Last night, I hit the pavement looking for somewhere for dinner at 10 pm, and I got hustled into a local family restaurant. They looked like a Portuguese family that nee

I’ve checked in at Shoreline this evening in a place called Donabate near Dublin. I’m staying on the top floor for my last night in beautiful Ireland. Unlike my pricey accommodation in the inner-city last night, there’s nothing flashy about this place. Shoreline reminds me of an Australian surf club with its patterned carpet and waiting lounge at the entrance, its large restaurant, and its paved outdoor area overlooking the beach, with an inviting, narrow dirt trail that draw

Travel Blog – Kinsale Ireland 20/09/2023 I went to the most gorgeous town of Kinsale, what a quaint coastal town of sweet multicoloured buildings. All that colour can only make you happy. I was there on a mission to say hello and goodbye to my grandfather at his final resting place. The town and its people lightened my mood and made the whole thing feel okay. As I drove through the winding country back streets, I had to brake for locals leaving their cars for a gathering at

I hit the pavement early; I hit it hard, and long! In stark contrast to yesterday, all went well, and I had a great day. I love Edinburgh, I was comfortable enough to stay out late and even walked home alone and in the dark. Ooh wild. I packed in a big day of sightseeing around the city. I did a tour of the Edinburgh Museum, walked to Holyrood Palace, and hiked up to Arthur’s seat. I stood and took in the vast views of the city and out to the sea. My dad's name was Arthur, an

Day 14-15 First impressions of Glasgow were great. Driving from the airport, I could see this is a big, sprawling, busy place. The taxi pulled up outside my central city hotel, and I could see many people around. Some were clearly tourists like me, while most appear to be locals. I arrived at my 6th-floor hotel room, which seems to back onto a train station. It’s an interesting view of other buildings and a roof cover that, I believe, covers trains and the like. The view

Immigrating from Wales in 1970 meant my parents and four older siblings walked away from everything they knew and everyone they loved, while looking forward to a great unknown. My siblings told me they were allowed to bring one toy each (from their old life) on the flight, and the family of six packed everything into a maximum of three suitcases. With only rare, expensive phone calls home and flight costs out of reach for most, being a ten-pound pom meant no way back. As th

Day 7 Despite wearing my wonder'ous Frankie4s, my touring feet are swelling and complaining. Today, with a big day ahead, I got serious and switched to my Asics runners. Big, clumpy runners may not be as pretty, but they were a welcome relief. Travel Tip #12: Leave your pride at home and pack your runners. Your feet will thank you by Day 7, even if your Instagram won't. I rose before much of London today, well, at least before others who were also using transport above gr

Day 6 From here, I explore Europe alone. I’m excited to meet the family I have missed all my life due to the 16,664 kilometres my “Ten-Pound-Pom” Welsh parents put between us back in 1970. God bless em. They created a great life for us, six kids, and an empire-sized Australian family; I’m thankful for that. On the flip side, I’m also desperate to see the places and meet the people spoken about over the years within our childhood household. I arrived at Heathrow Airport and

Naples Day 5 With limited travel time together, we decided to spend a bit extra (total cost $ 50 AUD each) on first-class tickets on Italy’s fast train. We boarded our lovely private cabin up the front and were chuffed to find we had complimentary charging facilities onboard. This was lucky as I wanted to film the journey in time-lapse and wouldn’t have had battery life otherwise. Travel Tip #9: Spend the extra dollars on first-class train travel in Italy. At $50 AUD, it's

San Pietro in Vincoli/Colosseum internal tour/Roman forum It was another hot, sweaty, sunny day as we set out to tour the church of San Pietro. I'll be honest, I'd reached a point where one church was much like the next. That was until I turned a corner and came face to face with Michelangelo's Moses. Suddenly I was paying attention again. Amazing! We waited for our tour group at the designated meeting point and commenced the tour by walking through the crowds up to the pal

With Nathan off to work, I returned to the double-decker bus stop and to the Roman National Museum. I planned to climb the museum stairs and do the self-guided audio tour, then conquer the steeper and more famous Holy Stairs next door. The Holy Stairs lead up to St. Maria church. If you imagine that stair scene from Rocky and the astronomical level of flexibility and fitness required to scale it, then you're on the money. As I climbed the first set of stairs, I wished I had

Our Airbnb room is a titch too small for two. It is the kind of small Brisbane’ites are not accustomed to. The sort where one travel companion must sit on the bed so the other can get past and into the bathroom. It isn’t “Paris small” but it certainly takes the second-place gong. We are conveniently located in the heart of Rome with cafes downstairs and public transport everywhere, so we’re still happy. But it must be said that it’s obviously all in the booking. In a beautifu

Dubai to Rome Regardless of my previous lesson, I caught myself huffing over two screaming kids who outlasted every limit I thought humanly possible. As a mother of two of my very own former screamers, I should know better. But I have never been more grateful for the technological advancement that is noise-cancelling headphones. I arrived in Dubai with my eardrums intact. While standing amid a group of other bewildered travellers scanning departure screens for their connect

2 September 2023 My son hugged me goodbye on the departure bridge at the airport. I looked over his shoulder to my hometown city view and recalled the night before when we watched the mesmerising Riverfire fireworks display and the low-flying roaring overhead jet flyovers. But that was then, and this is now. Off I went to check in my bag. The Airbus A380, that great double-decker beast, was already waiting at the gate, and with my boarding pass in my hand, I knew: 7,443 mil