Welcome to Kirra Beach, the second last stop on my Books By The Beach tour! It is hard to believe it is almost over! The small rocky headland Kirra Point separates Kirra Beach to the north and Coolangatta Beach to the south, and is noted as one of the world's premier surf breaks. In the... Continue Reading →
Books By The Beach: Asha’s Story Part One at Bilinga Beach
Welcome to Bilinga, the thirteenth stop on my Books By The Beach tour! Bilinga is close to the Queensland/New South Wales border to the west and has the Pacific Ocean to the east. The word 'Bilinga' is derived from the word 'Bilinba', meaning 'bats'. The name was adopted in 1918 as a place name for... Continue Reading →
Books By The Beach: Paid To Dance at Currumbin Beach
Welcome to Currumbin Beach, stop no.11 on my Books By The Beach tour! Stretching from Currumbin Creek in the north to Wyberba Street in the south the area is easily identified because of its headlands that project into the beach. At the beach front, Elephant Rock and Currumbin Rock enclose a discrete surf beach. Currumbin... Continue Reading →
Books By The Beach: The Graveyard Shift at Mermaid Beach
Welcome to Mermaid Beach, stop no. 5 on my Books By The Beach tour! This laid-back and curiously named beachside spot receives its name from the cutter HMS Mermaid. Explorer John Oxley sailed aboard the Mermaid in 1823 when he discovered the Tweed and Brisbane Rivers. Mermaid Beach was used during World War II by... Continue Reading →
Why Do I Care?
This week is National Carer's Week here in Australia (14-20th October). In January 2017 my fiance Greg suffered a debilitating work-related back injury, and for the past nineteen months I have been his unpaid carer. The road to recovery is slow and uncertain, and for both of us it has been an incredibly challenging journey,... Continue Reading →
The Wilted Rose: Queensland Mental Health Week
6-14th October is Queensland Mental Health Week here in Australia. In my writing, I take a particular interest in exploring various human experiences and perspectives, using my writing to help to share people’s stories in the wider community. Since its publication in 2011 I've used my debut novel The Wilted Rose to help raise awareness... Continue Reading →
Paid To Dance Blogging Series Exclusive Interview: Julz Divine
Dancer Name/s: Julz Divine Age started dancing & where: In Europe. What did you do before dancing? I was just out of school, studying psychology at university part time, giving private French lessons and working as a sales rep for a local TV channel selling advertising space to businesses. I was living with my mum... Continue Reading →
From The Outside Looking In: Paul, The Customer
I was twenty-one years old celebrating a friend’s eighteenth birthday in Brisbane when I visited my first gentlemen’s club. I kept coming back because it was just like hanging out at a pub with mates, but with a much nicer view. My regular venue introduced poker nights, but I was going in for weekly drinks... Continue Reading →
From The Outside Looking In: Daniel, The Boyfriend
Sam told me she was a dancer about a month after we started dating, but I had my suspicions well before that. It was mostly typical things that go along with being a dancer, from the odd times that she worked, to certain aspects of her appearance. https://youtu.be/QSVNteuZ1Xw I felt all right with it, and... Continue Reading →
From The Outside Looking In: Helen, The Mother of a Stripper
Helen: The Mother When my daughter Olivia voiced her interest in becoming a dancer, my immediate reaction was to think, “Okay, this is something she wants to do, so let’s look into it.” I didn’t have an overall negative feeling about the suggestion. Olivia was eighteen years of age at the time and exploring different... Continue Reading →