Buchan Caves Reserve

Buchan has been our favourite spot thus  far. Nestled between the hills the Buchan Caves Reserve is simply beautiful. It was hard to believe that the CP was full two days before we arrived. We shared the park with three other families though you wouldn't have known it. We were spread throughout the grounds and it was quiet aside from the whispering of wind in the branches high above us. 

The campground is a short walk to the caves & you can arrange a tour with the site office. This was unlike anything our children had experienced and they were intrigued. We challenged them to consider what it would have been like to be Frank Moon & discovering these caves over 100 years prior. We also discussed the double-edged sword which is opening them to the public, education and conservation. I know we'll be having so many more conversations on this topic. 

The most queried angle from B was along the lines of "why can't we see the REST of the caves - the Federal (open only for special tours) and the Duke's Caves (not open to public)?" 

Danny was the ranger on duty at Buchan. He was informative, approachable & inclusive of the children. 

It's rumored there are 300 or more caves on private properties nearby. 

The cost for our caravan for two nights was about $108 which isn't cheap but worth it. The cost for cave tours isn't cheap either but there are family packages & you could choose to only visit one. 

We could have spent another few days in Buchan. Even with the rain it was gorgeous & there are so many places out of town we would have liked to explore. 

Melbourne was calling! We had our first caravan service booked in which includes the fixing of the fridge (it's never quite worked properly), a leaky window & a loose pantry door that flings open when we drive. 

The kids are expected to help out more than they've done at home. They do dishes, washing, help prepare meals & set up the van when we arrive at a destination. They don't complain either... yet!

Don't be fooled. This spring waspositively  FREEZING not that I know! I had to hold the baby but I'm going on the fact that the kids jumped in and immediately crawled on to Joels head! 

bali: cooking class

My husband's annual work conference took place in Bali this year and once again my Mum offered to mind our children while we jetted off overseas. I just made it within the 36-week ok-to-fly bracket (returning at 35 weeks and 5 days) and we managed to be home before the volcanic ash grounded flights. I'm not sure how I would have come home if we'd been stranded or if I'd have had to wait and have the baby in Bali!


We stayed in the luxurious Alila Manggis in Manggis. Thankfully it was over an hours drive from Kuta which was a very different scene. It really was such a treat to be there and after a few days of rest I decided to join in a cooking class which involved a visit to the market. As with a pricey resort I expected to pay a bit for the experience, though I wasn't expecting it to be quite so expensive.

I'll follow up with a post about the cooking class itself. 

First thing in the morning we travelled by car to the markets at Klungkung (a fairly big city just off the highway towards Denpasar). The markets just seemed to go on forever. It was a public holiday due to a festival and many of the stalls were closed but of the ones that were open you could buy anything from fresh fruit and vegetables (mostly local, some imported); to cooked foods; packets of biscuits and noodles; live produce (ducks, chooks, piglets); cooking equipment (I'm kicking my self for not buying a large, shallow mortar and pestle for $6AUD; and freshly made offerings from flowers grown on local farms.

There's no guessing how snake-skin fruit get their name. These look similar to lychees when peeled but have a 

more astringent taste and firmer texture.

Eggs cooked in herbs.

This was a little confronting. These ducks were in for a bumpy ride home. 

They were alive when I took this  but wouldn't have been for much longer.

Anyone for suckling pig?

Miss May Blossom http://www.facebook.com/MissMayBlossom

bali: marta's family restaurant

For me, travel is so much about the food! I was really looking forward to getting out and exploring beyond the confines of our resort in Bali. Unfortunately I contracted a painful skin condition before we left Australia so it was a few days in to our trip before I could really relax and enjoy it. As it was, being 35 weeks pregnant, it probably was best that I rested!

Recently the government finished a highway that runs up the East Coast of the island and which has opened it up for tourism and for the ease of locals who work between the towns and cities. You risk certain death walking along the side of the road and the road rules are questionable (apparently you can overtake a police car with oncoming traffic) but it's not unlike other places we've travelled - I'm thinking of Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam.

Just a few hundred metres walk (it's worth it if you arrive alive) from our resort in Manggis was this simple family restaurant. The meals were cooked to order and there was a range of Western dishes coupled with a good selection of local meals. You have to be prepared to wait for your meals but you can walk to the end of the street to the 'beach' while you wait or just relax!

I had to go back a second time for the gado-gado - which is one of my favourite Indonesian dishes. The peanut sauce was spicy and balanced and delicious and at the equivalent of $2.50AUD (Rp10 000 = $1AUD) it was also great value for money. This restaurant is family own and run and when the maître d isn't cooking and taking orders she travels to a nearby town for her second job. 

The suckling pig is a local delicacy. I wasn't too interested in trying it (could also be my very pregnant state) 

but Marta had this on her menu for the equivalent of $10AUD. 

You get the idea! Great food. Great value.

Marta's Family Restaurant
JL Pantai Buitan No. 1
Manggis Karangasem
Bali, Indonesia
08 5333 762 709


Miss May Blossom http://www.facebook.com/MissMayBlossom