Lately, I’ve been getting a lot more creative and putting more effort into planning ideas for social gatherings. Especially since dining at a cafe or restaurant is a bit more of a hassle than it was before (especially for larger groups), I’m finding greater enjoyment in doing activities with friends that require a bit more energy, such as shopping for house plants together at a local nursery, going on a coastal hike at a national park, or cooking up your favourite dish to share at your next picnic.
1. Nurseries
Lockdown has given be a great opportunity to consider revamping my space at home and making it more comfy – which makes shopping for plants a necessity (or at least, I’ve convinced myself that no house can be considered ‘well decorated’ without its own indoor jungle). It’s been a lot of fun learning about how to take care of different plants, and hunting for quirky, painted vases to settle them in.
One of my favourite nurseries as a Sydney sider to shop at is Flower Power Garden Centre, which boasts a large assortment of both indoor and outdoor plants as well as a nice cafe in case you wanted to take a break to deliberate on your purchase (and grab a meal while you’re at it).
- Coastal walks
Coastal walks have also served as a nice way for me to get a bit of exercise, some of my favourite spots being Cronulla Beach which I find is generally not as crowded as some of Sydney’s other beaches (Bondi Beach…*shudders*) and also is surrounded by many beautiful cafes (with a lot of vegan options).
Another location which is excellent for coastal walks is the Royal National Park, which is a bit of a drive from central Sydney but definitely worth it as it is one of NSWs best parks with plenty of coastal cliffs lookouts and secluded beaches for a peaceful retreat.
- Picnics
And of course, I have to include picnics on this list. Not only has it given me a chance to show my friends that I can cook (somewhat…), but it’s just been great seeing what other people have made and assembling it all together! This time, I brought choc chip cookies while a couple of my friends brought potato salad (everybody’s favourite), a gorgeous sponge cake drizzled with cream and berries, and Japanese Inari sushi stuffed with crab meat.
Of course, the host who kindly invited us to her backyard for picnic brought the essential item to complement our picnic… a bottle of moscato!
IN TRANSIT; 