An unexpected blog post dropped into my inbox yesterday. It was from a website called The Rhythm Method, which gives no details about the author. A line at the top simply says "the online journal of Karen Mills". The post was called "Births, deaths and marriages" and it was posted on December 10, 2024, so I have... Continue Reading →

I had a lovely time on Wednesday night with the Calabria family as they marked 80 years of winemaking. They're a good-looking bunch ... That's Elisabeth Calabria on the left and Andrew Calabria on the right. And their wines are pretty fabulous too - they've had the same winemaker, Emma Norbiato (middle), for more than... Continue Reading →

SEEK emailed me yesterday, suggesting I would be a "strong applicant" for the role of Digital Editor at Woman’s Day. Oh, the irony. Fortunately, after spending many years pining for weekly magazines, the only things I miss these days are my former pay check and parking space in the city. In other exciting news, Tim... Continue Reading →

As my hairdresser rinsed out my colour on Saturday afternoon he announced he was closing early because he was done for the day. No! I said. You still need to cut my hair! No! He replied. I've already cut it! I was talking so much - both to him and the woman sitting in the... Continue Reading →

Oh the places I go. I was DD's plus one last night at the Australian Growth Company Awards, which celebrate and recognise the achievements of high-growth companies across Australia.  The 2025 Australian Growth Company Awards was not something I ever expected to attend, but then neither was Miss Nude Australia 1998 or the 2024 Australasian... Continue Reading →

And just like that my holiday is over and real life has recommenced. We stepped off the ship at 8am yesterday morning and were greeted by a diver - a friend of our favourite bartender Bagus - who took us to Bali airport for our 12.20pm Jetstar flight home. DD was very not thrilled to... Continue Reading →

I still can’t quite believe it … we swam with whale sharks yesterday in Saleh Bay. I may have cried … more than once … which was a little messy in a snorkelling mask. Swimming with whale sharks wasn’t listed on our cruise itinerary. But, from the moment I debuted my whale shark-patterned stinger suit... Continue Reading →

The sea was smooth as a mill pond when we cruised toward Komodo Island early on Monday morning. Our ship was accompanied by a dolphin and surrounded by swarms of fish, swirling with their fins in the air. Even at 6.30am the humidity was oppressive. But there were real-life dragons to be seen, so we... Continue Reading →

Our cruise is drawing rapidly to a close, but we've had an amazing few days since I last blogged. On Friday, Le Soleal visited a remote region off the coast of East Timor, the Barat Daya Islands. We spent the afternoon there, snorkelling on off the beach at an uninhabited island called Pulau Kital. The... Continue Reading →

We rose early yesterday morning for the spectacular experience of sailing into Banda Neira harbour. Two dolphins undulated past the ship’s prow as we approached the entrance to the port. Then two long canoes filled with singing locals and drummers appeared and accompanied us to our landing site. After we disembarked, dancers performed during a... Continue Reading →