Summer Bay.

Wearing: Top, Sunny Girl, Shorts, Tigerlily (old), Hat, Seed Heritage, Sunglasses, Le Specs, Shoes, Windsor Smith

As a new Sydney-ite I have been out and about exploring the town but last weekend I decided to really get out and visit the northern beaches, in particular Palm Beach, that little beachside town that is otherwise known as Summer Bay. Ah yes, I am a Home and Away fan from way back and then some. My mother is a devotee whose 7pm to 7.30pm time slot is always reserved for that precious television show! Of course, like mother like daughter and up until my uni years I too was a Home and Away tragic. Not so much any more though.

Walking around Palm Beach, or as I called it all day Summer Bay, was a very surreal experience. It felt like I was walking around in an episode, going to the beach to meet up with my love interest or grabbing a smoothie from the Surf Club to talk things over with Indi and Dex. What I wasn't surprised by was how beautiful the area is. It is everything that it looks like on TV but even more stunning in real life. Those original set researchers sure made the right decision!

We spent most of the time on the beach which was surprisingly empty for its beauty and then ventured to the other side of the Bay to The Boathouse Palm Beach for lunch and a sweet - which I believe is used as an outside shot for The Diner... The Boathouse was an amazing choice for lunch. There were bunches of fresh flowers and floral arrangements everywhere, bowls of fresh fruit and citrus and not to mention fresh and tasty food! I had an yummy meringue and huge ice coffee which was just what I needed to get me through the two hour bus ride back to Sydney!

Seed.

Left to right: New sandals from Windsor Smith, watch, Michael Kors, ring, Numero 3, top, Sunny Girl, shorts, Seed Heritage (sold out).

This has been my go-to summer outfit of late. Whenever the weekend rolls around the the mercury rises above 28 degrees you can bet your bottom dollar that I am wearing this ensamble. Theses Seed Heritage shorts have been my MVP of late; they're light, comfortable, punchy and the most perfect length for shorts on a tall girl. I like them best clashed with the black and white stripe top for something that doesn't make me look like I rolled out of bed and into something sloppy. Simple accessories to add the final touch and I'm ready to venture out to discover something new in my new hometown.

What has been you Most Valuable Player this summer?

Summer essentials.

Clockwise from left: 1. Towel/throw Dreams in Colour 2. Reef Dry-Touch Sunscreen Lotion 3. Garnier Surf Spray 4. Hat Seed  5. Schwarzkopf Marrakesh Oil & Coconut 6. Tigerlily bikini 7. BronZinc

To live the life of a beach goddess with a golden tan, perfectly tussled locks and glowing skin you need to have the right equipment. It's important to slip, slop and slap, keep hydrated and seek some shade where possible. You will also need the right products: a good sunscreen, zinc and something for your hair. I have been using the products pictured above almost daily. The Reef sunscreen lotion is powder based so it goes smoothly but doesn't leave you with that greasy feeling other sunscreens usually do. There is nothing worse to set on early aging than sun damage to your face. I have been using BronZinc for years - it goes on nice and thick and the tan colour adds some bonus coverage. Your hair can almost end up forgotten by the time you have looked after your precious skin but after showering I like to put a small amount of leave-in treatment through my hair; this new Schwarzkopf Marrakesh Oil & Coconut works a treat! After the leave in treatment I spray with my trusted Garnier Surf Spray and let my hair dry naturally for the 'I've just come from the beach to the bar' look. To top it all off a day isn't complete without the right accessories: a cute bikini, hat and towel.

Looking back on 2013.

With the year coming quickly to a close this evening I have spent much of today thinking in reflection; evaluating progress and ticking off goals I set out to achieve at the beginning of the year. This time last year I was on the adventure of a lifetime travelling through Japan, experiencing a different culture and a different way of living. I had my eyes open to the world, seeing and breathing all of its hope and endless possibilities. I remember sitting in a coffee shop alone on New Years Day writing out what I wanted to do this year. Among my list was continuing to blog regularly and not let it be one of those things that gets forgotten about, to intern at magazines and get my experience up with the hope of one day joining the industry, to continue my budget plan and grow my savings, and the big one: to move to Sydney and advance in my career. I can safely say that I have achieved everything I wrote down that cold morning in the Japanese coffee shop but that isn't to say that any of it was easy. I have challenged myself to grow more this year than I have ever done in my life. I have pushed myself and my boundaries to achieve my goals. I set out to do things that I knew were ambitious for me but gave them a go anyway. Moving has been the most challenging, confronting experience I have ever faced but hey, I did it and it all worked out fine. Job hunting was painful with a lack of responses but I have been fortunate enough to land nicely in a place where I have found it to be more exciting and rewarding than the world of magazines that I originally had my heart set on. This year has been full of hard work, self-doubt, perseverance and surprises. It has been a good year, the most rewarding one yet. I plan on keeping my 2014 goals simple: to work hard at my new job and make new friends in Sydney.