Purchased from The Camel Milk Co Australia. Delicious dark chocolate praline, although I can't taste any difference from cows milk chocolate!

The Reef House in Palm Cove - with lemonade, mint and citrus

Emu burger - close enough - from Metro Burgers, Melbourne. Very nice!

I was upgraded to first class on an LA->Melbourne flight last year! Although I can't say it was especially better than business class, it was really something: the seat spun a little, I had pasta and a delicious sweet wine, and got excellent sleep.

I ordered quinoa vodka at The Back Bar at Vegie Bar. I wasn't counting on the orange juice being fresh and therefore overpowering. As far as I could tell, the vodka tasted like regular vodka, but next time I'll have to order it differently.

Anantara Lawana, Koh Samui, Thailand

#33 The Boy From Oz - this was so good! Rohan Browne was so strong and the approach to the narrative was lovely, and I Still Call Australia Home featured this shirt, with an Aboriginal flag on the back and chorus singers wearing t-shirts of other flags while interpreting the song in Auslan, and I Go to Rio had rainbow flags, Not The Boy Next Door had this great effect of spotlights bouncing against a reflective jacket, and there were wonderful lights and good use of stairs, and overall a great show!

#32 Next to Normal - I was excited to see another production, unfortunately this one was no more professional than the first I saw, so it's still not the ideal, but a good show.

It goes so slowly, but I saw the progression of an Ultimaker printing an orb at work

Many years ago when my colleague returned from a trip to Thailand where she rode an elephant, I thought I wanted to do the same. Eventually I realized this isn't good for elephants and took it off my list. On a recent visit to Victoria Falls, I got the opportunity to meet some elephants and wasn't sure at first, but research indicated this made some sense for the elephants who have been orphaned or injured and are living here before being potentially returned to the wild. I met a herd of 5 elephants and got to feed some, trunk up and trunk down. Even to to see one nursing in front of us. It was wonderful.

I explored the Lofthellir Ice Cave in Myvatn, Iceland. It took some effort to slide into/up some parts, using a rope to hoist myself. There are lovely icicles all around, and a great part at the end when the guide turned off all the torches and we turned off our headlights and sat in lovely silence until he used the icicles to make gentle music.

Not a cave, but I stayed in a salt hotel (Hotel de Sal Luna Salada). It was very cool, but unfortunately didn't get to spend much time there - just dinner, having a quick look around, sleeping the night and getting up way too early to go. This was a mistake as the day after was not worth it at all. So it's hard to say how good the salt was for me, but it was a cool hotel!

#31 Sunset Blvd. - this is the first time I've ever seen a musical onstage in a language I don't speak - in Spanish. I saw this in Buenos Aires, one of the great theatre cities of the world. The star Valeria Lynch is huge here, and got a great deal of applause from the audience and she's very good. I think Mariano Chiesa has too much machismo in his portrayal of Joe but I like his singing, especially the title song. The actress playing Betty is very beautiful. I'm in the front row, and can see the orchestra very well. A little too close, but can't complain. Not speaking the language affected the experience more than I expected, but I'm glad I saw it.

#30 Snip / Tucked - this is one of those cabaret musicals where each song is a famous classic with rewritten lyrics - seen at Gate 69, the home of drag cabaret in Cape Town. This was not exactly a feminist masterpiece, but it was very enjoyable and the singers had amazing baritones.

Art Tea at The Merrion hotel in Dublin. I chose this one over other options in Dublin for its originality - several pieces are inspired by artworks in the hotel's collection. There was a wonderful coconut assam tea, but otherwise the food was just good, not amazing.

So happy I found this in Copenhagen. It's rather bitter, very fruity, but with a hint of the creaminess from white or milk chocolate. Complex and tasty.

#28 Bare - well-performed but average musical. Adam di Martino brings a maturity and handsomeness to the role of Peter, and I liked Ivy's song All Grown Up.

#27.5 Saturday Church (movie) - slow burn and a beautiful story. Not much music but the one song that appears twice is really lovely.

#27 Priscilla Queen of the Desert - a major production at the Regent Theatre. I couldn't decide whether I was interested enough to go see this and then won A reserve tickets as a door prize! Unsurprisingly the music and costumes were excellent, the latter being highlighted in an especially lovely way with everyone dressed as native flora and fauna in the finale - except our three leads who dress as the opera house! The choreography is also impressive with some very quick costume and makeup changes. And the effects used on the bus itself too.
The key story holds up quite well and it's still easy to believe how hard it is for a gay man to face up to getting to know his son. Though surprising how easy his wife makes it for him. I worried the straight audience would take the show for a joke and focus on the glitter rather than the heart. And indeed there was less heart than expected but it's still there. The real heart of the show for me is Bernadette and what a joy it is to see a musical that centers a trans woman, and allows her to find love no less.
Unfortunately the racial elements of the show hold up really poorly, from the Asian mail order bride performing a pong show to the fact that the trio actually climb Uluru which is so not okay culturally. There were also white actors playing an Indigenous man and an Asian tourist. This is all not very 2018.
I did like the three divas and the way they facilitate occasional lip synching. I'm not a big fan of Euan Doidge but he certainly goes for it in this role. So lots of feelings about this show! It is always nice to see an Australian original.

#26 Calamity Jane - a touring production following a Hayes Theatre season last year and performances in other cities recently. Very enjoyable, suspension of disbelief entertainment. Updates to the show in terms of little additions in dialogue referencing modern events and sly nods to Virginia Gay's career and leaning in to the lesbian subtext make the revival even better, though the early comments about Indians really stick out. Virginia Gay is wonderful as always in the lead role as is Christina O'Neill in a number of roles including Susan and Adelaide Adams.

#25 The View Upstairs - another Hayes Theatre production which was exciting for me. This is really a minor show, but it was sad and sweet with heart.

My third business class flight (BLR-HKG Dragon Air on a A330) was kind of like the first in the recliner and the way the holes under the back of each seat are where the feet go. It was pretty good.
My fourth business class flight (HKG-MEL Cathay Pacific on an A350) was something very special, because of the way each seat had its own space diagonally, fully separate from other passengers. I had what was both an aisle and a window seat (like the first flight) but this time I got to recline to be fully horizontal, and got a solid 5 hour sleep. Pretty amazing!

My first business class flight (MEL-SIN Qantas on an A330) was roomy. It's not life-changing, just far more comfortable. The reclining seat, the full table and service perks were great.
My second (SIN-BLR Jet Airways on a 737) was better than the equivalent economy, but really nothing special. Our entertainment option was still BYOD with a tiny selection, and the seats were wider but otherwise the same.

#24.5 Follies - a National Theatre live production in cinemas. It took a while to get going and it was a long show, but the last hour was so good. Janie Dee as Phyllis was spectacular and her "Could I Leave You" is the turning point after which I really got into it.

#24 Falsettos - much better than A New Brain by the same composer William Finn. I enjoyed some of the upbeat numbers but it was very dated and overall not quite the standard I expect from a StageArt production. Sam Ward's solo "You Gotta Die Sometime" revealed a wonderful voice. I wasn't very impressed by the presence of Don Winsor as Marvin, but Nick Simpson-Deeks was very good as Mendel.

I saw the season opener between Carlton and Collingwood. My first ever AFL match of any kind. I was surprised at how little of the game is the ball going all the way around the court and how much of it is constant tackling. The food is predictably awful like at most Australian sporting events. The crowd was more of a typical footy crowd than the feminist supporters I was hoping for. I just wish I could have also supported the women by paying for admission so they could get a proper wage!

#23 A New Brain - this was a mediocre musical. Some of the staging was cute like in 'Sailing', and I enjoyed the song 'Brain Dead' and the performance of John Reed as Mr Bungee. I also liked the sweet romance between the two men. I do wish I liked more of the music though.

My first HSP from an authentic kebab spot, I got to have a small pack and opt out of the chilli sauce which was just what I wanted. There was an option to get sweet potato, but I went for traditional chips. I was surprised how thin the strips of lamb are, which is apparently normal. It's not an amazing meal but was very satisfying in terms of being filling and a good late night eat.