September 14, 2014 – Blue Paddock

Step out and let go of the fear.

I met a young lady the other day who was home visiting friends and left a lasting impression. She stepped out into the unknown and trusted herself. What do you do when you get to a point that you want to travel and don’t really know where you’re heading or what lies ahead . I guess you just put a pin in an area and go. Kristy Ellis decided South America was for her and headed to Colombia with a plan to hang out, 2 years later she has built a life for herself along with a handful of other Aussies in Cartegena. With a bit of get up and go she has established ” Cartegena Connections”. Kristy takes small groups of english speaking crew around the town checking out daily life on the street. The locals seem bemused that their street food would be of interest to anyone but a hungry stomach. but hey it is interesting. After chatting with Kristy you can tell she has truly fallen in love with this place and now calls it home as well as the bright lights of Brisbane. How often do we hold back on jumping into the unknown, and end up much poorer for it. You gotta respect Kristy and those like her , thanks for the inspiration ! I have included a few pic’s from Kristy’s web site http://www.cartegenaconnections.com . How sweet it looks, it is a blue paddock that is now high on my must visit list. Very little english is spoken here, go visit Kristy and the beaches of Cartegena. bp.

CONNECT WITH KRISTY

Australian born and bred, but internationally informed, Kristy’s heart has been captivated by Cartagena de Indias and she’s planning to stick around. With a preference for substance over style, you are likely to find Kristy hungrily sucking the marrow out of life at every possible opportunity. Her quest to savour everything to the fullest sees her flitting from zumba classes, to the central market, to happening bars, to gastronomic greats, to fashion-forward retailers, to the great outdoors and almost anything and everything along the way.

With a background in history and law, coupled with an incurable curiosity, Kristy has been equipped ably in uncovering all the juicy stories and histories of Cartagena’s dramatic past. These she now shares, along with her love of local culinary delights, with visitors from around the world.

Kristy also shares her connections to the best and most reputable tour operators and providers for when your travels take you beyond the walled city. And for visitors requiring
customised tours or event planning, Kristy is available to provide personalised concierge services by private arrangement.

Her incredible zest and enthusiasm, her enormous network of local connections, her now-famous dance floor domination, her cast-iron constitution and her almost passable Spanish, make Kristy your perfect partner in gaining a local perspective to the best bits of Cartagena de Indias. So get connected!

Surf Check 9.00am Noosa Heads

Chilled out day down at Noosa clear ocean and a few small lines. The swell is a surprise with around 1ft plus at National Park and First Point. Keep an eye out for swell size and direction during the day, Ti-Tree and Granite may become a chance on low tide late today. The beach is looking good right down to the river mouth and the water is a must swim. Grab a board and head down between the groynes for a certain 1ft grovel, its tiny but offshore clean. have a great day, bp.

Noosa Nippers in action sign on day in full swing.

First Point don't you love this view. — First Point don’t you love this view.

National Park Flat Rock lifting a few small ones.

National park a few runners , so mucho sand.

1) Grommet gets a helping hand from dad. — 1) Grommet gets a helping hand from Dad.

3) Dad gets ready Grommie starts to froth.

4) Grommie is on after Dad's sweet push. — 4) Grommie is on after Dad’s sweet push.

Surf Check 8.00am Sunshine and Sunrise Beaches

It’s a sunny Sunday on the open beaches with a slight pickup in swell to the 2ft plus mark. The wind is out of the SE with chop starting to set in. There are waves but not quality right now outside banks have too much water on them and inside banks to little.It will be worth a check on high tide around 11.45am , the sand is set for some decent shoreys if the wind stays light. It wont be great but will wash away the week and set the day up, check from surf club bank to north end sunshine this seems to be where the best banks are. Sunrise out front of chalet shop has 1 bank. . The swell direction is from the east so there are small waves at Noosa points but only on the low tide. Enjoy your Sunday bp.