Tara Marlow

Tara Marlow is the founder/writer/creative genius behind www.TravelFarEnough.com. Faced with the question “Why Do You Want to Write For A Living?” the following quote flashed before her eyes as she surfed Pinterest: “Travel Far Enough…You’ll Find Yourself.” Given she was simply existing in her life at the time, she jumped head first. She quit her 20+ year corporate career to travel, write and photograph the world. She’s now on a completely new adventure in search of connections with herself, her family and the world. She is currently in Australia. You can find Tara on the Web, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Why Your Mental Maintenance Needs Nurturing as Much as Your Kids

Have you ever had one of those days when everything seems to be driving you crazy? The kids are bickering, your husband seems like a lazy sod and the pile of washing is gaining to …

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South Stradbroke Island, it’s a place where the rigidity of the Australian culture heavily reliant on rules doesn’t exist. Where you can just walk or ride your bike unencumbered and chill to the beat of your own drum. There are no cars and the only traffic you have to watch for is the hopping agile, or rare golden swamp, wallabies. South Stradbroke Island is home to Couran Cove Island Resort, and like our favourite Fraser Island, is one of only 15 sand based islands in the world. South Straddie is made up of 1,800 acres of conservation park, so you know you’re walking into pristine nature. There’s no better way to help you unwind. Couran Cove Island Rsort - Gold Coast, Australia Couran Cove Island Resort on South Stradbroke Island lies across the Broadwater from the north Gold Coast area. It is easily accessible by ferry, water taxi, boat, or jet ski. It’s paradise tucked away beside the city. The Island offers calm inner waterways on the western side, untouched native bushland in the centre, and on the eastern side, a pristine surf beach with hardly a soul in sight. The surf beach offers spectacular views of the beautiful Gold Coast, and sightings of humpback whales as they migrate north to breed from June through to late October is common. It’s one of the few places on the East Coast of Australia where you can see the sun rise in the east of the island and set on the west. Couran Cove Island Rsort - Gold Coast, Australia Everything on South Straddie moves to the beat of island time. There was a noticeable click into present moment enjoyment as we stepped off the water taxi. Groove to your own vibe should have been the welcoming sign. Our guide, Sean, took us for a half day 4WD tour on the beach. Unlike Fraser Island, there were no other cars in sight. We had the long stretch of white sand to ourselves. Couran Cove Island Rsort - Gold Coast, Australia We drove south to the Gold Coast Seaway to watch the surfers bravely paddle across from Seaway Spit on the other side to come to South Straddie where the waves are epic. And of course, due to the lengths one has to go to to get to the waves, there’s far less competition for the epic barrels it’s known for. (It is notoriously sharky though so be alert - surfers amaze me with their dedication to riding great waves) Couran Cove Island Rsort - Gold Coast, Australia Couran Cove Island Rsort - Gold Coast, Australia Then we drove 20km up the beach to the channel that separates north from South Stradbroke. Sean told us the story of how these two islands were once joined and are now separated. It is said that a bunch of dynamite sank with a ship that ran aground in a narrow passage off the island. To keep things as safe as they could, they thought it was best to detonate them. They didn’t realize how much dynamite was actually there and it blew a hole in the thin strip of land down the centre of the island. Then nature came in with cyclonic waves and winds to drive the two islands further apart. And now there’s a great wide channel between the two. Sean’s happy the two sides to Straddie are divided. He reckons the South is the pristine magical part . North Stradbroke is a little more developed – they even have roads there. Couran Cove Island Rsort - Gold Coast, Australia Couran Cove Island Rsort - Gold Coast, Australia Couran Cove Island Rsort - Gold Coast, Australia On South Straddie, you’ve got only Couran Cove Island Resort, a resort for the visitors and next door, Couran Point a small village for residents, except most of the properties are rented to holiday makers. Couran Cove Island Resort Ramada Couran Cove Island Resort has recently undergone a multi-million dollar refurbishment in order to offer lavish facilities, five-star cuisine and stunning coastal scenery. It's unpretentious, friendly to the environment and perfect for families who want to escape the Gold Coast pace of life, unwind and connect with each other and nature. Couran Cove Island Resort - Gold Coast, Australia Explore it by the bikes you can rent from the resort, by foot, or by joining the 4WD tours offered by the resort. They'll pack you a picnic and show you the wild beauty of the area. It’s wild and free and so beautiful. You can stay overnight, or visit for a day! There is not much to distract you here. The activities and facilities are created to bring you back together: bike rides, kayaks, mini-golf, tennis, squash, bushwalks, and huge pools. Couran Cove Island Resort - Gold Coast, Australia Couran Cove Island Resort - Gold Coast, Australia We saw families laughing and playing together - barely a tech device in sight. Executive chef Chris McIntyre has created a delicious menu based on locally sourced produce and cuisines from around the globe. You can enjoy the dinner over-looking the marina. His dessert, the White chocolate Brule with chocolate Persian ferry floss and praline ice cream, was seriously one of the best deserts I’ve ever had. Other standouts were the scallops, Grilled king prawn, sticky black bean and chilli butter for entree and barramundi with with Israeli cous cous salad, poached leek puree, baby capers main. There is a pool with more casual dining on offer and a cafe with great coffee and cakes. The Boardwalk Cafe is a lovely spot to enjoy a drink at sundown overlooking the marina. Couran Cove Island Resort - Gold Coast, Australia Couran Cove Island Resort has many options for accommodation from cabins located within the Banksia forest to apartments and luxurious four bedroom villas. We stayed in a 2 bedroom apartment overlooking the marina. It was comfortable and clean and had everything we needed. I loved sitting on the deck for my morning meditation session with only the sounds of the morning birds to help bring me some Zen. Couran Cove Island Resort - Gold Coast, Australia Couran Cove Island Resort - Gold Coast, Australia Couran Cove Island Resort - Gold Coast, Australia Couran Cove Island Resort - Gold Coast, Australia Couran Cove Island Resort - Gold Coast, Australia Some unfinished business After being closed in the past for a period of time and then re-opened under new ownership, the resort is not quite at 100% of it's peak. The surf club is closed and needs to be re-developed and whilst our apartment was comfortable and spacious I thought the interior decor, especially the bedding, was a little dated for a resort. But I see great potential for Couran Cove once fully-restored. The Details Getting there - The Resort runs a 40-minute ferry service to South Stradbroke Island for guests and non-guests from Hope Harbour, 45 minutes' drive from Gold Coast Airport and an hour from Brisbane Airport. The return ferry costs $30 adults, $15 children. Day trips are an easy option and ther Gold Coast departure options include Sanctuary Cove Marina and Marina Mirage at Main Beach. More info here. Accommodation - Choose from either a studio or or 2 bedroom apartment, a 4 bed villa or an Eco Cabin. Website - Learn more at CouranCove.com.au TripAdvisor - read what other travelers have to say here. Disclosure – We stayed at O’Reilly’s in partnership with Gold Coast Tourism.

Mother Daughter Trips Will Change Your Perspective on Life

I am a true believer in the power of road trips with kids. There is a liberating feeling that comes with loading up the car and getting out on the open road. You get an …

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Tara Marlow

Why Your Mental Maintenance Needs Nurturing as Much as Your Kids

Mother Daughter Trips Will Change Your Perspective on Life

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Tara Marlow

4 Powerful Ways to Travel More & Create Better Memories