Lunch in spring

There's nothing like a lunch in the summer, by the beautiful Sydney Harbour, with family and friends at that 5-generation institution, Doyles. A family that have been serving the freshest fish to Sydney residents since the 1880s is one you have to admire. This spectacular location, on Watson's Bay, with the waves breaking on the little white beach, the smiling waiters delivering the freshest of fresh seafood and the extended family enjoying time and each other's company is one of the most enchanting experiences you can have. Amidst the bustle that is life, which seems to be increasingly run as a military operation, quality "down time" is even more valued.

Sometimes, when you're sleeping ideas come to you. When you wake up, if you can remember them, they never seem to have the impact or clarity that they had during the night. There should be some way to harness the creativity we all feel in our sleep and bring that to our days. Maybe then we wouldn't all go around being so awkward in life and things would run smoothly.

Whitsunday sunset

Every day there is a sound and light extravaganza bigger than the opening ceremony of the Olympics. It's free and all you have to do to see and hear it is get out of bed at sunrise or go outside at sunset and enjoy the show.

Let's face it

Why can't I work out what I'm doing before I do it? Do you find that? You're busy going along, doing stuff, and suddenly you realise that you've made a life-changing decision and you didn't let yourself in on it until it was made - and now you're living with the consequences.

It's something I've done my whole life and I was hoping I'd grow out of it but here I am, 52, and I still do it. Does anyone have the answer? Do you know how to give yourself a hint that you are changing you're entire life, burying dreams you've had for decades before you've actually done it? I'd like to weigh up the options, consider the pros and cons, make a conscious decision. But no, I just go right in, do something (or worse still, not do something) and wham, I'm in the middle of somewhere entirely different to where I've been working towards for 12 years. 12 years of planning and I've changed the ground rules without even telling myself. Fantastic.