Five for Friday… places we’d rather be

Grassy Head near Yarrahapinni NSW, Australia

It’s that time of year when the holidays are over, work’s in full swing, and you’re grappling with slipping resolutions.

EB and I have just made it through a ‘dry’ February – even celebrating our anniversary and moving house without the assistance of beer or bubbles.

And while our livers are no doubt eternally grateful, we’re feeling restless as that other ‘travel more’ resolution has our thoughts wandering off to places we’d rather be…

Here’s five of them, just for starters.

1. Cinque Terre, Italy: The gorgeous villages of Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore hugging the rugged coastline are top of the list for me, and kicking back to a slower pace (well, especially on those steep trails between villages) is simply irresistible…
2. Lawn Hill Gorge in Outback Australia: Boodjamulla National Park has been on our must-do list for years. We’d love to be paddling through those ancient gorges right now, but the best time to visit is in the dry season from May to September – wildlife, indigenous art sites, emerald waters and serenity. Ah.
3. Masai mara, Africa: I read Louise Southerden’s Memories or Mara (SMH, 23 February 2014) on Sunday and it gave me goosebumps – I love her writing style and now I really (really) want to go there.
   
4. Croatia’s coastline: A Croatian friend swears it’s the most stunning coastline in the world and from the photos we’ve seen he’s not exaggerating. With 2,000km of coastline and 50 inhabited islands to choose from, The Guardian’s Reader’s tips look useful for picking where to be to lap it up (and not get swamped with tourists)
5. Bourdeaux, France: A city surrounded by vineyards and delightful villages? Seems like the perfect place to hang out after our vino-free month – and because, of course, nous aimons France.

Well, that only made us feel more restless. What’s on your list of places you’d rather be? Happy (day-dreamy) Friday!