Hamilton Island Travel Guide

Australia is the greatest country in the world. Beautiful beaches, deserted islands, and gorgeous Summer climates are just a few of my favourite things about the incredible country I'm lucky enough to call home. 

Last month I visited the beautiful Hamilton Island, one of the Whitsunday Islands, for the first time, and it was hands down the prettiest part of Australia I've encountered.  

2017 was an extremely stressful and crazy year for me, as I transitioned from high school to university, started fashion school and multiple internships, and truly made super huge changes in my life. I was desperate for a holiday to start off an expectedly busy 2018 as relaxed and calm as possible, and Hamilton Island was the perfect destination. There was literally a moment where I was sitting on Catseye Beach listening to Ed Sheeran mixed with the sound of the ocean, hooked on finishing a Liane Moriarty novel that I thought, "Yep, I've never been this relaxed in all my life".

Hamilton Island is definitely a destination you need to visit with your partner at some stage in your life. I expected it to be super busy like Noosa, with children and adults crowding the beaches, but this was so far from the truth. There was never more than 30 people at the beach, and at night, it was so quiet. John and I ate late each night and were shocked by how empty each restaurant was, with people tucked into bed before 9. 

The biggest highlight for me from my Hamilton Island trip was definitely visiting Whitehaven beach. I had never seen a beach with whiter sand in my life that also had such blue water. It looked straight out of something you'd see in a movie or imagine whilst reading a book. We took a 40 minute boat tour from the Island's marina and then did a walk through the national park to get to the beach and it was worth every minute. It's something that you just have to see and experience in real life, photos do not do it justice. 

I was only there for 4 days but I seriously could have spent a week there. You don't even have to do something everyday, just sitting on the beach with a good book was more than enough for me personally. If you were thinking of going I thought I'd write up this post for you guys to experience the best of Hamilton Island there is. 

Where We Stayed:

We stayed at the gorgeous Whitsunday Apartments, and it was absolutely perfect for the two of us. Staying in an apartment meant that we had a fully-equipped kitchen to cook meals if we didn't want to walk down to the marina and eat, but mostly just used it for breakfast. The view of Catseye Beach from our balcony was absolutely incredible. Palm trees, white sand and the beautiful blue ocean was amazing to wake up to each morning. Staff were extremely friendly and attentive, with free bus' going to and from the marina every 15 minutes. The shuttle bus was our best friend, as neither of us were able to hire a golf buggy because we were under 21, and the walk up the hill and down the marina became a bit of a trek. One downside of the hotel was the lack of wifi in the apartments, it was only accessible down in the lobby area. I think that the Whitsunday Apartments are amazingly priced for what you get. 

Where We Ate:

As a self-titled foodie, having a wide range of good restaurants is extremely important. Whilst Hamilton Island doesn't have many restaurants, there is still quite a few different cuisines to choose from.. There wasn't one meal that I thought wasn't worth the cost, however. 

Romanos

If you love Italian food as much as me, you'll love Romanos. I recommend here if you want to go for a fancy dinner whilst you're on the island. Their bread basket and bowl of mussels was my personal favourite, and John's linguini looked amazing. 

Cocachu

Ok, so, Cocachu was definitely my favourite restaurant on the Island. We saved here for our last night because all my family friends had told me it was amazing and it certainly did not disappoint. Our waitress here was incredible, super lovely and helpful and didn't force us to order heaps of food. However, we were so obsessed with the menu that our eyes were definitely bigger than our stomach's, and we were in a serious food coma after. Pork buns and the crispy porn and prawn wontons were the best I've ever had. Thai lovers, this is a must for you.

Manta Ray

We went here on our first night and it was amazing, and definitely one of our faves. The seafood pizza is a must to order, drinks are reasonably priced and extremely delicious, and staff were super friendly and attentive. 

Marina Cafe

Perfect if you want to order a sandwich or bagel for lunch, although quite expensive for small portion sizes. Do try their caramel iced lattes though, best I've ever had.

Bakery

I was so excited to try the Hamilton Island Bakery's famous pies, and I was not disappointed. Although tip from the wise: do not eat outside at the tables looking out to the marina, because lorikeets and cockatoos will jump up on your shoulder and steal your pie, just saying.

What We Did:

Hamilton Island offers some amazing tours. We did both the Whitehaven Beach tour and the Hook Island Snorkelling tour and they were awesome.

Whitehaven Beach was definitely our favourite because there was a lot of freedom in what you wanted to do. You could do the walk up to the look-out to see the incredible Whitehaven landscape, or head straight to the beach. Only downside was that we had to wear a stinger suit into the water, which made us look absolutely ridiculous but everyone was in the same boat so it was no biggie.

As for the Hook Island Snorkelling tour, we probably wouldn't do it next time. Ideally we wanted to go to the Great Barrier Reef but the tour's don't happen on a Monday and we were leaving the next day, which was so annoying, but none-the-less the Hook Island snorkelling adventure was fab and we still got to experience swimming with fishies and seeing the beautiful coral.

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Thanks for reading...

With Love,

Madyson

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ROMANOS

ROMANOS

Walkway to Whitehaven Beach 

Whitehaven Beach

Whitehaven Beach lookout

My January Lust List

I have a shopping problem and we all know it. Here's what is currently on my wishlist. 

My sincerest apologies to your bank account in advance. 

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Dylan Kain Romy Backpack

Every cool girl on Instagram - Eliza O'Connor I'm looking at you - has this backpack, and obviously I want to fall into that category so, I want this bag. I've been a fan of Dylan Kain for months now, almost taking the plunge and purchasing the gorgeous Bartoli bucket bag from one of my favourite stores in Noosa Alterior Motif. This backpack is so practical for my everyday life and is currently sitting at the top of my wishlist. Such great price-point's too. 

AJE Crawford Mini Skirt

So, if you know me in real life you'd know that I have an obsession with trendy mum's. It sounds so bloody weird when I write that but like it's all I want to be when I'm grown up. One of my customers was wearing this skirt with a C&M t-shirt and Gucci dionysus bag, pushing her bug-a-boo and I just knew I had to get my hands on this. Sadly for me, it's sold out. Boo. Shop similar here. 

Faithfull Shirt Dress

This dress screams Noosa vibes for me. I imagine myself walking down Hastings St (Noosa's main strip) with this gorgeous number over the top of my bikini en route to grab an acai bowl. Reiterating the statement of my love for trendy mum's, I spotted the coolest mum running after her toddlers in Noosa wearing a blue version of this with a crochet purse and black slides. Gorg. 

Cult Gaia Ark Bag

Is it over done yet? I thought it was just a fad, but 3 months later and I am still eyeing this bag. Bardot is also selling an exact imitation, but Diet Prada would ring my neck if I ever dared to buy an imitation. A perfect bag for a beach holiday, I say.

Zulu & Zephyr One piece

I spotted this the day it arrived in Bow & Arrow and fell in love. The one-piece swimsuit trend is so up my alley this season, due to the fact that I am extremely lazy and in Summer I just want to be able to throw on a pair of denim shorts over the top of my cossie and call it a day. Perfect for those who need to save space in their suitcase as well. 

Steele Riviera Ruffle Dress

One of my favourite stylish people to follow on the 'gram is Rozalia Russian. From the moment I saw it on her I needed it in my life. I love that you can easily dress it up or down with different kinds of accessories. This dress also opened up my eyes to the world of Steele, love this brand now. 

Puma x Sophia Webster Slides

The slide thing has never been my cup of tea, until I stumbled across these in my daily (let's be real, hourly) stalk of Instagram. They're so damn funky and perfect for after the gym. 

Shona Joy Oleandra Kaftan Maxi Dress

Ah, this maxi dress. It's everything I've ever wanted and more. I can't remember who I saw this on but the way they had styled it over the top of a black Zimmermann bikini and slides, oh, my, god. It looked absolutely phenomenal and although I would never pull it off as good as this girl had, I can dream. Need this for my Hamilton Island trip. 

Zimmermann Prima Floating Cut Out Dress

OBSESSED. Zimmermann is one of my favourite designer brands. There's something about the brand and their pieces that transforms you into feeling like this empowered, beautiful woman. Perfect for weddings and dressier events this Summer, all of which I don't have coming up. 

Chloe Carlina Rose Gold Sunglasses

My girl crush Lydia Millen-Gordon either has these or a pair similar, and I am in love. The perfect Spring/Summer pair of shades. I can imagine this styled with the previous Zimmermann dress and Witchery white espadrille wedges. A combo I need in my life. 

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Thanks for reading. If you want to see more images of the products mentioned click on the links. Until next time...

With Love,
Madyson

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Summer Wardrobe Staples for every Fashion Forward Female

It's safe to say that as I've gotten older, my thoughts on fashion and style have drastically changed. I've gone from being extremely trend driven, to someone who is aiming to curate a wardrobe mostly full of essential pieces, that can be re-worn and paired with different things each time I go to wear them. Yes it's more expensive at the time, but in the long-run, it is so damn worth it.

This year, one of my main goals for 2018 is to invest in my wardrobe. It sounds rather silly, but, a few weeks ago I was packing my suitcase for a Summer vacation and realised that I had wasted so much money on items from cheaper, online boutiques that I wouldn't touch next season. You've probably assessed your own wardrobe like myself, and have also seen striped shirt dresses and pearl embellished denim shorts - Zara, I blame you - and thought, "shit, I really have wasted a tonne of money this season", because I did.

Fast-fashion stores like Zara and Glassons are great for mimicking new-season pieces that have just walked down the runway, but, it's important to not have your wardrobe full of just these items. I love these shops as much as the next person, but it's crucial to fill your wardrobe with better quality, more versatile pieces that'll last you seasons to come, that can also be worn all year round rather than just that time of year.

Remember, quality over quantity any day.
Those $60 jeans from Glassons may seem like a good idea at the time, but a few months down the track you'll be wishing that you took the plunge and invested $200 in a good quality pair from Nobody Denim, that could last you a life-time.

Below are my 5 must-have's for this Summer season.

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1. White T-Shirt

Don't be fooled by the term 'basic' to describe a white t-shirt. In my opinion, it is one of, if not the most essential piece in any woman's closet. It's so essential due to how easy it is to pair with so many outfits. Whether you're pairing it with Topshop skinny jeans or leather mini skirt from L'Academie, a white t-shirt can take you from day to night.

They don't have to be expensive either. A plain white cotton v-neck from Uniqlo can be just as good as a logo tee from AJE, either way, extremely versatile and can be worn from season to season. It's a must.

Shop my favourites:
Kookai - $22.50
AJE - $190
Camilla & Marc - $99.95
Helmut Lang - $188

@aliciabatista 

2. Shorts

Okay, so I've kinda cheated with this one, because I think it's important to have two different kinds of shorts in your wardrobe.

The first must, is a pair of mid-rise denim shorts. Personally, I love One Teaspoon. I think that they are extremely good quality and not over-the-top expensive. Denim shorts look good on absolutely everyone, and thanks to Elle Ferguson, I've learnt that they  aren't just strictly for beach-side lunches on the weekend, and that they too can be dressed up with a white button-up shirt and some black pumps.

High waisted, trouser style shorts are the second pair that every fashion-loving female should have in their wardrobe. On those hot Summer night's when you're going out for a nice dinner and don't want to wear jeans, a pair of these shorts look great with wedges and an off-shoulder top.

Shop my favourites:
Denim
Lovers + Friends - $174
One Teaspoon - $99
Nobody Denim - $159

Dressier
Witchery - $79.95
Sass & Bide - $140
BCBG - $44
Bec & Bridge - $90

@maddychippendale

3. Boyfriend Jeans

I used to have severe anxiety when it came to boyfriend jeans. I thought that they looked extremely masculine and not at all flattering on my figure. Turns out, I was just wearing it completely wrong. Note to self: NEVER pair a crop top with these kinds of jeans ever again.

Another amazing day-to-night piece for your wardrobe. Styled with a t-shirt and slides one day and a blazer and pumps the next, you really can't go wrong.

ALSO, you usually find the best kinds of boyfriend jeans in vintage stores. Levi's boyfriend jeans are a personal favourite, but Ksubi and One Teaspoon also do them just as well.

Shop my favourites
AGOLDE - $237
ei8ht dreams - $198
Assembly Label - $99.95

whowhatwear.com.au

4. Blazer 

This isn't even just a Summer essential, it's a life essential. Truly.
Nothing looks better than a blazer paired with denim shorts or vintage denim jeans, in my opinion. Silk cami underneath, preferably.

I'm just a firm believer in chucking a blazer over the top of something so casual and it turned into something so fierce and put-together immediately. Manning Cartell make my favourite kinds of blazers, and I've had my eye on their white one with their gold buttons for months.

They are so worth the investment and will be worn all-year round, whether it be worn to work with a suit in the Winter or at the shops on a Wednesday.
White blazers in Summer, yes please.

Shop my favourites
Manning Cartell - $419
Witchery - $279.95
ASOS - $135

5. Espadrilles

Okay, so people may disagree with me slightly on this being a Summer essential, most probably because they are enclosed shoes and not completely ideal on a hot Summer's day, but, I'm obsessed. You've probably seen me wearing them multiple times on my Instagram this season, but it's because they literally go with everything. Although mine are $100 from Wanted Shoes, I am desperately saving to buy the Chanel ones that every girl and her mother owns. They look absolutely amazing with dresses, playsuits, shorts, jeans, seriously, everything. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!!

Shop my favourites
ASOS - $9.50
Givenchy - $750
Castaner - $121
Macarena - $100
Witchery - $120

www.vivaluxury.blogspot.com

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So, that concludes my Top Five Summer Essentials. I think that these 5 pieces are a must for everybody's wardrobe, and that it's totally worth investing in.
I'd love to know what your Summer essential is in your wardrobe.

With Love,
Madyson

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Best Looks On (and off) The Myer Spring 17 Runway Show

Australian Fashion has to be the best in the game, if I do say so myself. But if there's two seasons that we absolutely nail, it's Spring and Summer, and this year it was no different. As we approach the end of August and the end of the chilly, Winter season, Aussie department stores reveal their new collections for the upcoming seasons. 

Myer's Spring 17 collection was definitely a stand-out event in my eyes. There was a very relaxed vibe about it, with the event organisers wanting the show to be more like a fun party rather than a sit-down, watch the show, and leave in 30 minutes kind of event. 

There were two shows for this year's Myer collection, and I was fortunate enough to work behind the scenes of the first show in South Coogee. The first location was everything and more, a private residence overlooking the magnificent Coogee beach. Not situated too far was the second location, the Bronte Surf Club. Needless to say, the views for both events were stunning, with views of the gorgeous beaches that Australia has to offer, perfectly suited to the showcasing of the Spring 2017 looks. 

With floor-to-ceiling windows looking out to the beautiful Coogee beach throughout the entire house, it was the perfect backdrop to the runway. The A-listers, editors and photographers all sat amongst 2 rows, that were spread out from the front of the house as well as within different rooms. Floral arrangements, Mimco giftbags and endless cocktails were just a few of the minor touches to this spectacular show, with the main attention on that view and the looks. 

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On The Runway

Toni Maticevski, Alex Perry and Yeogin Bae were just a few of the designers that were an absolute stand-out. The 4 key elements of the show were: denim, street, swim, and racewear, split between both shows. 

Toni Maticevski

Morrison

Jennifer Hawkins in Toni Maticevski 

Yeogin Bae

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Off The Runway

Mix-matching prints, vibrant colours and white seemed to be the go-to trends for the upcoming season.

Kate Waterhouse in Anna Quan

Eleanor Pendleton in Toni Maticevski

Nadia Bartel in Toni Maticevski

Elyse Taylor in Yeogin Bae

Jodi Anasta in Asilio World

New Beginnings | Life after High School

As I am about to embark on my next life "adventure", I thought it'd be a good  time to reflect on my previous life experiences. Around this time last year I was in my final year of high school, anxiously awaiting to commence my first set of HSC trial examinations. If you're not familiar with the Australian education system - and more specifically the NSW system - basically Year 12 students undertake a set of examinations (2 major exam blocks) that determine the university you are accepted into, as well as the course.

I was extremely fortunate to have a pretty great high school experience. I left my all-girl's private school at the end of Year 10 and moved to a co-ed Catholic private high school to complete the final two years of my schooling life. It was the greatest decision I made as I thrived in all of my subjects, and had a really great group of friends who were my greatest support systems in that extremely stressful final year. 

Many of you wouldn't be aware of this but I am quite a goal driven person. I love setting goals whether it be in my personal life and in my job, but more specific to this blog post my education. At the end of Year 11 I made a list of all the things I wanted to achieve. These consisted of getting an ATAR of 80 or above, attending my desired university (Macquarie) and receiving entry into a Bachelor of Commerce course with a major in marketing. This time last year these were the driving motivators of my life, I literally thought I had it all figured out. I put so much pressure on myself to achieve these goals because I was under this misconception that if I didn't get into Macquarie Uni and in that specific course then I would be absolutely done for and there was no way I'd ever be working in the PR or Marketing field. 

Year 12 was overall an "extremely stressful" time in my life. I put that in quotations because I was extremely naive in thinking that could be the absolute peak of stress in life. I believed that as soon as I finished my HSC exams and received my marks that life from then on would be absolutely amazing (which it has been) and I'd never have to experience such high-levels of anxiety again. When I spoke these misconceptions out loud my boyfriend, older friends and family members would just scoff and tell me that I had an "absolute storm ahead of me". 

Andddddd they were right.

It was from the moment I turned 18, started uni, began to work 4+ days a week, struggled to see my friends let alone my boyfriend, that I realised how easy I had it back then. Seriously, if you are in Year 11 or 12 right now count your blessings because stressing over exams that honestly do not depict your future success is absolutely outrageous. It means everything in that moment of time, but in the long-stretch, it means nothing.

Don't get me wrong it is extremely important to try your best and set goals for your HSC, but it is not worth the anxiety, tears, missed meals, or the neglect of your social life. I went from weighing 54kgs to 49kgs in the space of 6 months, it seriously is not worth that. 

The whole point of this post though was to reflect on how much life can change once you do finish high school. Whilst you do have a lot more adult responsibilities such as earning your own money, paying for your own education expenses, deciding what in the world you actually want to do in life, there is some really amazing benefits. Comparing myself now to last year I have become so much more independent and mature. Although my parents pay for my car and provide a roof over my head, I pay for all the extra things in my life, like clothes, meals, petrol, etc. and I bloody love it. Not having to ask your parents for money is seriously the greatest thing in the world. 

Another amazing element of leaving school is the freedom. My personal experience revolves around university. Like I said before, I was pretty adamant on what exactly I wanted to do in life, consisting of going to university and doing commerce. I was so overly excited that I was accepted into my course and thought I was going to absolutely love it, but I didn't, I just loved the fact that I had classes 1 day a week and was able to work and make money every other day. Quickly I began to feel really un-motivated and un-inspired at uni. I thought I was going to thrive in it academically because I'd find it interesting and relevant to what I wanted to do, but that wasn't the case. 

I stuck it out until the end of Semester 1 and after my exams I started to re-assess my current situation. I was extremely unhappy and unmotivated, something that I wasn't used to after the completion of school. Uni is great in the aspect that there's so much freedom to do your own thing, so I was able to un-enrol for the year and really consider what exactly I wanted to do with my life. Don't get me wrong I enjoyed the course I was doing I just wasn't in the right mindset to really put my head down and get on with it. 

During this time of reflecting on what I wanted to do I met up with a friend of mine who was finishing up her Diploma of Business at The Fashion Institute, and she said she really loved it. That night I came home and did some research on the fashion business schools of Sydney and started e-mailing around to get some information and organise interviews to see if that was something I could possibly do on my year off. Last week I finally made the decision to enrol in fashion college at The Fashion Institute in Chippendale and I start tomorrow, and I am SO excited. 

Fashion has been an industry I've wanted to belong to for over a decade now, and if you've followed me for a while then you would know this. I am feeling so inspired to really make the most of this year off of uni and really gain some knowledge from professionals in the industry to make a name for myself in the future. I am so excited for the future and to see what the college has in store for me. This post is definitely going to be one of many as I reflect upon my future endeavours, as it was really hard for me to find other girls/boys that were going through a similar quarter-life crisis as me. 

Whether it be taking a year off to travel or work, or begin a whole different chapter of your life, know that everything happens for a reason. This time last year I was filled with so much anxiety about the future and how well I was going to do in my final school exams that I forgot to really enjoy myself and make the most of how easy life was. If you are about to finish school and un-sure about what the future holds for you or if you're also stuck in a similar situation and not sure if you want to complete your uni course right away, know that you are not alone, and that uni will always be there to begin or complete. 

Having goals is great, I think it's incredibly important to have them to keep yourself motivated and inspired. But it's important to understand that our short-term goals aren't always long-term goals, and that happiness, inspiration and feeling content is extremely important. Taking some time to reflect on your current situation and make alterations to your life can really set you up for the future. 

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would un-enrol from my "dream course" and enrol in fashion school yet here I am. 

I am so excited to start my first day of my business diploma tomorrow and I hope that you can really take something from this post. I love writing and it feels really good to get how I feel and how I've felt down on one page. I think this might be a recurring theme of my blog, reflecting and talking about my feelings and experiences.

If you have any questions feel free to e-mail me or tweet me, I will leave my social media handles below.

Happy Monday and enjoy the week ahead of you.

Maddy x

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E-mail: maddy.chippendale@gmail.com

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