NEW ADVENTURES FOR YOU IN 2023
Well, it’s been a tumultuous few years, each one being memorable for the wrong reasons. Whilst we know 2023 will still come with its challenges, we are determined to focus on happy thoughts and wanted to share with you just a few things to look forward to in 2023!
Holidays
Travel started to feel ’normal’ in 2022, and with further easing of restrictions, 2023 promises to encourage many more of us to pack our bags and set off for sun and snow. Now is the perfect time to start planning where to go, whether that’s somewhere close to home or travelling further away to experience different cultures and traditions.
If you’re looking for inspiration, the Australian Traveller has come up with a list of their readers’ favourite things to do in Australia. To give you a small taster of places to explore here’s a very brief summary:
- Visit Lord Howe Island, NSW – a 10km long and 2km wide island described as “the last paradise” by the locals.
- Fly over the Purnululu National Park’s Bungle Bungle Range - a scenery of 350-million-year-old carved gorges and pools surrounded by a soft, green covering of grassland.
- Explore Sydney Harbour’s secret beaches – there are some beautiful sandy spots along the harbour including Watson’s Bay and postcard pretty Parsley Bay
- Take the train – there are some amazing cross country train journeys including Adelaide to Darwin, or Sydney to Perth. Such a relaxing way to experience the beauty of our unique landscape.
Marking Personal Milestones
We no longer need to have pared-back pandemic celebrations meaning there’s no excuse not to mark personal milestones – birthdays, anniversaries, a new job, or simply getting through the day – we should all take time to pause and mark the occasion. It doesn’t have to a big party with banners and balloons, you could take some time out for yourself and acknowledge what you’ve achieved. Perhaps some retail therapy, a trip to the cinema, a dinner party or coffee with friends. We’ve curated a selection of beautifully perfumed ‘Celebrate’ candles to fully immerse you in that precious moment and make it even more memorable.
Interiors Trend: Healing Homes
Apsley and Company Luxury Vesuvius Candles
If you’re in need of colour, warmth and feel a need for reconnection with yourself and nature you will be pleased to hear white walls and minimalist styling are going. We will be surrounding ourselves with colours from the natural world from earthy oranges to rich greens. We will have ‘wellness corners’ featuring cocooning chairs and soft lighting to help ease stress and anxiety. We will also use fragrance to help create calm by “scent-scaping” areas of the house.
Whether you go for a well-placed candle, diffuser or room mist, home fragrancing will become part of your self-care routine. For more information and advice on this, take a look at our article – ‘How home fragrance can help improve your mental health’ – we have lots of recommendations and advice for creating your own oasis of calm!
A Year of New Openings
2023 will see the opening of many amazing developments and rebuilds across Australia – from the landmark Queen’s Wharf riverfront precinct development in Brisbane to the inspiring, environmentally sustainable rebuild of Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island after its devastating destruction in the bushfires of 2020.
As Melbournians, one project we are particularly excited about is the Melbourne SkyFarm. This inspirational venture will see a disused 2,000 sq m rooftop carpark (owned by Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre) turned into a sustainable urban oasis with event spaces, a café and productive gardens. Visitors will be able to tour the working farm and orchard, taste the freshest of honeys direct from the rooftop beehives, and even visit the environmental education centre for bespoke sessions on sustainability. You could end the trip with a cheeky drink on the deck whilst enjoying the Yarra River views.
Music to Our Ears
Last year, due to the pandemic after-effects, we could go to live performances but on a much smaller scale. 2023 promises to be a year of full-on theatre tours, arena gigs and festivals and we can’t wait to get out there and be fully immersed in the joy that is live entertainment. There are so many to mention but one of the most exciting events has to be one of the most famous Mardi Gras festivals of all time:
WorldPride 2023
There is going to be a mega WorldPride Mardi Gras festival in Sydney this year. Sydney was selected to host this year’s global LGBTQIA+ Festival, which has been going since 2000. It’s a huge honour not only for the city but for Australia as this is a first for the southern hemisphere. Sydney WorldPride will feature all the favourites – the infamous Mardi Gras Parade, concerts, parties, arts, sports… all to celebrate Australia’s brilliant and diverse LGBTQIA+ community in a city renowned for its diversity and inclusivity.
Sport for All
In Australia we are renowned for our team and individual sporting activities, whether that be competitive or just for the love of making the most of our great outdoors. Every year we host some of the most celebrated global events across a number of sports and this year is particularly exciting, Just a few include:
The Australian Open – Melbourne, January 2023
Melbourne Park once again hosts this annual Grand Slam tennis tournament where you will experience world-class entertainment and non-stop court action
Australian Grand Prix – Melbourne, March/April 2023
If you’re a real ‘Petrol Head’ this is for you. Albert Park is one of the faster tracks on the Grand Prix calendar – in 2018 Lewis Hamilton pole lap averaged at 235km/h!!! The atmosphere buzzes with cheering crowds, waving flags and screeching brakes as the cars whizz around the track and the drivers battle with the bumpy surface and rapid chicanes
FIFA Women's World Cup – Australia & New Zealand, July/Aug 2023
This is not just about a football tournament of exciting matches and fantastic stadium atmospheres. It’s also part of sporting history with a number of firsts.
Fans will see 32 nations playing 64 matches across nine cities for the first time in Women’s World Cup history. There is a new vibrant and dynamic new brand identity with distinctive cultural elements. Greatest of all is a new movement – FIFA’s Beyond Greatness™ - with the aim to unite and inspire people globally through the power of women’s football.
Horse Racing
One of Australia’s most popular sports. We are known for holding some of the most exciting and glamorous race days across the international racing calendar. As a nation we love having a bet and even have public holidays to mark the major events. If you fancy the thrill of a race and the jeopardy of placing a bet or three, there are many race days to choose from including The Melbourne Cup, W.S Cox Plate, The Adelaide Cup, Caulfield Cup. Each one is unique and an experience most people look forward to every year – plus it’s an excuse to treat yourself to a new dress or suit!!
The Big Read
After all the travel and adventure some chill time might be needed, perhaps curled up in your newly created ‘wellness corner’ with a glass of wine and a good book. You could go for an easy-going piece of chic/chaplit, read an autobiography to explore the life of a personal hero, or simply flick through a ‘coffee table’ book filled with illustrations, sketches and photographs of your favourite things. We of course would suggest lighting a scented candle for the ultimate form of relaxation and we have lots to choose from. You can have a browse here to see what takes your fancy.
Hopefully, 2023 is the year we can begin putting the pandemic behind us. We’ve only touched the surface of all the new year has to offer, so let’s get out there, do what we love doing & enjoy life once again. It’s time to start creating happy memories with our family, friends and loved ones.
Happy New Year from Team Apsley xxx