Your hiking boots are the most essential piece of equipment that any hiker will own. A good pair of boots makes walking so much more enjoyable as you can approach the terrain with confidence and get the most out of your experience on the trails. Good boots, however, can be expensive and when you find a pair that you like, you will want to do everything that you can to keep them looking and functioning their best. 

To help your hiking boots stand the test of time, you need to take care of them properly. With the right care, you can ensure that your boots will last longer, allowing you to spend more days on the trails in comfort. Form good habits and be sure to take care of your boots after every hike. If you take good care of your hiking boots, you can be sure that they will take care of you. 

Let’s take a look at a few useful tips to help you to extend the life of your hiking boots. 

Always Clean After Use
The very first step to maintaining your hiking boots is cleaning them after every use. Be sure to remove any residual mud, dirt, sand or snow from the sole and from in between the lugs. Allowing mud, dirt and other debris to set into your boots will damage your boots over time resulting in the materials breaking down and water getting in. 

Take Out The Insole
Removing the insole from your hiking boots when you get back to base will help your boots to dry faster and allow your boots to breathe. You can add an odour eliminating spray also to keep your boots fresh. Taking the insole out will also allow the insole to decompress after hours of walking so that it can recover and be ready for your next hike. 

Waterproof Your Boots
Water can penetrate boot materials over time, wearing the materials down in the process. Waterproofing your boots will help to prevent damage to your boots from water and help you to prologue their life. There is a range of treatments that you can choose from. When you are making your choice, be sure to choose a waterproofing treatment that is suitable for the material of your boots. For example, you will need a different product for Gore-Tex finishes than you will for a wax-based leather boot. 

Pay Attention To Your Soles
It goes without saying that the soles of your boots will take the most damage over time. Depending on your gait, your boots sales could wear down quickly and long before there is anything wrong with the rest of the boot. In this situation, consider getting your boots re-soled. This will give your boots a new lease of life and is much more cost-effective than forking out for a brand new pair. 

Use Your Boots Wisely
If you invest in a good pair of hiking boots and want them to last longer, then be sure to wear them exclusively for hiking. If you put more kilometres on your boots wearing them for day-to-day, they will already be partly worn out when you get to the trails. Of Breaking your boots in is fine but don’t too comfortable wearing them day-to-day, as you will go through them much faster if you don’t reserve them for the trails. 

Take Care Of Your Boots And Make Them Last Longer
As with anything that you own, the better care that you take of things, the longer they tend to last. When it comes to extending the life of your boots, be sure to keep them clean, waterproof them, allow the insole to recover and re-sole as required. Completing these simple maintenance tasks while reserving your hiking buts exclusively for the purpose that you bought them will ensure that they will last you for a long time to come.

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There are so many different styles of travel available from camping through fancy hotels, and as a frequent traveller I enjoy trying as much of that range as I can.
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On a recent trip to Tasmania I discovered a gem in the Rathmore Farm Stay  - a style of getaway that I have never really trialled before - but one that I am thankful I uncovered.  

The closest to this I had ever done before was a stay at the Dixie Dude Ranch in Texas, a rustic farm stay with cowboys, but I had never considered this type of stay in Australia before - and wow have I been missing out!

Here are my top reasons to consider a stay at Rathmore in Tasmania.
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1. Just one hour from Hobart

At just over an hour from Hobart, Rathmore is accessible as a weekend away for locals - or as a side trip for mainland tourists even if only flying into Hobart for a weekend getaway.

2. Suitable for families, couples or groups

There are a range of accommodation options at Rathmore to suit all groups of travellers.  The main homestead is a B&B with four bedrooms available (including two adjoining rooms great for families), the Shearers Quarters has five rooms available (perfect for a group) and Rathmore Cottage can accommodate up to six making it great for a family.  The three accommodation options are spread out across the 92 acre sheep property in the central Tasmanian highlands and with all that space there is even room to park a caravan or pitch a tent!

We visited as a couple on a one night getaway, but I would love to return with the kids and could imagine hiring out the whole venue for a milestone birthday weekend with friends and family or even as a venue for a corporate retreat.

3. Hand feed a bullock

It is not every day you can get up close and personal with an almost six foot tall bullock and hand feed him a piece of bread!  However Hercules is a gentle hand reared bullock that will approach the SUV to stick his head in, slobber all over you and accept a piece of bread! 

As well as Hercules the farm has some friendly hand reared sheep that will come in close for a pat, a number of horses that can be fed a carrot or two, six wild platypus that can be spotted in the Dew Rivulet and a trout or two ready to be caught if you bring your line and head out on the row boat.

4. Attention to detail

The attention to detail that Cally has poured into the renovations at Rathmore are not unnoticed when you stay.  And the personalised touches at every turn highlight how meticulous she is as a hostess with the mostest! 

Marshmallows left as a welcome gift for guests to roast on the campfire, a fully equipped mess in the shearers quarters for self catering as extensive as including a rice cooker and slow cooker, fresh herbs picked and placed in a vase in your accommodation, the sprinkles of flowers on the plates of food prepared ensuring plenty of colour as Cally quoted “We all eat with our eyes”. 

Rathmore may not be a 5 star hotel, but the rustic authentic accommodation includes personal touches for guest comfort that would rival any 5 star city hotel.
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5. Sparkling Sparkles

One thing I am known for is being partial to a glass of sparkling wine or two….. when presented with an opportunity to enjoy canapés with sparkling Tasmanian wine overlooking the property at sundown it ticked all my boxes.  

Hosted by owner Cally, we sipped sparkling wine while she shared with us the history of the property and a few intriguing tales that I am sure have evolved over the years through the local gossip trail. 

Canapés were followed by a candle lit dinner for two in the main homestead capped off with a bottle of wine by the outdoor campfire to enjoy the sparkles in the sky.  The skies in this part of the world are spectacular and we had a clear night for viewing.

Penny
Itchy Feet Family

*Itchy Feet Family stayed as a guest of Rathmore. For more details about Rathmore visit their website www.rathmore.com.au
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When you go on a family holiday so much of the itinerary is tailored around the kids. We put most of our energy into making sure they have a great time. But what about the parents? Why not include some indulgence for us on our family holidays too.

My kids, now 10 and 13, have had a few trips to the Gold Coast and in the past it has been all about them.  I always have theme park tickets arranged, sunscreen and bathers packed for days at the beach, but on this trip I decided on something different. A pamper package for mum pre-booked and part of the itinerary.

I came across a company on the Gold Coast that specialises in catering for holiday makers, Ripple Massage, who take the hassle out of pampering by offering an in-room service. 

If you are worried about taking time out, finding a massage therapist, getting a car park - a mobile massage is a great option.  An in-room mobile massage comes to you in your accommodation and they do all the hard work.

You don’t need a car, or to catch an uber - worry about getting a car park - or rushing back to the family when you are finished.  You simply answer the door to a masseuse carrying a mobile massage table.

Dining out with children can be challenging at times.  They like to be entertained and it is so easy to simply place an electronic device in front of them to keep them quiet in a restaurant. 

However on a recent dinner out on the Gold Coast I managed to keep the kids entertained with the help of a large wheel of parmesan cheese and a flame thrower!

Salt Meats Cheese is a family owned Italian restaurant on the Gold Coast that every Wednesday night serves up a special pasta dish - cheese wheel pasta.

Apparently a very authentic way of cooking pasta in Italy, the restaurant makes a presentation of the process which had us all fascinated. 

A large wheel of parmesan cheese on a presentation table was rolled up to our dining table and a flame throwing butane can used to heat the inside of the cheese to soften it.  A bowl of pre-cooked freshly made spaghetti then taken from the hot pan and put into the cheese wheel to be tossed. 

The restaurant offered a great vibe for families, when Miss 10 spilled her water all over the table there was plenty of ambience in the restaurant that no-one heard the commotion or even batted an eye lid!

Thankfully there were no electronic devices on the table to be ruined - just a paper canvas that needed to be started over.
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Penny
Itchy Feet Family

*Itchy Feet Family were guests of Salt Meats Cheese.  For more details about the restaurant visit www.saltmeatscheese.com.au

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A trip to Disneyland is a dream for many children.  For Australians, a trip to LA to visit the original park is a long way to travel.  Australians have the advantage of Asia on our door step and with the influx of all things western, we now can travel to Hong Kong to experience a quintessential childhood bucket list item of a visit to Disneyland. 


In April 2019 we spent a week in Hong Kong and decided to include a visit to Hong Kong Disneyland as part of our activities.  Here are some useful tips for your family visit.
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For the main part everything in the park was spoken in English.  The only exception was a Jedi stage show that was bi lingual - and although we had no idea what words were being spoken we still managed to follow the story line and understand what was going on. 

We had a fun day at Disneyland Hong Kong and would recommend a visit on your itinerary to this city.  Have you been - what were your highlights or tips for a visit?

Penny - Itchy Feet Family

Note: Itchy Feet Family were guests of Hong Kong Disneyland.
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A great way to acclimatise yourself with a city is to take the Red Decker hop on hop off bus tour.  This is a sure fire way to make sure you see all the major highlights of a city when you are short on time. 

The double decker bus provided a loop of the city that takes you to locations including the wrest point casino, through battery point, past the Cascades Brewery and women’s prison, back through the city and then across to the Botanical Garden.

We opted for a 48 hour ticket and of course you can get off and on at any of the stops that spark your interest. 

The advantage of a tour like this is the commentary that comes with it that offers a good insight into facts and figures about the city and a lesson on the history.

If you are visiting in winter it is highly possible there will be snow fall on top Mt Wellington which is the back drop to Hobart city. A great way to get amongst the snow is to take the Mt Wellington Explorer Bus tour to the summit which sits at 1270m above sea level and provides spectacular views of Hobart.  The tour bus leaves Hobart city regularly for the 2.5 hour return journey.

If it is snowing, the only way you will get to the summit is if you are on the Mt Wellington Explorer Bus.  This tour operator has exclusive and unique access to the road that leads to the summit that is otherwise closed during snow. On the morning we visited our small bus of tourists were the only people on the summit.  The fresh snow was untouched providing a unique experience for the kids who had never experienced snow fall before and were able to make their first snow angels.

If you are staying for a city break to enjoy the highlights of Hobart you really don’t need a car if you stay in the heart of Salamanca.  We stayed at the Salamanca Wharf Hotel which is an apartment style boutique hotel right in the heart of all the city action.

Walking distance to everything you need for a weekend city break, the Salamanca Wharf Hotel provided great quality accommodation and fantastic service from friendly staff. 

For a unique room, stay in the penthouse loft and enjoy the balcony views of the city.  As this is an apartment hotel it features a kitchenette and laundry facilities which are always useful for families. 

Have you visited Hobart before on a short break?  What were the highlights of your city stay?

Penny
​Itchy Feet Family

*Itchy Feet Family were hosted by Red Decker Hobart, Mt Wellington Explorer and the Salamanca Wharf Hotel.

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The perfect family break requires a blend of comfort, outdoor adventure and relaxation. The Yorkshire coast has all of those things and if you get the weather, it is one of the most beautiful spots on earth.

The beaches, caves and hidden coves of Flamborough, the history and culture of wonderful Whitby and the charm of Filey are all worth visiting and that's without even touching upon the incredible wildlife on show at Bempton and the revival that Scarborough is enjoying.

There are some fantastic cliff-top walks which will get the children away from their screens for a few hours. There are excellent restaurants, some of the best fish-and-chip shops in the country, and if the children claim they are getting bored, you have got the Flamingo Land theme park just up the road.

This is a truly stunning part of the United Kingdom with great cities, incredible lakes and mountains, and a wondrous coastline. Start your family trip in Glasgow, where you can soak up all this magnificent city has to offer – including incredible theatre, music and culture, fantastic restaurants and things to do.

Once you have visited the many brilliant places in Glasgow (don't miss the Kelvingrove Art Gallery or the Transport Museum by the way) drive an hour north to Loch Lomond. It is a place you can easily fall in love with. There are lots of spots to camp around the shore and the views are just magnificent.

Pack the car back up and drive up to Oban on the coast to catch the ferry across to the Isle of Mull. There you can soak up some history and Scottish culture. Take plenty of spray for the midges if you are going in May or June and you will have an incredible time.

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