RAIN, CANCELLED PLANS AND THE ART OF DOING NOTHING
When the Writers Festival was called off and the skies refused to clear, one weekend away turned into a rare lesson in slowing down, ice baths included.
2 min
Life can feel like a nonstop loop with work, side hustles, errands, emails, laundry, meals, walking the dog, repeat.
I travelled to Byron Bay for work and to attend the Writers Festival, only to find that the festival was cancelled and the rain kept pouring.
My carefully mapped-out itinerary of morning panels and activities was wiped out, and my first thought was: ugh, seriously?
Then I realised: this might actually be the best thing that could have happened. My room at The Hide was quiet, luxe, and perfectly unbothered, a king bed, a minibar stocked with everything I didn’t know I needed, access to filtered and sparkling water (because hydration is mandatory even when doing nothing), and, blissfully, a strict no-children, no-pets policy.
With the festival cancelled and the rain forcing me indoors, I was given the rare gift of space to breathe, reflect, and truly rest.
I spent the weekend doing exactly that: nothing. I read a book, drank endless tea, watched Sandra Bullock movies (because she gets it), and let the rain provide the soundtrack.
It was a rare, quiet pause in a life that often feels like it never stops moving.
At one point, I left the comfort of my room to enter the ice-cold bath outside, rain still falling around me.
An older couple was nearby, watching with curiosity. Before I stepped in, they asked, amused, “Are you really going in there?” I nodded, took a breath, and slipped into the icy water.
Later, the couple tried it themselves, laughing, challenging their mind and breath, and emerging invigorated and amazed.
Watching them embrace the moment reminded me that wellness isn’t just indulgence, it’s about courage, presence and daring to do something a little uncomfortable for your own benefit.
Between ice baths, dips in the heated magnesium pool, and long stretches in the sauna, I mostly lounged like a pro in the art of doing nothing.
There’s a unique kind of wellness in taking a break from daily responsibilities, even if just for a weekend.
Travelling for work while savouring intentional downtime reminded me that self-care isn’t indulgent, it’s essential.
Byron Bay in the rain became a literal pause button. And here’s the takeaway for all of us living life on repeat: sometimes the best wellness routine is none at all.
Lock the door, pour the tea, watch the rain, and let the world wait for a minute. You deserve it. Radical? Absolutely. Joyous? Even better.
The writer covered the cost of her accommodation; this stay was not sponsored.
Records keep falling in 2025 as harbourfront, beachfront and blue-chip estates crowd the top of the market.
A divide has opened in the tech job market between those with artificial-intelligence skills and everyone else.
The global architecture studio behind some of Sydney’s most recognisable towers unveils Civic Vision, its first Australian exhibition, celebrating more than five decades of design shaping cities worldwide.
2 min
Foster + Partners has opened its first comprehensive exhibition in Australia, Civic Vision, showcasing more than five decades of the practice’s global architectural work.
Staged inside Parkline Place, the studio’s latest Sydney project developed by Investa on behalf of Oxford Properties Group and Mitsubishi Estate Asia, the exhibition highlights the firm’s contribution to civic architecture, urban environments and infrastructure.
Gerard Evenden, Head of Studio at Foster + Partners, said: “We are delighted to be putting on this first-of-its-kind exhibition in Sydney – a city we have been working in for more than 25 years. This is a fantastic opportunity to reflect on our holistic approach to civic architecture, which has underpinned our work since the 1960s, and continues to evolve to meet the challenges of today.”
Partner Muir Livingstone added: “It is a great privilege to showcase the practice’s work in Parkline Place – a project that we have been working on for the past six years – and the new home for our Sydney studio.
“Our projects in the city exemplify the civic and sustainable approach that the exhibition centres on. From our first Sydney project, Deutsche Bank Place, which features a four-storey public plaza at its base, to our work for Sydney Metro, which is transforming the way thousands of people travel across the city.”
The exhibition is organised around three themes – Community + Culture, Living + Working, and Planning + Mobility – and features Australian projects including Deutsche Bank Place, Salesforce Tower and Parkline Place, alongside international works such as the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank Headquarters, the Reichstag German Parliament, and the soon-to-open Zayed National Museum in Abu Dhabi.
Since the 1960s, Foster + Partners has expanded its approach beyond technological innovation to encompass social and environmental design, producing masterplans for carbon-neutral cities and civic infrastructure that prioritise light, clarity and connection.
Civic Vision runs until 21 December on Level 2 of Parkline Place, 252 Pitt Street, Sydney. Entry is free and forms part of the Sydney Open festival program.
In the remote waters of Indonesia’s Anambas Islands, Bawah Reserve is redefining what it means to blend barefoot luxury with environmental stewardship.
From Italy’s $93,000-a-night villas to a $20,000 Bowral château, a new global ranking showcases the priciest Airbnbs available in 2026.
