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.
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Apple’s first foldable, the $1,999 iPhone Duo, combines an iPhone and iPad Mini experience—but its size, weight and price come with compromises.
4 min
As I watched a Netflix show on Apple’s first foldable, the iPhone Duo, I had two surprising thoughts.
The first: Maybe I don’t need my iPad Mini anymore.
The second: Uh oh, am I about to spend $1,999 on a phone?
I didn’t think folding phones were for me. I’ve been testing Android versions from Samsung and Google since 2019, and those early editions came with too much screen and too many compromises.
Fast forward seven years, and the technology has come a long way. Apple—in its very Apple way—has also come up with some hardware and software trickery to make up for some shortcomings of the basic design. My desire for a folding phone before today was zero. After today, it’s a lot more than zero.
I’m not ready to recommend the Duo, which ships on Oct. 23, just yet. Not until I am able to test it more fully, so be on the lookout for that review in a few weeks. But from what I experienced at Apple Park on Wednesday, I could actually picture myself using this new half-phone, half-tablet hybrid.
Crease camouflage
For months, I’ve been using Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8, a similarly squat, passport-shaped foldable that opens up to a larger screen. It’s impressively thin and can easily fit into the infuriatingly tiny pockets in women’s pants and dresses. Samsung did a lot of work to minimize the crease—the dip between the two halves of the big interior display—but it’s still clearly there.
When I held the iPhone Duo open, the crease was barely visible. As I slid my finger across the display, I could feel it, but it’s more subtle than Samsung’s. Most of the time, the screen looked as flat and smooth as the one on an iPad.
Apple employed both software and hardware techniques to camouflage the crease. The matte surface of the interior 7.6-inch screen minimizes reflections to hide it. (Samsung’s Fold 8 screen is shiny.)
And as you begin to open or close the iPhone Duo, the interface shifts the controls and content away from the center crease. If, say, you’re watching a video on the outer screen, you can open the Duo to switch to the bigger display within. A black fade marks the transition. You don’t see the video full screen until the phone is completely flat.
Heavy handed
My second observation was that, when the Duo is closed, in phone mode, it was harder to use one-handed than I expected.
In the keynote trailer and press release, Apple touted how thin the Duo is. It’s marketed as the thinnest iPhone ever—when open.
But it’s actually thicker and heavier than most of its Android competitors. The Duo weighs 254 grams, and is 11.3 millimeters thick when closed. The Samsung Galaxy Fold 8 is just 201 grams, with a thickness of 9.7 millimeters. Google’s Pixel 11 Pro Fold is 239 grams and 10.1 millimeters.
Because the Duo is also wider than a standard iPhone, I found it quite a challenge to type.
I admit, I do have smaller-than-average hands. So I consulted my colleague Rolfe Winkler, who has a larger grip. He agreed the Duo feels big.
Apple rearranged the interface on the outer screen so it looks different than traditional iPhones. The dock and control center are off to the right to be more reachable. Committing to the Duo as your main device will require adjustments in your handling. You will have to learn a new way to use and type.
Work and play
My most surprising takeaway? I feel a pull toward this device.
I always thought that combining an iPhone and an iPad would mean bigger compromises. The battery life is about the same as the 18 Pro (up to 24 hours of “regular use” on a single charge), though I’ll need to verify that in my real-world testing. And it’s also as durable, with the same IP68 dust- and water-resistance rating as the rest of the iPhone lineup.
There are trade-offs, for sure. Trying out the camera, I immediately missed the 8X zoom in my Pro model. The Duo has just 2X zoom, which wouldn’t cut it for the dozens of pictures I take of my kid every day.
But the dual screens unlock new photo functionality. You can see what your shot looks like from the outside screen. As someone who has tried tirelessly to self-direct a family photo—or a spouse—I am very eager to try this out more.
Foldables, I initially thought, were for classic mobile-warrior jet-setter types, who never sit at a desk and are always on calls. For that crowd, the Duo can run two apps side-by-side.
Me, I’m more of a bed binge-watcher and ebook reader. That’s what my beloved iPad Mini is for.
Watching videos on the Duo is a nice experience—nice enough that you forget the screen is 0.7 inches smaller than the iPad Mini’s. The main screen is also a 4:3 aspect ratio. Very similar, by the way, to the IMAX edition of the Odyssey.
Because I wasn’t able to snag a ticket to one of the sold-out screenings, I will be watching Christopher Nolan’s version of Homer’s epic on the Duo, just as the director intended. (Just kidding! Sort of.)
The Duo costs $800 more than an iPhone 18 Pro, and I’m not sure I want to spend that premium on a first-generation Apple device. But I’m not ruling out the idea that a Duo might one day be in my future. Stay tuned for my full review.
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