Bloggers I’ve Met

Squeeeee! I was so excited to be invited to join Myf Warhurst’s show on ABC Radio today, on the topic of  Aussie bloggers over 50.

That is, once I got over the shock (yes, even after a couple of years it’s still a shock!) to remember that I am over 50 myself, putting me firmly in this demographic 😉 .

I’m not as connected to the Aussie blogosphere as I once was – running a business will do that to you. But over the years I have met some wonderful Aussie bloggers and even though we may live on opposite sides of the country, we still keep in touch and support each other on social media etc.

So I thought I’d take a moment to introduce you to some of these lovely over 50’s bloggers, as you just may find a kindred spirit …

Jo from Lifestyle Fifty

Jo is in Perth, yet despite that we have met in person a few times now and it’s always a joy.

I’m pretty sure we got to know each other online in 2012 or 2013, through a couple of popular blog link-ups that were running at the time.

Jo has travelled all the way to the Gold Coast more than once to attend the Problogger Conference, and as the Gold Coast is practically next door to where I live, we got to meet up in real life then. I suspect our first actual meeting may have been in 2013 but as I don’t have any photographic evidence, I can’t say for sure – but we definitely had fun together at the 2014 Problogger event.

Then in 2016 we were both flown to Melbourne by Princess Cruises, to check out the latest addition to their fleet in Australian waters – the Golden Princess. It was a wonderful day and part of it was being able to hang out with Jo and her husband Dave. I can’t remember who snapped this pic (below) on the day, but chances are it was Jo.

Jo is just as warm, friendly, genuine and enthusiastic as she appears on her blog, Lifestyle Fifty (sidenote: in real life, not every blogger is like their online persona …).

It’s been quite a while since I met up with Jo now I think about it. Must be my turn to head to the lovely south west area of Western Australia!

Pinky Poinker

I’d been following Pinky’s blog for a while, when we met up at a Problogger event on the Gold Coast in 2014. At that time Pinky was living in far north Queensland; a couple of years ago she shifted to the Gold Coast hinterland, not far from me – but wouldn’t you know it we haven’t managed to catch up in real life since!

Her blog, Pinky Poinker, is guaranteed to make you giggle (and you thought only teenage girls did that). She is living proof that owning too many animals, raising five children, and being a primary school teacher sends you mad, and makes you write silly poems and blog posts.

Leanne from Deep Fried Fruit

Canberra-based Leanne from Deep Fried Fruit started her blog on her 40th birthday – and as she has just celebrated the big 5-0, that means she’s been blogging for ten years!

Again, it was through a blog link up that we first became acquainted, going on to meet in real life at Problogger in 2016.

At the beginning of 2018, the husbear and I visited Canberra and while I was there Leanne and I took the opportunity to catch up over morning tea at the Hyatt (as you do!).

Then only a month or so later, Leanne was up in my neck of the woods for a holiday on the Gold Coast with her family, so we seized the opportunity to get a few local-ish bloggy buddies together for lunch. From left to right below: Min from Write of the Middle (Brisbane), Lyndall from Seize the Day Project (Gold Coast), Deb from Debbish (Hervey Bay), Jan from Budget Travel Talk (I think from the Sunshine Coast? I will have to check!), Leanne and yours truly.

Min from Write of the Middle

I first met Min in real life when she came to the Redlands Bloggers Meetup in May 2013, as she lives nearby on Brisbane’s bayside. I was already familiar with her blog, again due to link ups.

Min re-branded from Min’s Mash to Write of the Middle a few years ago, and apart from being a place to share some of her beautiful photography, it also has a focus (see what I did there?!) on wellbeing for body, mind and spirit. Min was a finalist in the Bupa Blog Awards last year, and it was a real thrill to see somebody “normal” actually get a look in!

Deb from Debbish

When you check out Debbish, you will very quickly realise that Deb loves books and reading – how can I not love this gal! She made a sea change from Brisbane to Hervey Bay, about 3.5 hours drive north some years back.

In addition to the bloggers lunch (group photo above) in February 2018, we’ve also met up a few times at Problogger events and posed for a pic. From left to right: Lyndall from Seize the Day project, Leanne from Deep Fried Fruit, Deb from Debbish, and yours truly.

Kathy from 50 Shades of Age

From her lovely new home on the Gold Coast, Kathy blogs about great destinations both inside and outside Australia.

It wasn’t always so – I remember we met up for lunch in (I’m guessing) early 2014, and at that stage she was writing more personal-type posts. We talked about the struggle to negotiate that private/public balance, which perhaps led to her deciding to blog primarily about travel.

This photo proves that our catch up was quite some time ago: we have ignored the first rule of selfies – make sure the camera is above you, not below, so you don’t get a double chin 😉 !

And because I don’t want to end this post with a terrible photo, here’s another one of my faves from last year’s Brisbane lunch (sadly Kathy couldn’t make it as she was away at the time – the joys of being a travel blogger!):

Have I introduced you to some new Australian bloggers in this post? And did you get to hear me rambling on ABC Radio (here’s the link: https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/myf-warhurst/myf-warhurst/11671170 – my interview just after the one hour point)?