Travel Mermaid

Travel & Expat Blog

Expat Life

My Journey Creating The Glass House Airbnb in Western Australia

5th January 2025
Watching an Indian Ocean sunset at The Glass House WA Airbnb in Greenough, Western Australia

That time I moved west and set up a holiday stay.

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Australia, Destinations

Perfect Weekend Trip from Brisbane to The Scenic Rim

14th July 2024
Drinking wine at Barney Creek Vineyard Cottages, Scenic Rim

The Rim that does exactly what it says on the tin.

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Australia, Destinations

Epic Perth to Exmouth Road Trip Itinerary (2025)

1st June 2024
Drone shot of Monkey Mia beach in Western Australia

Your friendly travel companion for a road trip up north.

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Australia, Destinations

Australian Kite Surfari Packs a Punch in Tropical North Queensland

19th August 2021
Kiteboarding at Australian Kite Surfari on Elim Beach, Far North Queensland // Travel Mermaid

What an epic way to end our time in FNQ.

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Meet Travel Mermaid

I am Travel Mermaid // TravelMermaid.com

Ahoy! I’m Shezz, a London-born School Teacher who left Blighty behind 10 years ago with my Sailor. After stints in Prague, Thailand, Melbourne & Malaysia, we’re now based in Australia’s Tropical North.

On the blog, I write about adventure travel & expat life, with a passion for nature, good food and sustainability. Through my travel stories, destination guides & photography, I hope to inspire your next adventure!

Find out more about me here, or stalk my social media channels below.

Stalk me on Instagram

  • I couldn't think of a better way to get acquainted with the real Ho Chi Minh City than bouncing around on the back of a scooter and being whipped to delicious local eateries with some cool lasses.⁠⁠A month after moving here, we went out with XO Food Tour, a 100% female-owned and run tour group. They took us well away from our expat bubble and off the tourist trail to experience the real Saigon. ⁠🛵⁠We visited 5 different eateries in separate districts that are known for a particular specialty. All I can say is, wow. Vietnamese food continues to blow my mind with flavour combos, textures, and their amazing ability to elevate a dish with a banging condiment!⁠⁠But at the heart of all food is people. This was more than just a food tour, it was an insight into Vietnamese culture. The highlight of the night was visiting a local's house, Mr Ti, the Uncle of one of the guides. His stories really humbled us all. 💛⁠⁠Cảm ơn ladies, and Mr Ti you legend! 🙏🏼⁠⁠@xotours #vietnamtravel #saigon #foodtour #vietnamtrip #hochimincity #saigontravel ⁠#xotours
  • When an impromptu first visit to @elgin.sgn has a surprise Aussie chef helming the kitchen, Aldwin Hidajat—aka Wok Boi— it's fate.⁠⁠Fresh and exciting modern Aus tukka with locally sourced Vietnamese produce and aromatic Indonesian flavours, paired with a carefully curated selection of wines from around Straya.⁠⁠We're lucky to have you in town from Sydney for 6 months! ⁠🥳⁠...⁠⁠⁠Pictured ~⁠~ Half local chook 'Ayam Taliwang' w toum, and homemade garlic sambal (don't be stingy with it)⁠~ Beautifully textured and fresh cucumber and fungus salad w pickled daikon, white & black fungus (so good), and mandarin dressing⁠⁠Not pictured ~ but must be tried⁠~ Kingfish ceviche, thai basic, pomelo, coconut oil⁠~ Fried spud cake w whipped bottarga⁠⁠⁠@wok.boi #saigonfood #hochimincity
  • Six tasty weeks in Saigon 🍜⁠.⁠Hard to believe that this time last year I was living in a small village in one of the most remote coastlines in the world in Western Australia (population 244.. now 242). And now I’m back in a bustling city in Southeast Asia, population 10 million! Life has taken a 360-degree change and my feet have barely touched the ground yet. ⁠⁠. Saigon so far has been fun, exciting, steamy, intriguing and delicious with endless fascinating quirks. I’ve been really lucky to have an extremely welcoming community at my new school and the locals have been so genuinely lovely. I’ve been blown away many times already by their selfless acts of kindness .. it really is the people that make the difference, anywhere. ⁠⁠Have you been to Vietnam before? 🇻🇳 How did you find it?⁠⁠Shezz.x⁠⁠#saigon #hochiminhcity #vietnam #internationalschoolteacher #expatlife #livinginsaigon #travelvietnam
  • With over 12’000 species of blooms, Western Australia has one of the largest collections in the world 🌼⁠⁠When we ran The Glass House in WA, two Scottish botanists stayed with us for a week during wildflower season. They worked at the Singapore Botanic Gardens and were holidaying in the Midwest to view the blooms that sprout in abundance during winter. ⁠.⁠The inland route from my old house is known as 'Wildflower Country' 🌼 ⁠ and it's a tourist trail with some of the state's most diverse array of flowers. ⁠⁠In my latest Perth to Exmouth article, I've added my favourite wildflower hotspots along the Coral Coast, including a walk the botanists recommended, and believe me, these guys know their stuff!⁠⁠#flowerpower #fieldsofgold #wildflowercountry #pompomflowers #wildflowerswa #wildflowerseason #coalseam #mingenew #kalbarri #mullewa #coalseamconservationpark #perthtodo #westernaustralia
  • I can't believe it's our last month in Australia! ⁠( Again, I know 🧜🏼‍♀️ )⁠⁠Back in January, I was thrilled to be offered a new teaching position at a wonderful International School.⁠⁠We've spent the past few months getting ready for the move and making the most of our time in Southeast Queensland. There's a lot I'll miss about living here, but it feels like the right time to spread my wings again and take on a new challenge. We're both really excited about the next chapter. 🧡⁠⁠Can you guess where we're heading ..⁠⁠🔎 We'll need to practice the art of crossing the road.⁠ 🫣⁠⁠🔎 The cuisine is fresh, fragrant and aromatic, and it was one of Anthony Bourdain's favourite countries.⁠ 🤤⁠⁠🔎 I've been told that the locals are inquisitive and enjoy bantering and laughing with foreigners. They may ask you questions like 'How old are you?' 'How much do you weigh?' and 'What is your salary?' ⁠😆⁠⁠🔎 About 86% of households own at least one motorbike 🛵 (big clue)⁠⁠🔎 The weather in the city we're moving to is currently 32°C, with 80% humidity, and 80% chance of rain.⁠⁠Shezz.x⁠⁠⁠#expatlife #internationalschoolteacher #cityscape #brisbane #queensland ⁠
  • What makes the east coast of Australia special for me isn’t the beaches.It's this.The Great Dividing Range. It’s an absolute gem on the east coast. It's basically an enormous chain of mountains that stretch from the northern tip of Cape York in Far North Queensland, all the way down through Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. It’s what I missed most about living in Queensland.Since we’ve been back, we’ve hit the trails hard. We’ve probably been in the rainforest nearly 100 times in the past 10 months!These Eastern Highlands are covered in beautiful tropical and subtropical rainforest, harbouring a network of hiking trails, swimming holes, charming villages, waterfalls and wildlife. It’s weekend, after work and holiday fun, all year round.For me, it’s become more than just exercise, it’s a reset button and a connection to nature. I could get lost inside all day. Sometimes we do.Here are some highlights from the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane.x#southeastqueensland #hiking #sunshinecoast brisbane #thisisqueensland

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