The Collier's

21/01/2025

Leukerbad

Our Christmas destination was Leukerbad, a little town in the Swiss Alps. We arrived in a full blizzard and no courtesy busses were running due to the weather and our accomodation was 1km from the bus stop- all uphill! There was no way we were going to be able to drag 6 suitcases up so we sold a kidney each and paid for the only taxi that was running in the town.

After a bite to eat and a few cups of hot tea, we settled into our accomodation. It was massive and although we couldn’t tell when we arrived due to the storm, had amazing views.

The next day was stunning, clear blue skies and bright sunshine, but due to the amount of snow, the mountains weren’t yet deemed safe so we had to wait an extra day to organise our skiing.

Christmas Day was spent on the ski fields! What a change to what we were used to. And you know what?! Even though it was Christmas Day, you wouldn’t know it. There were no carols, no Santa hats, it was so bizarre!

We had a big Christmas roast dinner and in true Christmas tradition, overate!

We ended up having 3 days skiing, two in town and one day up the mountains. Case isn’t a great fan of heights, and was terrified of the kids skiing off the mountain so one day up there was enough 😅

21/01/2025

Montreux- Switzerland

Known as the Christmas capital of Switzerland, we spent 2 days in Montreux. Set along the edge of Lake Geneva, the scenery here is just stunning.

Set along the Lake, huge Christmas markets can be found with all sorts of food, crafts, chocolates and of course, fondue.

We spend the afternoon exploring a castle, better known as a chateau. The kids had a ball here, checking out all the old rooms and we could have spent a lot longer but were kicked out at closing time.

18/01/2025

Paris-FRANCE

After London, our next stop was Disneyland. Case isn’t a huge fan (at all) of rides/rollercoasters but Nath and the kids convinced her to go on most of them. We spent 2.5 days exploring the two parks- Disneyland and Studios. It was lots of fun, but also very cold! A few degrees warmer would have made a big difference when standing in long lines.

You definitely need a few days as the ride wait times were on average between 30-60 minutes. In summer, these wait times would probably be a lot longer.

Paris itself was magical. Our accomodation was a short 8 minute walk down to the Eiffel Tower along typical Paris streets. Again there was baked goods, fresh sandwiches, croissants and alfresco cafes on every corner.

Even in winter, hundreds of people sit outside Paris cafes watching others walk past.

We bought a 24 hour hop on/hop off bus tour that went to all the major tourist attractions around Paris- . We sat on top of the open aired bus (the kids were super excited at the start) but ended up like ice cubes by the end. We did the whole route and saw all the bright lights, beautiful old buildings and fancy shops.

Our bus ticket also included a boat ride along the Rhein. This was even better than the bus tour and we had a tour guide that gave some fabulous informative information.

Our next day in Paris we had a sleep in and Ash took us to one of her favourite French restaurants where we tried some local cuisine- snails, French onion soup, steak and pate followed by some more ice skating.

We made the most of having grandparents (babysitters) and had a kid-free night at the Moulin Rouge. The show was fantastic- the colours, the dancers and the costumes were incredible. While it was pretty $$, it was a bucket list item and definitely worth it.

Our last day in Paris was spent doing some more exploring- and buying macaroons. I refused to catch the tube (where you don’t see anything) so made the kids walk the 5.4km back to the accomodation. A walk past Louis Vitton and Belle’s day was made.

17/01/2025

London- Part 3
Our third day we explored Notting Hill (if you’ve seen the movie, you’ll know about the markets, the blue door and the book store).

The fresh, delicious food, coloured doors and fresh baked goods on every corner make walking the streets of Notting Hill very enjoyable.

We then walked up to the Church where Nath’s grandparents were married in the late 1950’s after meeting on a cruise ship sailing around the world. Just across the road was a pub that they had walked across to and had lunch so of course, we did the same.

08/01/2025

London- Warner Bros Studios

Our second day in London was spent going to Warner Bros Studios- The making of Harry Potter. This was incredible- both Nath and I loved Harry Potter and now the kids (well not so much Josh) but the girls love it too.

There was so much to see and do and it was quite interactive. The kids loved all the different mythical creatures that were brought to life and Nath and I were able to learn about a lot of technical, behind the scenes things. We definitely recommend this if you’re in London and love a bit of Harry.

05/01/2025

London- Part 1
We started our European adventure in London. After a 22 hour flight (14 hours to Dubai and then a further 8 hours to Heathrow), we were very glad to finally arrive.

Our first day was spent exploring some of the big tourist spots- Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey. The weather was very typical of a London winter, cold and gloomy but this didn’t deter us and was quite a novelty after leaving 35 degree Brisbane weather only a few days prior.

We found a cute London pub (one of these on every corner) to have some lunch and warm ourselves with some delicious mulled wine.

The Covid wall of remembrance was quite an eye opener with people of the UK able to write the names of loved ones who had died from Covid—19 (over 226,000 people died in UK).

The tube is a fantastic public transport option to get around to all the sites of London, but there’s also plenty of paths if you prefer to walk and obviously you see a lot more if you’re above ground.

29/12/2024

Boxing Day Sale still on!!!! Don’t miss out

05/12/2024

We used a lot of jigs this year instead of bait and these ones proved to be rippers!!!!

Check out Slow Jigs Australia- proven to catch fish 🎣🐟🐠

17/11/2024

16/11/2024

Who’s into spearfishing?

Nath is new to the game, but has caught the bug so we are in the market for a bigger, stronger gun.

We know nothing about it and don’t want anything massive as it would be nice to be able to get it under bombies if need be…..

If anyone has any type, brand etc that you love and recommend, send them through!!! ☺️

13/11/2024

Love a good Spanish mackerel hookup.

Did you know there are now certain closure periods in QLD including 2 x 3 week periods around the new moons in October and November?

The closures are part of a harvest strategy to rebuild the Spanish mackerel stock to a level that achieves maximum sustainable yield. The strategy also aims to achieve maximum economic yield while maintaining catch shares among the different fishing sectors.

When we first started heading to Cape Melville, they were everywhere but in recent times, there have been some years where we haven’t been able to catch a single one….

Let’s hope these closures do the job and bring the numbers back up.

Share you opinion below? Keen to hear what others have to say about this

11/11/2024

https://youtu.be/D09Aed9ubIo?si=82igICpg7ZTn8FRB

And we are up!!!

New vid of our Cape York trip!!!

A touch longer vid this year but we’ve had another epic trip up to Cape Melville. We wear fishing shirts from LJM design, a Cairns based business that have t...

03/11/2024

Get to know us!!!

We’ve had a few new followers so thought we’d reintroduce ourselves…..

We’re the Collier’s ft my (Case’s) Dad.

Case is a high school agriculture teacher, and Nath is a sparky/fridgy tradie…..along with the 3 kidlets, Josh, Annabelle and Caitlyn.

We are just your everyday fam of 5 that loves getting outdoors and exploring!

At the moment, we are in Cape York at our regular camping/fishing spot. Case’s family have been coming up here since 1995 but this year we decided to come up a bit later in the season in the hope for some better weather (and less wind).

2025 we are taking the year off and hitting the road…..ready to explore this amazing country and we are so excited!

Thanks for following our journey and we can’t wait to share more with you! Also happy to answer any questions about fishing, travel, life with kids etc, drop them in the comments below or send us a message!! ☺️

18/10/2024

We are live from Cape Melville!

06/10/2024

If you haven’t seen our video from last year, check it out before we head up again next weekend!

Another amazing year at Cape Melville!Fishing shirts made by ‘Fishing Shirts by LJM Design’ Use code COLLIER20 for a 20% discount https://www.fishingshirt.co...

04/10/2024

Hervey Bay, QLD

Hervey Bay, located on Queensland’s Fraser Coast, is a stunning coastal town renowned for its calm waters, laid-back atmosphere, and as a premier whale-watching destination. Every year from July to November, humpback whales migrate to Hervey Bay’s sheltered waters to rest and play, offering visitors an unforgettable experience. The town’s proximity to the world-famous Fraser Island also makes it a popular gateway for those exploring the island’s unique landscapes and wildlife.

One of Hervey Bay’s most iconic landmarks is its historic Urangan Pier, often called "The Long Jetty." Stretching nearly a kilometer into the ocean, the pier was originally built in the early 1900s for shipping sugar and timber. Today, it’s a favorite spot for fishing, walking, and enjoying panoramic views of the bay. The pier offers a peaceful vantage point to watch local fishermen reel in their catch or simply enjoy the stunning sunrises and sunsets over the water. It’s also a prime location for spotting marine life, with turtles, dolphins, and stingrays frequently seen in the waters below.

Just next to the jetty is a fabulous fish and chip shop and an ice-cream shop so you can enjoy lunch while the kids explore the park!

We stayed at the Ingenia caravan park but will definitely be booking into the Fraser Coast Beachfront Tourist Parks | Scarness one next time as it’s currently undergoing a revamp and is in prime location!

01/10/2024

REMOTE FIRST AID!

You just never know!