The the rental market in Australia is TOUGH.
Well, actually, it’s apparently in full crisis mode! (Click here)
While we’ve only seen a handful of properties so far since returning to the sunshine state it’s enough to leave you feeling, well, a little demoralised.
Easy peasy, lemon squeezy
We made the big — well, actually it was more on the quiet side … we kept things on the downlow because why make a big fuss, right! — back home to Australia a couple of weeks ago.
And IT’S SO GOOD TO BE BACK!
Yes, J and I have both gone down our individual and collective memory lanes, reminiscing our time here in the “before we met” and then in the “when we met” … now making memories in the “since we met” time period.
And moving countries/travelling with a toddler?
Well, travelling with a toddler? Easy peasy, lemon squeezy!
Moving countries with a toddler in tow, especially when said move became a little more rapid and out of our control than we’d initially anticipated, wanted, imaged …?
Well, that was a challenge. Phew!
Imagine upending the last 3-4 years of your life, including your belongings … the home you created … in between naps, meal times, play times, walks and swim sessions! All while juggling Facebook Marketplace and EVERYTHING that fun place ensues. It was A LOT. But we got there.
Miss A has been an absolute trooper throughout it all and now, as we bounce between AirBnb’s — getting so tired of living out of suitcases! –and continue our search for a slightly more permanent rental — our plan is to buy — she’s taking it all in stride, one nap at a time!
She’s currently fast asleep next to me, in nap heaven after our trip to Chermside earlier today — “This is Chermside, baby girl … no, not Chadstone … but it’s where mummy used to go all the time!”
‘no gobbledygook’
I finished — DEVOURED — watching the hotly anticipated Netflix limited-series, Apple Cider Vinegar the other night.
It’s loosely based on story of the infamous, lying, scamming, con artist Belle Gibson who rose to fame back in 2015, or thereabouts, telling the world she had brain cancer — when, in fact, she did not have cancer — and made a killing selling well, CRAP, to thousands, probably even millions of unsuspecting people.
“This is a true story based on a lie. Some names have been changed to protect the innocent. Belle Gibson has not been paid for the recreation of her story.”
I remember her cookbook, The Whole Pantry.
It was published around about the time when wellness influencers were becoming increasingly popular thanks largely to platforms like Instagram; a well known celebrity chef started making waves with his, shall we say, bold claims; we were told to “quit sugar”; and people were flocking to alternatives.
Gluten free and dairy free was also all the rage back then (is it STILL something to rage about? Hmm.), as was paleo, intermittent fasting — or “metabolic efficiency training” for those of us in the triathlon world — and bulletproof coffee. And let’s not forget the milk alternatives! Soy? Pah-lease. It was all about almond milk back then!
And it was around about this time, in about 2015, that Belle Gibson rose to fame — and well, quickly came crashing down from that pedestal!
Who can forget that pink woolen turtleneck jumper and that 60 minutes interview for which she was reportedly paid SEVENTY FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS!!
“Belle, are you prepared to tell the truth today? The whole truth, no half-truths, no gobbledygook?”
Tara Brown, Journalist, 60 Minutes Australia.
I’m no stranger to the world of alternative health.
As someone who grew up surrounded by people big on natural health and wellness — the focus on diet and nutrition in particular — I’m familiar with many of the alternatives out there, and some of the reasons behind why people would choose these options over conventional medicine and healthcare, sometimes — sadly — to their own detriment.
And yes, as someone who has battled chronic eczema for YEARS (!!!) I’ve also been known to try the “alternatives”, particularly during those times of desperation when conventional medicine (looking at your steroid cream!) didn’t seem like it was working.
Back in those days, I even tried a colonic once or twice to “reset my gut” — or something! — which, as Mia Freedman in the latest Mamamia Out Loud episode explains, was all the rage back then as well, rather than the coffee enemas referred to in the series.
So, what did I think of the limited series?
if it seems too good to be true, it probably is!
Well, in a *cough* nutshell … in its essence it’s a cautionary tale of wellness misinformation.
Wellness culture has given us everything from green juices, alternative milks, to meditation apps — but at its worst, it has also bred some seriously dangerous misinformation.
And Netflix’s Apple Cider Vinegar delves into this unsettling reality, dramatising the real-life case of Belle Gibson (played by Kaitlyn Dever — love her!).
The series follows Belle as she builds an empire around her fabricated health journey — *cough* her BS — using social media and a wellness app to convince millions of followers to reject conventional medicine in favour of “natural” healing.
“It’s a fine line in these types of stories. You need to create empathy for the character. You want the audience to flick between finding them fascinating, abhorrently repulsive and even relatable. But, for Belle, I wanted to stop short of providing an easy answer for her behaviour. I’ve never, ever wanted to forgive what she did. And if she hadn’t hurt vulnerable people for espousing her BS, I wouldn’t be telling this story.”
Screenwriter Samantha Strauss, Vogue Australia, February issue 2025.
From a health journalism perspective, Apple Cider Vinegar is a stark reminder of the power — and responsibility — of wellness influencers.
The show exposes how social media can spread health misinformation at an alarming rate and highlights the blurred lines between marketing, pseudoscience, and genuine health advocacy.
For those navigating the wellness space, this series serves as a powerful lesson: Always, always question bold health claims — if it seems too good to be true it probably is! — seek evidence-based advice, and be wary of influencers selling “miracle” cures.
So, yes, the rental market is in crisis mode.*
We’ve moved back Down Under.
And Belle Gibson’s name is once again trending … but perhaps this time for slightly different reasons.
What a start to 2025 🙂
xo G.
*A small edit, because yes, it’s taken me that long to finish this post — ah, life with a toddler! — we’ve since managed to secure a rental for the next few months — HOORAY — which will be perfect for now, while we look to buy our ‘forever’ home!
editor, journalist, digital content creator with a background in nutrition & dietetics.
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