Category: Australia

~ An Autumn Visit to Healesville, Yarra Valley ~

After our first day in Melbourne had ended we were picked up by Laurence and Maddy for our weekend in Healesville. Situated in the Yarra Valley and just an hour’s drive North East of Melbourne. I had booked a two bed/bath house just off the high street. It was perfect for our two night stay. Healesville is one of many small towns/settlements in the Yarra Valley.

On our first night we had dinner at the Healesville Hotel. It had a cosy old world charm about it and the food was delicious. The next morning we drove into Healesville for breakfast, being Saturday everywhere was packed.

After finishing up we drove to Maroondah Reservoir Park. There is a 41 metre high dam wall offering scenic views. What I didn’t realise is that to see these views you had to hike up a steep incline. Using Laurence as a pack horse I wrapped my scarf around his waist and used him to pull me up.

The views from the top were worth it. Stunning autumnal colours in all shades of red, brown and yellow.

Maroondah Reservoir Park

Making our way up the Rose stairs, there was still a way to go. This pathway is paved with stones and brightly coloured roses line the edges.

“And all the lives we ever lived and all the lives to be, are full of trees and changing leaves” – Virginia Woolf

There are many picnic benches around plus gas and electric barbeques. The weather was definitely in our favour that day.

At the top

“Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree.” — Emily Brontë

Time for lunch now and we headed to Boat O’Craigo Winery. The name originates from a tiny place in Scotland where the owners’ ancestors came from. We were delighted with our choice. There were panoromic views from every window. We settled down to a charcuterie board and a bottle of wine. This winery is in the High Street, so within walking distance of hotels and apartments.

Boat O’Craigo Winery

Picturesque views as far as the eye could see.

Entrance to Boat O’Craigo Winery

With still a few hours left we headed off to another winery called Soumah. As it states on the website it has “the charm of Northern Italy within the provenance of the Yarra Valley”. It is actually located in Warramate foothills of Gruyere. As the temperature was still warm we sat outside and enjoyed another bottle of wine.

Soumah Winery

All too soon our little jaunt to the Yarra Valley was over. Sunday was a complete washout so we drove back to Melbourne earlier than planned. Venturing outside of Melbourne for a day or two is so easy. You can be somewhere completely different in just an hour.

“Wake up and Smell the Roses”

~ Attractions in Melbourne: From Churches to Gaols ~

We have just returned from a trip to Melbourne and Sydney. It was mainly to catch up with our son and daughter-in-law and visit friends. Having seen much of Melbourne already we had to come up with something different to do. We caught the tram into town which is now free, we stopped first for a coffee. You can’t beat the coffee in Melbourne. I saw from the maps that Melbourne Gaol was only a short walk away. I do like an Australian prison, so much history.

Melbourne

We popped into The Scots’ Church on the way and were surprised at the size inside. Built in 1874, a prominent example of Gothic Revival.

Glorious stained glass windows

Just opposite was another church. In Central Melbourne there are 111 active churches.

St. Michael’s Uniting Church

Built between 1863 and 1866 in the Lombardic Romanesque style.

The Abode Building – noted for its cascading facade, standing next to Iglu Melbourne Central – student accommodation.

Melbourne has such wonderful architecturally designed buildings, each one very different.

Melbourne Gaol is a great place to spend a morning or afternoon. It’s full of interesting history and artefacts. In nearly every cell there is information of former inmates. The most infamous of all was Ned Kelly. He remains a divisive figure in Australia, regarded variously as a Robin Hood-like folk hero and symbol of national identity, or as a murderous villain. He demanded justice for the downtrodden and the rural poor. Wearing a handmade suit of bullet proof armour he evaded the police for years. Ned Kelly was eventually captured in 1880 and executed in Melbourne Gaol.

Here I am modelling Ned Kelly’s suit of armour. I simply couldn’t resist. Anthony looked on in amazement as I struggled to put this on.

The trapdoor
The gruesome noose

The imposing entrance

Inside the cells, seems there is one inmate still serving time.

“Phrenology gained wide acceptance in the late 19th century, with the making of death masks becoming standard practice. The brains of hundreds of criminals were examined after death, as well as those of many eminent people. Eventually the results showed that most criminals had similar sized brains to other citizens.”
Science has definitely come along way since! These scientists should have had their own heads examined.

And that concludes our tour of Melbourne Gaol.

🦹 🦹 🦹 🦹 🦹 🦹 🦹 🦹 🦹 🦹 🦹 🦹 🦹 🦹

~ Sculptures by the Sea – Cottesloe 2026 ~

Sculptures by the sea is back for another year with more weird and wonderful sculptures. We went last week for a walk along the sand to see what was on offer. It also happened to be the windiest day and we were whipped and scoured by the sand. The sea was churning and the waves were slapping against the Groyne, soaking us when they came over the top. Anyway we managed a good 45 minutes walking in the softest sand. All of our eyes were watering and sore, I’m not sure how I managed to take any photos.

This is an annual event at Cottesloe Beach, Western Australia and is also held at Bondi Beach, NSW. It is a sponsored event and free to the public. The artists get a chance to exhibit their latest creations and prizes are awarded. Cottesloe Council often purchases one of the sculptures and these can be seen on the seafront.

Daring the waves to splash them

SOMA – Drew McDonald

Taking a rest

Love U – Jason Hirst

Homage to the Cube – Andrew Farmer

I like the way the above photos turned out with the iconic “Indiana Tearooms” reflected in the mirrored cube.

Ode to the Ancestors – Dr Jason Christopher

Artificial Real Time – Erica Zaino

Click on the photo to read the caption

Sun Dial – Tanya & Evi Ferrier

Time to go yet? It wasn’t quite accurate but close enough.

Emperor of the Abrolhos
Tim Storrier
Love
Jimmy Rix
Reef Reverie – Jonathon Rockefeller
Sway – April Pine
Swan Theory – Fiona Gavino

Heaven – Vaughn Bisschops

My favourite sculpture this year is the silver pelican sitting on a shiny suitcase. It looks like postcards have been attached to the suitcase.

Joining Jo for a Walk.

~ Shadows in the Playground ~

Squares is back for November! This challenge is hosted by Becky from The Life of B and should be tagged NovemberSquares. Read the link to find out more.

For the first day I’ve gone with shadows. Photos I took when I took my grandchildren to the park a few weeks ago. For a better effect I changed the filter to black and white.

A photo of 7 year old Lachie on a net swing

5 year old Rosie on a swing

Rosie waiting to “bat”

I also took this the same day at a mini golf course. The dappled shadows of the trees caught my eye. Look closely at the bottom left and you can see me as well!

“That girl whom I never saw save dappled with the shadows of their leaves, was to me herself a plant of local growth, only taller than the rest, and one whose structure would enable me to approach more closely than in them to the intimate savour of the land from which she had sprung.” 

Marcel Proust

⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ️

~ Fun and Fantastic Free attractions for Melbourne visitors ~

Walking through the Royal Botanic Gardens is an escape from city life. It’s peaceful and quiet with the trees masking the noise from the roads. It was founded in 1846 and covers 38 hectares. As we only had a few hours to explore we followed the path back towards the city. My gallery below shows just a few of the scenes on offer.

I liked these quotes so typed them out to be able read them clearly.

This plant caught my eye, at first from a distance I thought it was a light of some kind.

Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne
Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne
Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne

The photo above is of Guilfoyle’s Volcano. It is a restored reservoir built in 1876 built to look like a volcano. From here you can see panoramic scenes of the city.

Botanic Gardens, Melbourne
Botanic Gardens, Melbourne
Botanic Gardens, Melbourne

Top left, Anthony in the Tacoma Pavilion ; Top right, “Looking out”
Bottom, Shrine of Remembrance.

Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne
Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne

Looking through the trees towards the City skyline

There is a cafe here for lunches and coffees and also many places to sit and have a picnic. The Yarra River is only a short walk away where there are many cafes and restaurants.

This is one of my favourite places for lunch, especially on a sunny day.

Another interesting place to explore, particularly when it’s raining is The National Gallery of Victoria. It is normally free entrance, if there is a special exhibition an entrance fee might be required. There are four floors to explore with over 76,000 works of art to see.

I have collated a gallery of my own below. I framed my favourites.

Bronze Eel Trap
Aunty Kim Wandin
“Really Good”
David Shrigley
Image gallery image
“Venus”
Jeff Koons
Image gallery image
“Dancing Pumpkin”
Yayoi Kusama

Paintings by Nipa Doshi

Tea and coffee salon, Sabo, 1939
Saeki Shunko

Parrots Live Forever
Audrey Flack

The Sun Eater
Joan Miro

I took the above to show my 7 year old grandson as I think some of his artwork is better!

Photograph titled Irises
Robert Mapplethorpe

This last one appealed to me because of the shadow and light thrown across the flowers. Tea and Coffee Salon is my favourite and think it would look excellent hanging in my living room.

If you’re looking for quirky places to eat in Melbourne off the beaten track, we found an excellent French restaurant. Midnight in Paris is situated in Prahran High Street and is also an art gallery. They have live music on Fridays and Saturdays. The service and food are excellent.

Herb Crusted Fish
Seafood Marinara

Our tasty mains

A sample of the artwork on display

Cozy garden at the back

I was tempted to get up and have a little boogie and danced like no-one was watching! But everyone would have been watching it was so small.

I’m linking to Jo’s Monday Walk and Natalie’s Weekend Coffee Share and PPAC

~ Wordless Wednesday – 16/4/2025 ~

Black Cockatoo

~ Morning Coffee and a Rainbow ~

I sat outside yesterday morning with my coffee, enjoying the early morning cool weather. I looked up at the sky and wondered if the rain was coming or going. All of a sudden through the haze a rainbow appeared. As I sat in silent wonder, it seemed to become brighter. A lovely treat for a Saturday morning I thought.

🌈Have a great week🌈

~ Taking it Easy – Perth, February 2025 ~

The Summer school holidays finally came to an end here in Perth. Master Lachie would be starting year 2 and Miss Rosie would be entering kindergarten. Time for new shoes. I took both munchkins to our local shopping centre to have their feet measured up for new shoes. Everything is so sophisticated these days, and feet are measured electronically. Back in the day your foot was put into a wooden contraption with a slide bar.

Rosie was going two and three days a week, so I can still have my days with her.

Larger than life Sylvanian Rabbit

Out shopping for her favourite toys.

We had some extensive tree cutting and bush pruning performed by professionals. Although my dear hubby said he would do it all – eventually – it’s the removal of all the debris that is a problem. Now I have an empty flower bed to replant, which I’ll be getting advice about.

I’m looking forward to discussing ideas with a lady I found locally.

The weather is turning slightly cooler in the mornings and evenings which is a relief. I’ve been able to sit out in the mornings with my coffee. This little guy has been visiting every morning and having a morning feed. Luckily Zac and Rufus didn’t notice.

Hubby and I had a lovely lunch in Fremantle last week. We tried a place that was new to us but I’d heard good reviews. It was such a beautiful day, we managed to get a table outside.

A couple of sculptures caught my eye. The dog is so cute.

Say hello to Dwert (noongar for dingo). Created by sculptor – Martin Jaine.

The above is a life size sculpture of a memorial to the migrant children. Between 1947 and 1953 over 3,000 children (many unaccompanied) from UK and Malta migrated to Western Australia. They went to voluntary and religious organisations. Many of these children we now know were little more than unpaid workers. They suffered untold abuse which has only come to light in the last ten years or so. The children were told they were orphans. Some of them were. Others had mothers who, due to extreme hardship, had no choice but to let them go.

We stopped at a local delicatessen to pick up some goodies and this exotic lady was posing in the middle of the shop.

Please don’t touch. I am very fragile. My name is Caffe’tina. I was made in 12 days. Arrived 8th January 2023. Multicycling in Brazil.
Coffee beans used on me __ kilo ___ grams.

I thought this was so clever and must have taken ages to put together. I wonder what the answers were?

Well that’s February done and dusted already. Have a lovely March everyone.

I’m joining in with a few challenges.
The Changing Season hosted by Brian and Ju-Lyn
and also Dan’s CFFC – Blue and…
PPAC by Natalie

~ Exploring Swan Valley: Riverbank Estate ~

Off for our usual Sunday jaunt to a winery in the Swan Valley. We haven’t been to the Swan Valley for a while, preferring to go into the Perth Hills for the views. More wineries are located in the Swan Valley, along with restaurants, cafes and farm shops. We had lunch at Riverbank Estate overlooking the green vineyards. There’s a mediterranean ambience here, maybe due to the terracotta and limestone brick architecture.

The service and food were excellent. As it was a super hot day there were hanging water spouts squirting a cool mist over us.

On the way out I stopped to take a few photos of the decorative window frames.

Something for Monday Window!

~ January Adventures – Family Fun in Busselton, Western Australia ~

The first half of January has been busy in the extreme! My son Laurence and his lovely fiancee Maddy tied the knot on January 3rd. Our house was full to the rafters with overseas family staying and various guests popping around to see us. It was the happiest two weeks I could imagine.

Our visitors wanted to visit South West WA for a few days. I managed to book an 8 bedroom house in Busselton. We were so happy that Laurence and Maddy decided to join us as well. I booked a few places to eat and drink as there were 17 of us in all. I couldn’t imagine turning up en masse without a booking. I was teased constantly that everywhere had better be good, otherwise there would be complaints to travelswithali!

To find a house this large and in high season was a feat in itself. There were enough bedrooms to accommodate all of us, so no-one had to sleep on the floor.

Our first lunch was spent at Shelter Brewing Company, right on the promenade overlooking the beach. The food came quickly and the beer was served in paddles, four at a time. Great for beer lovers who got the chance to sample a few.

After checking in and everyone choosing a room, we unpacked and headed to the beach.

Busselton Jetty is the longest pier in the Southern Hemisphere at 1,841 metres long. At the end of the pier there is an underwater jetty and sculpture park. To see the sculptures there are scuba diving tours.

  • Busselton Jetty
  • “Spot the Brit”

There is a train that goes to the end and back for a fee. Otherwise a walk will take around 30 minutes each way. The beach is beautiful and great for small kids and adults who don’t like too many waves (me). With many restaurants, cafes and bars here it’s not difficult to find somewhere for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

  • Busselton Beach
  • Busselton Jetty

On our second day, a few of the boys played a round of golf and the rest of us drove to Dunsborough. I’ve written about Dunsborough previoulsy. It’s a small town full of quirky shops and small boutiques. We did all manage to buy a few items.

Wild Hop Brewery was booked for 4pm. A fantastic place in Yallingup. By the time we arrived many of the items had disappeared off the menu. Also some of the staff were quite rude. Anyway after a few drinks we still enjoyed it.

  • Lunch for 17
  • Relaxing after lunch
  • Winding down

On the morning of our last full day, we had a trip to Meelup Beach in the morning. I had booked a winery for the afternoon. Meelup Beach is also a child friendly beach with soft sand and beautiful clear water.

  • Happy as a sand crab
  • Taking a moment
  • Meelup Beach
  • Meelup Beach
  • Splashing through the waves
  • The Sandcastle Family

Next we were off to Lentedal Winery in Marybrooke, Margaret River. What a wonderful find this was. We had a table outside but under a shade cloth. Before ordering any food we did some wine tasting. After a scrumptious lunch we walked around the estate to look at the animals.

  • Where’s my pizza
  • Feeding the camels
  • Wine tasting
  • Group shot between the vines

We had an absolutely perfect time away together. There’s nothing like a family holiday. I’m not sure when we will all be together again like this, living so far apart from each other. People have busy lives and jobs to do. Flights are expensive and holidays are short. We made so many memories to treasure and look back on. I made a Whatsapp group and can look back and read all the hilarious messages that were posted daily.

I did manage a walk to the end of Busselton Pier with Anthony, quite an accomplishment!