I’m originally from the Philippines, a tropical country where storms are a regular part of life. Growing up, I was used to them—when a storm rolled in, we stayed home. Schools would close, sometimes offices would shut down as well, and everything came to a standstill. These storms weren’t gentle either—they were strong, often followed…
Month: June 2025
Floral Friday – 4
TE ANAU, NEW ZEALAND I’m no expert in flowers—what I share in my posts simply reflects what I was feeling at the moment I took the photo. So here I am posting photos every Friday for Floral Friday and for FOTD. This is a Garden Dahlia which I saw in the Te Anau Garden. This…
The Giant’s House
In the charming town of Akaroa, New Zealand, artist Josie Martin has turned an old 1880s villa, known as The Giant’s House, into a colourful and imaginative sanctuary. It is said the be the “Happiest Garden on Earth.” The Giants House has become a part of Akaroa’s folklore, earning its name when a small child,…
Naturally Monochrome
For Elke’s Monochrome Madness Challenge with the theme of Naturally Monochrome. These photos were taken in colour, but at first glance, you might not think so. There’s something about the soft light, the shadows, and the muted tones that give them a monochrome feel. It wasn’t planned that way – just one of those happy…
Tuesday Streetart: Antarctic Gateway City – 89
RIVERSIDE MARKET, CHRISTCHURCH This awesome mural was created to celebrate Christchurch’s special role as a gateway to Antarctica. You’ll find it just outside Riverside Market, right on the corner of Cashel Street and Oxford Terrace. This is the third week in a row I’ve featured street artist Dcypher—clearly a favourite! This piece was a team…
Windows in an Arrowtown church
This is the charming St John’s Presbyterian Church in Arrowtown, New Zealand. It’s a small stone church with a peaceful presence, quietly nestled among trees and layers of history. Above its entrance is a beautifully shaped stained glass window that immediately caught my eye. I felt drawn to it, so I wandered down to the…
Queenstown
TRAVEL DIARY: DAY 8 QUEENSTOWN Walking through town from our hotel, it was easy to see why Queenstown calls itself the adventure capital. There are so many thrill-seeking activities—skydiving, jet boating, bungy jumping, you name it! Well not for me thank you very much Sometimes it’s best to just wander around Queenstown. This wharf’s a…
Mellow Moments
For this week’s Lens-Artists Photo Challenge, Sofia leads us with the gentle and reflective theme of Mellow. Mellow is a soft, quiet kind of feeling. It’s like warm sunlight in the late afternoon. Or it can be the gentle colours of autumn leaves — not too bright, not too loud, just calm and easy. There’s…
Floral Friday – 3
I’m no expert in flowers—what I share in my posts simply reflects what I was feeling at the moment I took the photo. So here I am posting photos every Friday for Floral Friday and for FOTD. Here are sunflowers which I saw at the Veg OutCommunity Gardens in St Kilda last February.
Day trip to Glenorchy
TRAVEL DIARY: DAY 7 DAYTRIP TO GLENORCHY We set off bright and early from our place on Gorge Street in Queenstown, excited for the day ahead. First stop is the Wilson Bay Reserve. Wilson Bay is a nice little lookout on the road between Queenstown and Glenorchy. Still on the winding road to Glenorchy. Jack…
Wordless Wednesday – 37
AKAROA, NEW ZEALAND
Tuesday Streetart: DCypher – 88
As with my last week’s post, this is another mural by artist DCypher, and this time you can see it on Gloucester St, Christchurch. This is in conjunction to the Flare Ōtautahi Street Art Festival in 2023.
Books at Livraria Lello
Books open doors to new worlds, ideas, and emotions. They let us travel through time, explore different lives, and understand others better. One of the most beautiful places to enjoy books is Livraria Lello in Porto, Portugal. Opened in 1906, this historic bookstore is famous for its stunning staircase, stained glass ceiling, and magical atmosphere….
Floribunda at Bunjil Place
The title, Floribunda, Latin for many-flowering is a hybrid of ‘flower’ and ‘abundance’. The exhibition Floribunda, a major partnership between the National Gallery of Victoria and Bunjil Place, is an intoxicating larger-than-life mashup of floral imagery, design and motif drawn exclusively from the NGV Collection. Through its ‘Wunderkammer’ style of display, Floribundacelebrates and reimagines the nature and…