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…

Tuesday Streetart: DCypher – 89

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…

Floral Friday – 2

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. This was a photo that I took when I went to Churchill Island, Victoria with hubby… when my Brother in Law…

From Lake Tekapo to Queenstown

TRAVEL DIARY: DAY 6 ON THE ROAD FROM LAKE TEKAPO TO QUEENSTOWN We loved our stay at the AirBnb but we had to move on. It was a bit overcast when we left for our day. Driving through Lindi’s Pass felt like stepping into another world — endless golden hills, quiet roads, and that feeling…

Into the Woods

Into the quiet woods, where shadows speak in black and white. We don’t have wild woods in Melbourne, but the forested hills of the Dandenong Ranges come close — a peaceful escape into nature’s quiet. I am linking this to Leanne’s Monochrome Madness Challenge

Tuesday Streetart: Dcypher – 88

CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND Spotted another epic Dcypher piece on Colombo Street! This one’s a collab with the Flare Ōtautahi Street Art Festival and features Athena and Minerva in this wild, cosmic scene. I’m not sure what the exact story is, but the colours and details totally pulled me in—feels ancient, futuristic, and kind of magical…

Playful Windows

For Monday Window Challenge Photo taken at The Giants House in Akaroa, New Zealand.

Colourful Benches

I don’t know about you, but there’s something about colourful chairs and benches that I find so irresistible. Maybe I’m just a vibrant kind of gal—drawn to bold murals, splashes of public art, and anything that brightens up a space. Haha! Here are benches for Jude’s Bench Anniversary Challenge which I found on our trip…

Floral Friday – 1

The Orange Day-Lily blooms from summer through to late autumn—just like now. I took this photo when Jack and I took my brother-in-law for a walk through Cloudehill Gardens in Olinda, Victoria.

A stroll in Northcote

Pat just moved into her new place—still renting, but no more share house for her! She was super excited to show us around her neighbourhood so we could pick a spot to eat next time we visited. We wandered through a few nearby streets, and I noticed some cool front doors, mosaic public art, and…

Tuesday Streetart: Takahē – 87

Meet the Takahē—a rare, flightless bird found only in New Zealand. Once thought to be extinct, it was rediscovered in 1948 in the remote Murchison Mountains. With its bright blue and green feathers and chunky red beak, this native is a conservation success story and a true Kiwi treasure!  And a Public Art in Te…

Day Trip to Aoraki/Mount Cook

TRAVEL DIARY: DAY 5 AORAKI/ MOUNT COOK Started the day with coffee and some store-bought bread I’d picked up beforehand—simple, but it did the job. It’s one of those days—drive a bit, hop out to take some photos, walk around, then back in the car. We just followed Google Maps to see what lies ahead….

First or Second thing I thought of…

This week in Lens Artist Photo Challenge, Tina leads us with the topic of – First thing I thought of… “All my moods in one screen.” Or on second thought it can also be “Group Therapy Session?” How about you what was your first thought when you saw this vintage TV set? I saw this…

Blue seats in Cloudehill

CLOUDEHILL GARDENS & NURSERY These photos were taken on April 23 while showing my brother-in-law around some local sights. We visited Cloudehill in Olinda, nestled in the heart of the Dandenong Ranges. The weather was just right—cool, fresh, and sunny enough to enjoy a relaxed walk through the gardens. I am linking this to Xingfumama’s…

Lamp Posts in Monochrome

Lamp posts make great subjects in photography. At times you can often tell which country you’re in just by looking at them — their design, shape, and placement can be surprisingly distinctive. But beyond their appearance, it’s the story behind them that truly matters. It’s the memories we associate with them — a quiet street…

Roadtrip from Christchurch to Lake Tekapo

TRAVEL DIARY: DAY 4 On the Road from Christchurch to Lake Tekapo Ever heard that New Zealand has more sheep than people? I used to think that was just a running joke—but it turns out, it’s absolutely true! In 2023, there were about 24.4 million sheep roaming the country, compared to just 5 million humans….

Tuesday Streetart: Trades People – 86

CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND Murals with the central themes of construction and labour. The artwork is filled with diverse figures, each doing different types of work, capturing the energy and variety of the building trades.

Night time in Christchurch

TRAVEL DIARY: Day 3: CHRISTCHURCH at Night Nestled in the heart of Christchurch, New Regent Street is a charming pedestrian lane where only the trams can pass. By day, it’s a delight with its beautifully restored buildings in soft pastel hues. But come nightfall, the street transforms—bathed in colourful lights, it becomes even more magical….

Serenity found Outdoors

Being outdoors brings a kind of peace you don’t find anywhere else. There’s something really calming about a misty day. Sometimes it’s in the rustle of trees as the wind moves through them.  Other times, it’s the stillness of a lake, or the soft ripple of water as ducks glide by. Even clouds drifting slowly…

Advanced Happy Mother’s Day to Me

Nothing extravagant or over-the-top—just a quiet, early Mother’s Day celebration with Jack and Pat. Simple, but special. Got some gifts too from the kids. Though I haven’t heard from Tim yet, but that’s not unusual with the time difference in London. Heading to bed now with a full heart. It was a lovely day. Did…

A Day in Akaroa

TRAVEL DIARY: Day 2 AKAROA I don’t know how it always happens—no matter how much I plan for a relaxing trip, I end up packing in so much! This was especially true on our second day in Christchurch, when we found ourselves heading out to explore even more places, including the beautiful town of Akaroa….

Some Blooms…

I’ve been missing flowers in my posts lately, so I thought I’d jump in with what Cee started with FOTD — time to bring some blooms back!

Tuesday Streetart: Ice Cream & Beeees – 85

This cute and quirky artwork by Queenstown artist Sharon Duncan is part of Chorus’ cabinet beautification project. Titled “Bee in the Moment,” it shows an older woman enjoying an ice cream as bees buzz nearby — a gentle reminder to slow down and savour the moment. It can be found in Queenstown CBD’s Beach Street.