There is something truly magical about the sun glittering on an ocean. This was taken on the Gold Coast in Australia earlier this year.
Details of this weeks challenge can be found here http://suellewellyn2011.wordpress.com/2012/12/30/a-word-a-week-photo-challenge-glitter/
I took this photo last weekend of the magnificent lightshow projected on to the Melbourne Town Hall. There are 3 different scenes that last a total of around 10 minutes. There were hundreds of people sitting on the footpath and even the road. I thought a few people were going to get run over by the trams.
Every week on the A Word in your Ear blog, a weekly challenge is posted http://suellewellyn2011.wordpress.com/2012/12/15/a-word-a-week-photograph-challenge-light/. We are invited to take a photo that relates to a particular word. This weeks word is Light.
We expected Federation Square to be the centre of the Christmas celebrations (as well as the Myer Christmas lights). I was really disappointed to find that wasn’t the case. Mum had read that there was something at the Town Hall and City Square so we headed up there.
As we walked up Swanston St we saw crowds sitting on the footpath and realised there was a light show at the Town Hall. As we got closer we realised the exterior of the building was illuminated in a magnificent light show.
After the soccer at AAMI Park, Mum and I walked into the city to see what Christmas decorations were on display. Normally Federation Square is the centre of the decorations but this year they have been moved further up Swanston St to the City Square and Town Hall. Along the way I took a lot of photos of the Yarra River and surrounding city buildings.
The Artplay Building contains an open studio where kids can express themselves through their art. At the back is a huge playground which is free for them to play in. It’s bright, colourful and very safe.
Looking back along the Yarra to the sporting precinct which Melbourne is famous for. The light towers are at the MCG where there was a T20 Big Bash game taking place.
The Arts Centre spire. It is normally lit up once it gets dark but it was a little early when we walked past.
Looking down the Yarra from Princes Bridge to the MCG. I was lucky to take the photo just as some fireworks went off to signify a wicket had been taken. You can see them on the right side of the ground.
I took this last night. After the soccer we walked into the CBD to take some photos of the Christmas decorations around town. It got dark quite quickly, allowing me to take some stunning photos. This would have been a perfect photo for the Weekly Photo challenge held a few weeks ago.
The blues of the Gold Coast sky and water. One of the best things to see on the Gold Coast.
Domaine Chandon would have to be my favourite winery in the Yarra Valley. I hate driving past without being able to stop off for a drink. The view is amazing and I find it so relaxing. I could sit and watch the nearby mountains all day. I always sit outside because the air conditioner is too cold. The Maitre’ d even recognises my friend and I now because we’ve been coming here for 3 years and I often come at other times as well.
The view I could sit and watch all day, everyday. One of the most beautiful places on earth (that I’ve seen).
The Greenpoint restaurant.
Yering Station also displays paintings and sculptures both inside and out. The one above is called Melted and is of a melted icecream. I thought it was really clever and was my favourite even though there were other great sculptures on the property.
This blue polar bear was the most interesting sculpture.
I think this was called Reflections.
Every year at Christmas time, my friend Mel and I drive the short drive to the Yarra Valley for a Christmas celebration lunch. It’s only about half an hour from my house so I’m very lucky to live so close, given that it’s one of the best wine regions in Australia. This was our third time in what has become an anuual event.
This year we decided to do a bit of winery hopping. Lunch was at the Wine Bar Restaurant at Yering Station. We enjoyed magnificent views of the valley while eating. I wasn’t well but somehow the view and the food made me feel a little better.
The view from our table. The wine is Yarrabank Late Disgorged Cuvee Brut Sparkling which was a lovely, light sparkling wine.
We shared an entree of Wagyu beef tartare, smoked beetroot and pickled onion. It was quite filling so we both agreed that it was good that we shared it.
Mel’s main meal of Hapuka, tempura zucchini flower and squid ink.
My main meal of Roasted pepper and herb tortellini with pecorino, sliced almonds and parsley oil.
Overall it was a beautiful meal but not cheap. However it is featured in The Age Good Food Guide as one of the best restaurants in the Yarra Valley so you can’t expect a cheap meal. We have now eaten at a few restaurants from the guide and look forward to eating at more.
This was our first game at our true home ground, AAMI Park after playing four games under an old contract with Etihad Stadium. We have reserved seats here so don’t need to get to the ground until just before kick off if we want. It certainly beats having to get to Etihad when the gates open 90 mins before kick off.
It was a good, hard game with Victory slowly getting on top. With several missed chances for Victory to score, it began to look like it was going to be a tough, defensive nil all draw but suddenly a set play worked well and Marco Rojas ended up with a great goal. Rojas is fast becoming a crowd favourite, especially with the Northern End supporters.
Throughout the game we saw the stormy clouds rolling in from the west. Sure enough, just as we were standing in the platform waiting for our train home, the thunder and lightning started. It was awesome to watch but I was a little worried because we were a little exposed .
The lake the mountain overlooks is called Mirror Lakes and is on New Zealand’s South Island.
It is such a beautiful, peaceful, isolated spot along the road to Milford Sound. Being on a tour, the driver knew where to stop but I imagine it would be easy just to drive past. That would be such a shame.
I love walking around Melbourne. It’s a beautiful city at night with the buildings lit up and reflecting on the Yarra River.
This photo is taken outside Crown Casino and on the other side of the Yarra is the Aquarium. The tall building is the Rialto, one of the tallest buildings in Melbourne.
Since the Black Saturday bushfires in February 2009, the town of Marysville has undergone an almost complete process of renewal. So many houses were destroyed and the town is still rebuilding now. Above is a photo of a sculpture at Bruno’s Sculpture Gallery 6 mths after the fire. Below is what the area looked just before the first anniversary of the fires. I hadn’t visited the town, which is only 140 kms from where I live, before the fires but every year since I’ve visited to support the town that was virtually deserted. The Bakery Cafe is one of my favourites. I love their egg and bacon pie and lemon slices.
This was my last day after nearly three weeks in New Zealand. It was such a shame. Despite it being the longest holiday I’d been on and the longest time I’d been outside Australia, I could easily have kept travelling. Not once did I miss home. I’d loved every place apart from one although I’m sure if I’d had time to explore the city I would have liked it more. The best way for me to get to know a city is to get out and walk as much as possible. I wasn’t able to do that in that place so I won’t name it.
view from the balcony of our apartment in the middle of the city
Our flight home wasn’t until the afternoon so we had time in the morning to drive to the top of Mt Victoria on the city’s outskirts.
The Basin Reserve – used as a cricket ground for domestic and international games.
The house on the top of the mountain looks like it is sitting precariously and could fall at any moment.
Cruising the Marlborough Sounds then the Cook Strait from Picton to Wellington on the North Island was one of the things I was most looking forward to on my trip. I’d heard it was a spectacular journey. It takes around four hours and we were very lucky to have a smooth sailing.
Once we parked the car on the car transport deck we walked upstairs to the deck of the Kaitaki, the largest ship in the fleet. We had paid extra to be able to sit in the Kaitaki Plus lounge where we had free internet access and a light lunch. It was very quiet and comfortable compared to the general area where most passengers sat.
http://www.interislander.co.nz/Our-Ships-And-Services/Kaitaki/Kaitaki-Plus.aspx
leaving Picton
Arriving in Wellington. Looking up to Mt Victoria
Before driving to the ferry terminal to board the Interislander we asked the lady at our apartment hotel for a place we could visit in the short time before we boarded. She suggested Karaka Point Historic Reserve which was a short drive out of town. We drove up there and took these photos. I could have stayed there all day and stared at the beauty of the area.
It’s also the site of a Maori pa. A pa is a fortified refuge and they are normally built on a high, defensible area. There is a maori totem on the site and it is carved so intricately. It is beautiful and scary at the same time.
After a lovely and relaxing two night stay with Liz and Adrian and their family we left to drive to Picton. Our first stop was Pelorus Bridge. It had been recommended by Liz’s daughter as a pretty place to stop. We decided to have breakfast there so we stopped off at the cafe. It was around 10am and the cafe was quiet. We ate outside in the sun-dappled park. It was very serene. After walking around the park for a little while we headed to our next stop of Havelock, home of the green mussel and our lunch stop. Despite only finishing breakfast an hour earlier we had to stop for these mussels which are very famous in the Marlborough region. We had been told to look for the restaurant that had the mussels on the roof which sounded really strange. As soon as we saw the huge green mussels on the roof of a restaurnat called The Mussel Pot. Mum doesn’t like mussels but Dad and I love them so we shared a platter of them cooked in white wine. We wanted to try a simple dish and it was delicious.
Nin’s Bin is an iconic beachside caravan that serves seriously fresh crayfish. Caught only hours before, it is served very simply with lemon slices.
Eating here was one of my top priorities on our drive north from Kaikoura. There are a few similar carvans set up along the coast but Nin’s Bin was the only one I’d seen stories about on travel shows back home. Even though it was only about 10.30am I still had to stop to eat some crayfish. I shared it with my Dad who also loves seafood. Each crayfish has its price on its tail. We chose a small cray that cost around NZ$38. The lady cut it in half with a guillotine with one sharp cut and served it very simply on the plate. We took it outside to sit at a table and enjoy the spectacular scenery while eating it. It was beautiful. So tasty and fresh.
After our photo stops we finally drove to our main destination of the day: Milford Sound.
I was eagerly awaiting our 32 km return, 1.5 hr cruise on the fjord (it’s not a sound, it’s a fjord but the name was well-established when they discovered this). It was one of the main reasons I was doing this tour. As we made our way up to the boat we were stopped at the entrance and asked to pose for a photo. The photo pack would be available for collection when we disembarked. There were three levels to the boat. Most people went up to the second level and sat in one of the booths. I did too but didn’t stay there for long. I love being out in the open top decks on boats, feeling the wind rush through my hair.
Looking back at the photos I took, the sky looked quite foreboding but apart from the wind it was a fairly warm day. The clouds started rolling in and were a lot lower when we headed back from the ocean to the pier.
The mountains surrounding Milford Sound are amongst the tallest in the world and ascend straight from the ocean up to a height of approx 1.6km. We were told that only 1/3 of the mountains are above the water level. Spectacular scenery was something we were getting used to but the scenery around Milford Sound is at a whole different level.
We passed the passenger cruise ship Dawn Princess near the beginning of the cruise. Those ships are huge but looked like they were the size of ants compared to the mountains. The ship could only go in so far because of the depth of the sound so we passed it on it’s way back out to the ocea.
Once we reached the heads we turned back and made up way back up the fjord. The captain told us he was going to take the boat right up to a waterfall so we could feel the spray (if we dared). Well of course I dared. I went up to the front of the boat and stood there while we inched closer to the rockface. The closer we got the more I could feel the spray. The misty spray was so soft and gentle. It was amazing. I’ve never felt water so soft. Despite the magnificent surroundings this was my favourite part of the cruise. We stayed there for a minute or two then we moved away to complete our cruise.
As promised, our photo packs were waiting for us when we disembarked. We didn’t have much time because we had to get back to Te Anau but I stopped to have a look. Unfortunately I didn’t look very good. I look very wind-blown in the photos. The pack contained about 6 photos in different sizes, a cd and a keyring to put the small photo in.
Once on the bus we drove back to Te Anau. We had a two hour drive back to town with only one quick stop along the way at Knobbs Flat. We arrived in town and went to the Kingsgate Te Anau hotel. Just before we arrived Clarke told us that Paul had delivered our bags to the hotel when we were here earlier in the day so our bags were already in our room. We just had to collect our key and go to the rooms.
When you are driving through Haast you are driving through and beside steep mountains and rainforests. As you get closer to Makarora and Lake Wanaka you see the land begin to flatten out and get a bit browner. The trees are also different as you move out of the rainforest. We stopped at Makarora Country Cafe for lunch. It’s a grand name for what is really just a roadhouse but it’s well-appointed and has a friendly atmosphere and staff. We were finding we had to queue up everywhere we go which was getting a bit annoying but was something we would have to get used to. When I got to the counter I was disappointed to find there were lots of pre-made sandwiches. I hate pre-made sandwiches. I decided to ask if they sold dim sims. The man behind the counter laughed at me and said “you can only get them in a Chinese restaurant” It was my turn to laugh at him. I told him that at home we can buy them at this sort of place. I suggested he might like to sell them. I’m sure he would find they were a best seller, especially amongst Aussie visitors.I bought a pie and sat down with Carol, Bec and Brad to eat it. There is a beautiful brand of ice cream that is sold by the scoop in cafes. We tried it and loved it. Across the road, sheep and deer were roaming a paddock. It was the first time we’d seen deer. Venison is a popular meat on menus in NZ.
From Makarora we drove to Lake Wanaka. We were only stopping briefly here but it is a beautiful lake with more spectacular scenery. Families come from miles to stay here, sometimes only a few miles in fact. Clarke told us that people that live in Queenstown often come to stay here just to escape their busy home town. You can just relax or join in some of the more adventurous activities such as water-skiing, snow boarding, mountain biking.
Leanne's delicious food and travel adventures 