Yabby racing in Western Australia
Before living in Australia I had no idea what a yabby was. I think Home and Away characters refer to a place called ‘Yabby Creek’ periodically, but beyond that reference I had never had occasion to give the creatures a second thought. So, when I learned there was a local event devoted to the crustaceans, I was keen to check it out. Towns in regional Australia regularly hold ‘fun days’ to bring the community together, often to raise money for local community groups or charities. That is exactly what Grass Patch’s ‘Yabby Classic’ is all about. What is a yabby? Yabbies are freshwater crustaceans found in waterways around Australia. They…
Will Australia make an honest woman of me?
Australia swelled with even more national pride than normal last weekend in celebration of Australia Day. With January 26 being a Sunday, Monday was declared a public holiday and Australia basked (read ‘melted’) in the sunshine for a long weekend. Australia Day is widely promoted as an opportunity to appreciate the much-celebrated privilege of living in Australia, to understand and respect cultural differences and take pride in the country’s multicultural society. As a colleague put it however, it is also a chance to ‘get your bogan on’ and go around shouting “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!” while sculling beer. Australians are frequently accused of being racist and interestingly, a few weeks before…
Street Art in Melbourne
One of the things I love about Melbourne is the city’s art scene. Not only does Melbourne have over 100 art galleries but you don’t need to spend long in the city to notice the vibrant street art, one of the features that keeps Melbourne streets interesting and edgy. Don’t be mistaken and think that ‘street art’ is a yuppy term for graffiti. Graffiti is definitely part of Melbourne’s street art scene but it is not just random sprays and tags. There is much more to it than that. Mosaics, murals and pieces of art also bring the city’s streets to life, making the city feel friendly and definitely making…
Where will you go in 2014?
How much have you travelled in the past year? Have you achieved your travel dreams or do you feel like you have failed spectacularly? Don’t forget we choose to travel. If you prioritise travel over other spending it is surprising how far you can get. One method I use to work towards achieving my travel goals is to keep a bucketlist. There is some snootiness amongst travellers about keeping bucketlists but I don’t feel that way. Sure, some people mindlessly tick items off a list rather than being open to the interesting experiences that travel provides (often weird and wonderful in my experience), but that doesn’t mean having a reminder…
Are Australia’s best beaches in Esperance?
Sometimes I forget how beautiful it is where I live at the moment. Living somewhere that my daily commute is a three-minute drive along the beach means (and I hate to admit it) I take the local coastline for granted sometimes. After a busy period at work, and while coming out of winter, I had sort of forgotten how spectacular Esperance can be. This weekend I rediscovered it. An article I read in a magazine last week said one of my local beaches was ‘stunning’. When great weather was forecast for the weekend I couldn’t resist heading to the beach to remind myself. Despite winning its fair share of awards…
Sailing the Great Southern Ocean
When was the last time you did something for the first time? I ask myself that question periodically and it leads to all sorts of adventures. A few weeks ago it took me sailing for the first time and I loved it. A friend’s chatter had meant I had been looking forward to the prospect of getting into sailing. Having worked as a dive instructor for years, and also on yachts, I knew my way around boats but knew very little about actually sailing so this was a new experience for me. Of course, on the day the sailing season opened it pissed with rain all morning. I gazed out…
Weekend Markets in Sydney
I was surprised how much Sydney comes alive with markets at weekends. If you’re prepared to rummage finds can vary from vintage second hand clothing bargains to unique handcrafted goods and even a set of crocodile jaws. Here are my favourite Sydney weekend markets. The Rocks For character, a bit of history and the marvel of having a market tucked under the Sydney Harbour Bridge head to the market at the Rocks on Friday, Saturday or Sunday. The market swells around the northern end of George Street and has a strong focus on arts, crafts and collectibles but also features random things like Turkish ceramics and crocodile jaws. There are…
The Five histories of Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island in the South Pacific is most notorious for it’s brutal penal settlement history. Perhaps because nearby Australia is so familiar with it’s own convict history, or perhaps because so many of the ruins of that period remain. However, the island really has five histories, and each has contributed culturally to Norfolk Island as it is today. Polynesian settlement Norfolk Island was originally settled by the Polynesians and the remains of a Polynesian settlement were excavated in the mid 1990s near Emily Bay revealing a house, a paved area, stone artefacts, shell and bone tools. Banana plantations were also discovered. Dating their time on the island has not been…
Capture the Colour of Western Australia
This year for Capture the Colour I have decided to celebrate Western Australia, which is where I live at the moment. Some may see this as a limitation but I choose to see it as a challenge. Not that it makes things especially difficult; Western Australia is an extraordinary state, home to vastly contrasting landscapes, magical experiences and definitely plenty of colour. Blue Esperance lies at the east end of the southern coast of WA. The Esperance coastline is magnificent and just about every imaginable shade of blue. This photograph is the view over West Beach in spring. Red I love red earth and WA has plenty. It is especially…
Free things to do in Melbourne
Melbourne is a great city with all sorts of things available to keep visitors busy. Melbourne can satisfy most general interests and even offer specific subjects such as immigration history and digital culture. Here are the top things to do in Melbourne that are completely free. Admire Melbourne architecture Melbourne prides itself on being the artistic and cultural capital of Australia. Nowhere is this more evident than in the blending of old and new architecture across the city. Striking juxtapositions present themselves such as 19th century St Paul’s Cathedral and the very modern-looking Australian Centre for the Moving Image just across Flinders Street. Flinders Street Station (pictured above) was also…
