Sunshine Exists? (Williamstown Beach)

If anyone else is a Melbourne dweller, you'll know what I mean. The Spring that has just passed was one of the coldest on record, and you wouldn't even know that Summer officially began a week ago. So on the rare occasion that the sun actually shines, and a bit of heat kicks in, getting outside is the only thing on my mind.

This past weekend was one of the blessed days of sunshine. It hit the 30 degree mark, and I even had the slather on a heap of sunscreen and cover my shoulders for fear of burning (note: I am ridiculously pale. Tanning is not something that comes naturally to me). Chris, myself and another friend decided we needed to be outside, preferably at a beach somewhere with an ice cream in hand. Since moving to the city I had yet to visit a local beach, so after a bit of consideration (ie. Googling "Melbourne beaches") we settled on Williamstown.

It was a bit of a train trip from the CBD, but totally worth it.

Aside from the ridiculous amount of children running around and the odd dead giant jellyfish on the sand, it was a beautiful spot. None of us were game enough to go for a swim (honestly, none of us even bought bathers), but we had a stroll around, soaked up the warmth, and enjoyed our much sought after ice cream. I'll definitely be back.

Any other Melbournians out there as over this weather as I am? Or are you lucky enough to be in a place that doesn't experience four seasons in one day?

Reanna.

A Glance at Sydney

This past weekend has absolutely flown by (literally) as I jetted up to Sydney for a two day forum. 

A perfect opportunity was provided for me to take part in a little weekend photo safari with Pip and my other bloggy classmates.

Wandering along King Street - the only part of Sydney I managed to see // A beautiful - and slightly overwhelming - old bookshop that I wish I had time to truly explore // Amazing old architecture on King Street // And even more at the University of Sydney // Admiring the clouds on my flight home.

This past weekend has seen so many opportunities and inspiration come my way (more detail to come soon), which I hope I can utilise somewhat in here blog. And despite the uni semester being over, chaos seems to still be reigning in my little life - not in a negative way by any means.

How was your weekend? Travel anywhere new? 

Reanna.

Quick Getaway

This weekend sees me spending a couple of nights in Sydney. I've never stayed here before, I'm a bit excited! I'm attending a forum, so unfortunately I won't have loads of time spare exploring the city. 

And to top it off I get to stay in this beautiful old college at the University of Sydney. AND it's actually sunny here. 

More details when I get home!

What are you up to this weekend? Any places I should check out in Sydney if I get time?

Reanna. 

Thrifting in Melbourne

The more I think about it, the more I realise how many of my clothes have been accumulated from op-shops and vintage warehouse sales. Either that, or they come from the sale rack. My cheapskate-ness aside, I thoroughly enjoy thrifting. As tedious and confusing as it sometimes can be (some op-shops look like they really have been hit by a bomb), finding that one awesome shirt, or that perfect pair of jeans is a great feeling of success. The little bits and pieces that decorate my little Melbourne apartment are also thrift finds, ranging from an antique spice rack, a Dracula romance movie poster, to an old cookie jar. I also love the sustainable side of the practice of thrifting - giving life to an old object that was otherwise on the way to landfill is an added bonus to the uniqueness of some of these gems.

Today, I thought I would share some of my favourite thrifty haunts around Melbourne:

Savers (various locations)

If you can manage to wade your way through the millions of disorganised clothes, odd bits of homewares and books, it's likely you'll find a gem in this place. It is a bit chaotic, and is often quite busy (I had to line up for 10 minutes to use the change rooms), but worth a look if you have time to spare. 

Retro Star (1st Floor, Nicholas building/37 Swanston St, Melbourne VIC 3000)
Beware of hipsters. Retro Star is fantastic to look at  - so many fantastic vintage dresses, shoes, and bags - but I normally shy away from buying much due to the hefty price tags. However, keep an eye out for a flyer in regards to one of their warehouse sales. It seems that they have a ridiculous amount of clothing and need to get rid of it occasionally. Located in a warehouse hidden away in Brunswick, these are goldmines. Everything is usually $5 - $10, and I have picked up some fantastic finds here. 

Brotherhood of St Laurence (various locations)
I had never heard of these guys before, but Chris and I chanced upon one of their stores up at Moonee Ponds. Our fabulous old wooden desk was a mere $20 from here, and we somehow managed to transport it home in my minuscule car (have you see a two-door Hyundai Getz?) despite the critical looks of the cashier. My favourite pair of jeans and a great vegetarian cookbook in our collection have also hailed from here.

Chapel Street Bazaar (217 Chapel St, Prahran VIC 3181)
I'll admit that I have only ever bought something from here once, but I could honestly spend hours wondering this store. With a ridiculous amount of nooks, cupboards and corners, this store is literally bursting with vintage goodness. While offering less clothes then other shops, the bazaar seems to have every possible item from the last century. I'm talking record players, every conceivable PEZ dispenser, gum ball machines and polaroid cameras. Again, this place has a slightly hefty price tag, but sometimes you can't just leave that one little thing behind. Plus, chances are you will forget where you even found it in this maze.

Apart from these, I also wander into most little op-shops I wander past when I have time at hand. Chris and I have been known to go out for a walk and come back with an ancient Trivial Pursuit. You never know what you will find.
Do you love thrifting? What are your favourite thrifty haunts?
Reanna.

Melbourne at Night

Wandering at night time in the city is not something I am often compelled to do - for obvious reasons. Last night, however, saw Chris and I walking through a part of the CBD we don't often explore late in the evening. Seeing the world at night time is like being in a completely different world, don't you agree?

Eerily beautiful. I love the old architecture around some parts of Melbourne.
 One of my goals I have set for this little blog through this great little e-course I am doing is to improve my photography (ie. invest in a half decent camera, any recommendations?), and I think wandering the streets of this city is a great place to gather my inspiration. So here's hoping there will be some improvement in the coming months.

Do you enjoy viewing the world in a different light?
Reanna.

(Also, apologies for a few issues with my blog at the moment - such as the pages buttons, or lack of! - I am working on it)

Visiting Nature

Sometimes we just need to take a step back from everything. Life can be pretty full on sometimes, and we can lose sense of where we are. 

Being in the grip of countless hours of study and looming deadlines the last few weeks began to take its toll on me. I was in desperate need of escape. A quick trip out to the countryside was the perfect answer.

As much as a I love living in Melbourne, the one thing I really miss about the countryside is the quietness. You never really notice it when you have been in the city for weeks on end, but as soon as I stepped out of the car at Long Forest nature reserve last week, I noticed it.

It was beautifully quiet. Can silence be beautiful? Well, it certainly felt like it for me in that moment. I could actually hear myself think, feel myself breathe, and really look at everything around me and not feel overwhelmed.

It's crazy to think that everywhere used to be like this. Even built up Melbourne was once a sprawling forest.

It was a lovely little park - once we found it due to lack of signs - about 50 or so minutes from the inner north suburbs of Melbourne. There were a few short walks (again lacking signs) but we managed to avoid getting lost. There wasn't much to see other than the natural forest, but that didn't matter to me. i was happy just to soak up the sunshine and serenity of it all.

And no, Chris is not patting a rock! We were talking about they looked, or something geologically inspired.

To top off my little mood-lifting trip from the city, I spied a little lizard at the carpark. And he even posed for a photo.

Do you enjoy silence? Or do you have another way you try to escape and think about things?

Reanna.

Flemington Farmers Market

This little gem of a market is literally fifty metres down the road from our apartment. I couldn't believe it when I discovered it's existence. Chris and I will often wonder around here on a Sunday, eyeing off all the delicious food we would love to buy. Unfortunately - due to uni student poorness - we only buy the occasional thing. But we love to dream about all the shopping we will do here when we have expendable money! 

This market runs every Sunday from 9 - 1 at Mt Alexander High School. It's always busy, with regular stalls and a few on rotation. 

We pretty much have a standard route that we traverse when we go there. Starting at the orange juice place, past the sourdough man (who tells us every week at the top of his lungs how fresh his bread is), around the amazing array of organic vegetables, then past the meat vendors and dumpling guy. This place has it all.

Flowers were in abundance this past weekend at the market (what? Is it actually spring Melbourne?). These waratahs were amazing.

Chris and I love admiring all the vegetables at the market. Being an accredited farmers market, most of the vegetables are organic from regional farms. And the colours! Seriously, I think they have carrots and beetroots in every shade of the rainbow.

There was a macaroon stall this past weekend - which I didn't manage to snap a photo of as I was too busy stuffing my face with tastings. This weeks feature flavour was chilli lime, and it was delicious! 

If you are ever in the neighbourhood, you should definitely drop by this little slice of the country in the city!

Reanna.

Spring Fling & Ruby Ropar Gallery

 This Sunday just past was the annual Spring Fling on Errol Street in North Melbourne. From my - minimal - understanding of the event, it aims to bring together the community, local businesses and small organisations for a fun, family friendly day out. My part time job was one of the participating businesses, and I was lucky enough to have the day off (I'll be honest, I actually never work weekends haha). Since it was a lovely and warm day in Melbourne, Chris and I decided to check it out!

The whole street was closed off for the day, and was filled with stalls, activities, music stages and food outlets.

All the alleyways coming off Errol Street were also bustling with activity. I spied the Ruby Ropar Gallery (apparently the work of Dennis Ropar? I personally haven't heard of him).

It was absolutely amazing. The entire building was a work of art - very bright pink art. I'm not much of an art appreciator, but this certainly grabbed my attention. I hope to see this place open to the public again.

There was a dog show earlier in the day, but a few were still wondering around. This fluffy guy was too cute to ignore. I think his name was "Biggles"?

The North Melbourne Market was also running in conjunction with the festival. Held in the Lithuanian Society building, it boasts local designers, a few speciality foods and vintage clothing. I spied on of my favourite jewellery designers, whom Chris and I ended up chatting to for quite awhile. Turns out she is from out hometown! Chris spoilt me with a ring and this adorable little octopus necklace.

So awesome. 

All in all, it was a fun afternoon out. There wasn't as much there as I had anticipated, but if Chris and I hadn't already been nursing hangovers it would have been a perfect day to chill out to come music with a couple of beers, as everyone as was doing. 

How was your weekend? 

Reanna.

Organ Pipes National Park

Last Sunday - while recovering from our epic Spanish fiesta the night before - I suggested to Chris that we go out for a picnic lunch. The weather looked like it was going to hold up, and seeing as we both had plans to sit around and study for most of the day, getting out of the house for a couple of hours sounded like a good idea.

Thanks to google, I came across Organ Pipes National Park, which is just off the Calder Freeway on the edge of Melbourne. There is free parking, toilets and picnic tables, but no barbecues.

It was a fairly quick drive for us, and easy enough to get to. The park itself is relatively small, but it was beautiful. And so green! Spring is wonderful. I haven't been out of the city for awhile, so it was great to escape the noise and urban surroundings.

There is a circuit down in the valley of the park, from which you can view all the natural features. Signs proclaimed the full circuit would take an hour, but I'm fairly sure Chris and I did it under half an hour.

 The Organ Pipes (on the left) are a set of basalt columns created by the cooling and cracking of molten lava. Natural formations such as these always amaze me, and brings back into reality how young the human race really is. On the right is what was called the Rosette Rock (I think?).

Finally, the Tessellated Pavement. I'm assuming these were all basalt formations, but there was a lack of information around to answer my questions.

And then, it was back up to the carpark and picnic area. That was one damn steep hill, but we survived. 

We were starving after hiking back up the incline, so we demolished our lunch. I'd whipped up a foccaccia, some chickpea and sweet potato burgers and a salad that morning for our picnic. Pretty basic, but it served us well.

I can't wait for the weather to really start warming up, so we can have more day trips like this in the coming months. We also have plans to go on a few camping trips over the summer holidays too! Any suggestions for places to go?

Reanna.

Crossways

I've been meaning to write about Crossways ever since I started up this little blog. And the honest reason I haven't done so yet is that whenever I eat here, I'm so eager to start devouring my meal that I'm halfway through by the time I remember I was going to take a photo! But today, I exerted some self control so I can share one of my favourite lunch places in Melbourne.

Crossways is little more than a doorway amidst the chaos of Swanston Street in the CBD. It's one of those places you normally discover through word of mouth (I was informed of it's existence by a relative), or if you are one of those people that actually takes the business cards people hand out on the streets. Either way, once you find it you won't regret it.

For $7.50 (or $5.50 concession, student life wins again) you are entitled to "all you can eat", but the servings at Crossways are so huge that I cannot imagine going back for seconds! The menu is set, with a different main meal and dessert on rotation every day. The main meal (which is vegan and gluten free) consists of rice, curry and papadums, while dessert is a sweet halva with custard (vegetarian). You can also help yourself to water, lassi and cordial. As basic as the meal is, I have never had a bad experience eating here. It's just so. Damn. Delicious.

Seriously, Chris and I come here far too often.

This place is always packed around lunch time, but there is plenty of seating available. Service is at a counter up the back, from which you collect your own cutlery and serving tray. This place is more of a canteen than a restaurant, but everyone who works there is lovely.
If you ever want a cheap, delicious and quick lunch fix in the CBD, this is the place. I'll probably be in the corner devouring a plate myself!

What are you favourite cheap lunch destinations? Any old faithfuls?
Reanna.

The Abyssinian

Living near Racecourse Road - and just living in Melbourne in general - has certainly opened my eyes up to the incredible variety of cuisines available out there to try. It's hard to believe that I used to be so horrendously fussy as a child (seriously, I'm pretty sure I used to have chicken burritoes, with plain chicken and cheese in a tortilla), because now I love nothing more than going out to try something completely different! Well, not everything... I still haven't brought myself up to raw fish.

We spied the Abyssinian way back in last November when we first moved up to Melbourne. Like a lot of the restaurants along Racecourse Road, it doesn't look overly fancy, but it looked inviting enough to try out. Plus, we had never really heard much about Ethiopian cuisine. So when Chris' mum came up for a visit awhile back, we jumped at the chance to try out this place.

The place is rather dark and cosy, and seemed rather quiet. But business certainly picked up as the night progressed (I'll admit, we were there rather early!). Service was quick and effective, while not overly enthusiastic and informative. We opted for a couple of African beers and ciders, and decided to try the chefs selection (around $20-$25 a head, it gets cheaper the more people order it).

And what a good choice that was! We were a bit surprised when it came out, as it was one huge platter filled to the brim with food. And no cutlery! The plate was lined with injera, a soft and spongy pancake, from which you rip of chunks and grab handfuls of the various curries. The chefs selection gave us a choice of eight curries (4 meat, 4 vegetarian, and there is a fully vegetarian option available) and a small salad in the middle. It was certainly a (messy) experience eating with our hands, but it was so fun! And all the curries were delicious. I'd highly recommend this place for anyone looking for a truly cultural foodie experience. 

I definitely want to go back, but the other day I discovered a recipe for making my own (cheats) version of injera, so I whipped up a little Ethiopian feast at home! I'll be sure to share next time I make it. 

Tried any new cuisines lately?

Reanna.

Valley Cellar Door

The area Chris and I live in isn't exactly the most abundant location for trendy little bars and drinking holes. There is a couple of pubs and gaming venues nearby, but nothing much in the way of cute little bars hidden away in the alleyways of the CBD. The Valley Cellar Door is one of the rare exceptions to this rule.

Tucked in between the shopping centre and some other shops along Hall Street in Moonee Ponds, this little bar used to be nothing more than a bottle shop. While it still serves this purpose, all the drinks on sale are now available to have at the bar (for a corkage fee), as well as a selection of four rotating tap beers. And there's no Carlton or VB to be seen here - they only offer craft beers, ciders and wines. I'm talking Holgate, Hawthorn Brewery, and the like. Delicious.

There is seating out the front, indoors, and there is even a little beer garden out the back. And according to their website, they have plans to expand the interior and build a kitchen! While the Valley Cellar Door does offer a small selection of cheeses and nuts for purchase, they offer no other food. BUT they have a BYO food policy! There are plenty of takeaway places in the vicinity - many of them will deliver to the bar - so it's not uncommon to see a group of friends digging into pizza, Chinese or Indian our of plastic containers while drinking boutique wine!

Chris and I splashed out and bought some cheap almonds and grapes with us. So classy.

I love the atmosphere of this place. It's chilled out, intimate, yet at the same time often quite busy.

Do you have a favourite little bar?

Reanna.

Flemington Racecourse Market

Did you know that it's Fathers Day next weekend? I had no idea until about two days ago! One of my work colleagues commented that it was coming up, but I had no idea just how close it was. My Dad isn't the easiest person to shop for, so I was on the verge of freaking out about how unorganised I was when I remembered that the Flemington Racecourse Market was on this weekend!

If you have never been to this market before, I highly recommend it. It's on roughly once a month (you can check out their website for full details) on a Sunday, and it's always busy! I have been there a few times now, and I love wondering around looking at all that the stallholders have to offer. I don't often get the chance to buy stuff (being a uni student and all haha), but I can dream!

There's plenty of homemade wares, ranging from crafty pieces of jewellery, furniture, soap, and every conceivable accessory for your dog (I swear I saw someone selling doggy popcorn today). There is certainly no shortage of food, with your usual homemade chutneys and jams, some fresh produce, and an abundance of hot food to devour as you stroll around. Tacos, dumplings, dutch pancakes (is it just me, or are these available at every market ever?), noodles, sausages, you name it. 

Parking is available for around 4 dollars, but luckily for me it was only a short walk from home! The 57 West Maribrynong tram - which you can catch along Elizabeth Street in the CBD - stops right out the front, and a special train runs straight to the show grounds if there is another event on at the racecourse or neighbouring showgrounds. And of course, there is toilets, places to get cash out, and live music. And plenty of entertainment for the kids! They even had mini golf set up there today.

I did manage to pick up a couple of goodies for my Dad. You can't really go wrong with jam from the market, can you?

Now I should probably consider doing some study, instead of dreaming about all the things i wanted to buy at the market this morning!

Do you have a favourite weekend market? 

Reanna.

New Zealand

Annnd I'm home. After a long twelve hours of sleeping on airport couches, dozing on the plane, and spending far too long in line at passport check, our little apartment has never felt more welcoming. But it's always great to walk back into the little piece of the world that's yours after spending some time away. 

Our holiday was fantastic. As I've mentioned before, I had never been overseas before, so even a short trip over the Tasman to Auckland seemed like a huge adventure to me! We spent a few days exploring Auckland and Devonport - going for walks, visiting the zoo (and NOT seeing a damn kiwi bird), eating out, and even ending up at backpacker bars a couple of nights (we mainly stayed in YHA hostels).

We spent one night out at the beautiful Waiheke Island, which was a short ferry ride out of Auckland. I had heard nothing but raving reviews about how picturesque the island was, and we were certainly not disappointed. It's renowned for its vineyards, so we hired a couple of mountain bikes for the day and took ourself to three nearby wineries. This was great fun, but quite extremely challenging! Waiheke Island consisted of many, many steep hills. Chris and I motivated ourselves with the thought of how amazing all the hill climbing must be for our thighs!

We also spent a couple of nights out at Rotorua. I'm glad we made the choice to spend more time here (we initially considered spending some time at Matamata so we could visit Hobbiton - I'm a bit of a Tolkein fan!) as the area was something completely out of the ordinary. The town is built over a highly geothermal area, resulting in multitudes of hot springs, mud baths, and steam. We visited a Maori village and many geothermal sites, and went on this fantastic little bike tour - which I would highly recommend as a way to see the area!

We ate most of our meals out, which is something which we don't do very often. Some of the culinary highlights were having dinner at a Tunisian cafe, eating a traditional Maori hangi meal, and some lovely salads at a cafe in Devonport. I am looking forward to getting back into our own kitchen though!

Overall, it was a great experience. And I think I may have caught the travel bug! I keep day dreaming about where our next holiday could be.

How have things been back this side of the Tasman? It's a bit weird coming back to the reality of home after being away, but I'm looking forward to returning to a bit of routine.

Reanna.

Don Tojo

As uni students, Chris and I are always on the lookout for a good cheap eat. Thankfully, Melbourne has an abundance of restaurants that offer good food at a low price.

How Chris and I had never been to Don Tojo before is still a shock to me. I couldn't believe how cheap it was! We had both walked past it numerous times, as it's located just around the corner from Melbourne Uni in Carlton.

Customer service was not exactly fantastic - you ordered at the counter, and had to go collect your own meal from the service area when the waiter (actually, they weren't really waiters... service staff?) tells you it's ready. However, our meal was ready in about five minutes, if even that! We had barely sat down before it was ready.

Everything was priced between $5-$10 on their small menu. Chris and I ordered two dishes, which we shared - a Don Don Box and a Vegetarian Don. While nothing special, both dishes were tasty enough, though a bit lacking in the way of vegetables for my liking. But that's just me.

The venue itself was rather small, making it somewhat crowded. A large pallet of Asahi slabs also takes up a fair amount of space - but I suppose they need that many considering the beer is only $4 a bottle!

Considering it's proximity to uni, I'll definitely be back here when semester starts! You can't go wrong with cheap Asian.

Reanna.

1000 Steps & Other Adventures

Here's a few snapshots of what I've been up to these past few days. I'm currently on mid year holidays from uni, so I have so much free time that it's getting a bit ridiculous!

On Saturday night, Chris and I wandered down to Kensington to have a drink at a cute little bar - the White Rabbit Record Bar. We have been meaning to go there for quite awhile. It's cosy and quirky, and serves an assortment of drinks and meals, including Alice in Wonderland themes cocktails! When money allows, I'll definitely be back to try out one of those. Instead, we settled for a teapot of mulled port wine - perfect for a freezing Melbourne night!

We found ourselves with a few hours to kill on Sunday morning, so we decided to have a look at Pentridge Market. It's a wonderful little craft and farmers market held in a wing of the old Pentridge Prison, and is only in its first few weeks of operation. We didn't end up buying anything this time, but we tasted some great chillies, homemade chai syrups, and Chris even tried some home brewed beer (let's ignore the fact we were at the market at 9:30am!). It's on every Sunday, so we'll be back.

This morning, we jumped in the car and drove out to the Kokoda Track Memorial Trail - also known as the 1000 Step Climb. It is a bit of a drive for us to get there, but it was a nice (if almost dying from cardiac arrest is your kind of nice, anyway) way to spend a sunny morning.

This was third time lucky for Chris and I. Not long after moving to the city some six months ago we tried to drive out to the walk, but got lost and ended up miles away. The second time we went, we found the walk, but due to some stupid mistake we ended up climbing up the wrong way and coming DOWN the steps. Tad bit awkward. But this time, we finally did it. There was no breathtaking view up the top, but it was reward enough to make it up those steps alive.

What have you been up to lately? Discovered any new places?

Reanna.