Category: Street Photography

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Adelaide

“There are some days when I think I’m going to die from an overdose of satisfaction.”

Salvador Dali

Whirlwind weekend in Adelaide! How lucky we were to squeeze this in a few weeks ago. I’ve never visited South Australia before, and to be honest, it’s reputation hasn’t always been particularly glowing. I suppose the benefit of bad reviews (albeit completely unfair) is the joy of being pleasantly surprised to be proven VERY wrong! Bloody loved it. “Could-see-myself-living-here” vibes. Now that we have family there, I’m looking forward to exploring SA a lot more!

CRFT Wines

First stop was this gorgeous winery in the Adelaide Hills – CRFT Wines. Unlike any cellar door I’ve ever visited, it was warm, cosy, relaxed and wonderfully inviting. Comfy arm chairs, a wood fire, records and plenty of plants! Not to mention, very generous pours for a tasting! I truly could have stayed here all day.

We spoke with the owner, and found that he had previously owned one of our favourite restaurants near home in Sydney. Weird coincidence, and possibly why I took such a liking to this place.

Special mention to our chauffeur extraordinaire, Andrew! The real MVP

Botanic Gardens

An afternoon walk around the Adelaide Botanic Gardens proved to be pretty special. It was a beautiful day, and a great way to recover after too much wine the day before!

The Bicentennial Conservatory was particularly striking – from both inside and outside.

Henley Beach

We went to Henley Beach at sunset, and it did not disappoint. Coming from the East coast, it’s always a thrill to watch the sun set over the ocean.

Highlight: we made friends with a super-chill seal who was frolicking below the jetty, just enjoying the last rays of the day.

d’Arenberg

Our final stop before heading home was the d’Arenberg Cube in McLaren Vale. What an epic experience! You enter the cube on the ground floor, which is wall-to-wall whacky and interactive art installations.

Make your way up the colourful staircase to level 2, where there is currently a Salvador Dali exhibition. There were bronze sculptures and graphic artworks available to view and to buy. We decided to pass on purchasing a sculpture with the hope of buying a car instead.

Upstairs was the cellar door, where we tasted some beautiful wines with a stunning view over the vineyard.

We had the most amazing time and I know there is so much still to see. Can’t wait to come back!

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Fathers’ Day

“She did not stand alone, but what stood behind her, the most potent moral force in her life, was the love of her father.”

Harper Lee

Happy Fathers’ Day!

I consider myself pretty lucky to have been blessed with a wonderful father.

His role in my life was the builder-up-er. He had big expectations and held me to a high standard, but he never failed to tell me he was proud of me – even for the smallest of achievements. I think I can speak similarly for my siblings. While he always pushed us to do better and be better; he made a big deal out of our success, he bragged about us to his friends, and he constantly showered us with love, laughter and support.

I like to think he played this role for many of our peers as well. He was known in our extended family and among friends as the “career advisor”. At any social event, he would speak to us all about our strengths and our interests, and then suggest a possible career path for us. It was a fun game at the time, and we would all laugh about the ridiculous job titles he would come up with. Now when I think back on those conversations, I realise that he was letting us know that we were capable, he saw our potential, and he believed in us.

He lived in a way that encouraged us to be passionate about what we do. He taught us by example that there was certainly a place for hard work, but there was no reason you shouldn’t have fun in the process. He was full of crazy ideas, and he was constantly planning exciting adventures for us. It’s thanks to him that we have had so many amazing experiences as a family, which have become beautiful memories that we can cherish forever.

He was the solid foundation in our lives that empowered us, made us feel safe and filled us with confidence. When he passed away so suddenly, the floor was ripped out from underneath us. This unwavering, invincible figure had suddenly been stripped of his power, and what seemed solid before didn’t feel so solid any more.

I will always miss him dearly. Life goes on, but it’s just not the same. It’s certainly never as good. It’s not as fun, it’s not as exciting, it’s not as spirited, it’s not as carefree. However, I like to think he fulfilled his job as a father – even though his time may have been cut short. He built us up so that we could live with confidence and independence, and made sure we knew that we could do anything if we worked hard enough. He fostered a sense of humour in us that has helped us stay sane through some pretty traumatic times. Most importantly, he made us feel unconditionally loved, respected and valued – ALL THE TIME. Even when we misbehaved. Even when we had differences in opinion. Even when we were ratbag teenagers. The way I see it, that’s what dads are for…so he did good! All the while working incessantly to support his family, bring his passion projects to life, and brighten the lives of those around him.

My privilege is not lost on me. I know there are so many whose fathers are not a positive force in their lives. I also have so many loving, supportive, gentle and encouraging men in my life – it would be ignorant of me to pretend that I lost all fatherly figures when my Dad died. I am forever grateful to all of these men for showing me what it means to be a man of good character – a good father, brother, husband, uncle, grandfather and friend.

One of his favourite places in the world was Manly Beach, and it is now a place we love to visit and remember him. What a beautiful gift it is to have such a stunning backdrop to bring our family together.

“Because my cup doth overflow
with the beauty of the days gone by.”
~ Van Morrison

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Light & Shadow

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.”

Martin Luther King Jr.

WARNING: Uncharacteristically emotional content!
I’m usually fairly passive in my writing, but I’m isolated and we are in the midst of some kind of mass extinction bullshit and I HAVE A LOT OF FEELINGS. You’ve been warned. Read on at your own risk.

It can be pretty easy to feel overwhelmed by stress and anxiety when it seems as though the world is ending. First it was the fires, then it was the floods, and now it’s the virus. We are all more isolated than we have probably ever been, spending a lot of time alone with our thoughts…and for me that’s not the ideal situation! I tend to assume the worst case scenario and over-exaggerate the possibilities ahead when left alone with my brain. Combine that with the constant stream of news and general hysteria (and, for me, a particularly high vulnerability to this disease) and you have a recipe for near-insanity.

However, amidst the chaos, I have found calm in taking time to express gratitude for all the little joys that we are lucky enough to experience every day. The birds singing in the morning, a loving paw on the knee, the smell off coffee wafting through the house, flowers blooming in the garden. Every day there is beauty to be seen.

One of the things I am most grateful for is the beautiful location we have been able to isolate in. We have plenty of space and we are close to nature, which has a welcome grounding and calming effect. I have been noticing the way the light changes throughout the day. It is a reminder that although it feels like the world as we know it has screeched to a halt, the Earth continues to turn. In fact, it is thriving in the absence of human activity! The sun rises every day and sets every night. The tides continue to rise and fall. The seasons continue to pass, as the leaves begin to turn.

In these manic and uncertain times, I have found sunlight to be such a reassuring reminder to put one foot in front of the other and try not to get caught up in the panic.

In light of this (pun very much intended), I am channelling my anxious energy into creativity, making observations on light and shadow. I hope these images can help to bring some zen your way!

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Camperdown Cemetery

“We don’t live our lives with this much order and control. To represent them in death like this is a lie. A proper cemetery should have big, gnarled trees among crumbling angels and weathered tombstones arranged haphazardly. The grass should be littered with clover and worn down to dirt in places.”

Kevin A. Kuhn

Camperdown Cemetery is a historic site in Sydney’s inner city suburb of Newtown. It was established in 1848, and tells the story of many years of abandonment and repair. In the 1940’s most of the cemetery was returned to public space, now known as Camperdown Memorial Rest Park. The remaining graves are now contained within stone walls, sharing the space with St Stephen’s Anglican Church.

It is a fascinating place to visit, and it is strikingly different from most operational cemeteries. When I read the above excerpt, I immediately thought of Camperdown Cemetery. I think Kuhn perfectly captures the organic and wild nature of this beautiful place in his writing.

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Smokey Sydney Summer

Australia is burning, and the effects are tangible. The colour of the sky alone is enough to make you believe the world is ending. We are fortunate to be surrounded by wonderful friends and family this festive season, and lucky enough to be living in a relatively unaffected area. My heart goes out to all those who have not been so lucky.

Hoping for ACTION from our government, and lots and lots of rain!

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Christmas Lights

“Merry Christmas, nearly everybody!”

Ogden Nash

There is something special about Christmas time. I have spent White Christmases abroad, cuddling up in front of a fireplace and wearing daggy Christmas jumpers. The roast turkey and eggnog feels appropriate and comforting in this setting. But nothing feels quite as festive to me as wandering through the sparkling streets of Sydney on a balmy December evening. Children stand at the top of their driveways handing out candy canes to passers-by, people blast Christmas carols from their car windows and very few people are wearing shoes.

This year we checked out the lights of Lane Cove. The whole suburb participates and they have a competition for the most impressive display. It’s a little painful to think of the amount of electricity being used, but it was comforting to see some solar lights in action!

While the world is falling down around us, I think a bit of electricity is a small price to pay for some Christmas cheer!

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Ravello

We had a number of recommendations to go to Ravello, so we spent a day there while staying in Cetara. It is way up on the mountain, surrounded by small vineyards and olive groves; and dotted with gorgeous bright flowering gardens.

You could stroll through the town for days on end. There are ceramic shops, fresh produce markets, boutiques, cafes, lobster bars, and views from every corner. You really feel like you’re on top of the world when you sit on one of the many restaurant terraces and look out at the coastline below.

Ravello, you are absolutely ravishing!

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Cetara

I’m an acquired taste. I’m anchovies. If I was potato chips I could go more places.

Tori Amos

We hopped on the bus to take us to Cetara, a gorgeous little fishing town East of Praiano. In order to get there, we needed to change buses in Amalfi, so we spent some time looking around the town. Again, it is a town lined with souvenir shops and tourist-heavy cafes, albeit set against a stunning backdrop of white buildings perched on the cliff face. There are worse places to wait a couple of hours for a bus!

When we finally arrived in Cetara, we checked into Hotel Cetus and we were pleased to be welcomed by another gorgeous balcony with another epic view. We were also treated to a delicious rooftop restaurant and private beach; and we were blessed with long, sunny days, so we squeezed in plenty of beach time while we could. It was only a short walk into town where there was plenty happening. We found a gem in Ristorante Acquapazza, where there was a buzzing atmosphere, a generous wine list and huge range of appetisers, pastas and seafood to choose from. They gave us some house-made Colatura, a salted anchovy sauce which is a specialty of the town. It was delicious just drizzled on bread with some olive oil – so different to anything I’ve ever tried!