Sky Rockets in Flight

The perfect day for a picnic. It wasn’t too hot. There was a slight breeze and the sky was blue. Mitch had work but we met up on his lunch break. Good thing his workplace is right smack in the middle of Carlton Gardens! I haphazardly threw things together and we had a delicious al fresco lunch.

It was a gorgeous hour of: crispy quesadillas. home-made guacamole. intertwined limbs. looking up at the sky through the leaves. grass on hair. packed juice. deep & meaningful conversations. burnt salami. greasy bacon. cool strawberries. dirty sarong. uncontrollable laughter. talk about the future. taking photos. lots of love. cheesy reminiscing. mutual admiration. midday relaxation.

Just just gorgeous. We think we’ll do this a couple of times a week (weather permitting).

Samdays in Melbourne

My friend Sam from Vanuatu arrived last Thursday before heading out to her 5 week UK holiday and onwards to  her new job in Fiji.

Living in the Pacific has its perks, but one thing it deprives its lucky inhabitants of? SHOPPING. So when an islander lands in civilisation spending money and buying pretty new clothes is priority. so I took her shopping – Bourke Street, DFO, Smith Street Outlets (for her travel gear).

Port Vila, where Sam and I previously lived, is a teeny tiny town with less than a handful of places you can go out to drink. So we took her out to get wasted too.

Madame Brussels -63 Bourke Street, Melbourne

Meyers Place – 20 Meyers Place, Melbourne

An islander might also be in awe of the cityscape. Port Vila, afterall, cannot exactly be described as a metropolis. In the whole country there are only 2 lifts – at the Reserve Bank of Vanuatu and the Sebel Hotel. Skyscrapers are none existent, so we took her around the CBD.

The Hills are Alive…

On Father’s day (the Australian, not American one) Mitch took me to the Dandenongs also known in Melbourne as The Hills to meet his dad, half brother and half sister.

We set out early to pick up his brother Max and an hour later we found ourselves in the pretty surrounds of The Hills where the air is much fresher (and a lot nippier), the roads are zig zag and the forest is right outside your window. Spent the day with his adorable siblings Max and Mira and their hilarious dad. A great day of seeing what lies beyond inner city Melbourne.

melbourne from the top of the hills

into the woods

Puffing Billy

max, mira & mitch

eeire tree where we had coffee

isn't Max cute?

mitch & max

Simple Pleasures

Since coming back to Melbourne from Vanuatu, I have had patches of the blues.

Perhaps it is being away from precious family and true friends.

Or being so far from the beautiful beaches and breathtaking Port Vila Views.

Or the winter chill that seeps in to your bones instead of the delicious tropical heat.

Or the fact that I have to pile on the clothes instead of wearing bikinis all day everyday.

Or the gloomy days of ominoues grey clouds as opposed to the spectacular sunshine.

BUT i have been fighting this feeling and finding pleasure in the simple things..

here are just some of the things that made me smile helping me ward away homesickness and rediscovering the beauty in my life in Melbourne.

• Pretty, pretty, sweet smelling flowers from my local flowershop. For a total of $16.50 this beautiful bunch has adorned our dining table to brighten the bleak winter landscape outside our window.

• capturing the beauty of the city on unsuspecting moments. Taken from a park bench in Carlton Gardens.

In the jungle, the mighty jungle..

So I went on a safari in Africa.. and took photos of these guys

sleepy lion

giraffes

rhinos and zebra

the guide said these guys are mistaken for unicorns

mongolian wild horses

big burly bysons

lazy hippo

beautiful cheetah

funny meerkats

monkeys

big something or other

Eton Beach, Efate: where waters meet. .

I still wasn’t feeling 100% better on Saturday, but I knew Jack only had less than a week in Vanuatu and I really wanted him to see as much of the island as we can fit in. I was determined to bring him to one of my favourite spots in Efate, so with a slight fever, a vague idea of how to get there and my mum’s car we headed to Eton Beach, about a 45 minute drive on unpleasant roads but beautiful scenery.

Eton Beach is spectacular. It’s a small stretch of white sand beach that is protected from the crashing Pacific waves by rock shelters. A clear water spring from in land empties into the cove allowing for a unique experience of swimming in freshwater and salt water. When you stand there, you can feel the warmer freshwater from your feet to about your thighs and the colder ocean water from your waist up. Sit far below underwater and you can drink the sweet spring water.

Not to mention the sight is just spectacular. When you stake your claim on a spot on the sandbar you are caught between the Pacific Ocean

and a the small freshwater river

Come on a weekday and you get the beach all to yourself. On weekends, chances are, there are tourists and locals enjoying the beach with you. But there  is a whole lot of sand and sea for everyone.

Autumn in Melbourne

The leaves were golden, trees were shedding and Elaine and I wanted to play tourist. So we went to the Melbourne Museum and wandered around the galleries. If you’re a student, entrance is free, if you’re not the $8 admission fee is so worth it!

I enjoyed the Mind and Body Gallery (but I warn you DO NOT watch the video) and the Melbourne Gallery most. I loved reading about Melbourne’s history and how it has evolved into this beautiful city.