Melbourne: A Photo Essay

Posted on by
The iconic Flinders Street train station in Melbourne's CBD

The iconic Flinders Street train station in Melbourne’s CBD

I have spent the past month in Melbourne, the capital of Victoria. I wanted to begin my year in Australia here because I had heard so many amazing things about the city – how it embraces culture and the arts, the booming street art scene, great food, lots of neighborhoods to explore, a young demographic because of all the universities. I certainly haven’t been disappointed.

One of the best things to do in Melbourne is to visit museums. Nearly all the museums in town have free admittance to their permanent exhibitions: the National Gallery of Victoria, the Australian Center for Moving Images, the Grainger Museum, the State Library of Victoria. You could fill days and days just museum hopping and not spend a penny!

Another highlight of Melbourne is all of the gardens – acres and acres of well tended trees and flowers to explore. There are free tours in both the Fitzroy Gardens and the Royal Botanic Gardens, or you can just wander on your own. There are also free walking tours with I’m Free, which is a great way to get introduced to the history of the city and its layout.

There are still so many things left to do in Melbourne – visit the Victoria Market, explore Footscray and other outlying suburbs, go hiking out at the Dandenongs. I could definitely see myself living here for several more months, and perhaps after I get some travel out of my system I’ll come back!

Continue reading →

Street Art in Melbourne: Part 1

Posted on by
A fish mural in Fitzroy, Melbourne

A fish mural in Fitzroy, Melbourne

Street art in Melbourne is – in a word – amazing. The laneways in the CBD and neighborhoods like Fitzroy and Collingwood are havens for artists, many of whom create larger than life murals. Hosier Lane near Federation Square is the most famous and it is constantly changing. I have visited three times over the past three weeks and each time I’ve seen brand new, very impressive pieces. Croft Alley, Centre Place, and Tattersall’s Lane are also good places to check out in the CBD.

Most of these photos were taken in the aforementioned places, and this is the first post of a series of three (at least for now!).

One thing I’ve loved about documenting street art is seeing some familiar tags and murals that are obviously done by artists I’d seen before. In Melbourne’s case, I see some of the same characters that I saw up in Chiang Mai. It’s like an international treasure hunt!

Continue reading →

Great Ocean Road

Posted on by
A view of the 12 Apostles on the Great Ocean Road

A view of the 12 Apostles on the Great Ocean Road

Near the top of every Australia to-do list is a road trip on the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, and it was one of the very first touristy things I did when I arrived. I rented a car with an Australian friend I’d met in Bolivia, and we headed out from Melbourne through Lorne to Apollo Bay, taking a detour to Cape Otway and spending some time in Port Campbell, before getting to Warrnambool and heading back – all in 48 hours. It was a whirlwind, but we saw some beautiful sights along the way, including some wild koalas!. Unfortunately it was too cold to go swimming in May, but we spent some time walking on the beach anyway.

I loved learning about the history of the area – from indigenous tribes and William Buckley to shipwrecks and lighthouses. I learned that the first American vessel to sink in WWII sunk right off of Cape Otway, something I’ll keep in my back pocket in case I’m ever on Jeopardy!

Additionally, there are several great hiking spots along the road, for short walks or longer ones that apparently can take several days. We did a few short walks, but realized at the end of the day that it had added up to quite a trek!

Continue reading →

Prydden Brook Falls in the Paugassett Forest

Posted on by
Standing in front of Prydden Brook Falls

Standing in front of Prydden Brook Falls

I didn’t get to attend as many Meetup hikes with WCOA as I would have liked, but I did manage to join a Thursday evening hike in Newtown to the Prydden Brook Falls. It was the day after an epic rainstorm, so the falls were churning and the river was high. There were some beautiful flowers along the trail and the view of Lake Zoar was stunning. The Meetup group was pretty small – only 4 hikers and 2 dogs – but it was lovely company and the pace was exactly right.

All-in-all it was a wonderful, crisp day.

Continue reading →

A Walk Around Lake Mohegan

Posted on by
An old piece of farming equipment sits in front of Lake Mohegan

An old piece of farming equipment sits in front of Lake Mohegan

Lake Mohegan in Fairfield, CT is a popular swimming hole in the summer time and a nice hiking spot throughout the year. The trails are well developed and there are sturdy bridges for river crossings. In April there was a lot of colorful skunk weed and some buds beginning to open. I went with my friend Paul and we had a fun time taking photos and taking in the smells of early spring. As usual, my camera was drawn to uprooted tree trunks, intricate roots, and decaying logs.

Continue reading →