1. 28 July- 6 August

    Sydney, the largest city in Australia, is unquestionable… no joke.. it is….MASSIVE.


    I am not certain if my brain is running out of hard drive, or if things are different when you visit them a second time after several years, however, I do not recall this city being quite this expansive. I suppose because I have more time, I am realising how little I saw of Australia the first time I was here. After my trip concluded in Stanley and Victoria- I went back to Melbourne for a few short days before heading over to the airport and awaiting my one-way flight to Sydney. I thought I knew what to expect, but, I didn’t actually realise the sheer size of the city. I had a few hours to spare while waiting for my first flight upon Virgin Blue (which was quite comfortable, excellent airline), so,
    I reverted back to a very generous birthday gift (THANK YOU BEN!!!), this was a highly coveted DVD set I’d been admiring and dreaming of for a long time.. it was finally mine… Planet Earth (those Brits and their talent, I tell you)

    The flight to Sydney was a mere 50 minutes- apparently the wind was blowing in a favourable direction, so instead of an hour and 15 minutes, which is still an unbelievably reasonable flight, I blinked, and there I was! The 7 dead bodies in my suitcase are starting to annoy me. Was it necessary to bring that many clothes? Its interesting now that I am on the last leg of my trip, I am running out of patience for my insanely heavy luggage. Fair enough, it is winter here, and I truly have been using, layering, and wearing all of my clothing (and the things I brought or accumulated with me are en route to my parents house via a box on a boat) NOTE TO SELF: NEXT TIME YOU TRAVEL, DON’T JUST SAY YOU WILL TRAVEL LIGHT, DO IT! I have been doing laundry almost every week, anyway, next time, I vow to not bring such a heavy bag, no matter if I will be gone for a few months or for an entire year, 3 outfits max, that’s the rule… who will hold me to it?

    Arrival in Sydney felt a lot like arriving in Los Angeles, and the similarities between the 2 cities are numerous- although, Sydney is a great deal more interesting and diverse than LA in my opinion. (sorry native Angelinos) The first few days, I was staying a bit outside of the city, and had to spend those few days editing my photos from The Stanley, but, once I got into town, it became familiar again and was pure magnificence. It can’t be denied that Sydney has a certain je ne sais quoi, a certain appeal despite some of the most iconic and fascinating areas being the most populated with tourists (and we all know how I feel about touristy things) I was staying in an extremely funky part of the city proper called Newtown. It echoed several different parts of California to me- a bit of San Francisco with its coloured, aging buildings closely settled next to each other, as well as a bit of Venice Beach in its eclectic, multi-faceted culture and locals,a bit of LA proper with its traffic, and confusing roadways being blocked by road work or just too many people in one place. (thank god for GPS!) There were several cafes on every corner, even more antique shops, cuisine ranging from Nepalese, to Thai, to even worthy tasting Mexican food (good on you, Sydney!)

    Several times while in Newtown, I ventured to the ultimate touristy spot in an attempt to get a new image for my e-promo. I wanted to use my shot of the scallops from The Stanley and needed a boat/water image to pair with it… and so off to Circular Quay- the hub of ferries and home of The Harbour Bridge and Opera House, I went.

    What is it about architecure and lights that are fascinating? I am not sure, but, seeing the Opera House is THRILLING. I snapped several photos, trying to think of a unique angle, or something that hasn’t been done a billion times before, at any rate, it always makes my heart beat a little bit faster when I am standing before a famous icon, most especially one to do with the beloved arts. I STILL have not seen the inside of the Opera House- I mean my sister and I went in briefly the last time I was here, but, we did not get a tour(and this is a tour I actually WANT TO DO!) Its alright because I know I will be coming back again ; )

    My brain was working on double overtime trying to get a unique water, boat shot for my new promo- and though I tried half the day, I didn’t capture it until I was on the ferry to Manly for Thursday nights at a pub with some new friends and most especially because I was told that Thursday nights had a magician! Seriously. A real magician ☺

    Admittedly, it took me almost the entire 2 weeks in Sydney to find an affinity for it. I am fairly quick to feel the energy of a place, of a person, of a town, and when I arrived- things were so starkly different from Melbourne and insanely more expensive, I felt strongly for several days that I didn’t like Sydney. As time went on, and the more people I met and connected with (including the clever and adorable MAGICIAN) the different sides of Sydney that I experienced, I have found a soft spot in my heart for this metropolis of Oz. I have continually been to parts of Australia that many locals haven’t heard of, and ended up with some friendships that I will keep for a lifetime. Having visited Sydney, Davidson, French’s Forest, Manly, Newtown, Campbelltown, Eschol Park and Mudgee, I have felt the true Aussie experience resonating within me causing an even deeper love and appreciation for this land both city and countryside. ;)


    This is why Sydney reminds me of SF!

    My fave wall in Sydney


    Cool Cafe of many along the streets of Newtown

    This is practically straight out of Venice, CA!

    Hahaha, I love the signs in Australia- isn't that kind of them to tell you which way to look before crossing the street?


    Mystery bird.. does anyone know what kind it is?

    On the way to the Opera House, Harbour Bridge to the left, beautiful sunny day as though it were the summer!


    Darling Harbour

    En route to the Opera House



    Opera House part 2

    Ha, these guys were actually entertaining, and loved being in photos- I imagine if I lived here, though, they would be annoying like the people in the subway stations in NYC or the people @ 3rd Street Promenade in LA


    View from the ferry




    Welcome to Manly

    I just couldn't resist snapping this photo ;)

    Cool water shot





    Jules- my main magician man- his wallet was always on fire, lol !


    Sydney at night
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  2. … was the response of Saffron Michael upon showing him the macro shot I took of one of his Alpacas, Bella… (The Twilight references never stop around here!) Bob and Bella are the Alpacas he purchased to keep his land fox-free , and I have to admit, being up close to Alpacas was quite entertaining. (btw ripper= Aussie for fantastic)

    Michael is another laidback, genuinely amiable, and generous Aussie I met during my visit. He is also the only local grower of Saffron in Stanley, hence the name Saffron Michael, who is a regular to The Stanley Pub. This is part 2 of my Stanley adventure, mainly because in the 4 short days I was there, I truly did have a full shooting experience- from the Pub/Bistro/Accommodation to the stunning and silent countryside of Northeast Victoria. It was here that I saw my first official kangaroo of the trip (ALIVE) while truffling for mushrooms like a pig, with Head Chef Richard, I heard a rustling of leaves.. looked up and saw a kangaroo fidgeting around in the trees, then hopped away promptly upon view of us.. that was the first kangaroo of my trip, and that was the beginning of the wuzzle effect- for those of you who are American… and can remember… stretch back with me to your early childhood Saturday morning cartoons- Are you there? Ok. Perhaps it was afternoon cartoons as well- I cannot recall at present- but having grown up watching an insane amount of cartoons on television- (what did we do as kids, JUST watch tv?! Because you know we have all seen the same cartoons- the same episodes- which is frightening to attempt to calculate just how many hours we have watched collectively) So, on one of the most bizarre cartoons possibly, EVER, was the Smurfs- and there was one episode where there were these fuzzy little creatures called wuzzles- I cannot recall exactly where they came from or what the premise was but, I do recall they were furry, round animals shaped like a ball, light pink in colour, and when they hiccupped- they multiplied- thus leaving an overflowing amount of wuzzles in the Smurfs village.. this is how I felt about my kangaroo watch. I began by only seeing a single one- then suddenly, they were appearing in DROVES. I mean, I happened to catch sight of what I thought was 1-3 kangaroos together- and they somehow camouflaged themselves to appear like the trees—as we got closer to them, they hopped away and at one point, I tried to count how many were simultaneously hopping away into the depths of the forest- even with my quick eye, I could only count 15, but I know there were more! Feeling a bit blue about not seeing any kangaroos in all my time in Australia quickly ended with that day. I got my wish- from that day on, I must have seen about 50+ kangaroos, and I did not capture a photo of any of them (alive! ☹ ) however, it was thrilling each and every time. I suppose living in New York City, and having grown up between Seattle and LA- I don’t typically see many exotic animals- nor do I see animals that stand on two legs- granted, there are several gorillas and related primates that I have seen at zoos and in Las Vegas- however, there’s something unique about seeing kangaroos (and their close cousin ? The Wallaby)

    The reason I keep referencing live kangaroos, or roos as they are known to the locals, is because on the following week I would take a roadtrip to the countryside of Sydney and would have seen enough roadkill to open a Roadkill Café! (and kangaroo is apparently the leanest meat, but, I still can’t bring myself to try it)

    Early on Saturday morning, Michael offered to drive me around the land so I could capture some out of the ordinary photographs of nature- it was heartbreaking and breathtaking all at once due to being able to see firsthand the effects of the Victoria bushfires yet absolutely breathtaking in its beauty and simplicity of purity in land, water, air, and earth. The trees, although burnt completely black, showed signs of life with small sprouting leaves coming out of them... what a hopeful example of how something good can come from every bad situation.

    I have had some exceedingly rare opportunities to explore parts of Australia that I probably would have never seen nor have I heard of (not even some locals have heard of the places I went to!) because I was making friendships with extraordinary people who were pleased to show me their land, and happy to just have the company.

    As Michael’s truck took us slowly, but steadily up the hills and through the countryside, he showed me the rich land, the unique animals, and the special plant life. I feel in a way, I have truly seen "the outback" from my countryside adventures, and every opportunity I’ve had here to see things off the beaten-path, or things that don’t interest the locals have brought me closer and closer to understanding the glory and distinctiveness of Australia.



    Bella the Alpaca :)

    Bob with his dreadlocks and Bella :)

    Sheep!

    Cute lamb hiding behind its mum


    Part of Michael's home- gnarly outdoor chimney, stove? Something!


    Cool looking plant surviving in the midst of disaster


    Wombat hole!



    Mount Stanley from a distance


    If I remember correctly, this plant dates back 2,000 years?


    Aftermath of Victoria bushfires :(


    Burnt forest :(



    Signs of life
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    Labels: alpacas animals bushfire Countryside farm fire damage forest Mt. Stanley NorthEast Victoria outdoors sheep Stanley trees
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  3. 19 July- 26 July

    My time in Melbourne was suddenly coming to an end... and I knew I only had a few more days left before heading off to a major photoshoot. I decided that I would spend my last few days going to some of my new-found favourite bakeries, shops, and restaurants-snapped the last pictures that I could and packed up my bags and headed to the Flinders Street Train Station. This was my first time to actually USE the train station and not just shoot the architecture. I have to admit that I TRULY and quite literally jump at the chance to travel by train; there’s something about being able to reflect while traveling by train- to look out on the land and at times consider your purpose in life.. I find train travel is therapeutic for me. I said a slightly somber goodbye to Melbourne, and was starting to miss it already- then I quickly realised I would be back shortly before I was off to Sydney the following week. New city- new adventure- time for some hard work- I was ready to do the best possible job I could for the owners of The Stanley Pub.

    Now, for all you fellow Three’s Company fans out there- I think you will be able to agree with me- when I think of the name STANLEY.. the first thing that comes to mind is Mr. Roper, of course! Every single time I uttered the word Stanley, an image of Norman Fell popped into my head- and if I giggled or smiled, that was the reason ;o)

    Through a fellow photographer in New York- I was introduced to a lovely woman called Annmarie- with a smooth and soothing voice like butter- she asked me if I wanted to do an exchange.. photos for their website in exchange I would stay in their adorable accommodations. My answer was probably too emphatic of a YES!!!!! Because I absolutely adore and believe in the exchange of energy, of bartering and helping people by exchanging skills/talents. I would do this all over the world if I could and be content to live out of a bag ( a much less heavy bag than the one I am currently carrying around- which I jokingly say feels like it has 7 dead bodies in it)

    So, we set up the shoot to cover 4 days Thursday through Sunday; the end of the week proved to be slightly better for the owners who are a warm and friendly couple running The Stanley Pub/bar/bistro/accommodation in a small, gorgeous part of NorthEast Victoria. Their head chef picked me up from the nearest train station (40 minutes away!) and shared the history of the land and what their region is famous for- Chestnut trees, Apple Orchards, and berries. Here I was yet again, with a HEAD CHEF of a restaurant, shooting the breeze like we had known each other our whole lives. Australia is truly starting to spoil me- I think I will have to find a way to live here half the year- its becoming more than just an interest, an intrigue- it is becoming a love affair and I cannot begin to imagine not being here, not being among the kindness, generosity, and sincerity.. its sort of like the feeling you have when you leave Hawaii for those who have visited- you feel like you could easily live your life on the beach, with tropical cocktail in hand, and Aloha love permeates throughout everything and every person around you…where your biggest concerns are helping people, being in nature, being kinder, and contributing to humanity by doing as much good as you possibly can.

    After the scenic countryside drive through Beechworth and into Stanley, we arrived after their lunch service started due to my train being delayed by track work, and yet, I was welcomed and received as a special guest- I met Annmarie first who showed me around their rustic and charming little Pub. I then met her husband Shane who was in an arm sling due to a bicycle accident in the dark (the jokes never ended that weekend- I can just imagine how many he had to endure each week!) but was happily making coffee, pouring wine, while simultaneously running the bar with the greatest of ease, and started chatting with the locals.

    Annmarie showed me to my room and mentioned that all my meals and drinks would be on them as well- now- for a foodie, that is practically a dream come true- in my mind the agreement was only for the room- so that was a completely unnecessary, but extremely appreciated bonus. I settled in, and then started to talk business with Annmarie. She printed out a shot list and asked if there were any things that I wanted to shoot specifically in the region for myself. She then told me that their home burned down in the Victoria fires recently, and how she and her family had to start over- they could only grab their cats and a few photos, but every single thing they had was lost. I often feel a sense of pride about not caring about material objects- however, with fire being one of my biggest fears, and the IDEA of literally losing everything you own was presented to me in a tangible way in the form of the person sitting across from me; I just couldn’t imagine it. I admired the courage of the woman before me, and her positive attitude on life- how she and her family continue on with smiles on their faces and a genuine interest in their customers—their perseverance was exceptionally inspiring.

    After Annmarie and I confirmed the shot list, I couldn’t resist looking over the French-bistro style menu and trying to figure out what I wanted to order for lunch- I decided to get the French Onion Soup and some Scallops with a Citrus Salad. As most food photographers do- we shoot our lunch and practically everything we eat, so, I stared at the delectable food before me and shot it as quickly as I could- because travel days are undoubtedly my hungriest days- no matter what- the ham and cheese croissant I had on the train seemed to feel like I was a goat eating trash for 500 years when I tasted the food at The Stanley! I knew this was going to be the start of an extremely foodie-dorking-out weekend!

    I devoured my soup and scallops and I then shot around the Pub, and chatted some more with Annmarie and Shane. Day turned into evening and as I went into the bar to figure out what I should shoot next, a young girl with bright orange hair approached me- she was Isabella- Annmarie and Shane’s 5 year old daughter. My first instinct being a huge Twilight fan was of course to ask if anyone called her Bella. NO? Ok, so I then took a look at Annmarie with jet black hair, and after a moment glanced over at her husband Shane- with brown hair..hmm... the unfailing fascination I have with Genetics rose to the surface- and I just had to ask “Um, how did your daughter get the orange hair?” Annmarie then posed the question to Isabella who matter-of-factly said, “Its not orange, its Spun Gold” to which I could only respond, “Well, that is of course, much nicer than orange!” It turns out that she got the recessive traits, and the Genetics-nerd in me was in awe and satisfaction ;)

    Evening fell, and I decided on eating my dinner without shooting it- I had some very nice French style Gnocchi with vegetables, and feeling for some reason vegetable-deficient, I ordered a side of Winter vegetables, too. I suppose that’s the Californian in me that always wants a variety of fresh vegetables. At least mom never had to force me to eat them :) After dinner, I chit-chatted with the locals and then retired to my room for the evening. Once inside my room my insomnia had no chance (as it has mostly subsided while I’ve been here) and though a bit frosty, I drifted off to sleep soon after laying down under about 4 blankets.

    I awoke on my own the next morning and was ready to start all over again. Breakfast at The Stanley is self-serve in a sweet, bright corner room where there is a variety of yoghurts, organic cereals, and fresh fruits. I thought that was extremely clever of the owners so they can at least have a small break from the hustle and bustle of their business. Their personal touch is still present though, in that they set up the meals before they leave well after 1 am, and there’s milk, juice, cream, and bread with locally made butter and jams left for the following morning. I am not a fan of breakfast, not in the slightest, as most of you know, however, I found myself eating cereal and milk with a huge smile on my face and looking forward to breakfast the following day. There's definitely something special put into everything that is touched there it must be magic or love... or both because, I am enjoying things that I normally don't!

    I spent the rest of the weekend shooting the most delectable food! Their French bistro menu is absolutely worth the visit alone, but the rustic charm of the pub, the comfortable, silent and peaceful accommodation rooms, and the unbelievable kindness,interest, and heart-felt relationships that Annmarie and Shane have with their patrons is unparalleled. I still giggle when I think of how complete strangers that I met throughout the weekend- whether locals or not were CONTINUALLY welcoming me to Australia. In all of my travels, I cannot recall being welcomed to a country as many times as I have been welcomed here.

    The remainder of the weekend included not only shooting a good variety of food from their menu, but also did interior, exterior, detail, nature/regional, and people shots. And though I was working very hard each day, I still found myself challenged and excited to shoot all the different parts of the Pub. I could have easily stayed there for another week or two delving into the small details that make something especially unique- as well as the satisfaction I would have obtained by feeding my complete addiction to my Macro lens ;o)

    From the authentic French Onion soup, to the care put into designing the foam on the coffee (with only one fully functioning arm- no less!), it was truly a delight to work with Annmarie, Shane, Richard, and the rest of their staff at The Stanley. I know that nestled in their corner of the world, I have yet again made some true friendships because I arrived with handshakes, and left with hugs.




    Welcome to Stanley!


    The Stanley Pub!

    Exterior view of The Stanley


    The Bar!


    View from bar seats into the main dining room


    Main dining room


    The magic window- as I called it- this is where I did most of the food shooting- great light+ rustic charm of the table and chairs= perfect



    The Breakfast Room





    The Stanley Pub staff in their matching t-shirts

    This patron has been going to The Stanley for 30 years! I think his philosophy is the best I've heard "Not a worry in the world" ;)


    This is the best moment- undoubtedly. Annmarie is on the left, Isabella in the middle, and Shane on the right. Isabella was being a bit camera shy, so Richard, Head Chef stood behind me and asked her what her favourite thing was that he makes- and she screams CHOCOLATE CAKE!!!!! To which I now refer to this photo, and have titled it: "Chocolate Cake"


    Head Chef- Richard McCallum- he affectionately referred to me as "The Yank" after only one day ;o)




    Just two words needed: FRESH, BREAD!


    Organic housemade Muesli






    Twice baked Milawa goats cheese soufflé (OH MY ______ this was scrumptious!)

    French french fries, aioli, and beer

    French Onion Soup with Heidi Farm Gruyere ($60/kilo!)

    Seared scallops with citrus salad (amazing!)

    Garfish with a lovely sauce and peas- this is the ONE AND ONLY fish in the WORLD I have never used lemon on, good on you Richard :)

    Seafood bisque with a gnarly looking lobster! err or crab? One of the two!

    Forgive me- I don't know exactly what is in this dish- besides DELICIOUSNESS! apples, potatoes, and sausage, can anyone help ?


    Genovese Coffee and Chocolate Tarte

    Stanley Apple Tarte Tatin with Clotted Cream- holy of all that is holy- only French cuisine can make me like cooked apples... no joke- this was the BEST dessert I've ever eaten- I had to order 2... for 2 days in a row ;o)

    Red Wine Poached Pear with Chocolate Sauce and Walnut Praline (makes you drool a bit doesn't it?) :)
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    Labels: Accommodation Australia Bar Bistro French cuisine NorthEast Victoria Pub The Stanley The Stanley Pub
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  4. Second Week Down Under: 11th July- 18th July

    Hello kids- thanks for tuning in yet again on my Aussie adventures. I just had the most glorious weekend in the countryside of Sydney thanks to my darling friend Amanda… I wish that I was caught up to the present.......maybe I can become an official nerd blogger and just continue to blog for an entire day so that I can catch up to the present? I think that only I would start a blog in the middle of my trip- go backwards, and then fall behind on moving forward??? Yea, quite possibly only me. I think this is the part of my personality that amuses me- that I am continually an absolutely silly noodle ☺

    So- let’s continue our journey back in time- I really REALLY want to say emphatically and in Doc’s voice “let’s go back to the future!” but it just hasn’t worked yet- will you forgive me if I reference this in the next few blogs that I post? Ok, good.

    My second week in Melbourne was much like the first- exploring everyday to my heart’s content, snapping photos of all the magical corners of the city, and learning my way around by memory and landmarks. (seriously, I have no idea what North, South, East, and West are.. but oh yea, that old looking tree and the McDonald’s on the corner? Ohhh yea, that’s how I know I am lost, so I know to go the other way now - such girl directions☺)

    I continue to adore Melbourne and the many sides of its personality… I am learning to live in harmony among metres, kilometres, litres, Celsius, kilograms, kiljoules, and no pennies. Luckily, they use dollars here otherwise the math part of my brain might ACTUALLY and completely stop- that’s not to say that I haven’t had about 7 mental meltdowns per second here trying to convert measurements, temperatures, distances, and weight…all I know with any certainty is that my US dollar is earning me at least another quarter in Aussie dollars, and that’s sort of all the math I need to know right now.

    I started my week with incredible fanatic anticipation of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince which was released on Wednesday 15th July- it was originally planned to be released on my birthday 17th July- but for some reason it was bumped up and I couldn’t have been more thrilled. I actually looked up release dates abroad before I left because I know the USA tends to have movies premiere before the rest of the world- I saw that HP was to be released in Australia in DECEMBER (perhaps that was the DVD release????) anyway, I was absolutely crushed thinking that I would have to wait friggin 3+ months for a film I have been awaiting eagerly and excitedly.. luckily, I was proved wrong- and had to entertain myself to keep my mind off going to a midnight 3-D release of the film that would have cost me about $25! (F, I thought NYC was expensive!)

    I started off on another mini- mission- where in the hell did my sister and I stay last time we were here? It couldn’t have been far from the city centre- and there were more places to see- so off I went- trusty camera in hand, hoodie zipped up, Ipod shuffle (thanks Omri) settling into the same spot on the pocket of my jeans, and listening skills turned to “hyperaware” mode so I could learn more and more Aussie slang. I think at this point I could fake a fairly believable accent ☺

    I ended up gravitating as I usually do to Chinatown (have to admit- New York seems to have the bloody coolest Chinatown outside of well CHINA and since I haven’t been to China yet, I will stand by that statement ☺) I found an incredibly quiet, yet fascinating Chinatown cleverly hidden in the middle of the city centre.. as I wandered down the nearly silent streets I found beautifully coloured buildings, interesting artwork, architecture, and of course the signature tidy restaurants sometimes complete with a girl standing outside with menus (I asked her if I could take her photo and she shyly accepted) It is always interesting to me to discover all the different Chinatowns of the world- perhaps that can be a new project? I have to also admit that though I have only been to LA, San Francisco, Boston, Washington DC, and New York’s Chinatowns, Melbourne’s is once again unique, memorable, somewhere that I would like to visit again. I could very well be biased at this point- and will now have to compare it to Sydney’s Chinatown that I will be heading off to this week. I seemed to find comfort and amazement in the beautiful blue brick wall, in the giant mask of China hanging randomly on an abandoned building, and delight in street names such as Celestial Avenue.

    After going to Chinatown 2 days in a row, I saw Harry Potter, was quite pleased with the film despite some negative reviews and the annoyance at the tall, spiky haired woman who sat directly in front of me at the last minute, I enjoyed seeing the actors growing up and continually inhabiting the characters I have come to know and love. I then set off to visit a beautiful cemetery (no, I am not morbid, just enjoy the beauty and architecture of cemeteries).. it was interesting to me that people were buried in sections according to their branch of religion- I never think of Australia as an extremely religious place though I know Catholicism is a widespread religion here- I found some truly beautiful headstones and some that were so old they were collapsing and rotting away.

    I ended the week celebrating my birthday twice and I usually celebrate for the entire month- but as I reached a milestone this year of turning that number after 29 which is still a bit difficult to say… (how about 29 + 12 months? That sounds MUCH better to me!) I experienced the unbelievable Aussie kindness again and had some new friends drive an HOUR to pick me up and take me out for a few drinks and a meal. The next day one of my temporary housemates made sushi for me since I had been bugging her about it for the first 2 weeks of my stay (every single day!!) Well.. she was Japanese, and .. I wanted sushi! ☺ This was yet again a heart-warming and reflective end to my second week in the Land Down Under.

    I am convinced that this is the car they used to draw Cruella deVille's car for 101 Dalmations! I could just imagine her with that wild look in her eye tearing around the corners of the mountains to chase after the car with those puppies! This was the first of about 4-6 cars of a wedding party- the groom waved to me after I snapped more than a few photos of the car- just too cool to pass up :)


    I love funny signs- and seeing a sign for "Taco Bill's" just made me laugh- don't you think TACO BILL is an excellent name for a Mexican restaurant in Australia?! Me, too !

    An example of the secret alleyways in Melbourne- this one led me to Chinatown :)

    My favourite wall- brilliant colours!


    Chinese museum with the coolest looking guards.. ever?


    Chinatown architecture


    The Mask of China


    No Chinatown would be complete without a window full of headless chickens!


    Lovely girl patiently standing outside a Chinese restaurant with menus


    My love for all things celestial inspired snapping this photo- if you may notice there is a sign for Target on the far left- nothing quite like a sign for Target with a dragon on it- I am thinking, it doesn't get much better than that :) This was also the moment that I remembered my sister and I stayed nearby due to me finding the Target store! Mission accomplished!


    One of my favourite things about Australia- the best signs in the world.. they are polite even on their street signs!


    Sparkling stones on the side of a building


    Now how often do you see a sign for "Tax-Free Opals"?? Not often enough, I say!


    Swanston Street, some of the iconic parts I have seen repeatedly- statues, churches, aboriginal artwork, and a glorious Winter blue sky


    Funky statues in the middle of the sidewalk in Melbourne City Centre


    Horse-drawn carriage Number 2, I still think it looks like a fairy tale when I look at them against the backdrop of Melbourne
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Wanderlust food, travel, and mostly musician portrait photographer trying to get to as many countries as humanly possible :) (all the while sampling the cuisine and listening to as much new music as possible along the way!)
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