Sunday 2 March 2014

ADELAIDE STREET ART

I just love how this city embraces street art! 
Every blank wall becomes a canvas and walking down a side street becomes a visual feast. These days, whenever I come into the city centre I deliberately choose the small streets to get to where I need to go. I prefer the scenic route...














I love them all but my favourite so far is this wall on a small street behind the TAFE building: 




How cool is that? 
Park your car.


Thursday 27 February 2014

ADELAIDE CENTRAL MARKET

If you are a visitor to Adelaide, the Central Market is one of those must-see venues in the city.


If you live or work in the city, it is part of the scene, but for those of us who live the suburbs, it takes some effort to get there.


Last week I had to cook a Cambodian dinner for a themed evening we had. What a perfect reason for me to do my shopping at the Market.


My Fish Amok dish needed fresh white fish,


and other spicy ingredients.


My table needed fresh flowers.


Korean dishes don't need cheese, but that didn't stop me...


Then I needed a coffee break,


and my shopping assistant needed an ice cream break,


while also supporting the local music scene.


We decided to come back more often. 
It's good for the senses.

Monday 24 February 2014

CROSSING THE NULLARBOR

The Nullarbor is a vast, almost treeless plain, stretching for about 1100km's from East to West in the southern part of Australia, spanning across South and Western Australia. The name Nullarbor comes from the Latin Nullus (no) and Arbor (trees), describing the vast empty plains first encountered by European settlers in the 1800's.
  
Kimba - half way across the continent

For many modern day Australians, crossing the Nullarbor is one of those must-do items on their things-to-do-and-places-to-go-before-I-die list. With the Christmas holidays looming and our only family in Austalia living on the other side of this great plain, there was really no other option - we will cross the Nullarbor.

A bit apprehensive of what lies ahead

We planned our trip over four days, which is really quite short for such a long trip. But with limited time off work and trying to make the most of the time spent with the family, that's what we had.


Beware of the wildlife

The first part of the trip, from Adelaide across the Eyre peninsula to Streaky Bay, were busy with lots of travellers making their way to the coastal holiday spots, but after that the traffic became quiter with only those in for the long haul still on the road.

Where Australia falls into the Southern Ocean

We spent our first night camping just outside Ceduna, on the dunes overlooking the great Southern Ocean. On day two we made it all the way across the border into Western Australia where we suddenly gained two and a half hours. Seeing that it was  December 21, the longest day in the Southern Hemisphere, we were travelling west - chasing the sun and we just added a few hours to our day - we spent many hours on the road!  

Cloudscapes

But what a beautiful part of the world to spend it in. Before we left I prepared myself for desolation and arid landscapes, but I was pleasantly surprised. The landscape was mostly green and although there were areas that had very few trees, it was hardly the treeless expanse I was expecting. I suspect the fact that we spent 8 years of life in real, sandy desert, helped to made this part of the world look like green pastures.

Remnants of the Gold Rush in Coolgardie

We spent the next night on a delightful farm called Fraser Range Station, 100kms east of the town of Norseman. And to add to the anomaly of the Treeless Plain, Fraser Station is surrounded by the largest hardwood forest in the world, all of which is crown land. It is the most amazing sight - to drive for hours through  a tunnel of eucalyptus trees.


Hardwood forrest near Fraser Range Station

Once we reached Norseman, we were in mining country and back in civilization. We passed the town of Coolgardie, where the main street still features old buildings dating back to the gold rush days.


Royal Flying Doctor Service sharing the road with vehicles

Thanks to the few hours we gained the day before, we made it to Perth in 3 long days. We had a great time spending Christmas and  New Year with the family and then made our way back across the plain to Adelaide.

Sunset at Ceduna

We enjoyed every part of the trip and were pleasantly surprised by the natural beauty of a seemingly desolate place. Our only regret was that we could not spent more time exploring the region and getting to know the people who call this plain home.

Seeing the Flinders Ranges means we are close to home

Tuesday 3 September 2013

Flower Feedback: Franschoek 23

Janco Siecker sent me this fun photo last week:


My friends and I decided to go adventuring one Saturday, last week, and found our way to the Monument, we're three students, studying at Stellenbosch, and love the rich cultural history of the Cape,
I'm the one on the right, Janco, and next to me is Anja.

I hope this project still carries on for a while, it creates loads of fun,

Kind regards,
Janco

I hope so too, Janco! Thank you for participating.


Saturday 10 August 2013

Article in Inspirations 79

As usual the latest edition of Inspirations - the world's most beautiful embroidery magazine - are filled with an array of delicious embroidery projects covering a variety of styles and methods. 
I love the pink and green cover - it is my favourite* colour* combination! 


The other reason I really, really like it, is because there is an article on pg 10, I wrote about my African Flower Chain. It's already a year ago we took that trip around South Africa. I can't believe how time flies! That icy cold day in early August when we left Pretoria (and had a very rare snowfall) feels like yesterday... 


And here we are, all settled in Australia, with many new friends and new stories to tell.

*One of the many great things about living in Australia now is that I can ignore the spell checker when it tries to tell me to omit the 'u' in favourite and colour. This is the way we spell it in South Africa and in Australia. Is it a southern hemisphere thing, I wonder?

Flower feedback: Three Rondavels 5

I was very happy when I received this message a few weeks ago. I haven't heard from this flower for a while and assumed that it has been removed. I thought this was a recent visit but it turns out that the photo was taken in September last year. I am really grateful that Charnette still sent it to me even though she visited almost a year ago, but it does mean that the flower is most probably not there anymore...


Our company sent me and my colleague for a weekend away.  We decided to go to Hazyview and visit all the attractions there.  Amanda De Villiers and I, Charnette Wanty, took our boyfriends with, Quinten  and Nelius. Nelius  and I just started dating shortly before we went on this holiday, enjoying the lovely sightseeing around Hazyview.  

Thank you for sharing Charnette!

Flower feedback: Franschoek 21 & 22

This is the flower that keeps on giving!

This lovely picture comes from Rob and Tina Kuipers - in love in Franschoek, 
tasting wine and loving life!



This next picture comes from Henk Pitzer from Pretoria.


Henk and his family traveled to Cape Town to celebrate his youngest son's 21st birthday. He tells me his whole family loves to learn about their heritage and cultural history, and that this is the reason they visited the monument in Franschoek. 
Here he is with his eldest son Willem.

Thank you all for sharing your story!



Monday 8 July 2013

Flower feedback: Franschoek 20

Yeahhh! The 20th message from the Franschoek flower! 
This is definitely the most visited flower of all.




Hello. My name is Elsa and with me is my friend Elise. 

We are from Paarl/Franschhoek and we went for a walk to the Hugenote Monument.

What a great idea your flower chain is!

Have a nice day! :)

Thank you girls!

Wednesday 26 June 2013

Flower feedback: Witsand 9

I thought they have all gone, but the Witsand flower is still hanging in there!  
I received this lovely email from Lisette Valentine.



Thank you for the lovely gift of colour at Witsand National Park, it looked so bright in the midst of the dry orange sands and thorn trees. 
My name is Liz and I spend a fair amount of time travelling around South Africa with my partner Ian. Both of us have done overseas visits but find that SA is filled with many beautiful places still to be visited. We try to go out camping or to self catering cottages at least twice a month and also do a couple of longer trips to the many parks and nature areas around us. 


I am originally from East London and Ian is from Rugby in the United Kingdom. He has lived in SA since he was a young child. The Eastern Cape is a favoured place to travel to as I have family there but we also go to Hopetown where my sister has a farm - Northern Cape is extremely different but also very beautiful. 

I teach art (painting and drawing) to adults and love to do craft and as there are so many I tend to do mosaic, paperwork, sketching and not much else as there are not enough hours in a day. Hobbies after this are reading and photography. 

Hope my note isn't information overload! 
Thanks for the lovely blog and I will keep reading and following your journeys and craft. 

All the best wishes 
Liz 

Saturday 15 June 2013

Embroidery Magic

One of the treasures I found at Junktion yesterday: An Embroidery Magic binder filled with embroidery patterns.


The binder contains 120 (yes, really!) pattern sheets, each with a different design. The sheets are A3 size with a photo of the finished design on one side and the instructions on the other side.  


There is no information anywhere on the binder about the publisher or designer(s). 
I tried Google, but can't find anything either.
If you know anything about this folder (I think it is part of a series), please let me know. I am mystified..

Oh, and can I just add that I paid a full $2.00 for this file...