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.

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

Recycled blanket continue

After I finished the blankets, I was left with these knitted triangles from the original blanket. I thought I would use it to make a cushion cover or something similar, but as usual plans changed along the way...

I ended up with a string of knitted bunting instead.

I used slip stitches to attach the triangles and chain stitches in between. I followed this with two rows of single crochet stitches.

Here you can see the 'front' and 'back' of the string.

I had this ball of variegated turquois yarn for a while, but it never really spoke to me. It just sat there in the stash. And then suddenly last week it had something to say... (such fickle things, yarn)

Bell jar

I was browsing through Pinterest this morning and came upon a few photos of tablescapes containing bell jars filled with all kinds of pretty things. I always loved those jars and when I found them on sale a few years ago, back in  Dubai, I bought two. They came without the wooden base I saw in most photos. Once I had them, I didn't really know what to do with them. Our house does not have little knick-knacks all over the place. We like open spaces and clean lines. So the jars sat on the buffet, with nothing in.

Inspired by my early morning Pinterest browsing, I decided to play with them this morning. I took one item from every room of the house and put it in one of the jars. This is the result. I still have a few things to learn about photographing reflective surfaces, and styling, but apart from that it was fun.

Entrance hall

Dining room*

Kitchen

Pantry

Laundry

Living room

Jandre's room

Stefan's room

Kid's bathroom

Anika's room

  

Main bedroom

Main bathroom

My studio/office

 Garage

* art by my friend Natasja de Wet

Adelaide in Pictures 1: Dolphin Sanctuary

We spent a beautiful, cloudy morning at the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary, exploring the mangroves and the shipwrecks. The sanctuary is in the Port River and Barker inlet, and although it is very close to the city and harbour, once you are on the water, you feel miles away from all civilization.

The water was perfectly still, with only the waterbirds and dolphins breaking the surface.

The sanctuary is also home to a 'shipwreck graveyard' which provides good habitat for fish and water birds. 

This shipwreck lies in very shallow water and provides a great photo opportunity. 

I paddled around the wreck and photographed it from all sides, but I think I still have a few things to learn about photographing from a kayak...

The bottle-nose dolphins came quite close, and although they didn't pay too much attention to us they were very aware of our presence. A few times they swam underneath the kayaks and came up right next to the one where my husband and daughter sat and watched her closely. It seemed like they knew she was only a small child.

Behind the scenes

Now that I have a day job, I sometimes feel like I am not getting as much creating done as I want to. But come to think of it, there are quite a few things in the works...

 

This is my home office/studio. It is a great space - private but open. It is on the upstairs landing next to our bedroom and it is just mine. It is almost organised and ready for big things to happen...

Some office candy...

While I was in South Africa back in May last year, I raided my mother's sewing cupboard and found a few vintage buttons. Some of them come from clothes I used to wear as a little girl. I don't have any specific plans for them yet, but then again, has that ever mattered? 

And that never ending knitting project I started way back when, is still going on. It was laying dormant for a few months but now that I take public transport to work every day, it has resurfaced. My commute to and from the office has been quite productive these last few weeks... 

Yarnbombing in McLaren Vale

A few weeks ago, while the Tour Down Under cycle race was on in town, we went to Willunga, a small village in the McLaren Vale wine region, to watch the Tour pass through town.

We had a beautiful breakfast at the Organic Cafe, right on the sidewalk next to cycle route.

From there we walked through town up Old Willunga Hill where the race stage would end.

The whole town of Willunga were decorated with yarnbombing!

All the trees and most of the fences along the route were made up in yarn creations of every kind.

Some trees had decorated bicycles wedged between the branches.

Some of the artist stuck to simple colours 

and some went all out in as much colour as possible

.

Some of the bicycles, trees and and even shop doors were decorated with soft toys

The creativity was endless.

We walked up the hill on one side of the street and came back along the opposite side, so I could take photos of as many of the decorations as possible.

The yarnbombing initiative was organised and accomplished by the 

Make Do and Mend Craft Collective in McLaren Vale.

Look at all these toys on the bike!

Doilies,

Even Shrek and Spiderman was there!

I think I enjoyed the yarnbombing more than the actual race, although watching a peleton of cyclists zooming past at high speed is quiet exciting.