winifredcreamer

Sydney from the Opera House

For us, the Opera House is the heart of Sydney. We made our first pilgrimage to this icon by bus to Circular Quay, then a stroll toward the point where rounding a row of apartments, the Opera House is revealed in all its glory. On a sunny day the roof tiles create a dazzling reflection.Continue reading “Sydney from the Opera House”

First Stop in Sydney: the Beach

Our first day in Sydney was focused on settling into our new Airbnb and shopping, but the next effort was to explore the nearest beach. Maroubra Beach is just one km from our house, about 5 minutes by car. It has everything, sandy beach, interesting rock formations, good beachcombing, surfers, even a biology class combingContinue reading “First Stop in Sydney: the Beach”

Good to Know About Melbourne

Melbourne proved easy to live in, another testament to Jonathan’s Airbnb research skills. We were walking distance from the beach, very handy on hot days, and also close to public transport. We drove into the center of the city on our first day to go to my eye doctor appointment and it was as nightmarishContinue reading “Good to Know About Melbourne”

Melbourne Architecture

Looking at buildings gives me a sense of the age of a place, style, and how lively and economically vibrant it is. You won’t see construction cranes on the horizon if people aren’t doing well. Melbourne is very dynamic, with a skyline full of cranes, new buildings pushing out the old. The skyline is developingContinue reading “Melbourne Architecture”

The Great Ocean Road

Chatting with the man next to me at last week’s concert, I heard about the Surf Capital of Australia–Torquay. We were told about the wonderful beaches and gorgeous coastal drive. Much as we enjoy Melbourne’s gigantic bay, we had wanted to get out to the ocean, and were convinced. My new friend admitted he wasContinue reading “The Great Ocean Road”

Movies in Melbourne

The Australian Centre for the Moving Image is right in the middle of Melbourne, on Federation Square across the street from the main train station. This vast center(re) offers a schedule of movie screenings every day, along with permanent galleries, and temporary exhibits. We spent all day there and ended up with visual overeload whileContinue reading “Movies in Melbourne”

Llywinda Sea Glass

Neither of us is good at sitting on the beach. We need chairs (knees) and an umbrella (skin cancer) as well as good books or crosswords, water, and snacks…. We don’t just plunk down on the sand between swims. We wade, look at tide pools, and beachcomb. I began collecting along the beach well beforeContinue reading “Llywinda Sea Glass”

Summer in Ellwood

We’ve been following summer around the world for five years, and I enjoy summer in every locality. Now that we’ve been in Melbourne for a week, I’m getting a sense of what summer is like right here. Our neighborhood is Ellwood, a close-in suburb of Melbourne. For Chicagoans, it’s like living in Evanston near theContinue reading “Summer in Ellwood”

Out of the Frying Pan….

We left Hobart under a cloud of cold smoke, with the temperature around 60°. We arrived in Melbourne in similar weather but without the smoke. The coming days are forecast to be in the 90°s. Rolling blackouts in Melbourne last week ended with a lot of finger-pointing. I’m waiting to see what happens during ourContinue reading “Out of the Frying Pan….”

Good to Know About Tasmania

We always learn as we go, and Tasmania was no exception. Airbnb: Our Airbnb in Tea Tree was different. We enjoyed the view out over a vineyard, but it was a bit more rustic than we like. I didn’t mind the geese, but we did have to watch our steps. Car: We rented a KiaContinue reading “Good to Know About Tasmania”