Here is Part I of Greenpatch travel diaries, for those unfamiliar with the area 'south of Sydney', five hours from the New South Wales capital there is a little slice of paradise called Booderee National Park. It is here that you will find a frame to capture "Australian" iconography (beach, roo's & bush) This first post will feature bush sights of Greenpatch and those in the Jervis Bay area and the second post will highlight the beach.

I spent a few nights in February camping with my sister and grandma close to Bristol Point. We chose to camp at Greenpatch this time of the year because it was a uni break, my employers excused me from my work duties and the weather is a little cooler. Camping is an experience easily forgotten, whether it is my body's mechanism of convincing me that nothing went wrong last time, and camping will be a alternative summertime pastime than to binge watch tv shows. I personally believe it is similar to the memory loss that mother's suffer when recalling childbirth; overall the outcome outweighs the burden of suffering.

List of things I always forget about camping:
+birds are loud
+there is a 99% chance that your air mattress will deflate
+the way the tent becomes a fiery furnace courtesy of the blazing morning sun
+camping food isn't the healthiest diet and won't be featured on a morning tv program anytime soon
+sunburn will sting and one application of sunblock will not make you tanner quicker, just stupider
+the smell of open air campground bathroom facilities
+children cycling by (at all hours) 20cm from your tent/face is the perfect alarm for your contraception
+birds are LOUD
+what people did pre-internet times after the sun sets at 8pm?
+alcohol is okay with/after lunch
+erecting a tent isn't all fun and games
+birds are bastards

My personal highlight reel of this mini-vacay includes chasing possums out of my tent and away from the Cocopops at midnight & the cozy blanket fort vibes. Greenpatch is guaranteed to provide the answer to whatever you are looking for. Whether that might be the answer to someone asking you to join in on a outdoor activity; the vitamin d will do you some good

Melbourne Travel Diaries

Surprise this blog post is l o n g overdue but here it is; my trip to Melbourne! For me, returning home from a holiday calls for a reflection on the past traveling experiences and maybe planning the next adventure. No better way than to throwback to this time last year when I had taken a short 2 hour domestic flight from Sydney down to Victoria for a tattoo booking and was accompanied by my close friend and sister. Melbourne is a beautiful city this being my third trip in two years, I was familiar with the city but we had a long list of things to return to and visit for the first time.

We spent four nights and five days at a beautiful AirBnB apartment located in the suburb of Fitzroy. I can't recommend this place enough! The friendliest host whom had great recommendations and had styled this studio apartment like it was out of a interior magazine I would read. I will try to keep this post short and simply list the favourites from this trip. Now keep in mind we aren't huge clothes shoppers and believe money is better spent on food.

/ / Favourite sights \ \

+ Gallery of Victoria

+ State Library of Victoria Le Mis exhibit

+ Rose Lane Markets

+ Dreamworks animation exhibit

+ Hoizer Lane

+ picnic with goodies from Queen Victoria Markets

/ / Favourite Eateries \ \

+ Breakfast Thieves

+ Pellegrinis Espresso Bar

+ Industry Beans

+ Vegie Bar

+ Yong Green food

+ Lord of the Fries

+ Kettle Black

+Italian on Lygon street

Blue Mountains pt.2

Grand Budapest Hotel doppelgänger or what?! These pictures were taken on a detour when visiting The Blue Mountains in late July 2014. I spotted the candy pink exterior out my passenger window on the road trip and demanded a u-turn be made to explore the landmark. It is as if the fictional Wes Anderson set came alive before my very eyes.

Inside the absolutely gorgeous Hotel Grand View disclosed interior just sweet and delightful as The Grand Budapest; ruby red tapestry carpets, navy patterned chairs, burgundy stained wooden staircase, cream coloured walls the very likes features on Mendel pastries. Hotel Grand View happens to have vacancy to stay over night, operational restaurant & a function room to host your soirées. I practically weeped out of happiness when I entered the building, here a a few photos taken on our visit.

Blue Mountains pt.1

Okay, so Christmas in July was happening way back when we took a road trip to The Blue Mountains now it is only a few weeks away! Basically, I'm am a shocking excuse for a 'blogger'. I don't think you could call this visit to Katoomba a road trip or not but we were travelling from The Illawarra on the South Coast it was about three hours in the car. But there is something about an open window and the blurring of colours on a long drive that makes me recall Kerouac and youthful bliss.

We drove through heavy rain most of the journey to far Western Sydney and the mist blanketed the region's vast tablelands and valleys it formed droplets on my outstretched arm and made the scenery more beautiful. After a couple of quick pitstops by the time we reached the windy observation platform at National Park the clouds were moving low and fast above us, almost creating a mirror of the rolling landscape. I 'grammed a picture of a polaroid my sister and I on that platform and I was so petrified my hat would fly off.

Katoomba area is so lovely with it's cobblestone roads and old buildings but after spending so long in the car we were all feeling a bit feverish and conveniently we stumbled across a lady with two fluffy dogs she recommended  Station Bar pizza  Obviously, pizza cures travel sickness and we were feeling so much better and ready to continue our day. P.S I'm convinced the manager and I are musical soulmate because the playlist he was playing was awesome. We then explored the nearby streets and did a bit of retail shopping in the charity shops and used bookstores.

Lincoln's Rock is this magical place where the sky blends into the land and I could of lived the rest of my days here. I will let the photo's articulate the beauty of this phenomenal place. After spending a good hour at Lincoln's Rock we followed the chilly winds that swept off the mountains home. Part two of this Blue Mountain series will have photos from Grand Budapest Hotel themed shoot when we gate crashed an retirees Christmas in July function.

 

Hill 60 War Tunnels

Local legend says that these bunkers are haunted; so during daylight we went to judge for ourselves. Spoiler: they were not in fact haunted. Like any third year history major I researched the history of the tunnels whilst procrastinating on what to wear.  The Hill 60 bunkers were once built to protect the nearby ports in World War Two, although these bunkers were never actively used in wartime events, the foundations for large guns are visible overlooking the ocean. The bunkers comprise of two tunnels, equipped with a series of rooms that branch off from the main walkway. Now abandoned, the two tunnels are used by locals to graffiti the walls and to party as quite obvious by the debris. The bunkers are not the most hygienic place to be spending time in so I don't plan on returning anytime soon.  On the day we visited the tunnels it was quite overcast weather and it had a prominent winter chill to the air. I chose a preppy-Wednesday Adams themed outfit paired with my new Mui Mui glasses and black statement bag by Cambridge Satchel Company. I'm wearing an old button down black dress with white collar, underneath a Peter Alexander daywear Mickey Mouse sweater. My lipstick is Limecrime's Poisonberry.

Dallas Green at Sydney Opera House

The Sydney Opera House is a venue reserved only for the most exclusive events and on Thursday 24th July the city of Sydney heard Dallas Green (of City and Colour) as he sang his way into our hearts. Walking into the Opera House Concert Hall I notice how the layers of the building as seen from the exterior are mirrored accordingly. The room is arranged around a stage that seems to squeeze out of a condensed space of mezzanine levels, with balconies that hold seats filled by shadowy figures. My first impression of this space is of a blanket fort made from layered quilts and sheets. This theme of intimacy is heavily drawn upon as Dallas Green invite us all for an evening simply with Dallas, his guitar, and a harmonica.

Inside The Concert Hall, Dallas shared vivid stories of love, loss and spirituality in the form of his signature soulful vocals. Strange to describe but at moments during the night I could almost feel the entire auditorium breathe as one in these unison sighs. I imagined I could feel all the patrons express an inaudible feeling, triggered by the flow of effervescent sounds within the music that we all shared. Highlights of the evening were "Coming Home" and "Body In A Box" but it's difficult to choose favourites as the set was beautifully arranged with a variety of songs taken from Dallas Green's discography. "What Makes a Man" saw Green conduct the audience in a special Opera Concert Hall choir, which was very fun to be apart of. Another memorable part of the evening was Dallas honesty in describing the background of "The Grand Optimist" a lovely song with a powerful family message.

The set was finished like the majority of City and Colour sets with "Coming Home". I think the connection to blanket forts was made because in a special way I participated in a sacred ritual of blanket fort story telling that evening. It was inside these private spaces where secrets were whispered into the ears of invited friends, and lasting memories were made after the fort was demolished.

{ image taken on iPhone 5 by Shenay Spinelli }

white teeth teen

Happy saturday to all you lovelies! I hope the weather is treating you to the same delights as it is here in Sydney. I would like to share a few images of my saturday uniform, I wore this out to get some San Churros signature Spanish hot chocolate's and churros with my sister and a few friends. However, this is sure setting a poor first impression for outfit posts when I decide to break a wardrobe commandment and pair navy and black. I'm sorry. Thank you to my sister for taking these shots of me; I am so awkward behind the camera.

Also please excuse the tiredness I was up late last night seeing Lorde perform at Horden Pavilion. Lorde was absolutely amazing! She has incredible stage presence and is entirely captivating with her dance moves. Establishing the vibe for the night Lorde opened with Glory and Gore a very powerful song to open with and my favourite. Lorde surprisingly remixed and sung alternate versions of songs and it felt so natural with the flow of the set. She was very interactive with the audience and just before Ribs she spoke of the influences behind the song. Specifically, she talked about her life as a young women dealing with fame and adult responsibilities. It was very sweet to hear that she thought Sydney-fans are the coolest and she wished she could be best friends with everyone of us. A World Alone as the finale was out of this world brilliant. It might have something to do with the confetti explosion or maybe the gold gown that she wore whilst she sung it. The night was magical and I am completely riding on the post-gig vibes well into the weekend.

Outfit details: jeans: ASOS, cardigan: vintage, top: Millers, brooch: Something For Doris, bag: Cambridge Satchel Company

I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor

It's hard for some to understand my love for British band Arctic Monkeys. I receive either eye rolls or gasps when I disclose how I queued up since 10:30 in the morning for their Tuesday May 6 Sydney show. Accompanied by my friend Yelena, we were as close to the stage you could possibly get and to be amongst that mosh pit was an incredible experience. There was a distinct kinetic energy in the sold out venue as they opened with Do I Wanna Know? (No. 4 in the Hottest 100) My highlights of the night were songs Knee Socks, One For The Road and R U Mine?

King of Swagger; Mr Alex Turner entertained us all night with his hip swings, cheerleader kicks, shimmying and shaking. I was so surprised to see myself starring up at Alex with adulation featured in a Faster Louder review of the night! I can't make this post without mentioning the hilarious quotes from Alex Turner. Here are a few of my favourites:

 "Oh no, I've rocked my comb out of my pocket" 

"Somethings going to happen Sydney, you've got that look in your eye" 

"Quite down there, Love"

"I only slept with her sister after all that"

"How do you feel about that new Monkeys album down in this part of the world?"

"Good grief" 

{my own images taken on iPhone 4s}

Out & About | Sydney Festival

The window of opportunity to enjoy the splendour of my freedom before my studies resume was closing, so one last soiree in the city was launched. As part of the Sydney Summer Festival I attended were War Is Over at the MCA and Exxopolis Architects Of Air: Luminaruim. Luck was on our side as we had quintessential summer weather, ideal for exploring the city sights. First on the agenda was Exxopolis Architects Of Air: Luminaruim is essentially a jumping castle you can walk through. Exploring the installation space of Exxopolis I was captivated by a diaphanous sky filled with a rainbow of colours.

It curiously reminded me of an episode of animated children's show Magic School Bus inside a human body. However, the calming sounds and air conditioned vents make for a pleasant experience and I would of happily napped all afternoon if it wasn't time to hop over the harbour to The Museum of Contemporary Art at Circular Quay.

War Is Over (Only If You Want) by artist and purveyor of peace Yoko Ono is a entirely unique art-space and gallery experience. It incorporates sculpture, immersive installations, written texts, films, sound compositions and participatory art works. It runs until 23 February and I would recommend visiting if you haven't already.

War Is Over (Only If You Want) 

Museum of Contemporary Art Australia 

140 George Street The Rocks 

T +61 2 9245 2400

tickets and additional info 

*

Exxopolis Architects Of Air

Opera House Forecourt

Bennelong Point, Sydney NSW 2000

T +61 2 9250 7111

tickets and additional info

Out & About | Finders Keepers Market

Source: 1, 2 from Finders Keepers Facebook page, 3, 4 my own fuzzy phone photographs

Last weekend (Saturday 7th of December) I attended the Sydney Finders Keepers markets with my sister. If you aren't familiar with these Finders Keepers it is essentially a showcase of the latest designers I like to think of it as 'real life' Etsy. I wrote a post about the happenings of this charming event and because it is a little lengthy I have split this post!