driving in my car

There is something so exciting about driving at dawn. It always makes me feel like I am setting off on an adventure. Normally I don't really like driving at dusk but I think all that changed a few nights ago when we were driving back from the country. The colours in the sky and the landscape felt almost dreamy. Like in old photos where the hazy focus makes everything look perfect.

 

 

 

 

hot vines

We took a drive around country Victoria today to visit some Bendigo region wineries. After driving through the very green vineyards in the Loire Valley in France, we were shocked to see how dry the soil was here.

It's easy to forget how brown and hot Australia can be. Today was only 30 degrees,  but in the sun you can see steam coming off nearly everything.

The first winery we visited was Balgownie Estate. It was only 10 minutes out of Bendigo but the vineyard was so tranquil you could hear the leaves rustling and the birds tweeting. The cellar door was in a large cafe that looked like a lovely spot for lunch. The vineyard has another site in the Yarra Valley and we happily tasted their black and white label reds. We walked away with a delicious bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon from their Bendigo vines which we are already excited about drinking!

 

On our way to the second winery we went through a little town called Marong and stopped to admire the old post office and church.

 

 

The second winery we visited for the day was  Sandhurst Ridge. Down a tiny dirt road, this 10 hectare vineyard produced a large array of reds and one of the nicest rosés I've tasted since France. The owners were passionate about their wines and gave great advice about what to match with our duck dinner. I loved the sign outside their beautiful cellar door asking clients to toot their horn if there was nobody around. So fun!

 

 

melbourne, i like your walls

The other day I went on a massive walk around the back streets of Melbourne's northern suburbs. I love how much the streets can change in short spaces of time. There is so much amazing graffiti all over Melbourne. It's a huge contrast to the wall art in Paris, which tended to be massive murals covering whole sides of buildings. In Melbourne, good street art can pop out where you would least expect it.

This graffiti was on the train line in Brunswick. I love the black on the grey bricks, and the red flames on top of the towers. Its such a polluted scene but with such clean lines and on such a clean surface.

 

 

ranelagh beach

The other day I went to Ranelagh Beach in Mount Eliza, a gorgeous beach town on the Mornington Peninsula. I love the Penisula, there are so many great towns, lots of good food and wine and its only about an hours drive from Melbourne.

While there are a few different beaches in Mt Eliza, this one is my favourite. You can only get down onto this beach via a little path from the road (not always easy to find). The water in the bay is always calm and good for a float in the sun.

The other day we were 2 of about 10 people enjoying this stretch of sand. It's hard to believe that on such a beautiful day the beach wasn't crammed with sunbathers and kiddies paddling in the water. I guess that's the beauty of Australia; so many hidden gems, and a whole lot of beaches.

 

 

 

 

 

 

happy new year!!!

Dear 2010,

I have a good feeling about you!! I think you are going to be the best year to date. 

Please don't disappoint me.

Love Tori xxxx

the isle of tas

While the majority of my Australian friends have been overseas, not that many of them have been to Tasmania.

I will rave about Tasmania to anybody who asks me. It's perfect for travel, easy to get around and the landscape is so diverse that you can never get bored.

I am lucky that half my family was born in Tasmania, and that I still have a lot of relatives that live there, so I can visit every now and then. I love to go in the summer time as the weather is always beautiful but not too sticky and hot like Melbourne can be. These are snaps from a few different trips I have taken to Tassie over the years...

This is from the dock off Salamanca Place in Hobart, lovely for a stroll, fish and chips or drinks.

This is the view from the Grand View Hotel in Hobart. I would strongly recommend this private hotel to anybody visiting Hobart, it's perfectly located, really luxurious and has gorgeous views over the water.

http://www.grande-vue-hotel.com/

 

 

These photos were taken on a camping trip in Wine Glass Bay on the east coast of Tasmania. When we were here the weather was so perfect and it looked so picturesque. Because you can't drive into the area it has remained very untouched and natural. To get into the bay most people hike over a hill for about 30 minutes (you can also sail in but I'm not that fancy!). It's a lovely walk through the bush and you get a fantastic view of the bay when you reach the top.

 

 

 

When in Hobart I would recommend a trip to the Cascade brewery. Not far out of town, the beautiful old building stands impressively on lovely green leafy grounds. Good for both a tour, drinks on the balcony or you can take a picnic lunch and get drinks from Cascade. Very Tasmanian.