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Out and about in Auckland
The combination of ridiculously cheap airfares to New Zealand and a gig by bucket list rockers Sisters of Mercy, then not having announced sideshows to their Soundwave appearance, resulted in a...
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Observations from Adelaide Writers Week
The Adelaide Writers Week, parcelled within the Adelaide Festival (and how the city’s hotels must have been gleeful), last week was much fun, mainly because it provided a wonderful opportunity to catch...
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GenreCon for Sydney in November
From the Queensland Writers Centre bulletin, a great event for genre writers: The Australian Writer’s Marketplace is proud to announce GenreCon! Rydges Paramatta, November 2-4th 2012 GenreCon is a...
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Icefields Parkway a Rocky Mountain high(way)
Gravity-defying glaciers. Mirror lakes. Towering mountains. Tumbling waterfalls. Grazing elk. Is it really any wonder it takes all day to drive the mere 230km from Lake Louise to Jasper? The Icefields...
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Writing by the dock of the lake
Lake view at MulwalaThe writing group to which I belong hit Lake Mulwala at the weekend for a three-night writing retreat. What a brilliant spot it was, with a dozen of us camped in a two-storey joint...
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Napoleon conquers at NGV
It took two-and-a-half hours to go through the Napoleon exhibition at NGV yesterday. It wasn’t particularly crowded, but there was oodles to see and read. Simply oodles. Busts, furniture, books,...
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Time out in the Grampians
Hectic times here at the desk, so not a lot of bloggage; needless to say, skiving off last weekend to hit the Grampians was a blessed relief. We stayed at the well appointed Boronia Peak Villas, close...
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New year, new home, new books!
When I’ve told people we’re moving to Ballarat, there are two comments that usually follow: ‘Why?’ and, ‘It’s cold, y’know. Like, freezing.’ To the latter, the simple answer is, y’know, coats. But the...
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Newcastle Writers Festival truly ex-cell-ent
Newcastle Gaol courtyard, scene of the crime Every writers’ festival should have a jail. Especially for a panel on horror. The inaugural Newcastle Writers Festival was a hoot, and pretty darn smooth,...
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Canberra to Clunes: books,books,books
Clunes, a mere 20 minutes outside of Ballarat, has turned on its Booktown charm this weekend. Book shops and stalls are replete with all manner of reading material, from $2 paperbacks to rather more...
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Headstones and lake reflections in Ballaratia
Ballaarat Old CemeteryFriday was sunshine and fluffy clouds, little breeze, the typical Ballaratian winter’s day, we are told, but the first we’ve been able to enjoy. So Kirstyn and I took the day off...
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Cradle Mountain: it reigns
Cradle Mountain Lodge, Tasmania It rained. A lot. And it was perfect. The weekend was designed as a laid-back getaway, and that’s what we got at Cradle Mountain Lodge. The Lodge sits just outside...
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Holiday highlights: around the UK in 30 days, or, the secret to a great...
October. Months ago now. My wife and I spent most of it driving around England, from London, to Bodmin in Cornwall, to Aberfoyle in Scotland, to York, to Brighton, and back to London to fly home. We...
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2014 Australian Literary Festival calendar
The calendar of literary events in Australia for 2014 is already looking mighty busy. It’s great to see so many events blocking out their dates early so everyone can plan their travel arrangements!...
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Weekend escape: Cranford Cottage at Heathcote
The view from the front porch of Cranford Cottage There’s a paddock of calf-high brown grass bent with breeze stretching past gum trees to the horizon. Houses there are lost in haze, too distant to be...
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Cruising the Newell Highway
The Newell Highway, No.39 on your road map, is a dandy way to get from Victoria to Queensland – with some help from its inland highway friends, it connects Melbourne to Rockhampton. It’s a route of...
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Bearing up to a weekend in Melbourne
At the weekend we went to Melbourne. You started it … I finish it, by Paola Pivi, at NGV We saw, at the National Gallery of Victoria, a stunning collection of artwork by William Blake. He made his own...
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Tucking in to the Grampians
The Grampians isn’t just about the stunning mountains, native forests and picturesque pastoral scenes. The region, centred around the spectacular national park about three hours west of Melbourne, is...
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Wine time at Heathcote
Armstead Estate, at Lake Eppalock On our third visit to Heathcote, home of some of my favourite reds this side of the Barossa, we actually got out to some cellar doors. Previously, we hit the three in...
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Ballarat International Foto Biennale (BIFB): a quick snap
Home by Nightfall, by Angela Bacon-KidwellThe Ballarat International Foto Biennale officially opened on Saturday night — pizza, wine (Langi Ghiran, no less! oh so noms) and a whole lotta people...
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