Stone Carving

So, I have made it to Christchurch in one piece after travelling round NZ on a bus with some excellent people.

Last week I started work with the Arts Centre (there will be more on this, promise). But, just quickly.....yesterday they let me in the stone carving tent for the afternoon to work with Jeff (one of 7 stonemasons), after a while he let me have my own go at carving a piece of string course. This is the end result.........

Tadaaaaaa!!!  

Okay, so it's not the smoothest (or straightest) string course that ever existed, however, as it is my first attempt I am very proud of my little creation and consequently it sits beside me on the floor at my desk (well for now any way).

Melbourne's Golden Mile Heritage Trail

Happy New Year to you all!! Apologies for my silence. So my time in Melbourne is nearly over and I have been meaning to do this walk since I arrived three weeks ago. Today, while my friend Fran, was at work I finally got up off the sofa and walked Melbourne's Golden Mile Heritage Trail. 

Starting off at Melbourne's Immigration Museum, it takes you on, what I presume is a mile walk, through the city to all it's best heritage buildings and architecture.

Melbourne is a beautiful city, full of a range of architectural styles from purely English designs on the neo-Gothic style through to European neo-Classical forms that also incorporate Australian features. 

Allow me to show you a few of my favourites: 

The York Butter factory is located on the corner of King Street and Collins Street and was originally constructed as two individual warehouses (seen above), built in 1854 and 1855. In 1902 the buildings were combined and converted into the butter factory we see today by Hansel and Farrell. 

The Mitre Taven was established in 1867, though it is thought that parts of the building date to the 1850s. The architecture is distinctly English with no concessions made at all for the Australian climate; the steeply pitched roof is still waiting for the snow that will never come and the rain that comes in short, sharp, infrequent bursts. The tiny windows are a nod to the 'window tax' issues belonging to the homeland, but which did not exist in the new world, and the gables and glass work are typical of contemporary English Inns.

This piece of spectacular architectural construction was originally the English, Scottish and Australian Bank and Stock Exchange Building, it is now a Bank Museum for ANZ. It was erected in 1883/87 as the head office and manager's residence and was designed by William Wardell. It's secular neo-gothic architecture is the finest in Victoria. If you do wander past this building, please, please, please poke your head round the door. The interior is s.t.u.n.n.i.n.g! 

As I carried on up Collin's street there are many arcades to be marveled at, and the shops inside are almost as impressive as the architecture above. 

Finally, when your feet begin to tire and your thoughts are beginning to turn to one of the many lovely little coffee shops that Melbourne is full of, you reach the Royal Exhibition Building surrounded by the beautiful Carlton Gardens. 

It was constructed in 1880-1 for the Melbourne International Exhibition. As a 'Palace of Industry', it displayed the technologies and achievements of the mechanized age. It was designed by Joseph Reed, built by David Mitchell and was the greatest show the city had ever seen, attracting over one million visitors. In 2004 the building and the surrounding gardens were inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List of the 'Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage'. 

Here are a few more that caught my eye....

The Golden Mile Heritage Trail is a great way to explore the city and find places that you would otherwise ignore and carry on past. If you are anything like me, you will spend most of the trail with your head craned back and staring towards the stars, just be careful not to walk into people, you get some very strange looks. 

Tours depart daily at 10am from Federation Square and cost $20. There are even small plaques and discs on the pavement to guide your way through if you choose not to take the guided tour (though I did not realise this until I had nearly reached the final building and instead spent the whole tour squinting at my teeny tiny map....). 

Have fun and get exploring! 

Industrial Northland

On Saturday I went on a road trip with a couple of friends up to Kaitaia. It is the most northern town before the cape and, technically, then end of urban civilisation in New Zealand. Safe to say, there was not an awful lot worth seeing. However, on the way back we did stop by this old timber mill (we are all archaeologists.....)

It was originally driven by steam and is thought to be the oldest surviving industrial building of its kind.

Located in Totora North, it is assumed that the construction date is around the turn of the century, possibly just before. The oldest part of the building is below, I think (the site was cordoned off and it was at my own risk to go and inspect - we were in flipflops/jandals and thought it safer for our feet to stay the right side of the law) and apparently, the original wooden floor boards are still in situ along with parts of the machinery.

The remains bridge used to transport goods can still be seen at the bottom of this picture.

As you can see it was rather a hot day, so as a little treat, we stopped off at Matauri bay for a little paddle.....absolutely stunning and not a person in sight!

Hope your weekend was just as fun!