After a stinking hot day, an evening ride to the market at the park was a welcome breath of fresh air. To top it off I strolled around the stalls with a chilled beer from Ballarat's Red Duck Brewery. 'Walking On Sunshine' is my kind of sour - it still very much tastes like beer,
What do you do when you have an enormous tree in your front yard? Decorate it with Christmas baubles for the whole neighbourhood to enjoy. This tree is twice as big as the house and what are quite large baubles look teeny tiny.
It's not everyday your offspring end up in a mural. I walked down the laneway next to the art gallery to find her band being very cool on a big wall. She's the little bass player on the right. If you're into metal music you might like the band Otrera.
I love a restaurant with a window into the kitchen that lets diners watch the chefs at work. It's even better when the chef is singing Smurf songs and plating up Green Eggs. I highly recommend Peasant/Higher Society in Sturt Street, Ballarat. Excellent coffee, food, wine list and service.
There aren't a lot of vineyards in Ballarat, so it's always a treat to taste one I haven't tried before. Nintingbool Vineyard is about 10km south-west of Ballarat, on the way to the little town of Smythesdale, where I grew up. Their 2017 Pinot Noir is a beautiful example of Victorian Pinot Noir. Quite savoury
Spring sunshine, a glass of rosé and painterly clouds sounds like a cliché but is oh so nice. I particularly like the style of whoever is on cloud art duty today.
You probably know I'm quite fond of dress-ups and stories and talking to people. Volunteering at Sovereign Hill ticks all these boxes and more. My first day today was perfect weather and I very much enjoyed learning the ropes and meeting people in my flouncy pink ruffles.
I like to imagine the Ballarat Coffee Palace in it's heyday. The first stop for weary travellers stepping off the train from Melbourne. Ladies in their ruffles and bustles, gentleman in their tophats and finery. All sipping daintily on a cup of strong, dark coffee, before braving the streets of this new city.
Beauty in architecture makes the streets more inspiring places to be, especially when lit by the autumnal sunshine. I love the cut brickwork around the top of the doorway in this old church on the top of the Dana Street hill. They have a hint of cartoon teeth about them, while at the same time
High quality fabric with beautiful patterns has made me happy for many, many years. Combine that with the joy of the forage and I am very happy. I foraged through piles of gorgeous upholstery samples today at Debbie Weston's popup shop in the Block Arcade in Ballarat. Stunning prints and luxurious fabric are there for
