Tag: Melbourne
Amadou & Mariam @ Elisabeth Murdoch Hall
I kicked off the Easter long weekend with this lively and funky show by the husband-wife duo from Mali. I love our homegrown talent but it’s great to finally see an international act after nearly two years!
Martha Marlow @ Elisabeth Murdoch Hall
I had a very lovely evening at the Melbourne Recital Centre, listening to one of my favourite records from last year played live with a 17-piece chamber orchestra.
Courtney Barnett @ Forum Theatre
A Friday night show at the beautiful Forum Theatre, featuring one of our finest Australian singers-songwriters. I missed that faux night sky and the Greco-Roman sculptures!
John Butler @ Palais Theatre
There were happy faces all around the Palais Theatre, after an evening of virtuoso musicianship and warm banter.
Montaigne @ 170 Russell
It’s been a long while since I enjoyed a live gig in a general admission, in a smaller venue where you can feel the thumping bass and the floor reverberate under your feet. I’m glad I took a chance on this young Aussie, who turned out to be a fabulous live performer.
The Australian Garden
The Australian Garden, situated in Cranbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens, must be one of Melbourne’s best kept secrets. It’s a long way away from the CBD and I wouldn’t think that it’s on the radar of most tourists, unless they come on some kind of organised garden-oriented tour. As for me, I’ve been driving past it pretty much every year on the way to Phillip Island, thinking that we should really make an effort to see it one day. After finally visiting last year, we were impressed enough to come back for another stroll.
The Australian Garden is all about celebrating the native Australian plants and landscapes, with plenty of photo opportunities. It doesn’t waste time and sets out to impress just as you walk in, with its most spectacular Red Sand Garden. Just like the last time, I wished I had a jet pack to get an aerial view of this stunning spot.
This is no pretty manicured garden, but it blends nature, art and architecture in its own unique and beautiful way, with exhibition gardens, waterways and imaginative displays inspired by the natural cycles. It was wonderful to visit again on a Sunday morning, before it became too hot and crowded.
Sarah Blasko @ Elisabeth Murdoch Hall
What better way to re-start the live music experience than catching one of your perennial live faves at one of your favourite Melbourne venues.
Hampton Beach 2 Brighton Beach
Six Melbourne lockdowns later, there’s finally a cautious hope that The Most Locked Down City in the World is putting those times behind it. So to mark the occasion of eased restrictions, I thought I’d do a photo tribute to my favourite beach walk that helped me keep my sanity in 2020 and 2021.
If there’s any silver lining to the Covid era, it’s the fact that it got me walking outside in almost any weather, on an almost daily basis. There are a few nice parks and green areas around where I live, but nothing has done more for my mental health during lockdown than a brisk walk by the beach, and a chance to look out on that infinite horizon, breathe in the salty air and feel less boxed in. I loved watching the beach change from day to day, and couldn’t resist taking photos.
One of the most pleasant things about this walk is getting rewarded with a view of the city and the famous colourful Brighton Beach cabins from the top of a small hill; on occasions I would extend the walk and check them out.
Vera Blue and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra @ Hamer Hall
yggdrasille.com 