The Dandenong Ranges

We decided to get out of Melbourne briefly for the Queen's birthday holiday and headed up the hill to the Dandenong Ranges. The view wasn't too spectacular due to some low mist covering the city, but it was a beautiful winter's day once we made it above it.

We took the time to enjoy the famous pies of Olinda and then did a very short walk around the town of Sassafras.

Walk near Sassafras:

Melbourne city just visible above the mist:

At the Dandenong Sky High area:

32 weeks with the ladies

32 weeks down, together with Millie who is due a day or so different from me. And on reflection,  it's probably about 32 weeks since Alli had her little boy, Zac.

A lovely winter's morning for brunch at Penny Farthing Espresso.

Death Row Dinner: Part 2

No photographic evidence for this meal, but just for the record:

Course 1 (Fraser): Mussels in a white wine sauce with homemade french bread with a parmesan topping. Mt Riley Sauvignon Blanc.

Course 2 (Gabrielle): Mushroom custards with black truffles. White Rabbit Dark Ale.

Course 3 (Kelley): 'Southland' slow cooked lamb, pumpkin and chickpea salad and a fruity/nutty couscous. ? Shiraz (or Coke and Raspberry for those who prefer).

Course 4 (Hamish): Velvet salt caramel chocolate torte with vanilla bean and elderflower ice cream. Drinks were accidentally left at Bridge Street, but were meant to be a Lindt hot chocolate with rum.

Delicious!

31 weeks down...

 

   

Che, Erin and Quinn visit Melbourne

Behind the scenes at the zoo (c/o JR)

Quinn and Ruby at the playground

Attempting to stuff cannelloni

 Greek dinner in Brunswick St

 Mother's Day brunch at our favourite local cafe: Mitte in Rushall

 Quinn tucking into his third milkshake of the morning!

Death Row Dinner: Part 1

This was an idea conceived over a delicious feast in the Cinque Terre: What would be your final three course meal if you had the chance to choose it (and eat it!) before you died?

Rather than cooking the whole meal yourself, we invited Fraser and Kelley to join us in each cooking a course over four separate evenings. The rules also stipulated that your course needed to be accompanied by a drink match and music.

For the first round:

Course One: Kelley
The Ultimate Steak Sandwich accompanied by an Otago Pinot Noir (always a goodie).

Course Two: Hamish
Scallops cooked three ways, with  Dark & Stormy cocktails (first enjoyed with Boston and Fraser in Bermuda).

Course Three: Gabrielle
Snapper, Beurre Blanc sauce and Panzanella salad (Bread & Tomato salad), with an Italian Soave wine.

Course Four: Fraser
Deluxe Chocolate Fondue (a family favourite), with homemade prune ice cream served with Baileys drizzled over the top.

We also able to finally use the Wedgwood dinner set which was purchased on a very quick trip up to Stoke prior to leaving the UK.

 

 

Letterbox Wildlife

Our friendly letterbox huntsman spider:

Mabel the Monkey

My first attempt at sewing in about 10 years! Mabel the Monkey was made for the future little Miss Rodgers :)

Easter in Bright

We're back in the rat-race now which means we're back taking holidays when everyone else is escaping the city!  So, we've spent Easter in Bright - in the north of Victoria - and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.  The usual ingredients of a good weekend - and a good easter - were present: good food, river walks, red wine and deli food. But our long weekend threw in a couple of bonuses by way of a late booking at a cottage overlooking Mt Beauty that turned out to be tremendous, a road that could have been built for the sole purpose of early morning cycling through the Tawonga Gap, unseasonally warm temperatures and of course, coverage of the golf from Augusta to accompany our piggy Easter breakfasts.  We'll be back Bright, we promise.

River walks

Long vineyard lunch

View from our cabin

Early morning visitor

Portarlington triathlon

Perfect conditions to make a triathlon debut.  800m swim, 26km ride and an 8km run in a shade under 1:50.

Ocean Grove

Moving into Melbourne

It's been nine months since we closed the door on our flat in Earlsfield in London and now we finally have a place to call our own in Northcote, Melbourne.

Moving day

29 boxes of life from London and New Zealand

View to the city from the eastern end of Bridge St

New Year in New Zealand

A selection of pictures from our fortnight in NZ over new year.



Steph & Gabrielle at Fraser and Kelley's wedding in sunny Dunedin



Fraser, Shaun, Hamish & Bevan

New Years day: University of Otago

 


Lupins at Tekapo



Steph overlooking Lake Tekapo from Mt John



Returning to childhood memories: Lego VW

Christmas in Adelaide

A sensational few days with Batman and the family in Adelaide

Dinner with the neighbours, Ziah, Trudi and Kim (23 December):

Christmas day festivities: