O Batmania!
- Aperture: f/11
- ISO: 400
- Shutter Speed: 1/20 s
- Focal Length: 10mm
- Camera: Canon EOS 7D
“There’s something magical about Sydney. This is fun, but it’s not magical.” That, my friends, is how Him described funky, artsy Melbourne, but I’m not sure I agree. Sydney, that shining darling of New South Wales, boasts a glorious harbor, the iconic Opera House and some famous beaches, but Melbourne has spunk — and a…
Great Ocean Road (Part II of II)
- Aperture: f/5
- ISO: 400
- Shutter Speed: 1/100 s
- Focal Length: 140mm
- Camera: Canon EOS 7D
Aside from the tour of MollyDooker winery, our second day on the Great Ocean Road ranks as my favorite experience so far thanks to some (very) close encounters with wildlife. More on that later, but first, some history: Back within Port Campbell National Park, we hiked down to Loch Ard Gorge, named for the ship…
Purple carrots and placenta cream
- Aperture: f/2.4
- ISO: 50
- Shutter Speed: 1/24 s
- Focal Length: 4.28mm
- Camera: iPhone 4S
Him says the list below consists of boring minutiae — and he’s probably correct (perhaps similar to your Facebook friends reporting on what they ate for breakfast) — but I’m going to share it anyway to justify the wad of receipts I’ve been carrying these past few weeks. Ever since we nearly succumbed to restaurant…
The Great Ocean Road (Part I of II)
- Aperture: f/32
- ISO: 200
- Shutter Speed: 1/60 s
- Focal Length: 85mm
- Camera: Canon EOS 7D
If planning a drive on Australia’s Great Ocean Road, give yourself plenty of time to see it properly — preferably a week. We had just over two days to traverse this famed coastal road linking Portland to Geelong, and that wasn’t nearly enough. Construction on the Great Ocean Road (henceforth the G.O.R. in this report)…
10 Commandments of the Shared Kitchen
- Aperture: f/2.4
- ISO: 50
- Shutter Speed: 1/20 s
- Focal Length: 4.28mm
- Camera: iPhone 4S
When I was about two years old, my parents bestowed upon me the unfortunate nickname of “The Godmother.” Apparently I earned this title by bossing around all the other toddlers in our Houston neighborhood. “No! No! No! No!” I’d say, shaking my pointer finger at them. I’d love to report that “The Godmother” nickname eventually…
Australia Budget Breakdown (Warning: Extremely scary numbers ahead)
Although our blog hasn’t quite caught up with us, we left Australia more than 10 days ago and have been traveling around the south island of New Zealand before we head to Auckland for a family wedding! But in the meantime, I’ve finalized all my expenses for Australia and wanted to share my results. My…
Bottle shock and awe
- Aperture: f/2.4
- ISO: 100
- Shutter Speed: 1/20 s
- Focal Length: 4.28mm
- Camera: iPhone 4S
“Have you seen the water feature?” asked Sparky Marquis in his delightful Australian accent. We had, in fact, already been informed of the waterfall outside the office at the MollyDooker winery in McLaren Vale, located about 45 minutes driving south of Adelaide. Our tour guide, Russell, mentioned it and guessed Sparky, the owner and CEO,…
Lost in wine country
- Aperture: f/29
- ISO: 200
- Shutter Speed: 1/100 s
- Focal Length: 15mm
- Camera: Canon EOS 7D
We had planned to visit the MollyDooker winery — home of our favorite wines — from nearly the moment we knew we were coming to Australia. We were first introduced to the brand in 2006, when Him’s mom bought a bottle of the 2005 Shiraz, The Boxer. Since that time, we’ve celebrated family birthdays and…
“I’m sitting in Peter Jackson’s seat,” or a review of “The Hobbit”
- Aperture: f/2.4
- ISO: 2000
- Shutter Speed: 1/15 s
- Focal Length: 1.85mm
- Camera: iPhone 4S
- Location: 41° 17.64′ 0″ S 174° 47.04′ 0″ E
Let me begin with an admission: I’m a Lord of the Rings fan. Not a let’s-attend-Comic-Con-dressed-as-elves kind of fan, but I read the books, watched each of the films during their first run in theaters and, as a teen, hung a framed poster from the “Fellowship of the Ring” on my bedroom wall. I confess…