Herakut

Herakut is an acclaimed German street art duo and I accidentally stumbled into one of their pieces right here in Melbourne.
I was walking along Flinders Lane on a sunny day and as I cut across the lane in quite a rush, I noticed something new. There was a child crouched against the wall, with big sad eyes. She wasn’t wearing much and she looked terrified, with pigtails and dirty skin.
What was striking about this vision was that the child was about 12 feet high and multihued. Yes, the child was a painting, one of the most poignant I have yet seen. The caption reads ‘No reason to be scared’ and a tattoo on the child’s arm reads Herakut.
I walked past this painted wall quickly, in a rush to get to my tram. But even that fleeting glimpse had grabbed my attention and I pivoted 360 degrees on the pavement, nearly lost my footing and almost knocked down a couple of innocent passerbys. I returned for another look and a picture.
Weeks later I posted the picture on Instagram and one helpful user tagged the post #Herakut. That is how I came to find the artists responsible for this beautiful painting.
As with most artists, their art has a meaning. Or maybe what is more accurate is to say that their art has meaning for us, the viewers.
A city like Melbourne, largely safe, enjoyable and affluent hardly needs a message about fear. But maybe what the child is trying to say is that while we are all afraid of something, the fear does not have to overwhelm us.
I don’t know much about Herakut but as always, Google knows everything and I hope to find out more about them and their work soon.

Swedish House Mafia

Are you a Swedish House Mafia fan? The three boys from Sweden (where else) were in Melbourne recently and they threw one hell of a party.

It was my first event at the Sidney Myer Music bowl and it was a spectacular night! Great music, a pumping crowd and best of all, the weather was perfect.

Now if you live in Melbourne you must know how the weather gods like to play games with us mere mortals.

Why just the previous night, concert goers were drenched by an unexpected downpour but we got lucky!

Think about it, how much does our enjoyment of an event depend on the weather, that most fickle of friends?
Luckily for me, the weather cooperated and made this experience one of the best concerts I have been to!
Melbourne hosts several acts every year. If hob nobbing with thousands of other fans isn’t your thing then there are several more intimate gigs held in locations around the city.
Try one out, you may find a new favorite musical group or even be inspired to take up an instrument yourself!

White Night Melbourne

Saturday the 23rd of February 2013 was the first ever White Night Festival in Melbourne!

The White Night is a worldwide phenomenon, originating in Paris in 2002 titled Nuit Blanche. It has since spread to over 20 cities globally and the success of the first ever Melbourne event can only be described as phenomenal. Over 300,000 people descended upon the city center to explore over 80 different free events. Notable acts included the transformation of the iconic Flinders st station into a stage where local bands enthralled visitors.

A jazz stage in the middle of Degraves street created a road block that no one really minded.

If you happened to be riverside you would see a spectacular laser light show that transformed jets of water into surreal living streaks of light. Projectors transformed the faces of some of the most iconic buildings including an animated feature at the Chapter House.

Did you see the ghostly woman lurking in one of the windows?

What about the slightly disturbing feature that videoed visitors to Flinders Lane only to playback their excited faces up on a wall with creepy zombie like eyes?

The NGV threw open its doors all night and so did many restaurants, bars and cafes. If you wandered along a packed Flinders lane you may have come across a multitude of projections, street artists, musicians or the smoke machine hidden down an alleyway. It is a credit to the spirit of this beautiful city that the night went off without any hint of violence or misbehaviour. Judging by the success of this night, I hope to revisit the White Night Festival next year with even more music, art and that wonderful vibe that is unique to the streets of Melbourne!

Sand art in Docklands

What is more iconic than a tram in Melbourne?

This piece of art work was a part of Dig Docklands this summer. The event was spread out over two weekends and located by the local Cow in a Tree sculpture. Other sculptures included a character from the currently playing Cirque du Soleil show and a shopping bag from the local Harbour Town shopping center. If you haven’t explored Docklands, do! There are several cafes and restaurants, the Etihad Stadium which hosts several sporting events, the Sunday markets and a pretty riverside walkway. Watch this space for more on the delights of Docklands.

Mart 130

Out in Middle Park along the tram line 96 is a converted tram stop cafe called Mart. Mart also happens to be T R A M spelt backwards!

This is a very unique cafe and I believe the only tram stop cafe in Melbourne and they definitely do not disappoint!

The food is delicious and filling, the staff are friendly and courteous and the decor is vintage chic.

This is now my favorite spot to take visitors to my beautiful city.

Marybyrnong River

Today I went for a morning walk along the Marybyrnong River next to the Flemington racecourse. I could not resisting photographing the river on this beautiful, sunny day.

The river reflected its banks perfectly, mirroring the sky, the trees and even the power lines.

In the distance you can see the Melbourne skyline. If you look closely, can you spot the redundant ferris wheel at Docklands?

See how brightly the sun shines? It was a prediction of a beautiful summers day.

Art with water

Swanston Street has to be the hub for street artists. At any time of the day you will find portraiture artists, jewellery makers, handmade bag stalls and so on. Start at Flinders Street Station and make your way up Swanston Street. Resist the urge to rush to your destination and just look around.
One of the first people you are likely to encounter is this guy.

He paints on the pavement with nothing but a wet mop. In this picture he is painting a giraffe. The most arresting part of this artist is the fact that his art is so short lived. When I returned 20 minutes later, the giraffe had all but evaporated but an entire zoo of animals were now accompanying it.
Kudos to this guy, whoever he is!

Cello on the streets

Today I was serenaded on Swanston street by this marvellous cellist! It’s a pity that we are usually too busy to notice true talent. The city of Melbourne is full of talented people who entertain the masses on a daily basis. The next time you notice a street artist, pause for a moment and enjoy what they are offering.

Drummer on the wall

Have you seen the drummer on the wall at QV?

I love the colorful butterflies spreading the beat!

Hopetoun Tea Rooms

Named after the first founder, Lady Hopetoun, the Hopetoun Tea Rooms have been a Block Arcade fixture since 1891. Back then, it cost 18 pounds to purchase the site! In all these years, nothing much has changed, they still serve delicious pastries, cakes, teas, scones and other treats. The ambiance is charmingly old school and Victorian, with special touches like fresh flowers on the tables.

The first thing you see is a gaggle of wide eyed folks of all ages salivating over the window display. And why not!

The interior is graced by a massive etched mirror, the largest of its kind in Victoria.

It makes the cozy interior look a lot more spacious. We tried a mocha tart, a lime tart and a berry cheesecake between two people. I promise you, every bite was heavenly! So was the Strawberry Kisses tea.

The folks at the tea rooms sure know how to serve delicious foods with an old worldly charm that’s hard to beat