Autumn Daze

au-tumn: the third season of the year, when crops and fruits are gathered and leaves fall, in the northern hemisphere from September to November and in the southern hemisphere from March to May.

This autumn, Melbourne is abuzz with international festivals, world class exhibits, multi cultural events, Sunday markets, walkathons, musicals and lots more. We had the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, Moomba Festival, Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix,  L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Week, the AFL season, Antipodes Festival,Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show,  Melbourne International Comedy Festival,  TV Logies Award,ANZAC Day ,  Melbourne International Coffee Festival,   and Ellen Degeneres was here !

Enjoy the images below of a quieter Melbourne with foliage in shades of yellow, orange and red. Enjoy your walk around Melbourne and its suburbs in this last week of autumn!

Fresh Produce

SundayatQueenVictoriaMarket Sent from Yahoo! Mai Android

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clinamen @ NGV

A beautiful acoustic installation by renowned French artist and composer , Celeste Boursier Mougenot.

Unbelievably huge and intensively blue, it is a centrepiece in the main foyer.

What a stunning idea to put something so simple as floating porcelain bowls in gently circulating water such that they move naturally and collide with each other creating a beautiful chime and a musical performance on its own.

The exhibit will be on display until 8 Sep 2013 at the NGV International, St Kilda Road. Entry is free.

The Morning After the Logies

It was, without a doubt, a very memorable night for the award winners at the 55th TV Week Logies Awards at the Crown Melbourne on 7/4/2013. Fans and passing tourists gathered at the Crown Tower to spot the celebrities making their way in and up the grand staircase to the Palladium Ballroom.

Barely hours later, Channel 9’s Today staged their morning show in the lobby of the entertainment complex. Lisa Wilkinson and Karl Stefanovic make a pair of very good looking presenters despite having a job that starts while most of Australia is still in bed, and they were cheerful and readily posed for photos with delighted fans. And just for a 3 hour show, the hosts were joined by a huge team of behind the scenes. At least 20 members were busy at work with the cameras, the lights, the computers, the make up, the furniture moving, the flower decorating and so on. Not forgetting to mention the huge newstation trucks parked outside to bring in all the equipment ! And there were the celebrities of course, notably Hamish and Andy who came down still in their hotel bath robes, and Joel Madden, who won the Silver Logie for Most Popular New Male Talent. The hotel lobby was abuzz early in the morning and it was equally memorable for the fans who came up close with their celebrities !

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Delicious Ep.1

A Cuppa A Day

Melbourne – the great coffee capital of Australia. It is a serious culture, and we all have our favourite cafes and our favourite espresso. Have a wander around the streets and laneways this week and discover more than just a good old humble cup of coffee. Make your own must-visit list! Better still, share with us your top 3 choices !

This Rainy Day

This week is such a contrast from the sunny blue skies we just had. We are having a wet, chilly and windy week. Streets are less crowded,  sidewalks seeing empty tables and empty chairs and people just trying to hold up their umbrellas against the wind’s force… a good day to be cozy indoors but get out and you will see Melbourne in another way.  Don’t forget your brolly, boots and a warm jacket !

Seats of Comfort

There is no shortage of public seating in the city to rest your backs and your legs. Have a seat and watch the world go by…

Modes of Mobility

How does one move around in this city? Depending on whether you are a baby who hasn’t started walking, or a toddler who prefers it high up on their parent’s shoulder, or an active young adult in your rowboat on the Yarra, or someone who simply prefers the stylish way atop one of the many gorgeous horse-drawn carriages along Swanston St… there is a mode for everyone, even your pet can travel in style !

Books on Melbourne at the NGV shop

Get to know more about this beautiful city, its past and present. These books are available at the NGV shop in Federation Square.

When you go to Melbourne: A journey with Maree Coote ( a child’s discovery of Melbourne )
Melbourne Architecture by Philip Goad ( cover: Fed Square building in setting sun)
Beyond the Facade: Flinders Station, more than just a railway station by Jenny Davies
Laneways of Melbourne by Kornelia Freeman & Ulo Pukk ( cover : Degraves St at dusk)
The Encyclopedia of Melbourne by Andrew Brown May and Shurlee Swain ( cover: city from Southbank)
Land of Sunshine: A snapshot of Melbourne street art by Dean Sunshine
Melbourne by Menu: themed walks and adventures by Explore Australia
Melbourne Bars and Pubs: A guide to the best bars and pubs published by mb&p
Flavours of Melbourne by Charmaine O’Brien: A Culinary Biography
Melbourne, a city of stories, edited by Deborah Smith ( cover: old picture of Bourke St in early 1900s)
Collins: the story of Australia’s premier street by Judith Buckrich
Marvelous Melbounre and Me: Living in Melbourne in the 20th century by Bruce Mcbrien ( cover: picture of Spring St 1928)
Melbourne Tram Book by Randall Wilson & Dale Budd