Rippon Lea Mansion and Gardens

About a month ago, I was in a bit of an exploring mood, which sadly coincided with me being a little bit low on funds. My friend Georgina suggested we visit the Rippon Lea house and Gardens in Elsternwick, Melbourne. It was local, inexpensive and something I hadn't done before. I love discovering new places in the city I live in, and I thought it would be a great opportunity to experiment with my new camera. 

The Mansion 

Where: The Rippon Lea House and Gardens are a 15 minute walk from Elsternwick Station, which is on the Sandringham train line. 
Cost: There is a small fee to enter the gardens, and then an additional charge to take a tour of the mansion I am not certain of how much we paid, but it was less that $15. 

The Lake

Windmill and flower beds

Ferns

Flowers!

History: The mansion is around 100 years old, and belonged to the Sargood family, who owned clothing and drapery firms in Melbourne. You can have a look at the full story here.

My Favourites: The fern garden was so calming and peaceful. I also enjoyed the flower beds and lake. Georgina was infatuated with the antique furniture and decor.

1930s Bathroom fittings

Lounge

Frocks 

Stained glass doors

It was such a great day out, and the weather was perfect for it! Although I am sure it looks even prettier in Autumn. Definitely worth checking out if you're in town. If there are any hidden places you like visiting in your own city, let me know!

Me, myself and I 

Melbourne: White Night

After seeing photos of Melbourne's first 'White Night' festival in 2013, I was very excited to check it out this year and see what it was all about. For anyone who is unfamiliar with the concept, White Night is an all-night festival that celebrates and showcases the arts. It originated in St.Petersburg and has since inspired several major cities to become open spaces for amateur and professional art, film, music and performance. My friend and I decided to get in pretty early (at around 8 pm), and even at that time, the crowds were ridiculous. We had to meander through several alleyways to make our way to Flinders Street Station, where (we thought) much of the action would take place. 

Crazy Crowds 

The light projection on Flinders Street and the surrounding buildings was stunning. I can't begin to imagine how much effort would go into that. However, I found it so difficult to navigate my way through the crowds to see any of the performances! I saw a couple of short film screenings on Collins St. but other than this, my experience was limited to the light spectacle. This was a bit of a shame because I had a look at the website and there seemed to have been some great performances, but the lines to get to them practically encircled the buildings- if you could make it to them, that is. I suppose overall, White Night is in its early stages in Melbourne, and it can only get better, so I am hopeful about that. 

Flinders St. Station

And let's just take a moment to appreciate what a pretty city I live in:

Did anyone else go to White Night? What did you think? :)