Melbourne Patron

In early June, a group of friends and I spent the Queen's Birthday long weekend in Queenscliff, a 1.5 hour drive south of Melbourne. We hired a holiday house only a block from the main street, where we cooked, drank, and played a lot of poker. We also attempted to fish for squid off the pier, on the coldest and wettest day of the weekend; watched a steam train rejig its carriages at the historic Queenscliff station; took walks along the water and checked out the marina; and finished up the weekend at Point Lonsdale's spectacular lighthouse. It was the perfect winter holiday. Here are a few of my pics. Squid fishing Queenscliff pier shelter Water life A cold view Steam train at Queenscliff Station Steam train steaming Local boat dock Pelican, boat and bridge Suburbia Queenscliff Marina 360Q observation tower Point Lonsdale Pier Running on pier - older boy (1 of 3) Running on pier - older boy (2 of 3) Runnin...

A recent trip to Sydney afforded me an opportunity to fulfill my long-craved fix of its beautiful harbour. With family on the East side, someone suggested a drive over to Watsons Bay for a look-see and stroll around. Why, yes! How lovely , I thought, truthfully but somewhat nervously, the words "Watsons Bay" having invoked from the dark recesses of my brain a memory of eating fish and chips in the park one sunny weekend and a greedy seagull (one of the many that are constantly overfed by stupid visitors who ignore the signs clearly instructing NOT to feed the seagulls) flying to my shoulder and pecking a chip FROM MY FINGERS. Scared the LIVING BEJESUS out of me. Nevertheless, I like visiting Watsons Bay - not least for the entertainingly windy drive past clean and impressive mansions, The Macquarie Lighthouse * and the notorious " Gap " to get there - but also because it feels like a little holiday nook of Sydney: sheltered, village-y... yes, expensive; with a pr...

On recommendation from the lovely folk at Next Door Cafe , on our way back from Port Arthur , we stopped in Dunalley for a late lunch of fish and chips (or "fiss 'n' chips", as my Mum would say. I reckon it's the only remnant of her Dutch accent). View from car park. Seem to have lots of those in Tassie As far as I could tell, there's hardly any of Dunalley. It's pretty tiny. (Wiki tells me it had a population of 313 in 2006.) And the Dunalley Fish Market is at the arse end - or the top end, depending on your perspective, I suppose. It does have spectacular water views - which I'm sure are amplified by beautiful summer weather - and is possibly the kookiest takeaway shop you'll ever see, but it also has what is likely to be some of the best fish and chips you'll ever eat. Entrance, complete with traditional fish 'n' chip shop plastic door strips Empty decorated tank thing (or a VERY large bathtub for visitors in summe...

Saturday brunch [noun]: Re-caffeination and hefty dose of egg-based sustenance following a traditionally large Friday night out. Performed alone or with the support and company of equally hungover friends. I'd wanted to try Gas Eatery (253 Coventry Street, South Melbourne) for brunch the last few times I'd been to South Melbourne Market. Always waylaid by other plans or further shopping, it never seemed to happen. So when a friend suggested a group recovery Saturday brunch on Melbourne's south side, I suggested Gas. It was a lovely sunny day, full of Vitamin E and other such hangover benefits, so we were lucky to get a spot outside, thankfully under umbrellas. According to a handwritten sign perched on our table, the outdoor furniture was for sale and on loan from Pomegranate, the homewares store next door. Brightly painted, metal-based chairs and tables (apparently made in France), they added a happy touch to proceedings, but begged the question from more than o...