Soggy clouds blanket Melbourne’s skyline and I trudge along Swanston Street looking for an afternoon espresso. Beyond the boutique bistros, flanked by Bourke and Crossley Streets, is my destination – Pellegrini’s Espresso Bar. It’s at this very spot that Pellegrini’s, Melbourne’s coffee-drinking institution, made its debut by serving shots from freshly ground coffee in 1954. […]
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Wandering through the streets of Mamallapuram we find shops selling clothing and lanterns. Mandalas, etched in colourful pastel chalks, greet customers at the doorstep of many of these stores but the salty breeze beckons us further to Mamallapuram’s sandy beach. Men are casually sprawled along the curb, playing slow rounds of cards in the mid-morning
Shore Temple of Mamallapuram Read More »
Sun-drenched pedestrians gripping cameras and shopping bags flood the intersection and cross towards Flinders Street Station, St Paul’s Cathedral or Federation Square. Church bells dangling above the city drone with an overbearing toll and bustling foot traffic accelerates along Swanston Street, eager to greet friends or explore the city’s many alcoves. To the initiated, it’s
Walking through Melbourne Laneway Street Art Read More »
“Goodbye dear Mother, sister; Phillipa my dear girl.” John Tom Clifton knew there was a strong chance he wouldn’t make it. His crib pale saw as many days in these claustrophobic gold mines as his grime-smudged face. His trusty pale would’ve served him well through his mining years, and it was to honour him with
Creswick: A Town Built from Gold and Art Read More »
Stepping out from residential streets and through a pagoda-styled gateway, a flurry of pedestrians converges on a bustling hub. This is the ancient water town of Qibao, only a 20-minute train ride from Shanghai’s central business area. While Shanghai’s business district is more famous for corporate skyscrapers and remnants of British settlement, Qibao, located in
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‘I stake my hopes in 1972 in large part on the energy, the wisdom and the conscience of young Americans.’ George McGovern spoke with Rolling Stone during his presidential campaign in 1972. His statement, emblazoned across the magazine’s cover (Issue 110, June 8), reeked of McGovern’s yearning to grasp the motivations of America’s disenfranchised in
Rolling Stone: The Covers 1972-2010 Read More »
About an hour’s drive out of Jodhpur, near the village of Chotila, stands a shrine. This is Om Banna Bullet Shrine, a shrine devoted to Bullet Baba – the bullet motorcycle god. Like all shrines found all over India, Om Banna Bullet Shrine summons many to stop and show devotion through prayer and offerings. But
Praying for Safe Travels at Om Banna Bullet Shrine Read More »
As a kid, I always dreamed about being a paleontologist. Dinosaurs and prehistoric life fascinated me to no end. I was constantly reading books about lizard-like behemoths and how their bones were regularly being discovered all over the world. So, imagine the child in me getting very giddy when I visited the National Wool Museum
Permian Monsters: Life Before the Dinosaurs Read More »
Driving from Lumbini to Varanasi on any other day would usually bring expected challenges – unpredictable traffic, lengthy border crossings, stray animals, bikes and auto-rickshaws. Yet today, India is in the throes of celebration. It’s Diwali season, and today is the last day of the festival. Traffic is bumper-to-bumper and everyone has a place to
If you’ve ever visited the port city of Geelong, you’ve probably encountered some colourful figures, the Geelong Bollards, along the city’s waterfront. Geelong is located on Corio Bay, just under an hour’s drive south-west of Melbourne. The name itself was derived from the word Jillong, a word used by the indigenous Wathaurong tribe meaning land
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