Some little adventures around Melbourne – my home

As Summer morphs into Autumn, the volatile weather that Melbourne is renowned for eases and the days are more constant making it more predictable for outdoor activities.

Like sailing…

Candle light concerts…

A bit of trail riding, walking and swimming in the Lerderderg Gorge…

Wandering through the outdoor photo exhibition that is part of Photo 2024 that is happening in Melbourne…

For me, though, the most meaningful images were of two significant events that touched Australia.

When Australia sprinter Peter Norman, stood in solidarity with his American sprint compatriats at the Mexico Olympics.

And when Prime Minister Gough Whitlam, for the first time, recognised Aboriginal land rights in Australia, at Wave Hill Station.

The calmer weather means that the water in Honsons Bay is very clear so the sea grass and sea lettuce provide beautiful colours on the sea bed.

I do love Autumn in the southeast of Australia.

Two Cultures, Two Festivals, in Melbournes February

Melbourne has a strong and vibrant community of Chinese Heritage.

A large influx of Chinese migrants arrived in Melbourne in the mid 1800s as part of Victoria’s Goldrush.

Little Bourke Street is Melbourne’s Chinatown, and was the centre of the 2024 Luna New Year Celebrations on 11 February.

An event full of noise and colour.

From head to tail, the main dragon was half a city block long.

And superstition says that it brings good luck to touch the dragon.

The Antipodes Festival, which commenced in 1987, celebrates the Greek diaspora in Melbourne.

Melbourne is said to have the largest Greek speaking population outside of Greece and Cyprus.

The festival takes part in Lonsdale Street in the Melbourne CBD. The spiritual hub of the Greek Community.

The closing band Xylourides had the whole audience up.dancing.

Such vibrant music from young performers.

Even the Greek flag was up and dancing.

It was a beautiful summer day. Id ridden back from the rain forest, swapped urban cool for nature.

Hit the beach:

Before a night of Greek Culture.

Lakes in Western Greece and North Macedonia.

Sometimes, advice comes from the strangest quarters.

I buy cheese regularly from a stall at Victoria Market in Melbourne. The cheese seller is a biker and of Greek heritage. His mum lives in Niki on the Greece/ North Macedonian border. He told me the lakes and mountains in this area we very special. They are let me show you!

Arnissa is a beautiful little village on the banks of Lake Vegoritida, nestled in the mountains on the Greek/ North Macedonia border

But the best lakes were over the border in North Macedonia.

I was guided to these lakes by a chance aquaintance at Victoria Market.

This is where I buy my cheese and the cheeseman is a biker of Greek origin whose mum lives in Niki on the Greek/ Macedonian border.

He told me the riding and the scenery around Lakes Prespa and Ohrid was magnificent. And his advice was true.

Lake Prespa and Lake Ohrid are divided by a large limestone mountain range. Lake Prespa sits in a mountain basin and is 150 metres higher elevation than Lake Ohrid. The mirky shallow water of Lake Prespa is filteres through the limestone emerging form spings into the crystal clear waters of Lake Ohrid. The Lakes are believed to be the oldest in Europe, having been in existence for more than 1 million years.

Lake Prespa is a place for birds and fishing. The shores are primarily agricultural with a few hotels.

The mountains between the two lakes form the Galicica National Park.

The trails in the forests are beautiful for walking, and the roads are magical for motorbike riding.

The spring sourced from Lake Prespa flows at the southern end of the lake is the Monastery of Saint Naum

The mountains provide beautiful views of the lakes and countryside.

The mountains also allow for paragliding over Lake Ohrid.

The water of Lake Ohrid is just beautiful. The eastern side of the lake in North Macedonia and the western side Albania. The City of Ohrid sits at the Northern end of the lake.

Small villages are dotted around the sure as well as big resorts. This is a tourist lake with some amazing history.

At the southern end of the lake, there is the Monastery of St Naum, which is reputedly the oldest Byzentine monastery in the world.

This is where the mountain filtered spring water from Lake Prespa flows into Lake Ohrid.

In Ohrid the Church of Saints Clement and Panteleimon is also a historic treasure. Both the church and the Roman ruins.

Doing this post reminds me I must once again thank the cheese seller for his wonderful travel advice.

Mostar and surrounds

Mostar is famous for its Ottoman bridge that joins the two sides of the old town that flank the Neretva River.

It’s beautiful by day and by night. Especially when there is a full moon.

The river divides the city not just physically but also culturally with the west bank of the town being primarily Muslim and the east bank Christian.

The bridge was destroyed during the cival war and its reconstruction has become a symbol of the cities resilience.

The scars of the civil war are still evident on the buildings.

But in the housing estates in the new city, the power of art, in the form of murals, provides some salve.

It was wonderful to see an artist at work.

Around 15km from Mostar is the Vrelo Bune or the River Buna Spring at the village of Blagaj.

The spring is one of the largest in Europe flows from a large cave in the limestone cliffs.

The ruins of

At the cave mouth is an old Sufi Mosque, the Blagej Tekke. A beautiful place of silence and beauty built is the 16th century and a place of pilgrimage for Sufi pilgrams from Pakistan.

You know you are in the east when the Italian espresso machine gives way to …

Bosnia and Herzegovina is sandwiched between Serbia and Croatia and was invaded by each army in the civil war.

There were many atrocities.

The ruins of Pocitelj, an old Ottoman village, its stones tell the tale of the endless battles fought.

Croatia 3 – the south coast and Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik was only about an hour from the Montenegro border on the return trip to Split after from Turkey. It was late September, and the high temperatures had moderated. Also there were a lot fewer tourists visiting.

Hence, it was a good time for this tourist to visit this famous city.

While the old city is the tourist focus of Dubrovnik, the new town is vibrant with lots of cafes and access to beaches.

Heading north along the coast toward Split in late September was a beautiful ride. In mid-August, an attempt to travel south from Split just led to gridlock and frustration.

There are beautiful views of the offshore islands and quaint villages and yacht harbours along the way.