Tiptoe through the tulips with me

A couple of weeks ago we went to the Tesselaar Tulip Festival for Mr Ed's birthday.  Only a little over an hours drive from Melbourne and you'd be mistaken for thinking this little tulip farm was in Holland.  

Thankfully Melbourne's ever changing weather was fantastic and we sloshed around in the muddy puddles, and all of you who watch a certain children's cartoon know that 'If you jump in muddy puddles, you must wear your boots!' And so we did.

Because I have to dress 'appropriate' I wore my tulip print Swirl dress.

So many colours and shapes and patterns, it was really fascinating and pretty.  And if you have tulips you've got to have a windmill and clogs, of course. Mr Ed trying his best puffing action to get it working - yes Amelie and I were a bit bemused by this as well.

We will certainly return next year to see maybe more tulip varieties, drink some local cider and eat some poffertjes, oh and stop and smell the...tulips.

Bathing Boxes are beautiful

Last weekend we took a day trip to the Mornington Peninsula to see the Archibald art prize, have some lunch and enjoy the glorious day by going for a walk along one of the small strips of beach.

There are over 1300 Bathing Boxes or Beach Boxes, that line Port Phillip Bay and the ones that line this part of the Peninsula are so cute, I think they look like the colours of boiled sweets in a sweet shop.

Bathing Boxes have existed around the bay since the 1860's and are heritage listed buildings along with other landscapes lining Port Phillip Bay. Because laws prevent new boxes being built on the foreshore and families tend to pass them down through the generations, the price of one box can be extremely expensive (the highest price was more than $350,000 AU!!).

I'm not sure about this painted image of a mermaid and friends? Although Little Miss A thought it was tops!

The Australian flag.

They may look small from the front but they go back quite a way.

What a perfect winter day, no breeze, warm sun and a twinkling seaside view, including those fabulous pastel painted Bathing Boxes.

Going back in time on the Puffing Billy

Last weekend we drove out to Belgrave which is about an hours drive from Melbourne into the Dandenong Ranges. 

Our new years resolution was to go on a day trip at least once a month and so June's trip was to take a ride on the Puffing Billy.

 

 The Puffing Billy is over 100 years old and the railway was built in the early 1900s to help establish and develop rural areas. However these days it is a major tourist attraction and is kept running by over 900 volunteers!

It was so exciting when we arrived; the steam engine's were puffing and the air was full of mist - so romantic.

Travelling over the Monbulk Trestle Bridge was one of my favourite sights.

 

Little Miss A got into the swing of things half way through the trip and sat on the edge of the train like all of the other children and some adults, feeling that cool air on her face and feet (I couldn't feel my toes by the end of our trip, I think it was about 5 degrees up there in the mountains that day).

And the views were amazing!!

I loved our return trip to Emerald, we had a little lunch at a wonderful cafe, Little Miss A had a play in the playground and we were back in Melbourne by mid afternoon which was just long enough for a little ones attention span.