Cakelaw's Travel Tales

Verdon Chambers in Collins Street, Melbourne, was the residence of the first manager of the English, Scottish and Australia Chartered Bank, Sir George Verdon.  No expense was spared in its design, and its richness has been restored to its former glory.  Verdon Chambers is now heritage listed so that future generations can enjoy the opulence of the bygone ear of the 1880s, when Verdon Chambers was built. You can read about the history of Verdon Chambers and find out more about the features of the property here .  These blue Venetian tiles are a pleasant surprise in the loggia (a word I only learned a few days prior to touring Verdon Chambers while watching Are You Paying Attention? , when a clip was played of Christopher Pyne, a Federal politician, explaining to Carrie Bickmore of The Project that his favourite household chore is to trim the wisteria in the loggia!!). Apparently the library is haunted: ...

In  May, I went to Darwin for the first time to check out the Top End.  There are only two seasons in Darwin  the wet season and the dry season.  Both are hot (plus 30 degrees Celsius temperatures), but the wet season is not only wet with cyclones, but it is also oppressively humid.  That is why it is highly recommended that visitors to Darwin travel during the dry season.  May is the beginning of the dry season, so we started off on the right foot. Below are photos of some of the interesting and often beautiful buildings that I spotted in my travels through Darwin.   These buildings traverse a wide range of architectural styles, reflecting different periods in Darwin's history. Many of  these buildings were damaged by the severe cyclones that Darwin has suffered over the years, and bombing during World War II by the Japanese, so have had to be restored to some degree. First up is the Governor's residence, placed strategically down by the fore...