treasure man

I found treasure big-time, when I moved to Berlin, in the shape of a wonderful man named Thomas, and now we are to be married! Hooray!! Somehow this photo I took, of the shells I collected in Australia recently, symbolises our journeys to each other (bottom to top)...

play

I had one of those moments this morning when your soul cries out for some play and fantasy - a clear case of my inner child needing some attention... So I made her the mask we bought in Sydney on holidays! Even for someone who is fairly well in touch with her inner child, it reminded me to make time to play with her... keeps you young, I promise.

A wonderful book (amongst many out there) exploring this area further is Recovery of Your Inner Child by Lucia Cappachione - it helped me enormously several years ago to open up this realm.

last stops Sydney feature

Although I am back in Berlin, I wanted to finish my little Aussie special focus from my trip with a couple of other Sydney gems in Surry Hills...

For music and dvds TITLE deals with Music, Film and Books, and these people know their stuff. If you're looking for cult or obscure stuff, test them out!

For deliciously chosen bric-a-brac and antique industrial tidbits, David Met Nicole is a Sydney institution with stylists and people who love pre-loved pieces... My dear friend Edwina and I missed our pilgrimage by half an hour, but I have to mention it.

Next posts will be back to the international variety...

Object Gallery

This may well be my last stop on this tour of my birth city Sydney, before I fly back to Berlin and bury myself in the snow to create my own brand of treasure.

Another must-see on my Sydney list is always Object Gallery, home of all things design and craft in a beautiful, light, round gallery in trendy Surry Hills. It is always beautifully curated and the little shop Collect on street level as you enter sells a great selection of handmade treasure by internationally respected Aussie craftspeople and designers.

417 Bourke Street
Surry Hills NSW 2010

Opening hours
Tuesday to Sunday (closed Monday)
11am - 6pm

Carriageworks and other antipodean treasure

This post is essentially about one of my favourite contemporary arts venues in Sydney called Carriageworks - a sensitive conversion of the old 19th century Eveleigh Rail Yards in Sydney's inner suburb of Redfern/Darlington (a little bit Berlin in feeling...) I simply love this spunky place of creative cultural exchange across all forms, and have seen some really wonderful performances here since it opened in 2007.

Last night Thomas and I were lucky enough to see the wonderfully creative, whimsical production by New Zealand's Red Leap Theatre company, based on The Arrival, a much-loved illustrated book by Shaun Tan about migration (appropriately for me who is about to return to my chosen home of Berlin). It was part of the Sydney Festival - an always highly anticipated part of summer living in Sydney for arts lovers.

Uchi Lounge

I'm still in Sydney for one more week and the other night I took my partner and our host to Uchi Lounge, one of my favourite little tucked away treasures here - a Japanese restaurant/bar that's been hidden in a backstreet of Darlinghurst/Surry Hills for over 12 years... Their food is Japanese/Australian and delivers an exotic mix of organic, seasonal flavours, always striving for simple but delicately balanced taste combinations, in a delightfully unpretentious setting.

We actually went just for delicious desserts and some Sake - check out their selection, such as Lychee or Pink Pepper infused Sake - Impressive!

Hopeless Lingerie

Continuing the Aussie special feature, Melbourne based Hopeless vintage-inspired lingerie is divine... and I discovered it on Etsy where I also have a boutique (currently selling my handknit pocket tees and cute woollen hoods).

Hopeless is designed and made by sisters Gabrielle and Dominique Adamidis. Their feminine, bold collections feature pure silk and other natural fibres in the cutest shapes and colours. I love their current The Voyage range inspired by what looks to me like Jerry the Sailor tattoo looking pin-up girls. Cheeky and fun and positively flattering!

Deus Ex Machina

Created in 2006 by a group of motorbike enthusiasts, including Dare Jennings of Mambo fame, the Deus Ex Machina motorcycle company is heaven... for motorcycle enthusiasts, cyclists, foodies and fashionistas... Comprising a showroom for their sexy custom designed motorbikes, a boutique selection of cycles and fashion basics with spot on graphics and textile designs in one half, and a laidback café serving Italian fare in the other, it really satisfies all the senses! The converted Camperdown warehouse also houses the workshop and design studio.

98-104 Parramatta Rd, Camperdown Sydney NSW 2050
phone +61 (2) 8594 2800

Crumpler Bags

A fine and very successful Aussie company founded in 1995 by two ex-bike couriers David Roper and Will Miller, Crumpler bags are now iconic - whether it's a courier bag, computer bag, camera bag, backpack or other myriad accessories' holders... they have what you need.

Having arrived in Sydney with my backpack in tatters, I knew I wanted to buy a Crumpler to replace it, and I found my ideal - a Baby Anchovy, small, cute, with a scary face for any driver who tries to knock me down on my bike, in great colours (I chose the red & yellow one), with a lifetime guarantee - what more could anyone want?

Click here for the Flash site - the full works!

Peter Solness photography

Shortly after arriving I saw a couple of free photography exhibitions within Customs House down at Circular Quay, one by Peter Solness that I liked very much - Nocturnal, on until 31st January 2010. In this series, Solness draws at night with a light source such as a torch, while his camera lens is open for a long exposure, creating beautiful luminous line drawings in bush landscapes around Australia. In this case, technology and nature fit together peacefully.

Australian treasure

Happy New Year! I hope it brings many blessings and much treasure to all.

I'm in Australia at the moment with my German partner, for a Christmas visit to family, and I've been reminded of some Aussie treasure that I have to share, firstly from nature!

As I write there are magnificent Blue Fairy Wrens trilling and hopping around outside. When I'm at home in Berlin I miss the birds the most. In the weeks since we arrived we've seen so many of my favourites - here are only some of them: from top Cockatoo, Brown Falcon, Rainbow Lorikeet, Galah, Blue Fairy Wren (pictures mine except - Falcon by Ian Michael Thomas; Galah by my aunty Rosie)...