Posted on by Anne Sandler · 42 Comments

Lens Artists Challenge #307 Tourist Attractions

It’s funny that Leanne Cole should pick this topic since my last trip took me to her home town, Melbourne. Here’s the story.

I’ve always wanted to go to Australia but never had the opportunity. When we did travel overseas, we were younger and I took pictures with a small point and shoot, and I can’t find those old prints. Back to Australia, last year my friend Sandy offered me an opportunity I couldn’t refuse, “We’re going to Australia, do you want to come?” she said.

I couldn’t say no! The “they” we were her family. The trip consisted of a cruise to New Caledonia from Sydney Australia. Sandy added on a week in Melbourne and several days in Sydney. After saying YES! I emailed Leanne, telling her I was coming. Leanne and I had a day-long photo outing to Monterey when she visited the U.S.

I absolutely fell in love with Melbourne. We have two rivers bordering Sacramento, but the Yarra River runs through Melbourne town, leaving the city with beautiful bridges, my favorite being the Webb Bridge.

Then there was the architecture. Beautiful buildings all around me. Here are some. I seemed to focus on the new structures. But the old were gorgeous too.

We did get to see the sites along the Great Ocean Road and stayed in Port Campbell for a few days. I’ll save those images for another day. I do hope to get back to Australia and see other areas where some of our bloggers live. Maybe if I wish hard enough!

A great big thanks to Leanne for taking me back to her home town. When you post your response, be sure to link back to her post and use the Lens-Artist tag. We have two more treats coming up for you this month.

July 20: Elizabeth of Albatz Travel Adventures will challenge up with PAIRS

July 27: PR of Flights of the Soul will challenge us with BALCONIES

So be looking for their posts. I hope you are having a safe and wonderful summer!

Posted on by Anne Sandler · 131 Comments

LENS ARTISTS PHOTO CHALLENGE #242: NEW EXPERIENCES

Experiencing something for the first time can be exhilarating, exhausting, and engaging. Looking forward to that experience can create feelings like anxiousness, happiness, and anxiety. It’s even more exaggerated when the experience is something you wished for but thought would never happen.

My recent trip to Australia falls into that last category. My wish: to go to Australia and photograph with Leanne Cole in Melbourne. You see, when she was in the U.S. in 2015, I had the great opportunity to take her to Santa Cruz and go down to Monterey for a day. She was visiting a friend in Saratoga. We both remember that day. I was amazed at how at ease she was with her camera. And the thought of visiting with her in Australia was a dream come true.

This exciting trip was with my friends Sandy and Peg who are sisters. They invited me along as their adopted sister. Peg was detained a day so Sandy and I flew the long trip together.

I had a day alone with Leanne, walking Melbourne, when Sandy went to pick up Peg at the airport. We had breakfast, lunch and met Sandy and Peg for dinner. What a wonderful day that was. Melbourne is an exciting city with amazing architecture and the Yarra river running through it. Here is a sample of images from that day.

Convention Center
Webb Bridge
Evan Walker Bridge
Flinders Station
The Manchester Building

The next morning Leanne picked us up and took us to Port Campbell where we spent 2 full days photographing iconic scenes—places I have seen in Leanne’s blog many times.

On the way to Port Campbell

Whaler’s Bluff Lighthouse

Leanne had arranged a wonderful rental house for us at Port Campbell where we enjoyed our 2-night stay. We explored the beaches and sights.

The Twelve Apostles
Loch Ard Gorge from above
Loch Ard Gorge below
London Bridge
London Bridge

On our way back to Melbourne, Leanne took us to a rainforest, Maist’s Rest.

I had never been in a rainforest before, and this was outstanding. The ferns (which I love) were huge. Here’s a peak.

We had a wonderful time and experienced new things. This was the highlight of my almost 1-month vacation. Thank you, Leanne, for driving and being our very own tour guide. I totally enjoyed our girl friend time and the fun with all four of us. We all appreciated your time. And I’ll admit that Australia has great coffee!

There will be future posts on my blog about this trip. From Melbourne we journeyed to Sydney and then cruised for 11 days. Maybe I can fit some into an LAPC post.

But today, your challenge is to show and tell us about a new experience you had. It could be a trip, the birth of a child or grandchild, a road trip to a new place, the possibilities are endless. As you respond, please link to this post and use the Lens-Artists tag.

We all enjoyed your responses to Sofia’s challenge of Spring. Your narratives and images were imaginative and beautiful. Some of you even got in the Spring mood while walking in snow! Next week, April 1, Donna Holland will be challenging you and she’s not fooling around! Be sure to look for her post.

If you would like to participate weekly in our Lens-Artists Challenge, click here for more info.