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Adelaide Haunted Horizons

My maiden name… 

I work with SATIC (SA Tourism Industry Council) and offer a door prize at each of their networking events. One lucky member gets me for two hours - and probably more enticing - gets some stunning images to use on their promotional collateral. 

Alison Oborn from Haunted Horizons was the lucky winner recently. Since I have never been out on a host tour, or anything like it, Alison suggested I come to one of her Old Tailem Town tours, near Tailem Bend, SA. 

Signing our life away...

One cool evening in April, I set out. We meet in the carpark of Old Tailem, I'm handed a torch, and told to sign my life away. 'We can't guarantee anything, and we need to know, that you know, you could die.' Mmm, lovely - what have I got myself into. But I stay on - all in the name of work… and curiosity now. 

The teetotaler owner of the house would hate that his house is what it is now… a pub.

Alison leads us around the old town, telling us stories of experiences that have happened, the history of the buildings - buildings that have come from all over the state, and even interstate. We only see a section of the town, visiting the railway yard, store, motor shop, pub, family home and church. 

Sometimes there is a man figure seen in torchlight, standing in the doorway or behind the truck...

In the shop, I get one hell of a fright. I am standing up the back of the group, torches all off while listening to Alison tell of stories about ghosts being attracted to women and hating gay men. In the complete blackness, bar the little red light of an infra red camera, I hear 'boo'. I swear I hear it whispered into my left ear, even nearly feeling the air brushing me ear, but upon jumping with an 'argh', the guy to my right apologises, and says he was whispering in his mates ear.

The shop where I'm spooked...

Did I see or feel any ghosts? No. Did anyone else? Perhaps. Two guys, sitting in the church, say the pew in front of them has been moved towards them, blocking their feet from moving - but no-one is sitting on that pew in front of them. Do I now believe in paranormal acitivity? I'm not sure. I'm open minded. And as Alison says, you never can say if you believe or not, until something is experienced yourself. Skeptics out there - even if you don't believe any one tiny bit about paranormal activity - this tour is great fun. History, drama, and tour by torchlight. Even though I'm disappointed to not have experienced any paranormal activity, I'm kind of glad. The drive home alone would have been interesting, considering it's now nearly midnight, I'm tired and have heard many spooky stories. 

www.adelaidehauntedhorizons.com.au 

Photo tip: Get 'em out of centre.

I see so many people line people up dead centre of their photo. I guess we may have been taught to do this - everyone seems to do it. But there is a thing in photography called the 'rule of thirds'. Our eye tends to drift to a spot that is not dead centre, and we are taught to place our focal point there instead. 

If you draw two lines through horizontally and two lines vertically through a photograph, where those lines meet is supposed to be the sweet spot. There are four spots you can choose from. 

Try it next time you take a pic. Leave some empty space to one side. Put your focus on something in the top left or bottom right - anywhere but centre. And then take the same pic, but centre the focused object. Which one looks better?

If I had taken this photo, centring the man, I would have lost the amazing shadow play to the right of him, and the framing of darkness that surrounds would have altered. I also love how he is looking down and out of the frame, as if his mind is elsewhere. A time of reflection, emotion and power. If I had gotten more body, it may have not let my eye delve so close, to see his emotion, the chin strap sitting tight around his face, the shine of light on his jacket.

But, of course, rules are made to be broken, and sometimes, it's just better with focus in the middle.

I guess that is art for you. Do what you want. Just tellin' ya what I know. 

Barmera, South Australia

A long weekend. It comes with its pros and cons for the business owner - me. 

Pros: Time with family, escape the house, have fun, do something different, time out from work.

Cons: Need to find time to catch up the lost time, tonnes of washing to do on return, too much eating and drinking.

Every Easter, my family goes up to Barmera, in the Riverland. It's a long weekend of speedboat fun (if the weather is kind), relaxing, kids playing, lots of eating, an easter egg hunt and a wine or two. Holidays revolve around the river, however, when Mother Nature doesn't play nice, we have other options. 

Berri has a fair on the Saturday - nothing big, but fun. The community comes out, my kids love watching the gymnastics demos and then trying to catch all the eggs being thrown off the stage for kiddies.

Barmera has a big fair, music and big screen movie on the Sunday arvo/night. We go every year. It's fun to have a look through the stalls, grab some festival food (fish and chips were great this year!) and then sit and listen to the musician or band.  We haven't made it to the movie yet, but as the kids get older, we will rug up and stay on.

Banrock Station is not far away - wine and wetlands. What more do we need?

Lake Bonney - we ride and run around it. About 22km. I need to do this to get rid of all the chocolate I eat over Easter. And it's also a good mental challenge. Note: if you are going to do it, do it early morning or late afternoon so you can entertain yourself with beautiful light on the lake as you go. And, don't expect to follow the lake around the edge - the road veers out in sections - but follow your nose, you will find your way.

Loveday and other dirt tracks are to be discovered by 4wd. Haven't done it by 4wd (hubby loves it though), but went for a jog along the tracks near the caravan park. Can see how it would be a bit of fun - for the right person.

This year, we found a wholesale fruit and veg shop too. I can't remember the name of it, but it's on the highway, just out of Barmera, when heading towards Berri. You have to turn down a country road, and then enter what looks like a farm with big sheds - but it's worth it. Cheap prices and yummo quality. We'll be shopping up there again, next year. (If you know the place, please tell me the name.)

And of course, Caravan Parks lend themselves to relaxing and not doing much. While the kids run between the playground, jumping pillow and new friends' caravans, adults can sit back and enjoy. Yes, some campers enjoy a bit too much, cracking a tinny at 8am, but nothing has become too rowdy yet. Even the fireworks that go off like a barrel gun at 10.30pm are taken lightly. 

Question to end… why do we lock our houses up like a fort, but when in a caravan park, we believe a zipper will do the job?

Looking Differently Photography Tip

We are taught to walk forward, watching where we go, eyes up, and standing confident. But some times, the best photos can not be found this way. A photographer needs to be curious. Here are a few tips to consider when you pick up the camera (or iPhone) next.

Look around you.

Get down on the ground - like a childs view.

Turn around when walking, and see what it looks like. You will be surprised at how different the view can look.

Look up.

Look at the details - go up close and get the bubbles, the signage, the food, the beautiful colour of the flower.

You don't always need a face in the photo to tell the story. Hands, feet, even a whole body with head cropped. 

Reflections can be interesting.

Windows and mirrors - use them. So many stories to be told - infront of you and behind you in the one image.

I love to sit and watch the world go by. In the image above, I was at a cafe in Mount Gambier SA, working on the laptop, but needing an 'eye strain' break. I can't last, even for an hour, on the computer without breaks. I'd been watching people come and go, conversations through the window, laughter, waitresses keeping everyone happy - and wanted to capture the hive of activity. Cafes can be a hive of activity.

I entered this photography in the AIPP Awards (Australian Institue of Professional Photography) and gained a Silver at State level. I love that you can see me (normally a pro no-no) and the outside world, but also have the dialogue of legs sitting at the window.

I wonder what they were talking about? Did they indulge in a pastry? Who knows.

We can make our own ending.

Mount Compass...

This weekend we went down to Victor Harbor. It's something we do quite often, with my family living down there. But have we ever stopped at Alexandrina Cheese Company? No. Have we ever picked strawberries at Mount Compass. No. Have I ever thought of going to Mount Compass for dinner? Heck no.

Mount Compass, for us, is normally only a place to stop for a toilet break or food. I only know of Mount Compass as a tiny, quiet, cold and wet town where we had to play netball at least once per season (when I was growing up). Why would I go there otherwise?

Well, we find out there are a few reasons… 

1. Strawberries

At first, $17 for two adults and two small children to pick a kilo of strawberries seems on the 'bit rich' side. But then we thought about it. We had enormous fun - so it's a cheap outing. We ate lots - we filled our bellies. And we ended up squeezing over a kilo in the container we were given. After eating about a dozen, it still weighted out at 1100gm. Win, win, win.

The strawberries? Well, most were good, some were fantastic, and some were a bit 'pumped with water' flavour. Maybe it's our ability to pick the correct strawberry? Who knows. 

2. Cheese

Alexandrina Cheese Company is between Victor Harbor and Mount Compass, and every time we go down, we see the big blue sign on the side of the road, 'turn left', but we keep going. Today is a different story. The kids loved the cut out face signs to pose for photos in, the tin galahs scattered around the grass, and picking cheese to taste with toothpicks. It'd be a great spot to go for a few hours over a cheese platter and drinks.

The shop is perched on top of a hill, with a view out over the paddocks and lumpy bald hills. A very rural farm outlook. Ben made comment the customer service wasn't what he expected - not as friendly and country cheerful. Perhaps they were still warming up for the day?

I'm not a cheese 'snob' but I do like a cheese platter. We bought two cheeses (and toyed with the idea of buying more) - with the Vintage Cheddar devoured within the hour after arriving in Victor Harbor. It didn't taste quite as 'vintage' and intense as what we tasted, but the fact that it, err, disappeared so quick, spoke louder. And the curd we purchased - that was great, fried over eggs, the next morning.

3. Brazilian BBQ

YUM! Get there. That is all I need to say. But I will say more.

Who would think they could find perfectly cooked meats, bathed in scrumptious spices and salts, that are beyond our BBQ taste in deliciousness, at a golf course in Mount Compass? I didn't, but was so very hopeful. I lived in Brazil, and I haven't tasted the same quality and experience yet in Australia. A friend I met in Brazil joined us to give it test it out too.

The dinner show includes a performace by the fabulous dancers by La Bomba - an awesome dance studio based in Adelaide. They add the sparkle (or thousand) to an otherwise pretty ordinary atmosphere in terms of decoration and Brazilian experience. 

But, don't go for the atmosphere. Or even the dancers. Even though I enjoyed getting up for a butt wiggle, and Ben was not too upset about the distraction of watching the girls shimmy and prance in their sparkling little bikinis and feathers.

The food. That is why you go. The Rodizio experience is all you can eat, waiter delivered meats, to your table. The waiter brings out cut after cut of various meats and slices it off the skewer onto your plate. The meats have been cooked on a brazilian bbq with special coals. On the table is a selection of sides - a black bean dish (feijoada), farofa (yummy sprinkled on meat), rice, tomato salad (vinagrette) and other dishes. Their chips and aioli starter was more than moorish, but the pao de quiejo (small cheese breads) took me back to Brazil.

Lesson learnt this weekend. Be a tourist in my own backyard. There are treasures to be discovered. Some treasures that people come all over the world to experience, yet we drive straight past.

www.harvestthefleurieu.com.au

www.alexandrinacheese.com.au

www.fleurieugolfcourse.com.au

www.labomba.com.au

Who wants to see Sir Bob Geldof in Adelaide?

Sir Bob Geldof is going to be in Adelaide, speaking and motivating a room full of people at the Hilton, on Wednesday 25th March 2015. It's early, but so worth it. 7-9am. Start your day off right.

Imagine being in the same room as the brains behind Live 8, which brought in over $45 billion of aid and debt cancellation to Africa… and someone who has been nominated for the Noble Prize 8 times, more than anyone else...

http://www.businesschicks.com.au/events/sa/250/adelaide-business-chicks-breakfast-with-sir-bob-geldof

At a Business Chicks breakfast you can network with other energetic people, eat yummy-licious food, be inspired by ultra successful people, and dance out with a fab goodie bag. These tickets usually sell for $149 each.

Who wants to be there for free? I am giving away two tickets - so one lucky person can bring a friend for free too. 

Get motivated, get inspired, get pumped.

How do you get the tickets? Comment below with your fave inspirational quote. You have until Wednesday 18th March - get inspired peeps!!

P.S. Subscribe to my blog so you won't miss the next giveaway either. :)

Holidaying without your kids… you have to.

We are back from Lombok. What a great place, and what an awesome holiday. (I particularly love South Lombok, but more on that later.) 

After six years of travelling with a baby and toddler, and in the last couple of years, toddler and child - this was a real holiday. Not just 'travel and experience' as I like to call going away with kids. Or, 'same shit, different place, and hard work. But hey, it was worth it, I got to explore somewhere else'.

There was nothing hard about this trip, except for the overnight flight home with a packet of Gastro-Stop handy. 

My lessons learned why every couple should have a holiday without their lovely treasures? Read on.

1. You actually have time to get bored while waiting for your flight to leave. Especially if one of the crew on your departing flight can't get through customs due to her passport not being accepted. You now have an extra hour to wait for a call-in crew member to arrive.

Hint: if you can't log on to Adelaide Airport wi-fi in the Departure Lounge, stand by the Business Hub, and then log in. Ta da!

2. Happy Hours are actually happy hours - not whinging, 'quick, let's grab some food and go back to the room' hours. Enjoy watching the sunset with a mojito (or Bintang) or two, then meander off to any restaurant that takes your fancy (rather than checking each menu for child friendly options first). You can savour the food and experience too, rather than gulping it down as quick as you can - there are no children to throw embarrassing tantrums in the middle of the restaurant to worry about. Well, not yours anyway.

3. Throw some caution to the wind and hire a scooter for touring. You don't have to think about how to anchor child seats, or if the car will have seat belts. Be free and feel the wind on your face. Southern Lombok is perfect for getting around on a bike - minimal traffic (motorised and the animal kind) and have decent roads at times. Go like the expats and locals do.

4. Get hubby up and start the day with an hour and half of yoga, overlooking the beach. Bliss. Even for people that have never tried yoga. Hubby has never done it, and raved about it. The lap (or thunder, in our case) of waves, the sea air breezing over your body, a well trained teacher… Peace - parents, do you remember what that is?

5. Get a local child to take a pic of you together. Don't worry about focus, getting your heads in the frame is the only idea to strive for. You get the experience and the fuzzy visual memory. And the kids love it.

We had little pups trying to nibble at our feet in this pic of us at Mawun Beach (absolutely stunning with only half a dozen people scattered on the white arc of sand).

6. We are in the era of technology - so if either party misses each other, Skype is the answer. We Skyped our kids daily, and video Skyped them once too. But when we heard our daughter hid under the bed for ten minutes after seeing us, we decided video was finished.

Not sure if this Skype thing benefited us, or them, as we were the only ones eager to talk. :)

Final thoughts...

I'd like to make sure we go away once a year, for some time to do what we want. It felt like we were young again, with no pressures or responsibilites. We could do what we want, when we want - or nothing at all. Some days we lazed the day away reading and browsing the iPads on our beach front patio. Other days we explored near deserted beaches, one after the other. And one special day, I went to the Spa for four hours. Namaste.

What are your thoughts and experiences?

Free ticket to see Naomi Simson!

Occassionally I am going to be giving free stuff away. It's a way of saying thankyou for 'listening' to me, and another way of being helpful to you. If you know anyone that likes free stuff, and also wants to be in the running to win, shout it out. :)

Today I have a free ticket to the wonderful Business Chicks breakfast in Adelaide on this Friday 6th March. It's International Womens Day, so it seems ultra fitting, listening to a woman that 'does it all'. This woman is Naomi Simson of Red Balloon and Channel 10's Shark Tank. She is also a chair, mother, author and blogger with a list of close to 800,000 followers. Safe to say it will be a very insipiring event.

http://www.businesschicks.com.au/events/sa/243/adelaide-international-women-s-day-breakfast-with-naomi-simson-presented-by-business-chicks

These tickets are valued at $129 - and worth it. To get my ONE ticket, please comment with ONE word that best describes heidi who photos. Let's have some fun. I'll be asking an associate to pick the winner at the end of today (Monday 2nd March)… so get onto it. 

Please share this with anyone (they will need to subscribe) that would like to...

a/ win the ticket

b/ keep in touch with me

c/ win other cool stuff in the future

d/ loves cool pics

e/ is a wanderlust

Have a great day!

When things go wrong on holiday...

Holidays aren't always remembered by fun moments.. sometimes it's the 'adventure'.

Speaking to a friend the other day, I heard myself saying, 'I don't have any problems or incidents on holiday.' It got me thinking, is that true? Well, I'm not sure. A five minute chat with hubby reveals a few little oopsies...

1. We were stuck up a mountain in Phuket, with a 3yo and 1yo, with just a couple of bottles of water to share between us. Waiting for a tsunami to come, we were taken in by some very caring locals. Luckily for us, the tsunami never came. 

2. I was woken up on a flight to Groote Eylandt by my head hitting the ceiling. All other flights were to be cancelled that due, due to storm activity. We arrived, seatbelt firmly tightened, with a bit of a bump and thump.

3. We ran out of LPG on a long straight of quiet road, one hot day, in the Flinders Ranges. Hubby eventually worked out what it was, and switched to petrol. Hahaha.

4. Circum-navigating Fiji, I saw a view I wanted to take a photo of. We nearly backed off the muddy road into a dense ravine. At the time, hubby said, 'just get out of the car now'. I did, and that's when I saw the back end hanging off the cliff.

5. On our way to Fiji, our domestic flight left so late we had to run to catch our next flight. Sprint actually. With the doors to the plane shutting right on our tails.

6. Our bubba Ashton 'cut' a tooth or two, in one week, while away in Phuket. Not fun. Grizzly, tired and not wanting to eat. And his sister wanted breakfast before the restaurant would open each morning… at 5.30am.

7. I got food poisoning in Peru. Yes, I did eat a meat and potato skewer that was cooked in the gutter. But Ben didn't get sick.

8. Arriving by plane into Cuzco, I got the worst altitude sickness. Stuck in the room, crawling from bed to bathroom, for over a day, isn't the best welcome.

9. Ben got drugged (we assume) in a Rio nightclub and couldn't get out of bed for days. I took myself off to the pharmacy and got a concoction of drugs for him. My Portuguese, and year living in Brazil, paid off.

10. Our Melbourne hotel had a fire start in the air-conditioning. We were evacuated at 4am, in our skimpy summer pj's, to wait on the road with our 1 year old girl. No shops open except McDonalds, no formula, no food. And our flight was leaving in a few hours (which we did end up catching).

11. On my first ever plane flight in 1992 I spilt the contents of my tray on the person in front of me. I was just a bit excited to be there.

12. Our overnight bus ride in Turkey broke down for 10 hours. We were given a water and one muffin. That's it. I also remember having to try and hide from the random men while peeing on the hillside.

13. The shower in the apartment we lived in while working in Greece gave us electric shocks - every day.

14. After a few too many drinks, hubby crashed my work scooter - not once, but twice. Within a metre of each other. I was woken in the middle of the night to a bloodied, prickled mess that couldn't tell me what happened. He ended up on crutches.

15. We were conned into purchasing an expensive tour, and upgraded hostel, on arrival in Peru late at night. What can I say? Sleep deprived.

I'm sure I could come up with more - but this is a five minute round-up.

What's the worst thing that has happened to you?