We’ve recently taken the chance of moving around a bit (just within Australia) by travelling from south-east Queensland to Central-west New South Wales, basing ourselves in the city of Orange.  I’ve visited this area a few times in the last few years and have found that it is a place of surprisingly lovely countryside, and functional and community-orientated towns and small cities.  

We have a couple of spare days between our house sit in Kandersteg in Switzerland and our next housesit in Castronno in northern Italy, so we decided to explore Como on our route, a resort town on the edge of the Italian Alps.  The surrounds of Como are known as a playground of the rich and famous; but the old town is a popular destination for ordinary visitors, and a nice northern Italian village with a medieval centre.

A British friend of mine is coming to Melbourne, Australia, soon, for a conference, and she asked me for suggestions for things that she should see and do while she is here.  I put this list of things together for her, plus some general advice on getting around  – it’s not definitive, or even the most popular recommendations for Melbourne, but they’re my personal favourites.  

Much of the Western half of the north coast of Tasmania has deep red volcanic soil.  As you pass through the area you see bright green paddocks with sheep and dairy cattle that are making the best of that soil, and ploughed paddocks that reveal the chocolatey red colour of the soil.  This marvellous soil in Tasmania’s temperate climate is perfect for growing flowers. 

In my previous post, I introduced some of Launceston’s historic buildings, including a few of its commercial historic buildings.

Launceston also has a large selection of another sort of historic commercial building: churches.  So much human skill, design, effort, and community wealth went into old churches that they are nearly always beautiful complex, and highly decorated buildings.