On a recent trip to Melbourne I had the opportunity to visit the Collingwood Children’s Farm and Abbotsford Convent and see some amazing autumn colours that Brisbane’s trees rarely show.

The beautiful old buildings of Abbotsford Content have been 60% restored and, even as a work in progress, it’s inspiring to know the site is now inhabited with studio and office spaces and venues for performing arts. On the fourth Saturday of each month the convent hosts a Slow Food Farmers’ Market and there are several permanent places to eat such as vegetarian restaurant Lentil as Anything which trades on a ‘pay-what-you-want’ model.

The Collingwood Children’s Farm was also a pleasure to wander around, even on a cold, rainy afternoon, being on a farm, only 5km from the city of Melbourne was a magical experience. The smell and sounds of farm animals and fresh air on the seven hectare site made me feel like I had been transported to another time. It really made me want to slow down and take it all in.

And a big thank you goes to my amazing friends, Sean and Sandy for bringing me to this delightful place!

My birthday is the day after Australia day so I always take advantage of the long weekend and go on an adventure! This year our friends Sean and Sandy had just moved to Melbourne so it was the perfect excuse for a visit. On our arrival the weather was initially cool but by the Monday it had heated up to 37 degrees, it really was four seasons in one weekend!

One of the highlights of my birthday was visiting Domaine Chandon, a beautiful estate of rolling green hills and grape vines as far as the eye could see. We went on the tour of their facility to learn about how they make their sparkling wine (you can’t call it ‘champagne’ unless the wine is from the Champagne region in France!) It was interesting to see the different parts of the process and stand in the eerie quiet of the cave-like room where they store the vintages, a room also lined with riddling racks (for clarifying the wines).

Of course being a trip to wineries there was plenty of wine to be tasted and bottles to purchase! We also went to the Blueberry farm and winery (where we purchased a fortified Blueberry wine) and the White Rabbit brewery for lunch. Happy birthday to me!

Sandy, Sean and I standing near the vineyard!

Did you know… planting rosebushes near the grapevines offers an early warning of problems as roses are more susceptible to diseases.

Sandy, in her new outfit purchased from Princess Highway the previous day, peering into an antique store that was unfortunately closed, but had such an amazing door! We were intrigued…

Australia day at St Kilda beach, with a sunny sky and cool breezes blowing across the water. The locals were out partying in their summer clothes (although we Queenslander’s thought it was still cool). There was a large speaker playing the Hottest 100 and one of my favourite songs from last year, Reflektor by Arcade Fire made it into the top 20!

Ben and I had so much fun with our friends Sandy and Sean and we will definitely be back soon, you haven’t seen the last of us Melbourne!

BNE Style spoke to Lucy Glade-Wright, one of the co-founders of Melbourne based online store, Hunting For George about how she and her sister (Jo Harris) started their store and what keeps these talented ladies inspired.

Why did you to start Hunting For George?
Jo and I have always talked about starting up a shop together and I guess one day the talking turned into action. That was 3 years ago now and we’re both so glad that we took the plunge!

Hunting for George was started by sisters Jo and Lucy, is it difficult working so closely with your sibling?
Actually it’s quite good because most of the time we know what each other is thinking which makes it very easier to work together. Plus if we happen to get angry at each other we don’t really have to worry about offending each other. We bounce back to normal pretty quick.

“Love Hate create endlessly beautiful must have products”.

How would you describe Hunting For George’s aesthetic?
A friend of mine once called us ‘Wholesome hipsters’ I’m not quite sure if I’m comfortable with the term hipster but we’re definitely wholesome. Our signature Hunting for George lifestyle brand (cactus clock pictured above) is quite classic and fresh. Our stunning Kip and Co collection (bed spread pictured above) is very playful and fun. Our Alice Berry prints are hilariously funny and Love Hate (adorable accessories and stockings pictured above) create endlessly beautiful must have products too.

What do you look for when sourcing new brands / products for Hunting For George?
We always look for things that we haven’t seen before. And try to seek out high quality products that have the ‘wow’ factor.

What are your favourite spring items?
Without a doubt our Love Hate petite hanging vase, perfect for spring to display all your beautiful fresh flowers! We also love our Peaches and Keen Cream and Gold earrings, perfect for the spring racing carnival and wedding season.

Who are your style icons / someone who inspires you?
We’re constantly inspired by the people around us. We have a lot of creative friends doing amazing things. Some of our favourites that keep us inspired are Cos We Can, Jonno Rodd, Santiago Sunbird, Peaches and Keen.

All images supplied by Hunting For George.

3 days in Melbourne was not enough! Although it rained on the first two days and was cold and windy on the third (my Portmans coat pictured above kept me fashionably warm) I can’t help but love the character of this city. I could have spent the weekend just exploring the streets and taking photos of the many beautiful old buildings and discovering the street art hidden in each alley.

I shopped (Topshop and Dangerfield were highlights) and ate (Lux Bite, as featured on Master Chef has desserts to die for and Grub Food Van in Fitzroy was warm and cosy) and drank (I loved the hidden non-profit cafe and bar called Shebeen).

My monochrome gang, in the alley against a brightly coloured mural just off Chapel Street.

Lux Bite for decadent indulgences.

Enjoying a little Grub in Fitzroy, the open kitchen and herb garden outside made me feel at home, my sister  (pictured) said the milkshakes were delicious!

I will be back Melbourne! There is so much more to explore.