VIEW FROM THE TWENTY THIRD FLOOR // THIS IS CHINA

Rose Tinted Photography

I have been in Wuhan, China with my husband for just over five weeks and so far it's been really great. We have always wanted to know what it is like to live in an apartment building in the central city, not forever, but for a time in our lives. We have a one room studio apartment (with separate bathroom that has a western toilet). The space is perfect for a couple who do not need a lot of space. Check out the view from our balcony!

Living in China has so far been an amazing experience and we love the buzz of being in the city. Sure it can be noisy with the endless horns beeping and the constant construction sounds. But how great is it to leave your building and immediately be amongst it. We are close to many great places to eat out and it's so cheap that we often do. We are picking up on our Chinese enough to be able to order for ourselves. 

I must admit, I have not taken as many photo's as I should, but I promise I will post some before too long. Part of the reason is because it's a pain lugging a DSLR camera around when your main mode of transportation is your feet. I also feel there's a difference though between visiting a place and living in a place. When you're visiting, you only have the one opportunity to capture the sites that you see, but when you have made roots for the next couple of years, it seems unnecessary to record it all. In saying that, I do realize the importance of capturing memories in the form of a photograph, but only if it's not getting in the way of you seeing/experiencing it first hand.

M E L B O U R N E

Rose Tinted Photography

On our way to China, my husband and I decided to have a little holiday in between. We visited the beautiful city of Melbourne which is known for being the most liveable city in the world! Initially we were hoping to go to the Gold Coast to visit Louis' sister and our two gorgeous nephews, but unfortunately it was just too expensive. So we decided on our second choice in Melbourne which was more in line with the flight path to Asia.

I have always wanted to visit Melbourne as it is renowned for being a very creative and vibrant city. There is such a great atmosphere in the Metropolis with stunning architecture in various but complimenting styles. The musicians that played on the streets were top notch and had serious talent. They were so much more than your usual buskers with a profound skill.

It was amazing to catch up with some good friends who have recently moved there from NZ in the last few months. We had dinner along the river with the sounds of an incredible jazz saxophonist providing the soundtrack for the evening. It was a truly wonderful way to spend a Saturday night.

We were so blessed to have some friends (Hi Tom & Kate!) to house us during our stay in a close by suburb of Bacchus Marsh. Louis had previously stayed with them on a work trip when a few teachers and some students had crossed the ditch to visit their sister school. They really went above and beyond to make us feel at home. Kate even took a day off work to take us to the Zoo and Manor House at Werribee Park.

We had such a great time in Melbourne and I would highly recommend a visit if you haven't already. The CBD is easy to get around and we took great advantage of the free tram service that loops around the inner city. There is so much to see and do!

NAPIER // ART DECO CAPITAL OF NEW ZEALAND

Rose Tinted Photography

I've been away on another little trip this past week to the Art Deco Capital of New Zealand, also known as Napier. This beautiful city has a terribly sad story in which an earthquake hit the seaside town on February 3rd, 1931. There was a devastating loss of life, and severely damaged buildings. You might need a box of tissues if you wish to read up on this.

With new hope post earthquake, the rebuild of the city centre was almost entirely designed in an Art Deco architectural style. Despite such an awful history, this city is now thriving with it's unique pastel buildings which retain their character 80 years on. The town is now famous for it's Art Deco style.

Every year the town hosts an Art Deco Weekend where everyone dresses up dapper or flapper for two days of festivities! Sounds like a dream to me! This festival has weaved it's way into my bucket list. I had a 1920's Art Deco themed 21st Party, which I wish could have lasted longer than one night! I'm just trying to imagine a whole weekend where everyone there gets really into it! The classic cars and jazz bands come out and the dancing shoes come on.

I love this timeless era and it's classy way of dressing. Whilst we were there, I fell in love with a replica of a beaded 20's style flapper dress. These were used in one of my favourite films called "The Artist" and the hand sewn detailing was phenomenal. Unfortunately the price tag was a little out of my reach, but the work that went into them would make them worth every cent!

If you are ever in New Zealand, you must visit this place! I'm astounded that I hadn't been here before even though it's only like a 5-6 hour drive from Auckland (where I've lived my whole life). I feel like I've discovered a treasure which I want to tell everyone about!