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Unique Apartment - Elsternwick Melbourne

Saw a very impressive apartment on the week-end in  Elsternwick, Melbourne. Elsternwick is one of Melbourne's south eastern bayside suburbs bordered by Caulfield, Brighton, Elwood and Carnegie and has seen some of the greatest property price increases in the last few years. Here is an artist's impression of the finished apartments. The apartments are due to be completed in March and they are in the final stages of "fit-out". The apartments are being actively marketed by the appointed real estate agents and it is possible to view the apartments during the week-end "open for inspection times". Elsternwick in Melbourne is effectively a very highly desirable lifestyle location - I'm not sure what the equivalent would be in Sydney but I'm guessing it would be Randwick or similar. There are 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments available. There are 5 levels of aprtments altogether and all the apartments on the top floor have already been sold. Why this is interesting is that there is a very high demand for property in Elsternwick, particularly property that is SO close to train and tram transport, the major strip shopping centre of Glenhuntly Road, the Classic Cinema and of course, Gunter's cafe on the corner of Glenhuntly Road and Elsternwick. The pick of the apartments in this development is Apartment 33 - it is quite simply UNIQUE. Here is a copy of the floor plan. Yes, that is right, what we are looking at is an 11 square 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment with a 26 square rooftop garden! YES - that is correct, a 26 square rooftop "garden" that is accessible from just about every room in the apartment. The views include 360 degrees of surrounding suburbs as well as views to the West of Port Phillip bay - simply stunning. And how much is this apartment? Well, you will need to put a comment on my blog with your email for me to tell you that! G2 Apartments Wilson Pride Adrian Hassett G2 Apartments G2 Apartments Melbourne real estate bargain apartments Century 21 Wilson Pride

Tina the Tenterfield Terrier

Had a lot of requests recently for a picture of Tina. Here she is!

End of an Era - Nikon quits film

Well, today marks the end of an era... Nikon has announced today that it will stop making MOST of its film cameras to concentrate on digital models. The announcement also says that the production of manual lenses will also come to an end.

In honour of the great tradition of Nikon film cameras, I offer a (digital) picture of my first Nikon film camera - Nikkormat FTN purchased in Brisbane from Georges camera store in Adelaide St, in 1972. I think it cost me $250, for the camera plus a 50mm f2.0 Nikon lens. (A lot of money back then considering I was working as a computer operator at Thiess Holdings in Archerfield earning $57.57 per week (an easy figure to remember!). My first camera has some very sentimental memories for me - I was able to get myself a part-time job as a photographer with Colorama Studios in Brisbane who had the contract to do all the photography for Queensland University - all graduations and functions. My job was to go to the function, photograph couples and groups and capture pictures that would result in sales of prints for Colorama. I was paid the princely sum of $4.00 per roll of photographs taken and $1.00 per print sold. On a good night, I would take 3 or 4 rolls, get $12 or $16 and then take my brothers out for a big night out - to get a pizza from the Pizza Hut in Annerly or Romeos in the Valley. I remember Bob Smith of Colorama very well - he taught me so much about photography - he was a good boss, always fair, supportive and encouraging and I remember him fondly - and his wife Sherrie and what seemed to be their tribe of 12 young children under 5!. Bob Smith also had the concession to do the photography at the "Ekka", a gig which I passed on to my brother Peter when I left Brisbane to go to Melbourne. Brisbane was like that in the early '70's - it was very common for older siblings to pass on their part-time or holiday jobs to younger siblings after two or three years. Bob Smith from Colorama, I salute you and thank you for your inspiration for my love of photography and making pictures.

PS. AMAZING - I just "googled" Colorama in AUstralia and found this link - Bob and Sherrie are STILL in business ... after 40 years! Congratulations guys - hope we can speak or catch up soon...

Summer 2006 - The Sandown St "Dog Beach"

One of the  things about Melbourne that I really like is the Sandown street Brighton "dog beach". A beach where dogs can be brought at any time without restriction and allowed to play and run to their heart's content. This picture was made today (Saturday, 7th January, 2006). This guy was throwing a toy for his dog and all the other dogs just joined in to play "fetch".