Day tripping- Coburg

Whilst visiting relatives, the girls and I walked through the streets of Coburg. There were some lovely old houses, many with the original features. I particularly loved the numbers attached to the walls of many of these houses. I couldn't get many pics as the sun was going down, but here's a couple to whet your appetite.

Sunny winter days.

The weather has been perfect this week. Cold, frosty mornings followed by warm, sunny afternoons. Just right for a bit of a sleep in and an afternoon walk. I drove to Heathmont and Croydon South today and had a bit of a wander around and took some photos. I was pleased to see that many of the houses in Heathmont have been kept in an original or close to original state. There's a bit of rendering and painting of exteriors to modernise things, but shapes are kept the same and landscaping has been done to suit. It was a difficult area to photograph as it is heavily treed and the sun was a bit to high. But here's some eye candy to peruse.

Alistair Knox home for sale

ARCHITECT DESIGNED HOME ON 2 1/4 ACRES

This unique one owner, Alistair Knox designed home is privately situated in the heart of the prestigious Tintern precinct of Ringwood East on 9,246sqm (2 1/4 acres). Alistair Knox is arguably one of our most famous and influential theorists of domestic architecture in the 20th century and meticulously planned the site and aspect of this fine example of his architecture.

Photos courtesy of Treeby Real Estate.

Getting to know the neighbourhood.

I'm enjoying my walks and sometimes drives around the neighbourhood and surrounding area. There is really quite a diverse mix of house in the area, ranging from california bungalows, 1940's waterfalls and 60's cream brick. There's also a high content of traditional weatherboards and the ubiquitous McMansion popping up here and there. The more radical contemporary homes, of which there are quite a few, are impossible to photograph due to the long driveways, expansive garden combination.
Yesterday, I focused on details. It was a hazy day so I only got a few.

Love the split rock wall.

This house had good solid contemporary lines. Built late 50's early 60's. Really hard to get a good picture.

Time capsule garage in Ringwood East.

Largely untouched 60's brick. The patio even had some lovely concrete planters.

It all in the details.

Despite the fact that I should have been in the studio sewing and that it was threatening rain at any moment, I slung my camera bag over my shoulder and went for another walk today. I did the circuit of streets at the back of my house, which is also know as "The Golden Mile". It's an area high on the hill that overlooks the valley where the Croydon township sits and towards Montrose and the Dandenong Ranges. The house block are huge and the gardens are gorgeous. Most houses are completely hidden from the street because of the rambling, tangled gardens. Today, as I realised that I couldn't get many full shots of houses because of trees, plants or even a car in the driveway, I decided instead to focus on the details. I was looking for an interesting mail box or a house name, perhaps an old hanging sign or some wrought iron railings. Here's some of what I saw....

One day in Autumn I went for a walk.....

...and this is what I saw.

Only pictures left.

Readers of this blog might remember this house I posted about last year.

Tragically, by all accounts this house is not longer standing. It was situated in the main street of Marysville, a township that was razed to the ground by bushfire on Saturday 8th February.
My only hope is that the occupants escaped and made their way to safety.