I have three trilogy series planned encompassing all the aspects of what I feel Australia represents to people all over the world. Its coast and beaches, its outback and its small country towns. All locales could not be more different. As a reader, I love reading about other places in the world so I hope readers from elsewhere will enjoy reading about my country.
Just to give you a sample, my loosely labelled "coast" trilogy will be set in three different coastal areas. One will be on the Gold Coast in Queensland, world renowned for being part of the magnificent Great Barrier Reef that runs along its whole length for thousands of kilometres, is visible from space and is a world heritage national park.
And the others will be set in a small town cafe along the peaceful south coast of New South Wales and in the popular village of Port Fairy on the Victorian south coast that stretches from Geelong west of Melbourne to the South Australian border. It is situated on the Great Ocean Road that runs for about 243 kilometres or 150 miles from Torquay to Warrnambool. It was built by returned soldiers from World War 1 between 1919 and 1932.
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And for a taste of the others, my "outback" series will cover the vastly different flat red soil plains of cattle and sheep stations in Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland. And my "village" or small town series will be based on the inland town of Beechworth in north eastern Victoria, an early gold mining area, full of history and beautiful old buildings. Also renowned for its famous bakery.
Noelene, this is very cruel of you! In England at the mo we have grey skies, bitter cold that makes your face hurt and sleet. All of your locations look absolutely fabulous! I've decided one of the most romantic places in the world might be Singapore. Sultry and warm, with a teeming monsoon and the glorious Raffles hotel - all white marble and opulence. It would be lovely to sit there under a palm tree and sip Singapore slings with a good looking man (my husband, of course!)
ReplyDeleteSingapore would certainly be warmer than England at the moment I imagine. :) It's steamy all year round but a lovely organised garden city with such a variety of cultures. Yet, coming from hot Oz, I have always wanted to experience a white Christmas. So, there you go... And, of course, Australia has its cold weather too. Fortunately we southerners can head north and still be warm in winter anyway. We were paddling in the shallows and watching dolphins offshore on Bribie Island on Queensland's Sunshine Coast in winter last year when we go up to visit our daughter for a couple weeks. Ah, all the settings of the world excite me...
ReplyDeleteI honestly don't know what the fuss about Australia is. I mean, okay, it's got glorious beaches and fantastic scenery and lagoons and coral reefs but ... oh, okay, I get it. (that was all a joke by the way ;-))
ReplyDeleteNoelene you are making us green with envy. The Peak District is beautiful and I use it a lot in my writing (along with Shropshire for my 'Midchester' based stories) but Australia is so stunning. I'm not surprised you're inspired.
Sally, I love my own country and write about it because I know it the best. But I also love to read about any other country and setting in the world, especially any part of England. We've travelled there a few times and love it. The green, the gardens, the old buildings. Every place has something to recommend it.
DeleteOh absolutely, Noelene. And I am lucky that just five minutes up the road from where I live is some of the most breathtaking scenery in the world. We also have beautiful stately homes like Chatsworth and Hardwick Hall. They're hugely inspirational.
DeleteYou been to New Zealand? Quite the most stunning scenery - lakes, mountains, cliffs, fiords - my camera was positively steaming!
ReplyDeleteAnd then there's Nepal. We all know the Himalayas are big, but nothing quite prepares you for them being that big!
But Wiltshire is beautiful, too. In it's quiet, half-forgotten way. Savernake Forest is ancient, and mysterious in the mist. And I can stand on top of the Downs and stare for miles across gentle chalk hills. It is a beautiful world.
Just goes to show Jo that a place doesn't have to be exotic to be romantic. I've not been to either New Zealand or the Himalayas and would love to go but nothing cheers me more than a walk across the downs or through the woods on a bright sunny winter's day. If you're doing it with a friend and chatting, or with someone special, holding their hand and having a hug to keep warm, so much the better! Cara
ReplyDeleteExactly, Cara and Jo. Curled up on the sofa with a pizza and a glass of cheap plonk, whilst it's tipping down outside, can be romantic if you're with the right person.
ReplyDeleteWhat wonderful settings, Noelene. The pics are great.
ReplyDeleteIt is true that a cold horrible day can be transformed if you're with the right one... :-)
Definitely Patricia, these pictures are really awesome and beautiful especially this where 2 childrens swim in clear blue water. Awesome!
ReplyDeleteThat's the one I liked best Dubai Desert Safari, I really, really want to be there right now! Cara
DeleteIt's not exotic, or even very warm and sunny a lot of the time, but for a romantic setting the Scottish Highlands would be hard to beat.
ReplyDeleteTake the cable-car up to the high slopes of the Cairngorms at this time of year when the mountains are covered in snow
Or watch the dolphins arch and play as they come in to feed on the turning tide off the Black Isle by Inverness.
In high summer the salmon swim upstream to jump the rocks at Shin Falls.
And in autumn, when the trees are every shade of scarlet and gold, and the red deer come down from the hills for the annual rutting...
Aw heck, just go and see for yourselves. You won't be disappointed.
Gosh, people please write about all these places. If we can't get there, reading about them is the next best thing.
ReplyDeleteHi Rena, you're so right about Scotland. I had a wonderful holiday as a teenager on the Isle of Lismore. Taking the ferry over (with cows as passengers was pretty unforgettable) as was the tiny fisherman's cottage we stayed in with a fireplace you could almost sit in it was so huge, and the little rowing boat we went out on to get us to the best places to find mussels on the rocks for our dinner - moules mariniere. It was glorious. Would love to go back there. Cara
ReplyDeleteCara,
ReplyDeleteTell us more. I can see a great new pocket novel here.
Noelene,
You are so right about the importance of location to a story. (And I do write about the wonderful Scottish Highlands, where we used to live and regularly return to for holidays.
My current WIP is set in Inverness.
Loved your post by the way,
Cheers,
Rena
I tend to make up my own towns and villages in my stories, although they're always based on places I know or where I've been. My town of Midchester is based on Clun in Shropshire, where I went for a lovely writers' retreat in Arvon, and some of the stately homes I mention in my 1920s/30s stories are inspired by those in Derbyshire. I just find it easier to make up a pretend town because then if I want it to have a particular pub or tourist attraction (Midchester has the remains of an old Roman fort) I can put them there and no one can say 'Oh no, the Romans never visited such and such place'.
ReplyDeleteSome great comments on this posting. Just shows what pictures can do! I'm lucky in that I've travelled loads and experienced many lovely places. For me, one of the best things about travelling is that I can come back to gorgeous Cornwall and still love it so much. Most of the places in my stories are usually made up but based on somewhere I know well. I have been asked occasionally where an hotel is as people want to stay there!
ReplyDeleteLove Chrissie (who has just sent off the latest book and sitting with fingers crossed!)
Good luck, Chrissie! I'm still writing mine!
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