Style Trunk

Dress: Ganni

Trousers: COS

Boots: Dr Martens

Coat: ASOS (similar)

Before arriving in Melbourne and becoming reacquainted with city life, we headed to the Mornington Peninsula for a weekend of food, wine and pure relaxation by the sea. It's the kind of place where you can do a lot or not much at all, and our weekend fell somewhere between the two. 

Like most visitors, our first stop was the Hot Springs, which unfortunately didn't quite live up to our expectations. Admittedly, we didn't pick the best time to go (unbeknown to us, it was school holidays and the place was packed with kids and families. Having to queue up to use the baths, only to have people jumping in next to you and a load of teenagers taking selfies wasn't exactly the peaceful experience I had in mind) so word to the wise: choose an off-peak time to go and opt for the Spa Dreaming Centre rather than the general Bath House. 

Apart from the incredible beaches, the main attraction for us was the wineries that are dotted around the peninsula (and the food, of course - the Winey Cow and D.O.C were our favourites in Mornington). There are loads to choose from and you could probably spend a good week sampling them all but one of the most impressive has to be Port Phillip Estate. 

Architecture fans will love it for its bold, sculptural concrete shape that manages to incorporate both smooth curves and sharp lines, and huge windows that offer unobstructed views of the vineyard below, as well as the sea in the distance. The wine offering is good, as is the food (although a bit on the pricey side - they do a great lunch deal though so go for that if you want to sample the good stuff without spending a huge amount) - my best bet would be to rock up for a tasting at the cellar door and enjoy a glass of your favourite out on the balcony.

Because one winery is never enough, next on our agenda was a visit to Polperro, about a five minute drive down a tree-lined road from Port Phillip Estate. It was a lot smaller and less formal but the perfect place to while away an afternoon. They offer food too, which we didn't try but looked good, and the wine was some of the best Australian wine I've tried since arriving here back in February. Go on a sunny day and plonk yourself on one of the deck chairs overlooking the vines (they provide blankets in winter), or go to the intimate cellar door for tastings. 

Pictured: Port Phillip Estate 

Dress: COS

Ring: COS

Bag: MM6 Maison Margiela (in black)

Shoes: Zara 

We're fully into winter in Australia now (although at 14 degrees and bright sunshine most days, it certainly isn't winter as I know it) and we're about to move to Melbourne - Sydney was our original plan but having spent our time so far travelling around (some of) the country, we've decided that Melbourne is going to be a better fit in terms of job opportunities, living costs and, well, the food and coffee options are second to none. 

I'm excited to truly get to know the city - there seem to be a lot of exciting events coming up in the next few months and there are some local brands that I'm ready to spend some serious dollar on. That's not to say I still don't love Sydney though, and I'm looking forward to having some weekends up there. These snaps are from a couple of months ago (yup, my blog updates have been a little s l o w of late) when we spent the day at Carriageworks, an arts centre that's home to exhibitions, a farmer's market, events and the like, plus it plays host to some of the shows during fashion week. 

The building itself is a mix of a former railway carriage and blacksmith workshops, and that industrial nature has been retained in much of the redevelopment - expect lots of concrete, big open spaces, plenty of steel and original features. 

I wore a white COS dress that ended up becoming one of my go-tos during the balmy Sydney autumn - simple and light, but with slightly voluminous sleeves that fought off the chill that arrived come sundown. All in all, worth the trip if you're ever in Sydney (plus it's free and there's a great little cafe). Take a look at what's on at the Carriageworks website and stay tuned for Melbourne finds.