Photos of the week #29 Stanley Park views at Sunset

It’s been 2 months since my overseas trip to Vancouver, time flies! I’m currently sorting through my holiday photos and came across a few taken with the Hipstamatic app (one of my all-time favs!) in Stanley Park on my last night in the city.

I took the skytrain from Burnaby to city centre, did some last minute shopping and spent the rest of the day until after sunset in Stanley Park. I only took photos with my iPhone 5 even though I had my Canon EOS 550D with me. Somehow my sunset pics always turn out better with the iPhone, possibly because I should use a tripod when trying the same with my DLRS ;-)

Vancouver Skyline at Sunset (Hipstamatic settings: John S lens, Kodot XGrizzled film, no flash)

View over Stanly Park just after sunset (Hipstamatic settings: John S lens, Kodot XGrizzled film, no flash)

View across harbor towards North Vancouver (Hipstamatic settings: John S lens, Kodot XGrizzled film, no flash)

Stanley Park light tower at sunset (Hipstamatic settings: John S lens, Kodot XGrizzles film, no flash)

This last one is my very favorite of them all. And as usual, you can see my addiction to Hipstamatic’s John S lens and it’s Kodot XGrizzled film. That combo just makes the best photos!

I have to admit right here and now that I’ve completely fallen in love with this park, it’s many views and walks, the soft ripples of water splashing onto the smaller beaches while walking alongside them on one of the many walkways… I deeply regret not having had more time to spend there. But there is always a next holiday and I’m really keen to get back to Vancouver in 2015 if I can fit it in.

xx, D

Photo of the week #24: Sawtell Beach

After leaving the Blue Mountains I spent a few days in Melbourne catching up with dear friends before flying up to Coffs Harbour. Coffs Harbour is located about halfway between Brisbane and Sydney. It’s a smaller and much more quiet city than Sydney or Melbourne. I had passed through it before but never stayed longer than 1 day. The area is famous for the fruits grown there, especially bananas. The big Banana is a must-see for many tourists.

I was not staying in Coffs Harbour itself though. I had booked myself a private room via Air BnB in Boambee East which is located a 15min drive South of Coffs Harbour. After 1.5 weeks of traveling my target was a week of sun, beach and relaxing and that’s exactly what I found at Sawtell beach!

Taken with iPhone 5, Hipstamatic app, John S lens & Kodot XGrizzled film

This was certainly one of my favorite beaches to stop by on my holiday. It’s a little more quiet and not as touristy as for example Bondi beach. Perfect for reading a book with regular breaks for a hop into the sea. The main shopping and cafe area of Sawtell is only a five minute walk away. There aren’t many shops there but they have stuff you won’t find everywhere else. I can also highly recommend breakfast at the Zest, their blueberry pancakes are an absolute must! I’m definitely planning on making this a must-stop on my next trip to OZ…

xx, D