Month: March 2018

Spirit of Sun – click any image for full size

Now open to the public through until approximately Sunday, March 18th, is Spirit of Sun, a normally private group-owned region. The region has been opened to public access as a part of a photo competition, in which entrants are asked to submit images to the Flickr group associated with the Spirit of Sun. Caitlyn and I were alerted to the opening by Shakespeare and Max, so given the brief period of opening we hopped over to take a look – and found a visually stunning region, well worth taking the time to visit.

The region has been split into three large islands of roughly equal size. The landing point is on the southernmost of the three, a slender finger that runs east-west across the sim’s entire length. A rugged plateau, it is topped by a  bumper car ride (available to visitors) at its eastern end, linked to a central plaza of shops by a broad cobbled walk and wooden steps. Beyond the shops sits a garden area featuring a small stage, open-air seating and a track leading back to the shops.

Spirit of Sun

A small headland extends from this island, pushing out into the waters of the region’s channels. A great stone bridge once spanned the channel between this southern island and the one to the north-west, where a knuckle of rock rises from the surrounding land. However, some disaster long ago broke the back of the bridge, leaving it a ruin on either side of the channel. Instead, the western island can be reached via a switchback path winding down to the foot of the blunt headland to where a pier sits, two sailing boats moored against it, the wreck of a fishing boat close by.

The boathouse behind the pier offers a cosy place to sit – one of several across the region – while on the side of it opposite to the wreck of the fishing boat lies a small wooden bridge. A little awkward to reach, it nevertheless provides access to the western island by way of a low table of rock and grass sitting mid-channel.

Spirit of Sun

The knuckle of rock against which the ruined bridge is anchored is one of two plateaus on this island, the second being home to an old lighthouse. A dirt track runs south-to-north along the island, passing under a rocky arch between these two plateaus, pointing the way to a third at the northern end of the island. This home to a broad wooden deck, reached by stairs. A greenhouse converted for use as a summer-house sits close to the foot of the steps, while the deck at the top sits around an old English-style folly. Tables and chairs are placed out across the deck, while the folly itself offers a further comfortable lounge.

Between these highland areas is more to be found – a café sitting in the middle of a small lake, another greenhouse – this one of more traditional design – presenting another cosy snug. Pass under the rocky arch to the southern headland, and you’ll find a camp site complete with a pair of British Land Rovers which look like they are on an outing from Encounter Overland.

Spirit of Sun

Across the water to east is the remaining island. Dominated by another massive plateau – one equalling the height of the southern island, leaving a deep gorge between the two – curls around the eastern coastline of the  island to form a broad ridge descending down to the lowlands. Six houses sit atop this plateau and ridge, spaced along the track that winds its way along both.  As these appear to be private residencies, discretion when walking by them is recommended.

The lower part of the island offers a broad greensward of grass running out to a narrow ribbon of a beach. This is the home of another camp site, this one apparently of a Romany origin, watched over by a stone windmill oddly built against the rocky face of the plateau. Further around this southern headland lies another summer-house and further secluded spot couples can enjoy.

Spirit of Sun

Spirit of Sun is a richly engaging place to explore – albeit one with a limited time with which people can appreciate it. With this latter point in mind, I’d suggest anyone wanting to visit do so sooner rather than later, least public access is restricted once more. And don’t forget to submit photos to the region’s Flickr group. Congrats to Justine Lemton, Doutz (Rianna Joubert), and the rest of the group for their creation.

SLurl Details

• Spirit of Sun, Spring 2018 (Spirit of Sun, rated: Moderate)

Bailey’s Norge – click any image for full size

Note: Bailey’s Norge is now La Frontera – read here for more.

In late January, Caitlyn and I visited Bailey’s Norge, designed by the Bailey family and in the Homestead region of Forest Haven. At the time, it wasn’t clear how long the region would be open to public visits, but as it is still open to people to explore, I thought I’d write a few words on it.

Designed to represent a piece of rural Norway, the region sits within a ring of green mountains, surrounded by water as if snuggled at the inland end of a fjord, a single channel leading out to sea, watched over by the rotating eye of a lighthouse.

Bailey’s Norge

A visit starts close to the centre of the region, on a set of stepping-stones running across the mouth of a channel separating two of the region’s islands – so be sure to wait until everything has rezzed and rendered before taking too many steps, or you might end up taking and unexpected bath.

These stones link the two largest islands with one another. The easternmost of these islands has a north-south orientation, and is occupied by two large houses. One of these sits alongside the stepping-stones, the second to the north, reached by a walk through the long grasses which dominate the flatlands of the island. This second house has the look of a working home – a pier sits on the shoreline close by, perhaps home to the fishing boat out in the bay, and with fish drying on the lines alongside the pier. And old pick-up truck has been converted into a makeshift flower garden, while a seating area lies in the shade of trees.

Bailey’s Norge

A box bridge spans the water separating the northern end of this island with one of the two small islands on the north side of the region. Cut by a man-made water channel, where a little snuggle spot can be found atop a raft, it is otherwise deserted. A second small island lies to the west – but please note it appears to be a private residence, so exploration there should perhaps be avoided in the interests of privacy.

Travel south through the grasslands of the east-side island, and you’ll find your way to a small cabin snug against the southern coastline, looking west towards the second of the large islands, on which sits a large number of structures. A gable roofed bridge sits close by, spanning the narrow channel dividing the two islands from each other.

Bailey’s Norge

The closest of the  buildings across the bridge is a large Scandinavian-style house. It is clearly a family home, given the swings, slide, roundabout and see-saw in the fenced garden. Surrounding this on two sides are outhouses and barns. These give the house the feel of being a farm, although the outhouses have been converted for particular uses: a bathhouse and a small photography studio / gallery.

Slight further afield, on the north side of the island lies a little shop, a converted boat dock nearby, a swing seat replacing the covered moorings. Further along the curve of the shoreline sits an old Norse building, its apparent age hinting that there has been a settlement here for a long time. Meanwhile, on the west side of the island sits a wood-framed church. This faces a boathouse sitting on the shore alongside a wooden deck that extends out over the waters. As well as offering cosy seating indoors and chairs on the deck, the boathouse also has a hot tub and hammock outside.

Bailey’s Norge

With rich, open spaces with places to sit and / or cuddle scattered throughout, and one or two little surprises waiting to be found – keep an eye out for the Norwegian troll keeping a watch on things from the tree-line – Bailey’s Norge offers a lot to see and enjoy. Should you enjoy a visit, please consider offering a donation towards the upkeep of the region (the donation box is at the southern end of the east-side island). And if you take photos, please consider sharing them with the region’s Flickr group.

SLurl Details

• Bailey’s Norge (Forest Haven, rated: Moderate)