In previous iterations of the location – some of which you can read about here – I’ve found it to be richly diverse, attractive and highly photogenic. This very much remains true of the current iteration, although I have to admit that at times I felt there was perhaps a little too much going on, particularly around the Land Point, where a lot is packed in.
The flipside to this is that for those who like to have things to do when visiting a location, Blue Finch certain delivers: there are boat tours through the waterways running through the region; a land-based tour on the back of an owl bear; mini-golf; and bicycles to ride. Plus the fact that the events space, cave dining and mini-golf have all been gathered together means that they don’t intrude into the rest of the region’s very natural beauty.
Excellent use is made of trees and foliage throughout the region, which combine with the rugged uplands and hills and curtain walls of cliffs to naturally break-up the landscape and separate the various areas, the paths and trail winding through, over, under and between these giving a sense of space to the entire setting and quickly overcoming the initial sense of “busy-ness” that might be felt around the Landing point and its immediate surrounds.
Welcome to Blue Finch, a charming coastal town with stunning waterfront views and relaxing activities. Tour the region aboard the Cuddly Owl Bear, explore by bicycle, enjoy a boat ride, play mini golf, visit cosy cafés, swim, relax on a floating raft, or unwind on the beach. Whether seeking adventure, friendship, or quiet moments, Blue Finch offers a perfect escape filled with beauty, comfort, and discovery.
– Blue Finch Destination Guide entry
That Landing Point sits to the south-east of the region, located on a high terrace at the mouth of a dramatic gorge cutting through the region. The terrace is home to a parade of shops, with a welcoming information board to one end of them, together with teleport links to key locations across the region, together with the bicycle rezzer for those wishing to ride around the setting.
The teleport board obviously offers the quickest means of getting somewhere from the landing landing, but I like the fact that boards aren’t scattered around at every point of interest. While the latter can be handy, they also can encourage simply hopping form point-to-point without necessarily visiting / exploring. Here, whilst it is possible to reach one major part of the region with a teleport hop, you’re then on Shanks’s pony (aka walking) or one of the tours to get around, thus letting the region naturally unfold before you.
On the subject of the tours, the boat ride through the waters sits at the feet of stone steps leading down the side of the gorge from the shops and alongside the bridge reaching across it to the outdoor events area. To start the boat tour, sit in the boat (and accept the oars if you want), select whether you want to row or just sit (pause), then click the boat to get things started.
The ride will take around 7 minutes before returning you to the wharf on the opposite side of the gorge to where you boarded it, taking you a little way around the coast and then inland to appreciate the detailing evident along the water’s edge as you glide along the waterways.
The owl bear is reached by following the signs along one of the paths leading away from the landing point – signage through the region is very well done, so the major point of interest things are hard to miss as you wander.
This tour lasts some 5 minutes and carries you past places like the swimming pony, the outdoor library, one of the lighthouses and one of the entrances to the cave dining area, before depositing you (perhaps a little abruptly) in a little meadow alongside a covered café-bridge spanning the gorge and giving excellent views of the waters below.
However, it is when exploring on foot that the magic of Blue Finch really takes hold. From waterside places to sit hidden romantic gardens hidden within the tall wall and stonework of ancient ruins, the region is literally brim-full of places to delight, even to the point of corners-within-corners waiting their opportunity to surprise.
As noted, individual locations have been designed so they can be appreciated in their own right and with a sense of privacy, but the whole of the landscape to the north and west flows beautifully along paths, trails, steps and waterways to blend as a whole.
Colour – through plants, flowers, blossoms and hanging fronds of luminescence – bring a vivid life to the region, aided by the presence of waterfowl, birds, foxes and deer. Along the coastline to the north and west lay a quiet sub-tropical sandy beach neatly separated from a more rugged section of coastline with piers, raised decks extending over the water and a boardwalk running out over the rocky shallows to where a café sits as the land turns to the west.
Here the coastal path passes over the waters flowing out from the region’s interior via an old railway carriage body pressed into service as a bridge. This north-western area of the sitting has a feeling of decrepit age to is, like a seaside resort well past its prime.
When I first wandered it, I felt it to be a little jarring compared to what lay behind it, although it has admittedly since grown on me – although I couldn’t help be feel the off-region surround perhaps draws up a little too close the region’s edge, and the north side of the setting in particular might benefit from more in the way of open water to help the ebb and flow of the surf to look more natural.
But it is those little corners and corners-within-corners that caused, for me, the greatest delight; the geodesic domes tucked under the shade of trees; the way the quiet settings can be located practically side-by-side and yet feel as if they exist each in their own world. Even the mini-golf it tucked away above the event space is surround by trees, such that it only takes a walk of a few metres and it becomes hidden from view.
Back during my 2024 visit, I noted that those seeking an immersive location bringing together assorted themes and ideas and which offers huge scope for photography, relaxing, having a little fun or romantic interlude would appreciate Blue Finch. This, despite my little niggles, continues to holds true in July 2026.
Slurl Details
- Blue Finch (Pottery Hollow, rated Moderate)
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 