Category: Exploring Second Life

Designed by amberfff, Kinglet Sound is a recently opened Full region offering visitors the opportunity to escape to a late summer setting where there is a plenty to see – although a little effort in exploration is required order to reveal everything!

To me, the region’s name evokes a location in North America, a place in the wilder, perhaps more northerly aspects of the east or west coat of the United States, or perhaps – if at a slightly higher latitude – just over the 49th parallel north; although there is a fair mix to the region that suggest some of the inspiration for it may have been drawn from elsewhere. The setting is predominantly rugged in nature, with cliffs raising the land to the south and east and through the middle of the region, before allowing it to fall gently away to lower grasslands and sands in the north and the west.

A gorge cuts its way diagonally through the landscape from a set of falls to the north-east, slicing its way south and west to the coast. It has also managed to branched to the north, breaching the lower-lying land to form a large body of water, thwarted in its efforts to reach the sea on that side of the island by a low-lying wall of rock. This wall, in part natural, also in places has the look of being carefully built up by unseen hands to expressly prevent that side of the island from being completely overwhelmed by water.

Caught within the bounds of the rock, the lake forms a place for people to relax and enjoy themselves. Decks are built out over the water to offer places to sit, while boats and floats offering more intimate places to snuggle are watched over by swans. On the sands, picnic spots await company, while further places to sit and enjoy company are to be found on the seaward beaches on the far side of the low rocky divide. These face a small island tucked into the north-west corner of the region that holds an altogether more tropical look, and what appears to be a venue for music and dancing.

The landing point for the island sits on the uplands, close to the gorge that splits them almost into two. Here, on one side of the divide sits an octagonal pavilion in a field, horse grazing quietly around it, a track from the bridge linking it with the rest of the uplands snaking away down a gentle slope to the shaded lowlands alongside the lake. This trail, crossing the bridge, also runs by the landing point and into a little circle of commercial style properties surrounding a fountain.

Primarily places to eat and / or drink, these little properties are all complete with décor, and together with the seating and other touches outside of them, both welcome exploration and offer places to sit down or for photography. A little south of them, and visible beyond a curtain of trees from the landing point, the ruined wall of what might have once been a very large structure invites investigation. Reached via another path, it stands as a backdrop to another cuddle spot and overlooks a further music venue sitting on the headland that in turn offers an view across the gorge to the highest point of the island.

Reached by crossing the single bridge spanning the gorge, this high table of rock has paths curling around it, one rising to the low-slung ranch house occupying its flat peak. Fully furnished, the ranch house is open to the public and offers further seating both indoors and out – including a fine look-out point extending over the cliffs, and another right at their edge.

However, the ranch isn’t the only point of potential interest here. As well as going up, the path cutting into the cliffs also descends, offering a path down to a ribbon of sand and the base of the rocks. The sand curls around to the west and then north, offering further places for couples to slip away from the rest of those visiting the island. Follow it far enough and it will turn to a grassy path that passes under a rocky arch back to reach the north side beaches. When taking this path down and around the base of the cliffs, keep an eye out for a couple of burning torches; the inquisitive might find they betray a secret within the cliffs.

All of this is still only scratching the surface of the region’s richness; there are paths and trails around the landscape I’ve yet to mention, both coastal and inland. Follow the sound of a faint guitar as the tune of Greensleeves is played, and it might lead you by way of path and sand to where a little garden cosy sits amidst a copse of trees showing the first hints of autumn with their golden leaves.

Offering an entirely natural look, a rich environment to explore (although it’s a bit of a shame that the “secret” aspect of the region referenced above doesn’t offer one or two little snuggle spots / points of interest) and with multiple opportunities for photography (and a Flickr group through which to share images), Kinglet Sound comes wrapped in a perfect sound scape to present a setting well worth visiting – and supporting by way of a donation at the landing point.

SLurl Details

• Kinglet Sound (Twilight Realm, rated Adult)
• Exploring Second Life 2019

With thanks to Shawn for the LM!

We often lament the passing of an established Second Life region; when the news breaks, there are always questions of why and voices of regret. So when the reverse happens, and a long-time favourite returns to Second Life, it’s only right we should celebrate and give cheer – and that’s certainly the case with Hazardous, which re-opened its doors to the public on September 21st, 2019.

Designed and presented by Mandingo Quan, Hazardous was a unique region design when I first visited it far back in 2013, and it remains genuinely so with its re-opening in 2019.

For those who remember the region of old, Hazardous still presents its familiar horseshoe plateau of an island rising on sheer cliffs and cut through to its heart by a deep gorge. It is a setting that intentionally sets itself aside from other regions in it looks, as travellers who perhaps have not had the opportunity to visit previously will quickly see.

I’ve been really blessed to have gotten so much positive feedback. Frankly I was one of those who would often talk about the older sims disappearing without realising that mine was one! What really surprised me is we opened up on around two hours notice and we had over 50 avatars arrive, it was really humbling; and the old faces I see now, it really is good to see people back.

– Mandingo Quan discussing the return of Hazardous

Much within it remains true to the original: the minimalistic beauty of the U-shaped plateau; the novel means of reaching it from the landing point; the curving stone steps awaiting discovery as they curl down to the waters below. But there are subtle changes: while the landing point retains its novel “teleport” down to the island proper (left-click to stand on the flagstone and enjoy the animation!), the keen-eyed may notice the bathtub has vanished, whilst down on the ground, a new open-air event space sits a short walk from where incoming visitors land.

The latter, Mandingo informed me, is being looked after by Rara Destiny and Grace McDunnough, two talented live performers in their own right, and who will doubtless be holding sets at Hazardous (indeed, Rara sang at the opening on September 21st). For the coming weekend they have a very special performance taking place: ColorfulQuiet (aka CQ or CQ Bravin) is returning to Second Life after a 6-year hiatus and will be appearing at Hazardous on Saturday, September 28th, starting at 14:00 SLT, kicking-off his Love Tour.

While the landscaping up on the plateau might be – as I’ve said – beautifully minimalistic, there is actually a lot to see in Hazardous; some of which might be easily missed if not looked for. The most obvious to be seen is the gorge and the board walk winding through it from open mouth to circular well and the river house that sits therein. A cross between café and artist’s studio, the house offers a quiet retreat from the world above – but it is not all that resides in the gorge.

Others, however, are a little harder to find. Take the steps down to the water I mentioned above. These might require a little more vigilance in order to be found. However, the care is worth it as what lies just beyond the gates at the foot of the stairs is worth the visit.

In fact, camming over the sides of the cliffs is recommended during a visit, as there are a number of touches around the periphery of the island that might well otherwise be missed. Careful mousing over things is also advised. Doing so might well reveal a hidden spot within the island that awaits discovery – although getting back might also require a little careful camming.

With its subtle sound scape and ability to suit almost any windlight environment, Hazardous has always been a delight to visit and photograph, and it is an absolutely pleasure to see it back in Second Life once more and available for people to enjoy.

SLurl Details

• Hazardous Inc (Hazardous, rated Moderate)

We were drawn to Whimsies and Dreamscapes, a Full region using the additional 10K land capacity designed by TwinkleStarLight, on the recommendation of Shawn Shakespeare. And I have to admit, the region certainly lives up to its name and description: this is a setting that is intentionally an eclectic mix of offerings on land, on water and – if you’re prepared to take a dip – under the water. So much so that actually trying to formulate a description isn’t that easy – discovery is perhaps the best way to learn about the various elements. However, I’ll try to offer a little teaser.

First, up the land – which is split into a number of boxy, rocky islands, water channels and low-lying areas of grasslands – has no enforced landing point. The one I’m using here is the one provided (at the time of writing) in the About Land floater, but you can pretty much hope around quite freely. The landing point I’ve used sits on the lowlands of the region, toward the north-west corner. Backed by Whimsies Candy Shop – which might be regarded as a “gateway” to the underwater elements of the region – it offers a good starting point for explorations of the region’s lower grasslands.

Bounded by water on all four sides, the shop and the lawn before it are connected to the rest of the lowlands be means of a simple wooden bridge passing under a high rocky arch. Beyond this sits a more curious landscape, a place filled with old ruins, a tumbledown retreat on the top of a small hill (looking for all the world like a wizard’s hideaway although it is a fact a cosy little snug), a stone henge, paths and trails and wild gardens stalked by flamingos and a unicorn, and both human and elven houses that again offer places to sit and relax and share time with others.

Scattered through these areas are a number of teleport mirrors. According to the about land description, these are apparently designed to assist in getting around. Unfortunately during our three visits, the mirrors were non-responsive; even joining the local group (there are approximately two inviters you may encounter whilst exploring) failed to wake them up for us. Fortunately, insofar as getting up to the highlands in the region is concerned, there are ways other than teleporting available (although I’ve no idea whether or not the teleports also provide access to places in the sky over the region).

One of these routes can be found on the south side of the large inland island to the west of the region. Decorated in the form of a graveyard (for Halloween, perhaps?), it can be reached via a set of stepping stones located close to the elven house. Creepy though it might be, the upper part of the cemetery with to one of the region’s more whimsical elements: a mist-covered “sea” that tumbles down the sides of the island on which it sits to the waters below; it is home to the partially sunken and broken hulk of a galleon. That his ship might well be wrecked doesn’t appear to bother the chap floating on a modern life buoy within the wreck; perhaps that’s down to the rum his appears to be enjoying!

A further bridge, this one on southern coast of the cemetery island and a short walk from the stepping stones, gives access to the western extremes of the island. High and low, the land here offers a mix of more garden spaces, a floating house set out as both an artist’s retreat and a place for people to again enjoy time together, and beaches. Steps again lead up to the the tops of the cliffs where the further one travels northwards, the more eclectic and whimsical things get.

The nature of the region means that I really don’t want to give too much more away in terms of outright description; as noted, this is a place that deserves exploration and discovery. However, when visiting I would suggest that you experiment with local windlight settings; the default offered by the region doesn’t entirely do it justice.

Also, don’t forget the underwater elements! These are perhaps best explored starting with a leap off the pier at the back of Whimsies Candy Shop, and offer a number on little garden spaces connected by narrow pathways between steep sandy slopes that could perhaps benefit from rocky cladding – but land Capacity is Land Capacity! The quirkiness in the scale of some of the items here makes these spaces a further curio of exploration, and I particularly liked the octopus’s garden – and what lies above it. For those who prefer time on the water rather than under it, the pier behind the shop is also one of the places where swan-headed boats can generally be obtained for cruising the region’s channels and bays.

Unconventional in presentation, rich in detail and with plenty to see and plenty of places to pass the time, Whimsies and Dreamscapes can made for an engaging visit where there camera may well see a fair degree of use.

SLurl Details

• Whimsies and Dreamscapes (Spinker, rated Moderate)
• Exploring Second Life 2019

In August we received an invitation from Jacky Macpherson to visit VUK, the Homestead region for the VUK store. Designed by Jacky along with Terry Fotherington and Ines Lauria, the region has been going through a period of development and refinement; on our first visit, there was a small island on its eastern side providing a private space, presumably for region holder and VUK store owner Mr. Vuk. However, on returning in mid-September, this small island had been removed – although it was still showing on the map, suggesting the smaller island has only recently been removed, and ban lines were still in place around the parcel.

The departure of this island (which may only be temporary) means the majority of the region is given over to a single large and rocky island surrounded by a single beach and foreshore. Rising like the shell of a tortoise, the crown of the hill is the location for the VUK store. However, this is no gleaming or fancy store; the location is clearly a former industrial area, and the store sits within the remnants of what looks to have been a factory building. Its roof gone, the walls broken and windows without glass, the building is a place where nature is slowly proclaiming her returning place inside.

Outside of the factory walls is further detritus of human life: the piled ruins of cars and trucks, one of which looks to have become a makeshift shelter for someone. A path winds down the western cliffs from the store to reach what appears to be a once-tidal bay the sea has deserted. The hulk of a fishing boat lies toppled on the grey shore, apparently abandoned well before  the sea deserted the shingle, leaving it to become a backdrop for a makeshift bar and DJ area.

More flotsam and jetsam is littered across the bay – a half-buried container, the wreck of an ancient jeep, a shanty hut and makeshift seating area, all watched over by the bulk of a rusting cable car station brooding under the plaintive cry of gulls and assorted critters. However, it’s unlikely the cars that may have once run along the cables to and from the tower ever carried tourists; more likely they carried material for the hilltop factory.

It is this element of careworn age and of life having largely moved on from the setting that gives the region its considerable character – and offers a lot of discover.

From the bay on the west side, it is possible to circumnavigate the lower reach of the island. This will take you past more of the island’s little scenes and points of interest: camps, the wreck of a windmill, and old pier that also appears to have been long deserted by the sea, and which has now become a kind of sun deck and open-air seating area  (complete with a neat little working racing car set!).

Up on the hill, the factory is surrounded by trees, grass and more signs of former working spaces. But just beyond them, and accessible from the beach below as well, is the remains of a children’s playground. It sits at odds with the more industrial aspects of the island, but at the same time its aged and rusted condition fits right in with the overall theme.

All of this makes for an engaging visit quite apart from the opportunity to check the VUK brand. For those who like to explore together  I recommend heading down to the south side of the island and the deck area mentioned above: there’s a couples walker awaiting you. Also when when visiting, do make sure you have local sounds on so you can appreciate the region’s excellent sound scape.

SLurl Details

• VUK (VUK, rated Moderate)

We first visited La Gaspesie (Canada) some time towards the end of July or possibly early August; at that time, the region holders, Tzooki and XavierJacques were still working on the design: the board walks were – for the most part – laid out, but landscaping and the setting out of buildings was still going on. Given the state of play, we got out of the way and headed home – only to almost forget about the region in the intervening weeks. So when it did come back to mind, it seemed only right we hop back and take another look.

The region takes, as its inspiration the Gaspésie Peninsula that runs along the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River to the east of the Matapedia Valley in Quebec, Canada, and which extends into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence.

Covering an area of some 31,075 sq km (11,998 sq mi), the peninsula’s northern shore is dominated by high sea cliffs, while at its easternmost point, there sits Percé Rock (or Rocher Percé), an island pierced by a natural rock arch. It is this landmark that serves as a focal point for the region’s inspiration, being echoed by the presence of a great rock wall also pierced by a narrow arch, sitting on the region’s eastern side.

Rather than being an island, this great wall of rock sits on a promontory of land, the rest of the region stretching westwards from it, mostly low-lying and cut by water channels that effectively split the landscape up into three large islands – although the number of bridges present can made it feel as if there are far more. Mostly rocky with a scalp of scrub grass, the low-lying lands are home to numerous buildings – huts, small houses, cottages – all of which are open to the public and within fairly easy walking distance of one another, a light scattered of trees adding to the setting.

Off to the south-west, the height of the eastern cliffs is matched by that of a bulky lighthouse – one of two in the region – sitting atop a hump of rock. A water tower rising from the hill of the south-east headland also tries to vie with it and the cliffs in the height stakes.

Perhaps the most noticeable feature in the region is its board walks. These hug the seaward sides of the region to the west, north and east, only turning inland to the south and south-east where a channel and a bay force them to do so. Broad in width, these walkways are periodically marked by circular sections that from above resemble wooden rosettes that seem to split the board walks into sections.

Together, these walks offer a means to pretty much circumnavigate the region – although there are plenty of ways to explore the individual major landmasses and find your way between them, as noted above. However, I have to admit I found the board walks perhaps a little too omnipresent. While they are clearly intended to offer a means of exploration (and are amenable to riding the scooters and bikes available from the rezzers near the landing point), I couldn’t help be feel they are also a little intrusive, breaking into the scene in a manner that is at odds with the otherwise very natural landscape and setting.

Now, to be honest, I have no idea if the mainland near Percé Rock is marked by board walks, and this is an attempt to emulate them (although I didn’t notice any to the same degree when looking at photos of Percé village); but it would perhaps have been nice to see come breaks in them in favour of the shingle beaches that seem to be a part of the headland facing Percé Rock. That said, there is more than enough within the region to keep eye and camera occupied without the board walks becoming too oppressive in their presence – and it cannot be denied that the region can be very eye-catching under assorted environment settings.

Finished with an excellent ambient soundscape and with a variety of things to do from sitting and cuddling to riding bikes and scooters or messing about in bumper boats,  La Gaspesie (Canada)  does make for an engaging visit. For those in particularly need of an unwind from the day’s stresses, a link is provided in the region’s About Land description to some 26+ minutes of “unwindulaxing” music…

SLurl and Links

• La Gaspesie (Canada) (Calm City, rated Adult)
• Exploring Second Life 2019