Category: Reviews

Back in December in 2020, I dropped into Kaja Ashland’s Snoweeta, a charming winter build engaging in its simplicity as it offered a glimpse of Skåne, the southern most county (or län) of Sweden (see A Little Swedish Inspiration in Second Life).

I recently made a recent return to the region at the suggestion of Shawn Shakespeare, who informed me the region has now lost the snow present at the time of my first visit to offer a taste of summer. With the passing of the snow, the “S” has gone from the setting’s name, allowing it to once again become Noweeta.

The arrival of summer has brought with it gentle changes to the setting that further enhance it and offer a further reason for a visit, whilst keeping many of the features present back in December 2020, their presence giving the region a depth of place.

At the time of my first trip to the region, I wondered if Kaja has based the setting on an actual location within Skåne, given it apparently sits between the small Baltic townships of Ystad and Simrishamn, musing that it might be one of the roads Henning Mankell’s dour-faced Inspector Kurt Wallander might actually drive along when investigating a local crime, his eyes momentarily drawn to the large farmhouse set back from the main road.

With my return, I could not shake that feeling Wallander may turn up – particularly given the marked patrol car still stilling on the road. However, it now appears that the farmhouse may have been brought up and turned into the country retreat for a wealthy family, the surrounding fields turned over to one of the locals.

I say this because the land closest to the house has been overhauled, a new swimming pool giving the suggestion this is no longer a working house. Alongside it sits a large corral for riding horses, whilst a private 7-hole miniature golf course completes the main grounds for the house. The models on this little golf course are quite exquisite, making it an eye-catching feature.

With the retreat of the snow comes the revelation that one of the fields sitting alongside the driveway to the house is actually home to a small to a small grass airstrip. A Model 75 Stearman sits at one end that at first glance appears to be a crop duster;  however, its colours suggest it is more of a show ‘plane than a workhorse.

The fields themselves are now rich in growth – other than the little airstrip -, the one on which it sits also having sprouted a windmill, complete with slowly turning sails.

Elsewhere, the little hill with its campsite remains, while the small body of water beyond sits free from its icy covering to present another corner where people might retreat and spend time fishing or simply enjoying the company of one another in a moored rowing boat.  And while the wild pigs may have scooted with the changing of the season, they’ve been joined by sheep, offering another sense of continuity with the preceding design.

With the arrival of summer, Noweeta has bloomed with colour and continues to offer an attractive visit for Second Life tourists and visitors alike.

SLurl Details

• Noweeta (Noweeta, rated general)

Num Bing-Howlett (Num Bing) and her SL partner, Clifton Howlett, sent me a personal invitation to visit their latest region design, Hidden Bottle, which recently opened.

I’ve previously written about Numb and Cliff’s designs in these pages, and have always enjoyed exploring them, so I took the first opportunity I could to hop over and “have a pike” as people are prone to say in the part of the world I was born in.

For this build, Numb and Cliff have created a little tropical corner of the world given over to pirate legend, as the About Land description notes:

Welcome to Hidden Bottle @ Gin!

Pirates discovered the Gin islands long ago & used it’s hidden location to distil their bootleg Gin. Now we continue on using their same recipe for happiness…sunshine, smiles, & a great gin!

Be careful for the overhead gondola & enjoy your time here at Hidden Bottle…& don’t forget the tonic!

I’m a little surprised the tipple being made wasn’t rum given it’s pirates we’re talking about; perhaps the story is simply something made up by the local to encourage tourists – or maybe the pirates in question had a more refined taste 😉 – and of course, “gin” is entirely in keeping with the region’s designated name – and there is a still awaiting discovery, if you can find it!

The setting primarily comprises a ruggedly handsome pair of islands that rise from the sea, and which if viewed from above look like a hook extending outwards from a blocky wrist.

It might be that, once upon a time the two were joined as one, but time and nature have worn a watery channel between them, a channel now spanned thanks to the hands of Man, a broad wooden platform crossing over the water and that serves as both a home to a small bar and also as a boarding point for the cable car system that runs around and through the islands.

The latter is an impressive ride, rising from the the water-spanning deck to follow the square cliffs of the “wrist” island, its cables supported by tall pylons that lay at first embedded in the rock of the island to lift cable cars up over a corner of the island’s flat head, before dropping their cables back down towards the sea and a neat line of their brethren that march single file out over the shallows of the sea and around the north side of the “hook” island, where they loop the highest peak and then descent by way of gorge and rocky arch to once more join the low-lying deck.

The cars that run along this cableway offer an ideal means to see much of the beauty of the setting, while platforms periodically placed along the route – some of them quite precipitously – offer places to both board and leave the cars and continue exploring on foot.

Mirroring the path of the cable cars, as is oft the way with such systems, are paths that wind up the cliffs and hills of the island, allowing people the means to explore on foot – and as the cars do not reach all the places waiting to be discovered, following them upwards (and back down!) is recommended.

For those who prefer, the southern and eastern curve of the islands cup within them calm waters where swimming or lazing on an outrigger boat might be enjoyed together with resting on the sands. Beneath the waves, for those who care to look / dive, fish and turtles swim whilst above, extending from the cliffs, an events stage offers another lookout point. And for those who fancy exploring more, a grassy route passes under a great arch of rock to reach the north side beach and its own hideaways.

With winding paths meandering over the hilltops, boardwalks and stairways climbing the cliffs to platforms and palm-crowned heights rich with the song of exotic birds as they fly around and through the trees, Hidden Bottle is a delight to explore. Throughout all of this are numerous places to sit and relax and just appreciate the setting and its promise of distant escape and freedom. and, needless to say, present photographers with a wealth of opportunities to exercise their shutters. In fact, you might say, Hidden Bottle / Gin are a perfect tonic if you need a getaway!

My  thanks to Numb for the invite!

SLurl Details

• Hidden Bottle (Gin, rated Adult)

I recently received an invitation from Trill Zapatero (Wynaz) to visit her latest creation, which has just opened to the public.

Operating under the banner Summer Quest @ Four Bridges, it is a two region estate (A Full and a Homestead) that she has spent the last four months working on. Now in the Destination Guide, it is a location that does, without any exaggeration, make for a simply stunning visit.

Those arriving for the first time should be delivered to the main landing point, located on an aerial platform over the estate. It is here that visitors will be able to join the estate’s  Experience – a vital part of the visit, as it will enable seamless teleports between some of the locations within the estate, and this is key to getting to see everything the regions have to offer. It is also at the landing point that visitors can obtain the local teleport HUD, which also works through the experience.

The latter provides access total of 16 destinations within Four Bridges, thus providing a quick means of hopping point-to-point. However, to appreciate the estate fully, I strongly recommend setting time aside and using one of the teleport boards available at the landing point to reach ground level, and then set out on foot.

The setting is that of a mountainous region, the surround encompassing both regions forming a  ring of high mountains while the regions themselves built up using landscaping kits by Alex Bader. This is quite stunning work, providing a high peak within the Homestead region, with with slopes descending into the Full region and rocky arms reaching out to circle a large, crater-like lake.  And believe when I say that these words simply do not do the build any justice whatsoever.

A deep gorge extends outwards from the crater lake, splitting the land open as it runs south, gradually broadening until it passes through a narrow neck spanned by a humpbacked bridge. This bridge forms part of a lowland track that winds around the regions and climbs part-way up into their highlands to offer an extensive route to walk – or ride – around the the setting (those with a wearable horse can wear it, while there are horse rezzers to be found around the route for those otherwise on foot.

Throughout both regions are rope slides, climbs, places to sit both indoors and out, a major slope running down the side of Crazy Fox mountain that looks as if it is ideal for skiing and / or sledding when the snow falls, boats to sit upon or take out on the water, opportunities for swimming and more. Nor is that all – there are adventures to be found both underground and underwater.

The former of these comes in the form of two caves – Dack Cavern and Gwendolyn Cave. These can be reached by both the teleport system HUD or by finding their entrances and walking into them – providing you have accepted the local Experience at the main landing point, that is. Those who have will be teleported to the caverns proper, which occupy platforms over the regions. Of the two cave systems, Gwendolyn is the larger, offering a winding trail underground, complete with further teleport systems back to ground level that will delivered you to different points in the park.

For the underwater aspect to the park, scuba tanks mark points where people can slip underwater and swim among the fish – although currently, you’ll nee your own diving kit; the tanks and goggles provided will provide a link to a Marketplace listing for those who might wish to purchase their own.

What I particularly like about this setting is the walks and the climbs. Trill has gone to great lengths to create an environment that looks and feels natural, right down to the way the trails have logs to hold the dirt in place as they climb / descend slopes and the stone steps along some of the trails sit as if cut into the rocks and the way of flat surfaces of rock have been turned naturally into paths around cliffs. Even the wooden steps and platforms that can be found throughout the mountains and cliffs look and feel right in their construction and placement.

There’s a delightful magic about Four Bridges that makes a visit genuinely worthwhile, and the camp sites, the seats and swings, the cabins, lodges and other buildings scattered around high and low, together with the assorted activities – swimming, riding (horses and rope slides!), walking, diving, caving and exploring will keep visitors truly occupied; while photographers will appreciate the views and opportunities for capturing shots.

SLurl Details

• Summer Quest @ Four Bridges (Four Bridges, rated Moderate)