Category: Reviews

DylanShadows presents his Homestead region of Shadowlands Retreat as a “relaxing sim with series of photographic areas. Enjoy a walk around, horseback ride, a dance or cuddle with someone special,” and there is little to argue with in this description. There are number points throughout the region for photography, for spending time with friends and for enjoying that romantic cuddle or dance.

Surrounded by off-region hills that match the autumnal feel of the region, Shadowlands Retreat offers a series of areas within it that are very mixed in their individual attractiveness, from a beach through rocky outcrops with winding paths, to open grasslands offering paddocks and ancient ruins, to hints of fantasy and mysticism and which include woodlands, a high plateau, and more – all of which weave themselves into a landscape rich its attraction for exploration.

The region’s landing point – which is unenforced – can be found on a large deck area built over an artificial water close to the Western side of the island’s central plateau. It sits close to a stone cottage and alongside a tall windmill that points a blunt finger to the sky. A sea of late summer blooms washes across most of the plateau, flowing under the shade of trees to one side and breaking against islands of rock and water in what can only be described as a garden of wild flowers, waterfowl and restful spots, be they on the deck, under the boughs of trees or within the cottage or the gazebo keeping it company.

Below and surrounding this central flat-topped hill are the island’s lowlands that can be reached through several means: by the simple expedient of walking down the steep grassy slopes that vie with rocky cliffs to support the hill, or by finding one of the numerous paths offering a way down. Some of the latter are obvious – such as the worn, winding trails running down either side of the waterfalls to the south side of the hills; others are still rocky, but perhaps not-so-obvious at first glance, like the fern covered path running down the east side of the hill, or the aged blocks of rock close to it that offer more of a switchback route down.

Whichever route you take, there is much to be found between the hill and the water’s edge. To the north, for example, visitors will find a barn, complete with tractor and a small mix of livestock. These add to the suggestion that cottage and windmill above were perhaps once part of a working farm. However, whatever animal husbandry is now performed is perhaps more about self-sufficiency than the setting being a working farm.

Just around to the west, and beyond a stone henge, the farm element continues with a small paddock of horses. As these are Waterhorse rideables, I wondered if they would be set to allow the horse riding described in the region’s description, but it would appear not. As we also didn’t find a horse rezzer in our wanderings (although we could have missed it!), this led me to conclude that riding required ownership of your own wearable horse.

A hint of ancient mysticism is enfolded into the setting as well. The region is bracketed to the south-west and north-east by the stern faces of Moai, for example. Looking inward, they appear to be keeping an eye on all the coming and goings by visitors. More hints of an ancient past are also awaiting discovery: old stone rings, the broken wrist and hand of what must have once been a huge statue (now converted into a cosy cuddle spot), the broken statue of what appears to be a elf maiden at rest… All of these add an air of mysticism to the region, while the numerous little seating spots and dance areas scattered between them present further reasons to tarry within Shadowlands Retreat and explore.

Nor is this all; for those who enjoy beaches and sand, these can be found to the south and east of the region, curving as they do around the island’s high point: a large table of rock rising on vertical cliff faces from the sand.  A path winds its way up this cliffs to the flat summit where can be found a gazebo kept warm by a stone built fireplace, sharing the space with more ruins of different eras, while a crooked promontory thrusts its way across the lower-lying plateau towards the cottage, a further path winding down it.

Ruggedly photogenic, finished with a rich sound scape and – as noted – plenty to see and enjoy, Shadowlands Retreat lends itself to a range of Windlight settings and to time spent in exploration and in enjoying the setting. Those taking photos are invited to share with through the region’s Flickr group.

Slurl Details

• Shadowlands Retreat (Outlaws, rated Moderate)

The Boho Refuge is a homestead region designed by Jaccaranda Jael which recently opened to visitors, offering a mix of public spaces and private rental properties. We were alerted to its presence by Sorcha Tyles, who recommended we hop over and pay a visit.

As I’ve noted before in these pages, writing a review about a region that offers rentals can be difficult; by its nature it is intended to offer people a private home, so providing a write-up that encourages people to drop in and wander around can interfere with the privacy those renting the properties might otherwise want. This can be particularly true if the balance between public spaces and private residences is biased towards the latter.

Fortunately, The Boho Refuge offers a good balance between public and private that makes a visit rewarding for casual visitors whilst keeping private residences reasonably well apart from the public areas. Most of the latter – 11 homes in all – sit around the coastline of the region or along the gorge that splits the region in two.

This gorge runs from west to east, leaving the bulk of the region as two rugged islands linked by a road bridge. The southern island offers the landing point, with the rental office sitting within a pink walled hacienda that looks like it might in another life offer a cosy bar / lounge, and that sits to one side of a dirt road that winds over the island from the bridge and down to a working quayside to the west. This, and the other little public buildings scattered  over the island offer plenty of opportunity for photography, while two of the rental properties lie on the southern coast and one on this side of the gorge splitting the region into its two main islands.

Follow the track toward the bridge and you’ll find it forks, one arm turning north to link with the crossing to the north island, the other continuing east. Follow the latter, and it will lead you down to the access points to the rentals, and also to a fourth private home at the eastern end of the region that sits on its own little isle; so do please respect the privacy of anyone renting the houses.

The slightly larger northern island is more rugged, and features seven rentals around its edges, either snuggled against the coast and facing to the north and east, or perched higher up on the cliffs and facing either north or west, a singleton tucked into the gorge rounding them out. A T-junction at the north end of the bridge allows visitors a choice of routes: west to the access point for rentals and a climb up to the island’s peak, or east and a curving route down to where the road becomes unsurfaced once more and splits to provide access to the homes at the eastern end of the island or to a small public beach (with a rental home just off to one side, so again, be careful when visiting).

The upper reaches of this island are open to the public, and accessed by stone steps or a board walk and wooden steps that curl around the highest peak from the western end of the island – although be aware that these were blocked at the time of our visit by a non-phantom tree throwing its physics across the steps. The tops of these hills offer an number of little points of interest: an outdoor spa, a little greenhouse that would make an ideal lovers’ meeting place, the old tower of an abandoned observatory and numerous lookout points.

Packed with plenty of detail, The Boho Refuge offers a fair amount to see, while each of the rental properties sits within its own parcel, making privacy possible for those renting them. They also include a security orb to help warn away straying feet. Finished with a rich sound scape and offering plenty of water fowl and otter to be spotted by keen-eyed visitors, the region could be a cosy home for those seeking somewhere to live – prices available from the rental office.

SLurl Details

• Boho Refuge (Albermarle Cliffs, rated: Moderate)
• Exploring Second Life 2019