Category: Reviews

Seagull Islands is a full region designed by Balthasar Trebuchet and Angel Baxter which we happened across entirely by chance as a result of reading a group chat in-world. It offers an outdoor setting which might be seen as ideal for those wanting to capture the essence of summer vacations spent hiking through a national park – be it one in North America or the UK or Europe or elsewhere. It is also a place laid out in such a way as to feel far bigger than a single region.

As an outdoor location, there isn’t a set landing point, so for this article I’ve arbitrarily selected the little fishing wharf and warehouses located in the north-east corner of the region.  From here, the region opens out to offer several routes of exploration. To the north, for example, area couple of secluded little beaches. Behind these, across the flat grasslands separating them from the wharf and buildings, stone steps offer a way up into the hills.

Follow these, and the route will take you past an old chapel, and on upwards into the hills. A fenced track, overlooking a steep drop, points the way onwards and – if you take the right trail – further upwards to a mountaintop lodge. this overlooks the bay and fishing area. A second path, passing via wooden walkways and narrow clefts  offers a way back down to the red-painted buildings and warehouses.

The multiplicity of paths and trails are what make the region fun to explore – and gives that exploration the feeling that you’re on a hike. They lead to a range of locations from tented camp grounds to lodges, stone-built farms, and coastal walks, scattered across the lower-lying lands as well as within the inner hilly area.

Another way in which the feeling of being in an expansive parkland is through the use of region surrounds, from distant hills, to closer islands and a use of part of the region itself to form a protective bay around the quayside. Care has clearly been taken to blend these as far as possible with the region to given the impression of a continuous landscape.

Alongside of all this is the creation of a sense of history. Ruins can be found in the region and offshore: Kriss Lehmann’s Forest Ruins Tower sits on the north side of the island, while a TUFF medieval tower sits partially flooded in the region’s waters, as if caught by the slowly rising waters of a river. Elsewhere, the placement of stones give the suggestion of an ancient long ship, echoing the wreck of such a vessel lying across the bay.

This is a place which requires time to explore, as there is much hidden away under the foliage and along the paths and trails awaiting discovery, be they places to  sit or to dance or simply to watch the fires at a camp site or the birds flying overhead. It’s also a place well suited to photography, either under the default daylight settings, or via a range of windlight settings – I opted to use a summer lighting for my photos here.

All told, a pleasant visit – just be sure to wear your hiking boots!

SLurl Details

• Seagull Islands (Seagull, rated: Moderate)

Borneo – click any image for full size

Borneo is a homestead region designed by Neva Crystall (NevaCrystall) on behalf of region holder Gac Akina, and which has just opened. Being a fan of Neva’s work, I was keen to hop over and take a look after hearing about it via Shakespeare and Max after they spent time there at the weekend.

“Neva is magical!” Gac told me as we chatted about the region. “It was supposed to be friends only location; we all needed a place to chill and hang together, but then I just couldn’t lock this up for only a few. I’m very happy we are getting visitors and can’t wait to start seeing some pictures pop up 🙂 .”

Borneo

The setting has the look and feel far removed from the one you might imagine from the region’s name. Instead of a tropical jungle-like environment, Borneo presents a location strongly suggestive of a northern temperate area, perhaps in the Pacific north-west of North America, or maybe coastal Sweden. It’s somewhat industrial in tone, and set beneath a hazy, cold-looking sky suggestive of the onset of winter.  The region is split into two islands, the larger of which forms a curve running from the north down to the east, while the smaller sits towards the south-west, as if protected by the larger’s curve.

Both are rugged in nature, rising from the surrounding waters on rocky shoulders. The landing point sits to the north side of the larger island, on hard-packed earth. An old warehouse sits to one side of the landing point, with a smaller barn-like storage area on the other. Both clearly haven’t been used for their intended use for some time; the smaller is overgrown and full of ageing bric-a-brac, the larger looks like it has in part been turned into a makeshift den, although one room has long since been claimed by nature.

Borneo

The flattened ground running between these two structures suggest an old road, or perhaps the remnants of a railway spur, arcing as it does along the spine of the island. Follow it around to the east and south of the island, and it will bring you by way of a gabled gate to a house  on the southern headland – but do note this is not open to the public, so don’t be surprised by the ban lines crossing the path before it.

Take the track around to the west, however, and no such barriers block the way. Instead, the path will lead you by way of an old wooden bridge spanning the narrow channel between the two islands, to a third warehouse, this one converted into a bar, the Borneo Pub. “I can’t wait to open the pub,” Gac told me. “We’re waiting on the logo. We’ll have music and parties there. Nothing really scheduled, just for fun and for people to enjoy. I’m hoping we’ll start in the next week or two.” The bar sits within its own parcel, complete with a dedicated in-world group for those wishing to be kept informed of events there.

Borneo

Sitting within the curve of the main island is a small, stark bay. This can be reached by a mix of wooden steps and board walks leading down from a another gabled gate, this one close to the landing point. It’s not the cosiest of spots in terms of looks when compared to the usual (and oft-expected) beach, but it does have a certain character and warmth – there is a little snug along one of the board walks, while down by the foot of the steps is a little ramshackle trailer serving hot drinks which the local cat clearly recommends!

Balancing the route down to the bay, and on the north side of the island, is a path that snakes its way down to an old quay. An old fishing boat is drawn up alongside, sitting close to its wrecked twin. Both vessels in the shadow of a brick-built lighthouse that raises a slender finger to the sky, tall enough to look down on the landing point and its buildings.

Borneo

There is a wonderful feeling of wild desolation about Borneo. cold it may look, but it is rich in character and marvellously presented to both explorer and photographer alike. The attention to detail is superb, the detritus of work and life, giving a real sense that this is a place long-established and with its own history, all of which makes for a rewarding visit.

SLurl Details

• Borneo (Borneo Isle, rated: Moderate)

Malal’s Autumn – click any image for full size

Malal’s Autumn is a scenic Homestead region open to visitors and featured in the November 3rd 2017 Destination Guide Highlights. Designed by TeaRose and Dragon Rider (Dragon Walmer), it offers a perfect autumnal setting for those wishing to hold on to warmer times in the northern hemisphere, whilst also offering something of a promise of spring – golden hues notwithstanding – for those in the southern hemisphere looking forward to summer.

The heart of the region is a small built-up area with tea rooms, cafés and (non-commercial) premises. Bordered by water to the west and east, the centrepiece for this area is a cosy little tiled roof café, warm and homely looking among the flat-topped shops flanking it.

Malal’s Autumn

Travel north and west from the landing point, following the stone-paved paths, and you’ll come to open land, a little rugged in setting and overlooking a curved beach where surf boards are stacked and a little beach house sits on silts just beyond the surf. For those not into the beach experience, a game of chess is available on the grassland above, waiting for players to indulge themselves.

North of the little precinct of shops and reached via an archway spanning the footpath, is an open paved area with a cosy little lounge at its northern end, offering sofas for sitting and books for reading. The paved area offers further views out over the waters west, east and north, complete with views back over the region’s landscape.

Malal’s Autumn

To the east, the region breaks up into a pair of smaller islands, rugged in nature and the home of ancient ruins. A viaduct runs over the waters to  grassy headland to the south-east, where a barn and various table games can be found on a third island, offering the chance for those who feel in the mood to pass a little time in friendly competition. Across a covered bridge from here is a small house, linked back to the shops and cafés by a paved footpath, and again presenting a cosy spot in which to spend time.

All of this is very well done, although there are one or two little edges that need smoothing here and there – walls with gaps under them, or buildings floating a little above the uneven terrain. At the time of our visit both TeaRose and Dragon Rider were working on the region, so hopefully these will be dealt with, ant they didn’t intrude enough to  spoil the overall look and feel of the region.

Malal’s Autumn

All of this leads me to what is – for me at least – the most attractive part of the region: the walled garden sitting between shops and islands on the north side of the region, and linked to both by bridges. This is home to a Victorian style orangery outfitted as a coffee-house, with indoor and outdoor seating. The garden itself has been allowed to grow a little wild, the grass approaching knee-length, but with a mossy path running through it from the orangery to a folly, while the trees within the walls are strung with lights. It’s  an eye-catching and delightful retreat, and I especially liked the setting and the way the trees and shrubs have been used to break up what might otherwise be an overbearing presence of brick walls.

Music also plays a role through the region, with pianos and guitar offering a range of classic and popular pieces at various points as you explore. So it’s worthwhile exploring with local sound enabled to appreciate both this and the sound scape for the region.

Malal’s Autumn

A quiet, considered design with plenty of opportunities for photography, Malal’s Autumn makes for an enjoyable visit.

SLurl Details

• Malal’s Autumn (The Cedars, rated Moderate)