Tag: Exploring Second life 2015

Timeless Memories, July 2015 (Flickr) – click any image for full size

Timeless Memories, the homestead region held by Elvira Kytori, captivated me the first time I visited it back at the start of 2015. Since then, the region has undergone a redesign to match the season here in the northern hemisphere and prompting me to make a re-visit.

In its current iteration, the region draws its inspiration and name from coastline at Tropea, southern Italy, and the monastery of Santa Maria dell’isola. In doing so, it presents another quite stunning landscape which is highly photogenic as well as offering some charming locations in which to relax.

Timeless Memories, July 2015 (Flickr)

The 7th century monastery may be absent from the scene, but the coral cliffs upon which it sits have been recreated, offering a high perch on which sits one of the delightful Italian-style villas designed by iBi (8f8). This is reached from the beach, itself reached from the landing point via a short walk along a charming, palm-shaded terrazzo hugging the foot of the south-east side of the cliffs.

This offers plenty of opportunity for relaxation: sun loungers, seats shaded by parasols with a kiosk offering refreshing gelato close to hand. Meanwhile, the golden sands of the beach stretch their way around the south side of the island, offering superb views out over the open sea. Look westward, and you’ll spy a float-plane heading towards a gentle splashdown just off the coast, perhaps bringing new visitors to the island (and the temptation to stand up on the cliffs of the villa and call out, “The plane, boss! The plane!” while waving towards its arrival 🙂 ). That said, the pilot had better keep an eye on the water below, as it is the playground of orcas and dolphins.

Timeless Memories, July 2015 (Flickr)

The villa is reached by a flight of stone steps snaking up the side of the cliffs, guarded in places by stone walls which appear to be quite aged. Together with the columns also to be found on the climb, the walls suggest that perhaps the stairs and one time gave access to something much older than the villa which now occupies the grassy plateau just below the island’s peak.

Here there is more on offer to please the eye; the villa itself is a work of art, and beautifully decorated with rustic charm both inside and in the stone-flagged courtyard around which it is built. Behind the house is a garden area with a stone swimming pool surrounded by cobbles, the flower borders to one side being watered by a gently rotating sprinkler. However, if you opt for a swim, do take note that the pool is already occupied by a couple of little chaps!

Timeless Memories, July 2015 (Flickr)

Such is the design of the island that is it hard to pull oneself away from it; the terazzo and beach offer plenty of places to relax in the sun (Jodi and I spent a couple of hours lounging  and chatting, lost in the surroundings), while the villa offers a cool retreat for those who might want to escape to the shade.

When I first wrote about Timeless Memories, the About Land notes indicated that it might not survive. I’m glad this has turned out not to be the case; with this second build, Elvira has provided yet another utterly captivating design, and I have no hesitation in recommending you visit and see for yourself. And please, when doing so, do consider tipping the laptop at the landing point and help Elvira to keep Timeless Memories alive so that we can all continue to enjoy it.

Timeless Memories, July 2015 (Flickr) – click any image for full size

And as it is a romantic location with an Italian theme, I’m going to bow out with Matt Monro’s One Days Like These, a song I love quite apart from its links to a certain 1969 film; and who wouldn’t, given Mr. Monro’s silken voice?

SLurl Details

• Timeless Memories (Rated: Moderate)

Baby’s Ear, July 2015 (Flickr) – click any image for full size

Baby’s Ear is the name of Neva Crystall’s latest region design in Second Life – and it is an absolute must see.

Comprising two islands, Baby’s Ear is a treasure to behold; a place which is at once unique to Second Life, yet at the same time the various elements within it can resonate with the visitor in such a way that a slight feeling of deja-vu is felt; a feeling that perhaps there is somewhere like this in the physical world that we might have visited.

Baby’s Ear, July 2015 (Flickr) – click any image for full size

The larger of the two islands brings together a number of motifs, which stand both individually and as a collective whole. The farm sitting atop the central plateau could easily have been lifted for half a hundred arable landscapes; similarly, the low-lying beach carries echoes of seaside holidays and children running across the warm sands, while the fisherman’s quay with fish hanging from a rack as they dry ready to be salted and boxed, gives rise to images of working wharves and fishing folk.

Taken together, the various elements flow one to another, presenting the feeling that this is the island home of an extended family, who enjoy a fair degree of self-sufficiency – and who have time to relax and spend time with the children. The farm, fishing shack and beach are all linked via wooden walkways and steps, bringing them neatly together as a unified environment, a feeling enhanced by the spread of children’s climbing frames between farmyard and beach and the sheep that freely roam the land.

Baby’s Ear, July 2015 (Flickr) – click any image for full size

Only the little cottage nestled between the rocks of the plateau and the placid waters gives a sense of separation; it stands apart from the rest of the beach, reached by a wooden causeway,, while a separate step of stairs connect it with the farm above, suggesting that it is perhaps more for the use of guests than family.

Self-sufficiency is much in evidence. The sheep offer meat and wool; there are fish in the sea, a crop growing in the fields, apples and lemons ripening in the orchards, and a line of bee hives hint at the sweetness of honey. Even the electrical power appears to be provided naturally: a tall windmill harvests the wind passing over the island, as do three turbines, blades slowing revolving as they share the smaller island with a brick-built lighthouse.

Baby’s Ear, July 2015 (Flickr) – click any image for full size

There are interesting contrasts here as well. A decrepit  station wagon sits on a cinder track along with an old motorbike and odds and ends which appear to have been removed from other vehicles and perhaps even a garage, going by the air pump. These and the telegraph poles running along one side of the island suggest that perhaps it might be part of a larger island or coastal community, and it has been left to our imaginations to fill-in the blanks (just as I prefer to think of the wild grass in the field as a crop, rather than just wild grass).

The imagination is perhaps encouraged to think in these terms by the cinder track, which winds its way down from the plateau, skirting the base of the main island before turning sharply and plunging into the sea. It’s almost as if there is a causeway there beneath the water, waiting only for the tide to recede so it might be revealed and beckon us to follow it wherever it might lead.

Baby’s Ear, July 2015 (Flickr) – click any image for full size

This is truly another marvellous build from Neva, and one most definitely worth seeing – but if you’re planning to visit, keep in mind that it may only be here for a short time. I understand that  having opened on the 10th July, 2015, Baby’s Ear will only remain open for a two-week period.

Given that it may well be a transient setting in Second Life, I took the opportunity of my visit to film another music video, although my Space Navigator (again) got a tad bit upset.

SLurl Details

• Baby’s Ear (Rated: Adult)

 

Crystal Gardens Estates, July 2015 (Flickr) – click any image for full size

I first visited Crystal Gardens Estates in February 2015, so it might seem a little odd writing about it again so soon. However, the region, operated by Sandi and Mikal Beaumont, has undergone a complete redesign, and  this being the case, I was naturally drawn back to take a look.

As with my original visit, the region is divided into a set of islands, with the landing point located on the largest. Here sits a stepped pair of terraces, the uppermost of which presents a live performance stage and dance floor, while the lower features a small market space dominated by a beautiful, materials-enabled pavilion by iBi (8f8), and a view over the water to the islands on the east side of the region.

Crystal Gardens Estates, July 2015 (Flickr) – click any image for full size

Head south from here, and you’ll find yourself following a track that will take you over a little bridge across a stream flowing down for a waterfall-fed pool, and into a garden space. A brick path leads the way around the garden, taking you to places to sit and relax indoors or out, and the opportunity to climb to a hilltop ruin.

On the north side of the music area sits a Tuscan style villa, with courtyard pool. A boat rezzer fronts this, next to the little wooden dock and offers speedboats for getting around the rest of the region, including getting to the beach themed island in the north-west corner. This is linked by a wooden pier to Ilyra Chardin’s art garden and gallery.

Crystal Gardens Estates, July 2015 (Flickr) – click any image for full size

The garden space displays the works from a number of artists, including Ilyra herself, all under the shade of trees and ready to be admired from cobbled paths. Behind this, to the east is a wooded space leading to Ilyra’s private home. Follow the cobbles southwards, however, and you’ll cross the main drive and arrive at a wooden bridge leading to Ilyra’s indoor gallery space, showcasing more of her own work. A wooden platform built in the trees to the side of the gallery building offers a place to rest and enjoy the ambience of the place.

The remaining island, to the south-east, presents a very different look and feel: that of a run-down urban area, designed by photographer and musician Dimi (DimiVan Ludwig), and the home to his Dimi’s Digital Designs. With a “gentleman’s club”, boxing ring, the environment here might be to everyone’s liking looks-wise, but the attention to detail is complete, and when set with the region’s default windlight, offers plenty of photographic opportunities, as well as providing another live music venue in the form of Dimi’s The Alley.

Crystal Gardens Estates, July 2015 (Flickr) – click any image for full size

I did have a couple of minor niggles during my visit; the landscaping around the Tuscan villa seems a tad rough, and the speedboat rezzer needs a little tweaking to ensure the boats rez on the water. But I emphasise these are minor grumbles, and could easily be down to the redesign perhaps still being a work-in-progress. As it is, Crystal Gardens Estates continues to offer an interesting set of places to visit and explore, with lots of opportunities for photography, as well as the attraction of live music. For my part, I continue to be drawn by Ilyra’s gallery space, and the opportunity to wander the estate as a whole, snapshot floater at the ready.

 Related Links

• Crystal Garden Estates SLurl (Rated: Adult)

Pandora box of Dreams, July 2015 (Flickr) – click any image for full size

Note: this vision of Pandora Box of Dreams has closed. 

I first visited  Lokhe Angel Verlack’s (Jackson Verlack) Pandora Box of Dreams when it was, I believe, in its second iteration, back in April 2015. Located on Lokhe’s homestead region of Diamond Bay, Paradora Box of Dreams tends to undergo a change every two or three months, each time presenting an environment where dreams and contemplation are encouraged.

I did actually manage to visit the region during its third dream iteration – the River Dream – but didn’t actually get to blog about it;  so I’ll refer you to Ziki’s post on that. Dream 004 has now arrived in the region, and the Del Mar Dream is precisely what I need right now, despite not generally being a “beachy ” person: a tropical paradise.

Pandora box of Dreams, July 2015 (Flickr) – click any image for full size

Del Mar Dream presents an idyllic Pacific island, laying far from the ocean trade routes, nestled in the arms of a larger (off sim) island which provides shelter from the rest of the world. Here can be found a place of rugged beauty and soft, coral sand beaches shaded by palm trees. Little beach shacks are scattered across the island, offering places to sit and relax, either on your own with a friend or two, and simply chat or let your thoughts escape. Hammocks also sit out in the sun or under the shade of the palms, offering the opportunity to catch a tan or drift in sleep,

For the more energetic among us, a careful climb up the rocks forming the spine of the island will  bring you to a graceful stone bridge by Alex Bader, and access to a tiki-style platform on the highest point on the island, where it sits suspended from palm trees; an ideal place of rest / look-out. Alongside the bridge, and for the cost of joining the Pandora box of Dreams group (L$50), you can grab a hang glider and drift around the island on the wind.

Pandora box of Dreams, July 2015 (Flickr) – click any image for full size

Down on the beaches on either side of the hilltop can be found diving boards (to the east) and a jetski rezzer (to the west). I’m not entirely sure the of watery engines would be appreciated by all of the island’s visitors, which might explain why, although I could get a jetski to rez, it resolutely refused my efforts to let me drive it off the rezzer and out into the bay!

The bay also offers opportunities for wading and swimming – although I do urge a degree of caution: there are puffer fish and jellyfish to be found among the rocks and shallows. Leopard sharks hug the sandy bottom further out, but present no threat to swimmers, preferring their usual diet of  clams, spoon worms, crabs, shrimp, fish, and fish eggs. Instead, they’re content to swim among the rays there.

Pandora box of Dreams, July 2015 (Flickr) – click any image for full size

Local sounds can add further ambience to a visit as well, with the beach towards the west end of the island in particular presenting sounds of vacations and holidays which might stir a daydream or two. The audio stream is also suitably appropriate for the environment, and I spent a contented couple of hours relaxing on a lido out on the water, sipping a cocktail while listening to the music and steering my camera around the island remotely (flycams is such a time saver!).

As I mentioned towards the top of this piece, I’m not much of one for beach holidays – I love to explore places and wander across sandy beaches to see what might be beyond the next rise or around the headland, rather than sit and soaking up the sun. Nevertheless, the Del Mar Dream iteration of Paradora Box of dreams did – again as noted – have me simply lazing and enjoying. While it bears little resemblance to them, it did bring thoughts of some of my favourite tropical coastal areas to mind; particularly the north-east side of Sri Lanka around Batticaloa, with its white sands and wildlife.

Pandora box of Dreams, July 2015 (Flickr) – click any image for full size

All told, a lovely iteration in Lokhe’s Dream sequences for the region, and one I really enjoyed visiting. As things do tend to change periodically, if you would like to visit this tropical paradise, I’d suggest you not leave it too long before doing so. And you might find that once you’ve done so, the beach and waters might well call you back again before Lokhe crafts something new to be enjoyed.

SLurl Details

• Pandora Box of Dreams (Rated: Moderate)

Cooper Creek Wilderness, July 2015 (Flickr) – click any image for full size

I first came across Cooper Creek Wilderness while flying around the estates to the south and east of Blake Sea without any intent or purpose in mind. A part of the Sailors Cove South estate, the wilderness caught my attention due to its proximity to the Sailors Cove South (SCS) airfield, which has a fairly tight little runway for getting in and out of (unless you have a seaplane and can make use of the nearby open waters), making it an interesting place to practice short landings.

Also accessible by boat, the wilderness forms a part of the estate’s protected lands, and offers visitors trails to walk, wildlife to see and places to simply sit and ponder. My most recent visit came after taking my helicopter for a flight; the intention had been to head over to Second Norway, but somewhere along the way I decided to turn south to see if any land down that way might be up for sale, so I quite naturally found my way to the SCS airfield on Frasier Island.

Cooper Creek Wilderness, July 2015 (Flickr)

As well as having a very small runway, the SCS airfield also offers a bit of a challenge for landing at the helipad, surrounded as it is on three sides by tall trees, with the airfield windsock located on the remaining side (see the picture above of me manoeuvring my MD900 for a landing).

If you opt to sail to the wilderness, the best way once you reach the Sailors Cover estates is to make your way to  Sailors Cove South, cross Thorton Peak on the west side, and then head across Rio Plantano before turning north along the Cerrado coastal area and thus to the Cooper Creek Wilderness moorings.

As I’d flown down to SCS, I opted to make my way to the little quay  on the west side of the airfield on the banks of the river behind the airfield. Here visitors can find a rezzing station for one or two person kayaks  (with a tiny option available as well), which can then be used to head  northwards through the river channels to the wilderness, making for a nice little journey in itself. There are also a couple of kayak rezzers up in the wilderness park as well, making getting back easy, should you hop out of your boat (causing it to de-rez after about 10 seconds).

Cooper Creek Wilderness, July 2015 (Flickr)

The park offers a series of walks, as noted, which wind over trails, cross bridges (either with steps for those on foot or ramps for those on horseback). There are also clearings where you can sit and rest, a butterfly house,  climbs with zip lines waiting at the top, and a wooden walk through a mangrove swamp (watch out for the alligator!) which has wicker chairs hanging over the waters for those wanting to simply sit and let time drift by. Travel far enough north and you’ll find a swan boat rezzer you can use to paddle your way back along the waterways if you have left your kayak behind,

While Cerrado to the south is largely given over to residential parcels (so do keep people’s privacy in mind if travelling in that direction), the waterways flowing through these regions – Cooper Creek Wilderness, Cerrado and Frasier Island do make for interesting and relaxing exploration via kayak, and there are numerous photo opportunities to be found along the way.

Cooper Creek Wilderness, July 2015 (Flickr)

For those seeking somewhere a little different to explore, I can recommend Cooper Creek Wilderness; whether you hop there directly or make it a part of a longer outing by air or water, it makes for a pleasing destination. Just don’t be surprised if you come across me curled up in one of the hanging wicker chairs as you wander the trails and wooden walks!

SLurl Details

• Cooper Creek Wilderness  (Rated: Moderate)