Tag: Exploring SL Archives

Hollybrook estate is a two-region estate comprising the Hollybrook Farming Community, located on a Full private region utilising the private Full region Land Capacity bonus, and a Homestead region, which forms the home of the Hollybrook Regional Park, the focus of this article.

A beautiful newcomer and family friendly mountain range with horse trails, hiking, camping and more.

– from the Hollybrook Regional Park About Land Description

Designed by estate owner Truly Whitlock (really4truly), Hollybrook Regional Park is specifically designed for SL horse-riding (although exploration on foot is welcome) and offers plenty of opportunities for photography.The landing point sits on the north side of the park, alongside a small cabin offering information on the estate, a rental vendor for the homes within the Hollybrook Farming Community (see below for more on this), and a series of Hollybrook Park Rezzing Permit vendors, allowing those who would like to rez props for their photography for L$90 per 24 hours. The cabin also offers a Teagle horse rezzer for visitors who wish to ride the trails of the park (those who have a wearable horse can opt to use that instead, if they wish).

The trails around and through the region are a mix of routes marked by stones, grassy paths, dirt tracks and surfaced paths. These all present multiple route of exploration. Eastwards, a dirt track run past the local equestrian centre, where stables can be rented for those who want a home for their horse, and a practice area for jumping. This also includes a teleport to an arena for jumping, but you’ll need to have the group tag and use the rezzable horses.

This route also offers a way up into the central hills within the centre of the setting while the dirt track carries on past the equestrian centre to where a bridge crosses into the farming community lands or south through cultivated fields and around the base of the hills and on to the park’s farmhouse.

Westwards, the trails lead the way around the region’s coast to a beach, and provides access to a large body of water nestled in the arms of the hills.

To the south-west, the hills rise to a rocky plateau which, in practical terms, would not be overly nice to horses but which offers a trio hideaways for those who want some quiet time. These are matched by a little camp site sitting atop the central hill close to where a pair of pools feed water down to the lake below.

In terms of the farming community, this can be reached by two bridges crossing the creek that separates the two regions. Tracks from the bridges offer routes through the region and visitors are welcome to travel them. However, please do remember that the residential properties within the region are private – should you be interested in renting one, please refer to the local vendors or the Hollybrook Community website.

A beautiful countryside awaits you. A family and LGBTQ friendly farming and breedable animal community. Come stake your claim today!

– from the Hollybrook Farming Community Website

There are public spaces – a waterfront to the north, a manicured park towards the middle overlooked by an open market, but again, do be aware of the townhouses that sit between the waterfront area and the park.

To return to the park, this offers further areas of exploration not mentioned here – but I’ll leave you to discover them – and it is finished with a subtle sound scape that, along with the local wildlife, helps to bring the setting to life, making Hollybrook Regional Park a more than worthwhile visit.

SLurl Details

• Hollybrook Regional Park (Hollybrook Pass, rated Moderate)

B sori is the name given to a Homestead region by holders Len (Len Mercury) and Twin Clover (poemnletters) that offers a glorious, almost mystical setting well deserving of its About Land description:

Peaceful ⋮ Dreamy ⋮ Romantic ⋮ Lonely ⋮ Nostalgic ⋮ Lost ⋮ Homey … leave your precious memories with your heart

The core of the region sits as a deep crescent of a sand-and-grass reef rising from calm waters and sits under a sky that forms a surrounding dome speckled with the points of distant stars and across which clouds seem to creep spirit-like. Sunlight streams down from above and the waters around the land glow as if washed by a low-lying mist that adds the first sense of mystery to the setting.

The landing point sits at the broadest curve of the island’s sweep, where a cluster of wooden building sit, some with closed walls, others open-sided , the majority of them sitting up on stilts or on old shipping containers in what appears to be a retreat above the sand that has grown organically over time, rather than being intentionally planned. Shaded in part by tall willows and shrubs growing on the roof areas, it is fronted by a broad deck and old terrace while to one side and under the shade of the trees grows a wild garden with potting shed and birdhouses.

Sweeping away from this home-built structure, the arms of the island curve outwards to point towards the north-east, cupping a shallow bay within their protective embrace. Each arm has its own attractions: to the west lay the most enticing wash of blue and flowers, grasses and shrubs in which more colours – yellow, lavender, white, teal – emerge as one walks towards it, a single tree spreading its boughs over the flowers.

An old greenhouse can be found alongside this tree, apparently caught in an instant in time: outside of it blue and white butterflies hang in the air, their stilled wings caught in mid-beat as this rise like a glistening streamer out over the waters of the bay. Within the greenhouse, a little group of butterflies flutter and circle untouched by whatever has frozen their brethren outside. Beyond this, the path continues to the end of the island where another greenhouse offers a further retreat, nestled in the arms of a raised steel walkway.

Travel in the other direction, and a short walk will bring visitors to a shaded deck sitting over the water and a semi-collapsed boardwalk that leads to a small sandbank with more places where people can sit, relax and reflect.

Out on the water, the mist-like glow is actually floating fields of glowing white spider lilies sitting as a garden sitting above the ripples of waves. Spreading out towards the edge of the region, these lilies are home to more places to visit: an iron gazebo, glass piano within; a bed beneath a metal pavilion frame and, furthest from the main island a floating garden of more “traditional” flowers, trees and grass, the home to a little bus shelter. Those worried about getting feet wet when trying to reach or walk through these garden spaces need not fret: the way over the water is quite dry, providing you follow the path.

Those who need the comfort of a cuddle but have no-one to give them one need only look to the sky over these water gardens to where a globe floats, vines and grass growing within and through it. Sitting inside it and at home on the grass is a large teddy bear who is more than happy to give and receive a hug!

Throughout this deceptively simple-wounding region design is a wealth of detail I’ve not touched on here, but can be appreciated by all who visit. Such detail includes the décor around the landing point and within the buildings, where it mixes with the furnishings to give the structures a rich sense of life and of being used. Further out, there are many more touches and places to sit, whilst the paths out over the spider lily fields are watched over by exotic dandelion-type plants.

A delight to visit and photograph – and use as a backdrop for avatar photography – B sori is a genuine jewel of a region design and a visit is thoroughly recommended.

SLurl Details

• B sori (rated Moderate)

There are a number of places to which I enjoy making repeat visits as each year unfolds. One of these is Luane’s World, and within it, Le Monde Perdu (The Lost World), the public Full region by LuaneMeo and Gorba McMahon, which at the time of my May 2022 visit, was dressed for spring.

I’ve visited the region a number of times over the years, and have always enjoyed my time there. For Spring 2022, the design offers a setting that mixes an outer swirl of land with beaches on two of its seaward sides, which encompasses a central island sitting within waters that can reach more open waters through two narrow channels.

On my arrival, I couldn’t help but be reminded of the Summer 2021 design for the region, thanks to the open nature of the landscaping, the presence of the beaches and the northern view out over water to the private residences that form part of the overall estate. There’s a sense of continuity between the two, despite this being very different in look and content – something I always enjoy when visiting an evolving region, as it gives its designs a sense of history.

The landing point includes horse and bicycle rezzers for those who fancy a ride, and teleport signs to reach the estate’s rental office, Luane’s store and the region’s second public space, Luane’s Magical World, located high overhead. I’ll also point out here that as well as the bicycles and horses, there is a little motor boat on the region’s inner waters that can be used to putter around the channels and out into the northern waters.

There are two bridges relatively close to the landing point. To the east, a small humpbacked bridge spans one of the two channels leading out from the the heart of the region, providing access to a meadow where horses graze. To the south, the second bridge reaches over the water to the central island with its more formal garden and gazebo retreat (and a further bridge that reaches the far side of the outer curl of land.

As well as this gazebo, there are several other structures scattered across the region. These take the form of a little café offering a view across the the island as it sits with its back to the landing point, a little shrine sitting in the shade of giant oaks, an old fort sitting up on a hill, another gazebo just down below it and ruins close by, the remains of an old church (the TLG Chapel Ruins that are a personal favourite) that occupies another hill across the region from the fort, and a pavilion where more refreshments might be had.

The paths around and through the region are grassy for the most part, natural flower-lined avenues ideal for walking or horse riding (although there are some using stepping stones or marked by trimmed logs. Given this is Luane’s World, there are multiple places to sit and pass the time. These can be found everywhere: on the beaches, in and on the roof of the fort, along the routes of the grassy paths, on and over the waters – and even in the air, courtesy of the region’s hot air balloon.

And, obviously, there are multiple opportunities for photography, whilst touches of art in the form of statues can also be found as you explore.

Luane’s World has always been a place in which wandering and losing oneself comes easy thanks to its rich, natural beauty and matching soundscapes. With this Spring 2022 rendition, this is all very much still true; whilst up in the sky, Luane’s Magical World retains its sense of winter fantasy for those who already miss snow-heavy scenes (and which I’ll likely visit later in 2022!).

So why not hop over and see for yourself?

SLurl Details

• Le Monde Perdu (rated Adult)

The Forgotten is a Full region I stumbled upon entirely by chance whilst thumbing through the Destination Guide trying to remind myself of an entry I’d seen a while back but had failed to make a note of. I didn’t find it, but in coming across The Forgotten, I found a region that is quite fantastical and just slightly abstract and well worth a visit.

The work of Elfie Lionsheart (who has the delightful user name of Elfing Shenanigans), The Forgotten is a region that deserves to be seen rather than merely described; a place that is without a singular theme per se, but where imagination and reality intersect to present a place of beauty, mystery and depth.

A magical swamp born from sorrow, lighting the way for explorer’s to follow. A castle in ruin, gardens left to despair. Eyes of lost statues left only to stare. Whispers of sadness from voices long gone, dancing fairy dust left to sing its last song.

– The Forgotten, About Land Description

Sitting under a dome of stars  – or perhaps star stuff, given the fact the a massive full Moon hangs in the sky beyond – there is a sense of timeless age to the setting, together with a sense that it is a place where the tales of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien mix without being overly swayed by one or the other. Or perhaps mix is the wrong term – it is perhaps a place that combines the imaginations of both men to present a place they would both feel comfortable in walking through.

The landing point sits towards the north-west of the island where a huge plateau that rises above the rest of the region, a stone-and-grass table on which sets the castle ruin of the About Land description. A cavern on the opposite side to the path leading up to the ruins is the home of the landing point, fronted by wooden board walks that wind out from it over the swamp also mentioned in the region’s description.

This swamp is a mix of water, green growth, strange plants, giant tress and unexpected creatures – although finding your way free of it might take a little care (hint: look for the anthropomorphic street lamp on a deck and the log bridge to drier land (or alternatively, visitors can continue to follow the and lanterns board walks over the swamp waters to the places that lie within them).

The rest of the landscape comprises a mix of trees, rugged, low hills, overgrown paths, unexpected dwellings and the most engaging ruins and statues, some of which speak to elven influences, others to human while some provide pagan echoes – all of which again combine to add a depth to the setting that is utterly unique. More than depth, they suggest a sense of mythology for the region.

The most impressive of these statues is a great carved stag standing over the swamplands, a proud beast placed on a shoulder of the castle’s plateau, it is the work of Elicio Ember, and its presence marks the second time I have seen it within Second Life in the space of a week, and for me it suggested a spiritual link between the elven influences of The Forgotten and with Elicio’s Mythspire Ridge at the 2022 Fantasy Faire.

Away to the north-east a flat headland pushes a rounded snout out into the water, topped by a wild garden watched over by a dryad. South of this, across a shallow inlet that cuts into the land, sits a more human abode – a store in fact, where one of the region’s more unusual inhabitants patrols: a fat-beaked dodo (and it is not the only oddity perambulating across a part of the region). Not far from here, up a stone stairway, a trio of Romany caravans sit, although whether they belong to people or the cats that have claimed one of them is open to debate.

But as I said, this is a glorious region that should be explored rather than described – and I’ve left a lot of what is waiting to be found out from this article to encourage visits. It is a place that is, despite the sadness within its description, a genuine playground for the imagination.

SLurl Details

• The Forgotten (Peaceful Shore, rated Moderate)

Just about four years ago I visited the Village of Ahiru, a full region themed along Japanese lines with the About Land description indicating the inspiration for the build is the Edo period – although as I noted at the time of my original visit, whilst the core inspiration for the region – home to the Blue Lotus Okiya geisha group – might well be Edo, it is not actually set within that period, as the modern touches to the public areas of the region tend to reveal. Given that four years have passed, I decided to jump back and see what might have changed.

A mixed public / private setting, the landing point for the village is located in the sky, where general information can be found together with free male and female kimono outfits for those who want to dress more the part for a visit. A map of the region just across the landing garden provides both an overview of the region’s layout  – including the locations of the 15 private residences to be found within the village – and click-to-TP labels to the major public areas.

While 15 private residences may sound like a lot for a region, they are all located on the east and southern sides of the region and away from the majority – but not all – of the public spaces.

The parcels for the private homes come in a number of sizes, allowing them to be grouped together without feeling crowded, with the positioning of a couple of public spaces between the main groupings helping to give a further sense of space around them. Most of the houses sit behind hedges and fences, the entrances to them marked by green rental boxes, making them easy to identify (and avoid) – although some of the smaller units are directly approachable along the public paths, so keep an eye out for their green rental boxes on their walls.

The majority of the public areas for the region are located on the north and west side, where a large island is home to the Blue Lotus Okiya theatre, a garden area, the Osen / Oden and the Ochaya tea house, which still commands part of the high grounds in the region. The latter is a custom build for the region, and offers a classic Edo take on these traditional tea houses with their strong ties to geisha. It also looks down to where the Osen and Oden sit.

The main building of the latter appeared to me to be larger this time around than with my original visit, but this could just be my imagination. Certainly the familiar indoor and outdoor pools remain ready for guests. The grounds of the Osen form one of the areas where confusion between public and private areas within the region can occur: an open gate and path lead from the pools at the back of the facility and around a shoulder of rock to one of the smaller rental units – although it is hard to appreciate it is a private abode at first glance.

Reached via bridges, the major residential spaces are mixed with a pair of little eateries and are dominated by the Ahiru temple and shrine. This is located straddling the crown of the highest hill within the region. It is separated in part from the private homes by a finger of water curling around the base of the hill, helping to form it into a headland with water on three sides in part fed from the falls dropping from the hill’s cliffs. A single bridge provides the means to reach the temple.

On the west side of the region sits a largely artificial island nestled between the public spaces to the north and the residences to the south. It is connected to both via bridges, and I refer to it as “largely artificial”, as the larger potion of it forms stone terraces, one just above the waters and the other raised on arches which hide a small dock below them.

The terrace above is set aside for dancing, while the more natural part of the island forms a series of stepped flowerbeds down to the water that are mirrored across the water on the northern island as the land here also steps down to the region’s inner waterways. Facing the terrace island to the south and well clear of the private homes is a small commercial area sitting over stone quays and paths that end in more wooden wharves.

Camming around, I noted that at least one of hidden areas of the region remains, but appears to have been cut off from access. Whether by accident or design, I’ve no idea. However, whilst somewhat redressed since my original visit, Village of Ahiru retains its natural beauty and appeal, making it a worthwhile visit.

SLurl Details

• Village of Ahiru (Ahiru, rated: Moderate)

The last time I visited Camis and Tamara Sierota’s Full region of Perpetuity, it was dressed as elven retreat caught in the snows of winter. Now, with the northern hemisphere welcoming spring, time and the region’s design have moved on, and visitors dropping in will find themselves in a summery touch of Smalltown USA.

A visit commences on the waterfront of a little harbour in the north-east of the region, a place with a couple of wooden piers, a fish market and oyster shop and places to enjoy a glass of beer or a very British custom of fish’n’chips. It’s a location that brought a smile of recognition to my face as moored at the piers lay the Shield Class 2 sailing boat by Burt Artis that helped get me started with sailing in SL and the outboard-powered Shippe and Saille Harbour Master, a dory hulled cruiser I reviewed a couple of years ago.

The harbour fronts a broad surfaced road that encompasses the setting, passing all the way around the coastline and linking the bulk of the land with a small island sitting down to the south-west. This road offers an obvious means of exploring, and those who wish can grab a bike from the rack outside the harbour master’s office and use their pedal extremities to follow it (or if preferred, pull a wearable bike from inventory and do the same).

Taking the road south offers a route past the open beach with its single pier to one side of the road, and a small industrial area with motor garage and warehousing on the other, to where a short incline runs up to the local church and school. Here the road turns to the right to cross the waters on a single-span bridge to reach the aforementioned island and the house that occupies it. However, just before the bridge there’s a junction with a second road which cuts diagonally across the land, again following the sands of a beach that faces the island across the channel.

Go north from the harbour master’s office, and the road quickly turns left to parallel the north beach westwards, passing out of the town before swinging to a more southerly route and past a farm with lands dissected by the road which cuts across the region, before reaching the second bridge crossing to the south-west island.

The farm comprises two large barns, one of which has been converted into a simple home whilst the other interestingly combines its expected role in keeping animals and farm equipment with that of a home-made bar serving pie and cider! A hitching post outside of this barn offers the means to make your way around / through the region on horseback, passing more horses penned in the corral behind the barn.

As with all of the perpetuity builds, this one is packed with a lot of detail; all of the buildings are open to the public and houses, workshops, cabins, and so on have décor and fittings that bring them to life. The school house comes complete with desks and playground, the local church has been neatly converted into a an artist’s studio, the beaches offer numerous places to sit and pass the time, and more can be found in the fields and gardens.

I admit to particularly liking Roady’s, sitting just off the road cutting through the farmlands. It’s a building by DRD I’ve frequently seen in my travels through SL, often taking the form of a generic bar (or equally as often, a record shop). Here it fulfils its stated purpose: a biker’s bar. With machines propped up on their kickstands before it, the Harley Davidson logo emblazoned on an outside wall and its run-down look, there is something oddly appealing about the bar that just further underlines the Smalltown authenticity that exists throughout the build.

There are also touches within this build that hark back to my first visit to Perpetuity in July 2021. There’s the beach pier, one of the barns and a couple of the outdoor seating spots, together with one or two of the vehicles that give a sense of connection between this iteration of the region and the July 2021 version.

As always, Perpetuity offers a lot to see and appreciate during a visit. Those wishing to use props for photography can obtain rezzing right by joining the local group; as auto-return appears to be off, do be sure to clean-up when done. Photos are welcomed in the Perpetuity Flickr group.

SLurl Details

• Perpetuity (Envylicious, rated Adult)