Time to kick back and see...

...what this weird and wacky world offers

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Who says that a lighthouse has to be the right way up?

Rathlin Island's century old West Light just happens to have the red signal at the base of the lighthouse!

Located on Northern Ireland's only inhabited offshore island it shares space with a seabird colony.

Its placement at the bottom of the County Antrim lighthouse allows the signal to penetrate dense, low fog that can surround the island. The light is concentrated through the original rotating lens and is used every night and also in daylight when there is poor visibility.

For more about this scenic area...
 

Dam artists

Artists use all kinds of surfaces to display their talent - but who would have thought of using a dam wall?

Painted across the vast surface of Wellington Dam in Western Australia, this is the largest dam mural in the world. Located around 200 kilometres from Perth, inland from Bunbury and near the little mining town of Collie, this is a great reason to check out Wellington National Park.

Taking four months to complete, the 8,000 square metre Wellington Dam Mural was painted by internationally renowned artist Guido Van Helten. The scale is immense and the artwork’s colours were specifically mixed on-site to blend with the local granite and landscape. Titled Reflections the mural demonstrates the commonality of how waterways are culturally significant to all people and symbolises the future of the Collie River Region as a place of natural beauty and recreation.

Find out more HERE...

Whoops! who read the memo wrong?

Everyone has a building-gone-wrong story...but who gets to see a statue planted the wrong way up in front of a prominent building?

Please meet the statue of Charles La Trobe, the first Lieutenant-Governor of Australia. No surprises here, as it is in the grounds of La Trobe University in Melbourne. 

Of course those who take a closer look realise that that it’s upside down, and poor old Charles has his head on the ground.

Why is it upside down? The Australian sculptor Charles Robb says the controversial nature of this statue is what makes it a memorable monument. He may have a point, as how many tourists choose to pose for photos beside a long-ago governor?

Many onlookers and locals disagree, deeming it disrespectful to La Trobe’s memory. You decide.

Read more...

OR

Watch this...

Chilly work

DuoDuo call themselves 'just a couple of blokes with a passion for making the best desserts, ever'. 

So what's weird and wacky about that?

Well, let's try this little number for a starter... (that's right: FRIED icecream!)

They also make what they call duonuts. 

Just one difficulty, they are located in suburban Sydney - but, who knows, maybe a DuoDuo outlet might pop up near you sometime soon??

Find out more...

Leave your snorkel behind...

How about this at Ithaa Undersea Restaurant?

Dine five meters below the surface of the ocean, in the world’s first undersea restaurant, with panoramic coral garden views and fusion menus matched with fine wines.

Better still, Ithaa can be reserved for private dining, weddings and special occasions.

Do you want even more? OK, how about panoramic coral garden views and fusion menus matched with fine wines? 

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Ozzie tucker at its best

In a small food van, tucked into a corner of the windswept town of Whitemark on Flinders Island, Mikey Yeo is whipping up one of his locally prized wallaby sandwiches.

Nutritionally, wallaby is a high-protein, low-fat meat that has been a staple for the local Palawa people for millennia. It's uniquely Tasmanian, and the island state is the only place in the country where it's legal to process this environmentally sustainable meat. 

For Mikey, wallaby is his meat of choice. "A good sandwich is bloody hard to come by," Mikey says. 

Mikey is laying out fresh white bread, an essential ingredient for a soft sandwich. "To a certain degree there's nothing better than a little cheeky white bread sandwich," Mikey says.

"It's all about texture.The whole wallaby schnitty sanger has to have crunchy, hot, salty, sour, soft flavours, and the white bread completes it. It's quite a lean meat, so it has to be cooked well - and it's in abundance here on the island." 

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Igloos in Australia?

Canberra has done it, and now Melbourne is shaping up for a Raclette Igloo Experience. Try some giant marshmallows roasting on an open fire. That's real igloo decadence.

Pretend you are in the Alps. Raclette is a luxury cheese-based meal, combined with potatoes and cured beef, pickled onions and cornichons - family-style.

Nothing weird about all this? Or is there...

For the celebrations guests will dine in one of 14 igloos, each named after a famous French ski resort.

As you walk through the entrance, snow falling gently around you, you'll be welcomed by the warmth of spiced mulled wine, and surrounded by pine trees and twinkling fairy lights that set the stage for a magical moment.

May 18-June 11 at Federation Square Skyline, Melbourne.

More details...
 

Are these the oldest houses in Iceland?

Keldur Turf House is in South Iceland and is one of only very few preserved turf houses in South Iceland. The other ones are f.ex. the turf house at Austur-Meðalholt, in North Iceland, which is now a museum, and at Skógar museum where you may find a lovely collection of turf houses.

In the 12th and 13th centuries Keldur was one of the manors of one of the most powerful clans in Iceland, the Oddi clan, and Jón Loftsson (1124-1197), who was their chieftain, lived at Keldur until his death in 1197.

This exquisite artifact at Þjóðminjasafn Íslands - Iceland's National Museum. It is called Keldnaskrínið from the Keldnakirkja church and is on loan from the National Museum of Denmark. It is believed to date back to the first part of the 13th century and that it was made in Iceland.

The turf houses at Keldur have been rebuilt many times. The present turf houses were rebuilt after big earthquakes shook the houses in 1896 and 1912. The ruins of 16-18 farmsteads have been found at Keldur.

Find out more...

Glamping in trees...

Get away from it all in lovely Prince Edward Island, Canada.

With five TreePODS (geodesic domes in trees), Treetop Haven is an all-season wellness destination offering an idyllic escape in the forest. Surrounded by ocean, beaches and trails, the TreePODS – perched nine feet from the ground – boast private wraparound decks, hot tubs and barbecues, offering the perfect home base for an all-encompassing nature retreat.

What more could you want? Try these...

Milk in your vodka, anyone?

Made in West Dorset on England’s south west coast, Black Cow is the world’s first pure milk vodka. Most vodka is made from grain or potato, but here it is made from the milk of grass-grazed cows and nothing else.

Black Cow is an award-winning, super premium, crystal clear vodka with a smooth and creamy character. The vodka has no additives or flavourings, is gluten free and is suitable for those with lactose intolerance, as all the milk sugar (lactose) has been converted into alcohol.

More details...

But that's not all!!

Keep watching for more Weird and Wacky things to see and do (and taste) in this funny old world.

(All pictures supplied)

Please note: All editorial on this page is included solely because of its interest and possible value to readers. None of the places or products mentioned above has paid to be included. Text and pictures are used with permission.

No liability is accepted for any of the items mentioned in this article. It is the responsibility of users of this site to undertake their own research and make independant decisions.

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This website is a not-for-profit venture, and operates solely as a means of sharing interesting and useful information with all who love to eat, cook, travel and explore. (That's everyone, right?)