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Arkaroola's spectacular landscape with Arkaroola village in the distance - standing here, looking out I felt like I had been transported back into primeval time. All images copyright Millie Brown  I was super excited to be heading finally and for the first time to the northern Flinders Ranges, to one of the regions most spectacular and most ancient landscapes, the Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary. Located in the far north of the Flinders Ranges, 600 kms north of Adelaide and a 3 hour (5 if you are me with my camera),  drive from Wilpena Pound, where I had just spent a few glorious days. It's a truly remarkable...

Flinders Ranges - Razorback ridge on the Bunyeroo Gorge drive All images   Only four hundred kilometres north of Adelaide exists a world of extraordinary, ancient beauty and grand landscapes.  It is one of Australia's great tracts of scenic beauty.  A land of sweeping plains and ragged mountain ranges. It is Adnyamathanha country, and it tells the story of its people. It's finally spring and I'm dying to get out of the city and away from my computer screen. Months prior I had been successful in bidding through travel auctions for a stay at the Wilpena Pound Resort in...

   Wilderness Print   Displaying art can be an overwhelming process for some.  Visualising how a  piece will look in your chosen space can indeed sometimes be difficult, even for the most creative of people. There may be decisions around whether to make a statement with one larger piece of artwork versus creating a story with two or three smaller pieces.    Valley Wilderness Print   Check out details for my new service SEND ME YOUR WALL at the end of this post and learn how it will help you visualise your choice of print in your home or office space....

      Tucked into bushland near the beautiful village of Stirling in the Adelaide Hills is Woorabinda Lake, where you will find not only a place of natural beauty, but something else, something  you will rarely find anywhere else. You will find a poetry pouch, and upon opening the pouch you will find hundreds of poems written by children and adults alike, those who have sat here by the lake's edge, contemplating life while enjoying the beauty of nature. I can't remember where exactly I read the story of the Poetry Pouch, a pouch that hangs off a wooden bench located on...

     It's summer 2021 and as Australians, we aren't, (very unusually and due to covid) travelling overseas. This and the fact that we have an ever changing state border situation most of us are staying pretty close to home, giving us the opportunity to be still and appreciate the unique beauty of our home states. We are without doubt a lucky bunch of people in terms of the incredible places that exist in our own back yard. Here in South Australia some of the beaches, mainly those not far from...

Cradle Mountain - Lake St Clair National Park, Tasmania, Australia. Last winter I was (quite unusually for me) looking for more winter,  searching for the cold and snow. I felt the need to feel cocooned in nature, to hike and breath in the freshest of air, and to do it alone, at my own pace. - Available as a Fine Art Print titled Solitude I was seeking solitude and peace in the stillness of nature and I found it in the wilderness of Cradle Mountain National Park, just 2 1/2 hours drive from Launceston in north western Tasmania. This...

Cradle Mountain Lake St -Clair National Park The end of a decade is a perfect opportunity to take stock of all there is to be grateful for and to give a massive shout out and THANK YOU to all the incredible people who have helped me, encouraged me, supported me or generally just hung out with me in person or on the blog during the last ten years. In the middle of the last decade, some five years ago I made the decision to return to Australia (full time) and to continue working towards my dream of a...

After two nights at the William Creek Hotel it was time to hit the dust and dirt of the Oodnadatta track for one more night in the South Australian outback before we headed back to the bright lights of Adelaide. Following the Old Ghan Railway line the dusty dirt track meanders its way through a barren drought stricken landscape all the way from William creek to Lyndhurst (a good 200 kms) which is where you hit the bitumen again. A little note about the type of vehicle required to travel on the Oodnadatta track. Of course I’m no expert here, given this...

We didn’t hit the dirt road from Coober Pedy to travel to the tiny outback town of William Creek in the far north of South Australia for the same reason that a lot of others had, which was to experience the spectacular flood waters entering Lake Eyre, Australia’s largest lake (when full). It was however most certainly an additional highlight (for one of us in any case). More on this rare occurrence and the reason why I don’t have one single Lake Eyre photo of my own to show you! Here we arrive at the junction of the dirt William Creek...

Take the iconic Stuart Highway from Adelaide, travel 9 hours north and you’ll come to the quirky and unconventional opal mining town of Coober Pedy (the name means white man hole in the aboriginal language of this area). It’s the largest opal mining area in the world and the home to 70% of the worlds opals. It’s estimated half of the locals here live underground, while most of them at least socialise and or work underground in what are known as dugouts. If you visited this town in the heart of summer you’d probably work out pretty quickly why you’d...

      Last year (as some of you may already know) I had the great privilege of spending a week in north east Arnhem Land with the Yolngu people who live on their ancestral country (homelands) in this remote and stunning area of northern Australia. I've also just recently had the privilege to have been able to share some of my images and words used in a story written by writer - Krysia Bonkowski with a wider audience in a beautiful 9 page photo...

  Described as Australia's Galapagos, Kangaroo Island is Australia’s third largest island and sits off the coast of South Australia, a mere 30 minute flight from the city of Adelaide. Back in May I had the pleasure of photographing a story for this months (August)  Qantas magazine on the island, and it involved pulling on the hiking boots for some serious walking....more specifically, hiking part of the recently launched 61 km Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail  from the luxurious Southern Ocean Lodge. And while myself, writer Jo Mckay and our Southern Ocean Lodge guide had to deal with some pretty heavy rain...

For so many years I have wanted to visit Mungo national park after having seen photos my mother took there 15 years ago. It has taken me quite some time! Finally I went and what a place it is! An extraordinary landscape with an extraordinary ancient history. The area known as Mungo National Park is one of the oldest known places outside of Africa to have been occupied by fully modern humans and is one of the most important archaeological sites in the world. The place where burials, campsites and artefacts of an ancient...

Yesterday was the day I was able to happily share my finalist image for the National Photographic Portrait prize 2017. And in case you are not following me on Instagram I thought I would share it here with you all. I am hugely excited to have this image as one of the 49 finalist images in this years event and to be heading over to join the other finalists at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra for the launch this Friday evening. (The exhibition opens to the public on Saturday 1st April).   The photograph titled 'A Moment' features young...

Earlier this year I spent 5 out of 7 nights a week hunkering down in front of the television to watch my niece cook her way into the top 5 of Masterchef Australia. To say I was proud of her achievements would be understating it by a mile, so I was  thrilled to bits when she asked me to shoot some of the images for her recently launched website, Mimi Baines. Thanks Mim for the fun and the yum factor,  (there was definitely as much eating behind the scenes as there was work)! Grab your apron and hop on over...

A couple of months ago I decided to start an ongoing project on the sea, or in this case where I currently am in South Australia, the ocean.  My intention was to capture its ebb and flow in differing weather conditions and light. These images are from the first day when I headed down to the beach late in the afternoon ready to capture the water just before and as the sun faded. To achieve what it was I wanted at this time of the day I grabbed the tripod and some neutral density...

"I feel that an artist must receive his so called inspiration from  a direct emotional reaction to something seen in nature. It must come through the eye to the mind, just as the art of music comes through the ear to the mind and is then transformed into a personal creation.  I doubt the value of a painting unless it has that 'inner feeling' that is the result of the love for the thing seen and painted - therefore I suppose we paint best those things with which are most familiar . As long as we have...

 Le Panier, the oldest area of Marseille La Plaine and it's street art Rudy Riccioto's MuCEM Marseille has been described as 'the grit in the Cote d'Azur oyster' and even though I have never thought of Marseille as being part of the Cote d'Azur or French Riviera I love the analogy, and its also exactly how I love a city; raw, spirited, edgy and old, 2600 years...

    - Aix en Provence    - Aix en Provence    There is something magical about Christmas in Europe; the lights that spring to life late in the afternoon, woolly jumpers and snuggly coats, hot chocolates and open fires... and I am so happy and grateful to be able to enjoy it here in the south of France this year. Sending you all loads of Christmas cheer, bubbles and great times for the holidays, and may your new year be filled with all the wonderful surprises that life can throw...

Paris fashion week; for me it was only a few days and a couple of hours snapping arrivals for the Issey Miyake fashion parade at Jardin des Tuileries. Millie xx

  Image on left available as a Fine Art Print titled Positano Spaggia Grande         Availalble as a Fine Art Print titled Positano Seascape                Available as a Fine Art Print titled Amalfi Summer  The Amalfi coast in Italy needs no introduction from me, suffice to say that it is one of the world's most...

                                                           I couldn't have been happier to have a whole 7 hours to spend in the historically beautiful and vibrant city of Naples while I waited for my sister to arrive from Australia!  I was coming in from France (early) and we...

PORTO   We arrived into Porto from the Restonica Valley just in time for sunset and dinner and left not long after a late lazy breakfast overlooking the marina the next morning. All of us would have been more than happy to have stayed and explored everything that this part of the coast offers, however we needed to be in Calvi that night for our departure back to the mainland the next morning, and we wanted the day to enjoy and appreciate the less direct coastal road which had come highly...

Notre Dame des neiges stands in front of the 'Aiguilles de Bavella' (Bavella needles, mountain peaks). After a night spent in the charming village of Zonza and a wonderful dinner of wild boar we headed to the Aiguilles de Bavella and then north again further into the mountains to the town of Corte. Farmed animals here are free to roam and feed themselves on the island's wild chestnuts and other plants and island herbs, at the same time they are kept away from the olive tree which would make their meat...

BONIFACIO THE MOUNTAIN VILLAGE OF LEVIE Corsica; I have dreamed of visiting this mediterranean island for the longest time, so when Australian friends invited me to join them for 5 nights I jumped at the opportunity (after all I am but a 40 minute flight away)! The plan, to meet up in Bonifacio and then head north through the island's rugged mountainous centre and finish in the town of Calvi situated on the island's north west...

The serenity of early morning fishing on the Coorong. The Coorong and the Pelican...think Storm Boy!   What would a road trip be without a slight hiccup, salt pans..... led me to a small incident.......which led me to Dan, a very helpful guy with a rope! Farm animals in the Coorong area   Further along at the roadside fish stand I chatted with Shane and Sam and met Spot the dog (who is terrified of both firearms and cameras)! I managed to...

“But Paris was a very old city and we were young and nothing was simple there, not even poverty, nor sudden money, nor the moonlight, nor right and wrong nor the breathing of someone who lay beside you in the moonlight.” Ernest Hemingway.                           Two days in Paris; Racing through Paris on my way back to Australia was spent running from pillar to post, cramming lunches, dinners, coffees, museum visits and...

      I was in the Jungfrau Region of Switzerland and so was the quintessential deckchair; unfortunately my bottom barely touched one as it was incredibly busy helping to push me up and down mountain tracks (not that I was complaining I loved every glorious minute of it). And, hell no that's not me looking like a 'hiker' in the first photo!  I wouldn't be distinguishable by poles or anything quite as practical! No, to find me would be to find the limp and the rather unattractive...

  The elegant place d'Alberta in Aix en Provence -       The village of Paradou and it's Bistro, Le Bistrot du Paradou, is a great place for lunch or dinner. -   I first ate here before trip advisor existed or a tourist guide bothered mentioning it. A freezing cold January day spent here with enough red wine to keep us warm for a month and my first ever rabbit dish, all by an open fire.       Yet another one in my series on The Madonna, this time from...

   One of the best time to be anywhere near the Duomo is very early in the morning.   Now that I'm based in a small town on the coast of France, I quite like to take city breaks! Actually like most people I like most kinds of breaks! A few weeks ago I was back on the streets of one of my favorite cities in the world, Florence, a city I so happily called home for just over a year. Arriving in Florence is like landing smack bang into all that I love about Italian life;...

      The Rose festival is held each year in May at the sublime Villa and gardens of Ephrussi de Rothschild. Once the private winter residence for over 10 years of Béatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild and bequeathed by her one year before her death (in 1933) to the Académie des Beaux-Arts, it is one of France's most stunning Villas. I'm a huge fan! I couldn't even tell you how many times I have visited, I...

It's no secret that one of my favorite parts of the Cote d Azur are the small paths that curve their way all along the coast.  Today being sunday and bathed in gorgeous sunlight with the temperature rising above 20 for one of the first days in months it was the perfect moment to pick a path and head out. Roquebrune Cap Martin to Monte Carlo / and or Carnoles & Menton To do this particular walk, head to Roquebrune Cap Martin (about 28 mins from Nice by train and...

           The chapelle Saint Pierre (decorated by Jean Cocteau) opposite The Welcome Hotel and Place Amèlie Pollonnais    ‘A mon très cher Welcome, où j’ai passé le meilleur de ma vie’.(To my very dear Welcome, where I have passed the best moments of my life’) Jean Cocteau   Above left Jean Cocteau's room no 22   Above and below first floor suite dedicated to Cocteau's cinematic career (The cinema Junior Suite)  Cinema Junior Suite   Copyright...

  The minute the sun shines in this corner of the world the pétanque players are picking up and throwing their boules, and pulling out their tape measures, and it's usually all enjoyed under the shade or amongst the olive trees.   Take a step to the right and drop down into the city of Nice, a step left and visit the 16th Century Fort du Mont Alban Looking east from the Fort, passing by the bay of Villefranche sur Mer, Peninsula of Cap Ferrat, Cap d'Ail, Monte Carlo you can see all the...

        Superlatives flow when you visit the divine La Chevre d'Or hotel situated in the perched medieval village of Eze on the French Riviera. A few days ago while enjoying a brilliant sun filled day here on the coast I was allowed the pleasure of wandering the terraced gardens with my camera, what a joy! Millie xx Map of the French Riviera Practical Information Eze Village is situated on the French Cote d'Azur, overlooking the mediterranean and the magnificent peninsula of Cap...

       La colombe d'0r (above left) The sun may not have been out for our stroll around St Paul de Vence, but then again neither were the tourists! Millie x Practical Information Closest international airport is in the city of Nice. Public transport from Nice to St paul de Vence take the bus Line 400 (55 mins).

  2013   2013 If I didn't know better I would have sworn the confetti falling on me was snow, it was that cold in Menton! After 2 hours on the streets with my camera I sincerely regretted having been too lazy to climb back up the stairs to grab my scarf and gloves before boarding the train.  It was freezing, but fun. It's February, so it's the lemon festival (La fête du Citron) in Menton (they are celebrating it's 80th year), and the streets are swarming with lemons, oranges, performers and floats. Not...

  I cannot think of one solitary thing that I do not love about the French fishing village, Villefranche sur Mer. Nestled on the shores of the mediterranean with the hills and ski slopes behind, it sits on it’s own deep harbour between the city of Nice and the Peninsula of Cap Ferrat. It is quite simply, breathtakingly beautiful. In the twenty odd years I have been visiting, it has not lost any of its charm, soul or beauty. Maybe one small setback is that it welcomes many more visitors than it did when I first discovered...

    The most exciting part of my Christmas this year was waiting to see my parents reaction to our (me and my sibling's) best kept Christmas secret, the unveiling of Hugo the portrait and our present of their much loved, extremely spoiled and very large dog. To be able to commission Cassie one of South Australia's most talented and exhibited artists to capture Hugo on canvas was one of the most exciting elements of the surprise.  I am a huge admirer of her talent and creativity.  She is not only an immensely gifted...

I feel an Angel is watching over me, however I won't continue to push my luck . It's midnight in Paris and I'm walking home on a cold January night when a cough behind me takes my attention, and I turn to see who is sharing the dimly lit and deserted street with me. I make out a male figure in a dark jacket with a hood pulled tightly over his head, he's 20 meters behind.  As I quietly reassure myself there is no reason to be afraid I quickly take out the gate keys anyway and hope that this...

I was packing for Venice! An email had just arrived from my dear friend Helen who lives most happily between Venice and Australia, 6 months in Venice from spring to Autumn and back to Australia for its warmer months. She had the wonderful idea of swapping homes for a week, I would fly to Venice and stay with her for a night and the next day after we had enjoyed a good catch up she would take my apartment keys and a plane to Paris. For the one afternoon and evening that we had together in Venice...

For many reasons I never imagined I would love any other city in the world as much as I loved (and love) Paris. However, when I moved from the 'city of light' to Florence to study photography, it became my new love, and they now sit comfortably side by side as my two favorite cities in the world. The Adelaide magazine, Adelaide Matters, recently asked me to put pen to paper and write 10 things I love to do in Florence. The only problem I had with that was keeping it down to 10. I would like to share just a...