The Australia Edition

Brand: Journey Of Something

Pieces: 1000
Size: 70cm x 50cm
Product Code:  -

Since Covid-19 took over the world, there has been a huge influx of puzzle brands coming onto the market so people can while away their 'stay at home' time with activities such as puzzle assembly. So many companies sold out of their designs with this unprecedented demand, and a whole new audience grew. 

Because of this, a lot of regular puzzlers had trouble locating designs from their favourite brands, and it meant having to either do ones already in their collection which had been put off for others (I'm guilty of this) and also trying new brands (also guilty). 

One of the new brands I decided to try was not necessarily new- Journey Of Something has been around for quite a few years already- but it was new to me (in that, I hadn't purchased from them before. I had always admired their artist-based designs but couldn't justify the cost. Even though they are only a small business, their prices seemed way too expensive compared to the usual $30 or so I usually spend as maximum. For your reference, their puzzles cost over $50 each for a 1000 piece puzzle. But when they had a sale, I decided to take the plunge and just buy some. Their Australian-owned and I thought I'd do my bit to support local.

I'm glad I did.

The designs are expensive (as I said) but that said, I know they have to cover the costs of manufacture, copyright for artists, shipping, promotion, etc, and still make some money at the end of it. All of the designs are carefully curated and beautiful. The pieces come in a fabric bag inside the box, whose lid lifts up and is held with ribbon. Presentation is perfect. 

I chose the above puzzle and two others, and thought I'd put up this one first because Australia Day (a public holiday which has become very controversial over the last few years- 'aka Invasion Day') is this Tuesday and I needed something Australian themed to display. 

Extremely good quality and very pretty. I loved the landmarks, illustrations, and overall design of this Australian map. If you get the chance, check out their website and see what goodies catch your eye. 

Desert Oaks, Uluru, NT

Brand: Ken Duncan Images Of Australia (Crown & Andrews)- The World's Most Beautiful Jigsaw Puzzles
Pieces: 504
Size: 64cm x 24cm
Product Code:  -

Happy Australia Day!

Today is January 26th, a national holiday where we celebrate the arrival of Britain's First Fleet on Australian shores in 1788. The day has been steeped in controversy over the last few years, with people wanting to change the date to one that is less 'offensive' to native Australians, some of whom call the day 'Invasion Day'. 

I'm really not fussed if the date is changed, as long as we still get to celebrate a public holiday!

To me, Australia Day is a chance to catch up with friends, have a BBQ and relax. It's a chance to celebrate the things that make Australia great. It's a chance to enjoy a day away from work and just chill out on a hot summer's day.

The puzzle above was the most Australian I could find in my collection- I haven't had the opportunity to do much puzzling lately so I had to use an image from my backlog which I hadn't put up yet! What could be more iconic and Australian than Uluru!

The quality of the pieces was terrific, the image- taken by Ken Duncan- was of course, spot on, and the colours were vibrant. I've done plenty of his puzzles and will continue to do so. You just can't go wrong!

Australia Day, Sydney Harbour, NSW

Brand: Ken Duncan Images Of Australia (Crown & Andrews) - The World's Most Beautiful Jigsaw Puzzles
Pieces: 504
Size: 64cm x 24cm
Product Code:   -

Yesterday, January 26, was Australia Day- a public holiday! 

It's meant to be a day when Australian's celebrate the anniversary of the First Fleet landing on Australian shores in 1788, thus paving the way for colonization of the country. 

But in recent years, there has been a lot of controversy surrounding the day- particularly for indigenous Australians who have renamed the day 'Invasion Day' and want Australia Day celebrations to fall on a more inclusive day for everyone.

At the moment, things are still up in the air about the future of Australia Day, but until then, it will continue to be a day filled with Aussie flags, barbecues and a day off with family and friends (if you're lucky enough to get time off work). 

Above is a puzzle that I found by renowned Australian photographer Ken Duncan, featuring a scene on the Sydney Harbour from Australia Day in previous years past. This panoramic puzzle was quite easy to do, despite all the yachts and boats dotted throughout the picture, and the quality was wonderful. 

It's rare that I can find a puzzle that fits perfectly with a day's theme- so I was happy to find this one to put up from my collection! 

Australia

Brand: Hinkler Puzzlebilities
Pieces: 500
Size: 73.6cm x 58.4cm
Product Code:  HB22-FEB16-08

On Thursday (January 26) it was Australia Day- our national celebration day. It's a public holiday usually dedicated to barbecued sausages, lots of drinking, listening to Triple J's Hottest 100, and celebrating what makes Australia great.

In recent years, however, there has been growing controversy over the suitability of the day, particularly for some Indigenous Australians. They, and many others who agree with them, have renamed the day Invasion Day, and are striving to change the date so that they too can celebrate their home country without thinking about the genocide that was involved in Australia's 'discovery'. A date suggestion has been May 8 ('Maaaattttttee') as 'mate' is a well-known Aussie colloquialism. 

Personally, I'm not fussed if they change the date or not, as long as we still have the chance to celebrate this amazing country. Of course, it would be better if more people felt comfortable with the date, but, as usual, there will always be someone who wants to complain...

Okay, enough social commentary...

If you haven't already figured it out from what I have written, there is a reason I have posted up this puzzle- Australia Day! 

This puzzle actually took longer for me to do than I expected. The pieces are huge, yet some of them feature very small text (town names, rivers, etc), in order to fit it all on. If the pieces had been any smaller, the puzzle would have been impossible to do! I also realised through doing this puzzle that my knowledge of Australian geography is not as great as I thought it was. I had to Google search a few town names just to work out which state they were in! That said, this would make a great educational tool for people wanting to learn about Australian geography. The map features topographical information as well as a handy key. It also covers a little bit of neighbouring countries Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. The quality of the pieces isn't terribly great- thin cardboard- but that's to be expected from a relatively low-budget puzzle. 

This is a good, cheap puzzle that has strong educational values. 

A handy key at the bottom of the map provides plenty of information

The puzzle pieces are quite large