The Twelve Apostles, Vic

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

I'm lucky enough to live near one of Australia's popular natural tourist attractions- The Twelve Apostles. Located along the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, this natural formation along the coast is slowly eroding away but still draws thousands of tourists every year who stop along the roadside to view the picturesque sight.

I have decided to put this puzzle up today in association with an event that is running at the moment- although admittedly there's a little bit of a stretch. As you head towards the Great Ocean Road, in Bellbrae, there is an amazing place called The Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie & Ice Creamery. 

Now, I've never been there but I have many friends and family members who vouch for the place and insist on me going there at some point. I absolutely want to but I need to find the time! Anyway, at the moment, they're holding a Hot Chocolate Festival and it sounds amazing. If you end up going along the Great Ocean Road to visit the Twelve Apostles and other landmarks, then you should definitely make a stop at the chocolaterie on the way!

Sooo, plug over- back to the puzzle! This puzzle is of a panoramic image taken by Ken Duncan- a renowned Australian photographer. The colours and quality of this puzzle were outstanding, and the image is a truly beautiful representation of Australia's natural wonders. 

I have a few other puzzles from this collection which I hope to do soon- the images are just so vibrant- making these into perfect reminders of travel memories, or enticing additions to a travel bucket list. 

Wonders Of The World

Brand: Cardinal
Pieces: 500
Size: 35.5cm x 27.9cm
Product Code:  -

This weekend marks the end of daylight-saving in my state of Victoria (as well as a few other states in Australia). This means that we have to wind the clocks back an hour, and endure darker mornings as winter slowly approaches. 

At this time of year, I often feel quite lethargic and yearn for a holiday away from work, and so this puzzle was both a joy to do (and a sad reminder that I'm nowhere near any of the places featured). 

Arranged in a photo-collage design, this puzzle features notable man-made and natural landmarks around the world, including the pyramids, the Colosseum, the Taj Mahal, Machu Picchu, Uluru, and the Eiffel Tower among others. Keeping with the travel theme, there's also a compass, map and travel documents scattered throughout the design. 

This puzzle has very small pieces (which account for the rather small dimensions of the finished puzzle) but the quality of each piece is outstanding, with sturdy, thick cardboard pieces that slot together well. I have found over time that I actually prefer smaller pieces, and this (along with some of the Japanese Tenyo puzzles I have previously done), well and truly meets the benchmark for quality that I'd expect.

If you have the travel bug or winter blues, simply want to reminisce on places you've been, or want to plan out where to go next, Wonders Of The World  should provide all the inspiration you need.