100 Aussie Icons

Brand: Mr Bob Puzzles

Pieces: 101
Size: 40cm x 30cm

Product Code:  -

It's Australia Day this week, and the public holiday will fall on a Wednesday, so I'm excited to get a mid-week day off work! 

But besides that, I think a lot of the public favour for the day has gone sour. 

While a lot of people celebrate the day, there are just as many people who are disgusted by it and have renamed it 'Invasion Day'. I personally feel for the Aboriginal people that this day has affected and would be happy for the day to be renamed or even for the date to be changed so that it has less negative connotations. 

But even though I feel this way, I couldn't let the day pass by completely unrecognised, so I have posted up a picture of a fantastic wooden puzzle that I purchased from small Australian company Mr Bob Puzzles. They design and cut all their own puzzles in Western Australia, using quality products and including whimsy pieces. 

The artworks are incredible and the overall quality is amazing. You definitely need to check out what they have on offer. This puzzle celebrates 100 Aussie Icons and is designed by artist Jim Tsinganos. It includes whimsy pieces such as the Sydney Opera House, a kangaroo, an Australia outline and much more. This would be perfect for wooden puzzle collectors or even as a souvenir of the country. 

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!

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.