Hi, I’m Orla
I’m 9 years old. I go to a school in Geelong in Year 3. And I’m vegetarian.
We have three chickens and a worm farm. If that surprises you, we have a whole veggie garden. We have a huge water tank out the back that we can connect to our tap.
I’m an eco-warrior. I’m especially worried about the fumes from cars and cities.
My absolute favourite things are:-
- Rock music
- Curry with spinach sauce
- Playing Uno
- School
- Chickens and ducks
- Breakfast
- Parsley
- Dragons
- Wolves
- Wizards
- my lemon tree out the back
- …and my most favourite is my Mum and Dad
This site is about being a vegetarian kid. By reading my blog you can find really fabulous places to go to eat. I might also talk about gardening, recycling, looking after chickens, composting, events that I go to around Melbourne and my favourite recipes.
We have explored a whole group of vegetarian-friendly restaurants which we’ll put on this site for you to explore as well. Most of them are in Melbourne. For example Hako – it’s perfect for dinner when hanging out with your friends.
You might feel left out at school, but don’t worry we’re all actually a group together aren’t we? I’m sure a lot of you have visited these restaurants and I want to see what you think about them. Have fun visiting this website and writing your own messages.
Love Orla
105 comments
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I nibbled a carrot on the head.
It said,
“Hello Fred!
If I had toes
You could also nibble those”.
Thanks enb! I wouldn’t like the toes to be muddy! Love Orla
Hi Orla, I was just introduced to your blog today by my husband Andy who is good friends with your Dad. I think it is AWESOME! I have read every post and can’t wait to try out some of the restaurants you have reviewed. I love the way you write, it makes me feel like I am at the restaurant with you. I also think you have some really important and wise things to say. Thankyou so much and keep up your super work.
Love Madeleine
Hi Madeleine, Thank you for writing your beautiful message. It is always really great to hear kind words. I hope that we can get together with Otto and Coco for lunch one day and they could try out the meals and help me with my write up. Love from Orla x
Hi Orla, I REALLY REALLY love your blog. I think you could end up as an author. My dad is the head of Geelong College and he loves it to. I like dragons to and I’m not a girly girl at all.
Love Gracie Carroll.
PS: Your really cool.
Hi Grace – great to hear from you and thank you for writing such a polite comment. Dragons are the best and great to fly on and read about. Next time I am at your house we can play another goblin game or adventure in your cellar! Happy Halloween today! Love Orla
THE TOFU BIRD.
The Tofu is my favourite bird.
It’s skin is white
And it’s fluffy and light.
It builds its nest inside my house
Just beside the chocolate mouse.
At meals it dances on my plate
right next to the nutloaf and
– just wait …
I rather think I may be wrong
‘Cos it doesn’t whistle or sing a song.
The Tofu a bird?
How absurd!
We all know it’s a Soy,
you silly boy.
P.S. How DO you milk a Soy?
Thanks Orla.I had a great halloween.I hope molly and chicko are feeling well.
Love: Gracie Carroll.
PS:Have a great christmas.
Hi enb, I loved your poem on the tofu bird! I would like to see how it dances on your plate.
P.S. you milk soy through their milk teeth!
Dear Grace, Molly and Chicko are two happy spring chickens! Love Orla xox Happy Spring!
Sweet blog for an 8 year-old! Count me impressed : )
Thanks Bikezilla guy! You have a really really cool bike. I loved seeing you at the 350 protest. Maybe we’ll see you around at the Melbourne Bike Film Festival!
Spewing I haven’t been able to make it along yet, and it’s winding up tomorrow : (
Hi Orla, your blog is awesomesauce! I’ve just been re-reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and your rhymes reminded me of Oompa loompas! Such fun
Also I LOOOVe reading Melbourne food blogs, so thanks for all your reviews.
Cheers,
Michelle
Hello Michelle! I also love Charlie and the Chocolate Factory too! When I went to England a couple of years ago I got to go to the Roald Dahl Museum and dressed up as Mr Fox and sat in Roald Dahl’s special chair. Thank you for your lovely comment and I will write some more blogs about food and stuff soon
I have just seen a very odd name.
In London in 1889 Mr and Mrs May called their baby TOMATO. Perhaps they were vegetarians. If they were not they may have called the child MEATBALL!
As you know, I never joke (ha, ha!) but get on the internet at http://www.freebmd.org.uk/ , go to search and, in the given name box, put Tomato.
enb
Hello enb. It is very odd that a parent would call their child by a name of a vegetable! Whenever they were making tomato soup for dinner, their daughter must have been horrified. It would be a bit like calling my chickens ‘Nugget’ and ‘Curry’ (yuck!). Love from Orla xx
Hi Orla, I love your blogs!!! Its making me very homesick for the Melbourne lifestyle. I used to love snooping around the arcades and watching all people going by. If I was living there again I would go to all the places that you have reviewed for a meal with Jesse and Murray. I feeling very hungry just thinking about all that great food you get to eat.
Love
Jenni xox
Ps Jesse says hi
Pss Say hello to your mum and dad for us
Hello Jenni, great to hear from you! Perhaps when you come to Melbourne next we could take Jesse to Mini Mart and buy some of the crazy Japanese lollies! I also love snooping around the arcades. My favourite one is the Walk Arcade because it has one of my most loved shops called Oxfam. I’d love to hear some of your yummy restaurants in Brisbane too! Mum and Dad say hello back! Love from Orla xoxoxoxoxox
hello Orla, thankyou for your wonderful pizza poem, it brought a smile to our faces. we have added you as a link to our facebook page…..love! from your friends at bande a part pizza bar
Thank you Bande A Part Friends! Your pizza is the best and I can’t wait to come back and visit you soon. Love Orla
Hi Orla!
We Love your blog, particularly your great review of our restaurant Colonel Tan’s!
We’re really glad you enjoyed it.
It’d be great if you could get in touch with us by email. We have a couple of questions for you!
- The team at Colonel Tan’s
I stumbled across your site looking for my nearest stockist of Ch’i water in Sydney.
Lucky I did, because I think you’re one of the coolest bloggers I’ve had the pleasure to read, not to mention a real great inspiration!
Stay cool. *big grin
Hello Eskimo Soap! Thank you for looking at my blog. I LOVE the Ch’i water – it was a handy refreshing drink when we were doing our big bike ride. Cheers with Ch’i! Love Orla
Hi Orla!
This blog is so cool – I wish the Internet had been around when I was eight, almost twenty years ago! (Gosh, that makes me feel OLD.)
You write so well, I’m looking forward to reading more! I live in Hobart, and I miss Melbourne’s food so much. I’m especially envious that you got to go to Mamasita! Hopefully when I’m in Melbourne next I can eat there.
Keep up the good work!
Love, Liz xox.
Hello there Liz! Thank you for noticing my blog on such a jam packed internet! I’ve been to Tasmania twice and I love it, but I haven’t had the experience of living there …. perhaps I can live there when I get older. Melbourne is great and I hope you come back to visit soon. Come with an empty tummy! Love Orla
Hi Orla! Steph again. Danni and I look after a Planet called Planet VGML, which stands for Veg Melbourne. It’s an aggregator where people can come to read lots of blog posts about being vegetarian or vegan in Melbourne! We were wondering if you were interested in having your blog aggregated to the planet? The way it works is it picks up an rss feed of your posts, and that’s it! You can check it out here.
Anyway, let me know if you are interested! I find it really helps me find out about awesome new Melbourne restaurants!
)
Hi Steph, that would be fantastic! Thank you for being so kind to offer me such a privilege. I’ve seen your blog and it looks wonderful. Love from Orla
Orla, you are incredible!! Your blog will now officially be my bible to live and dine by. Thanks for the great write-up. I’ve passed the address onto the guys and other friends too. Keep in touch. xx
Thank you Gabrielle for reading my blog and passing it onto your friends. I’ll certainly keep in touch because you are such a amazing and creative person. Love Orla.
Hi Orla,
I’m a friend of Steve and Alex Lewis and I live in Sunshine, not too far from you! Alex showed me your site recently (we just visited them) after I told her I wanted to start a website about being a vegetarian! I think your site is wonderful and can’t wait to read more. Also looking forward to trying out the restaurants….yum!
Siabh
Hello Siabh (another great Irish name!). I am pleased to hear that Alex let you know about my blog. I hope that you have good luck with your new blog on being vegetarian – I would like to know when it is up and running. Love from Orla (p.s. I love Steve too)
Hi Orla,
Some friends and I went to Maha on your recommendation and loved it! Thanks. We were especially pleased with the turkish delight-filled doughnuts.
I keep going back to your entry about your wonderful Japanese cat books and wishing that I could read them. So I thought I should write to say that if you ever do another print-run, please consider me as a keen customer. I am such a big fan of your illustrations and your beautiful writing. Not sure if it’s blog etiquette, but my email is gdevietri @ gmail . com
x Gabrielle
Hello again Gabrielle – thank you so much for trying out Maha. I am really pleased you and your friends loved it! I will get a copy of my Japanese Cats series printed just for you and will email you when they are ready. Love Orla xox
Woo hoo! Thank you!
Hi Orla,i just wanted to say i love your blog and hope your injoying school. I hope your all doing well.
Love Gracie.
Hello Grace, I am certainly enjoying school and thank you for your compliment about my blog. Love Orla
Hi Orla, Congratulations on a wonderful stall at the Mid Winter Artists Market. My children are all enjoying the whole series of Japanese Cat, so much so that Evie would like to learn Fencing. It was an absolute pleasure to to meet you and you are truly an inspiration!
Talk soon…Emma
Dear Emma, thank you very much for reading my blog! Your Market was absolutely fantastic and I loved the other artists and the conversations that we had together. I’d also like to mention that it would be fantastic for Evie to join fencing! Go Japanese Cats! Love Orla xox
Orla,
thanks for coming to the Community Cup, I am glad you came and that you liked it. Good that you wrote about.
Don’t worry we will next year.
Jason
Boss of the Rockdogs.
Hi Jason – I can’t believe I am writing to the Boss of the RockDogs – so cool! I’ll be there next year to barrack for the RockDogs and see you win! GO ROCKDOGS! Love Orla
A hedgehog came into my house
as quiet as a little mouse.
A chocolate hedgehog
BUT
covered on top with coconut.
I love him so
And don’t you know
He stopped the rumbling down below!
Hello enb! That Hedgehog Poem is so hilarious! The truth is that we snuck in this morning and placed it into your letterbox and ran away before you could see what was going on. Tee hee! I really hope you enjoy them, but I don’t think they will last very long! Love from Orla x
Just found your blog and as a year 3 teacher I have to say that you are an amazing young girl. What a gift. I am relatively new to Melbourne and will enjoy visiting some of your suggested vegetarian restaurants.
Hello Robyn. Welcome to Melbourne! I am so excited you’ve found my blog. Thank you for writing to me and I can’t wait for you to visit some great restaurants and cafes in Melbourne. Hope you have a great time teaching your class. Happy eating! Love Orla
Orla, I loved your story about your trip to the You Yangs. The day that I went there I saw some athletes RUNNING up the zig-zag track to the top of Flinders Peak and then down again. That is a 3 km round trip from the car park!! I’ll bet they stopped off at Lara for an ice-cream.
On a clear day Melbourne can be seen from the top.
Hi Orla,
your blog is just the best blog and I look forward to seeing more of your blog.
From Grace.
Hi Orla,
This is a great blog! I’m a journalist for a local Geelong newspaper and I would love to write an article about your blog, your experiences and the reviews you’ve done. If you’re interested feel free to send me an email and we can have a chat over the phone. I’m happy to talk with your mum or dad first if they’d like too.
Keep up the great work!
Kim
Hey Orla,
Its Bryson fromschool. It is greta what you are doing. I have a compost worm farm and a lot of frit trees. Go orla. I am not a vegen or a vego my self but I love veggies dishes. Sorry I will never turn a vego I love the good old snag on the B.B.Q. to much. Keep up the good work.
From Bryson
Sorry about the spelling Orla I was in a rush. How did you create such a great website.
From Bryson
Hello Bryson!
What a surprise! It’s great to see you have found my website. I don’t really mind if you don’t become a vegetarian, but there are still really good restaurants or bars in Melbourne you could try out. You might be amazed!
Sincerely, Orla
Hi again Bryson!
Don’t worry about the spelling, I sometimes make those mistakes! My Mum and Dad helped me create the website using WordPress. See you at school!
your blog is awesome if you click on somthing randomly on your blog it will come up with heaps of heaps of heaps of heaps of infermation coool poems and really cool stuff about your healthy lifetyle yuo’ll never be disapointed on your standed!!! I think that if u keep this up u could be a…… WORLD SUPERSTAR!!!
Jasmine West
ITS BRYSON HERE DID THE WEBSITE COST ANY MONEY TO MAKE.
Your blog is awesome if you click on somthing randomly on your blog it will come up with heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps of information cool poems and really cool stuff about ur healthy lifestyle you’llnever be disapointed on your stande!!!! Ithink if u keep this up u could be a……… WORLD SUPERSTAR!!
:0
Jasmine Wezt
is the big I one of ur websites or did u find it on the internet? The big I is cool and i would like to vomment but i would also like to no if it is urs?
srry for the mastakes!!!
Vomment should be comment
Hi Jasmine!
The Big I is mine as well!
Thankyou for saying the Big I is cool… maybe I could come up with another blog like “The Big R” (The Big Reader!)
Can’t wait to see you next week!
Cheers, Orla!
Hi Jasmine! (again!)
You’re right, The Big V is really big (that explains why it’s called the BIG V!)
Sometimes even I can’t find my way through it , and I’ve been doing it for 1 year!
Cheers, Orla
PS The Search bar at the top really helps if you want to find something quickly!
Hi Bryson!
WordPress is completely and utterly free, the only job you need to do to access it is to download it, install it on your server and create your own design.
Or, to take a short cut, just go to WordPress.com were you can use one of their templates -both are free!
Cheers, Orla
Hi I its Jasmine ‘er,
Its Holloween today! ohhhhh!!
I think my faverout (scary) thing for holloween is a ghost (probaly just mums white clean sheets of the clothes line and me just putting them on my head!)
i hope you have a great day heres a poem (yes i am up for the challenge!!):
holloween is for all
for all to have a ball
get dressed up in scary costumes
and walk alonge the clean air without any fumes
getting lollies to stuff our face
with our friends that make holloween so fun
i hope its like the next one!
hey neat eh?
cheers, Jasmine
Hi Orla,
How Did You Make Yourself Your Own Blog? As I Am Wanting To Make One Myself. How Did You Set It Up And So On. Thanks Polly
Hello Polly,
I made my blog on WordPress, and I got my Dad to help me out with the pictures.
All you need is a bit of help from your Mum and Dad and some knowledge in computer technology.
On WordPress, all you need to do is download it, create a design and install it on your server.
Or, you can go to WordPress.com and just choose a template.
Enjoy!
Sincerely, Orla
Hi Jasmine,
Well done!
It’s good to see more of your cool poems!
Look out for a blog about some yummy Halloween cupcakes tonight!
Cheers, Orla
the yummy holloween cupcakes look sooooo youm do you have the recipe?? if you do tell me at school.
thanks i am not an expert or anytrhing on poems its just radom i am normally not that good!!
hi orla charlotte from school Love your Blog
From Charlotte
hi orla i have just been looking at your blog on the laptop that me and mum share. i think you have done an amazing job! i love your amazing pictures!
Hello Otto! It is great to have you on my blog! Thank you for all of your fantastic comments. I love waving cats too! Maybe we could have lunch together there one day. I hope your Mum, Dad and Coco are getting out too cool places with you too. Love Orla xox
hi orla its chloe from your school are you on
Hello Chloe!
Thanks a lot for finding my blog!
I can’t wait to see you at school on Monday.
Cheers, Orla
I love the photo of you and the monster bush thing. Wouldn’t it be cool if your Pa put lights and a star on it and pretended it was a Christmas tree!!
Hello enb, great idea for the Christmas Tree! It would look cool but you would need a step ladder to reach the top and just imagine if the tree grew even more and gobbled up the lights. It would be pretty frightening! Love Orla
Hi Orla,
I’m originally from Geelong but now live in Melbourne. Whenever I visit now I don’t know where to get good vegan food. Suggestions?
Hi Xavier – I’m sorry for not responding sooner to your comment. I have been busy at fencing camp. Here are two good suggestions for places that do vegan food in Geelong:
1/ Wholefoods Cafe, which is just around the corner from Cavalier Arts. They do very good felafel and delicious spring rolls. Plus their special beetroot juice makes us look like vampires!
http://www.diversitat.org.au/services/wholefoods/wholefoods-cafe
2/ My other favourite place is The Sprout and the Bean which is at 163 Malop Street. I love it because of the fantastic vege soups they do and tofu wraps and salad. They are next door to the Organic Larder who supplies lots of fruit, vegetable and organic goods.
Hope you have a fantastic time food hunting!
Love Orla
I heard the strangest thing recently. A friend’s chooks were laying their eggs in the vegetable garden – among the eggplants. Perhaps they were planting eggs! How eggsstrawdinary.
Hello enb!
It’s funny what runs through chickens’ heads…they sometimes do the funniest things! Our chickens did exactly the same thing, until I found their cosy hideout and they started laying them in the rosemary-yum!
Love Orla
Hey Orla I love your site I meet u at E-artkid iv been looking at your blog and reading the comments see you next time at artplay
Hi Sophie!
Thankyou so much for visiting the Big V!
I hope you enjoyed the workshop yesterday-how’s your blog coming along?
Can’t wait to the next session!
Cheers,
Orla
Hey Orla it’s going well i still don’t know how to put pictures on yet but I will soon figure it out I can’t wait to see the Salt Bush see you there
Bye for now
hey orla otto here the blog is looking fantastic!
Hi Otto!
Thanks for visiting Big V!
I agree, I am pretty proud of it, but I need to add a few more blogs before the end of the month…..grrrr……
I hope you enjoy your holidays and have fun!!
From Orla
hey Orla
when are you going to post another post because iv read them all and i want to read some more of our fantastic work!
Hi Sophie!
I’m going to get a big handful of some fresh blogs today for ARTISTICALL when I see some of the great shows in Melb!
Thanks for reading- it really makes my day!
hi Orla how did you get your drawings on the top bit of the screen. From Maia.
Hi,
Its me again Love your blog even more!
Hi Maia!
It’s actually how the template for the site came-so if you do want a ’site flag’ as it’s called, get Green Grass, a cool theme in your appearance bar.
Hope you succeed!
Cheers,
Orla
Hi Jas!
Great to see you back on Big v!
See you next term….. keep up the good work!
Cheers,
Orla
Dear Orla
i love your blog can you please go to my blog at http://life-of-maia.blogspot.com thanks from maia
oh and secend of all i live in geelong to!!!!
Hi Maia!
Like your blog- I didn’t know you were born in Scotland!
Where do you live in Geelong? Maybe you could tell us about some cool events that go on there as well!
Thanks for visiting!
Cheers,
Orla
don’t worry i have a batch of new stuff to put on my blog. Can you please be a follower and how do i be a follower on your blog.
I live in New town and i love going to melb to
ok i have put much more stuff on my blog come check it out.
hi orla the blog looks fantastic. when did you start your blog? Keep it coming with blog posts:-)
Hi Otto!
I started my blog early this year, with some help from some eager bloggers named the E-artkids. Thanks for finding it- it’s my new pride and joy now! I’ll let you know when the next blog’s out.
Cheers,
Orla
Hey Orla,
Your blog is looking fantastic!
Keep up the great work
Sophie
Hi Sophie!
Thankyou for the fantastic books- they’ll keep me occupied for quite some time!
Also, thanks for finding my blog. Mum’s told me all about you, and you sound really nice. We could catch up some time!
I can’t wait for your next comment…. thankyou for the support!
Cheers,
Orla
Hey Orla
Its Sophie
You have a fantstic blog.
I try to come on your blog as often as I can to see if you have done any more fantastic posts.
Keep up the great work Orla.
From Sophie
(the Sophie from ArtPlay)
Hi Sophie!
Thankyou for the support!
I love your blog too- we’ve got a great blogging team at ArtPlay!
Cheers,
Orla
Hey Orla,
Its Zara I think your blog is totally great!
I can’t wait to try out some of the vegetarian restaurants u r talking about!!
I’ll MISS U ORLA WHEN U MOVE!!!
I’m very sad!
Hi Zara!
Welcome to Big V- it’s great to have you on!
Don’t worry, I’ll keep in touch with the class as soon as I go.
I hope you have a great time at Cave Hill Creek (I’m so jealous!) and you have fun exploring the Big V!
Thanks for the message,
Cheers,
Orla
sup Orla
we really miss u.
how is your new school?
we cant wait to hear from u!
CHEERS
Grace & Ilah
p.s. how are molly and chiko.
Dear Grace and Ilah,
I’m living in Collingwood now, I’ve moved school and this is my first day at the new school. But unfortunately Molly and Chicko have passed away, and 1 of our new chickens got a broken leg and died too. The other one, however, is living happily on a different farm, pecking away at fresh grass. She’s also the fattest chicken on the farm- she might take the rooster’s fancy!
Enjoy Term 3,
Orla
HAPPY UNBIRTHDAY!
Happy unbirthday to you
Happy unbirthday to you
Happy unbirthday, dear Orla
Happy unbirthday to you
(and another 364 times)
Dear enb,
Thanks for the song! It’s great to get some good old Alice in Wonderland going! Let’s just hope a mouse doesn’t go exploding out of the top of my unbirthday cake now! I’ve also got a glass of water at the ready, so your throat doesn’t get too sore by saying all those songs!
Love from Orla, a.k.a The Mad Hatter.