The Errant Æsthete

From the incredible world of Jonathan Haeber at Bearings, a visit to Michael Jackson’s Neverland which has been in the news of late. A public auction of the 2,500-acre estate in central California’s wine country had been scheduled for this week after Jackson went into arrears on the 24.5 million dollar (£12.3 million) he owes on the property. But a reprieve at the eleventh hour — the auction has been postponed until May 14 by “mutual agreement” of Jackson and his creditors.

Jackson bought the property in the rolling hills of Los Olivos, 150 miles north of Los Angeles, from real estate baron William Bone in 1988 and turned it into his personal playground. He brought in more than a dozen amusement park rides, including a merry-go-round, Ferris wheel and rollercoaster and installed a zoo complete with flamingos, giraffes, elephants and orang-utans. More pictures can be seen here: