'PINK LADY' INDIAN HAWTHORN

Rhaphiolepis indica, Indian hawthorn, is a dense, mounding, broadleaf evergreen shrub cultivated for its foliage and flowers. It is native to southern China and Southeast Asia, where it is found on woodland slopes and along streams. It is a member of the rose family.

The 'Pink Lady' hybrid is a stunning disease-resistant variety that produces profuse clusters of pink flowers; bright reddish-orange new foliage matures to a deep glossy green, with deep maroon winter foliage; excellent groundcover, accent, or foundation shrub.

The fruit of some varieties is edible when cooked, and can be used to make jam, but some ornamental varieties bear fruit that is of no culinary value.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

ON THE WATER

This post is part of the Roentare’s Water Meme

and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme

and also part of the Nature Notes meme

CITY VIEW

The sculpture on Spencer Street in front of the Grand Hotel is a Melbourne public art installation called "Raising the Rattler Pole—The Last of the Connie's" by artist David Bell. Located at the corner of Flinders and Spencer Streets, the 1:1 scale replica is a tribute to the iconic W-class "rattler" trams (see one in action below main photos). The sculpture features a black tram playfully and significantly upended with its rear pointing upwards, a social comment perhaps on the advent of automated ticketing and the abolishment of the human "connie" (tram conductor and ticket issuer).

I took the photo from a moving train going towards the Southern Cross Station.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

SPRING

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

STORM COMING...

And it's called puberty...

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme.

SNAKE SEASON

Australia has nearly 200 known species of snake, only 25 of which are considered potentially deadly. Common snakes in the Melbourne area and surrounding suburbs include the Tiger Snake, Eastern Brown Snake, Copperhead Snake, White-Lipped Snake, Small-Eyed Snake and Red-Bellied Black Snake. There are over 27 types of snake in Victoria and a number of these are venomous, including the tiger snake, the copperhead, the brown snake and the red-bellied black snake.

Darebin Parklands is a nature reserve in the midst of inner suburban Melbourne. It has a host of animal species, many of them native that live happily in its confines. These creatures of course include snakes. Numerous signs relating to snakes are found throughout the Parklands, reminding people to take care during the Summer between the months of October to April.

I have seen snakes a number of times, in the Parklands and elsewhere, but fortunately these encounters have been innocent enough. While seeing a snake may be an intimidating experience, they are typically shy creatures and most will try to avoid confrontation with humans and quickly slither away (how quickly they can move is indeed a sobering experience).

Snakes go into brumation during the cooler months. Brumation is a state of winter dormancy exhibited by cold-blooded animals, such as reptiles and amphibians, during periods of low temperatures or reduced daylight. It is a naturally occurring process where an animal's metabolic rate slows down, leading to increased sleep, decreased appetite, and reduced activity. This state differs from true hibernation in that it is not dependent on the animal's body temperature but rather on environmental conditions.

Brumation is officially ending in October in Melbourne and snakes are becoming more active, as this wide-awake tiger snake is exhibiting in the Darebin Parklands. I said hello, took its photo discreetly and quietly left...

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

SUNSET SKY

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

BLOOMING WATTLE

Wattles are  trees and shrubs of the Acacia genus, with the Golden Wattle (Acacia pycnantha), shown here, serving as Australia's national floral emblem. Wattles are highly resilient, fast-growing plants that play a crucial role in land regeneration, acting as a "nurse crop" for other plants. They are a powerful symbol of Australian identity and are celebrated on National Wattle Day, September 1st.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

DAREBIN PARKLANDS

One of the ponds in the Darebin Parklands provides ample space for wildlife, especially water birds, as well as much native flora around it.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Roentare’s Water Meme,

and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

ALOE

This post is part of the "My Sunday Best" meme.

POSSUM

The common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula, from the Greek for "furry tailed" and the Latin for "little fox", previously in the genus Phalangista) is a nocturnal, semiarboreal marsupial of the family Phalangeridae, native to Australia and invasive in New Zealand, and the second-largest of the possums.

Like most possums, the common brushtail possum is nocturnal. It is mainly a folivore, but has been known to eat small mammals such as rats. In most Australian habitats, eucalyptus leaves are a significant part of the diet, but rarely the sole item eaten. Its tail is prehensile and naked on its lower underside. The four colour variations are silver-grey, brown, black, and gold.

It is the Australian marsupial most often seen by city dwellers, as it is one of few that thrive in cities and a wide range of natural and human-modified environments. Around human habitations, common brushtails are inventive and determined foragers with a liking for fruit trees, vegetable gardens, and kitchen raids. Its once vast distribution has been greatly affected by drought, epizootic disease and intrusion of invasive mammals into its habitat.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

HOT AIR

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

WARATAH

Telopea speciosissima or the “waratah” is a native Australian plant with spectacular flowers. Robert Brown (1773-1858) named the genus Telopea in 1810 from specimens collected in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney. Sir James Smith (1759-1828), a noted botanist and founder of the Linnaean Society in England, wrote in 1793: 'The most magnificent plant which the prolific soil of New Holland affords is, by common consent, both of Europeans and Natives, the Waratah. It is moreover a favourite with the latter, upon account of a rich honeyed juice which they sip from its flowers'.

The generic name Telopea is derived from the Greek 'telopos', meaning 'seen from afar', and refers to the great distance from which the crimson flowers are discernible. The specific name speciosissima is the superlative of the Latin adjective 'speciosus', meaning 'beautiful' or 'handsome'. 'Waratah', the Aboriginal name for the species, was adopted by early settlers at Port Jackson.

Telopea is an eastern Australian genus of four species. Two are confined to New South Wales, one to Tasmania and one extends from eastern Victoria into New South Wales. Telopea belongs to the family, Proteaceae, which is predominantly Australian and Southern African.

The Waratah is a stout, erect shrub which may grow to 4 metres. The dark green leathery leaves, 13-25 cm in length, are arranged alternately and tend to be coarsely toothed. The flowers are grouped in rounded heads 7 to 10 cm in diameter surrounded by crimson bracts, about 5 to 7 cm long. It flowers from September to November and nectar-seeking birds act as pollinators. Large winged seeds are released when the brown leathery pods split along one side.

The Waratah is a spectacular garden subject in suitable soil and climate; it flowers prolifically and tends to be long-lived. The Waratah occurs naturally in at least ten national parks in the geological formation, know as the Sydney Basin. Brisbane Water, Dharug and Macquarie Pass National Parks are among the areas where this species is conserved. Waratahs are cultivated north of Sydney and in the Dandenong Ranges, Victoria. They are grown in Israel, New Zealand and Hawaii for the cut flower trade. It was introduced to England in 1789 but cannot survive English winters out of doors except in the south-west coastal regions, and it rarely flowers in glasshouses. It is also cultivated in California.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

WERRIBEE RIVER

The Werribee River is a perennial river of the Port Phillip catchment that is located on the plain West of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The headwaters of a tributary, the Lerderderg River, are north of Ballan near Daylesford and it flows across the basalt plain, through the suburb of Werribee to enter Port Phillip.

A linear park follows the Werribee River along much of its course. In total the Werribee River completes a journey of approximately 110 kilometres. The river flows through the Werribee Gorge State Park before being utilised for irrigation of market gardens at Bacchus Marsh, then through Werribee where it is crossed by the Maltby By-pass. It then flows through the Werribee Open Range Zoo in Werribee Park, and finally the small coastal settlement of Werribee South before entering Port Phillip.

The Western Treatment Plant, a sewage treatment site, is located near the mouth of the river, and supplies irrigation needs to the zoo. The Werribee River Trail winds beside the Werribee River from Davis Creek in Tarneit to the Princes Highway in Werribee.

This post is part of the Roentare’s Water Meme

And also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme

And also part of the Nature Notes meme

THE GRAMPIANS

The Grampians National Park (also Gariwerd), commonly referred to as The Grampians, is a national park located in the Grampians region of Victoria, Australia. The 167,219-hectare national park is situated between Stawell and Horsham on the Western Highway and Dunkeld on the Glenelg Highway, 260 kilometres west of Melbourne and 460 kilometres east of Adelaide.

Proclaimed as a national park on 1 July 1984, the park was listed on the Australian National Heritage List on 15 December 2006 for its outstanding natural beauty and being one of the richest indigenous rock art sites in south-eastern Australia. The Grampians feature a striking series of sandstone mountain ranges.

Although a bit far for a day trip, some acquaintances of ours have done it all in a day, although I must say it was a bit of a Cook's tour! Best to take your time and enjoy your trip there and back, as well as stay a few days and do all the wonderful hikes and walks.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

SPRING EQUINOX

The Southern Hemisphere's spring equinox, also known as the September equinox or vernal equinox in the Southern Hemisphere, marks the start of spring for locations south of the equator. It occurs on or around September 22 or 23 each year, when the Sun is directly above Earth's equator and both hemispheres receive equal amounts of sunlight - hence on that day, there are 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of nighttime.

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

FLINDERS ST STATION

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

TASMANIAN DEVIL

The Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii;) is a carnivorous marsupial of the family Dasyuridae. It was formerly present across mainland Australia, but became extinct there around 3,500 years ago; it is now confined to the island of Tasmania.

The size of a small dog, the Tasmanian devil became the largest carnivorous marsupial in the world following the extinction of the thylacine in 1936. It is related to quolls, and distantly related to the thylacine.

It is characterised by its stocky and muscular build, black fur, pungent odour, extremely loud and disturbing screech, keen sense of smell, and ferocity when feeding. The Tasmanian devil's large head and neck allow it to generate among the strongest bites per unit body mass of any extant predatory land mammal. It hunts prey and scavenges on carrion.

In 1941, devils became officially protected. Since the late 1990s, the devil facial tumour disease (DFTD) has drastically reduced the population and now threatens the survival of the species, which in 2008 was declared to be endangered. Starting in 2013, Tasmanian devils are again being sent to zoos around the world as part of the Australian government's Save the Tasmanian Devil Program.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

SUNSET IN THE COUNTRY

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

WONGA WONGA VINE

Pandorea pandorana, commonly known as the wonga wonga vine or wonga-vine, is a species of flowering plant in the family Bignoniaceae and is native to Australia, Malesia and the southwestern Pacific region.

It is a woody scrambler or climber with pinnate leaves, juvenile leaves differing from those of mature plants. The flowers are tubular or funnel-shaped and white with purple markings and the fruit are capsules containing winged seeds. It is easy species to germinate and is a popular garden plant.

Common cultivars include the yellow-flowered Pandorea 'Golden Showers', the white-flowered P. 'Snowbells' (shown here), and the pinkish P. 'Ruby Belle'. The wood was used in making spears for woomeras in the Central and Western deserts.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

BOLTE BRIDGE, MELBOURNE

View of the Bolte Bridge in Melbourne, spanning the Yarra River and Victoria Harbour in the Docklands precinct to the west of the Melbourne CBD. Construction took three years from 1996 to 1999 and cost $75 million.

This post is part of the Roentare’s Water Meme
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme
and also part of the Nature Notes meme

ON THE FARM

Idyllic spots aplenty in pastoral Gippsland, in the Southeastern part of Victoria.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

AUSTRALIAN BIRD LIFE

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

QUIET CITY

There are some moments in the City when a surreal atmosphere descends on it, and there is an almost post-apocalyptic feel in the air. Here is a morning view where Winter is deciding to leave and Spring to come in, the people hiding it seems...

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

MALLARD DUCKLINGS

The Mallard or Wild Duck (Anas platyrhynchos) is a dabbling duck which breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand and Australia. This duck belongs to the subfamily Anatinae of the waterfowl family Anatidae.

The male birds (drakes) have a glossy green head and are grey on wings and belly, while the females have mainly brown-speckled plumage. Mallards live in wetlands, eat water plants and small animals, and are gregarious. This species is the ancestor of most breeds of domestic ducks.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

SEPTEMBER BLOOD MOON

A blood moon is a term for the reddish appearance of the Moon during a total lunar eclipse. This occurs when the Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon, casting a shadow on the Moon. Sunlight passes through Earth's atmosphere, which scatters the blue light and allows longer-wavelength red light to pass through and reach the Moon, giving it its characteristic crimson colour.

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

FLOWERING PEACH

Bonita Joy Flowering Peach (Prunus persica 'Bonita Joy'). Spring is here!

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

YARRA VIEW FROM CREMORNE

I took this photo from a moving train in Richmond, while crossing the Cremorne Railway Bridge over the River Yarra looking towards the west and the City. Although we are barely into Spring now, most of our native trees are the evergreen Eucalyptus, and our climate is mild enough to give us this type of view, during the cold winter months. We still have quite a lot of natural reserves of native vegetation, especially in many parklands associated with the Yarra. These pockets of indigenous flora and fauna are worth preserving in our City for the future generations...

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Roentare’s Water Meme,
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

BIRDS OF A FEATHER

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

YESTERYEAR

A lovely period home in Heidelberg, a Melbourne suburb with much green space and beautiful homes.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

SUNBATHING

Enjoying a little Spring sunshine...

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

CONTRAIL SKY

Spring blossom, blue skies and a speeding jet up high. See the bee?

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

DAFFODIL - 'COOL FLAME'

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

BY THE POND

Still looks wintry by the large pond at the Darebin Parklands...

This post is part of the Roentare’s Water Meme

and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme
and also part of the Nature Notes meme

WINTRY SKY

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

SPRING IS HERE!

First day of Spring in Melbourne today and the weather has been a Melbourne mixture, as usual. However, the flowers have already started to bloom and the gardens are starting to look very attractive!

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

Flowering aloes, three-cornered leek and wattle.

MELBOURNE MUSEUM

The Melbourne Museum is a natural and cultural history museum located in the Carlton Gardens in Melbourne, Australia. Located adjacent to the Royal Exhibition Building, the museum was opened in 2000 as a project of the Government of Victoria, on behalf of Museums Victoria which administers the venue. The museum won Best Tourist Attraction at the Australian Tourism Awards in 2011.

The last few days of Winter here in Melbourne have been windy, cold and wet, so museums, libraries and art galleries are definitely the places to be!

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

BLACK SWAN

The Black Swan (Cygnus atratus) is a large waterbird, a species of swan, which breeds mainly in the southeast and southwest regions of Australia. The species was hunted to extinction in New Zealand, but later reintroduced. Within Australia they are nomadic, with erratic migration patterns dependent upon climatic conditions.

Black Swans are large birds with mostly black plumage and red bills. They are monogamous breeders that share incubation duties and cygnet rearing between the sexes. Described scientifically by English naturalist John Latham in 1790, the Black Swan was formerly placed into a monotypic genus, Chenopis. Black Swans can be found singly, or in loose companies numbering into the hundreds or even thousands. 

Black Swans are popular birds in zoological gardens and bird collections, and escapees are sometimes seen outside their natural range. This specimen was snapped in our local park.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

SUNSET ON THE LAKE

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

PITCHER PLANT

Pitcher plants are carnivorous plants with pitcher-shaped, modified leaves that trap and digest insects and other small prey for nutrients, as they typically grow in nutrient-poor environments. There are two main types: New World pitcher plants (genus Sarracenia), which are ground-dwelling and native to North America, and Old World tropical pitcher plants (genus Nepenthes), which are liana-like and found in the Old World tropics. Their elaborate traps use nectar, color, and scent to lure prey, which then slides down the slippery, downward-haired inner surface and drowns in digestive fluids.

Nepenthes gaya was originally bred by Sam Estes of Leilani Nepenthes in 2004. This is the first of his plants to be mass produced and widely available. A full size plant will sport 15 cm colourful pitchers with red-orange splotches against a yellow background. It grows very well as a houseplant and appreciates lots of bright filtered sunlight or partial sun. The full parentage of this plant is Nepenthes khasiana x ( ventricosa x maxima).

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

ST KILDA ESPLANADE

The original meaning of esplanade was a large, open, level area outside fortress or city walls to provide clear fields of fire for the fortress' guns. In modern usage the space allows people to walk for recreational purposes; esplanades are often on sea fronts, and allow walking whatever the state of the tide, without having to walk on the beach. Esplanades became popular in Victorian times when it was fashionable to visit seaside resorts.

This post is part of the Roentare’s Water Meme

and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme

and also part of the Nature Notes meme

DONCASTER PUBLIC LIBRARY

A beautiful library and gallery in Doncaster, an outer suburb of Melbourne. This library is part of the Whitehorse Manningham Libraries group, which services several neighbouring suburbs.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

FIRST SIGNS OF SPRING

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme

AT THE MARKET

Cutting a deal at the Sunday Market.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme