HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Three poor creatures with bad press: Australian Golden Orb-Weaving Spider (Trichonephila edulis); Grey-headed flying fox (Pteropus poliocephalus), Australia's largest native bat species; and a poisonous Tiger Snake (Notechis scutatus). They're all getting ready for a Halloween party.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

SUNRISE GREETING

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

PURPLE TORCH

Bartlettina sordida, the purple torch, bartlettina, or blue mist flower, is a flowering plant which is endemic to cloud forest habitats in Mexico. It was formerly classified in the genus Eupatorium.

The plant is an evergreen, erect shrub, growing to 2.4 m tall and 1.2 m wide. Bartlettina sordida has reddish-purple branches clothed in slightly rough, dark green leaves with prominent venation and paler undersides. The leaves are very large, up to 25 cm long and 20 cm wide. The inflorescence is a terminal corymbose panicle, 20–30 cm across. The large clusters of scented flowers appear in spring, mauve to lilac to magenta-blue in color. The clusters have a bursting fireworks appearance. The seed has a fluffy pappus and is easily dispersed by wind.

Bartlettina sordida is cultivated as an ornamental plant for use in gardens and parks. They are pollinator plants, attractive to butterflies. It is toxic to grazing animals, causing liver damage. It contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids. It is prone to becoming a rampant environmental weed when grown outside of its natural range. It has become an invasive weed in the eastern USA, Australia, Europe, Africa, China, Japan and New Zealand.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

MARIBYRNONG RIVER

Melbourne’s second major river, the mighty Maribyrnong, runs for 160 kilometres from its source on the slopes of Mount Macedon through to Port Phillip Bay. Maribyrnong River’s name comes from the Aboriginal phrase Mirring-gnay-bir-nong, meaning ‘I can hear a ringtail possum’. It was originally called Saltwater River due to the seawater that entered from Hobson’s Bay, into which it directly flowed.

Although it flows through Melbourne suburbs with a high density population, there are many parks and reserves along its length. The river and surrounding areas are home to a range of animals. One of the more interesting locals is the shy Black Wallaby, attracted by the ample water supply and efforts to restore its natural habitat – including coarse shrubs, bushes and grasses. It's also home to many species of plants, fish, birds, reptiles, insects, and frogs, the majority of which are native.

Here the view is from Moonee Ponds towards the City.

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

MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY

The University of Melbourne (colloquially known as Melbourne University) is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb north of Melbourne's central business district, with several other campuses located across Victoria.

The university comprises ten separate academic units and is associated with numerous institutes and research centres, including the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research and the Grattan Institute. The university has fifteen graduate schools, including the Melbourne Business School, the Melbourne Law School, the Melbourne Veterinary School, and the Melbourne Medical School.

In the QS World University Rankings 2025, the University of Melbourne was ranked 13th (1st nationally). Times Higher Education ranked Melbourne 33rd globally (1st in Australia) in the 2021–2022 iteration of its annual World University Rankings. In 2022, it ranked 33rd among the universities around the world by SCImago Institutions Rankings. I am proud to call this University my Alma Mater (all photos are from the Parkville Campus).

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

MOONSHINE

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme

and also part of the Seasons meme.

PUB DINNER

Sometimes the special occasions one celebrates are not birthdays, anniversaries, promotions, send-offs, births, weddings, (deaths?); but simply those occasions where one is with compatible company, enjoying a meal together, the joy of being alive and the simple fact of being able to celebrate life.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

WAITING...

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

SUNRISE IN THE PARKLANDS

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

AMARYLLIS

Flowering in our garden.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

UNIVERSITY SQUARE

University Square is one of Melbourne's oldest public squares, located at 190-192 Pelham Street in the heart of the academic precinct of Carlton. Situated right next to the University of Melbourne campus, it serves as a major open-air gathering spot for students, locals, and visitors.

The historic 19th-century square has been undergoing a multi-million-dollar modern transformation managed by the City of Melbourne. Following extensive redevelopments, the square has transitioned from a concrete-heavy space into a leafy park featuring expanded green lawns, biodiverse garden beds, and barbecue facilities. 

A centerpiece of the park is an award-winning open-air venue, the MPavilion designed by architect Glenn Murcutt AO, which regularly hosts free community cultural events, performances, and public workshops.

Following the grand opening of the new underground Parkville Station, Barry Street along the western edge has been permanently closed to vehicular traffic to blend directly into the expanded parklands. Ongoing Stage 2 plaza and landscaping upgrades are actively finishing up through late 2026 to increase the overall tree canopy by over 40%.

This post is part of the Nature Notes meme

SOUTHBANK

This poat is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

MEDITATE...

A zen box created from my archival photos in Photoshop. Perfect for relaxing and meditating.

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

CLOISTERS...

...at the University of Melbourne.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme.

CURRAWONG

Currawongs are three species of medium-sized passerine birds belonging to the genus Strepera in the family Artamidae native to Australia. These are the grey currawong (Strepera versicolor), pied currawong (S. graculina), and black currawong (S. fuliginosa).

The common name comes from the call of the familiar pied currawong of eastern Australia and is onomatopoeic. They were formerly known as crow-shrikes or bell-magpies. Despite their resemblance to crows and ravens, they are only distantly related to the Corvidae, instead belonging to an Afro-Asian radiation of birds of superfamily Malaconotoidea.

They are not as terrestrial as the magpie and have shorter legs. They are omnivorous, foraging in foliage, on tree trunks and limbs, and on the ground, taking insects and larvae (often dug out from under the bark of trees), fruit, and the nestlings of other birds. They are distinguishable from magpies and crows by their comical flight style in amongst foliage, appearing to almost fall about from branch to branch as if they were inept flyers.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

UP UP AND AWAY

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

AZALEA

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

AGNES WATERFALL

Agnes Falls is a hidden gem tucked away in the rolling green hills of the Strzelecki Ranges in South Gippsland, Victoria. Plunging 59 metres into a sheltered, fern-lined gorge, it holds the title of the highest single-span waterfall in Victoria. It is an easy, highly rewarding natural pitstop located roughly 2.5 to 3 hours southeast of Melbourne.

This post is part of the Roentare’s Water Meme

and also part of the Nature Notes meme

FLINDERS ST STATION

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

A GLIMPSE INTO SPRING

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

RENDEZVOUS

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

BLUEBOTTLE FLY

The bluebottle fly or bottlebee (Calliphora vomitoria) is a common blow fly found in most areas of the world and is the type species for the genus Calliphora. Similar species include the greenbottle fly, a close relative that can be distinguished by its bright green metallic colouring. Bluebottle fly adults feed on nectar, while the larvae feed on carcasses of dead animals. Adults are also pollinators to some flowers with strong odour.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

SUNSET SILHOUETTES

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

ROSES

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

SPRING RAIN

This post is part of the Roentare’s Water Meme

and also part of the Nature Notes meme

KEW COURT HOUSE

The Kew Court House at 188 High Street, Kew is a historic 1888 heritage building that operates as a cultural arts centre, live music venue, and temporary home for the Kew Library. The building features old lock-up cells and classic architectural details.

The building is refurbished and contains an intimate 80-seat acoustic theatre hosting live music, speakers, and seminars. It is also a temporary Library Hub, serving as the temporary location for Kew Library while it undergoes upgrades. It is also home to the Kew Historical Society and QArt studio/gallery.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

GIPPSLAND DAY TRIP

Gippsland is one of Victoria's most sprawling and diverse regions, stretching over 500 kilometres from Melbourne's eastern fringe all the way to the New South Wales border. It is a massive playground where you can move from pristine coastal wilderness and expansive lake systems to lush cool-temperate rainforests and historic gold-rush towns in a single road trip.

Whether you are looking for a rugged hiking expedition, a relaxed wildlife getaway, or a gourmet food-and-wine trail, Gippsland delivers an incredibly rich, uncrowded escape. Spring is a wonderful season to enjoy all the sights!

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme

and also part of the Seasons meme

and also part of the Travel Tuesday meme

PINCUSHION PROTEA

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

SPRING WALKIES

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

SUNRISE

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

KING PROTEA

The king protea (Protea cynaroides) is a flowering plant. It is a distinctive member of the family Proteaceae, having the largest flower head in the genus. The species is also known as giant protea, honeypot or king sugar bush. It is widely distributed in the southwestern and southern parts of South Africa in the fynbos region.  The king protea is the national flower of South Africa. It also is the flagship of the The Protea Atlas Project, run by the South African National Botanical Institute.

The king protea has several colour forms and horticulturists have recognised 81 garden varieties, some of which have injudiciously been planted in its natural range. In some varieties the pink of the flower and red borders of leaves are replaced by a creamy yellow. This unusual flower has a long vase life in flower arrangements, and makes for an excellent dried flower. 

Protea cynaroides is adapted to survive wildfires by its thick underground stem, which contains many dormant buds; these will produce the new growth after the fire. The plant has adapted well to growth in Australia. It is a woody shrub with thick stems and large dark green, glossy leaves. Most plants are one metre in height when mature, but may vary according to locality and habitat from 0.35 m to 2 metres in height. The "flowers" of Protea cynaroides are actually composite flower heads (termed an inflorescence) with a collection of flowers in the centre, surrounded by large colourful bracts. The flowerheads vary in size, from about 120 mm to 300 mm in diameter. 

Large, vigorous plants produce six to ten flower heads in one season, although some exceptional plants can produce up to forty flower heads on one plant. The colour of the bracts varies from a creamy white to a deep crimson, but the soft pale pink bracts with a silvery sheen are the most prized.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.