Canoeing Victoria formed in 1930 as the Victorian Canoe Association Inc. and was incorporated in 1984. It is the recognised peak body in Victoria for canoeing and are affiliated with Australian Canoeing, and through Australian Canoeing, with the International Canoe Federation. Canoeing Victoria are committed to providing members and Victorians with a wide range of opportunities to safely participate paddling by offering services in four key areas of paddling – Competition, Recreation, Education and Experiences.
Canoeing and kayaking are popular sports on the Yarra River and regular patrols by Canoeing Victoria ensure that the River is safe for such sporting activities. Here some fallen tree branches are being removed to make the waterway safer for canoeists. The are is Alphington, close to the Fairfield Boathouse.
This post is part of the My Town Shootout meme,
and also part of the Weekend Reflections meme,
and also part of the Scenic Weekends meme.
The Australasian swamphen (Porphyrio melanotus), family Rallidae, is a species of swamphen occurring in eastern Indonesia, the Moluccas, Aru and Kai Islands, as well as in Papua New Guinea and Australia. It is also found in New Zealand where it is known as the Pūkeko, derived from the Māori language.
The Australasian swamphen previously was considered a subspecies of the purple swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio). In New Zealand and Australia populations have expanded due to the creation of new artificial lakes and ponds. Birds are often seen singly, or in groups of two to three, foraging for food beside motorways or roadside ditches, and collecting grit. A study showed that the preferred grit colour is red (followed by yellow and lastly blue) even though red grit is less common. Roadkill is a cause of mortality.
This post is part of the Weekend Reflections meme,
and also part of the Scenic Weekends meme,
and also part of the Saturday Critters meme,
and also part of the Camera Critters meme.
Darebin Creek is a waterway that runs through the northern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is the main watercourse of the Darebin Valley and a major tributary of the Yarra River. For tens of thousands of years it was used as a food and tool source sustainably by the Wurundjeri people, Indigenous Australians of the Kulin nation alliance, who spoke variations of the Woiwurrung language group.
The creek rises on the northern urban fringe of Melbourne north of the suburb of Epping, following a general southerly route and meeting the Yarra at Alphington. The creek forms much of the municipal boundary between the City of Darebin and City of Banyule. Formerly an intermittent stream, increased stormwater runoff with urbanisation of the Darebin Creek catchment has resulted in permanent water flow.
The creek runs through Darebin Parklands, a large nature reserve one or two kilometres northwest of the junction at which the creek meets the Yarra. The Darebin Creek Trail runs along the banks in the lower reaches of the creek. This is the creek at the Darebin Parklands in Alphington.
This post is part of the Weekend Reflections meme,
and also part of the Scenic Weekends meme.
The red-rumped parrot (Psephotus haematonotus), also known as the red-backed parrot or grass parrot, is a common bird of south-eastern Australia, particularly in the Murray-Darling Basin. Red-rumped parrots are slim, elegant, moderate-sized parrots approximately 28 cm in length. The male's plumage is a bright emerald-green with yellow underparts, a brick-red rump and blue highlights on the wings and upper back. The female's plumage is less vibrant, with pale olive underparts, dull green wings and back and blue-black wingtips. The characteristic red rump is only found in the male.
Here they are seen roosting on a rather bare tree where they are quite conspicuous. They are much better camouflaged on the grass where they spend most of their time foraging for food, as you can see in the last photo. These are taken in the Darebin Parklands in suburban Fairfield.
This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme,
and also part of the Friday Photo Journal,
and also part of the Weekend Green meme,
and also part of the Scenic Weekends meme,
and also part of the Saturday Critters meme,
and also part of the Camera Critters meme,
and also part of the My Town Shootout meme.
Yarra Bend Park has been one of Melbourne’s largest expanses of inner suburban parkland for nearly 150 years. Yarra Bend Park and neighbouring Studley Park were reserved in 1877. Both park areas and several reserves were combined in 1929 to create one large park. The combined area became known as Yarra Bend National Park despite never being raised to formal national park status.
During the 1930’s additions included picnic and sporting grounds, toilet facilities and a public golf course. The Yarra Bend Golf Club House, officially opened in May 1936, is an original example of American ‘Country Club’ type architecture. The Park provides a great open space for walking, bike riding, riverside cafes, golf, boating, BBQs, picnicking and a host of other leisure activities.
The galah, Eolophus roseicapilla, also known as the rose-breasted cockatoo, galah cockatoo, roseate cockatoo or pink and grey, is one of the most common and widespread cockatoos, and it can be found in open country in almost all parts of mainland Australia. It is endemic on the mainland and was introduced to Tasmania.
Its distinctive pink and grey plumage and its bold and loud behaviour make it a familiar sight in the bush and increasingly in urban areas. It appears to have benefited from the change in the landscape since European colonisation and may be replacing the Major Mitchell's cockatoo in parts of its range. The term galah is derived from gilaa, a word found in Yuwaalaraay and neighbouring Aboriginal languages.
This post is part of the Scenic Weekends meme,
and also part of the Saturday Critters meme,
and also part of the Camera Critters meme.
