MOSSYWOOD

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

GENTLY...

...does the rain fall and softly does Summer exit, while Autumn still waits gingerly for its cue to take centre stage.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

CONTENTED COWS

Cows grazing in a paddock in Gippsland, about 100 km east of Melbourne.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

SUNRISE

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

HAWKESBURY DAISY

Brachyscome multifida is a perennial herb in the family Asteraceae. Common names include Cut-leaved Daisy, Rocky Daisy, and Hawkesbury Daisy. The species is endemic to Australia. This species has an erect, matting growth habit growing to 45 cm in height. The foliage is fine and deeply divided, The flowerheads arise above the foliage on 4 to 40 cm long peduncles. The ray florets are mauve, pink or white and are 7 to 10 mm long.

The plants main flowering season is early autumn to mid winter, but the daisy-like flowerheads may appear throughout the year. Brachyscome multifida occurs on dry, shallow or rocky soils in sclerophyll forest or grassland in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. The species and its cultivars are popular in horticulture, and are used for mass plantings, in hanging baskets, in borders and spilling over retaining walls.

They can be grown in a wide range of soils and tolerate dry conditions, but will benefit from supplementary watering. Plants are best situated in a position with full sun, although partial shade is tolerated. Although relatively frost tolerant, foliage may burn.The plants is readily propagated by cuttings which strike readily. Plants may also be propagated by layering or from seed, though germination rate is usually poor.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

AUTUMN LEAVES

Yes, they've started turning...

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the My Corner of the World meme,
and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

MELBOURNE'S MOOMBA

Moomba (also known as the Moomba Festival) is held annually in Melbourne, Australia. Run by the City of Melbourne, it is Australia's largest free community festival. The Melburnian tradition is celebrated over four days, incorporating the Labour Day long weekend, from Friday to the second Monday in March.

Moomba is culturally important to Melbourne, having been celebrated since 1955, and regularly attracts up to a million people, with a record attendance of 3.8 million (2.3 million tourists) set in 2018. In 2003, the event was renamed Melbourne Moomba Waterfest.

Traditional events include the Moomba parade, crowning of Moomba monarchs, fireworks displays, carnivals in the gardens along the river, river activities including watersports, water floats and the Birdman Rally, as well as live music and bands. In 2021, the usual Moomba was cancelled by Melbourne City Council, for the first time ever, due to events and issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. However "Moomba 2.0" events were held on 5–8 March.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme.

AUTUMN APPROACHING

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

AT NIGHT

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

MAGPIE-LARK

The magpie-lark (Grallina cyanoleuca) is a conspicuous Australian bird of small to medium size, also known as the mudlark in Victoria and Western Australia, the Murray magpie in South Australia, and as the peewee in New South Wales and Queensland.  Here it is, drinking some water in the birdbath of our backyard.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme.

AT SUNSET

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

AT PRESTON MARKET

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

END OF SUMMER

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the My Corner of the World meme,
and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

GIPPSLAND DAY-TRIP

Gippsland is an economic rural region of Victoria, Australia, located in the south-eastern part of the state. It covers an area of 41,556 square kilometres, and lies to the east of the eastern suburbs of Greater Melbourne, to the north of Bass Strait, to the west of the Tasman Sea, to the south of the Black-Allan Line that marks part of the Victorian/New South Wales border, and to the east and southeast of the Great Dividing Range that lies within the Hume region and the Victorian Alps. Gippsland is generally broken down into the East Gippsland, South Gippsland, West Gippsland, and the Latrobe Valley statistical divisions.

As at the 2016 Australian census, Gippsland had a population of 271,266, with the principal population centres of the region, in descending order of population, being Traralgon, Moe, Warragul, Morwell, Sale, Bairnsdale, Drouin, Leongatha, and Phillip Island. Gippsland is best known for its primary production such as mining, power generation and farming as well as its tourist destinations— Phillip Island, Wilsons Promontory, the Gippsland Lakes, Walhalla, the Baw Baw Plateau, and the Strzelecki Ranges.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

CHANGE OF SEASON

As Summer turns to Autumn...

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

AT THE PARKLANDS

Mining the archives I cam across this 18-year-old photo of the Darebin Parklands. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the place has hardly changed in the intervening years. This is a boon in times of great changes, encroaching urbanisation and lessening of green space in our megalopolis. Especially so, as this green space is so close to the centre of our city (≈6.5 km).

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

SWALLOWTAIL

Papilio anactus, the dainty swallowtail, or small citrus butterfly is a medium-sized butterfly from the family Papilionidae, that is endemic to Australia. For protection against predators, this non-poisonous butterfly mimics the poisonous male Cressida cressida, another swallowtail butterfly that obtains its toxic properties through its host plant, the Dutchman's pipe.

Papilio anactus is endemic to Australia. It was originally only present in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, but due to the growing of citrus, a larval food plant of this species, in orchards, the species spread to South Australia in the late 1920s. Papilio anactus is not present on Kangaroo Island or elsewhere in Australia, as there are currently too few citrus trees. It also occurs on New Caledonia. There, it may be an introduced species or a vagrant.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme.

SUNRISE

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

OSTEOSPERMUM

Osteospermum the daisybushes is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the Calenduleae, one of the smaller tribes of the sunflower/daisy family Asteraceae. There are about 50 species, native to Africa, 35 species in southern Africa, and the southwestern Arabian Peninsula. They are half-hardy perennials or sub-shrubs. Therefore they do not survive outdoor wintry conditions, but there is still a wide range of hardiness.

Osteospermum are popular in cultivation, where they are frequently used in summer bedding schemes in parks and gardens. Numerous hybrids and cultivars have been grown with a wide range of tropical colours. Yellow cultivars tend to have a yellow center (sometimes off-white). Plants prefer a warm and sunny position and rich soil, although they tolerate poor soil, salt or drought well.

Modern cultivars flower continuously when watered and fertilised well, and dead-heading is not necessary, because they do not set seed easily. If planted in a container, soil should be prevented from drying out completely. If they do, the plants will go into "sleep mode" and survive the period of drought, but they will abort their flower buds and not easily come back into flower. Moreover, roots are relatively susceptible to rotting if watered too profusely after the dry period.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

FUTURE MELBOURNE

Australia sits atop one of the fastest-moving tectonic plates in the world. We move about seven centimetres north-east every year. So by 2066, we shall have moved 300 centimetres northward. Add to that effects of climate change with a warmer and possibly wetter climate in Victoria, we should be feeling positively subtropical by that time.

Victoria's current population of 6.3 million is projected to: Increase by between 1.0% and 1.7% per year, slightly higher than the average annual growth rate projected for Australia, and reach a population of between 10.1 million and 14.5 million by 2066 Most of Victoria's growth is projected to occur in Greater Melbourne. Melbourne is projected to: Increase from 77% of the state's population in 2017 to 79% in 2027 have between 5.9 million and 6.2 million by 2027; to about 11.5 million in 2066 (Australian Bureau of Statistics figure).

Here is some impressions of what Melbourne City could look like in 2066, with a bit of help from Photoshop and AI.

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the My Corner of the World meme,
and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

ARTS CENTRE

The Arts Centre spire viewed from Federation Square on the opposite side of the Yarra River.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme.

SUMMERY

As we approach the end of Summer, it's time to hurry and make the most of the remaining days under the sun.

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

YARRA BEND PATH

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 Park provides a great open space for walking, bike riding, riverside cafes, golf, boating, BBQs, picnicking and a host of other leisure activities. Numerous winding paths provide plenty of opportunity for leisurely promenades in the natural serene surrounds of the park.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

CURRAWONG

The pied currawong (Strepera graculina) is a medium-sized black passerine bird native to eastern Australia and Lord Howe Island. One of three currawong species in the genus Strepera, it is closely related to the butcherbirds and Australian magpie of the family Artamidae. Six subspecies are recognised.

It is a robust crow-like bird averaging around 48 cm in length, black or sooty grey-black in plumage with white undertail and wing patches, yellow irises, and a heavy bill. The male and female are similar in appearance. Known for its melodious calls, the species' name currawong is believed to be of indigenous origin. Within its range, the pied currawong is generally sedentary, although populations at higher altitudes relocate to lower areas during the cooler months. It is omnivorous, with a diet that includes a wide variety of berries and seeds, invertebrates, bird eggs and juvenile birds.

It is a predator which has adapted well to urbanisation and can be found in parks and gardens as well as rural woodland. The habitat includes all kinds of forested areas, although mature forests are preferred for breeding. Roosting, nesting and the bulk of foraging take place in trees, in contrast with the ground-foraging behaviour of its relative, the Australian magpie. Here it is seen in suburban Melbourne, in the Darebin Parklands in Fairfield.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme.

SUNSET PALMS

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

BUTTERFLY AND ROSES

An unidentified rose with the small white butterfly (Pieris rapae). This is a small- to medium-sized butterfly species of the whites-and-yellows family Pieridae. It is also known as the small cabbage white and in New Zealand, simply as white butterfly. The names "cabbage butterfly" and "cabbage white" can also refer to the large white butterfly.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

SUMMER WALK

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the My Corner of the World meme,
and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

SOUTHBANK

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme.

NGV GARDEN

The National Gallery of Victoria, popularly known as NGV, is an art gallery and museum in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1861, it is the oldest and the largest public art gallery in Australia. The NGV operates across two sites: NGV International, located on St Kilda Road in the heart of the Melbourne Arts Precinct of Southbank, and The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, located nearby at Federation Square.

The St Kilda Road building, designed by Sir Roy Grounds, opened in 1968, and was renovated by Mario Bellini and reopened in 2003. There is a beautiful sculpture garden in the Gallery, in which this mosaic mural is found. Henry Moore's "Draped Seated Woman" of 1957-58, with the mosaic in the background, a recreation of Fernand Léger's "Grand Parade with Red Background" made in 1985.

In my mosaic below, there is the "Standing Figure 1969"; cast 1984 by Willem de Kooning and also the "Temple of Boom", designed by Melbourne-based architects Adam Newman and Kelvin Tsang, as an evocative homage to the Parthenon of Athens.

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

WILD MELBOURNE

Hard to believe that today's photo was taken about 4.5 km from the Melbourne CBD... Yarra Bend Park is a glorious bushland reserve within shouting distance of Melbourne city centre. One hopes that building development will not encroach on this truly magnificent nature reserve right within the metropolitan area.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

KOALAS

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

SUNSET

View from Hanging Rock (also known as Mount Diogenes, Dryden's Rock, and to some of its traditional owners as Ngannelong). Hanging Rock is a distinctive geological formation in central Victoria. A former volcano, it lies 718 m above sea level (105 m above plain level) on the plain between the two small townships of Newham and Hesket, approximately 70 km north-west of Melbourne and a few kilometres north of Mount Macedon.

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

DAHLIA

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

MOSS, LICHEN, FUNGUS

Life, life everywhere!

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the My Corner of the World meme,
and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

VALENTINE'S BOUQUETS

Flowers Vasette, a boutique florist was established in 1989 and has established a reputation as a Melbourne retail icon, delivering flowers throughout the Melbourne metropolitan region. Situated in cosmopolitan Brunswick Street, Fitzroy the landmark signage and sculptures invite the passers-by into the shop. Inside is a wonderful mix of multicoloured flowers and patterned foliage, and one is assailed by a delicious fragrance. Definitely a place to stop and shop at in Brunswick St.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme.

DAYLESFORD

Daylesford is a spa town located in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range, within the Shire of Hepburn, Victoria, Australia, approximately 108 kilometres north-west of Melbourne. First established in 1852 as a gold-mining town, today Daylesford has a population of 2,548 as of the 2016 census. As one of Australia’s few spa towns, Daylesford is a notable tourist destination.

The town’s numerous spas, restaurants and galleries are popular alongside the many gardens and country-house-conversion styled bed and breakfasts. The broader area around the town, including Hepburn Springs to the north, is known for its natural spring mineral spas and is the location of over 80 per cent of Australia's effervescent mineral water reserve. It is also the filming location for the third season of "The Saddle Club", and scenes from the 2004 film "Love's Brother".

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

SUNDAY NIGHT

Quiet night out on the street.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

LAZYBONES

 "Go away! I need to get my beauty sleep..."

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme.

AT THE PROM

Wilsons Promontory, also known as Yiruk and Wamoon in the Gunai and Boonwurrung languages respectively, is a peninsula that forms the southernmost part of the Australian mainland, located in the state of Victoria. South Point at 39°08′06″S 146°22′32″E is the southernmost tip of Wilsons Promontory and hence of mainland Australia. Located at nearby South East Point, (39°07′S 146°25′E) is the Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse. Most of the peninsula is protected by the Wilsons Promontory National Park and the Wilsons Promontory Marine National Park.

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme.

MAGNOLIA

Magnolia is a large genus of about 210 to 340 flowering plant species in the subfamily Magnolioideae of the family Magnoliaceae. It is named after French botanist Pierre Magnol. Illustrated here is the magnificent Magnolia grandiflora.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

MOSS

Here is some common feather-moss (Kindbergia praelonga).

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the My Corner of the World meme,
and also part of the Nature Notes meme.