SOUTHBANK

Although Southbank is overdeveloped already, there are some small pockets of green in amongst the skyscrapers where one may sit and reflect on the benefits (or otherwise...) of living in a megalopolis.

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,

and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

HIGH ST, NORTHCOTE

In the recent past, High Street in Northcote took a backseat to Melbourne’s other trendy northside strip shopping streets: Smith Street, Brunswick Street, Lygon Street and Sydney Road. But as rising property prices pushed the artists, musicians and bohemian latte-drinkers out of Collingwood and Fitzroy, many of them began settling here, along the old 86 tram route.

Today, High Street is a star. Running from Westgarth in the south all the way up to Thornbury and Preston, High Street is basically jam-packed with goodness: Bars, cafes, boutique cinemas, interesting one-of-a-kind shops,food truck parks, even lasagne delivery services. And it’s all a short ride from the CBD.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

CORNER STORE

Sunday brunch at the corner store in Preston. Lovely weather and a very relaxed atmosphere.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

MAGPIE-LARK

The magpie-lark (Grallina cyanoleuca), also known as wee magpie, peewee, peewit, mudlark or Murray magpie, is a passerine bird native to Australia, Timor and southern New Guinea.

The male and female both have black and white plumage, though with different patterns. John Latham described the species in 1801. Long thought to be a member of the mudnest builder family Corcoracidae, it has been reclassified in the family Monarchidae (the monarch flycatchers). Two subspecies are recognised.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme.

Please visit Eileen at her Saturday Critters blog, which is always filled with wonderful photos of the animal world. (Eileen, please excuse me not leaving a comment on your blog, I've tried and cannot!)

FLYING

An extremely fortuitous shot that came about as I was capturing a passing plane close to the sun with my iPhone. By chance a bird was flying by there at the same time!

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

ZUCCHINI FLOWER

A male zucchini flower. Zucchini plants produce male and female flowers on the same plant and for the plants to produce fruit, insects must visit both flowers, taking the pollen from male flowers and transferring it to the female flower. The absence of ideal conditions for pollination and for setting fruits may cause the flowers to fall off before the zucchini develops. Male flowers are the first to appear on zucchini plants, opening before female flowers.

The anatomy of male and female flowers differs. The pollen-producing parts of the male flower are the anthers and filaments located on the stamen. These are often fused together. Male flowers often open, release the pollen and then fall off. Female flowers must remain on the plant until the zucchini starts to grow, and this can only happen when pollination is successful. Without pollination, female flowers fall off and plants won't produce any fruit. Female blossoms are connected to the fruit. Male blossoms have a long, thin stem. Zucchini flowers are edible and very tasty when prepared as fritters.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

EDWARDIAN

In Richmond, beautifully restored, this wonderful old home still exudes the grandeur and grace of a long-gone era.

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.

FITZROY

Fitzroy is a lively suburb with a bohemian reputation. Its eclectic bars and restaurants are popular with students, weekenders and young professionals. Street art covers the narrow backstreets, where small galleries sit alongside corner pubs and terrace houses. Brunswick Street is a trendy retail and nightlife strip, while Gertrude Street is known for its design and art-supply stores, wine bars and buzzy eateries. Here is St George's Rd looking towards the South.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

IN SUMMER

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

It seems that I cannot comment on some blogs. I have alerted Blogspot at Google about it, as the instructions they give aren't helping. Please accept my thanks for hosting and for commenting on my blog (if you too aren't having a similar issue!)

AT THE MARKET

At the Camberwell Sunday Market. Always interesting to visit and one never knows what one may find to buy!

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

INDIAN MYNA

The common myna or Indian myna (Acridotheres tristis), sometimes spelled mynah, is a bird in the family Sturnidae, native to Asia. An omnivorous open woodland bird with a strong territorial instinct, the common myna has adapted extremely well to urban environments.

The range of the common myna is increasing at such a rapid rate that in 2000 the IUCN Species Survival Commission declared it one of the world's most invasive species and one of only three birds listed among "100 of the World's Worst Invasive Species" that pose a threat to biodiversity, agriculture and human interests. In particular, the species poses a serious threat to the ecosystems of Australia, where it was named "The Most Important Pest/Problem" in 2008.

The common myna is readily identified by the brown body, black hooded head and the bare yellow patch behind the eye. The bill and legs are bright yellow. There is a white patch on the outer primaries and the wing lining on the underside is white. The sexes are similar and birds are usually seen in pairs. Common mynas are believed to pair for life.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

SUNRISE

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

AQUILEGIA

Aquilegia (common names: granny's bonnet, columbine) is a genus of about 60–70 species of perennial plants that are found in meadows, woodlands, and at higher altitudes throughout the Northern Hemisphere, known for the spurred petals of their flowers.

Columbine is a hardy perennial, which propagates by seed. It will grow to a height of 40–50 cm. It will grow in full sun; however, it prefers growing in partial shade and well drained soil, and is able to tolerate average soils and dry soil conditions. Columbine is rated at hardiness zone 3 in the United States so does not require mulching or protection in the winter.

Large numbers of hybrids are available for the garden, since the European A. vulgaris was hybridised with other European and North American varieties. Aquilegia species are very interfertile, and will self-sow. Some varieties are short-lived so are better treated as biennials.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

SUMMER RAIN

Our weather has been up and down like a yo-yo lately. Yesterday we were sweltering with a high of 31˚C that felt like high 30s because of the humidity, and today, a high of 21˚C and rain nearly all day, making it feel like in the high teens. We were warned of an El Niño Summer, but the meteorologists recanted... Crazy weather for crazy times.

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,

and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

TAKING A PUNT

In the Melbourne Botanic Gardens, enjoying the Summer weather.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme.

SILVER GULLS

The silver gull (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae) is the most common gull of Australia. It has been found throughout the continent, but particularly at or near coastal areas. It is smaller than the Pacific gull (Larus pacificus), which also lives in Australia.

Silver gulls are found in all states of Australia, as well as New Zealand and New Caledonia. It is a common species, having adapted well to urban environments and thriving around shopping centres and garbage dumps. Their successful adaption to urban habitats have seen their population increase in areas of human activity, with the availability of nesting grounds the only limiting factor on population growth.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme.

IN THE GLOAMING

Summer twilight sky.

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

DAHLIAS

Dahlia is a genus of bushy, tuberous, herbaceous perennial plants native to Mexico and Central America. As a member of the Asteraceae family of dicotyledonous plants, its relatives include the sunflower, daisy, chrysanthemum, and zinnia.

There are 49 species of dahlia, with flowers in almost every hue (except blue), with hybrids commonly grown as garden plants. Dahlias were known to the Aztecs until their Spanish conquest, after which the plants were brought to Europe. The (high in sugar) tubers of some varieties are of value to humans.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

ALTONA WETLANDS

The Altona Important Bird Area (IBA) comprises several wetland sites on, or close to, the north-western coast of Port Phillip in Victoria, south-eastern Australia. Collectively they total 1223 hectares in area and lie within, or adjacent to, the western suburbs of the city of Melbourne. They were classified as an IBA because they support more than 1% of the world populations of Red-necked Stint, Chestnut Teal and Pacific Gull.

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,

and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

TRAM RIDE

A visit to Melbourne would not be complete without riding on the trams, one of the city's modes of public transport. The tramway network is centred around the Melbourne central business district (CBD) and consists of 1,763 tram stops across 24 routes, with 493 trams and 250 kilometres of double tram track which served a patronage of 206 million over the year 2017-2018. It is the largest operational urban tram network in the world and one of the most used. Trams are the second most utilised form of public transport in Melbourne after the city's metropolitan commuter railway network.

Here, is an E-class tram which is a three-section, four-bogie articulated trams that was first introduced to the Melbourne tram network in 2013, built at the Dandenong rolling stock factory of Bombardier Transportation (later Alstom) with the propulsion systems and bogies coming from Bombardier/Alstom factories in Germany.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme.

RAINY

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme

WET NIGHT

Well, the weather people predicted a hot, dry El Niño Summer for Southern Australia this year, but so far we have had lots of rains and flooding in many places. When the weather bureau makes a forecast, the weather gods laugh...

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

CURIOSITY...

...Your name is Cat!

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

SUNRISE ON THE RIVER

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

ASIATIC LILY

Lilium is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs, all with large prominent flowers. They are the true lilies. Lilies are a group of flowering plants which are important in culture and literature in much of the world. Most species are native to the Northern Hemisphere and their range is temperate climates and extends into the subtropics. Many other plants have "lily" in their common names, but do not belong to the same genus and are therefore not true lilies.

Here is a hybrid of Lilium asiaticum. Asiatic lilies are the easiest and most tolerant of the lily cultivars. They are available in the broadest range of colours and are distinguished by their lack of fragrance. They are the first of the lilies to bloom. In several areas in Asia, they are commonly eaten edible as a root vegetable.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

NIGHT GARDEN

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

HER MAJESTY'S

Her Majesty's Theatre is a 1,700-seat theatre in Melbourne's East End Theatre District. Built in 1886, it is located at 219 Exhibition Street, Melbourne. It is classified by the National Trust of Australia and is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register. Purchased in 2000 by Mike Walsh, the theatre was restored and refitted to accommodate larger productions.

The theatre has consistently played host to the world's best artists and shows. The legendary Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova, captivated Australian crowds at performances in 1926 and 1929. Notable productions at Her Majesty's include: 1953: Call Me Madam 1954: Paint Your Wagon 1955: Can-Can 1956: The Boy Friend 1957: The Pajama Game 1959: My Fair Lady (Original Australian Production 1959) 1961: Oliver! 1997: Sweet Charity 1998: An Ideal Husband, Chicago 2002: The Hollow Crown 2003: Cabaret, Hair, Nutcracker on Ice 2004: Eureka 2005: Mamma Mia!, Die Fledermaus (Melbourne Opera) 2006: An Inspector Calls, Così fan tutte (Victorian Opera), 2007: Madame Butterfly (Melbourne Opera), Miss Saigon, The Love of the Nightingale (Victorian Opera), Orphée et Eurydice (Victorian Opera), Monty Python's Spamalot 2008: Fiddler on the Roof, Billy Elliot the Musical.

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

THAT WAS THE YEAR THAT WAS

A mosaic of photos, each from each month of the past year. It was a mixed bag of a year, full of good and bad things, surprises and routine happenings, some things old and cherished, others new and exciting. Goodbye to 2023, hello to 2024. May the New Year be a better one for everyone!

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