YARRA RIVER

Yarra River at Dights Falls. Perfect place for some relaxation and meditation, only 4 km from the City! How lucky we are in Melbourne to have such a natural gem in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the metropolis.

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.

"CESTRIA" MANSION

"Cestria" is a Victorian mansion in Hawthorn, is one of the first and arguably the greatest American Romanesque Revival houses in Australia. It is of architectural significance for the survival of many interior features, especially the woodwork of the entrance/stair hall with its mahogany and American walnut staircase. The large west dining-room is also substantially intact with wallpapers and decoration from the time of the first owner.

"Cestria" was built for the wealthy biscuit manufacturer Thomas B Guest in 1891. Architect EG Kilburn of the partnership Ellerker and Kilburn signed the drawings. Kilburn had recently visited America, and the buildings he saw during his stay undoubtedly influenced the final design. "Cestria" followed close on the heels of Kilburn's American Romanesque design for an extension at the Priory Ladies School, St Kilda, which was finished in July 1890.

"Cestria" is architecturally significant as the greatest domestic example of the American Romanesque style of architecture in Victoria. Cestria is particularly significant as a reaction against the prevailing popularity of the Italianate style, which was characterised by cement rendered walls, parapets teetering with urns and other decorative features, and by cast iron. Cestria is significant for the part it played in the debate about an appropriate national style of architecture. It was hailed in contemporary building journals as being eminently suited to the Australian climate. The emergence of the American Romanesque and other red brick styles was central to the question of adapting an existing style to Australian requirements rather than creating a new one.

"Cestria" is located in a neighbourhood which contains a number of outstanding examples of Victorian and early Federation-style villas, combined with a series of well-designed and visually striking interwar houses and flats. Anchored by the visually prominent boulevard-like stretch of Glenferrie Road climbing past Scotch College, the place is representative of the changing patterns of development from the second half of the nineteenth century through to the interwar period.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme.

RAINY NIGHT

A rainy night in Melbourne tonight, as Autumn digs its heels in. Hurry home for some snug and cosy delights.

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

PORT PHILLIP BAY

The Bay viewed from from the 25th floor of a Southbank tower. The lovely Victorian building with the clock tower is the South Melbourne Town Hall.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

CITY LIGHTS GLARE

A view towards the Melbourne CBD from about 6 km northeast. It's Autumn here and we've had some rain. The sky is still overcast.

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

FISHY BUSINESS

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

GERANIUM 'ROZANNE'

Geranium 'Rozanne' Pbr (Geranium wallichianum x himalayense 'Rozanne' PBR) is an extremely popular cultivar with bright violet-blue flowers, each with a white central eye. Delicate red veins radiate outward into each petal. Come early spring, beautiful lobed foliage emerges, forming a neat low mound. Flowers are soon produced and will extend throughout autumn after a light trim in summer. A perfect choice for planting with roses.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

EARTH DAY

Earth Day is an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First held on April 22, 1970, it now includes a wide range of events coordinated globally through earthday.org (formerly Earth Day Network) including 1 billion people in more than 193 countries.

The Darebin Parklands is a nature conservation area and educational facility that includes recreational and research areas relating to the environment. It is situated around the Darebin Creek, which flows into the Yarra River, and is a much-beloved green space amongst typical metropolitan suburbia. It is about 7 km NE of the Melbourne City Centre.

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.

WATERSIDE HOTEL

The Waterside Hotel, a cherished landmark situated at the prominent corner of King Street and Flinders Street in Melbourne's CBD. Originally built in 1853, this well-preserved Victorian-era hotel will have its iconic façade meticulously retained and restored, blending heritage with modernity.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

THE NUMBERS HAVE IT

With a Federal Election looming ahead, and an amusing talk show on the radio I hear about numerology, I took the opportunity of sharing this collage of numbers I found and photographed  while walking around my neighbourhood.

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

AT THE PARKLANDS

Beautiful Autumn days in the Darebin Parklands.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

HAPPY BILBY EASTER!

Macrotis is a genus of desert-dwelling marsupial omnivores known as bilbies or rabbit-bandicoots; they are members of the order Peramelemorphia. At the time of European colonisation of Australia, there were two species. The lesser bilby became extinct in the 1950s; the greater bilby survives but remains endangered. It is currently listed as a vulnerable species.

The greater bilby is on average 55 cm long, excluding the tail, which is usually around 29 cm long. Its fur is usually grey or white; it has a long, pointy nose and very long ears, hence the reference of its nickname to rabbits.

Bilbies in Australia are associated with Easter and a great fund-raising effort to save the species from extinction comes to the fore during this time of the year, where the animal plays the role of Easter mascot, just as the Easter Bunny does in other parts of the world.

Happy Easter

To All who Celebrate it!

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

GOOD FRIDAY

Greetings to all! A good time to reflect a little on the difficult times that we are living through at the moment. Be grateful for what you have, there are way more people than you and me who have precious little. Appreciate the peace you live in, as others are at war. Thank those around you care for you and love you, as there are many around the world who have nobody.

Have a Happy and Peaceful Easter; a Blessed Passover.

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

VIOLA "CHINA BLUE"

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

YARRA RIVER

Photo taken from the train, while crossing the Cremorne Railway Bridge over the Yarra River in South Yarra, looking towards the East. To the left of the photo is the Citylink Freeway. The white Church Street Bridge, seen in the back, was completed in 1924, and is one of the five major metropolitan bridges over the Yarra River. The rowers in the river was an extra goodie. It's pleasing there are still lots of trees around, considering the wild redevelopment of the area in the last few decades.

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

SPENCER ST

The West End of the City, looking up Spencer St. The old whitish building on the southeast corner of Spencer and Flinders Streets in Melbourne is the Sir Charles Hotham Hotel, also known as the Hotham Hotel. It is a historic hotel, originally built in 1855. The hotel has been a hotel since the 1850s and has Edwardian Baroque style architecture and Art Nouveau features. The site is listed on the Victorian Heritage Inventory for its potential to contain historical archaeological remains.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

AUTUMN ARRIVES GENTLY

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

WAITING...

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

GOLDEN EGG

The reflection of the rising sun on a duck pond.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme.

MORNING LIGHT

In the Darebin Parklands, in Alphington, an inner suburb just 6.5 km from the City centre.

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

CAMELLIA

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme,

SUNRISE ROWING

Rowing on the Yarra River at sunrise. Many of the rowing clubs of the Universities and private schools have clubhouses in the City on the banks of the Yarra east of Princes Bridge.

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

VICTORIAN COUNTRYSIDE

This is a typical rural vista in central Gippsland, showing the rich farmland and occasional hills in the background.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

RAINY

We're well and truly into Autumn now, with some rainy days and accompanying drops in temperature. Yes, the heater is out and on in the evenings...

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

QUIET TIME

Quiet Sunday evening at the service station. 

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme.

STICK INSECT

Phasmids are insects that eat leaves and resemble leaves or sticks. They are usually green or brown but may reveal brightly coloured underwings when they fly. They have developed many unusual shapes to camouflage themselves to avoid detection by predators. The order Phasmatodea includes the longest insects in the world.

About 150 species of phasmids are found in Australia. They usually live in gum trees but are sometimes found in gardens on rose bushes or fruit trees. However because of their excellent camouflage, they are often overlooked. When disturbed, a phasmid may sway, imitating a dead leaf or stick swaying in the breeze. During summer many people have found stick and leaf insects in the laundry, clinging to windows, and drowned in swimming pools.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

AUTUMN SUNSET

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

FLOWERING GUM TREE

From Autumn until Spring, many of Australia's native flora species flower. This is a flowering Eucalyptus tree, all of the common eucalyptus trees being referred to in Australia as "gum trees".

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

RAIN

As Autumn progresses in Melbourne, the days get shorter (of course!), the nights are noticeably cooler and the days more often than not are mellow and warm. However, increasingly we may see rain showers, or occasionally heavy rain that can lead to flash-flooding. Well, it's Melbourne, and if you don't like the weather, wait an hour and it will change!

The gardens of course gratefully receive the rain and this year everything seems to be growing/blooming prematurely. For example, I saw the first Spring bulbs sprouting today! A few months before their time...

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.

MELBOURNE GREEK FESTIVAL

Antipodes Greek Festival in Melbourne is a way to immerse yourself in the rich and vibrant world of Greek culture. It is and interesting and exciting experience celebrating all things Greek. There is always an extraordinary lineup of performers, artists, stallholders, and surprises that ensure you experience a most epic celebration. Generally, this Festival is held in February every year. Here are some Cretan Dancers, dancing a folk dance called the "Sousta".

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme