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

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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.

POND

One of the ponds at the Darebin Parklands nature reserve.

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

FLOWER SHOPPING

At the South Melbourne market.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

SEASONAL

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

FRUITERER

At the Queen Victoria Market.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

AQUARIUM

At the Melbourne Aquarium.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

SUNSET

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

SPEEDWELL

A vibrant cluster of low-growing Speedwell  cultivar 'Georgia Blue' (Veronica), used as  popular groundcover.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

SPRING SUNSHINE

This post is part of the Nature Notes meme

BLOSSOM TIME

Celebrating Vernal Equinox in Melbourne today, with blossoming spring trees.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

and also part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

VERNAL EQUINOX

September 22nd in the Southern Hemisphere marks the Vernal Equinox, when astronomical Spring begins in our part of the world. My painting in the centre, flanked by two of my photos.

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

INCIDENT

In my neighbourhood - fortunately nobody was hurt...

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

QUOKKA

The quokka (Setonix brachyurus), the only member of the genus Setonix, is a small macropod about the size of a domestic cat. Like other marsupials in the macropod family (such as kangaroos and wallabies), the quokka is herbivorous and mainly nocturnal.

Quokkas can be found on some smaller islands off the coast of Western Australia, in particular on Rottnest Island just off Perth and Bald Island near Albany. A small mainland colony exists in the protected area of Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve, where they co-exist with the critically endangered Gilbert's potoroo.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

SUNDOWN RUN

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

FIREWHEEL

Stenocarpus sinuatus, known as the Firewheel Tree is an Australian rainforest tree in the Proteaceae family. The range of natural distribution is in various rainforest types from the Nambucca River (30° S) in New South Wales to the Atherton Tableland (17° S) in tropical Queensland. However, Stenocarpus sinuatus is widely planted as an ornamental tree in other parts of Australia and in different parts of the world.

Other common names include White Beefwood, Queensland Firewheel Tree, Tulip Flower and White Silky Oak It is a medium to large tree, up to 40 metres tall and 75 cm in trunk diameter. The bark is greyish brown, not smooth and irregular. The base of the cylindrical trunk is flanged. Leaves alternate and variable in shape, simple or pinnatifid, the leaf margins wavy, 12 to 20 cm long. Leaf venation is clearly seen above and below the leaf. Leaves are characteristic and easily identified as part of the Proteaceae family.

The ornamental flowers are bright red in umbels, in a circular formation, hence the name Firewheel Tree. Flowers form mostly between February to March. The fruit is a follicle, in a boat shape, 5 to 10 cm long. Inside are many thin seeds 12 mm long. Fruit matures from January to July. Regeneration from fresh seed occurs speedily. Cuttings also strike well.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

FISH LADDER

At Darebin Parklands, a fish ladder to help native fish to swim upstream to complete their life cycle.

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

DAREBIN PARKLANDS

The Darebin Parklands is a 33-hectare urban bushland reserve located in Alphington and Ivanhoe, just 7 kilometers northeast of Melbourne's central business district. The image highlights a tranquil pool surrounded by native River Red Gums (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) and Ribbon Barked Manna Gums, which characterize the lower reaches of Darebin Creek.

Long before European colonization, the land and waterways were sustainably managed for tens of thousands of years by the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people of the Kulin Nation. Darebin Creek served as a vital source of food, tools, and materials. The name Darebin is derived from a Woi-wurrung word thought to mean "swallow" or "swallow-creek".

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

HAVE A COFFEE!

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme

and also part of the Seasons meme.

NOXIOUS WEEDS

Carpets of soursob (Oxalis pes-caprae), a common and persistent weed also known as Bermuda buttercup. It can look good en-masse, it is bright and cheery, but...  It spreads quickly through underground bulbs and tiny bulbils, making it tough to remove completely and can take over a whole garden in a season!

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

GOOD DOG!

A friendy golden retriever quietly waiting for his owner outside a shop.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

SPRING SUNSET

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

LEUCADENDRON

Leucadendron is a genus of about 80 species of flowering plants in the family Proteaceae, endemic to the Cape Provinces and KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, where they are a prominent part of the fynbos ecoregion and vegetation type. Many hybrids have been developed and as well as being decorative garden shrubs, they make excellent cut flowers.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

CREEK

Darebin Creek, a permanent waterway in Ivanhoe. On the West bank there is a light industrial area, while on the east side, an up market residential area. The quality of the water is excellent as it is frequently monitored by the Environmental Protection Authority and stiff fines are imposed for pollution and rubbish dumping.

This post is part of the Roentare’s Water Meme

and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

SOUTHBANK HIGH RISES

Modern high-rise residential towers in the Southbank district of Melbourne, featuring the prominent Prima Tower. It was completed in 2015, has a height of 254 metres and has 72 floors. 

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

SPRING'S ARRIVAL

This post is part of the Mosaic Monday meme,

and also part of the Seasons meme.

AT VICTORIA MARKET

A view of City North from Victoria Market on a fine Spring day. All the fathers were out with their families celebrating Father's Day today.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

SULPHUR CRESTED COCKATOO

A sulphur-crested cockatoo (Cacatua galerita) perched on a tree branch, displaying its prominent yellow crest. It is a large white parrot with a dark grey-black bill and a striking, erectable yellow crest. Raising the crest often signals excitement, curiosity, or alertness. This bird is often seen in urban areas, common in our neighbourhood, in the Darebin Parklands.

This post  is part of the Saturday Critters meme

SILVER SUN

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

GERALDTON WAX FLOWER

Geraldton Wax (Chamelaucium uncinatum), an Australian native evergreen shrub featuring masses of small, waxy pink and purple flowers with contrasting dark centres.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme

DAREBIN CREEK

This post is part of the Roentare’s Water Meme

and also part of the Nature Notes meme

CHAPEL

This is the historic bluestone chapel at the Convent of Mercy and Academy of Mary Immaculate, located at 88 Nicholson Street in Fitzroy, Melbourne. It is part of the Academy of Mary Immaculate, which was founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1857 and is Victoria's oldest Catholic school. The complex features 19th-century Gothic Revival and Victorian-era bluestone architecture built over several decades.

The Academy has achieved success in sport, speech, choir, concert band, debating and many other extra-curricular activities. Notable alumnae are: Anne Henderson – writer, deputy director of the Sydney Institute; Alice Ross-King (1891–1968) – awarded the Florence Nightingale medal in 1949 by the International Red Cross for service in both World War I and World War II; Mary Maguire – actress; Abbey Lee Kershaw – supermodel; Ged Kearney – Federal Member of Parliament for Cooper, former President ACTU.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme