SUMMER DAY

We've had a typical Melbourne Summer day today: Overcast, muggy morning with a sudden semitropical downpour that refreshed the gardens. Then, the clouds disappeared, the sun started to climb in the sky and the heat intensified, reaching a high of 40˚C. Then, fortunately, in the evening a cool change rolled in and the temperature fell, with a more comfortable 22˚C now at night. The temperature is predicted to fall a few more degrees later tonight and a maximum of 22˚C tomorrow... Never a dull moment!

Needless to say, this being a long weekend (on account of Australia Day yesterday), the beaches were packed full of people seeking some relief and unfortunately, there a few spot fires around the City, with one of them at least suspected arson. Fortunately, no casualties and no houses lost. Thank you, Fire Brigade!

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

IN GIPPSLAND

Gippsland is an economic rural region of Victoria, Australia, located in the south-eastern part of that 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.

It is a farming and pastoral region many parts having become highly productive dairying and vegetable-growing regions. Gippsland supplies Melbourne with most of its needs in these commodities. Gippsland has no deposits of major industrial nonmetallic minerals, but it does feature the world's largest brown coal deposits and, around Sale and offshore in the Bass Strait, some of the largest deposits of oil and natural gas in Australia.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

SUMMER SKIES

Making hay while the sun shines.

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

CATTLE IN GIPPSLAND

Black Angus cattle originated in Scotland in the Aberdeenshire area. The breed remains very successful in both Scotland and Ireland, but is now established in many countries around the world, including Australia and USA.

Most Black Angus cattle are medium to large, naturally polled with large muscle content. Average body weight for bulls is about 1,870 pounds, while cows weigh in at 1,200. Known for their heartiness, the Angus was bred to survive harsh Scottish winters with lots of snow. Overall the breed is known for a relatively easy temperament and fast growth. The darker hide pigmentation protects the breed against cancer eye and sun- and snow-burned udders, and the breed is known for easy calving.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

CATTLE COUNTRY

Gippsland is an economic rural region of Victoria, Australia, located in the south-eastern part of that 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

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

SILVAN

Silvan is a town in Victoria, Australia, located 40 km east of Melbourne. Its local government area is the Shire of Yarra Ranges, and the town marks half way between the Belgrave and Lilydale, both large towns. At the 2016 Census, Silvan had a population of 1246. The area's soils, well suited to growing fruits, vegetables and flowers, draw tourists to the various pick-yourself orchards and berry farms in Silvan. A cultivated hybrid variety of blackberry known as the silvanberry is named after the town.

Originally known as Wandin Yallock South, the town was first surveyed in 1868. The town's name was changed to Silvan in 1913, the same year the local primary school changed its name to Silvan Primary School. In 1917, and as a result of a growing population in Melbourne's south east, the Silvan Reservoir was commissioned, with the reservoir completed in 1932. A conduit from the Upper Yarra dam was completed in 1957. In 1954 the first Tulip Festival was held, becoming an annual tradition continuing to this day. 

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme.

DIAMOND CREEK VIEW

Diamond Creek is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 23 km north-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the Shire of Nillumbik local government area. Diamond Creek recorded a population of 12,503 at the 2021 census. It combines features of both big city and its amenities, with lovely countryside and a rural feel.

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.

IN THE COUNTRY

Victorian countryside in Gippsland, about 100 km East of Melbourne.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme.

GIPPSLAND PASTORAL

Gippsland is a rural region that makes up the southeastern part of Victoria, Australia, mostly comprising the coastal plains to the rainward (southern) side of the Victorian Alps (the southernmost section of the Great Dividing Range). It covers an elongated area of 41,556 km2 located further east of the Shire of Cardinia (Melbourne's outermost southeastern suburbs) between Dandenong Ranges and Mornington Peninsula, and is bounded to the north by the mountain ranges and plateaus/highlands of the High Country (which separate it from Hume region in Victoria's northeast), to the southwest by the Western Port Bay, to the south and east by the Bass Strait and the Tasman Sea, and to the east and northeast by the Black-Allan Line (the easternmost section of the Victoria/New South Wales state border).

The Gippsland region is generally divided by the Strzelecki Ranges and tributaries of the Gippsland Lakes into five statistical sub-regions — namely the West Gippsland, South Gippsland, Latrobe Valley, Central Gippsland and East Gippsland. 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, Traralgon, Warragul, Drouin, Bairnsdale, Moe, Sale, Morwell, Wonthaggi, 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.

It is a convenient region close to Melbourne for a day-trip, but not only. There are many attractive spots to see and many wonderful small towns to see and spots of  historical interest to visit.

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

IN THE COUNTRYSIDE

`View of Summer fields in Gippsland, a couple of hours drive from Melbourne.

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

FLYING

One from the archives, when to get on a plane and go wherever one liked when one liked was possible... Now that seems like quite an impossible thing to do! This is the northwest of Melbourne, approaching the airport at Tullamarine for a landing.

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme

EQUINE PASTORAL

I was in the countryside today and the weather was perfect: A sunny, warm Autumn day, showing off the lush pastures where some horses grazed. An idyllic landscape in a quiet place...

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme

FLYOVER

Flying over Melbourne's West. Now that the lockdown has ended and restrictions relaxed, air travel is slowly coming back to everyday life in Australia.

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme.

FLYING

When flying, I always like choosing a window seat, as I enjoy the view and it gives me the opportunity to take photos like this one, which I took when flying out of Melbourne.

This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Travel Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.

AT PORTARLINGTON

Flowering fields of Canola at Portarlington, a short drive from Melbourne, or if you prefer, a scenic ferry trip away. Either way, it's a wonderful day trip!

This post is part of the Blue Monday meme,
and also part of the Our World Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Travel Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.