HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Three poor creatures with bad press: Australian Golden Orb-Weaving Spider (Trichonephila edulis); Grey-headed flying fox (Pteropus poliocephalus), Australia's largest native bat species; and a poisonous Tiger Snake (Notechis scutatus). They're all getting ready for a Halloween party.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

MARIBYRNONG RIVER

Melbourne’s second major river, the mighty Maribyrnong, runs for 160 kilometres from its source on the slopes of Mount Macedon through to Port Phillip Bay. Maribyrnong River’s name comes from the Aboriginal phrase Mirring-gnay-bir-nong, meaning ‘I can hear a ringtail possum’. It was originally called Saltwater River due to the seawater that entered from Hobson’s Bay, into which it directly flowed.

Although it flows through Melbourne suburbs with a high density population, there are many parks and reserves along its length. The river and surrounding areas are home to a range of animals. One of the more interesting locals is the shy Black Wallaby, attracted by the ample water supply and efforts to restore its natural habitat – including coarse shrubs, bushes and grasses. It's also home to many species of plants, fish, birds, reptiles, insects, and frogs, the majority of which are native.

Here the view is from Moonee Ponds towards the City.

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

UNIVERSITY SQUARE

University Square is one of Melbourne's oldest public squares, located at 190-192 Pelham Street in the heart of the academic precinct of Carlton. Situated right next to the University of Melbourne campus, it serves as a major open-air gathering spot for students, locals, and visitors.

The historic 19th-century square has been undergoing a multi-million-dollar modern transformation managed by the City of Melbourne. Following extensive redevelopments, the square has transitioned from a concrete-heavy space into a leafy park featuring expanded green lawns, biodiverse garden beds, and barbecue facilities. 

A centerpiece of the park is an award-winning open-air venue, the MPavilion designed by architect Glenn Murcutt AO, which regularly hosts free community cultural events, performances, and public workshops.

Following the grand opening of the new underground Parkville Station, Barry Street along the western edge has been permanently closed to vehicular traffic to blend directly into the expanded parklands. Ongoing Stage 2 plaza and landscaping upgrades are actively finishing up through late 2026 to increase the overall tree canopy by over 40%.

This post is part of the Nature Notes meme

SPRING SUNSHINE

This post is part of the Nature Notes meme

CITY SKYLINE

City skyline from Seddon Reserve in Ivanhoe, a distance of 9.1 km as the crow flies.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme.

WINTER IN THE PARKLANDS 2

This post is part of the Roentare’s Water Meme

and also part of the Nature Notes meme

WURLY

A "wurly" (also spelled wurlie or wurley) is a small, temporary shelter traditionally used by Indigenous Australians. Also known as a "humpy" or "gunyah", these dome-shaped or lean-to structures were constructed from branches, bark, and leaves. They were easily assembled to suit a nomadic, semi-permanent lifestyle.

Built using local, readily available natural resources like eucalyptus branches, Melaleuca (paperbark), and grass. Generally featured a curved, windbreak design that relied on a standing tree for support, keeping inhabitants protected from harsh weather. Positioned to take advantage of natural shade and warmth, often serving as temporary camps before groups moved to the next food and water source.

Here it is seen in the Darebin Parklands, in suburban Melbourne. Indigenous Australians often use these natural reserve areas in order to teach the younger generations bushcraft and indigenous culture.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme

DAREBIN CREEK

Darebin Creek is a waterway that runs through the northern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is the main watercourse of the Darebin Valley and a major tributary of the Yarra River. For tens of thousands of years it was used as a food and tool source sustainably by the Wurundjeri people, Indigenous Australians of the Kulin nation alliance, who spoke variations of the Woiwurrung language group.

The creek rises on the northern urban fringe of Melbourne north of the suburb of Epping, following a general southerly route and meeting the Yarra at Alphington. The creek forms much of the municipal boundary between the City of Darebin and City of Banyule. Formerly an intermittent stream, increased stormwater runoff with urbanisation of the Darebin Creek catchment has resulted in permanent water flow. 

The creek runs through Darebin Parklands, a large nature reserve one or two kilometres northwest of the junction at which the creek meets the Yarra. The Darebin Creek Trail runs along the banks in the lower reaches of the creek. This is the creek at the Darebin Parklands in Fairfield.

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

YARRA BEND

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 Yarra Bend Golf Club House, officially opened in May 1936, is an original example of American ‘Country Club’ type architecture. The Park provides a great open space for walking, bike riding, riverside cafes, golf, boating, BBQs, picnicking and a host of other leisure activities.

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

YARRA RIVER AT FAIRFIELD

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.

DIGHTS FALLS

Dights Falls is located in Melbourne, Victoria just downstream of the junction of the Yarra River with Merri Creek, about 2 km east of the City. At this point the river narrows and is constricted between 800,000 year old volcanic, basaltic lava flow and a steep, much older, Silurian, sedimentary spur.

Prior to European settlement, the area was occupied by the indigenous Wurundjeri tribe of the Kulin nation. The rock falls would have provided the Aboriginal people with a natural river crossing and place to trap migrating fish. It was also a meeting place for many clans where they would trade, settle disputes and exchange brides.

In January 1803, Charles Grimes, the deputy surveyor-general of New South Wales, was sent to Port Phillip to survey the area. Sailing on the schooner Cumberland, under the command of Acting Lieutenant Charles Robbins, the party entered Port Phillip on 20 January 1803. Grimes explored the Yarra by boat for several miles until he reached Dights Falls on 8 February.

On a ridge above the falls, 250 metres to the east, is a historic marker commemorating the “first white men to discover the river Yarra reaching Yarra Falls on 8th February, 1803. Also to make the first crossing near here with the cattle by the first overlanders John Gardiner, Joseph Hawdon and Captain John Hepburn in December 1836”.

In the 1840s, an artificial weir was built on the natural bar of basalt boulders to provide water to the “Ceres” flour mill, one of the first in Victoria. In the early 1840s John Dight established Melbourne’s first water-powered flour mill on the site. In 1888 “Yarra Falls Roller Mills” built a water-turbine powered mill, which was the largest and most sophisticated of the thirty two water powered mills built in Victoria before 1900.

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.

CREEK IN SUMMER

The Darebin Creek in Preston, at the Darebin Forest Park. Another much needed natural bushland area in the middle of suburbia.

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

HOUSE WITH A VIEW...

...Or view with a house? Looking across the creek, towards Ivanhoe from Darebin Parklands in Fairfield. This location with wonderful bushland, native flora and fauna, the Darebin Creek and many walking and cycling paths is only about 6 km from the City Centre.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme.

SUMMER WALK

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

DAREBIN CREEK

Fish ladder on the Darebin Creek at the Darebin Parklands in Alphington. An important conservation area for native flora and fauna.

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.

MARIBYRNONG RIVER

Melbourne’s second major river, the mighty Maribyrnong, runs for 160 kilometres from its source on the slopes of Mount Macedon through to Port Phillip Bay. Maribyrnong River’s name comes from the Aboriginal phrase Mirring-gnay-bir-nong, meaning ‘I can hear a ringtail possum’. It was originally called Saltwater River due to the seawater that entered from Hobson’s Bay, into which it directly flowed.

Although it flows through. Melbourne suburbs with a high density population, there are many parks and reserves along its length. The river and surrounding areas are home to a range of animals. One of the more interesting locals is the shy Black Wallaby, attracted by the ample water supply and efforts to restore its natural habitat – including coarse shrubs, bushes and grasses. It's also home to many species of plants, fish, birds, reptiles, insects, and frogs, the majority of which are native.

Here the view is from Moonee Ponds towards the City.

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

SUMMER MEMORY

Found this in the archives and I sighed a little as it was quite a cold Winter day today, even though it was sunny at times. Well, here's a warm Summer memory from last year in the Fitzroy Gardens in the City.

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.

AT THE PARKLANDS

Beautiful Autumn days in the Darebin Parklands.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme

FISH LADDER

Fish ladder in the Darebin Creek, at Darebin Parklands, Alphington.

A fish ladder, also known as a fishway, fish pass, fish steps, or fish cannon, is a structure on or around artificial and natural barriers (such as dams, locks and waterfalls) to facilitate diadromous fishes' natural migration as well as movements of potamodromous species. Most fishways enable fish to pass around the barriers by swimming and leaping up a series of relatively low steps (hence the term ladder) into the waters on the other side. The velocity of water falling over the steps has to be great enough to attract the fish to the ladder, but it cannot be so great that it washes fish back downstream or exhausts them to the point of inability to continue their journey upriver.

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

YARRA BEND MOSAIC

More from this wonderful urban nature park in metropolitan Melbourne, a stone's throw from the CBD. Enjoying the last few weeks of Summer...

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