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.