BANKSIA-DUNDAS STS BRIDGE

The Banksia-Dundas Sts Bridge over the Darebin Creek was opened on 27 November 1987. The footbridge was constructed during the Darebin Creek trail redevelopment and links the three suburbs of Heidelberg, Northcote and Preston. The trail provides many opportunities for walking, cycling and other leisure activities in the midst of a bustling metropolis.

This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Trees & Bushes meme,
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.

NIGHT LIGHTS

This post is part of the Monday Mellow Yellows meme,
and also part of the Blue Monday meme.

WERRIBEE RIVER

The Werribee River is a perennial river of the Port Phillip catchment that is located on the plain West of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The headwaters of a tributary, the Lerderderg River, are north of Ballan near Daylesford and it flows across the basalt plain, through the suburb of Werribee to enter Port Phillip.

A linear park follows the Werribee River along much of its course. In total the Werribee River completes a journey of approximately 110 kilometres. The river flows through the Werribee Gorge State Park before being utilised for irrigation of market gardens at Bacchus Marsh, then through Werribee where it is crossed by the Maltby By-pass. It then flows through the Werribee Open Range Zoo in Werribee Park, and finally the small coastal settlement of Werribee South before entering Port Phillip.

This post is part of the Weekend Reflections meme,
and also part of the Scenic Weekends meme.

TREES

An evening walk is a relaxing and healthful thing to do after one's dinner. Besides which, one may take all sorts of interesting photos...

This post is part of the Saturday Silhouettes meme.

PARKLANDS, WERRIBEE

Melbourne's lungs are large areas of parks, parklands, reserves and gardens that are spread throughout the metropolitan area. These provide a welcome natural resource for the inhabitants of this five million people megalopolis. These ancient gums by the Werribee River are a beautiful and valuable heritage for city dwellers' children.

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme,
and also part of the Friday Greens meme.

MELBOURNE STREET TREES 128 - CALLERY PEAR

Pyrus calleryana, the Callery pear known in the USA as the Bradford Pear, is a species of pear native to China and Vietnam, in the family Rosaceae. It is a deciduous tree growing to 5 to 8 m tall, often with a conic to rounded crown. The leaves are oval, 4 to 8 cm long, glossy dark green above, and slightly paler below.

The white, five-petaled flowers are about 2 to 2.5 cm in diameter. They are produced abundantly in early spring, before the leaves expand fully. The fruits of the Callery pear are small (less than one cm in diameter), and hard, almost woody, until softened by frost, after which they are readily taken by birds, which disperse the seeds in their droppings. In summer, the foliage is dark green and very smooth, and in autumn the leaves commonly turn brilliant colours, ranging from yellow and orange to more commonly red, pink, purple, and bronze.

Callery pears are remarkably resistant to disease or blight though they are regularly killed by strong winds, ice storms, heavy snow, or limb loss due to their naturally excessive growth rates. Some cultivars, such as 'Bradford', are particularly susceptible to storm damage. The species is named after the Italian-French sinologue Joseph-Marie Callery (1810–1862) who sent specimens of the tree to Europe from China.

The initial symmetry of several cultivars led to their attempted use in settings such as industrial parks, streets, shopping centres, and office parks. As such they proved so successful that they are deemed an invasive species, outcompeting many native plants and trees. Their dense clusters of white blossoms are conspicuous and very pretty in early spring, however their smell is commonly found unpleasant by many people (me included!). The smell is often described as 'fishy' and 'putrid'.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

ON THE RIVER

Nothing like a leisurely walk by the banks of the Yarra River in the City. The rowers are a common sight on the water.

This post is part of the Wednesday Waters meme,
and also part of the Waterworld Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Outdoor Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.

DOG WALK

Walking the dog in the Darebin Parklands...

This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Trees & Bushes meme,
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.

BULLEEN MURAL

Bulleen Art & Garden at 6 Manningham Rd West is a nursery and gallery, which focusses on the environment and creativity. There is a great range of herbs, fruit and vegies and the nursery specialises in edible, indigenous and low water use plants.

Food and habitat gardening is a positive contribution that everyone can make to the environment and their own community and nursery staff have experience and expertise in gardening, the environment and the arts with strong connections to the local community.

The façade of the nursery is very distinctive with its ceramic mural by Meredith Plain, and it gives an indication of the wide range of art that can be found in the gallery within the nursery.

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

DAREBIN CREEK REFLECTIONS

Darebin Creek is a creek 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 Alphington.

This post is part of the Friday Greens meme,
and also part of the Weekend Reflections meme,
and also part of the Scenic Weekends meme.