MelbourneGirl

2011-07-04T21:45:00.001+10:00

These images show two views of the Melbourne sound tunnell over the tollway near the Flemington housing commission flats.

2011-06-13T22:32:00.002+10:00

The Sans Michelle Quintet played at Station 59, 59 Church Street, Richmond last night and were a roaring success. Fine jazz indeed!

The Quintet is composed of Clinton Fry (saxophones), Barney Thomas (guitar), Hermann Schwaiger (double base), Sandy Joseph (singer) and Paul ?? (drums). They don't play together too often but when they do, they produce a LOVELY sound. Anyone interested in hearing some beautiful music and having a good night out, check out Station 59 (www.station59.com.au) to see what's on.

2011-06-07T22:42:00.000+10:00

Yet another image from the Melbourne Night Walk.

2011-06-05T18:48:00.002+10:00

Another image from the Melbourne night walk ... Federation Square and the east side of Melbourne city taken from the south-east side of the Yarra River.

2011-06-01T21:15:00.002+10:00

I treated myself to a Night Photo Walk around Melbourne last Wednesday. This walk was organised through Michael's Camera Store in Melbourne, Australia and the head honcho for the night was Alwyn who was ably assisted by Delwyn and Mae. I learnt sooooooooo much about my camera that night and obtained many ideas to try out by myself, mainly around the different mereting modes available in camera.

The photo here is of the arches at the GPO, cnr Bourke and Elizabeth Streets, Melbourne. I had such an invigorating evening in the company of like-minded people with three very experienced people leading the way. Highly recommended.

2011-03-08T15:23:00.007+11:00

For those of you who could not make it to town to see my latest exhibition, here are the images showing the layout.

On entering the building from Lonsdale Street, the daylily and kangaroo paws were the first to be viewed.

The rest of the images were viewed by walking down the very wide corridor.

Thank you to the Queen Victoria Women's Centre for allowing me to present this exhibition and for working so hard to encourage women to excell in this world. Thank you also to all the friends who took the time to email me and tell me what they thought about the exhibition. I appreciate your efforts.

The next exhibition will NOT have one image of flowers! :-)

2011-01-26T02:50:00.003+11:00

Some more photos from the relaxed weekend I had at Apollo Bay with Debbie. The boats image is taken from the Apollo Bay breakwater looking back into the harbour. The hills image is from above Skenes Creek, looking back at Apollo Bay, going up into the Otway Ranges. Lovely country.

2011-01-25T12:54:00.002+11:00

Notification of the launch of Clinton Fry's very first CD is a little late coming but --- here it is! I may be a little biased but I think the selection of tunes and the quality of playing, recording and production are top-class. Well done Clinton. Love that cover image. :-)

2010-10-29T23:37:00.003+11:00

Another image from the long weekend just gone. This is one of the probably many small streams which feed into Triplet Falls in the Great Otway National Park. It's a pity the image doesn't come with smells ... the smell of a rich rainforest after the rain. Lovely.

2010-10-26T22:52:00.002+11:00

Last weekend I went to Apollo Bay for a long, relaxed and kick-back weekend with my daughter... or so I thought! To be fair, most of the weekend was just that. However our last day included a leasurly stroll around the Triplet Falls walk in the Great Otway National Park south-west of Apollo Bay (thereabouts). Now this walk was labled 'moderate to difficult' in the difficulty description and was a 2 km, 1 hour return walk. So long as I could take my time, I felt up to the task. However I did not take into account an 'off-the-track' trip down to the water, lovely though it was! What was worse, I thought, was getting back up again. Was it worth it? YES! If you are ever in the area, take a hike and have a look.

2010-10-20T23:30:00.003+11:00

Last month I went with friends to the Melbourne Zoo. I discovered Winter is not the best time to visit this place as many of the animals were in hibernation or were very listless. The otters always amaze me... they are so curious and (normally) very active and they are usually difficult to photograph. On this occasion they refused to come out of their box. Soon after I took this photo they rearranged the straw in their house to completely block any view of them.

Giraffes have always fascinated me -- I can watch them for hours. This is the first time I have managed a close-up of their head ... not a particularly good looking animal but still fascinating. Enjoy.

2010-10-19T23:41:00.002+11:00

I was going through photos taken this year and came across this one which I decided I really liked. I'm not sure if I prefer it in B&W or colour so decided to put them both up. I hope you like them. Cheers

2010-10-17T22:23:00.002+11:00

Wow! It's been brought to my attention (thanks Joanne) that it has been over a year since I posted anything here. So, to start up again, here are some fun shots of a sailboarder photographed off Brighton Beach, Melbourne a few months ago. This was in the middle of Winter but there were many sailboarders on the water regardless of the cold. This fella was spectatular with his skills. I hope the images give you some idea of what he was like. Enjoy.

2009-07-17T15:24:00.000+10:00

A beautiful flower to brighten a cold Winter's day.

2009-07-01T00:08:00.000+10:00

An image to brighten the jaded senses arising from a miserable Winter's day.

2009-06-25T23:10:00.001+10:00

One of the many foggy cold mornings we have had in Melbourne during May and June 2009. This is in Princess Park near the top of the University of Melbourne.

2009-05-24T15:36:00.001+10:00

My husband, Clinton, doing what he does best! He can be found on Saturday night from 9pm to 1am under Princes Bridge at Southbank, Melbourne.

2009-03-14T13:25:00.002+11:00

Another death in the family... this time, my father-in-law, Bob Fry. Unlike my mum's passing, Bob passed quickly, quietly and without pain. He was ready to go and had been for a while so the end for him was a blessing. Rest in Peace Bob. Love from us all.

2008-11-12T12:58:00.002+11:00

On the weekend we "cat sat" for a friend who lives in an apartment in the city. These photos were taken looking east from her apartment.

The street view is of LaTrobe Street looking east toward the Carlton Exhibition Gardens and the building is the exhibition building. Obviously the last image is of the night-lights of the city, looking from west to east.

2008-10-19T19:30:00.002+11:00

My Mum, Jo Lawlor, passed away on 14-09-08 at the Cairns Private Hospital. For eight months Mum fought bone cancer. This photo, with my daughter Debbie, was taken on 16-08-08, one of the last times I could get a smile from my Mum.

No-one should have to suffer their last days, weeks and months on this earth as my Mum did. For a long time I have felt that people should have the right to decide how they die. After watching my Mum over the last 8 months, I am now a very firm believer in euthanasia. The sooner the Government of Australia listen to the people of Australia and change the euthanasia laws the better we will all be. NO-ONE should have to suffer the way my Mum did! If an animal suffers an incurable illness, we treat them with kindness and put them to sleep when it is obvious they are in constant pain and there is no hope of a cure. People should have the same options available to them.

Thank you to all the staff at the hospital, the friends who continued to visit and help as they could, to Barry White who provided support on a constant basis as and when he could, and to Christine Rees who came daily, washed clothes, bought in fresh fruit, gave manicures and massages and provided colour photos for the wall when Mum was sick of looking at the white wall. She was a fantastic friend to my Mum for over 50 years and continues to be a fantastic friend to Jo's children, of which I am one! Thank you all!

2008-02-14T21:17:00.002+11:00

The first two images show the inside of the very impressive Tasmanian Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park management centre/gift shop. On a miserable drizzly day, the woodwork on the inside of this shop literally shone in the very limited light available. I would imagine it would be hard to look at on a very bright sunny day!

The external structure to the shop is shown in the third image. All this structure is wood and glass/perspects. Altogether a stunning building.

2008-02-13T20:18:00.001+11:00

The beautiful Wineglass Bay in the Freycinet National Park on the eastern coast of Tasmania as seen from the lookout which is near the top of the 2nd from the right mountain in the second image. A HUGE climb, especially for someone so unfit as myself. I thought I was going to die getting up there. However, as the image of the Bay shows, it was worth it!

2008-02-12T23:13:00.000+11:00

Again, in Richmond, one of the beautiful sandstone churches to be found.

2008-02-07T22:43:00.000+11:00

In Richmond, Tasmania, there is this little secluded garden right on the main street of town. I can't decide which perspective I prefer. Enjoy!

2008-02-04T23:47:00.000+11:00

Some early morning images (around 7am) from Strahan, Tasmania. This little town is just beautiful and many excellent photo opportunities exist for anyone with the time to explore.

2008-02-03T23:44:00.000+11:00

One of Tasmania's most lucrative industries would be the growing of poppies. It would also have to be one of the most beautiful.

2008-02-02T01:20:00.000+11:00

Well, it's the second month of 2008 and I haven't posted anything yet!! Ah, such is life.

In December I went with a friend to Tasmania for a photographic holiday ... well, for me at least. It did strain the friendship a bit! The photo above is just about the first photo I took for the trip. Anyone who knows Melbourne will recognise this image as looking across Port Melbourne/St Kilda to the city from the 10th deck of the Spirit of Tasmania II. It's one of my favourites from the whole trip. Enjoy.

2007-11-22T22:56:00.000+11:00

Hanging things! At my friend's place in Burragate over the weekend, there were many 'things' hanging from the wall of the house. These show two groups of 'things' that I quite like. Enjoy.

2007-11-19T23:04:00.000+11:00

Last night at Bruthen my friends and I watched an amazing light and sound show put on by Mother Nature. Here is a glimpse of what we saw for about an hour or so. Pity about the string of lights across the top of the image but ... it took me about 45 minutes to get this shot so I'm not complaining.

2007-11-10T00:51:00.000+11:00

The beautiful Cassia! This flower grows on a huge tree that looked spectatular at my mum's place in September.

2007-11-05T20:29:00.000+11:00

Last month I had occasion to visit my mum in Queensland on the Atherton Tableland. This massive spider web was in bushes just outside the back door. I'm just glad I didn't get to see the spider!

2007-10-21T23:11:00.000+10:00

I had a drive in the country this weekend to visit friends to celebrate a 21st birthday. Both these images were taken just outside Sale in Gippsland. The 'sculpture' is an old tree which has been chopped down and, over time, the earth has eroded from around the base leaving the main tap root as the base of the sculpture and the arterial roots (?) are the 'arms'. This sculpture is on the slight embankment on the left of the dam image.

2007-10-04T20:22:00.000+10:00

Well it's been a while since I posted here ... lots has been happening, not least of which Spring is here! These plum blossom managed to make an appearance even after I did a very late and very heavy prunning of the plum tree. I'm impressed at what nature can withstand.

2007-09-07T18:18:00.000+10:00

My lovely dog Bella finally reached the end of her road on Wednesday 5th September 2007. Bella came to us at age 6 months when she was found after having been dumped in the bush around Kyenton, Victoria. She was a funny looking dog who had mange when we took her into our family but she was a loyal and loving dog who made our family her own. Because we thought she was beautiful, we named her Bella.

Bella raised about five kittens and Phoebe (Febee) who came to our family when she was 6 weeks old. She was patient, kind and a good disciplinarian when needed for kittens and puppies. She never hurt anyone in her whole life.

Bella developed an aggressive cancer about a month ago which quickly took over her body regardless of what we tried to do. Bella was 16 years and a couple of months old when she was laid to rest two days ago. We all miss her so much, particularly Phoebe who keeps looking for her friend. Thanks go to all our friends who realise how much a part of our family Bella was and who have sent condolences to the whole family. RIP Bella. You are sorely missed.

2007-09-01T17:28:00.001+10:00

Well, as you probably all know, last Tuesday, 28th August 2007, there was a luna eclipse. Unfortunately in Melbourne there was a lot of cloud cover that night. I managed to get the moon before the eclipse had started and then when the full eclipse was in motion and a few as the eclipse wanned. Here are my diarised historical efforts.

2007-08-29T20:09:00.000+10:00

Another flower image today. Spring IS in the air and my hycianths are flowering beautifully. These are some of the colours that are in my garden at the moment.

This image was taken with my Canon IXY 900IS compact digital. Even though it is a 7 megapixel camera, the quality of the images goes nowhere near to matching images from my 10D or 30D SLR. Figures I guess. It IS a fixed lens camera. :-)

2007-08-29T00:14:00.000+10:00

Looking at photos taken the weekend I went with friends to the snow, I came across this image of Omeo which I really like so I thought I'd share it with you today. Enjoy.

2007-08-27T23:03:00.000+10:00

Here's another photo of that gerbra where I've played around with Unsharp Mask. I think the image takes on a slightly 'painterly' feel. It's fun!

2007-08-25T23:02:00.000+10:00

Part of my day today was spent photographing flowers to test out my new 30D camera body. A lovely pass time. This gerbra has petals that are orange on the upper side and yellow on the underside. A very striking flower.

I also finally understook about the Unmask function of photo editing programs and had a lovely time playing. I'll post some of my creations soon.

As for the 30D... it has a clunky shutter, much louder, slower and with more vibration than the shutter on my 10D. Maybe I just need to get used to it. I certainly hope so.

2007-08-24T00:26:00.000+10:00

The softness of these images of a cala lily suit my mood at the moment. The macro image is the very inside on the lily, taken in beautiful light. I'm not sure if I've posted these before but it doesn't matter. They caught my eye tonight.

2007-08-22T22:58:00.000+10:00

Everything in my life at the moment is unclear and uncertain so this image seems to fit the bill for now. It's a photo of a wind ornament made of wood that swirls when the wind is blowing. It was taken with my new 85mm f1.4 lens when I was experimenting to see what I could get with the lens. I like the softness of the image.

2007-08-18T01:08:00.000+10:00

Back in January this year when boats took pride of place on the Bay, there was an around-the-Bay yatch race. The biggest, meanest looking yatch of the lot was Scandia, a huge ocean-going yatch that is beautiful to watch and, I'd imagine, even more beautiful to sail on.

2007-08-16T18:50:00.000+10:00

Some beautiful Eucalyptus features today -- the buds and flowers. Beautiful aren't they?

Mmmmmm. After Jo posted her comment, I went and had a look at these images again. They shouldn't be so dark Jo! :-) I have lightened them and show them now as they should look. I hope you still enjoy the flower image.

2007-08-15T21:37:00.000+10:00

A few months ago when I was at Southbank, I watched this boy and his brothers having a wonderful time feeding Twisties to the seagulls and then taking great delight in chasing the birds. I like this as an action shot.

2007-08-04T00:43:00.000+10:00

A few weeks ago, late in the afternoon on a very cold winter's day, I went into the city for a coffee with a girlfriend. These images of Southbank and the Eureka Tower and the Yarra River were taken from the north-east side of Princes Bridge. The sun was setting in the west (to the right of the photos) and produced a beautiful graduated blue in the mostly cloud-free sky. The white balance setting was on Tungsten which accentuates the 'cold' feel of the day.

2007-08-02T23:41:00.000+10:00

My two dogs, Febee (little one) and Bella (older one) came with me to Bruthen in April and had the best time they have ever had.

The first morning we were there, it was misty and very, very wet. Febee and Bella, being in a totally alien environment for city dogs, of course had a big explore of the environment. This is what they looked like when I called them to see what they were up to. They had been digging at something very smelly and in very dark dirt. They had both had a bath two days previous to this but, to their great sorrow, they had to have another bath AND a hair cut, particularly Febee!!

After three weeks in the country, these two dogs were fit and healthy and happy! They had a fantastic holiday, same as me!

2007-08-01T21:21:00.000+10:00

I can't believe I haven't put a photo of this little fella up on my blog before now. This is Jaspar. He came to us out of the night, found playing in the front yard with one of our cats, and was instantly adopted by my soft-hearted son. However we already have 2 cats and 2 dogs and I didn't want another one in the house. My son's friend took a liking to Jasper and decided he'd give Jasper a home. In these images Jasper was thoroughly checking out my two dogs but not going anywhere near them. Where he lives now there are no dogs and Jasper rules the house!

2007-07-29T23:48:00.000+10:00

A little colour in my day today. My printer is now working!!! Yah!!!!!!!!!

2007-07-28T00:12:00.000+10:00

Plant life in the snow.

2007-07-26T21:06:00.000+10:00

And now for something completely different!! I've just finished chatting with my daughter in the UK and I get the feeling she's feeling a little like this image right now ... kind of jangly and uncertain, but also full of excitement and brightness. This image just seemed appropriate to post somehow. I hope you enjoy it.

2007-07-23T21:29:00.000+10:00

Had a fantastic day last Sunday with a couple of friends. We drove from Bruthen to Dinner Plain on the Omeo Highway in Victoria. The snow season has been booming and, even though Dinner Plain is not one of the major resorts, there was certainly enough snow around for many people, including us, to have a great time. I took so many lovely photos it was hard to choose just one so I thought I'd show a few. Enjoy.

2007-07-19T20:54:00.000+10:00

The new Eureka Tower in Melbourne, taken last Sunday, looking perky in the late afternoon light of a very cold Melbourne winter day.

2007-07-18T20:04:00.000+10:00

A photo of Flinders Street railway station and the southern end of the city ... taken last Sunday on my evening stroll with a friend.

2007-07-15T20:52:00.000+10:00

I had a social weekend this weekend, catching up with quite a few friends. Went into Federation Square this afternoon with a friend for coffee and we then walked along the river, past Flinders Street, across a bridge and back up the Southbank side of the river before catching a tram home. This image is of a lot of steel sculptures gathered at one end of a bridge near the Crown Casino end of Southbank. Quite sureal!

2007-07-13T00:59:00.000+10:00

These three photos were all taken in Tasmania on my trip to Tarraleah in May 2007. The mountain image is in the central highlands of the island. This is snow country so the plant life is bleached of colour but very hardy.

The boat in fog image was taken in Devonport when the ferry docked at around 7:00am. This fog was still thick at 10:30am when we left Devonport for Tarraleah.

The last image is one of my favourites. I don't know what the bush is but I love the dew drops sparkling in the early morning light.

2007-07-11T00:28:00.000+10:00

These cute little fellows caught my eye at Poynton's. I think any footy enthusiast should have one! :-)

2007-07-09T18:50:00.000+10:00

Another beautiful orchid from Poynton's Nursery in Essendon. This is a Paphiopedilum Orchid or Slipper Orchid. What a superb colour!

2007-07-08T19:19:00.000+10:00

One of the many Buddha statues at Poynton's Nursery.

2007-07-06T23:13:00.000+10:00

This sculpture was just amazing to see and it was a great centre-point for the Cymbidium orchids to hang from and around. The first image is obviously a close up of the centre glass ball of the sculpture seen in the larger image.

2007-07-04T23:05:00.000+10:00

Yet another beautiful orchid from Poynton's Nursery. I must admit, I did go a little nuts photographing around the nursery, particularly the orchids!

2007-07-01T21:16:00.000+10:00

While at Poynton's nursery a couple of weeks ago, this lovely young woman caught my eye. Isn't she stunning?

2007-06-29T18:07:00.000+10:00

Before I went into Poyntons Nursery a week or two ago, I took a few photos of the lovely Mariybrnong River opposite the nursery. You can see it was a pretty grey, rainy day but the river still looks really pretty.

2007-06-28T23:20:00.000+10:00

Another beautiful Cattleya taken at Poynton's Nursery on the weekend.

2007-06-27T23:21:00.000+10:00

Another orchid photo taken over the weekend at Poyntons Nursery on the banks of the Mariybrnong River at Essendon. I believe this is an Oncidium orchid, common name being Dancing Lady.

The photo posted previously (yesterday?) is a Paphiopedilum orchid. I think by the time I have posted all the orchid photos I took last weekend, I'll know a lot about orchid names! LOL.

2007-06-26T22:51:00.000+10:00

Spent a bit of time on Saturday at Poynton's Nursery in Essendon. This is one of the beautiful orchids that I photographed that day. I'm not sure of it's name. Anyone know?

2007-06-20T21:20:00.000+10:00

Ahoy me harties! This ship sailed through a field of about 300 very modern yatchs out for an "Around the Bay" adventure earlier this year. It looked so menacing and pirate-like that I took many photos of it.

2007-06-19T21:56:00.000+10:00

Yesterday morning was the first morning for quite some time that I took my camera with me to work. As I stepped outside my front door, I looked up and saw this beautiful rainbow. The light was very unusual as there was a lot of moisture in the air but the sun was coming out behind me. Pity about the electricity lines!

Over the weekend I had to reload my computer with all my software and I discovered some software I didn't know I had. When this software opened my images, I thought I would have a play to see what it would do. It's a basic image editor but is so very intuitive. It's called Nero Photosnap Image Viewer and came on the disc with my Nero CD burning software. This image is the result of my playing with fire! :-)

2007-06-18T23:30:00.000+10:00

This is am image of Melbourne city (including Docklands), the mouth of the Yarra River, Westgate bridge, St Kilda and Port Melbourne foreshore, the Bolte bridge and the western suburbs of Melbourne taken through a very dirty airplane window. The Dandenong Ranges can be seen in the background. Taken on a flight from Hobart in Tasmania to Melbourne, Victoria in May 2007.

2007-06-13T21:55:00.000+10:00

The brooding quality of this image appeals to me at the moment ... the late afternoon storm rolling over Bruthen ... the stark, dead-looking trees.

I have to reinstall XP onto my computer and I'm not looking forward to doing it so I'm procrastinating! However, I'm sure the feeling of gloom is totally misplaced and that the installation will go so smoothly I'll wonder what all the fuss was about! LOL!

Wish me luck!

2007-06-10T21:56:00.000+10:00

Another image of one of the many different types of fungi found in the temperate rainforest around Tarraleah in Tasmania.

2007-06-09T18:27:00.000+10:00

This photo was taken on my holiday in Bruthen in April. I don't really like cattle much (they're too big and stupid) but this bull had a majestic feel about him that caught my attention. He was certainly king of his domain and a very handsome fellow.

2007-06-06T22:39:00.000+10:00

Back in February when my daughter and I had some time together before she went overseas, we visited Airley's Inlet. This lightlight is the Airley's Inlet lighthouse and the image was taken from beach level on one of the most beautiful beaches I have seen for a long time. The day and the weekend was perfect and this image never fails to lift my spirits when I look at it and remember!

2007-06-01T19:01:00.000+10:00

Not much is in focus in this image but I really like the effect of the soft out-of-focus and the dof. This is an image of the sap from an Australian Wattle tree. As various parasites work into the tree, the sap seeps out. Being in the right place with the sun in an excellent position gave me this lovely image.

2007-05-30T19:41:00.000+10:00

Some colour and beauty today -- a cold late Autumn day. Just a reminder that Summer will come again!

2007-05-29T00:34:00.000+10:00

Another fungi image taken in the beautiful temperate rainforests of Tarraleah in Tasmania.

2007-05-27T20:48:00.000+10:00

This is one of many images I collected on my trip to Tarraleah in Tasmania a couple of weekends ago. The walk from the resort to a waterfall close by took me through some beautiful temperate rain forrests where there were so many different varieties of fungi. I have no idea of the name of these fungi but they were beautiful. I hope you enjoy.

2007-05-26T21:33:00.000+10:00

"Butterfly on Lavender" ... in memory of lazy, sunny, Summer holidays!

2007-05-25T21:47:00.000+10:00

Tonight I got Photoshop CS3 on my computer so I had to have a play. This image was chosen at random to open and play with. I find the difference in terms of texture and feel of the image between the colour shot and the desaturated shot just fascinating. To my mind the colour image feels so rich and silky, sultry and just felt. The desaturated image to me still feels silky but not rich ... more stripped but the contrasty feel draws my eye and I still feel drawn to the complexity of the image... if that makes sense! I thought it would be interesting to post them side by side as one image. What do you think?

2007-05-24T23:09:00.000+10:00

You know how it is when you are trawling through your photos and you come across one that hits you between the eyes and you think ... why have I not noticed this before? That's what this photo did to me this evening.

The image is of a sculpture located outside the Melbourne Arts Centre. It was taken back in January this year late at night on a still night. I'm still analysing why I like it so much so, while I'm doing that, I hope you enjoy looking at it.

2007-05-22T18:44:00.000+10:00

While trying to take photos to a set of criteria (which I found very very difficult to do), I took this image of the major entry to the Southgate shops on Southbank. Enjoy.

2007-05-19T15:41:00.000+10:00

These two photos show the front and back of The Lodge at Tarraleah, Tasmania. This is a 4 or 5 star accommodation, top of the range of the many and varied types of accommodation available at Tarraleah. The inside of this Lodge is so beautiful and is soooooo luxurious that one day I would like to spend a night there, preferably when it is snowing. This Lodge sits right on the edge of the mountain. From the sauna (where the back view was taken from), you sit in the sauna and look straight out over the valley and across to the next mountain. I can imagine laying back in the sauna and being served a champagne and then suffering a massage (;-) before heading off for a top class meal beside the roaring log fire. Bliss!!

2007-05-16T20:06:00.000+10:00

While scrolling through my many folders of photos, I came across this one of my mate Clinton and Blossom taken on my holiday at Bruthen in April. It brought a smile to my face. I hope you enjoy it also.

2007-05-15T22:10:00.000+10:00

These cute critters are Highland Cows, part of a herd which roams the hills of Tarraleah in Tasmania. If I remember correctly, a group of these cows are called a 'fold' not a 'herd'. They are small in comparison to Australian cattle and they are sooooo cute, especially the babies.

2007-05-14T22:25:00.000+10:00

I have just returned to Melbourne from Taraleagh, a beautiful holiday resort in Tasmania. Friends of mine have moved there to work and invited me over for the weekend. These red toadstools were growing outside the Scholars accommodation (the old schoolhouse).

Taraleagh was once a hydro electric town: that is, the town existed to house workers on the various hydro electric schemes being built in the area. Once the electricity plants and accompanying structures were built, Taraleagh slowly closed down as workers moved on to other work.

Recently the property was bought and has been restored as a holiday resort. There is a range of accommodation available from five star luxury at The Lodge, through cottages (all beautifully restored), The Scholars, Backpackers, powered and unpowered caravan and tent sites. There is a general store/reception area, a cafe and a tavern.

Over the next few days I will post other images I took from the area. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the Red Toadstools!

2007-05-08T23:56:00.000+10:00

Bees and flowers -- flowers and bees! I was kept entertained and very busy for a few hours watching and photographing these bees working very hard mid morning one day of my holidays. It is so difficult to capture them in focus as they move pretty much constantly. I must say, they weren't too concerned about my lens being a 1 or 2 cm from their workplace. I hope you enjoy these images.

2007-05-07T20:54:00.000+10:00

Last weekend in Melbourne, The PMA Inaging Technology Expo 2007 was held at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre (Jeff's Shed!). After I had wandered around for a couple of hours, I surfaced to the world along the Yarra River at the Spencer Street end. The first image shows the south-western corner of the city -- mainly corporate buildings and apartment blocks. The second image is of the heliport on the Yarra and the third looks up-river from the heliport toward the south-eastern end of the city. It was such a beautiful afternoon and lots of people were out and about enjoying the beautiful Autumn afternoon.

2007-04-30T00:02:00.000+10:00

One of the many beautiful flowers I photographed while at Bruthen.

2007-04-29T00:33:00.000+10:00

This young wombat had his/her home in a burrow on the side of the Bruthen rail trail. I came across this wombat two mornings in a row and was very concerned that it was out in the sun and that it was not responding to people or dogs. I rang a lady connected with the local wildlife society who was going to have a look at it. I saw the wombat 2 out of the following 3 days. On the fourth day, this little wombat was dead in the sun on the side of the rail trail. The lady from the wildlife society said it probably had mange and that, if it did, it wouldn't survive as mange attacks native animal's immune system and then the animal cannot survive. A sad end for this wombat.

2007-04-27T22:40:00.000+10:00

Keeping with the bird theme started yesterday, this pair of Australian King Parrots were also regulars to the "feeding post" at Bruthen. These birds are just so spectatular ... I love their colouring.

2007-04-27T02:30:00.000+10:00

One of the first photos of the many different types of birds which visited the "food post" at Bruthen. These galas were regular visitors.

2007-04-25T19:45:00.000+10:00

Last night I went into the city to take some photos and discovered there is a fair on the banks of the Yarra River next to Federation Square. This is what it looked like from the southern side of the river on St Kilda Road.

2007-04-25T02:00:00.000+10:00

I am just back in the city after three weeks holiday in East Gippsland. My friends live in Bruthen and I looked after their animals and house while they took a holiday overseas. I am just starting to sort through the hundreds of photos that I took while I was away. The first image shown here is taken in my friends' backyard from underneath the very old apple tree. The second image of the ducks was taken on my way home at a park in Traralgon. I hope you enjoy!

2007-04-21T21:39:00.000+10:00

Of all the thousands of photos I have taken over the last three weeks while I have been on holidays, this photo of Blossom the Staffordshire Terrier is one of my favourites. I think it shows Blossy as she is -- built like the proverbial brick sh..house, alert, curious, intelligent and, for once, very much in focus. It also shows her with her favourite passtime -- sticks. She loves to chase sticks thrown for her but she won't give the stick back so you can throw it again. I started having two sticks to throw and she quickly realised she couldn't pick both up at the same time but she still didn't want to drop either. She started dropping the first stick as I was throwing the second one but, on her way to retrieve the second stick, she would snatch up the first one and take it with her. Needless to say the game would finish sooner rather than later because she would leave the sticks out in the paddock and I certainly wasn't going to walk to fetch them!! :-)

2007-03-31T22:19:00.000+10:00

It's been a while since I've posted, mainly because of extreme work loads which leave a body totally exhausted. The photo today is of my daughter's Doc Martin boots which I put out on the hard rubbish collection and someone decided to 'rescue' them, tie the laces together and throw them in the air and over a power line in the street. This ended up being a good thing because my daughter did not want them thrown out. After the boots had hung on the line for a week or two, I talked my son into getting the ladder out and, with the help of a broom, get the boots down. Now I only have the sandshoes to look at every time I leave the house or return... another pair of shoes which met the same fate as the Docs except no-one rescued them!

2007-03-21T22:15:00.000+11:00

Well I finally got my camera back from Canon ... fixed ... although for a few moments I thought I'd have to take it back again but it sorted itself out okay. I looked out my window late yesterday afternoon and, as you can see from these images, I had the perfect opportunity to try it out. The first photo was taken at 7:39:27, the second at 7:40:42 and the last one at 7:45:29. Watching the change in the sky in such a short time was wonderful. I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I enjoyed taking them!

2007-03-10T21:50:00.000+11:00

Birds today. This pesky seagull interrupted my picnic lunch with my daughter when we were in Anglesea. He/she takes a nice picture though!

2007-03-07T18:35:00.000+11:00

I can't believe I haven't posted this image before today. This is a photo of one of my favourite beaches on the Great Ocean Road, south of Anglesea. This is Urquarts Bluff. There are amenities, a car park and, sometimes, lifesavers. I have been taking my kids to this beach for many years and we all love it and have had many adventures here.

2007-03-04T23:26:00.000+11:00

When my daughter and I went to Anglesea, I was up early to photograph the sunrise. This shot of the Anglesea cliffs is taken from the boat ramp at the camping park. The seagulls were having a feast on flying black bugs. These bugs made it hard to take photos and they could certainly be felt when they hit the face. However watching the seagulls feed was a sight to remember.

2007-03-03T13:07:00.000+11:00

It's such a hot, humid day in Melbourne city today that I thought a cool image from a beach would be just the shot. Imaginations go!

2007-03-01T22:40:00.000+11:00

This image was taken quite a few weeks ago ... Summer morning sunrise over Melbourne, with hot air balloons!! After discovering colour in-camera (tungsten and fluorescent white balance settings), I have started playing with colour in editing programs. This image was quite dull with the sun rising behind the large building on the right so I had a play. I hope you enjoy the results.