SUNDAY BEST #429 - ON THE TRAIN

Welcome to the meme, "My Sunday Best", which is a photographic and creative meme that allows you to showcase your talents in imaging. Every Sunday, you can post here showing an image you have created using your camera, (and/or) image processing software, and/or painting and drawing in the conventional way and have scanned in.

The rules are simple:
1) Create your image and post it up on your blog;
2) Put the "My Sunday Best" logo image link somewhere on your post so people can click and come by here;
3) Leave a comment here once you have posted
4) Visit other posters' blogs and be amazed with their creativity.

Please do not use this meme to advertise your goods or services. This is a creative meme and any inappropriate links or comments shall be removed immediately.

Last week, Roentare in Melbourne posted this wonderful long exposure photo of a Ferris Wheel in Brisbane. Please visit his blog and make sure you read his thoughts on photographing this image!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

SUNDAY BEST #417 - ON THE BUS

Welcome to the meme, "My Sunday Best", which is a photographic and creative meme that allows you to showcase your talents in imaging. Every Sunday, you can post here showing an image you have created using your camera, (and/or) image processing software, and/or painting and drawing in the conventional way and have scanned in.

The rules are simple:
1) Create your image and post it up on your blog;

2) Put the "My Sunday Best" logo image link somewhere on your post so people can click and come by here;

3) Leave a comment here once you have posted
4) Visit other posters' blogs and be amazed with their creativity. Please do not use this meme to advertise our goods or services. This is a creative meme and any inappropriate links or comments shall be removed immediately.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Last week, Taken for Granted in the USA posted a happy dogwalk phot, which I really liked. Please visit his blog for more great shots.

SUNDAY BEST #352 - TRAM

Welcome to the meme, "My Sunday Best", which is a photographic and creative meme that allows you to showcase your talents in imaging. Every Sunday, you can post here showing an image you have created using your camera, (and/or) image processing software, and/or painting and drawing in the conventional way and have scanned in.

The rules are simple:|1) Create your image and post it up on your blog;
2) Put the "My Sunday Best" logo image link somewhere on your post so people can click and come by here;
3) Leave a comment here once you have posted;
4) Visit other posters' blogs and be amazed with their creativity.

Please do not use this meme to advertise our goods or services. This is a creative meme and any inappropriate links or comments shall be removed immediately.

One of Melbourne's new trams in the City.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Last week, Jim in Sydney, Australia regaled us with some of the sculptures exhibited in Sydney's seaside. This was my fave, please visit his blog for more great shots.

MY SUNDAY BEST MEME #132 - IN THE TRAIN

Welcome to the meme, "My Sunday Best", which is a photographic and creative meme that allows you to showcase your talents in imaging. Every Sunday, you can post here showing an image you have created using your camera, (and/or) image processing software, and/or painting and drawing in the conventional way and have scanned in.

The rules are simple:

1) Create your image and post it up on your blog;

2) Put the "My Sunday Best" logo image link somewhere on your post so people can click and come by here;

3) Leave a comment here once you have posted;

4) Visit other posters' blogs and be amazed with their creativity! Please do not use this meme to advertise your goods or services.

This is a creative meme and any inappropriate links or comments shall be removed immediately!

The theme is of your own choosing, so post on any subject you desire.

Reflection of commuters in a City train.

This post is also part of the Weekend Reflections meme.

Last week, Lydia in Sydney, Australia posted some beautiful shots of sun and moon. The photo below was my favourite this week! Please visit her blog to see other great photos!

WINTRY WEATHER

We are in June, the first Winter month in the Southern Hemisphere, and the weather is being suitably cold and wet. Compared to some other places, Winter in Melbourne is fairly mild, with no snow and tolerably low temperatures.

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme

and also part of the ABC Wednesday meme.

MY SUNDAY BEST MEME #101 - CHALLENGE: PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Welcome to the meme, "My Sunday Best", which is a photographic and creative meme that allows you to showcase your talents in imaging. Every Sunday, you can post here showing an image you have created using your camera, (and/or) image processing software, and/or painting and drawing in the conventional way and have scanned in.

The rules are simple:
1) Create your image according to the "CHALLENGE" theme, and post it up on your blog;
2) Put the "My Sunday Best" logo image link somewhere on your post so people can click and come by here;
3) Leave a comment here once you have posted;
4) Visit other posters' blogs and be amazed with their creativity!

Please do not use this meme to advertise your goods or services. This is a creative meme and any inappropriate links or comments shall be removed immediately!

Southern Cross Station is the most important rail terminal in Victoria and has been redeveloped into a world-class public transport interchange, with fast rail connections to regional Victorian centres and new facilities for rail, taxi and bus passengers. Now more than just a railway station, Southern Cross Station is a combination railway, shopping centre and bus terminal. The shopping centre includes supermarkets, DFO - Direct Factory Outlet and over 100 other shops, bars and restaurants.

On Spencer Street between Collins and La Trobe Streets at the western boundary of the central business district, it is the hub of the state's regional railway network, serving as a terminus for long-distance V/Line trains. It also serves the twice-daily Countrylink XPT service to Sydney, and The Overland to Adelaide three times per week. It has a bus station with 24-hour Skybus service to Melbourne airport.

Southern Cross is one of five stations forming the City Loop, a mostly underground railway that encircles the CBD. Southern Cross and Flinders Street are the only stations in the Loop that are above ground.

Last week the theme was "PEOPLE" and Klara in Poland posted a wonderful set of photos on the celebration of the Epiphany in her homeland. The photo below was my favourite! Please visit her blog to see the other great photos!

BLACK

While visiting Denver many years ago, I snapped this shot of a wistful child on a Free Mall Bus.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme,
and also part of the Photo Sunday meme.

VERMONT

Vermont is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 21 km east of Melbourne's Central Business District. Its local government area comprises the cities of Maroondah and Whitehorse. At the 2011 census, Vermont had a population of 9,902. The meaning of Vermont is "Green Mount". Vermont is bordered by Mitcham to the north, Nunawading and Forest Hill to the west, Vermont South to the south and Wantirna and Ringwood to the east. The suburb of Vermont is the location of the Vermont Volunteers Roll of Honour for the First World War. The honour board used to hang in the former Mechanics Institute Hall, which was on the site now occupied by the Scout Hall. Some of the names listed are also included on the Mitcham and Blackburn War Memorials.

The nearest railway stations to central Vermont is Mitcham train station, located 2 km north of Vermont and Heatherdale Station, which is located 1.4 km north of Vermont (from Canterbury Road). Vermont is serviced by five bus routes. Buses run 7 days of the week. One of Melbourne's major arterials, Canterbury Road, passes through the centre of Vermont, running east to west. It is intersected by Mitcham and Boronia Roads, which run north and south-east respectively. Melbourne tram route 75 is operated by Yarra Trams on the Melbourne tram network. It operates from Vermont South to Central Pier, Docklands, serviced by A and B class trams from Camberwell depot. At 22.8 kilometres, it is currently the longest line in the network.

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,

and also part of the ABC Wednesday meme.

FLY AWAY

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme.

RAILYARD AT SPENCER ST

One of the rail yards associated with the large station of Southern Cross at Spencer St in the City.

This post is part of the Weekend in Black and White meme.

HOMETIME

It's time to go home for commuters in the City. Here at the Flinders Street train station, it's always busy, but more so during peak hours...

This post is part of the Weekly TopShot meme,
and also part of the Weekend in Black and White meme.

UP, UP AND AWAY

You don't realise how fast planes are travelling until you try and take a photo of them while they are passing overhead!

This post is part of the Blue Monday meme,
and also part of the Mandarin Orange Monday meme.

STORMY FLIGHT

Taking off into the stormy skies, it's comforting to know that in Australia the most regulated industry is civil aviation!

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme.

ADELAIDE AIRPORT

Adelaide Airport (IATA: ADL, ICAO: YPAD) is the principal airport in the South Australian capital of Adelaide and the fifth busiest airport in Australia, servicing 7,037,673 passengers in the year ending 31 December 2011. Located adjacent to West Beach, it is approximately 6 km  west of the city-centre. It has been operated privately by Adelaide Airport Limited under a long-term lease from the Commonwealth Government since 29 May1998. First established in 1955, a new dual international/domestic terminal was opened in 2005 which has received numerous awards, including being named the world's second-best international airport (5–15 million passengers) in 2006.

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme.

PERTH LANDING

On a recent trip to Perth, the sun was just right for some nice shots of the countryside as we were landing, but also it was fun chasing the shadow of our plane on the ground!

This post is part of the Shadow Shot Sunday meme.

MANLY, SYDNEY

Manly is a suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia 17 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of Manly Council, in the Northern Beaches region. Manly was named by Captian Arthur Phillip for the indigenous people living there, "...their confidence and manly behaviour made me give the name of Manly Cove to this place". These men were of the Kay-ye-my clan (of the Guringai people). While scouting for fresh water in the area, Phillip encountered members of the clan, and after a misunderstanding he was speared in the shoulder by one of the clan; to his lasting credit, the progressively-minded Phillip ordered his men not to retaliate.

Manly is most notable for its beaches which are popular tourist destinations. Manly features a long stretch of sand on the ocean side, that runs from Queenscliff Beach to North Steyne Beach and Manly Beach. This is followed by rock pools and sandy beaches called Fairy Bower and Shelly Beach. There are also a number of beaches on the harbour side of the peninsula. Norfolk Island pine trees are also symbolic of Manly and are a prominent feature of both the ocean and harbour beaches.

Transport services to Manly include a Ferry service from Manly Wharf, and bus services to the city and other suburbs. The Manly Ferry journey takes 30 minutes and allows for scenic views of Sydney Harbour, surrounding national parks and Sydney icons including the Harbour Bridge and Opera House.The ferry service once advertised Manly as: "Seven miles from Sydney, and a thousand miles from care".

This post is part of the Blue Monday meme.

FREMANTLE RAILWAY STATION

Fremantle Station, is a Transperth station 18.7 km from Perth, in Western Australia, and is the terminus of the Fremantle Line, with frequent passenger services to Perth and Midland.  The station features Donnybrook stone construction on the façade with red face brick infill panels on a Donnybrook stone plinth, in Federation Free Classical style featuring a rare example of a large train hall roof. The facade remained unpainted (except for metalwork and timberwork) until it was painted in 1950.

The station was classified by the National Trust in 1974 and entered into the Heritage Council of Western Australia's Register of Heritage Places in 2001. A rationalisation of the rail reserve in 2004 was part of a plan to revitalise the precinct. Fremantle Station has been undergoing a program of staged conservation and restoration works in line with a conservation plan prepared in 1999. This included paint removal and restoration of the main entry façade, refurbishment of most of the internal areas and an electrical upgrade to bring the station up to modern standards.

The station was designed by William Dartnell, Chief Engineer of Existing Lines of the Railway Department in 1905. The construction contract, at an estimated cost of ₤80,000, was awarded in May 1906 to S.B. Alexander and completed on 20 April 1907, with the official opening on 1 July 1907. Originally the station had a 500' by 35' island platform opposite the main 500' by 40' platform, with a subway passenger connection to the station. These have not survived.The Fremantle railway line was closed by the Court Liberal Government in September 1979. Following much public outcry and a change of government it was re-opened in July 1983

This post is part of the Signs, Signs meme.

FLYING OUT OF DARWIN

Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities. It is the smallest and most northerly of the Australian capital cities, and acts as the "Top End's" regional centre.

Darwin has grown from a pioneer outpost and small port into one of Australia's most modern and multicultural cities. Its proximity to Asia makes it an important Australian gateway to countries such as Indonesia and East Timor. The city itself is built on a low bluff overlooking the harbour. Its suburbs spread out over some area, beginning at Lee Point in the north and stretching to Berrimah in the east—past Berrimah, the Stuart Highway goes on to Darwin's satellite city, Palmerston, and its suburbs.

The region, like the rest of the Top End, has a tropical climate, with a Wet and a Dry Season. The city is noted for its consistently warm to hot climate, all throughout the year. It receives heavy rainfall during the Wet Season, and is well known for its spectacular lightning.

The original inhabitants of the greater Darwin area are the Larrakia people. On 9 September 1839, HMS Beagle sailed into Darwin harbour during its surveying of the area. John Clements Wickham named the region "Port Darwin" in honour of their former shipmate Charles Darwin, who had sailed with them on the ship's previous voyage which had ended

in October 1836. The settlement there became the town of Palmerston in 1869, and was renamed Darwin in 1911. Having been almost entirely rebuilt twice, once due to Japanese air raids during World War II, and again after being devastated by Tropical Cyclone Tracy in 1974, the city is one of Australia's most modern capitals.

I took these photos flying out of Darwin in 2002 on my way to Alice Springs and then on to Melbourne. Flying over the continent of Australia is an amazing experience so one should always try to get a window seat and have a camera handy!

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme.