YARRA BOATS

At the Studley Park Boathouse in Kew, one may rent a rowboat and enjoy a leisurely boat ride on the quiet waters of the Yarra River. A serene spot of scenic beauty in suburban Melbourne.

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WINDOW BOX

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CHINA

Two souvenirs from a far-eastern trip...

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 Shina No Yoru (China Nights) sung by Hibari Misora

AUTUMN LEAVES

The falling leaves drift by the window
The autumn leaves of red and gold;
I see your lips, the summer kisses
The sun-burned hands I used to hold.


Since you went away the days grow long
And soon I'll hear old winter's song,
But I miss you most of all my darling
When autumn leaves start to fall...

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YARRA REFLECTIONS

A few shots of the Yarra River by night on Boathouse Drive. The Morell Bridge was completed in 1899 by John Monash and J. T. N. Anderson, it is notable for being the first bridge in Victoria to be built using reinforced concrete. It was a rather cold night and I was shooting quickly without a tripod, hence the grainy images.

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PARK BENCH

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KALAMATA CATHEDRAL, GREECE

In the heart of the historic centre of the Greek city of Kalamata (well-known for its olives) is the Byzantine Metropolitan and Cathedral Church of the Presentation of Christ. This cathedral, the pride of all Messenians, was founded on January 25, 1860 and inaugurated on 19 August 1873 by the then Archbishop of Messenia Procopius Georgiadis.

The church houses the miraculous icon of "Our Lady of the Visitation", this being the Protectress and Patron Saint of Kalamata, and the whole of Messenia. According to the story, during the period of Turkish rule, the icon was found in a barn by a stableman, after a vision he saw. The remarkable thing about it was that while the back was severely burned, the front of the icon was intact. Since 1889, every year a procession of the holy icon through the town takes place.

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YERING STATION WINERY

The sophisticated architectural lines of the Yering Station Wine Bar Restaurant open out to majestic views stretching across the Yarra Valley floor. Designed by architect Robert Conti, the spectacular contemporary building combines unique stonework using pieces selected from the local Lillydale quarry, with traditional Swiss-influenced roofing structure to reflect the history of the property. Taking three years to construct, Conti's vision sought to create a structure that would sit harmoniously within the undulating natural environment rather than imposing upon it.

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MAILBOX

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PALM LEAF

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AUTUMN

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WARRANDYTE REFLECTIONS

Warrandyte is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 24 km north-east of Melbourne's Central Business District. Its local government area is the City of Manningham. At the 2011 census, Warrandyte had a population of 5,520.

Warrandyte was founded as a Victorian town, located in the once gold-rich rolling hills east of Melbourne, and is now on the north-eastern boundary of suburban Melbourne. Gold was first discovered in the town in 1851 and together, with towns like Bendigo and Ballarat, led the way in gold discoveries during the Victorian gold rush. Today Warrandyte retains much of its past in its surviving buildings of the Colonial period and remains a twin community with North Warrandyte, which borders the Yarra River to its north.

The Yarra River is a prominent feature of the town and the lush vegetation on its banks provides ample opportunity for pleasant walks and leisure activities.

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CAMOUFLAGE CAT

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TENNIS ANYONE?

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OLD BENTLEY

Bentley Motors Limited is a British luxury automaker, and a wholly owned subsidiary of the German company Volkswagen AG. Its principal activity is the design, engineering, manufacture, and distribution of luxury automobiles sold under the Bentley marque. Based in Crewe, England, Bentley Motors Limited was founded by W. O. Bentley on 18 January 1919 in Cricklewood near London and was acquired by Rolls-Royce in 1931.

Bentley Motors Limited is the direct successor of Rolls-Royce Motors, which Volkswagen AG purchased in 1998. The purchase included the vehicle designs, model nameplates, production and administrative facilities, the Spirit of Ecstasy and Rolls-Royce grille shape trademarks, but not the rights to the use of the Rolls-Royce name or logo, which are owned by Rolls-Royce Holdings plc and were later licensed to BMW AG. Bentley vehicles are sold via franchised dealers worldwide, and as of November 2012, China was the largest individual market for Bentley automobiles.

Most Bentley cars are assembled at the company's plant in Crewe, with a small number of Continental Flying Spurs assembled at the Transparent Factory in Dresden, Germany. Automobile bodies for the Continental model line are produced in Zwickau, Germany. Bentley cars are largely hand-built. Bentley cars won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1924, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930 and 2003. The current Bentley production models are the Continental Flying Spur, Continental GT and Mulsanne. Notable former Bentley production models include the Bentley 4½ Litre, Bentley Speed Six, Bentley R Type Continental, Bentley Turbo R and Bentley Arnage.

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INTO THE SHADOW

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PONDERING & REFLECTING

This is one of the ponds at Latrobe University in Bundoora, Melbourne, Australia. At the weekends especially it is a great place for locals to meet and have fun - not to mention their dogs.

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IN THE CITY

This is Royal Arcade, which is a heritage shopping arcade in the central business district of Melbourne, Victoria. Originally constructed in 1869, the arcade connects Little Collins Street to the Bourke Street Mall, with a perpendicular passage running to Elizabeth Street in the west. It also connects to the smaller Hub Arcade near the Little Collins Street end.

Originally designed by Charles Webb, the arcade features a high glass roof and windowed stores. At the south end, the arcade features effigies of mythical figures Gog and Magog and a clock which chimes each hour. The arcade was restored between 2002-04 which resulted in additional natural light and consistency of the shopfronts

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CITY REFLECTIONS

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RIVER VIEW

The view towards the East on the Yarra River in the City of Melbourne. Queens Bridge, a historic road bridge can be seen. The bridge was built in 1889 and has five wrought iron plate girder spans, and is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register. The bridge was built by contractor David Munro, and replaced a timber footbridge built in 1860.

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