Ribbons of Reflections

City lights reflecting in the River Torrens, Adelaide

(after the searing temperatures we've endured this week - 5 days over 40C degrees

including a 45 and 46 - it would be lovely now to be dangling my feet over 

the river banks and cooling off my toes!!)

Joining in with Weekend Reflection

City at Dusk

As the evening draws in, Adelaide's city skyline comes to life when viewed across the River Torrens. 

Joining up with 
James' Weekend Reflection

Happy New Year James and all other bloggers.

Awaiting clearance

 As we were waiting to take off for Canberra (Australia's Capital City),
I was looking through the cabin window appreciating our small CBD when an incoming Qantas jet suddenly came into view.




.... looking up the Gulf of St Vincent and leaving Adelaide behind (and yes, despite the changed sky, this shot was taken only minutes after the previous one).

Linking up with Skywatch Friday with thanks to the hosts

Veale Gardens

 

A corner of the delightful, relaxing Veale Gardens on South Terrace,
bordering the City's square mile.

I'm off to Canberra to stay with friends and visit the Floriade for a few days.
Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

(I was going to link up with James' Weekend Reflections, but don't know how to do that in advance, so this will be early or late -
 Perhaps I'll try doing so from my Galaxy Tablet while interstate)

Anyone for Coffee?

An imaginative redesign of a former ticket office at

an Adelaide suburban railway station, where the proprietors

blend and roast their chosen coffee beans on the premises.

There's a roaring open fireplace and a great ambience for

catching up with friends (or even going solo)

- it's well worth the visit (and not just for the coffee!).

An assortment of enamel water jugs and mugs,

(like those used by the guards on trains in times past)

with chilled water on tap is available for patrons.

A picturesque pocket

North Adelaide is traditionally accepted as a desirable residential address, with its fascinating mix of history, architecture, wealth and "upper end" retail.

Out for a stroll with my fellow photography enthusiast friend, we soaked up the ambience of Stanley Street on a very pleasant afternoon.

In addition to a number of early 1800 "row houses", Stanley Street also showcases some more architecturally modern, gated-entry residences.

We completed our outing at a fascinating organic coffee establishment in Melbourne Street (the next street over), that is dominated by retail and corporate operations.

The inside wall of the cafe provided some unusual entertainment :

Here's Looking at You!

While relaxing on the banks of Adelaide's River Torrens recently, (enjoying afternoon tea following an outing on "Popeye") 

we spotted this Eastern Rosella in the tree above watching us watching it.

Happy weekend to all

Joining up with http://camera-critters.blogspot.com.au/ and
http://id-rather-b-birdin.blogspot.com.au/

Mixed messages!

The stunning blue sky and significant clouds over Adelaide's CBD seem to be sending mixed messages as to the day's outcome, weatherwise.  In fact it was a fabulous day with temperatures in the mid 20's - a welcome relief from the high 30'sC of the preceding weeks.
Joining up with Skywatch Friday

Walking on Water !

More scenes from the "Popeye" outing referred to in yesterday's post . . . .

A pair of swans taking off

Ibis grazing for food on the banks of the River Torrens

Would you believe those 3 large objects on top of the railings are Pelicans?

According to our tour guide, they regularly rest there most afternoons -

one would imagine it to be most uncomfortable trying to keep one's balance while "dozing off", but clearly they are quite adept at it!!

Joining in with Outdoor Wednesday

Adelaide's skyline

On the weekend I joined a few friends on an outing I've not experienced since childhood:  a trip on "Popeye" - a motor launch which runs on Adelaide's River Torrens from the bank adjacent to the CBD to the Zoo on the City's northern perimeter with commentary by the pilot. The first of these launches began operating in 1935 and offer a very relaxing perspective of our city and its environs for locals and visitors alike.

Following are a few shots taken on the journey.....

 Part of Adelaide's skyline looking east past the Morphett Street Bridge, towards the Intercontinental Hotel dwarfing Parliament House on the left.

City bridge, linking the CBD with North Adelaide and suburbs beyond

The Convention Centre with city-based rowing club premises in the foreground

A "Popeye" launch

 

History's home

Pictured above are Levels 1 and 2 of the Mortlock Wing of the State Library of South Australia. These provide quiet study areas and internet access. The ground floor houses exhibition bays that open a window into the history and culture of South Australia, featuring the people, places, issues and events that have contributed to the State's development.

Mr John Andrew Tennant Mortlock (1894-1950) was the eldest son of William and Rosye Tennant Mortlock, a wealthy pastoralist family, whose residence at Mintaro near Clare was Martindale Hall, made famous through the movie Picnic at Hanging Rock.. He was educated at Glenelg Grammar School and St Peter's College in South Australia, and at Jesus College, Cambridge University.

In honour of a substantial bequest from him, the Libraries Board of South Australia (LBSA) resolved that a percentage of the South Australiana Collections would be housed in the wing and named the Mortlock Library of South Australiana. The Mortlock Library was opened in 1986.

Visit http://ourworldtuesdaymeme.blogspot.com.au/ for
 links to other scenes from around the world. (and many thanks to our lovely hostesses)

Let there be music!

Last week a lifelong friend and I treated ourselves to a concert at the Adelaide Town Hall to hear the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra perform Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto and Dvorak's Symphony No. 9 from the New World. It was a wonderful evening, the solo violinist was Nicola Benedetti and the Orchestra was led by London's Royal Philharmonic Orchestra's Permanent Guest Conductor, Garry Walker.

At the rear of the stage is the magnificent pipe organ pictured above.

The original organ was built in 1875 and served well for some 100 years before being replaced just 22 years ago with what you see here. It was built by J Walker & Sons in the UK and was the largest pipe organ built in the UK for 100 years.  It's installation coincided with some major Town Hall refurbishments and cost A$1.3m to build. It weighs in the vicinity of 25 tonnes and contains 4500 pipes ranging in length from a few millimetres to 5-6 metres, thus providing an enormous diversity of pitch and dynamic range.  Its components are made from either wood or metal and the pipes are handmade, using a technique that has not changed in 400 years.

[Courtesy ABC Radio's "Stateline" program]

p.s. We'll have to arrange another night out to hear it in action!

Joining http://ourworldtuesdaymeme.blogspot.com.au/

Beneath the City

Last month a good friend and I joined a group touring the tunnels beneath the Old Treasury Building in the heart of the City of Adelaide. 

The history of these is as follows (courtesy of the South Australian Government's website) :

"Old Treasury Building tunnels
The Old Treasury Building on the corner of King William Street and Flinders Street was once part of a complex of buildings which served as Adelaide's chief government offices. The Building was constructed in 1839, but much modified over subsequent years, and designed by George Strickland Kingston. Only one portion of wall from the original 1839 building is still standing.
The vaults below the Treasury Building were constructed in 1850 and predate the existing building. It is thought that gold discovered by South Australian diggers in the Victorian Goldfields was stored and smelted at the Treasury Building vaults. The tunnels contain a furnace and a well, but these date from after the goldrush era.
Further information about the Old Treasury Building tunnels can be found in this conference paper: Morgan, Deb (Dept. of Environment and Heritage). Tunnel visions: Persistent myths about Adelaide's underground history, presented at the State History Conference (South Australia), 2006"

Joining other participants in http://mellowyellowmonday.blogspot.com.au/

Colour captures

The following 5 images (each representing a colour - Red, White, Blue, Yellow and Green) are my entries in "Capture the Colour" competition, at the kind invitation of Dianne from "Adelaide & Beyond".

(Visit http://www.travelsupermarket.com/c/holidays/capture-the-colour/ to learn more)

Returning to Hong Kong on the ferry from Lamma Island, these red sails of local boats stood out against the high-rise commercial and residential landscape of Hong Kong. (This trip was at the end of 3 weeks spent volunteering at a not-for-profit international aid organisation that distributes new or near-new goods and furniture to those in need both in Hong Kong and other countries around the world: it was an extraordinary experience and this image seemed to represent the huge gulf that exists world-wide between those living in poverty and those more fortunate. From a positive perspective, it might also depict the technological advances that have occurred over generations).

Here, the waves crash against the rocks of Granite Island, a popular tourist attraction lying just off the township of Victor Harbour, on South Australia's south coast.  Visitors enjoy the novelty of reaching the island by horse-drawn carriages across the timber bridge.  The island boasts penguins and birdlife as well as a great bistro (for that much-needed cappucino by those who've chosen to walk the distance!)  The sea's constant changes provide an endless source of delight for photographers, artists and travellers alike.

The (almost!) ever-present blue skies over the City of Adelaide are reflected here in the River Torrens, on which visitors can travel by boat to the local zoo, or just have fun on the available 2-person paddle boats for hire.

The presence of good surf, good cafes and the thunder of waves crashing onto the beach are popular draw-cards for all manner of holiday-makers to the delightful area of Port Elliot - once again on the south coast of South Australia. Here the yellow of adjacent cliffs is reflected at waters edge.

Ross Bridge in Tasmania, was built from sandstone by convict labour in 1836 and is the 3rd largest bridge in Australia still in use today. The detail of its 186 carvings by the convict stonemasons was deemed of such high quality that it won the men a free pardon. The 19th Century village of Ross continues to attract visitors from far and wide to enjoy its offerings - including a fabulous bakery!

===================

I now invite the following 5 other bloggers to participate in the competition ( you'll need to be quick, as entries close tomorrow 29th!) :

Nick of http://nixpixmix.blogspot.com.au/

Mickie of http://forgetmenotmmm.blogspot.com.au/

Gary of http://vermilonriverwildlife.blogspot.com.au/

Eileen of http://viewingnaturewitheileen.blogspot.com.au and

Sandy of http://slchome.blogspot.com.au 

Also participating in Our World Tuesday meme - visit http://ourworldtuesdaymeme.blogspot.com.au/ for other views from around the world.

City lights +

Looking across the River Torrens at Adelaide's city lights, and

A calmer section of the River Torrens, upstream from the shot posted earlier this week, along the Gorge Road.

Linking with James' http://www.weekendreflection.blogspot.com.au/

Adelaide

... the fair city of Adelaide, capital of South Australia. Here are: one of our brightly coloured trams (which run from the City to Glenelg on the coast; looking north down the main street (King William) from Victoria Square in the City's centre; another "barky" shot; the tower of St Francis Xavier's Cathedral; and another "contrast of ages" shot, showing our General Post Office with it's tower backdropped by two of Australia's "Big 4" bank buildings and part of John Dowie's wonderful fountain in the foreground.


This is my submission to Our World Tuesday.


To view other scenes from around the world, visit http://ourworldtuesdaymeme.blogspot.com.au/

Victoria Square's fountain

Linked to http://waterywednesday.blogspot.com.au/

Saturday in the City & Markets

A selection of views taken in the Adelaide Central Market yesterday, together with one of the City's colourful new trams (this one running down to the beach at Glenelg), and the majestic spires of St Francis Xavier's Cathedral.

Christmas greetings from Adelaide

Overlooking the banks of the River Torrens towards Adelaide's CBD

Wishing you all a very happy, healthy and meaningful Christmas - thank you for sharing the results of your photographic talents, and I look forward to seeing your images throughout 2012.

For more reflective photos from around the world, visit http://www.weekendreflection.blogspot.com/

Another beautiful day in . . .

Adelaide, capital city of South Australia

(grey skeys are going to clear up ...)

For other scenic sky images, visit http://skyley.blogspot.com/