More views and wildlife on Phillip Island

Heron, Wallaby and Shellducks
The Australian Grand Prix track for Superbikes is located on Phillip Island and it was practice time. Entrance was about 13 Dollars just to watch the practice runs but fortunately the road goes past the track!

Approaching Swan Lake

Above - Rhyll Inlet - a wetlands reserve
Surfers on Smiths Beach
Swamp Wallabies at Swan Lake
Wombat - looks cute but is well armed with claws. About 60cms long - size of a small dog.
Another swamp Wallaby
Straw necked Ibis
Large Sting Rays in San Remo Port
Bird nests ? Penguins
Bull Ant.
Excerpt from Wikipedia...
"the bulldog-ant of Australia affords us the most extraordinary example of this kind; for if it is cut in two, a battle begins between the head and the tail. The head seizes the tail in its teeth, and the tail defends itself bravely by stinging the head: the battle may last for half an hour, until they die or are dragged away by other ants. This contest takes place every time the experiment is tried" Arthur Schopenhauer

More Melbourne, briefly.

A tram - they say it is free for foreigners. That's because with no address they supposedly cannot send you the fine for not having a ticket!
Melbourne Museum
Old Melbourne Houes on Nicholson Street
The end of the night - warm enough to sleep on the verandah at the front of the house. I was lucky enough to stay here for almost 2 weeks alternating between couch, floor and bed depending on what was available!
I cooked a Lasagne to say thanks. However none of the people who lived here arrived for dinner! So it was enjoyed by the French - Bon Apetite! (I left another one in the fridge though!)

Phillip Island and Penguin watching.

Sunset at Cowes
A Saltwater Swan!
Pyramid rock - for obvious reasons, but strangely black in colour
Looking East along the South coast of Phillip Island - rugged and beautiful. This water is the Bass Strait

Dwarf Penguins under boardwalk. Th boardwalk protects the habitat of the birds and plants from the trampling of thousands of tourists feet.
THere was a great view looking North West from Nobbies visitors centre. Sadly some guy got in the way!
Jess, Laura, Nicole and Dan - happy to get away from Melbourne for the weekend!

Sculpture

Here are a few pictures of sculptures from the Montalto winery sculpture competition

Mornington Peninsula

Beach huts
This peninsula extends from Melbourne in the North to Sorrento in the South. It forms the Eastern boundary of Port Phillip Bay which is navigated by all sizes of ships to reach the Port of Melbourne. Due to the build up of sand it has recently been dredged around the main shipping channel.

The peninsula is probably best known for its vineyards and with the extended family (who I havn't seen for maybe 15 years) we did some exploring.

This is the view from Arthurs seat, the highest point on the Southern Peninsula. Above - looking North
This view is looking South / South East towards Sorrento
Montalto Vineyard with its annual sculpture competition.
Cooking home made pizzas in John's wood fired outdoor oven.
Old quarry in Mt Eliza, now a nature reserve.

Melbourne

Here are some views of Melbourne which has been home for the last 2 weeks. They say time flies when you're having fun and the blog has been a little neglected as a result. Above is the CBD taken from the Mornington Peninsula.
The Royal Botannical gardens are a lush haven a short walk from the center of the city. They have an impressive variety of plants in tranquil settings.
Bridge over the Yarra River with St Pauls Cathedral in the distance. It supposedly has the tallest spire of any Anglical Cathedral in the world although it doesn't look all that high!

Boat / rowers on the Yarra River.
Federation Square in the heart of the city. Impressive variety of galleries, ACMI (Australian Centre for the Moving Image) and Information Office as well as some cafes and bars. There is free wireless internet to be enjoyed if you have your own computer. My favorite is the ACMI where you can choose from thousands of films in the library and watch them in booths with up to 5 people, for free! There is also a large variety of historic film from as far back as 1897 and documentaries on Australian and Victorian history/culture.

I am yet to photograph the trams but they are a good way to get around. They have evolved from cable-drawn to electric power although at one point their future was looking uncertain. I heard they were saved by one of the mayors who, being an avid supporter, managed to get the tracks layed in concrete so that they were there to stay.

Below is a bike shed at a community environment park called CERES (Centre for Education and Research in Environmental Strategies). They take in abandoned bikes and strip them, restore and re use the parts to make new bikes. They also grow organic veg and rear chickens organically. They rely on renewable energy - mainly solar but some wind, use composting toilets and are generally earth friendly. They have a website :
http://www.ceres.org.au/whatisceres