Seaweeds of the Surf Coast, Victoria, Australia

There were many species of seaweeds washed up on the beaches at Torquay, Victoria, Australia.
I loved the texture, form and color of the seaweeds which were mostly brown, red or green.

Natural Habitat Garden Revisited

This is an update on the previous blog (December 9, 2016) on the natural habitat garden. Thanks to some good rain and regular watering over summer, the plants have done well particularly the grasses. There have been more butterflies in the garden and the sandpit has been well used.

Beautiful Banksias

The banksias are out in flower and the soft colors look beautiful in an arrangement with acacia and eucalyptus foliage. This arrangement also has some pretty pink and yellow gum buds. The texture of the banksias and the decorative serrated leaves are so spectacular.
The two species of banksias in the arrangement are - Banksia Burdettii which has the large orange / yellow flower spikes and Banksia Baxteri with the dome-shaped yellow/green flowers.

The Beauty of Bark

Gum trees have some of the most beautiful bark in nature.When eucalypts shed their bark, interesting patterns form on the trunk and the peeling bark can expose colors.

Bark types are often used in a tree's identification.

                          This eucalypt sheds its bark annually leaving a smooth surface.

The stringy bark tree has long-fibred bark which can be pulled off in strings.

In the ironbark category the dead bark is hard, thick and deeply furrowed. 

Tessellated bark ( small squares like a mosaic) is short-fibred, hard and woody.

In some species of eucalypts the trunk is disfigured by black horizontal scars caused by the burrowing of insect larvae.

Some eucalypts shed their bark in ribbons, strips or curls.

The eucalypts in the box group are short-fibred, grey,and flaky.

Pink Skies at Dawn

There was a beautiful transition of colors this morning at sunrise - from orange, yellow and red to pinks, purples and blues.

Buckley Falls Walk

Buckley Falls, 5 kilometres west of Geelong, on the Barwon River, is named after an escaped convict, William Buckley, who lived with the aborigines for many years from 1803.

The walk along the river to the falls is very picturesque with deep pools, rocks, native vegetation and wildlife.
Steep steps lead down to the water and there are several lookouts along the way.

The area has historical significance with a paper mill constructed on the banks of the river in 1876 which continued production until 1923.

 Melaleuca lanceolata tree covered in white "bottlebrush" flowers.

Kangaroo Grass (Themeda Trimandra)

Old Paper Mill, Fyansford

Early photo of the Paper Mill

Old Bluestone Bridge

This old bluestone bridge is at Batesford, 10 kilometres west of Geelong. It is on the banks of the Moorabool River and was built in 1859. It is closed to traffic but still exists as a service road.

An early photo of the Batesford bridge.