West Gate Tunnel Discovery Day

Last weekend Nadia and I were among the fifty thousand people who ran, walk, or wheeled their way around the newly-built West Gate Tunnel in Melbourne during its Discovery Day.

Here are my photos from that event. Well, except for that random Southern Cross station one at the start :)

Quiet afternoon at Southern Cross Railway Station in Melbourne

Photo looking down from the first-floor concourse of a major urban railway station. The station has a massive, wave-shaped roof and you can see all the way to the elevated concourse on the other end of the many platforms.

Entry portal of the newly-built West Gate Tunnel in Melbourne

Photo of a massive, curved structure above the entrance to a road tunnel. The design of this entry portal is inspired by the nets used to catch eels – historically an important Aboriginal food source. Hundreds of visitors are walking in and out of this entryway during what a banner says is West Gate Tunnel Discovery Day.

Eel-net inspired design of the West Gate Tunnel entry portal - 1

Black-and-white photo of the eel-net inspired design of a road tunnel entryway portal. Thick curved beams create successively shallower arches across the entrance. Thinner beams crisscross these large beams at an angle, creating the effect of a traditional eel net.

Eel-net inspired design of the West Gate Tunnel entry portal - 2

Black-and-white photo of the eel-net inspired design of a road tunnel entryway portal. Thick curved beams create successively shallower arches across the entrance. Thinner beams crisscross these large beams at an angle, creating the effect of a traditional eel net.

Eel-net inspired design of the West Gate Tunnel entry portal - 3

Photo of the eel-net inspired design of a road tunnel entryway portal. Thick curved beams create successively shallower arches across the entrance. Thinner beams crisscross these large beams at an angle, creating the effect of a traditional eel net. All the beams are made of metal but are painted a streaky brown colour to resemble natural materials like wood and twine.

Nadia pointing out the transition from deluge zone 2 to 3

Photo of the inside of large road tunnel. White panel segments along the wall have text painted on them tells us that we’re moving from deluge zone two to deluge zone three. A woman in jeans and t-shirt with a comically excited expression on her face is pointing to the transition point between the two zones.

Thousands of people walking through the newly-built West Gate Tunnel

Extremely wide-cropped, wide-angle photo of thousand of visitors walking into a massive road tunnel while, on the left, an equally large number of people are walking out.

Nadia inside the West Gate Tunnel on Discovery Day

Photo of a woman wearing jeans and a t-shirt posing near the wall of a massive road tunnel. She is surrounded by hundreds of other visitors and you can see the light at the end of the tunnel in the far background of the photo. The woman is wearing jeans and t-shirt, with pink coloured text printed on the t-shirt that reads, “Less stress, more boogie”.

People checking out the newly-built West Gate Tunnel on Discovery Day - 1

Wide-cropped, wide-angle photo of thousand of visitors walking out a massive road tunnel while, on the left, an equally large number of people are walking in.

People checking out the newly-built West Gate Tunnel on Discovery Day - 2

Extremely wide-cropped, wide-angle, black-and-white photo of thousand of visitors walking out a massive road tunnel while, on the left, an equally large number of people are walking in.

[Photo walk] Around the northern suburbs of Melbourne, part 8

I’ve been wanting a wide-angle camera lens for a while, but I didn’t need one enough to justify spending serious money to buy it. [1]

Happily, the folks from TTArtisan released their AF 14mm F3.5 prime lens (21mm full-frame equivalent) with a Fujifilm X Mount a few months ago and I just bought one for myself when it went on sale :)

Here are the photos I took with this lens during a recent walk Nadia and took around the northern suburbs of Melbourne.

Public barbecue and gazebo in a local park

Wide-angle photo of a public barbecue and a rectangular gazebo that's covering a table and two benches. This barbecue area has been built right next to a children's play area.

Rope gym for older kids at a local playground

Wide-angle photo of playground equipment in a local park. The equipment consists of poles, bars, and ladders made out of metal with ropes and handles tied all around them, making for a challenging traverse across to the other side.

Bottom of the slide – wide

Wide-angle photo looking up from the bottom of a bright orange coloured children’s slide in a local park.

Bottom of the slide – tall

Wide-angle photo looking up from the bottom of a bright orange coloured children’s slide in a local park.

Closed community footy ground on a bright afternoon

Photo of the shaded veranda of a brick building at a local Australian rules football ground.

Closed canteen at a community footy ground

Photo of a shuttered-closed canteen window at a local Australian rules football ground.

Hadfield Hawks Canteen is closed post-season

Photo of a shuttered-closed canteen window at a local Australian rules football ground. A printed canteen menu has been attached to shutters on the side of the window, with the title, ‘Hadfield Haws Canteen Menu’ and menu item prices written in whiteboard marker.

Slow down

Close-up photo of a concrete footpath with a white-coloured ‘slow down’ warning painted on it.

Slow down your walking

Close-up photo of a concrete footpath with a white-coloured ‘slow down’ warning painted on it. The front of the photographer's black-and-white sneakers are visible in the bottom of the frame.

I really like this lens!

TTArtisan makes solid, low-cost lenses that have an interesting character that (a) I like and (b) works really well for the type of photography that I do.

I now have three TTArtisan prime lenses [2]:

And I’m super happy with all of them! Here’s to many more photos with this lens trio :)

[1] The Fujifilm 16mm prime lens costs around $570 on sale and the Fujifilm 14mm prime lens costs around $1,300 on sale. The TTArtisan 14mm prime lens, on the other hand, costs just under $200 when its not on sale!

[2] I’ll probably (almost definitely) also buy the TTArtisan AF 75mm F2 lens whenever it goes on sale :)

[Photo walk] Around the city, part 1

I took these photos back in June but never got around to uploading them thanks to a bout of post-viral fatigue. Better late than never!

Dubai chocolate egg tarts at #1000 Bread on Swanston Street

Close-up photo of a tray of egg tarts in a bakery display window.

Cube croissants at #1000 Bread on Swanston Street

Close-up photo of a tray matcha cube croissants and blueberry cube croissants in a bakery display window. A small paper label stuck to the top of each croissant reads, “#1000 Bread”

Waiting for the Koko Black baristas on Swanston Street

Photo of a Koko Black coffee stand on the sidewalk of a metropolitan city. Two baristas are making coffee at the coffee machines along the back of the stand. In the foreground are a woman and a girl waiting for their drinks, with the girl gripping the back of woman's jacket with her hand.

Tram-track crossing on Swanston Street

Photo looking straight down at a metal plate embedded into the road surface on top of which two tram tracks cross each other at an acute angle. The photographer's white sneakers are visible in the bottom of the photo frame.

Tagged Silver Gull at Federation Square

Close-up, black-and-white photo of a bird with silver-grey wings with white head staring straight at the camera. A small plastic ring attached to the bird's left leg indicates that it has been tagged.

[Photo walk] Walking around the city and suburbs, part 1

Here are some photos from my recent walks abound Melbourne city and its various suburbs.

Life-size statue in a manicured garden

Photo of a manicured residential garden in which there is a full-size stone statue of a woman in traditional European clothes pouring water out of a bucket.

Reflecting the neighbouring building

Photo looking down at a tall office building with an all-glass exterior. A reflection of the less-tall, neighbouring residential building can be seen in the exterior of the first building.

Australian Ballet fashion capsule for Melbourne Fashion Week 2025

Photo of several high-fashion ballet costumes arranged on mannequins and other display stands in the massive foyer of an office building.

Cafe tables accommodating the slope of the footpath

Photo of two long, outdoor, wood-and-iron cafe tables and their accompanying benches. The tables are placed outside the building where the footpath is sloping downwards towards the street. The legs on one long side of the table are taller than the legs on the other side, resulting in the eating surfaces of the tables being perfectly horizontal.

Statues above the entrance of the Former AMP Building

Photo of the front archway of a 1920s office building with a pink Casterton granite and Sydney freestone facade. Above this entrance are statues of three adults and one child, with all three adults looking down to street level. The Latin phrase “amicus certus in re incerta cernitur” (meaning “a true friend is discovered in times of uncertainty”) is engraved on a plaque below these statues.

Looking through the hallway at the former Commercial Bank of Australia building

Photo of the hallway than runs through the middle of a baroque 1890s building with a Chicago-style facade and fittings.

Schoolboy at a bus stop, as seen through a wooden pallet

Photo taken through the bottom part of a wooden pallet, where the forklift's forks go. Behind the pallet is a wooden, cyan-coloured bus shelter with a single bench. Seated on this bench is a schoolboy, though you can only see his black shows, grey pants, and red-and-grey striped tie dangling between his legs.

No

Close-up photo of the white-coloured, all-caps “no” of a “no parking” sign painted on a road.

[Photo walk] Webb bridge

My office is in Docklands and, super conveniently, the place I get my car serviced is in the corner of South Melbourne that’s a short walk from there. I got my car serviced yesterday so I took these two photos while crossing the Webb Bridge.

(I’ve taken several photos of, on, and from this bridge in the past.)

Scooting up the Webb Bridge on the Yarra River

Photo of a man in a dark blue suit wearing a light blue cycling helmet, sunglasses, and brown formal shoes. The man has a black messenger bag slung across his back. The man is riding an electric scooter up a cycling and pedestrian bridge that spans an urban river.

Pushing a pram onto the Webb Bridge on the Yarra River

Photo of a man in a brown jacket, black pants, and white sneakers pushing a baby in a pram up the incline of a pedestrian and cycle bridge that spans an urban river.

Suspicious sulphur-crested cockatoo

I spotted a sulphur-crested cockatoo on one of my walks and, since I happened to be using a long lens at the time, I stopped to take its photo.

The cockatoo has noticed me

Photo of a sulphur-crested cockatoo sitting on an electric transmission line. The cockatoo is looking over its shoulder because it has noticed the photographer taking its photo.

The cockatoo is suspicious of me

Photo of a sulphur-crested cockatoo sitting on an electric transmission line. The cockatoo has turned the other way and is making sure the photographer is standing still behind it.

The cockatoo has decided to keep a closer eye on me

Photo of a sulphur-crested cockatoo sitting on an electric transmission line. The cockatoo has turned itself to face the photographer so it can keep an eye on that human.

[Photo walk] Along a flood plain in the northern suburbs

Nadia and I try to take walks along various parts of the northern suburbs. This time we walked along a creek and floodplain.

The forbidden hole

Photo of a round culvert around a floodplain. Even though it is daylight outside, the interior of the culvert is pitch dark. A warning sign posted next to the entrance hole reads, “no entry” and “trespassers prosecuted”. Explanatory text above this reads, “lack of oxygen and sudden rising water”.

Floodwater culvert under a walking path

Photo of a set of large, rectangular culverts underneath a concrete walking path in a grassy area.

Looking through the floodwater culvert

Photo looking through a large, rectangular culvert that's underneath a concrete walking path in a grassy area.

The northern suburbs say We Luv U Gaza

Photo of a sound- and wind-dampening fence that's been erected along the top of a rise that's next to a floodplain. Spray painted on the fence is graffiti that reads, “WE LUV U GAZA”. In the background of the photo are high-voltage electricity transmission towers.

Flood-level markers along a creek in a floodplain

Photo of a series of white, graduated flood-level markers installed in the steep walls of a floodplain. Each marker is one metre tall and is painted white with black level-marks on it. Text next to these marks shows that the highest marker measures flood waters as high as seven metres above sea level.

A creek that’s on a flood plain

Photo looking down at a creek running through a grassy area. There are structures built along this creek to manage its flooding, such as a drain pipe that redirects flood waters via smaller creek into a flood retarding basin. A series of flood-level markers have been installed along the wall of this creek so observers can note the height of the floodwater.

[Photo walk] Around the northern suburbs of Melbourne, part 7

I took a few photos while taking a longer photo walk around the northern suburbs of Melbourne

A newspaper ring in the wall

Photo of a residential red-brick wall with a round section cut out of it so a rolled-up newspaper or magazine can be placed in it by the mail carrier. The wall and ring itself are out of focus. What is in focus is a bush that is growing in the garden behind this wall.

The garden behind the newspaper ring in the wall

Close-up photo of a residential red-brick wall with a round section cut out of it so a rolled-up newspaper or magazine can be placed in it by the mail carrier. The wall and ring itself are out of focus. What is in focus is a bush that is growing in the garden behind this wall.

Classic 70s/80s residential garage

Photo of the brick-lined front of a residential garage with an metal roller door that's been painted in an pink/peach colour that matches the surrounding brickwork. This paint has peeled in several places so the grey of the metal roller door is exposed.

Brake lights at sunset

Photo of the brake lights of a silver sedan that are being lit with warm, golden light at sunset.

Cherub fountain in a residential garden

Photo of a vibrant residential garden with a stone fountain that’s mounted on a stone pillar. Both fountain and pillar are made from the same pinkish stone. The fountain contains a statue of two cherubs, one playing the panpipes/pan flute and the other holding a fish. Were the fountain to be running, water would come out of the fish’s mouth.

Little Raven in a driveway

Photo of a Little Raven (a species of raven roughly 1cm shorter than an Australian Raven) that’s standing in a residential driveway. The photographer has taken this photo partly obscured by a bush so as not to startle the bird.

[Photo walk] Walking in the suburbs, part 1

Even now and then when running errands, commuting to work, or going out to meet friends, I take my camera with me. I then walk around whatever suburb I happen to be in, taking photos of whatever catches my eye. Over the last few weeks that’s been a brick recycling place and signs painted on roads and footpaths.

Brick recycling yard at sunset

Black-and-white photo of a line of standard transport pallets – the square wooden types that can be easily picked up by forklifts. Each pallet is fully loaded with layers of recycled bricks, the top layers of which have plastic wrap rolled around them. The pallets have been stacked four-high in a large outdoor yard, with several empty pallets on top of these already high stacks.

Office building at the brick recycling yard

Photo of a line of standard transport pallets – the square wooden types that can be easily picked up by forklifts. Each pallet is fully loaded with layers of recycled bricks, the top layers of which have plastic wrap rolled around them. The pallets have been stacked three-high in a large outdoor yard, with several empty pallets on top of these already high stacks. Also on this yard is a medium-sized wooden shed. A sign on the door of this shed reads, in all capital letters, “office”.

Watch for cars at the curb cut

Photo of a combined walking-cycling path that meets a road with a curb cut/ramp that is designed to let wheeled vehicles get on and off this path easily. A strip of tactile paving has been installed across the path just before the curb cut begins. A little behind that strip of bumps is a warning sign painted across the path in large, yellow, all-capital letters that reads, “watch for cars”.

Wat

Photo looking down at a pavement with a large, yellow warning sign painted across it. The full sign reads, “watch for cars” but the photographer has cropped-out most of the message so all that’s visible in the frame are the first three letters, “wat”.

No

Photo looking down at part of a faded sign on a road. All that is visible in the frame of the photo is the word, painted in white, all-capital letters, “no”.

[Photo walk] Weekend walks in the suburbs and the city

I took the first two of these photos at a community footy ground and the rest when I went to an Emerging Writers’ Festival event at narrm ngarrgu Library in the city.

Up close with a drinking-water fountain in a sports field

Close-up photo of the spout of a public drinking-water fountain in a large sports field. This water fountain has not been used in a while and is completely dry.

Nets behind the goals on a footy field

Photo of one end of an Australian Rules Football field in which tall nets have been installed behind the goal posts.

Stand behind this (line) at a tram stop on a sunny, rainy day

Photo looking straight down at a bright yellow line painted on the asphalt of a tram stop. An incomplete phrase written in black, all-capitals text on top of this line reads, “stand behind this”. Installed just behind this line is some tactile paving: a series of raised, white-coloured, reflective circles that are looking strangely bright in the harsh, eerie light making its way through the clouds on a sunny day. In the bottom of the photo are the front of the photographer’s white sneakers stepping on the first two rows of tactile pavement dots.

This way to the narrm ngarrgul Library, right next to Queen Victoria Market

Photo of a sandwich board placed on a pavement with a sign on the floor painted next to it. The sign on the floor contains an arrow and text that reads, “narrm ngarrgul Library and Family Service”. Text drawn with multicoloured chalk on the black sandwich board reads, “narrm ngarrgul Library, all welcome. Take one cookbook from your library, combine with fresh market produce for a winning recipe”.

narrm ngarrgul Library and Family Services, right this way

Photo of the corner of a brick building with two large, solid-letter signs on it. One has an arrow and reads, “library entrance” while the other is around the corner and reads, “narrm ngarrgul Library and Family Services”. Below this, a sign painted on the floor and a sandwich board on the pavement both also point towards the library entrance.

Side of Queen Victoria Market along Victoria Street

Photo of a wide pavement next to a large market. The pavement is completely covered by an awning that has lights strung up below it. Also attached to the awning are signs showing the names of the shops along the market. There are several sets of tables and chairs arranged on the pavement. The area is not very busy, though there are several people walking along the pavement.

2025 Emerging Writers’ Festival event at narrm ngarrgul Library

Photo of a sandwich board on a pavement. A sign painted on the pavement next to the sandwich board contains an arrow and text that reads, “narrm ngarrgul Library and Family Service”. Pasted on the sandwich board is the posted for the Emerging Writers’ Festival being help between 11 and 18 September 2025.

[Photo walk] Along the Yarra River #5

It’s been months since I’ve posted any of my photos here, so here’s me catching up :)

This batch is from my first photo walk after recovering from my latest bout of post-viral fatigue. I basically walked from my office in Docklands to Flinders Street Railway Station, and I did that by walking along the Yarra River (as I have several times before).

Checking her phone outside Southern Cross Station

Photo of a woman in a champagne coloured puffer jacket standing in a small urban park next to a train station. The woman is looking down at her phone. In the photo the woman has been taken through the glass railing of a balcony and some rectangular bicycle hoops.

Dirt-caked road signs under an elevated train line

Photo showing three large road signs erected on metal poles. The signs are next to a massive concrete pillar with a stone facade. This pillar is one of several that are holding up a series of elevated train lines that cross over the roads that run beneath. The signs read, from top to bottom, “Flinders St” (the cross street at this intersection), “Docklands” (the suburb to the right of this intersection), and “Marvel Stadium” (the point of interest to the right of this intersection).

A wall of take-away coffee cups

Black-and-white photo of a wall of disposable, take-away coffee cups arranged on a cafe window sill.

Get your coffee here!

Black-and-white photo of a coffee cup with, “Coffee here!” written on it along with a smiley face. The coffee cup has been placed on a cafe window sill.

Blue-on-Blue with the Melbourne Aquarium sign

Photo looking up at a large, blue neon sign in the shape of two stylised fish. The sign is mounted on two tall, white poles on top of a large building. The darker blue of the fish stands out against the lighter blue of the sky behind it.

Sun reflecting off Eureka Tower in Melbourne

Photo of a tall building in the middle of a large city. One window of the building is shining brightly as the sun reflects off it. The photo has been taken from underneath a set of railway bridge, with a train crossing one of the bridges in front of the photographer.

Sign on a shipping container in Banana Alley

Photo of a torn, bright yellow sign on a rusted shipping container that reads, in all-black, all-capital letters, “Caution, 9'6" high”.

Waiting to depart from platform 4

Photo of a woman wearing a bright yellow jacket sitting in a commuter train at a railway station platform. The photo has been taken through a brick passageway that separates the platform this woman’s train is on and the platform that the photographer's train is on.

Around the northern suburbs of Melbourne, part 6

Over the last few weeks I’ve been listening to music on my walks instead of taking my camera with me. Things have been super busy at work and I’ve needed that time to clear my head.

These are the photos taken the handful of times I did go out with my camera – which all happened to be around sunset, funnily enough.

Bench and veranda transplanted from a castle, perhaps?

Photo of a well-work wooden bench with wagon wheels instead of legs that’s been placed in a large stone veranda in front of an otherwise unassuming weatherboard house.

Keeping an eye out for intruders

Photo of a dog that has stuck is snout out of the gap left by a missing slat in a white wooden gate.

Keeping a nose out for intruders

Photo of a dog that has stuck is snout out of the gap left by a missing slat in a white wooden gate.

A crow at sunset

Photo of a crow sitting on the top of a utility pole. The sun is setting in the background, casting a golden-orange glow in the sky, so the crow, the pole, and the tops of the trees that are visible in the frame are all in silhouette.

Poking out of the driveway

Photo taken along the length of a residential footpath, with the front fences and walls of houses running along the right side of the frame. Jutting out from one of the driveways are the rear bumper and the boot of a black car.

Scratches on the plexiglass of a bus stop shelter

Photo of two large panes of transparent plexiglass that make up the back of a bus shelter. Through the plexiglass you can see a house. But scratched onto the plexiglass, and visible due to the sunset in the background, are several scratches made by people. None of the writing is readable, though a five-pointed star and some letters of the English language can be made out.

Not quite what a traffic cone is for but, hey, whatever works to make things more safe!

Photo looking at the part of the driveway that curves around the back of a house. Parked on that driveway is a small trailer that you can hitch behind a car. The coupler / locking ball / hitch at the front of the trailer has been covered with an orange traffic cone, making it highly visible to anyone walking or driving on this driveway.

Rainbow lorikeet taking flight from a tree

Photo looking up at a bright, multicoloured bird that is taking off from a tree. This has resulted in the bird appearing blurred compared to the rest of the tree.

Cat chilling in the front garden

Photo of a black-and-white cat sitting in a residential garden. The photo has been taken through the upper vertical bars of a white metal gate.

Cat in the front garden

Photo of a black-and-white cat sitting in a residential garden. The photo has been taken through the upper vertical bars of a white metal gate.

Keeping an eye on its territory

Photo of a large, red-and-white dog sitting on a paved driveway behind a tall chain link fence towards the back of a house. The dog is calm, but is very focused on the photographer who has stopped at the bottom of the driveway.

Making sure the dog that just walked by stays out of its territory

Photo of a large, red-and-white dog standing on a paved driveway behind a tall chain link fence towards the back of a house. The dog is standing on alert, making sure the dog that was just walked in front of its house stays out of its house.

Around the northern suburbs of Melbourne, part 5

Another week, another batch of photos from around the northern suburbs of Melbourne.

For whatever reason, all the photos I took this week looked best when cropped at 16x9.

Also, I should point that while editing this whole series of northern-suburb photos, I seem to have fallen in love with Fujifilm’s Classic Neg. film simulation. A lot of the (literal) street photos I’ve taken over the last few weeks, I’ve edited using this film simulation.

Classic Neg. is based on Fujifilm’s Superia photo film stock from the 1990s which, in turn, makes photos look like they were taken in the 1960s. When you use this film simulation you get contrasty photos with a muted colour palette that leans slightly red, thereby making your photos look classic or “old timey”. For photos taken around residential areas, suburban parks, and local shopping strips, this style seems to work really well.

Anyway, here are this week’s photos.

Life, uh, finds a way

Close-up photo looking down at the exposed top-most brick of wall surrounding a garden. The brick, as part of its construction, has ten evenly-spaced holes in it. Green grass stalks and tiny green leaves are growing in these holes.

Curve in the combined walking/cycling path

Photo of a combined walking and cycling with a weathered and faded walking-and-cycling path sign painted on it. The path curves to the right as it disappears out of frame.

Double reminder of the new speed limit

Photo of a road sign along a residential street. The sign tells drivers that there is a 40 kilometre per hour speed limit from 8am to 4pm between Monday and Friday. A second, smaller sign attached to the same pole, just below the speed limit sign, reads, “new limit”. An identical pair of signs has been attached to an overhead wire pole on the other side of the street.

Flood retarding basin outlet tower

Photo of an octagonal cement tower with a hole at the top. This hole is protected by a wire fence surrounding it. The tower has been build at the corner of a large, grassy field that has been dug out and is at least one storey below street level. There are houses around retarding basin.

Shared bike path sign

Photo of a weathered and faded combined walking-and-cycling path sign painted on a path running along a road.

Flock of Australian white ibis in a flood retarding basin

Photo of a large, grassy field that has been dug out and is at least one storey below street level. This is a flood retarding basin, with a stepped water inlet at one side feeding water into a small creek that runs diagonally through the middle of the field. Several large, white birds with long, thin, black beaks are hanging about in the field.

Cemetery through the trees

Photo of several marble graves seen through a gap in some trees.

The northern suburbs of Melbourne say: Free Gaza

Photo of the side of a house along a residential street. Spray-painted on this brick wall in bright red/pink paint is the slogan, “Free Gaza”.

Around the northern suburbs of Melbourne, part 4

I’ve started taking my camera with me every time I go out of the house –work, running errands, meeting friends, going for a walk, all of it.

To make things more fun, over the last few weeks I’ve only used a single lens: my (relatively new) TT Artisan AF 56mm F1.8 prime. That gives me a full-frame equivalent focal length of 85mm, which is great for picking out specific details in what I see around me.

Here are some of the photos I took this week.

The Pastry Boys are off the job (and I love their logo!)

Photo of a sky-blue coloured food trailer parked on a street. The trailer is not in use. It is not attached to a vehicle and all its windows are closed. On its side the logo for Pastry Boys: two dots for eyes and a croissant designed to look like a moustache.

Nobody said you had to keep left on the other side of the road

Photo of a small ‘keep left’ sign at the start of a divider in the middle of a street. Half of the sign – on the side that’s next to oncoming traffic – has been crumpled by a passing vehicle.

Old Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works pit cover for the local water supply control

Photo of a small, weathered, stamped-metal pit cover with a slit in the middle that allows it to be lifted with an appropriately shaped tool. The cover is square and is painted yellow, with a circular centre that is painted red. The letters MMBW have been stamped around the red section. These letters stand for Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works, the agency that is now called just Melbourne Water. The paint on the metal has been stripped over time by weather and people walking over it. The cover is set in a square hole cut out of cemented pavement. Surrounding the cover is a yellow-coloured surface treatment – essentially, thick paint – that has cracked over many years, with chips of this lying around on the pavement.

Water carrier statue in a residential garden

v

Good to know that S design is still in use today!

Photo of a tag and text written in black marker on a hexagonal utility pole. The message shows the tag followed by an arrow pointing to the phrase, “was here”. The tag is a stylised, backward, uppercase ‘S’ that was popular with rock bands in the 1980s and that kids used to draw on their Trapper Keepers and other hole-punched note paper binders.

Water tap and bird bath in a garden

Photo of a water tap at the edge of a residential garden, next to several bushes that have been planted along one side. Lying on the ground next to the tap is a ceramic bird bath full of water.

Spiderweb at sunset

Photo of a dense spiderweb constructed between the bars of a black, wrought-iron fence. The sun is setting off-camera so the spiderweb is illuminated by golden coloured light.

When the ground shifts, something has to give

Photo of a low brick wall at the front of a house, with a taller pillar that ends at the driveway. A white coloured, metal mailbox has been embedded into this two-brick-wide pillar. The ground beneath the house has shifted over time, so the pillar and some adjacent bricks have separated from the main wall, creating a crack.

Around the northern suburbs of Melbourne, part 3

Some more photos from the various suburbs near where I live.

Sharp, straight lawn edging

Photo of a narrow strip of grass outside a residential fence that’s had its edges very carefully trimmed.

Reflective give-way sign

Close-up photo of a triangular give-way sign that’s mounted on a pole along a residential street.

Forgotten after play or awaiting hard rubbish collection

Photo of three, brightly coloured, plastic children’s toys lying on a residential nature strip.

Around the northern suburbs of Melbourne, part 2

Thanks to a bout of post-viral fatigue, I didn’t take a single photo with my mirrorless camera in all of April.

It’s only now that we’re approaching the middle of May that I’ve had the energy to go (a) out anywhere and (b) take my camera with me – even if it’s just when I’m going for a walk, to the shops, or to a cafe in a nearby suburb.

So here are some more of my photos from around the northern suburbs of Melbourne.

Baby Buddha sculpture in a front garden

Photo of a ceramic sculpture placed on a tall tree stump in the front garden of a weatherboard house. The sculpture is of a bald, large-headed baby – the child Buddha – hugging the back of a small elephant. The elephant’s trunk is reaching back to touch the crown of the Buddha’s head. The tree stump has a string of lights wound around it.

Brushing dirt off his guernsey at a local AFL game

Photo of a male AFL footballer standing in front of the goal posts at a local ground. The player is standing alongside a player from the opposing team and in front of an official. The player is pulling at his shirt so that he can brush some dirt off it.

A local AFL game

Photo of a AFL game being played on a local football ground, as seen through some trees are there to provide shade to spectators.

AKAI CRT television ready for hard rubbish collection

Photo of the back of a small, black, AKAI CRT television lying in the nature strip outside a house in a residential area, awaiting hard rubbish collection.

End of life for this AKAI CRT television that’s now ready for hard rubbish collection

Photo of a small, black, AKAI CRT television lying in the nature strip outside in a residential area, awaiting hard rubbish collection.

On final approach to Melbourne Airport

Photo of the front of a house with a jet airliner in the sky far behind it. Their airplane has its wheels down in preparation for landing at Melbourne Airport.

Residential roundabout

Photo of a small roundabout in a residential area. A tree and a few low bushes are growing out of the centre of the roundabout. Cut off by the right edge of the photo frame is a car that is waiting behind the line to enter the roundabout.

A relic of an older time, when satellite TV was bigger than streaming

Photo of a rusted, half-broken satellite dish mounted to the roof of a house.

Avalon Airshow 2025, part 5: dogs

One of the most fun parts of Avalon Airshow are the dogs you get to see there. Both the air force and border security folks run demos, and the Royal Australian Air Force also has a place where you can go and pat their puppies :)

Military dogs demonstration

Cylon is ready for his military-dog demonstration

Photo of a malanois (large, mostly-brown dog) wearing a military harness and holding a stuffed dog toy in its mouth. A name patch reading Cyclon (in all capital letters) is attached to the harness. The dog is on a leash that's being held by its air force handler named Rea wearing battle fatigues. The two are standing in a large field with several carnival rides in the background.

Border security dogs demonstration

A sniffer dog and her trainer at Avalon Airshow 2025

Photo of a brown labrador retriever (a large breed of dog) looking around at the audience at an airshow. The dog is wearing a black harness and the trainer is wearing a blue border security uniform. The two are on a grassy field that's been covered by a large tent. Metal railings and netting have been placed between the field and the audience who are standing around the show area.

Military puppies

Malanois puppy with his air force handler

Photo of a malanois puppy sitting on a low bench in a fenced-off exhibition area at an airshow. The puppy is looking up the air force handler who is standing next to the bench. There are people standing and walking all around the fenced-off area so they can get a look at the puppies.

Avalon Airshow 2025, part 4: hearing protection

Aircraft are loud, so hearing protection is highly recommended at airshows – especially if you’re standing right next to the runway while watching the flying display.

Hearing protection is especially important for young children, with constant announcements about that being made in the hour leading up to the start of flying.

I thought it’d be a fun mini-project to document all the kids (and a few adults) who were out and about wearing some sort of hearing protection or the other.

Hearing protection

Young girl wearing hearing protection

Photo of a young girl in a pale blue jacket wearing large, white hearing protection earmuffs at an airshow.

Avalon Airshow 2025, part 3: people

It’s not just fun to take photos of the aircraft that are flying around, it’s also fun to photograph the people who are attending the show with you. This and the next post are all about that.

People

Taking photos at Avalon Airshow 2025

Photo of a young man in the crowd at an airshow taking photos with a professional camera with a long lens. The man is wearing and Air Force t-shirt.

Avalon Airshow 2025, part 2: flying display

I love the flying display at airshows, and this year I came prepared with a folding chair and a long lens for my camera :)

The flying display at Avalon kicks off with a “wall of fire” along the runway, which is pretty fucking impressive. That’s followed by an aerobatic display and then a military display.

However, there was a crash at this year’s aerobatic display on Friday. The pilot survived, but they cancelled the aerobatic display for Saturday, which is the day I was there.

Also, this airshow takes place at Avalon Airport, which is open for regular commercial flights the whole time. Because of that, I got photos of a scheduled Jetstar flight landing in amongst all this. (Jetstar was the airline I used to work for.)

I’ve grouped my photos into galleries for easier viewing, since there are quite a lot of them! One photo I’ve selected as the feature photo for each section.

On the ground

Wall of fire display marks the start of the flying display at Avalon Airshow 2025

Photo of a massive wall of fire along the length of a runway at an airshow. Hundreds of people are standing in the foreground, several with their phones out as they record the display.

Fighter aircraft

F-35A Lightning II close-up

Zoomed-in photo of an F-35A military fighter aircraft in the air at an airshow.

Maritime aircraft and fuel tanker

MH-60R Seahawk "Romeo" and P-8A Poseidon

It’s only at an airshow that civilians like us get to see two aircraft flying this close to each other :)

Photo fo a MH-60R Seahawk "Romeo" multi-mission maritime helicopter hovering above the runway at an airshow. Above this a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft flies low across the runway. In the foreground of the photo there are hundreds of airshow attendees watching, photographing, and filming these aircraft.

Transport aircraft

C-17A Globemaster III on the runway

Photo of the front of a C-17A Globemaster III military transport aircraft on the runway at an airshow. In the foreground of the photo there are hundreds of airshow attendees watching, photographing, and filming this aircraft.

Commercial operations

Jetstar Airbus A320 about to touch down

Photo of an Airbus A320 passenger jet in Jetstar livery about to land on the runway during an airshow.