Bendigo, Victoria.

Bendigo is a large Regional City not far from Melbourne, Victoria.
Gold was discovered in the area about 1850. Since then, Bendigo has been the second highest producing goldfield in Australia and remains the seventh largest in the world.

Bendigo was the city in which penniless Russian immigrant Sidney Myer opened the first Myer store in 1900. Today, Myer department stores can be found throughout Australia's capital cities and regional centres.

We drove through this city within and around it on our way home last month having visited it several times over the years. This year I took some photos but couldn't get close enough to the buildings due to traffic. I am not sure which building is what but they are all along one street except one building.

Mining Statue.

The Police Station.

Castlemaine, Victoria

Castlemaine, Victoria is a small city. The name came from Captain W. Wright, in honour of his Irish uncle, Viscount Castlemaine.
The first settlers or squatters arrived in 1837 to establish vast sheep runs after Major Mitchell passed the region in 1836. Major Thomas Mitchell was an explorer of south-eastern Australia and was born in Scotland.
Castlemaine is also know for it's Gold in the past.
Gold was discovered in 1851 around the area by Christopher T Peters, a shepherd and hut-keeper. After the gold the town/city became known for it's breweries, iron foundries and a woolen mill along with a few other industries...Thanks Wikipedia.
The city is not that far from Melbourne, Victoria as in about 120 km.
We called into Castlemaine for a short visit on our way home and did a stroll up the street.

The Town Hall.

Once a Hotel/Pub now a Restaurant I believe.

I am not sure what this building is used for, apart from bike hire and art.

The Warm Memorial and the RSL.  Return Serviceman League.

Need a coat of paint.

Flowers!

The daffodils are just about finished blooming this spring with the days getting warmer along with the nights, and of course spring showers.

I have had my father staying with us this past week, he enjoys the company so he says. Next week I will drive 230 km (round trip) and bring him home to stay again before he goes into the private hospital for a small procedure, then he will come back to my house till he is strong enough, then I take him home again to his house.  I stay with my father for 2 to 3 nights each week if he isn't staying at our house. He is now used to our house as to where things are, but there are several things he can't do due to his blindness.

The photo of the very small daffodil is only sharp in the middle but that is they way I wanted it.

The first of the Freesias.

Another Iris, and I prefer this colour than the last one I photographed.

The Long Paddock!

In some areas of Australia we have 'The Long Paddock'. Could be an event or a stock route, however the long paddock I am referring to is the Highway or a particular highway in New South Wales, (NSW) Australia.
Whilst travelling we have come across long paddocks many times. A long paddock is usually the feed for cattle on the side of a long road.
I recall a modern Drover sitting underneath a big gumtree in a long paddock talking on his mobile phone, the other hand holding the horse's reins and the cattle feeding on the long grass. Another modern Drover that we saw just recently was riding a Motorbike, another Drover was on a Quadbike, along with another Drover riding his horse.
I managed to grab the camera to take these shots of some of the cattle.

Taking Walk with the Camera!

Such beautiful Spring weather, though cool nights it's been very pleasant during the day, sun shining and no breeze.  I normally don't care to go walking around the block here at home but I did, and captured the scenery which is behind our house.  Once this was one of our views out the window but progress goes on.

From Melbourne, Australia to the Home Port of Devonport, Tasmania!

Travelling on board the Passenger Ferry The Spirit of Tasmania is part of our journey and holiday to Mainland Australia and beyond.
Information to a link [here] to how large or small the ferry is, how long it takes to cross Bass Strait and so on.

It's a very comfortable cabin with a good bunk, so therefore we both have a good sleep woken only by the female on the intercom waking everyone in each cabin approximately 3/4 of an hour before having to be in our cars ready to disembark.  We have a shower and eat breakfast later in the morning at a Road House along the way.

The seabed it about 50 meters deep so therefore it's considered a rough stretch across Bass Strait. Of the 22 times we have been across we have never experienced that thus far, always the first time though.

The wait in the queue to drive on board is rather long. However, before the queue it's finding somewhere to park that can be and is mostly a problem.  We stop at a Service Centre way up the highway, then travel down over the Westgate Bridge to the Port of Melbourne arriving just in time for the 'queue'.

One of the two Ferries in Melbourne. Part of St. Kilda beach which goes to the left of the photo a very long way down.

The cars go right back to the back pier and turn around up along the side of the Ferry in 3 rows. All cars enter the bow and go out the stern.  When in Devonport, Tasmania it's the opposite.

A Melbourne sightseeing bus comes around the pier as some of us wait in the parking area which isn't cheap either.

Part of the waterfront Apartments overlooking a small area of St. Kilda Beach.

The Gateway Bridge taken through the windscreen of our vehicle.

One of the Service Centres we park at some distance up the Highway.

The centre offers McDonald's, Subway and Petrol, showers and loos.

So what do we do whilst waiting here for several hours - surf the net in our car and talk to each other.

Returned to blooms!

After being away for over a month it's lovely to return home and find some flowers in bloom.
My first Iris for the season, and the last of the daffodils which I put in a vase on the dinning room table.

I have been fiddling with my camera adding Saturation and Sharpening within the camera. I still haven't made up my mind what I exactly prefer as there isn't a great deal of difference on certain subjects, yet on others with different light there is a lot of difference, more so with the Saturation.
Some of the settings that are based in the camera I don't care at all, but I still use to get different effects.  Oh well, I will eventually make up my mind!
PS. These 3 photos have +1 Saturation, Sharpness 6 on the A setting.

The Magnolia.

The Iris in bloom today!

One of the Daffodils.

Black Swan - Australian Bush!

Today at a place called Jerilderie, NSW we stopped to have a bite to eat and I noticed a lone black swan on a lake. I have no idea why the tag is around it but it's there for obvious reasons.
Also at the same place is a bit of Aussie Bush.