Scenes from an Australian City

So life has definitely settled in to a bit of a routine.  I have met with all of the people I will be working with, gotten nearly all of the data I need to apply my methods to to see if we produce similar results for watersheds here in Melbourne, and I have set in to fully working out the data and seeing what I can see from it.  I am spending long days in the box working hard but plan to get out a bit on the weekends.  I am happy to be here, happy to encounter all of the helpful Australians that I have, and happy to have this opportunity for focus at a time in my dissertation journey when I really need it.  The following are a bunch of pictures from various places around me and things I have done, but it's mostly been pretty tame.  I hope you enjoy the updates nonetheless!!!

Interesting little low-flow stream tributary to Glassy Creek just down the street from me at a park called Hay's Paddock.  Parks seem to be called Reserves or Paddocks in most places here and they are PLENTIFUL in this city!

Local eucalypt species in the park nearby.  It is interesting to see the difference these species make in the canopy and sometimes you can smell them and it is really nice!

The Yarra River, the big river that runs through the city from the mountains nearby into the bay.  It is pretty slow and low but has LOADS of trails alongside it, and boathouses too for rowers.

Breas is pretty prevalent here and this stuff makes AWESOME toast!

Tim Tams are an AWESOME Australian cookie, kind of like an Oreo in bar form covered in chocolate.  Not good for you, but really really good.  The standards are chocolate cookies, but these are a seasonal variety and were pretty great.

Science lesson #1: Rainbows still occur south of the equator, and this one reminded me of the Care Bears.  It has been patchy rain many of the days I have been here so I doubt it will be the last I see.

Typical semi-Victorian architecture here in Melbourne.  There are loads of older buildings but with more modern styles thrown in, though they seem to favor maintaining the old wherever possible.  I liked this one because I love Charlie boy and miss my lil pup!

Really cool unknown tree near a tram station.  Trams are like light rail and they have a super dense network of them here.  They are my prferred means of transport.

Mix of old and new at Camberwell junction very near the weekly flea market that was super cool.

Fellow program participant, Amelia, VERY excited to see Finding Dory last weekend, which we did in a cool older and well-preserved theatre.

View from the rooftop courtyard at the theatre where we waited to be let in to see the movie.

Funky details inside the theatre.

Typical breakfast porridge has been a go-to for me, with bananas and peaches.

View of the Melbourne CBD (Central Business District) from the Queen Victoria market.

Really cool Irish pub (The Drunken Poet) near the market where I met people from my program one night.

Really stellar pic of the night market, held only during the winter, and featuring a bunch of different food options and mulled wine.  I think we pretty much all got the Kangaroo sandwich and it was GREAT!

After walking through the rain to do some shopping, I stopped at the Roast Kitchen for a traditional roast meal.  Pork roast with skin cracklins, the best mashed potatoes I have ever had, butternut squash, peas, carrots, sweet potatoes and GRAVY!  I will be returning as it is not too far from home.