ABC Wednesdays - T for Torrens

Adelaide's River Torrens is not a fast flowing river. Water is dammed at various points along the river to create lakes and wetlands; the Torrens' Lake in the City being a prime example.

Further downstream the river is almost dry for much of the year, but recent work has been done to develop a series of wetlands like this one upstream from Henley Beach Road.

Now work is being done downstream from there to create another. This is the second stage of the Breakout Creek Wetland project.

This construction stage includes the excavation of 60,000 cubic metres of material to shape the wetlands and the builing of two concrete weirs. Over the next two years the wetands will come alive with the planting of 60,000 local native plants.

Viewing platforms, jetties and boardwalks will be built to provide opportunies for fishing and bird watching.

A brochure on the project can be downloaded here.

The ABC Wednesday meme was created by Denise Nesbitt. To find out more about ABC Wednesdays and see other participants' contributions click here

ABC Wednesdays - P for Paddle Boats

Popular with tourists and locals alike, these pedal powered paddle boats are a fun and relaxing way to see Adelaide on the Torrens. The building in the background is the Adelaide Convention Centre.

This is the PS Gem, typical of the river boats that were such vital means of transport along the River Murray in the late 1800's and early 1900's. The vessel is now on display in Victoria at the Swan Hill Pioneer Settlement. For much of its working life it was based at Morgan in South Australia.

To find out more about ABC Wednesdays and see other participants' contributions go to the ABC Wednesdays' site or to see direct links to their own sites go here.

ABC Wednesdays - F for Ferry

This is a ferry on the River Murray at Purnong; one of the 11 ferries on the South Australian section of the river. A ferry crossing only takes a few minutes, unlike those of yesteryear which took up to half an hour; they were hand operated. The first ferries across the river were privately owned and attracted fees, but now all are government owned and are free to use.

Another river crossing; at Lyrup. A group of friends and I used this ferry when we rode from Renmark to Berri a couple of years ago; a pleasant break from riding!

In addition to the ferries in South Australia, there are also 7 bridges that cross the river.

To find out more about ABC Wednesdays and see other participants' contributions go to the ABC Wednesdays' site or to see direct links to their own sites go here.

Port River Dolphin Cruises

Want a bargain priced cruise? This company run 2 hour promotional cruises on Sundays and public holidays for $3.50. There are at least thirty dolphins living in the Port River so there is a strong chance you will see one.

Fishermen's wharf

Almost unused now, I remember this area in the past being a hive of activity where fishermen sold some of their catch to the public.

The new bridges at the Port

Here is the bridge I mentioned in yesterday's post. In fact there are two bridges here; road and rail. They are part of the Port River Expressway that connects our shipping port to the intra/interstate road and rail network.

Birkenhead Bridge

The Birkenhead Bridge has been providing access to Outer Harbour since 1940. The bridge opens in the middle to allow large ships to pass through. When this occured there were obviously lengthy traffic delays.

With the increasing use of the port facilities at Outer Harbour, there has been an ever increasing amount of heavy traffic through Port Adelaide. A new bridge is being built to bypass the city centre.

Port wharf redevelopment

This is part of a redevloped Port Adelaide wharf area. In bygone days there would have been ships tied up, loading and unloading their cargoes, and behind them were large storage sheds. The sheds have been replaced by waterfont apartments and ships docking here are used to transport people on scenic river cruises.

Searle's Boatyard

A casualty of progress! A river without boats? Whilst much has been done to retain the heritage of old buildings in the Port, the development across the river has earmarked this boatyard for closure.

Searle's boatyard has been in operation since 1911, but was meant to be vacated by the 30th June. The owner declared to fight the decision, and as of last Friday (4th July) when I took the photos, it appears that he is still there; I know not for how long.

A wet "Dry Creek"

Today I went for bike ride in the north western suburbs. Our recent rain has certainly been a blessing; our creeks and rivers are flowing again - a wonderful sight. Part of the ride today was along the Dry Creek Trail, a shared cycling/walking path through the river valley.

Torrens Weir

Click on the images to enlarge

The section of the River Torrens which I have featured in the past couple of posts is in fact a man made lake; the Torrens Lake. The concrete weir you see here was built in 1880-81 to hold back the water to create the lake.

This photo was taken during the summer and as you can see there is no flowing water; but after heavy rains it is a different scene. The sluice gates jammed in a flood in 1889. The weir was modified in 1928-29; now with sluice gates that can be fully opened to allow the river to flow unimpeded.

Popeye at Elder Park

This is Popeye's departure wharf at Elder Park. Upstream you can see the Adelaide Bridge; the main connector between the centre of the City and North Adelaide. The owners of Popeye also own a fleet of pedal boats, some of which you can see near the fountain.

A ride on Popeye or in the paddle boats; a must for tourists and residents alike!

Popeye on the Torrens

Whether you would like a sightseeing tour on the Torrens, or would like a ride the Adelaide Zoo, Popeye fits the bill. The Popeye fleet has been servicing Adelaide since 1935. The current three fibreglass boats were launched in 1982; replacements for the wooden boats that had served so well over the years.

This photo shows a Popeye cruising downstream from the Zoo back to its terminal at Elder Park.

It is about to pass under the University Footbridge. This bridge was built in 1937 to link the Adelaide University campus with its sportsfields and student accommodation across the river in North Adelaide.

Ok, I'll follow you.

Really, I wonder what the pelican at the rear was thinking? I took this photo back in October whilst on a very relaxing camping weekend at Purnong, on the River Murray.

Torrens outlet

The River Torrens flows into the sea just beyond the bridge. Prior to 1938 the Torrens did not flow into the sea. Waters from the river flowed into a series of wetlands and lagoons, and eventually into the Patawalonga to the south and the Port River to the north. The outlet was constructed after a major flood in 1933.

I’ve been tagged by Carol Anne of Arkansas Times to play along in the New Years Resolution game. She was tagged by Kim of Celina Daily Photo.

Here is how the game goes: When it comes to New Year’s Resolutions we seem to fall into four categories: 1) quite serious about them, 2) flippant about them, 3) pressured to do them, or 4) do not do them. So, the purpose of this little game is to let us know which category you are in. I will give mine, then tag 3 other sites to do the same thing.

I guess I really fall into category 4. I do however have a couple of ongoing goals/resolutions which are to finish all the projects I have started or planned. To achieve these I probably need to spend less time on the computer. (Then why am I doing this - the blog, the photography? I guess it is because I like a challenge; it keeps the mind active.)

Now to tag three others: Sailor Girl at Atlantico Azul (Lisbon) and D & T of Athens [Perspective] and Rambling Round of Selma, Ala. Daily Photo. If you haven’t already, go check out their sites, as well as Jim’s and Carol Annes.

Adelaide city

Click on the photo to enlarge

I have been posting for over a month now and have not yet shown a photo of Adelaide City; so here it is. Adelaide was built on the banks of the River Torrens, a source of water for the first European settlers. The river's function now is aesthetic and recreational. The photo is taken from a spot near the weir which holds back the water; the river only flows after heavy rains.

The bridge you can see is the Morphett Street Bridge; it links Adelaide and North Adelaide. In the background you can see the Mt Lofty Ranges; about 10 kilometres east.