Stormy seas

No sailing today! This is the entrance to the marina at Glenelg, taken today on one of our wildest days for a while.

Fellow boat owners be warned: to enter the harbour now you need to sail parallel to the shore with a side swell; not very comfortable on days like today.

Ross Smith Mural

This mural in a park in Greenacres was created by John Whitney and year 10 students from nearby Ross Smith High School.

It features images of significant historical interest to the area; with particular focus on the achievements of Keith and Ross Smith who landed their aircraft at the nearby Northfield airstrip after their historic round the world flight in 1919.

To see more about the Smith brothers and their Vickers Vimy aircraft click here (one of my previous posts).

I discovered this mural on Friday when I was out cycling; planning a ride for my bicycle group for this Sunday. This district is about 20 kilometres from my home; an area I do not explore that often.

ABC Wednesdays - W for Water Sculpture

The Warriparinga Wetlands Water Sculpture was created in 2002 by artists Andrew Stock and John Wood. The stainless steel structure features lazer-cut images of water insects that can be found in the wetlands. Located on the corner of Marion Road and Sturt Road it is a symbolic 'signpost' to the Wetlands behind it.


You can see and read about the Warriparinga Wetlands on one of my previous posts here.

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

A seafood lunch

We do feed our seagulls well, don't we?

Tired old bridge

Lots of doubt has been cast over the future of the King Street Bridge due to its decline, whether it be repaired or replaced. A news report last week of almost certain funding from the federal government will ensure its replacement. Work could begin on a new bridge within a year.

I shot this photo from my boat, moored in the Patawalonga.

Back in the Marina

I took this shot yesterday when I returned to the Holdfast Shores Marina after yet another great day of winter sailing; a steady 10-15 knot off-shore breeze on an 18C day.

ABC Wednesdays - V for Venus

What? a partly naked lady in the City of Churches! I suspect a few eyebrows were raised when this statue of Venus was erected on North Terrace in 1892.

This was Adelaide's first statue. Sculpted from Carrara marble, it is a copy of Canova's Venus Italica.

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

Waterfall Gully Restaurant

Perched on the side of a hill, about 100 metres downstream from the First Falls is the Waterfall Gully Restaurant. Built in the style of a Swiss Chalet between 1911 and 1912, the building is now heritage listed. It is a very popular venue for group functions, including weddings.


This is the wonderful view from the terrace outside the restaurant.

ABC Wednesdays - U for Urrbrae House

Urrbrae House, the former residence of Peter and Matilda Waite, was built in 1891. Following the death of Peter Waite in 1922, a large parcel of land and this residence was handed over to the University of Adelaide; to be used for agricultural research and for public recreation.

Urrbrae House has had many uses since then; a residence for the directors of the Waite Agricultural Research Institute, administrative offices and library, staff club and cafeteria. Today it is an accredited museum open to the public for tours.

Urrbrae was the name given by Robert Forsyth MacGeorge, the original owner of the estate; "Urr" after his home parish in Scotland and "brae" denoting a slope or hillside especially near a creek or river.

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

Waterfall Gully

Do I have an obsession with water? It is so wonderful to have rain after such a long dry summer and several years of drought. Today I took the opportunity to visit Waterfall Gully in between rain showers. Not a big waterfall (18 metres) by world standards but nonetheless quite picturesque, and easily accessible as it is only 10 km from the City of Adelaide.
javascript:void(0)
From the first fall pictured above, is a walking track that connects to Mt Lofty and Cleland National Park.


About 500 metres along the track you pass the second falls, even smaller but very inviting, even on a winter's day.

Waders

The Mawson Lakes wetlands has provided a home for many species of birds.

Mawson Lakes Wetlands

Mawson Lakes is a new suburb about 12 km north of the CBD. Wetlands were created as an integral part of its planning for sustainability.

Street run-off water is filtered through the wetlands, pumped into an aquifer and then used to flush toilets and water parks and gardens. All buildings have a dual water pipe system; mains and recycled.

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

Winter sailing

Cloudy but fine; this is the way I spent the first day of winter - sailing in very mild and pleasant conditions off Glenelg.