The Boats At Hobsons Bay

The Boats At Hobsons Bay

         I am back here at Williamstown. It is an old town about 20 minutes of leisure driving from the city proper of Melbourne. A restored vintage car stops as I am about to cross Syms St. This is my first shot of the day. I am on my way to buy fish n chips at the store near an old building housing an art gallery. And I reckon that I might as well have a refill of my drink bottle at the old drinking fountain near the Visitors Information Center. The sun is out and autumn officially begins this March.

         Nothing much has changed at the pier here at Williamstown. The SS Castlemaine is still docked very close to the jetty. It serves as a maritime museum. Countless yachts and other sea vessels are berthed at Hobsons Bay. There are still boats selling mussels and clams. The seaplane continues to attract a lot of tourists. Boat building, started in the old days, is still an industry here.

         At the Commonwealth Reserve, which is near the pier, benches are taken with visitors enjoying the picturesque view and the breeze. Some are seated comfortably on the vast greens of the reserve. Kids merrily play at the children's playground adjacent to Liston Tennis Courts.

         It has been an hour since breaking away from the group. I see cars slowing down, with drivers looking for parking slots at Nelson Place. At Nelson Place, there is a cluster of cafes, bars, restaurants and gift shops. The buildings housing these commercial establishments were constructed in the 1800s. They are really old, historic structures.

         With moccasins to make walking easier, I take the walkway leading to the John Morley Reserve. Here, promenaders get a spectacular view of Melbourne's skyline. Dinghies and yachts are berthed at the marina, arranged in such a way that it provokes me to draw out again my digicam which is already blinking red. I am not in a hurry. The sun does not set till 7:30 pm. There is enough time.

- Konted

The John Morley Reserve in Williamstown

A good view of Hobsons Bay and Melbourne's skyline. Perhaps my best shot for the day.

Dinghies and other motor boats at Hobsons Bay

Looks like a canvass oil painting.

Only the masts can be seen as the sails are down.

The SS Castlemaine dwarfs the motor boats at Hobsons Bay

Anchorage Restaurant by the bay

Actual wooden boat and anchor as props

Children's playground at John Morley Reserve

Vintage cannon

There are tables and benches for picnic goers

Fish n Chips

Hobsons Bay Yacht Club was established in 1888.

The Holy Trinity Anglican Church of Australia just across the reserve

Vintage car still in mint condition

Yachts being checked and cleaned

Boat making is a major industry in Williamstown.

Building boats since the 1800s

Cluster of bars, restaurants and gift shops along Nelson Place

4 standard tennis courts near Nelson Place

Commonwealth Reserve

Pergola at Commonwealth Reserve

View of Hobsons Bay and Melbourne City from Commonwealth Reserve

The SS Castlemaine is docked  at Gem Pier. It serves as a maritime museum.

Gem Pier

Selling fresh seafood items

View from Gem Pier

Yachts as seen  from Commonwealth Reserve

There are bay cruises from Williamstown to Melbourne city proper.

______________________________

Summer In Australia

Summer In Australia

"The summer smiles, the summer knows

And unashamed she sheds her clothes

The summer smooths the restless sky

And lovingly she warms the sand

On which you lie

The summer knows, the summer's wise

She sees the doubts within your eyes

And so she takes her summer time

Tells the moon to wait and the sun to linger

Twists the world 'round her summer finger

Lets you see the wonder of it all.

And if you've learned your lessons well

There's little more for her to tell

One last caress, its time to dress for fall."

The Summer Knows

By: Michel Legrand as sung by Barbra Streisand (1971)

              

         December, January and February are summer months in Australia.  It is that time of the year when the sun shines brighter and the waves gently touch the sea shores.  It is that time when fine golden sands are warm enough for the skin as one bares or exposes his/her body unmindful of passersby. It is that time when one is tempted to dip in the crystal blue waters as a way of bringing the body temperature down.

        Summer is the season when seagulls and other seabirds become more playful as they make soothing chirping sounds.  They perch on tree branches, on steel bars of jettys, atop railings of parks or reserves and on fences.  They make beautiful music as they continuously chirp as they fly from one branch to another. The colorful Rosellas, Galas and Cockatoos take delight bathing in puddles of water.

        Summer, being the warmest of four changing seasons, lures one to go fishing.  It can be fly fishing, spearfishing, trapping, netting or angling.  The thought of catching a bass, or a blue marlin, all the more entices the fishing buff to venture out to the sea. The sea becomes a big playground where one can test his mettle and patience in fishing, in test driving a motorboat or trying out water skiing.

        And summer is the best time to simply stroll along the beach with a special someone, whispering sweet nothings. Or while away the time sitting on wooden benches with a good view of the ocean or of the mountains or hills. It is a good time to read a good book at quiet parks and gardens.  And it is the most appropriate time to do some soul searching. To pause and ponder awhile. As the song above says:  "If you have learned your lessons well, there's little more for her to tell...One last caress, it's time to dress for fall. "  Clearly spoken.

                                                                                                                                                                    - Konted

Listen to:

The Summer Knows

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5KLOu9V7Y4

View of Melbourne City proper from Williamstown

At the Commonwealth Reserve in Williamstown

The beach at North Williamstown

Kite skiing at St. Kilda Beach

The old pier at St. Kilda Beach

Taking advantage of the sun

Also at St. Kilda Beach

Bayside, Williamstown with a good view of the City

Kite Skiing is popular in St. Kilda especially during summer.

Seagull is a bird that stays near the sea. It reminds me of Jonathan Livingston Seagull.

Cargo ships headed to the open sea.

Sailing is a preferred activity in Geelong

Fishing near Smorgy's in Geelong

Sailboats and yachts converge near Sydney Bridge for the fireworks display on New Year' s Eve.

Sydney Bridge at Sydney Harbour

Sydney's Central Business District as seen from the Sydney Opera House.

The popular Manly Beach in Sydney

Cockatoos and Rosellas at Grant's Park in Mount Dandenong

Grant's Park is a popular tourist destination in Mount Dandenong.

Australian Parrots, Cockatoos, Rosellas and Galas that are found in Mount Dandenong are mostly sedentary birds.

Seagulls at the Port of Eden in New South Wales

The huge trawler Warringa berthed at the Port of Eden in New South Wales

Fish n Chips at the Port of Eden

An art gallery in the town of Eden in New South Wales

It is all about the sea.

Colorful flowers at the Yarra Valley

Rows of Tulips in Mount Dandenong

Photo of the Princes Bridge and buildings at the South Bank taken from the lower grounds of Federation Square in the City.

Fishing at the Maribyrnong River

Father and son fishing at the Pier of Altona Beach

Young lady about to dip in the refreshing waters of Altona Beach

Pigeons mingle with shoppers at Bourke Street in the heart of the City.

Photo taken at Docklands with a floating restaurant in background

Highest slide in Victoria

The wooden jetty of Sorrento as seen from the park.  Sorrento is within the Mornington Peninsula.

The beautiful beach of Lorne in the state of Victoria

Sunbathing is part of skin care.

The concrete pier of Lorne.

You take the Great Ocean Road to the town of Lorne.

The 12 Apostles in Port Campbell

 Getting ready for a fishing trip 

Checking their motorboat at the Pier of  Werribee South

With high expectations of a bountiful catch

Dangerously parked at Werribee South

Homeward bound

Picnic at Werribee Park

At Albert Park

At Carlton Gardens

A seagull watches as two ladies sunbathe at Carlton Gardens.

Bales of hay seen on the way to Crispin Santiago's farm in the town of Ballarat in Victoria.

The plural of Gelato is Gelati.

Family outing at Port Melbourne

Seagulls in large numbers at Port Melbourne

Most loving and most elegant couple I have seen in Port Melbourne

A restaurant in Port Melbourne

Walking the dog near the sea

Beautiful flowers at a vineyard at Yarra Valley

The covered jetty of Queenscliffe

The shores of Queenscliffe

Magpie is seen almost everywhere.

The Pier of  Cowes within Phillip Island

The stunning view at the Nobbies at Phillip Island

A path leading to the sea near the starting point of The Great Ocean Road

It is nice to spend some days at beautiful houses like this one at the outskirts of the town of Milton in New South Wales.

Riding a steamboat down the Murray River in Echuca near the border of Victoria and New South Wales.

Australian parrots and Rosellas seen at Marysville in Victoria.

A policy that is strictly enforced.