Just a walk in the park

[Outdated]

I decided to go for a walk through the botanical gardens in the city, I haven't been there for over 40 years. Caught a train in to the city, just behind the train station is the opera house on the banks of the River Torrens.

Last time I was here the grass went all the way down to the water's edge and it used to have a lovely earthy smell. Now that they've paved it there's duckshit every where and it stinks.

I hadn't seen this monument before, couldn't make heads or tails of it until I read the plaque, apparently it's for the Vietnamese boat people.

The gardens were quite disappointing, they seemed so much more exotic and interesting when I was a kid. They did have a type of hibiscus I hadn't seen before though.

And it was nice to see the old conservatory looking in good shape.

I left the gardens after that and went in search of lunch. Adelaide has a lot of beautiful old buildings but they've built everything else right on top of them and you can't see most of them any more. I have no idea what this building is used for, it's part of the university campus, I thought I'd grab a picture before they slap up another building in front of it.

After a bite to eat I went to the central markets and bought myself a special treat, half a kilo of dark chocolate coated coffee beans. Funny thing about these things, coffee doesn't keep me awake normally but these things do, really awake and alert, better than speed. So I highly recommend them for the serious computer geek.

 

[Luca]

Omg that is so beautiful!!!
I really hope I can visit Australia someday. You have such diverse landscapes, habitats, wildlife, and architecture.

We had hibiscus almost exactly like that in my yard when I lived in Hawaii. Orange and yellow flowers like that are my absolute favorite. I always buy orange and yellow roses.

Do you know what breed of ducks those are? They have such a cool pattern.

I seriously hope they do not put something else in front of that beautiful university building!

I always love your photography. Thank you for sharing!

 

[Outdated]

Do you know what breed of ducks those are? They have such a cool pattern.

I'll look them up later on, they're local natives though, wild. We've got a few others that are a lot more colourful.

Australia is a fairly friendly country to visit, politically very stable, racism and homophobia nowhere near as bad as they used to be except for in south east Queensland, that's our equivalent of your bible belt.

The big mistake most tourists make is in not allowing themselves enough time, it's a big place.

 

[Yeshuasdaughter]

Wow, it's so green where you are.

 

[Rodafina]

I decided to go for a walk through the botanical gardens in the city, I haven't been there for over 40 years. Caught a train in to the city, just behind the train station is the opera house on the banks of the River Torrens.

View attachment 99557

Last time I was here the grass went all the way down to the water's edge and it used to have a lovely earthy smell. Now that they've paved it there's duckshit every where and it stinks.

View attachment 99558

View attachment 99559

View attachment 99560

I hadn't seen this monument before, couldn't make heads or tails of it until I read the plaque, apparently it's for the Vietnamese boat people.

View attachment 99561

The gardens were quite disappointing, they seemed so much more exotic and interesting when I was a kid. They did have a type of hibiscus I hadn't seen before though.

View attachment 99562

View attachment 99563

And it was nice to see the old conservatory looking in good shape.

View attachment 99564

I left the gardens after that and went in search of lunch. Adelaide has a lot of beautiful old buildings but they've built everything else right on top of them and you can't see most of them any more. I have no idea what this building is used for, it's part of the university campus, I thought I'd grab a picture before they slap up another building in front of it.

View attachment 99565

After a bite to eat I went to the central markets and bought myself a special treat, half a kilo of dark chocolate coated coffee beans. Funny thing about these things, coffee doesn't keep me awake normally but these things do, really awake and alert, better than speed. So I highly recommend them for the serious computer geek.

I guess over 40 years, change is inevitable, and not always pleasant. At least you got out and felt alive, seeing the world as a photographer.

The conservatory is beautiful.

 

[Rodafina]

The big mistake most tourists make is in not allowing themselves enough time, it's a big place.

Yeah. Eight months wasn’t enough!

 

[Outdated]

I guess over 40 years, change is inevitable, and not always pleasant.

I think it's me that changed more than the place, I've travelled a lot. But I learnt that lesson after the first time I moved interstate, you can never really go home, it's not there any more.

 

[Rodafina]

So true. Every single day, we are a new person. Never stagnant while we are alive.

 

[Outdated]

Do you know what breed of ducks those are? They have such a cool pattern.

Common Wood Ducks.

Australian Ducks - Australia's Wonderful Birds

The swan, geese and duck family, the Anatidae family, has 23 common members in Australia. Ducks may be dabblers, filter-feeders or diving ducks. They are all birds of the wetlands with waterproof plumage, webbed feet and flattened bills.

www.australiaswonderfulbirds.com.au

 

[Rodafina]

I always thought these were wood ducks

 

[Judge]

Thanks for sharing. Minoring in geography, this is a part of Australia that I probably know the least about.

 

[Outdated]

Thanks for sharing. Minoring in geography, this is a part of Australia that I probably know the least about.

Everybody seems to know the east coast, except me. I spent a week in Sydney once when I was 19 and that was enough. To me all cities look the same, I like the deserts and the forests.

 

[Judge]

I'd love to visit Australia...but for the wildlife and topography. Not so much the cities...

The more desolate, the better.

 

[Outdated]

I'd love to visit Australia...but for the wildlife and topography. Not so much the cities...

We don't have much in the way of mountains, only the one alpine region, but there's certainly a lot of very strange features. Wilpena Pound had scientists confused for decades, they spent untold millions looking for the meteorite they believed must have caused it.

 

[Luca]

I always thought these were wood ducks

View attachment 99569

It is, indeed, a wooden duck.
But it’s a pintail, my favorite bird! I have two on my living room bookshelf.

 

[Judge]

We don't have much in the way of mountains, only the one alpine region, but there's certainly a lot of very strange features. Wilpena Pound had scientists confused for decades, they spent untold millions looking for the meteorite they believed must have caused it.

View attachment 99571

Whoa. "Fascinating, Captain." Oh yeah....

 

[Outdated]

I feel restless now. I had already decided I'd be going on a road trip through The Flinders this year. The autumnal change is almost here, I'll be able to travel soon.

 

[Forest Cat]

Common Wood Ducks.

That's surprising, they look so real.

 

[AutistAcolyte]

i love botanic gardens! it's one of my favorite things to do while travelling. i've visited edinburgh's and copenhagen's gardens, both beautiful, and i'm attaching my photos from a trip to the garden in pasadena, which is also great!
Part 1
Part 2

 

[WhitewaterWoman]

I love botanical gardens. The conservatories have the most marvelous plants. As I walk in the door, the atmosphere makes me instantly feel at home.