Trafic (kudos to Jacques Tati)

St Kilda Road in spring and summer looks lovely, especially in spring with the elm and plane trees all in bright green fresh leaves. By the end the summer leaves will look very tired and browned, exhausted by heat and dry soil, willing themselves to die in autumn.

Come winter, the leaves have fallen and the road is revealed, with its shockingly awful traffic; multiple approaching headlights and multiple receding red tail lights, as far as the eye can see in the evening peak traffic. 

I'm not moving

Just to note about Friday Funnies, suicide is not funny, and I expect the late Sue who was a volunteer at the suicide prevention telephone service Life Line, would not have approved of of the post at all. Nor is it now funny to make fun of people with strong phobias. But having said that, I did think they were funny.

Diagonally across the intersection below me, The Muse apartment building is close to completion. I really like the interior finishes, which look restrained and classy, rather than opulent and gauche. Check out some interior photos here.

It seems to be only 3 and 4 bedroom apartments, and seems to be 1 bath room per bedroom, and 3 car parking spaces per apartment. At least one three bedroom apartment has four bathrooms! This so goes against the City of Melbourne's quest to reduce car parking spaces in buildings, or ban them altogether. 

There is no doubt it is a lavish building. Just the expense of the external landscaping is mind blowing. There are only 40 odd apartments in such a huge pair of buildings. That doesn't sound like increasing the population near public transport hubs, another current government ideal. 

A neighbour told me the 3 bedroom apartments, some even have 4 bathrooms for 3 bedrooms, are smaller in size than ours, that is my own 3 bedroom apartment. 

Prices start at AU$4.1 million, US$2.8, €2.48, GB£2.1, and for a penthouse around AU$10 million. Where does this filthy wealth come from?

But oh, the two car park exits. They will take forever to get anywhere. From the Toorak Road exit to travel in the opposite direction along Toorak Road will take five to ten minutes. To travel towards the city from the St Kilda Road exit will take just as long, as they move from the service road to the centre lanes, and then u turn at traffic lights. In a location where there is good public transport, trams will be a much better option for a local trip, but of course rich people despise public transport used by the great unwashed.

Here are a few photos, the first of the exterior I've already shown you.

This being of what was unveiled last week, taken from my cheap seats balcony. Two pools with a different colours. It could be wall and floors of the pool are different colours, but I'd like to think one is fresh water pool and one is a salt water pool. Or maybe one is for laps and one is for leisure, and grand child friendly. 

Lovely birch trees, and there are a lot of water features nearby, yet to flow.

I should know the name of these trees are. AI told me the wrong address of the property and was not helpful with tree identification. I am now thinking they may be golden ash. Nice.

This is not the main entrance, the main being in St Kilda Road, and much grander than the Toorak Road entrance, along with being set back from the street. I could have taken a photo of the main entrance but I would expect a guard to appear if I stepped across a threshold. 

I am not sure of the purpose of this small area.

From Toorak Road looking down to the main entrance and foyer.

Castlemaine 1

Unrequested by me, Phyllis had prepared the car for my journey, wiped down the exterior, vacuumed, P plates removed and filled with petrol. 

There was no point setting off early when I couldn't check into my motel room until 2pm. I left home at some time after 11 and with a break for sustenance at a truck stop, (services in England. I don't know what they are called in America) I still reached Castlemaine early. I visited the nearby supermarket for supplies, and then it was near enough to check in time.

The room was nice enough, and the aside from the tiny brown floor tiles in the bathroom, it had been updated to modern and fresh.

 

Not that I saw anyone use it, and not knowing if it was heated, the pool and spa did look rather good and well maintained. 

Celebrating the gold miners of Castlemaine, in the middle of a roundabout is this statue and the water wheel works, filling and pouring out water.

I can't remember what this was. 

Like many country towns, there are huge open storm water drains at the sides of streets.

I drove around a bit, becoming familiar with the town's layout. Up a steep hill was the Burke and Wills monument, they being two explorers who set off inland in the mid 1800s and perished during their attempt to travel Australia south to north. 

Erected by public subscription AD 1862.

The views of the town below were rather good.

I wanted to see one more thing before my late afternoon rest, and that was the Alfred Passalaqua Memorial Lookout. It was a twelve minute drive from where I was. The photo of the escarpment does not do it justice. It was quite something. I should research how it was formed, but I won't. 

With some zoom, this could be Mount Alexander in the distance. 

As you can see the gravel road is very steep. I selected manual gear option and the car held first gear down the hill. It still reached an unbraked 25km/h.

I returned to the motel for my late afternoon rest, and then had my usual pre dinner drink, and realised I couldn't legally drive to get dinner, so I walked to the supermarket and bought a bachelor's handbag. Very naughty but very nice.

Mount Macedon Part 2

With Phyllis almost competently at the wheel, we headed on the direct route to the Organ Pipes National Park. We missed the turn towards the airport and City Link and so had to journey on to the Western Ring Road. I doubt it added much time and perhaps $10 was saved in road tolls charged by the usurious company that runs private roads in Australia.

Phyllis did make one grave driving mistake. In spite of the projected image on the windscreen that shows you the presence of cars either side of you, and an orange indicating light on each side mirror, he started to move into a left lane when there was a car there. From the passenger seat I saw the orange light on the mirror and as raised my voice, at the same time he saw the car. He had moved for too far left for my liking, and in spite of me asking why he did so, I don't really know.

We stopped at the Organ Pipes National Park and even though it was our football grand final day, it was surprisingly busy, but mostly by Indian immigrants who would not be so interested in Australian Rules Football. This is Jackson Creek, flowing past the base of the geological formation. 

I did not walk down the steep hill because I would need to walk back up the steep hill, and it is very steep, although the path has been asphalted since the last time we visited. The photo above and below were taken by Phyllis.

I spent the time above admiring the scenery. What was very degraded farmland, full of pest weeds and foreign plants, along with non native animals, became a national park and has been restored to native bushland and grasses, and the pest animal species are constantly monitored and dealt with. Bang, bang, Mr Fox and Mrs Rabbit. There are marvellous volunteers who help, and many who have since died who got the project off the ground. 

Here we are at Mount Macedon township and it was as gorgeous as I remembered from the photos I posted in Part 1. I will suggest, and from what my research tells me, per capita, this is the most wealthy area in rural Victoria. 

I needed coffee and Phyllis made a reverse parallel park in the main street, as a family were loading stuffs into their car in front. The man must have noticed the L plates on my car and told Phyllis, he did a better job parking that he did himself. Phyllis was quite chuffed, of course. Kind offhand words of praise go down well. Coffee was taken at The Trading Post, which is I think is the place commented by Roentare in Part 1. 

I thought these flat grasses were interesting. 

Wattles, that is Acacias, are in full bloom. 

In the early days of the State of Victoria there were three trig points, and this one at Mount Macedon was one of them. I should look up the other two. Yes, I should. Note the spooks equipment peeking from the left of the tower. 

The equipment to the left looks like phone coverage equipment. The equipment to the right looks like spook equipment to me. 

We needed nourishment. Phyllis had made some to eat. Beef, pork or chicken. Take your pick. I ate two. Kosov ate four. I have noticed he has put on weight over the last year, but then so have I. This is a photo resembling what we ate.

There's a lad I know in the centre.

The views really are spectacular..

The tea rooms were closed for renovations. But there was a food van that supplied me with a double espresso and them with a can of soft drink to share. 

So that is wrap to a very enjoyable day, and we were home before 3.

Mount Macedon Part 1

Last Saturday, Phyllis drove myself and Kosov to Mount Macedon. I discovered Mount Macedon was not actually the mount of Mount Macedon. I had forgotten that there was a town of Mount Macedon. Along the way we stopped off at Organ Pipes National Park. 

Ray and I visited the Organ Pipes in about 2015. In 2013 we visited Mount Macedon and the mount itself.

Here are photos of our visit to Mount Macedon many years ago Part 2 will be of last Saturday's visit with Phyllis and Kosov. 

The memorial cross, large enough to be visible from many metres below on the road at the base of the mount. 

The walkway to the mount is very nice.

The cross up close. 

Evidence of the terrible bushfires ten years earlier. 

Oh, there is some spooks equipment up there.

Meanwhile back in the township of Mount Macedon there were terrific street scenes.