This is the perfect time for yellows. My daffodils are all in full bloom. I do love daffodils, the big King Alfreds are my favourites but I have other varieties too.
As it is still winter here we also have wattle in bloom. A bus driver I used to know used to say “When you see the wattle you’ll see the snow.” I always think of that in August and sure enough, although we’ve not had low-level snow this month we have had falls on the mountains.
Winter Wattle
I’m very partial to yellow flowers. Here are some more.
yellow flowers in springtime.Rose and buds, the same bushJonquils 2019
It’s no secret that I think Tasmania, and the Huon Valley, in particular, is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been to. I never get tired of looking at the river and the mountains.
The tranquility of the Huon River at Franklin
I wouldn’t want to live there but I do look forward to visiting Sydney because I love to see the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Opera House and the views around the harbourside suburbs.
Travel
A view of Wellington
New Zealand.
Scotland
Water always seems to be a part of my favourite views. This is Loch Ness.
Lake Baikal, Siberia.
The famous Merlion on Sentosa Island Singapore.
The featured image for this post was taken at the Badaling section of the Great Wall of China in 1990 and is one of my favourite photos as I feel it captures what I felt when I stood there.
I’ve chosen some photos of some large cities, Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Densely populated cities with highrise buildings may be interesting places to photograph but I would not care to live in one.
Sydney’s ultra-modern skyline. March 2016Public transport, Kings Cross Sydney 2012MelbourneMelbourne has bike rental stations all around the city.Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaLaundry hanging from the windows of an apartment building, Singapore.
This week two challenges coincide on the theme of smiles. These pictures are for both Nancy’s “A Photo A Week Challenge” and “Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge”.
I don’t take an awful lot of photos of people. Naomi hates having her photo taken even more than I do and generally if I do take a photo of someone I don’t always like to share it but I’ll make an exception today because the people in these pictures are friends or they are in the public eye.
Actress Celia Pacquola between takes. on the Rosehaven set 2017.Tasmanian actor Luke McGregor, Geeveston 2017.Michelle and Juarne at the cafe, July 2017David’s friend and former workmate Effie paid us a surprise visit in 2014
Nostalgia is associated with a yearning for the past, its personalities, and events, especially the “good old days” or a “warm childhood”
Here are a few nostalgic memories of mine that all relate to my life before I moved to Tasmania.
SAR Pacific 621 at Adelaide station
As well as being a historic locomotive built in 1936, the sight of 621 about to depart Adelaide Station with an excursion train brings back memories of the happy times we had riding on steam trains all around South Australia.
David and I outside our old house with our dog Tessie.
Here are David and I with our dog Tessie standing outside our old house which we had just sold. Nearly 17 years ago now.
The start of the Canine Grand Prix.
This photo of the Canine Grand Prix was taken on Pit Straight sometime in the late 1980s. It was a fun event held on the Grand Prix circuit in Adelaide the week before the big race. We loved Grand Prix Week, the side events, walking around the track after the roads were closed, seeing the cars being assembled and the four days of the F1 event itself. The racing was close and you never could be sure who would win. I don’t think F1 today is half as good.
Some of my former workmates at our Christmas Party
A group of my old workmates from the Railcar Depot in Adelaide.
As a railfan, many of my memories revolve around endings. Naomi and I started to travel on steam train excursions when we were in our teens in the 1970s. Regular steam train services had finished and it was a time when many country railway lines were being closed and torn up. We went on many “Last Train To…” trips.
SAR Pacific 621 at Adelaide station
We used the Refreshment Rooms at places like Riverton and Bowman’s just one more time, We visited the towns of Moonta, Kadina and Wallaroo during the Kernewek Lowender, the Cornish Festival. We went to Loxton and Renmark and various little places that were little more than a platform and a sign. We had wonderful times. All those lines are closed now.
Bowman’s Station South Australia
We also saw the end of various suburban branch lines, the line to Penfield with its loop, the line to the Holden factory, even the factory is gone now. It hit us hard when the passenger service to Bridgewater in the Adelaide hills ended. We used that one a lot and when the line from Glanville to Semaphore closed in 1978 that seemed even worse.
SAR RX class locomotive at Glanville, Outer Harbour Line (South Australia)
David worked in the old Adelaide rail yard for several years and eventually, we saw the building he worked in demolished to make way for an updated depot where Naomi and I worked a few years later. Now that too has gone, replaced by Adelaide’s new hospital.
The old Adelaide Yard by David Jensen
Adelaide Yard circa mid 70s photo by David Jensen.
Looking back towards Adelaide from the yard. circa 1987-90
My memories of rail in South Australia are both happy and sad.
*Note:Some of the photos I’ve used here are not mine but I needed them to tell the story. The others were taken by David when he worked in the old Adelaide Yard and on some trips. I can’t always remember who took what from those days as we were both photographing the same things although usually from different points of view. Generally speaking, if it has people in the foreground it will probably be mine and if it is in black and white more than likely his. These pictures were all scanned from photos so the quality is not great.
