Still Expression (Post#3) : Puffing Billy Railway – Queuing and Waiting
Snapshot above portrays people on queuing and waiting mode. These two combined activities honestly frustrates me in real life but at the same time it test my patients longevity. It frustrates because it is time-consuming and exhausting specifically if the line is indescribable. I capture this moment last June 2013 during our family oriented adventure in Puffing Billy.
Blissful Second (Post#2) : Puffing Billy Steam Train Ride Moment
The photo above shows the moment of steam train ride adventure which I captured while we were on our way to Gembrook. It was a joy ride as we took Puffing Billy which is classic and a century old steam train railway located in Dandenong Ranges which not far from Melbourne. It is said that Puffing Billy is the finest reserved in the world and it is Australia’s Premier Reserved Steam Railway. Photo captured last June 2013.
It was almost a month after I returned to Melbourne last October 2014, it was my first day to really go out again to explore some places that I haven’t seen yet. The place we were targeting was somewhere near the city which was Dandenong Ranges National Park. On this trip, I discovered and learned that this National Park has a lot to offer to anyone.
As my friends got a map of the national park, when they were discussing places visit near the city, they selected a garden. At first I really don’t understand the name of the garden because I was somewhat unfamiliar with the term. The name of the garden became clear to me when we arrived at the place. The day we went out was still Spring season and since we were technically inside the mountain, it was really cold and it felt like it was winter.
The name of the garden we visited is National Rhododendron Garden. I honestly not familiar with that flower family. I felt that I never heard it before or I forgot it from my secondary school years.
We had lunch first at the parking area as the garden does not have a facility such as picnic area where we can eat. After lunch, we went inside the National Rhododendron Garden through the store beside the closed main gate and stopped for a while to look around inside the store. In the store I found out what Rhododendron flower family look like. After spending sometime at the store I left my friends and took my chances to walk inside the garden. I remembered one funny thing happened to me inside the garden. At the time I was there and following the path walk, I was a fool looking around and taking photos using my DSLR and yet I never immediately noticed that I am taking photos without knowing that my camera does not have memory card. Yes, I was crazy taking photos without checking the screen of my camera after takings shots where some messages that my memory card slot was empty, because of the situation I never able to save all my shots. Since I already spent time walking in the garden, I was quite sensitive with the time and I knew that my friends were waiting at the store. I tried to return to the garden using my iPhone and all I was able to do was to have a couple of shots as my souvenir to the garden. Most of the memories of Rhododendron garden were all in my memory.
–Some photos that I quickly captured with my iPhone before leaving the garden
I returned to the store and in few minutes we left the garden. When we were back on the road, my friends checked again the map of Dandenong Ranges and then they agreed to visit a picnic ground which became our next stop that day. We went at Grant Picnic Ground. I honestly had no idea what to expect in the place until we saw a lot of visitors looking around at the bird feeding area. Since we had limited time in the place as it will close at 5PM, my friends bought seeds so they can enter in the fenced feeding area and to have a moment with the birds such as Rosella, native and wild birds.
I let my friends feed the bird while I take in charge of photo shoot. There still birds in the feeding area but when my friends entered in the fenced area, birds started to flock together and slowly approached my friends as they saw the food/seeds. We started to laugh as we heard screaming. It was fun-filled sight as my mates felt a little bit nervous when birds were so close to them physically, some birds flew to their heads, some stepped on their arms or feet, birds comes wherever the food was. My friends were screaming as they felt the bird’s claws and its pointed toes. All of us were enjoying what we were seeing inside the feeding area.
–Crimson Rosella
–King Parrot (the one that I tried to chase with my camera as its colour is really striking)
Last thing I did was I went inside the souvenir shop just to look around and just check if I can find post cards that will leave memories of Grant Picnic Ground. Then after few more minutes had been passed, we decided to leave the place as it closed the feeding area and the shop since the business day is over for the day. This how we ended our adventure.
–Cockatoo
–Cockatoo
–Cockatoo Flying
Since I was back in Melbourne last October 2014, I got another chance to see more of Victoria in Australia. It was Melbourne Cup that day again, and the people who close to me or let say my friends in Melbourne planned to go somewhere so we can spent the holiday in a worthwhile trip. The plan was fishing. I never joined nor engaged fishing activities before. Though even I was hesitant to confirm that I will be going, I decided to go.
While we were on our way to the trout farm, I checked my phone’s GPS, I was curious which road we took and where we were heading. The trout farm is located in Dandenong Ranges specifically in Macclesfield. I was picked up at my place along St Kilda Road around 8AM. Then we picked up another friend in Malvern. After that we hit the road again and from the city we took Monash Freeway. Then we turned left and took Wellington Rd, we followed the road as is, when we reached Clematis we turned right and took Belgrave-Gembrook Rd. We turned left again when we reached Macclesfield Rd and in few minutes we turned left and took a little rough road of Paton Rd until we reach the destination. Well every time I traveled I like looking at the GPS apps when data is available because at least I was able to recognize the place that I passed and the place where I had been. Seeing the places and knowing its names made a sense to me.
When we reached the trout farm almost 10am, we were the first group visitors arrived in the place and first batch in our group. I helped out in taking stuff from the car of my friend and we went to the kiosk inside the farm to pay our entrance. Then we went to the selected tables we chose as our group were quite big. I helped out to stuff the table and took some time in frying sausages. These kind of activities in the farm were really nice for group of people or families because these were really nice way to have friends bonding or family bonding.
Then, one by one each batch in our group were coming and since it’s holiday in Victoria, a lot of people took the opportunity to go to the same farm we were to have some break. I thought at first that I was not going to enjoy the activity but I made mistake. I was really happy when we were there because the whole group were there, chatting, laughing and eating.
Since most in the group brought foods, there were many menus, deserts and finger foods. My eyes were popping out and my mind confused as I really don’t know what to choose, all menus in the tables were all Filipino foods which I really love.
After lunch, we went to the fishing area where we spent most of our time in the afternoon. Most of us took the fishing rods and tried to catch a fish. The activity was so enjoyable because most of us were surprised once someone from us were able to catch a fish. I did not tried to catch a fish, I just posed so that I will look like I was catching a fish. Everybody were laughing when someone scream because of surprised reaction as their fishing rod caught a fish.
–Fish Pond
–Fishes
One of the great feature of the farm was it has fish pond where you can do a guaranteed fishing and it is guaranteed that you will be able to catch one. And most of us tried to control catching a fish because every fish that will be caught must be paid and the payment is based on the weight. We were smiling and joking that this was the kind of fishing activity that you did not worry if there will be fish to catch, you will worried for how much you were going to pay after you finished catching fish.
–Fishing Time
After fishing time, we spent talking and eating again, until I left the group for sometime and walk around the farm so I can find some scenic spot for photo shots as my souvenir in the place.
–Photo shots inside the farm
I returned to my group and helped out for packing all the stuff we used. After half-an hour we left the trout farm and we hit the road to the city, same route we took when we were on our way to the farm. I was dropped off first at my place.
I had a great time again with friends in Melbourne. I’m thankful again for a wonderful place, lots of memories and I will surely treasure all of them. Until next adventure.
Name Of The Place (Post#15) : Puffing Billy Railway
This photo is part of my Puffing Billy collection when I visited together with the family of my friends in Melbourne. The historical and century old steam railway which still running in our time is now called as Australia’s Premier Preserved Steam Railway. Photo captured last June 2013.
Precious Moment In The Mountain (Post#15) : Dandenong Ranges
I had some visits in Australia where it involves families of my friends that I met while staying in Melbourne for more than one and a half-year. And when it involves families sometimes you will feel like you are young or a kid wherein one of the important thing in their life as of the moment is playtime. Well at that time we visited Puffing Billy Steam Train located in Dandenong Ranges. And we actually experience to ride the steam train. And one of the great benefit of that was having a chance to glimpse some views while inside Dandenong Ranges. The photo above was overlooking at Belgrave South while at the steam train captured last June 2013 after leaving Belgrave Station of Puffing Billy Railway.
Chromatic Outlook (Post#4) : Puffing Billy Steam Train
Above was a snapshot of a century old steam train in Puffing Billy Steam Railway that still runs on its original track from Belgrave to Gembrook station in Dandenong Ranges located in Victoria Australia. I captured this photo last June 2013 when we visited Puffing Billy with some of my friends and their families at Belgrave Station.
This post has been updated to add the link of and to participate in the following:
Black and White View – April 18, 2016
Black and White Wednesday – April 20, 2016
The Weekend in Black and White – April 22, 2016
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