BEACH

Altona is a western suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 13 km south-west of Melbourne's central business district. Its local government area is the City of Hobsons Bay. At the 2011 Census, Altona had a population of 9,918. Altona is a large suburb consisting of low density residential in the south-eastern half, with mixed industry in the north-western half. A key feature is Altona Beach on Port Phillip, which is one of only two swimming beaches in the western suburbs (the other being Williamstown Beach). Altona takes its name from the then independent German city of Altona which is today a borough of Hamburg.

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme,
and also part of the My Sunday Photo meme,
and also part of the Photo Sunday meme.

CHESTNUT TEAL DUCK

The chestnut teal duck (Anas castanea) is a dabbling duck found in Australia. Males have a distinctive green head.

This post is part of the Weekend Reflections meme,
and also part of the Saturday Critters meme,
and also part of the Camera Critters meme.

LOOK UP

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme,
and also part of the Friday Photo Journal meme.

GARDENIA

Gardenia grandiflora 'Star' is a compact low maintenance shrub. This small dense form of Gardenia needs little or no pruning to maintain a good shape. The foliage is dark glossy green and single flowers appear throughout the year being white fading to cream. It makes a great hedge. Excellent for containers and can be brought inside for short periods when in flower. Frost tolerant.

One of the most attractive features of this plant is the strong, heady perfume of the flowers that will permeate the air when the plants are in flower.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

BURY ST EDMUNDS, UK

Bury St Edmunds,  commonly referred to as Bury, is a historic market town and civil parish in the in St Edmundsbury district, in the county of Suffolk, England. Bury St Edmunds Abbey is near the town centre. Bury is the seat of the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich of the Church of England, with the episcopal see at St Edmundsbury Cathedral. The town, originally called Beodericsworth, was built on a grid pattern by Abbot Baldwin around 1080. It is known for brewing and malting (Greene King brewery) and for a British Sugar processing factory, where Silver Spoon sugar is produced. The town is the cultural and retail centre for West Suffolk and tourism is a major part of the economy.

St James' parish church became St Edmundsbury Cathedral when the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich was formed in 1914. The cathedral was extended with an eastern end in the 1960s. A new Gothic revival cathedral tower was built as part of a Millennium project running from 2000 to 2005. The opening for the tower took place in July 2005, and included a brass band concert and fireworks. Parts of the cathedral remain uncompleted, including the cloisters and some areas remain inaccessible to the public due to building work. The tower makes St Edmundsbury the only recently completed Anglican cathedral in the UK and was constructed using original fabrication techniques by six masons who placed the machine pre-cut stone individually as they arrived.

This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Travel Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.

ROSEMARY

"There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance. Pray you, love, remember." - William Shakespeare

This post is part of the My Sunday Best meme,
and also part of the My Sunday Photo meme.

RAINBOW

"Where does the rainbow end, in your soul or on the horizon?" ― Pablo Neruda

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme,
and also part of the Friday Photo Journal meme.

FLORAL

An embroidered floral pattern on red silk cloth.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

RAINFOREST

rainforest | ˈreɪnfɒrɪst | noun
A luxuriant, dense forest rich in biodiversity, found typically in tropical areas with consistently heavy rainfall: Save the rainforests | [mass noun] : Tracts of rainforest | [as modifier] : Rainforest plants.

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the ABC Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

PERTH FROM UP HIGH

Situated beside the Swan River, Perth the capital of Western Australia is a living picture postcard, as this view of the city from an airplane shows. Regular flights to Perth depart from overseas, all state capitals and many regional locations, landing you just 20 minutes from the central business district. Perth offers an eclectic mix of city culture and stunning nature, from Perth’s burgeoning bar scene and open arts festivals, to its world-class beaches and expansive parklands. Australia’s sunniest capital city, Perth embraces a relaxed outdoor lifestyle. Whether in the 400 hectares of Kings Park in the city or the inviting clear waters and spectacular sunsets at Cottesloe Beach, Perth is sure to please every visitor.

This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Travel Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.