FIFA Women's World Cup 2023: Spectators

Half the fun of attending any live sporting event is getting to attend it with thousands of people.

Taking a photo of the big screen

Close-up photo of a Swedish supporter in the stands at a stadium. The supporter is taking a phone of the stadium's big screen with her smartphone.

Half-time is a good time to take a selfie

Photo of two Colombia supporters in the stands at a football stadium. They are taking a selfie with a smartphone. The supporters are dressed in Colombian colours, and the woman has a Colombian flag draped around her. They have their backs to the pitch, and are both holding glasses of beer in their hands.

Half-time photo opportunity

Photo of a group of people taking a photo of people dressed up in costumes at a football match.

Jody Brown supporter

Photo of a man sitting in the stands at a football match. The man is holding up a large, hand-made sign that reads “Jody Brown U R Gold” and has the number ten written on it.

FIFA Women's World Cup 2023: Behind the scenes

This FIFA Women’s World Cup (football) was held in Australia and New Zealand this year, and I attended two of the round-of-sixteen matches held in Melbourne. (I did have tickets to two other matches, but work got in the way and I wasn’t able to attend those.)

One of my favourite things to do at large events like this is to document the behind-the-scenes stuff that goes on. I am a producer / events organiser / behind-the-scenes person at heart, and I do enjoy seeing – and, evidently, photographically documenting! – how things are run.

Stadium

Birds on the pitch 90 minutes before kick-off

Wide angle photo of a large football stadium. The stands are mostly empty and there are only four people in bright red puffer jackets standing in the centre of the pitch. Also on the pitch are a couple of dozen seagulls sitting on the grass.

Watering the pitch

Wide-angle photo of a large football stadium. Five large water sprinklers are spraying water onto the grass along two sides of the pitch.

Grounds keepers make their final adjustments to the pitch

Photo of two grounds keepers walking across a football pitch. They each have a small pitchfork in their hands, and they are using those to push in any bits of loose soil or grass.

Grounds keepers flattening the pitch during the half time break

Photo of three grounds keepers in the corner of a football pitch. Two are picking up any small debris they find, while the third is using a small pitchfork to push-in any bits of loose soil or grass.

Doing the phone camera spectator participation thing

Wide angle photo of a large football stadium with most of the big lights turned off. Several thousand spectators around the stadium have turned on the flashlights on their cameras and are holding them up in the darkened space.

Full house at USA v Sweden round-of-sixteen match at

Photo of a large football stadium screen that reads “Attendance 27,706”.

Full house at Colombia v Jamaica round-of-sixteen match

Photo of a large football stadium screen that reads “Attendance 27,706”.

People

Ushering spectators

Photo of an usher wearing a blue, padded jacket standing at the top of a flight of steps leading into the stands at a large football stadium. The stadium is mostly empty at this time.

The only folks not watching the game

Photo of four security guards in bright yellow, high visibility vests sitting in low chairs along the breadth of a football pitch. They have their backs to the football pitch and are, instead, keeping a close eye on the spectators who are watching the match.

Keeping an eye on the crowds

Photo of a security guard in a bright yellow, high visibility vest sitting in a low chair outside the corner of a football pitch. The guard has his back to the pitch and is, instead, keeping a close eye on the spectators watching the match.

Assistant referee

Photo of an assistant referee standing by the side of a football pitch, holding a flag in her hand. The referee is keeping a close eye on what is happening in the match.

Photographers and videographers

Aligning the cameras behind the goal

Photo of a camera operator lying face-down on the grass behind a goal at a football stadium. The operator is looking through, and making slight adjustments to, one of the many cameras placed on the pitch in a line behind this goal. In the top of the frame is an assistant placing small plastic markers along the pitch (in front of a small, portable goal) for the players to run along during their warm-up before the match.

Getting ready to capture the match

Photo of several photographers and videographers in the process of getting ready to photograph and film the upcoming football match. In the top-left corner of the photo are two videographers aligning their cameras behind the goal. Along the left of the photo are several photographers setting up their equipment next to the boundary fence of the pitch. A couple of photographers, carrying cameras or wheeling them in bags, are walking along the breadth of the field as they make their way to their assigned locations.

Gaggle of photographers

Photo of about a dozen professional photographers seated on the outside of the fence surrounding a football pitch. They are all looking through their cameras at the match taking place in front of them.

Operating the primary broadcast camera

Photo of an operator standing in front of a broadcast video camera that's been set up in a bright orange, walled-off area among the seats on one side of a large stadium.

Capturing fan reactions

Photo of a roving videographer and an accompanying security guard. The two are standing next to a stand full of spectators in a football stadium. The videographer is broadcasting live video of a group of spectators.

On-camera talent

Getting ready for her live cross

Photo of a TV presenter wearing a long, light-blue coat and holding a microphone in her hand. She is getting ready for her live broadcast from the side of a football pitch.

1/3 Getting ready for their live cross

Photo of two sports commentators standing at the edge of a football pitch in front of a small, tall, round table. They are in the process of getting dressed for their upcoming appearance on camera. The woman is adjusting her tan trench coat and the man is putting on his suit jacket (which his producer producer is helping him with). Their camera operator is standing a short distance away, ready to go.

2/3 All set for their live cross

Photo of two commentators making final preparations for their live broadcast from the side of a football pitch. They are standing with their backs to the pitch, and are facing a camera, a screen, and two lights that have been set up in front of them.

3/3 Making their live cross

Photo of two commentators making a live broadcast from the side of a football pitch. They have their back to the pitch and are facing a camera, a screen, and two lights that have been set up to face them.

[Photo walk] Along the entrance to the Yarra River

You can get some really nice photos with a zoom lens at the entrance to the Yarra River in Melbourne.

The Yarra Queen from Melbourne River Cruises entering the Yarra River

Photo of flat-bottom, blue-and-white cruise boat making its way along a wide river. You can see people sitting in the boat looking at their surroundings through the large windows along the sides of the boat.

The Yarra Queen from Melbourne River Cruises enters the Yarra River

Photo of flat-bottom, blue-and-white cruise boat making its way along a wide river. You can see people sitting in the boat looking at their surroundings through the large windows along the sides of the boat. In the foreground of the photo, and in the corner of the frame, is a red navigational buoy.

The Yarra Queen from Melbourne River Cruises makes its way into the Yarra River

Photo of flat-bottom, blue-and-white cruise boat making its way along a wide river. In the foreground of the photo is the near side of the river bank. In the background of the photo is a massive bridge that spans the river. Next to near side river bank is a tall, red navigational buoy pillar jutting out of the water.

A Melbourne River Cruises boat makes its way along the lower reaches of the Yarra River

Photo of flat-bottom, blue-and-white cruise boat making its way along a wide river. In the foreground of the photo are several bushes and a tree, all of which are framing the shot. In the background is a massive bridge that spans the river.

A cruise boat makes its way along along the Yarra River, heading towards the West Gate Bridge

Photo of flat-bottom, blue-and-white cruise boat making its way along a wide river. In the foreground of the photo are several bushes and a tree, all of which are framing the shot. In the background is a massive bridge that spans the river.

A red, port hand mark on a navigational buoy marks the entrance to the Yarra River

Photo of a tall, red-coloured pillar jutting out of the water at the entrance to a river. On top of the pillar is a small platform on which there is a rectangular, bright red ‘port hand mark’ that indicates the direction of travel along this river. In the background of the photo is Hobsons Bay and in the foreground are several white-topped, wooden pillars built into the breakwater along the river's entrance.

Survey vessel John Norgate on its way to Hobsons Bay

Photo of a medium-sized, two-deck cabin boat named John Norgate making its way along a wide river. Just behind the boat is a green, ‘starboard hand mark’ that indicates the direction of travel along the river. In the background of the photo is a large container ship loaded with several containers.

Survey vessel making its way along the Yarra River to Hobsons Bay

Photo of a medium-sized, two-deck cabin boat traveling along a wide river. Just behind the boat is a green, ‘starboard hand mark’ that indicates the direction of travel along the river. In the far background of the photo is a large container ship loaded with several containers. These containers are being moved by several, massive, white coloured cranes on Melbourne’s Webb Dock.

Heading to Hobsons Bay

Photo of a medium-sized, two-deck cabin boat entering a large bay. Behind the boat are red and green lateral markers installed on navigation buoys that tell mariners which direction to travel along this channel. In the foreground is a breakwater that has white-topped wooden pillars jutting out of it.

The West Gate Bridge across the lower reaches of the Yarra River

Photo of a tall, massive bridge built across a wide river. In the foreground of the photo is the Yarra River and one of the navigational buoys installed along its sides.

Prepping his runabout at Williamstown Boat Ramp

Photo of a man on a runabout (a type of recreational boat) parked along the concrete pier next to a boat ramp. Parked on the boat ramp itself is a large SUV with a boat trailer attached to it. This truck has been reversed down the ramp so the trailer is under water, allowing the boat that was on the trailer to now float freely.

Navigational buoy 28 along the Yarra River, with the West Gate Bridge in the background

Photo of a tall, red-coloured pillar jutting out of the water at the entrance to a river. On top of the pillar is a small platform on which there is a rectangular, bright red ‘port hand mark’ that indicates the direction of travel along this river. In the background of this photo is a tall, massive bridge built across the wide river.

Skiff heading out to Hobsons Bay

Photo of a twin engine, single-deck skiff on which there are five people on board, all of whom are wearing yellow or orange high-visibility vests. The boat is travelling along a river. In the background of the photo are two large container ships.

[Photo walk] Birds (and one dog) at Riverside Spit in Newport

I was in the area so I stopped by Riverside Spit – a popular fishing spot in Newport – to take some photos.

The only animals I regularly take photos of are dogs, but there were so many sea birds in the area that I figured I might as well take photos of them too. Some of the photos even turned out alright!

Long-billed (or slinder-billed) corella digging around in the grass

Photo of a white bird (a type of cockatoo) with its beak in the soil underneath some grass.

Long-billed (or slinder-billed) corella hanging out on the grass

Photo of a white bird (a type of cockatoo) with bluish skin around its eyes and reddish feathers around its breast and eyes. The bird in standing on a patch of grass.

Long-billed corellas settling down at Newport Riverside Park

Photo of a flock of birds that are landing on some grass in a park. The birds, which are a type of cockatoo, are white with bluish skin around their eyes and reddish feathers around their breast and eyes.

Long-billed corellas landing at Newport Riverside Park

Photo of a flock of birds that are landing on some grass in a park. The birds, which are a type of cockatoo, are white with bluish skin around their eyes and reddish feathers around their breast and eyes.

Single silver gull among the corellas

Head-on photo of a single silver gull (a white sea bird) standing just outside a flock of long-billed corellas that are picking at some grass.

Birds on a fence – 1

Close photo of two silver gulls and one common sandpiper sitting on a metal fence along a popular fishing spot.

Birds on a fence – 2

Close photo of two silver gulls and one common sandpiper sitting on a metal fence along a popular fishing spot.

Silver gull turning to land on a fence

Photo of a silver gull (a white sea bird) turning to land on a metal fence. Two silver gulls are already sitting on this fence and this third bird is aiming to land between them.

Silver gull slowing to land on a fence

Photo of a silver gull (a white sea bird) turning to land on a metal fence. Two silver gulls are already sitting on this fence and this third bird is aiming to land between them.

Silver gull landing on a fence at the Riverside Spit fishing spot in Newport – 1

Collage of three photos showing a silver gull (a white sea bird) flapping its wings to adjust its speeds and trajectory as it lands on a metal fence.

Silver gull landing on a fence at the Riverside Spit fishing spot in Newport – 2

Collage of three photos showing a silver gull (a white sea bird) coming in to land on a fence between two other silver gulls. The bird on the left (which the bird in flight has to fly over) ducks its head in the first as it gets flown over.

Silver gull taking flight

Photo of a silver gull (a white sea bird) taking off from a metal roof. Another gull remains sitting on that roof.

Settling into a landing on the fence

Photo of a silver gull (a white sea bird) settling into a landing – wings up and one foot in the air – onto a metal fence.

Dog at the Warmies Off Leash Dog Area

I couldn’t not take a photo of a dog, right? :)

Photo of a man and his dog walking in a park. The dog is off-leash and man, who is talking on his phone, is holding the dog's leash in his hand. The dog is running alongside the man.

June desserts

June is chock full of family birthdays and this year Eid-ul-Azha also fell in that month. So I took out my apron and got to work :)

Collage of four photos. In the top left is a chocolate cheesecake with a chocolate cookie base and a chocolate ganache top. In the top right is a tall, plain looking cake with yellowish/white frosting. In the bottom left is a bowl full to the brim with seviyan (vermicelli) kheer. In the bottom right is an apple pie with a lattice pastry design on top.

The no-bake choc ripple cheesecake (top left) was for Nadia’s birthday, and it is based on Gemma Stafford’s no-bake Oreo cheesecake recipe. This was both gluten and lactose free.

The funfetti (aka sprinkles) birthday cake with lemon buttercream frosting (top right) was for my niece’s birthday. This is based on two of Gemma’s recipes: one for the cake and one for the frosting. I didn’t decorate the cake because the kids wanted to decorate it themselves.

The seviyan (vermicelli) kheer (bottom left) was for Eid-ul-Azha, and I made it using my mother’s recipe (which is a pretty standard recipe, tbh). This was lactose free.

The apple pie (bottom right) was for my older sister’s birthday. The pie is based on an SBS apple pie recipe and the crust is based on Sarah Howell’s gluten free shortcrust pastry recipe.

Successful tooth extraction

Maggie’s tooth extraction went well, but she was on ketamine not too long ago so the poor thing is still a little out of it!

Photo of a red/brown dog with an orange crepe bandage on its foreleg. The dog, who looks like it’s dissociating quietly, is sitting on a brown towel that’s been spread out on a dog bed on the floor of a living room.

The folks at Fawkner Veterinary Hospital in Melbourne are both lovely and excellent at their jobs, by the way. 10/10 would recommend.

Photo of a red/brown dog that’s fast asleep with its face smooshed against the wall of a dog bed that has been covered with a brown towel. The dog itself has been covered with a small, fuzzy blanket.

AMWP at Emerging Writers' Festival 2023

Nadia’s publication, the Australian Multilingual Writers Project, was invited to present a session at the 2023 Emerging Writers’ Festival in Melbourne.

I went along and took a few photos :)

Nadia getting ready to host the event

Photo of a woman standing on a stage and leaning out from behind a tall, blue pull-up banner that reads “Australian Multilingual Writing Project”. Next to this is another tall banner, this one green, that reads “Emerging Writers’ Festival”.

Podium microphone at the Immigration Museum

Close-up photo of a black microphone mounted on a podium. In the background, and out of focus, is a large, empty exhibition space bathed in pink light. The room is built in the Italianate revival style of Victorian-era architecture, with tall Ionic columns and a very high ceiling.

Sneakers on the floor of the Long Room at the Immigration Museum

Photo looking down at a pair of white sneakers that are bathed in pink light. The floor is a pattern of black, white, and red terra cotta tiles.

Colourful shoes in a colourful room

Photo looking down towards a terra cotta tiled floor. From the left of the frame you can see the legs and feet of a person seated off camera. This person is wearing a yellow skirt with bright patterns on it, light blue socks with flower patterns on them, and slightly darker coloured light blue shoes with a different flower pattern on them. Another person is standing on the tiled floor with pink coloured trainers with blue lines on them. This person is also wearing white coloured ankle warmers and light brown coloured pinstriped shorts.

The stage is set

Photo looking through a doorway at a large event space that is bathed in pink light. There are people seated on plastic chairs that have been set out in rows in front of a stage. On the stage are two pull-up banners. The smaller blue coloured banner reads “Australian Multilingual Writing Project” while the larger green banner reads “Emerging Writers’ Festival” and “14-24 June 23”.

Nadia at the podium, preparing and then performing

Madhvi Singh Thakur, Gabriela Georges, Asiel Adan Sanchez performing

Candid photos of the performers

Strike another one off the list

When you stop supporting your community, your community stops supporting you.

I pay for my favourite social media sites (#privileged) but I now only pay for Tumblr, having cancelled my Twitter subscription earlier (we all know why) and now Reddit.

Screenshot of a pop-up window on a website asking to confirm that the user wants to cancel their (Reddit) Premium subscription.

I fully support platforms working to build multiple revenue streams, by the way, which is why I pay for them in the first place.

Heck, I’ve been paying for Reddit Premium since 2016!

Screenshot of a Reddit ‘trophy case’ box showing four trophies: Ten-Year Club, Gilding V, Verified Email, and Reddit Premium (since July 2016)

But there are ways to charge for usage and then there are ways to charge for usage.

That’s enshittification for you, right? *sigh*

I guess over the next few months we’ll see just how far along the “…and find out” stage we’re at for Reddit.

[Photo walk] Flinders Street, Melbourne

Overhead construction gantry on the corner of Collins and Flinders Street

Photo looking up at a large construction gantry erected two or three stories above the road. You can see the underside of the gantry and, above the gantry, is a tall, white construction crane with the Metro Tunnel project logo on it. Behind this platform is a wide hotel building.

Keeping an eye out for their friends at the steps of Flinders Street Station

Photo of two women at the top of a wide flight of steps that leads into a building. One woman is sitting on the metal hand rail that runs along the steps. The other woman is standing to the side, a few steps back from the top of the stairs. Both women are looking off-camera at the people walking towards the entrance of this building (which is Flinders Street Railway Station). In the foreground, and out of focus, is a woman on her phone walking across the frame of the photo

Flinders Street Station ready to be lit up for RISING festival

Photo looking up at the entrance to Flinders Street Railway Station. The railway station building is a brown, Edwardian structure with a large, green dome and a large clock above the main entrance. Affixed to the building, just below the clock face, are large, serif-font letters that read “RISING:”. These letters will be lit up as part of the RISING festival in Melbourne.

Keeping to herself on the banks of the Yarra River

Photo of a woman sitting cross-legged on the edge of a walking path along a muddy, brown river that runs through a city centre. The woman is looking down at her smartphone, and she has her backpack placed next to her.

Keeping to himself on a bridge across the Yarra River

Photo of a man wearing a jacket and backpack standing by the stone railing of a bridge that spans the Yarra River in Melbourne. The man has his back to everyone and is looking out across the river. Another man is walking across the frame behind the first one.

Dropped shoes at the entrance of Flinders Street Railway Station

Black and white photo of a pair of trainers lying abandoned on the floor, all by themselves, some distance from the entrance to a train station.

[Photo walk] Collins Street, Melbourne

Clouds reflected off Mövenpick Hotel

Photo looking up to a very tall, blue-glass covered building. The building has rounded edges and two large curves along its length, making it look like a fancy water bottle. There are white, puffy clouds in the blue sky behind the building, and two large clouds are also reflected in the windows of this building.

Road expansion joint in Collins Street, next to Southern Cross Station

Photo of a metal, zigzag shaped road expansion joint built into the surface of a road. A motion-blurred car is driving over this joint as is drives down the road. Across the road from the photographer is the entrance to a large metropolitan train station.

Maintenance work along Collins Street

Photo taken from close to the ground of a large maintenance hatch built into the footpath of a metropolitan road. The hatch is lying open and a large piece of equipment (electric or communications?) that’s attached to a pair of well-shielded cables is lying outside the hatch. In the foreground of the photo (and out of focus) is a silver coloured adjustable wrench. The open hatch is surrounded by bright yellow, temporary, safety fencing, and this photo has been taken from underneath this fence. A bunch of cables exiting this hole in the ground are snaking their way into the back of a while panel van that's parked on the side of the road.

Down-tools at this maintenance site on Collins Street

Photo taken from close to the ground of a large maintenance hatch built into the footpath of a metropolitan road. The hatch is lying open. In the background of the photo (and out of focus) is a large piece of equipment (electric or communications?) that’s attached to a pair of well-shielded cables and is lying outside the hatch. In the foreground (and in focus) is a silver coloured adjustable wrench. The open hatch is surrounded by bright yellow, temporary, safety fencing, and this photo has been taken from underneath this fence.

Driving a coach along King Street

Photo of a driver concentrating on the road as he drives a grey coloured Irizar/Mercedes-Benz coach along a metropolitan road. You can see reflections of tall buildings reflected in the front windscreen of this large bus.

Heading home from their worksite on a Friday afternoon

Photo looking downwards the footpath at the intersection of two roads. Several people are standing in a group, waiting for the light to change so they can cross the road. You can only see these people from the waist down, and they are all wearing work pants or jeans. Everyone in the photo is wearing tan coloured, heavy, steel-capped, work boots.

[Photo walk] Melbourne buildings, part 3

Walkway between apartment buildings

Photo looking up at a covered, third-floor walkway that connects the Melbourne City View Apartments to the City Lights Apartments at Flinders. In the background of the photo, behind these two apartment blocks, are elevated train tracks on which a train is travelling.

Walkway connecting apartment buildings

Photo looking sharply upwards at a covered, third-floor walkway that connects the Melbourne City View Apartments to the City Lights Apartments at Flinders. The building across from the photographer is sixteen floors tall.

Looking up along Northbank Place

Photo looking upwards along the outside of a ten-storey office building. This glass-covered building (Tower 1 at 525 Flinders Street, Melbourne) was built in 2008 and is curved to allow sunlight to reach the street below. Its design includes a bronze painted, steel girder, skeletal structure wrapped around the outside.

No thoughts, just vibes

Photo looking upwards at the top of a tall building on an overcast day. The glass-covered building has a large, blue coloured sign affixed to the top that reads ‘vibe’, which is the name of a hotel chain.

Awning at the Rendezvous Hotel Melbourne

Photo of one of the entrances to the Rendezvous Hotel Melbourne. This entrance leads to Mr Tompkins, a restaurant named for Harry Tompkins who was the architect that designed this Edwardian Baroque style building in 1913. A man carrying a bag in one hand is talking on the phone as he walks down the steps inside this entrance. A large, curved awning above the entrance is held up by two thick metal cables. Two large stone heads have been built around the place where these cables are attached to the building structure, with the cables coming out of the mouths of these stone figures.

Flinders Street station flags at half mast for Father Bob’s state funeral

Photo of the Australian and Australian Aboriginal flags being flown at half mast on top of Flinders Street railway station in Melbourne. The railway station building is a brown, Edwardian structure with a large, green dome and a large clock above the main entrance.

Father Robert (Bob) John Maguire AM RFD (1934 – 2023) was a much-loved Catholic priest whose state funeral was held in Melbourne on 5 May 2023. Flags in the state of Victoria were flown at half mast all this day.

Layers of Melbourne on an overcast day

Photo of a city showing several different layers of greenery and buildings. Along the left of the photo are several tall trees, with some palm trees in the background. Along the right of the photo are a brown, historic building; a white modern building; a few glass-covered office buildings; and one tall skyscraper (the Rialto Towers).

[Photo walk] Transport, part 4

Checking the Melbourne tram network map

Photo of a tram stop in the city, with plexiglass shelters on both sides. On the side closer to the photographer is a woman reading the Melbourne tram network map that’s attached to the inside of the shelter. The woman is visible only from the waist down, with the rest of her hidden behind the map. On the reverse of this map is a sign that reads “STOP. Your gran could be stopping off the tram today. When a tram stops, you stop.”. On the side further away from the photographer is a man sitting on a bench and looking at his smartphone while he waits for his tram.

Elevated trains along Flinders Street

Photo of two electric trains in blue-and-yellow Metro-branded livery running along a set of elevated train tracks. Two cars are parked below the elevated tracks. Buildings, several trees, and a bridge are visible from below the elevated tracks, in the background of the photo.

Waiting for the tram doors to open

Photo of a woman standing at a tram stop. A tram has just pulled up to the stop and the woman is waiting for the front-most doors of the tram to open.

Zipping along the elevated train track next to Flinders Street

Photo looking upwards of a blue, yellow, and silver coloured train running along set of elevated train tracks. A large sign affixed to the tracks warns motorists: ‘low clearance, 4.0m’. In the background of the photo are several skyscrapers.

This is not her tram

Photo of a woman sitting on a bench under a plexiglass shelter at a tram stop. At tram has stopped at this tram stop, but it is not the tram the woman is waiting for.

[Photo walk] Along Flinders Street

Taking off her coat so her friend can take her photo

Photo of two women standing in the shadows beneath an elevated set of train tracks. One woman is in the process of taking off her winter coat as she walks away from her friend. The other woman is holding her phone up, waiting for her friend to pose for the photograph that she is about to take.

Food hall, open 24 hours

Photo of a free-standing, single-storey, glass-covered shop sandwiched between a tall building and a set of elevated train tracks (on which a train is running). A large neon sign on top of the building reads, in all-capital letters ‘food hall’. A smaller sign next to this, also in all-caps, reads ‘24hr 7 days open’. A couple with two children are crossing a small laneway that next to the building, heading towards this door of this shop.

Tags on a no-smoking sign outside Melbourne Aquarium

Photo of a no-smoking sign affixed to a brick wall. The sign has been thoroughly defaced with several graffiti tags and stickers.

Chilling in Enterprize Park along the Yarra River

Photo of a man sitting on a bench next to a park that runs along an urban river. The man is wearing a warm, brown coat and appears to be looking at his smartphone.

One of the scar trees in Enterprize Park

Photo looking up along a ‘scar tree’ installed between a park (with tall, growing trees) and a metal gantry along an elevated train line.

City of Melbourne:

Enterprize Park commemorates the spot where the first settlers aboard the ship Enterprize went ashore on 30 August 1835.

Today, it is the site of the Scar Project, a collaborative installation by Aboriginal artists who used original wharf poles from Queens Bridge to engage with the tradition of tree scarring.

Traditionally, Aboriginal people would take pieces of bark from trees to make canoes, shields or baby cradles. The resulting ‘scar trees’ would also serve as signposts for other clans to know they had entered the land of another community. These trees are rare today, but for Aboriginal people they are very precious.

Read more about this artwork: Scar – A Stolen Vision.

Walking through the scar trees in Enterprize Park

Photo of a man carrying his shopping in a couple of large plastic bags walking through the Scar Project artwork installation in Enterprize Park in Melbourne. This photo was taken from inside a brick archway next to this artwork

Megafun:

The City of Melbourne commissioned eight indigenous artists to create a relocatable permanent public artwork for the city.

Initially placed in the city square, the 24 poles that form the work “Scar – A Stolen Vision” are now permanently located in Enterprize Park adjacent to the Melbourne Aquarium.

The works, by eight indigenous artists, are all vertical timber poles, somewhat like trees, and reflect various interpretations of the relationship between the artists culture and the modern western city.

Read more about this artwork: Scar – A Stolen Vision.

Underneath the elevated train tracks that run along Flinders Street

Photo looking upwards at a set of elevated train tracks. The top half of the photo shows the metal girders underneath the train tracks. The bottom half of the photos shows the large pillars on which the elevated track rests. The pillars have a slate and red brick façade around them. A road that runs underneath these elevated tracks has a few cars on it, as well as a person riding an e-bike.

Looking down at a broken uplight

Photo of a commercial uplight that lights the underside of a set of elevated train tracks. The light is build into the asphalt, but its glass front has been shattered. Inside the light are several brown leaves. The photographer’s white sneakers and the cuffs of his black jeans are visible in the bottom of the photo.

No road next to this pillar

Photo of a faded yellow sign with large, black, all-capital letters that reads ‘no road’. This sign is painted on a large, red-brick pillar that is holding up a set of elevated train tracks. Behind the pillar is a road with cars on it. Across this road, and extending in the background, are several buildings.

There’s a bin literally just around the corner

Photo of a large, brown, take-away coffee cup that’s been left next to the green railing of a set of stairs that leads down to a walkway along an urban river.

Picnicking on the Yarra River

Photo of a large bridge across an urban river in the middle of a city. Several people are standing along the bridge railing, taking photos. A rented ‘Go Boat’ motor boat with picnickers on it is about to cross under this bridge.

[Photo walk] Collins Street, Docklands

Cyclists along the Yarra River

Photo of a group of ten cyclists cycling in single-file along the boardwalk next to an urban river.

Trying to make it in the urban jungle of Docklands

Photo of a plant shoot with a dozen or so green leaves. The plant is growing through a crack between the paved footpath that’s next to a flight of steps that runs alongside a glass building.

It's only Friday afternoon and a third of the red neurons are already down

Photo of twelve ‘neuron’ branded e-bikes parked along the sidewalk in a city centre. Four of these bikes have toppled over and are lying on their sides.

Yellow sneakers on a grey day in Melbourne

Photo of a figure wearing dark blue casual pants, light grey socks, and bright yellow sneakers that have pink accents on them. The person is waiting to cross the road at an intersection on the road.

Don't ask for my mood, just look at my nails

Photo of a glass-fronted nail salon with a pink neon sign in the window that reads ‘NAILS’. A black sandwich-board sign next to the door has stylised, hand written text written on it with neon coloured pink, yellow, and green marker. The sign reads “Don’t ask for my mood, just look at my nails”. A dim reflection of the photographer is visible in the glass salon door.

Nadia on the Writing Home podcast on 3CR

Check out Nadia’s interview on the first episode of Writing Home on 3CR (a community radio station in Melbourne).

Hosted by Madhvi Singh Thakur, Writing Home is a series about writers who have more than one home, and it features discussions with migrant writers of colour in Australia.

In case you look up this series online and get confused: Writing Home is one of four series being run simultaneously under the Satellite Skies podcast umbrella, and Satellite Skies will be featuring one Writing Home episode per month.

Nadia at the 3CR studios in Melbourne

Source: satellite_skies on Instagram.

Sleeping with both ears open

Maggie, sleeping with both ears open.

Close-up photo of a red/brown dog asleep inside a fuzzy, orange dog bed. The dog's head is resting on raised edge of the bed. The tip of one of the dog's ears is folded along the side of a cabinet that's next to the dog bed.

You can’t let sleeping dogs lie, you have to take their photo.

Close-up photo of a red/brown dog asleep inside a fuzzy, orange dog bed. The dog's head is resting on raised edge of the bed. The tip of one of the dog's ears is folded along the side of a cabinet that's next to the dog bed. In the foreground of the photo, and out of focus, is one of the dog's forepaws, which is also resting on the raised edge of the bed.

[Photo walk] La Trobe Street, Docklands

There’s a bit of La Trobe Street in Docklands that goes over the Southern Cross rail yard.

This would be a great spot to take train photos from, except that there’s a tough metal grate/mesh that runs along the full length of the bridge (for obvious safety reasons).

Fortunately, there are little square cut-outs in this mesh that let me take a bunch of interesting photos. #FrameWithinAFrame

V/Line train out of Southern Cross Station

Photo of a silver-and-purple diesel engine train going along its tracks next to the Southern Cross rail yard. The photo is taken through a square hole cut out of a large metal mesh. This mesh is installed along the side of a road and pedestrian bridge that crosses the rail yard.

V/Line train heading from Melbourne to Geelong

Photo of a silver, purple, and yellow coloured diesel engine train going along its tracks next to the Southern Cross rail yard. The photo is taken through a square hole cut out of a large metal mesh. This mesh is installed along the side of a road and pedestrian bridge that crosses the rail yard.

Train lines crisscrossing outside Southern Cross rail yard

Photo of about a dozen individual train lines intersecting each other next to a rail yard.

Alstom West Melbourne Depot

Photo of a large building at a train depot with a sign on it that reads ‘Alstom’. The building has a couple of trains parked inside it, and there are several other silver, purple, and yellow coloured trains parked around the depot.

Yep, that’s locked

Photo of a single metal loop attached to a large brick pillar that’s next to a building. Five sturdy, brass locks have been locked onto this loop.

Pointing out birds in Flagstaff Gardens

Photo of two people standing on a path in a public garden containing several large, old trees. Both have white hair and are wearing trousers and warm jackets. One of them is showing the other a bird that’sin the trees.