Melbourne stuff
The other week it was noted that we’d gone 100 days of Melbourne’s maximum temperature being over 20 degrees. That was the first time in 150 years of recorded weather observations that it had happened. By my count, we’re now at day 112. The last day of less than 20 degrees was 17.8 on the ... [More]
A number of traffic lights used for crossing the “little” streets in central Melbourne don’t have green/red men. Some do, however, particularly along Swanston Street where there are heavy pedestrian flows and — I suspect — more people likely to be just following everyone else like sheep, and not looking for cars before they cross ... [More]
It just took almost two and a half hours to drive from Glen Huntly to Footscray. Here’s why. Glen Huntly. The hail was bouncing off the cars. …and the gutters quickly flooded… …but that was nothing to Caulfield North… …and St Kilda Road. Kingsway wasn’t pretty — much under water, traffic lights out, and lots ... [More]
This is not progress. This is the corner of Flinders Lane and Spring Street, in the CBD. Should be a priority pedestrian area — it’s certainly flagged that way under the SmartRoads strategy. But the zebra crossing that was here before has been removed and replaced with a traffic light. Which means that while before ... [More]
A few years ago I did a comparison of the results from online trip planners. Here’s an update of sorts. I tested 247 Flinders Lane (which is an address on a one-way street, in an area with lots of turn restrictions and pedestrian streets) to see what the various navigators would do. For the destination ... [More]
The City of Glen Eira has some pretty psychedelic playground equipment in some of its parks. Sometimes it’s hard to figure out what you’re meant to do with it. This one I don’t think many people would have problems with. You get on and it spins around, alarmingly fast. Pretty easy. This thing however, reminds ... [More]
I spotted this in November on a train. Read both of the poems, was mildly amused, then noticed the second one had been written by someone I know. (Well, admittedly have only met once or twice, years ago, but you know…) Posting it today as I saw on Twitter this morning that he had to ... [More]
So here we are, Christmas Eve. After yesterday’s heat, it was still 30 degrees C overnight. Thankfully it’s cooled down now to 25, and I’ve opened up the house to let it all in — though hopefully not too many flies. Tomorrow we’ll pile over to my sister’s house for Christmas lunch, but it’s looking ... [More]
When I first visited London in the 90s I was staggered by the scale of it. Not so much physical size, but the mass of people. I remember being at Piccadilly Circus on a Sunday and there were just swarms of people, heading in all directions. I felt like a small town hick who had ... [More]
In the legal precinct (William Street between Little Bourke and Latrobe Streets, for non-Melburnians), there are three distinct groups of people that strike me as common, but whom you don’t see much of in other areas of the CBD: 1. Young men looking uncomfortable in shirts and ties (and sometimes suits) — eg defendants and ... [More]
Second part of the quiz, aimed at Melburnians: Do you recognise this logo? Update 10pm. Thanks for your responses. Watch for a post on this soon. (Maybe it would have been better if the blog post earlier the same day hadn’t given away the answer…)
A quiz for Melburnians and visitors… Do you recognise this logo? Update Tuesday: This quiz is finished. Watch for a post in the next couple of days about this.