Yarra River, Melbourne

4 more images

The Yarra River rises in central-east Victoria and enters the sea into Port Phillip Bay. It is here the the city of Melbourne was established.

Originally known as Birrarung the river was a major source of food for the aboriginal tribes of the area. Early European settlers used the river area mainly for agriculture but hte landscape has changed since then with the river being widened in places and marshlands drained to accommodate increasing industrialisation. The mouth of the Yarra is now the container shipping dock for the Port of Melbourne.

The local nickname for the Yarra River is 'the river that runs upside down'. This is due to the easily eroded soils in the catchment area.

The annual Moomba cultural festival celebrates the Yarra River.

A River cruise to the port town of Williamstown is a great way to see the sights of the Yarra River.

http://www.viator.com/tours/Melbourne/Melbourne-City-and-Williamstown-Ferry-Cruise/d384-3013SIGHTCD?pref=02&aid=g1372

1 more image

Take the time to walk along the Yarra River at night. The lights that reflect off of the river is amazing. Then there are balls of fire that are shot off every hour on the hour after dark. This is an extremely romantic walk.

If you need a break from the hustle and bustle of the city then take a pleasant stroll alongside the Yarra River. This is where you will find the sporty types jogging and cycling, we went on quite a chilly day but I imagine its nice to do when the sun is shining! :-)

The city has done pretty well to change the River to what it is today.

The much maligned muddy colour of the Yarra is caused by the easily eroded clay soils of the water catchment. The water was clear at the time of European settlement, but intensive land clearing and development since the mid 1800s has resulted in the presence of microscopic clay particles.

The river was "Birrarung" - "River of mists and shadows" to the the original inhabitants - the Wurundjeri people. The name "Yarra" is attributed to surveyor John Wedge, who on his 1835 exploration, asked local aborigines what they called the cascading waters on the lower section of the river. They replied "Yarro Yarro", meaning "it flows". Wedge's mishearing of the word determined its enduring name.

The nicest feature of the Yarra River is its picturesque walks. Once you get away from the concrete of Southgate * and walk east down through King's Domain, you can walk for kilometres along the banks of the river without any sense of being in a great city. That is because the city planners have allowed for parklands either side of the roads that skirt around the river, including the Royal Botanic Gardens.

* Southbank today is also home to plenty of city tourist sights and glitzy restaurants. All that money could buy. The Crown Casino is here with its nightly show of fireball as well as the imposing Eureka Tower, now a rival of the Rialto for panoramic views.

Alternatively, you can take the Yarra River Shuttle Service Cruise, jog, kayak or cycle along the river banks. And for those hoping to recreate the romance of Venice, there is now a Gondola Cruise by Venice On The Yarra.

The Yarra runs through Melbourne. For a different perspective of the city, take a cruise all the way down to Victoria habour. There are many operators offering different options. It can also be booked as part of a city tour. It takes more or less than an hour, although there are different routes to choose from.

So off I continued, out the double sliding doors, down the steps and outside for my first glimpse of the Yarra River. How peaceful!! Last time we were in Melbourne in the 70's, the Yarra was very dirty. Now it is clean and pretty. It's amazing what you can do with a bit of environmental knowledge. I was very pleased to see the huge change! Bet you Melbournians are proud of your Yarra now!! :o) Everyone that comes to Melbourne must take a few moments to savour the beautiful Yarra!!

The Yarra River is an exciting part of Melbourne with great view of the city. It is the heart of Melbourne's entertainment and leisure district. People flock to the river to dine, stroll, drink, shop and jog. Numerous restaurants in the Southgate Leisure Precinct and Federation Square serve cuisine as diverse as Chinese, Japanese, Mediterranean, Italian and French. In the summer, rowers take their canoes down the Yarra River while others simply lie on the lawn with a book, basking in the sun.

2 more images

A beautiful place to walk around and take pictures early in the morning ...lots of white beautiful birds hangs out there ....and whats more those cool and unique looking mast ...

looks at those pictures I took below ....the birds are not scared of me ....of course I am an animal lover ..heheh

Go to the Flinders Station...walk on the Princess bridge on the St. Kilda road on bothe side of the South Bank of the river, there are boat trips available. There are expensive ones and inexpensive ones. Choose your choice between $23-$10.

I took the $10. Quite OK. They did it for 30 minutes.

The Yarra River is a great place , I could easily spent the whole day walking and exporing the many places of interests along it's banks, on the part that run along the city and southgate but unfortunately this is a mission impossible when you have a four year old in tow, as those of you who have kids will know.

" Daddy!, when are we going to eat?" "Daddy !where is the payground" "Daddy !,This is boring?"................................