The city of stone

Early this November I got a chance to travel back to Australia and meet up with the bivalve restoration group for the Shellfish Reef Restoration Meeting. A little last notice but a very worthwhile venture. I was able to present on the work being conducted in bivalve restoration here in New Zealand and hear about all the work that was being started in Australia. I got to introduce myself to a few people and get myself better known to our numerous counterparts in Australia. Despite being ahead in our restoration efforts, at least in Auckland, there are far more initiatives down under. It also gave me the opportunity to catch up with Ben Cleveland and Ian McLeod whom I have been corresponding with frequently. The meeting in general was dealing with a lot of organization as the group is still in it's infancy, and as is usual, some divergence over the nuances of particular words. Overall it was very productive and I am looking forward to the next meeting mid-next year. The meeting was held in Adelaide which was yet another new place for me. The streets were filled with old buildings, beautiful architecture, and plenty of statues on the sidewalks and the buildings.

Down the main shopping street, past the pigs, there was also a set of chrome spheres that reflected the surrounding businesses and traversing people. I took the opportunity to get a "selfie" if you will. 

I met up with Terri from the University of Auckland, as well as Ben and Matt from Adelaide on the first day before the conference and we took the train down to the beach. Still love taking the train, there is just something different about travelling by train. Anyway, we got down to the shore and put our feet in the water, soaked up the imagined atmosphere that would clearly be absorbing this oceanfront area in the coming weeks of summer, and enjoyed a cool beverage before heading back into town for dinner with the "big wigs" of restoration.

The following day was the meeting followed by some dinner and socializing. This was cut short by most people flying out that day and ended up retiring to my ill-selected hostel in the loud nightclub side of town. With little sleep and half a day before I jumped back on the plane, I arose the next morning at 5:30 to go enjoy the architecture in the early morning light. The city is very much made of stone, and there are some astounding buildings in this part of town as well as numerous war memorials, all of which were being decorated for the forthcoming remembrance day.

My walk eventually led me down to a beautiful canal, very calm in the early morning light, but very much alive with the sounds of birds and the activity of runners and rowers. I was also greeted by one of the huge Australian pelicans who swooped down elegantly into the water and motored effortless alongside the water with me before loosing interest in tourist and his constant picture taking.

The canal was bordered by lush green parkland, with trees and shrubbery alive with the sounds of birds. Parrots and parakeets were both loudly bustling from these branches and even some kookaburras in the distance. The slow pace was nice and it was the predominant atmosphere so early in the morning. Less joggers and more walkers appeared, crossing the dew covered grass to the waters edge. It was a very welcome contrast to the busy shopping streets and nightclubs from the night before. Replaced was the chaos by the serenity of water and sculptured boats, stoic stone pillars on bridges, and the ever presence of life in both simple and ornate forms.

From the waters edge I turned back up towards the University of Adelaide where we had held our meeting the day before. Again, predominantly stone, but the variety of architecture throughout the campus made every building exciting to see. The stone work ranged from simple yet effective ordering to intricate patterns and sculpturing. Certainly one of the nicest campuses I have been too.

Past the campus, I my sense of adventure was replaced by a sense of hunger. It did not stop me taking pictures, but my direction changed back into town where I could find a nice cafe for breakfast. It is truly astounding to see so many stone buildings still intact in a reasonably large city. Saint John of course has its stone building but most are brick, and Auckland's buildings are no where near the density as in Adelaide. 

With a full belly and the day progressing I headed back out on my true destination for today, the Adelaide Botanical Gardens. Along the way I passed a Jamie Oliver restaurant (and for all you foodies, no I did not get to eat there) and took a few more pictures of the University buildings and a few houses along the way as I excited the city of stone and entered a world of green.