About the Yarra River
Yarra River
Location: 5XJF+95 Melbourne, Victoria ///ranges.terms.double (-37.81900747, 144.97292100)
About the River
Melbourne was founded on the west bank of the Yarra River, at a spot where there was a small waterfall that guaranteed fresh water. The river also provided the access between the township and the ships that were the only way to get goods into and out of the city. Like most other large city rivers, the Yarra provides an unbstructed view of much of the city.
How to get there
If you manage to get to Melbourne, then the Yarra is not far away. The river runs through the south-western edge of the Central Business District. If coming from outside Melbourne, or its suburbs, I recommend a train to Flinders St Station. This is on the Yarra, and from here you can walk a kilometer or two in either direction to get nice photos of Melbourne.
Viewpoints
There are two main choices:
- From the Upper Lookout. I dont particularly like this view. If you cant go down the steps, then it is clearly a chance to see the falls, but from a photography perspective there is too much bush in the way for my liking.
- From the Lower Lookout. Here you are in the river valley, and facing the falls straight on. The sides of the valley limit the range of perspectives avaiable, but they dont stop your cropping and composition. Changing the perspective to the right of the platform gave the images below. The second image being just a crop of the first to elimate the bundle of sticks at the bottom right hand side.
I took my LowePro Backpack loaded with a Canon 5D MkII body, Canon 24-105 mm lens, Manfrotto 190 Tripod, and of course a range of lens wipes, spare batteries, sunscreen and bug repellant. You can photograph the Yarra using virtually any soft of camera from a phone to Phase One XF IQ4.
Techniques
The range of photos possible for this river are virtually infinite - so therefore virtally any technique may be used.
Other things to look out for
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Location
FWV7+69 Lorne, Victoria Erskine Falls Access Rd, Lorne Vic 3232 ///seatbelts.stilts.contributing (-38.50591, 143.913509)
Techniques used
Kit used
How to get there
Location: 5XJ7+PV Vic 3000 ///agenda.spare.desire (-37.818205, 144.96462)
The Yarra flows some 242 km (150 Miles) from its source in the adptly named Yarra Ranges, through the Yarra Valley, through Melbourne, to enter Port Phillip Bay at Williamstown. How to get there depends on where exactly 'there' is. The easiest spot, and the spot that most photographers will probably start with, is Flinder St Station.
Best time to visit
Melbourne is 24x7 city, but the weekdays and during business hours it is certainly at its busiest. It tends to be cool (4C-12C) and wet during winter, and warm (18C-35C) and dry during summer. Spring is probably when the gardens are at their best, but also the weather at its best - dry and temperate.
Accessability
The councils and local government have included wheelchair access to trains and major tram stops. Most business' have ramp access. The Melbourne city itself is certainly not hilly in comparison with some overseas cities. Taxis, Ubers, rent-bikes, and rent-scooters abound, and the city has good trains, trams and bus services. There are no 'no-go' areas in Melbourne, and unlike many cities, it is advisable to go down the dark back alleys in Melbourne -- as this is typically where the good cafe's, coffee and art are to be found. The Yarra itself has footpaths and cycle paths along both sides, and this continues from Melbourne CBD for several kilometres in both directions.
Where to stay
Any accomodation option that people are likely to require can be found in Melbourne - from high end hotels, to boutique, to cheap, to Air-BnB rentals.