Mornington Afternoon ~ May

Couta Boat

This classic boat lies in the warmth of the sun at its mooring sheltered by the Mornington Pier and Schnapper Point which serves as a breakwater against storms on Port Phillip Bay caused by south westerlies.

Mornington Pier

Mornington Pier was first built in the 1850s, providing a safe berth for steamships carrying holiday makers from Melbourne. It was was also a busy departure point for vessels carrying produce to the Melbourne markets before rail arrived in the early 1890s. The pier has undergone many changes in it's 150 years. It is still the base for some fishing trawlers but is now mainly used for pleasure craft and fishing.

Here fishy, fishy!!

Most were unlucky, but I saw a few nice pan-sized brim taken. They call it "fishing", not catching.

Nautical Bollard

A thick, low post, usually of iron or steel, mounted on a wharf or the like, to which mooring lines from vessels are attached.

Fishing before the sun sets

This shot was taken at the lower jetty which lies behind Mornington Pier. It and the pier provide a good fishing location for people trying there luck at hooking into brim and flathead. It's a great all-round spot to target a variety of species from squid to snapper.

Smooth Waters

I'm always amazed at just how large is the surface of Port Phillip Bay. In this long exposure shot looking west to the setting sun, the distant western shoreline of the bay can barely be made out. Port Phillip is the largest enclosed seawater embayment in the Southern Hemisphere, more like an enclosed 'sea' than what is commonly thought of as a bay. The bay is over 1950 km2 in area and stretches 58 km from north to south and 41 km from east to west at its widest point.

End of Day