Dinosaurs invade Melbourne...

This is the Southern Star Observation Wheel, Version 2.

Version 1 Opened in November 2008 (I seem to recall) and closed in January 2009 and was promptly taken down... I only ever saw bits of it lying on the ground, as I didn't manage to get over to see it in it's short lifetime. The wheel's website says "The Southern Star Observation Wheel was temporarily closed in January 2009. As a result of extensive design and technical reviews a conclusion was reached to build a new wheel." Actually, the extreme heat of that year (which led to 47 degrees and Black Saturday on February 7) caused some parts of the wheel's metal to "malfunction" or melt...

So, they are finally building a new wheel, which is 120m tall (compared to the London Eye at 135m). There is still a section of the wheel missing and no cabins on it yet. I don't know when it will be ready, but I would love to go on it when it is!

This dinosaur is not photoshopped on! It actually is sitting there, for no reason that I can see, next to the children's playground below the wheel (which is in Melbourne's Docklands area).

Oh, and I'm kind of annoyed that it took me about 45 minute to get this image up tonight! (I do have other things to do too!) I have lost count of how many times I tried uploading, just to get the usual stripy multi-coloured versions that I so often get. Is it my internet connection or are the blip servers just inundated at this time of night?