The sirens pierced through our usually peaceful Sunday afternoon in Melbourne’s northern suburbs. Social media quickly lit up with reports of a machete brawl at Northland Shopping Centre, leading to a lockdown that left shoppers trapped inside stores while police responded to what appears to be yet another gang-related incident.

Living just a few suburbs away, the constant drone of police helicopters overhead served as a stark reminder that our suburban shopping centres are increasingly becoming venues for violent confrontations. The most troubling aspect isn’t just the violence itself, but the brazen choice of location - a busy shopping centre on a Sunday afternoon, where families and elderly residents regularly gather for their weekly shopping or a casual meal.

Last night brought an unexpected reminder of how close we really are to nature, even in our suburban sprawl. My wife messaged me a photo of what turned out to be an eastern long-neck turtle, casually hanging out at our front door like a late-night delivery that nobody ordered. Living in the eastern suburbs, we’re used to seeing these remarkable creatures, but usually they’re much smaller and stick to daylight hours.