1ST DECEMBER
MEMORABLE MOMENTS
As I was riding my bike down to the wharf this morning I was thinking about my journey so far and the ups and downs it has bought with it. I decided to go back through a few of my favourite galleries in my website when i returned just quickly flicking through images and remembering the course of events that led up to taking the shot, I have had some funny moments and some very challenging ones also. As I went through my images I saw myself at each location setting up the shot waiting patiently for the right light and sometimes being very disappointed as it just wasn’t happening. There were times of absolute frustration from flies, mosquito’s, high winds and of course rain, salt water and waves, walking for miles, the heat, slippery rocks and cliffs and heavy packs with my equipment. There is also all the research that goes into areas and of course driving for miles and sometimes days through rough roads camping with no facilities and bloody rangers who love to say “sorry you need to move on your not suppose to be in there”. And last but not least the humble electric fence that I have managed to get zapped on several occasions. God they pack a punch.
Here are some of my favourite photography highlights so far.
Thredbo -Kosciusko NSW Snowy Mountains– this was a shocker……riding 25km with all my camera gear on my back up some really steep hills to find a historic hut that I wanted to photograph wrapped in foil due to the recent bushfires through that area over Christmas. It was hot and the flies were bad and I had to walk half of it in both directions due to the weight I was carrying and the hills through the area and I had some large blisters which were killing me by the time I arrived back at the car. Gotta laugh at this (read the blog)
Yulara (Ayers Rock Resort) – Riding my mountain bike out toward the rock and then hiding it in the bushes just off the road so I could climb up a sand dune for sunset shots. I came back down just on dark and lost the bloody thing. I spent 30 minutes walking around in the sand dunes and bushes looking for my bike until finally I found it. I got some great shots though. Check out my website in the red centre gallery.
Yulara (Ayers Rock Resort) finding my first thorny devil was a highlight. I was riding my bike out toward the rock and came across one in the middle of the road. They are really placid little things. I captured him and then later that day took him out to another location late afternoon to photograph him. He wasn’t very cooperative and I was chasing him all over the sand dunes to try and get the shots I wanted. When I had finished I returned him to where I found him.
Ayers Rock-Uluru in the rain- this is still the highlight of my trip so far. I will never forget the trials I went through to get my shots. It was windy and raining constantly with spray coming off the waterfalls in all directions. I was trying to hold an umbrella as well as set up my tripod and keep my camera gear dry. The rain was coming in side ways and near the large falls there was spray coming from every angle. I had to keep wiping the lens of droplets after every shot hoping it was clear. I lost my umbrella as the wind took it out of my hands and had to bolt through the Spinifex after it. Luckily no one was watching as it would have been hilarious. I ended up giving the tripod a miss and just hand holding the camera as it was just too hard. I almost fell into a very deep pool of water as I was concentrating on something else and wasn’t watching my footing. I got soaked right through even though I had a water proof jacket on. The last few shots were taken out of the window of my car as it was just raining to hard. From the first shot to the last it was a night mare but I have never seen anything as spectacular in my life as I watched hundreds of water falls plummeting down the sides of Uluru from a 300 foot drop around that rock. It was awesome and every time I see one of the shots it takes me straight back to the day I was out there in the rain. No wonder I love photography so much I get to relive the experience time and time again.
Dingos , Oodnadatta track South Australia- Painted Desert, this spot is beautiful and a must see if you do the track. I was walking around the Painted Desert on a perfect morning photographing the area when I looked behind to find a Dingo was near my pack. It startled me and I startled him and he ran back a little. Then I noticed another one a little more timid up on the hill. I couldn’t believe my luck as I quickly tried to change lenses and camera settings to get a couple of shots before they disappeared. The young male was very curious and playful like a pup and was running around me and dropping down as pups do. I was amazed at how close this dog was and the way it was playing and growling at me. I just started shooting and got some great shots of both of them. They followed me for about 20 minutes before disappearing. Things happen when you least expect it as was the case this day.
El Questro Gorge The East Kimberley Ranges WA- This was my favourite walk and Gorge in Elquestro. The first time I went in I had no idea what to expect but what I found was amazing. The walk in is not for the wusses. It’s rocky and there is a large waterhole that you need to wade through. I didn’t no this when I left so when I saw it I thought how the hell am I going to get across this with my camera gear. I sat and fed the fish for a while and thought about the best way across as at the other side I had to climb through a tricky area between the gorge and a huge boulder to get to the next level. If I slipped on the rocks in the water I was a gonner and if I couldn’t get up the side of the boulder with my gear I wouldn’t be able to go any further and would have to head back. I looked at it for a while and was always going to have a go at getting across. Shoes and socks off and tied to my pack I headed across with my pack over my head and my tripod left on the bank for the second trip. Shit the rocks where sharp and the water was bloody freezing but I had to keep going and when I reached the other side I found a safe spot to leave the camera bag and went back for the tripod. Next issue was getting myself up between the rocks and over so I could somehow grab my camera bag and tripod. Keep in mind my pack weighs maybe 10kg fully loaded and this was really awkward without the cameras but with all my gear it was almost impossible as there was hardly any room to manoeuvre myself into the right position. Once I was over and on the top it was a matter of grabbing my gear from the level below and pulling it up and over. Shoes back on and I was away and the terrain got more and more rugged but when I reached the end it was all worth it. What a truly pretty spot Elquestro Gorge is not a huge gorge but its just beautiful and the best part about this walk is hardly anyone goes all the way because of the water crossing that’s where they walk to and turn back and they miss the best part.
Pentacost Crossing Gibb River Rd East Kimberley Ranges WA- SHIIITTTT is all that I could say when I pulled up at the Pentacost Crossing on the Gibb River Road and how the hell am I going to cross this? I stopped for a while and thought about it and then I thought what the hell I am just going to go for it. I put the car in low range 4WD so I would not be tempted to give suzie to much gas and said a little prayer and went for it nice and slow. I remember I could hear the water lapping on the bottom of the car and my heart was racing and I was saying don’t stall don’t stall and I don’t know why I was worried as it was not a problem and I crossed that crossing so many times after that to and from town without a problem. Anyway once I arrived at the other side I decided to set up camp for the night as I was going to photograph both evening and sunrise. I was a little worried about crocodiles and dared not go near the water initially but after a while you become complacent and I started to venture across the rocks for better vantage points jumping at every little noise I heard through the course of the evening but I saw no sign of crocs any where in this area. This is the best part of the Gibb River Rd and I spent many hours at this spot on my own and with people I met there. I met 2 school teachers from Wyndam and had a drink with them here one evening, I met a Dutch guy riding his mountain bike around OZ here and had a drink and chat with him. I have met musterers down here filling their water truck in the middle of the river. I met Dave Ryder here before I started at Home Valley and he stopped his truck stuck his head out and said hello and then asked me if I was married. (scary) and then their was the time Janneke and I came down for sunset drinks and along came the road train driver Sam who let me have a drive of his vehicle. I have some great memories from this spot.
Home Valley Station Gibb River Rd WA- Brumbies – another memorable moment was the evening that Diesel from Home Valley took me and Belinda out to his aboriginal land so I could photograph an old truck that had been there since he was a kid. It was a full moon also so I got a great shot of the truck backed against the full moon and the Cockburn Ranges. The mozzies out here are shocking at this time of day and so I was plastered with repellent. As it got darker a large herd of wild brumbies cantered through the flats and it was amazing to see. It was getting to dark to photograph but I will never forget it as special place. Oh and I lost a $80 filter out there also.
Windjana gorge West Kimberley Ranges - Brolgas - On the way to Broome I made a stop at Windjana gorge and it was as hot as hell 40+ The gorge itself was pretty ordinary as the water level was very low at this time of the year. As I was walking around I spotted a pair of Brolgas which I had been wanting to photograph for weeks but had not had the opportunity to do. I quickly changed lenses and camera settings and started to follow them. I am not really set up to this type of photography but I knew if I could get close enough I could still get some good shots with the lens I had. I slowly walked up and then stopped for a bit just to get them used to me being present before I walked in closer and started to shoot. They were quite relaxed but also aware of my presence and just kept walking away from me as they were feeding in the shallow water pools. All of a sudden a crocodile launched itself at one of the brolgas and the bird jumped up and back as it went airborne to get way from the crocs jaws. It happened that fast I didn’t even get a chance to get a shot of it. I must have followed them over a Km down the gorge and then they had had enough of me and took flight about 2km in the other direction to the other side of the gorge. It was so hot in here and I had nothing but hot water to drink and was feeling really stressed. I packed up my stuff and headed back into the direction that they flew hoping that I would have another opportunity to photograph them. As I was walking along the water I could see many fresh water crocs in the water and as I walked back to the other end of the gorge I bumped into someone that said they had seen the Brolgas just 200 metres up the track feeding. I was in luck. I hiked down an embankment and got my gear set up again and headed into where they were. By this time it was late afternoon and the light was great. I managed to get some shots of them in the water before they moved away into a really shady spot. I was done and had a pounding headache from the sun and dehydration. When I got back to the camp ground I felt pretty ordinary.
Sunrise Lake Eyre SA -70KM of the worst road in to the North Lake. It was a last minute decision to drive in late afternoon with only about an hour of light left and at least 2 hours of driving. The track was rough and corrugated with ruts and potholes and side tracks people had made to try and save their vehicles from the torture. By the time I arrived at the camp ground it was of course pitch black and I had no idea where I was in the scale of things and I was exhausted. I set my alarm for 5 am.
When I rose from the living dead which is what I felt like it was still pretty dark but I could get my bearings. I got my gear ready and started walking up a track to the lake which was closer than I thought it would be. The camp ground is right on the edge of it. In every direction was a white salt pan. It had started to get light by now and I started to walk out on to the lake for about half a km. By this time the sun had started to rise but because it was cloudy and the clouds were wispy and thin the sun was diffused and the colour came through right over the entire sky. It was a pastel cocktail of colour from purple to orange and everything in between. It was amazing to watch this in every direction a different shade of colour over this surreal landscape. And it was so quiet out there as I was the only one on the planet. I didn’t see any water but it didn’t matter it was truly beautiful anyway. The sky went through many changes in the course of an hour or so until the entire colour was gone. I didn’t walk out any further as my feet were sinking into thick black mud the further I went out and I was finding it really difficult to walk. I managed to get some shots of the patterns in the salt also and have really good look around before it started raining and it was time for to leave to head back into William Creek.
Riddell Beach Broome WA- The latest of my incredible experiences is at Broome where I currently am. About 2 weeks ago there were two threatening storm fronts moving through one afternoon and I was down on the beach watching it. The cloud formation was spectacular and the light that was filtering through was just perfect. I was out there for about 2 hours until the sun went right down. It was high tide also so I was in the water on the rock ledges shooting back to shore initially and getting hammered with waves as I was using myself as a shield to protect my camera. As the tide rose and the waves got bigger I had to move and set up in a safer spot. Sea spray is a nightmare down here as it always seems to be windy. I always carry a towel to throw over my camera in between shots and when I get home I clean my gear after a shoot like this.
MEMORABLE MOMENTS
As I was riding my bike down to the wharf this morning I was thinking about my journey so far and the ups and downs it has bought with it. I decided to go back through a few of my favourite galleries in my website when i returned just quickly flicking through images and remembering the course of events that led up to taking the shot, I have had some funny moments and some very challenging ones also. As I went through my images I saw myself at each location setting up the shot waiting patiently for the right light and sometimes being very disappointed as it just wasn’t happening. There were times of absolute frustration from flies, mosquito’s, high winds and of course rain, salt water and waves, walking for miles, the heat, slippery rocks and cliffs and heavy packs with my equipment. There is also all the research that goes into areas and of course driving for miles and sometimes days through rough roads camping with no facilities and bloody rangers who love to say “sorry you need to move on your not suppose to be in there”. And last but not least the humble electric fence that I have managed to get zapped on several occasions. God they pack a punch.
Here are some of my favourite photography highlights so far.
Thredbo -Kosciusko NSW Snowy Mountains– this was a shocker……riding 25km with all my camera gear on my back up some really steep hills to find a historic hut that I wanted to photograph wrapped in foil due to the recent bushfires through that area over Christmas. It was hot and the flies were bad and I had to walk half of it in both directions due to the weight I was carrying and the hills through the area and I had some large blisters which were killing me by the time I arrived back at the car. Gotta laugh at this (read the blog)
Yulara (Ayers Rock Resort) – Riding my mountain bike out toward the rock and then hiding it in the bushes just off the road so I could climb up a sand dune for sunset shots. I came back down just on dark and lost the bloody thing. I spent 30 minutes walking around in the sand dunes and bushes looking for my bike until finally I found it. I got some great shots though. Check out my website in the red centre gallery.
Yulara (Ayers Rock Resort) finding my first thorny devil was a highlight. I was riding my bike out toward the rock and came across one in the middle of the road. They are really placid little things. I captured him and then later that day took him out to another location late afternoon to photograph him. He wasn’t very cooperative and I was chasing him all over the sand dunes to try and get the shots I wanted. When I had finished I returned him to where I found him.
Ayers Rock-Uluru in the rain- this is still the highlight of my trip so far. I will never forget the trials I went through to get my shots. It was windy and raining constantly with spray coming off the waterfalls in all directions. I was trying to hold an umbrella as well as set up my tripod and keep my camera gear dry. The rain was coming in side ways and near the large falls there was spray coming from every angle. I had to keep wiping the lens of droplets after every shot hoping it was clear. I lost my umbrella as the wind took it out of my hands and had to bolt through the Spinifex after it. Luckily no one was watching as it would have been hilarious. I ended up giving the tripod a miss and just hand holding the camera as it was just too hard. I almost fell into a very deep pool of water as I was concentrating on something else and wasn’t watching my footing. I got soaked right through even though I had a water proof jacket on. The last few shots were taken out of the window of my car as it was just raining to hard. From the first shot to the last it was a night mare but I have never seen anything as spectacular in my life as I watched hundreds of water falls plummeting down the sides of Uluru from a 300 foot drop around that rock. It was awesome and every time I see one of the shots it takes me straight back to the day I was out there in the rain. No wonder I love photography so much I get to relive the experience time and time again.
Dingos , Oodnadatta track South Australia- Painted Desert, this spot is beautiful and a must see if you do the track. I was walking around the Painted Desert on a perfect morning photographing the area when I looked behind to find a Dingo was near my pack. It startled me and I startled him and he ran back a little. Then I noticed another one a little more timid up on the hill. I couldn’t believe my luck as I quickly tried to change lenses and camera settings to get a couple of shots before they disappeared. The young male was very curious and playful like a pup and was running around me and dropping down as pups do. I was amazed at how close this dog was and the way it was playing and growling at me. I just started shooting and got some great shots of both of them. They followed me for about 20 minutes before disappearing. Things happen when you least expect it as was the case this day.
El Questro Gorge The East Kimberley Ranges WA- This was my favourite walk and Gorge in Elquestro. The first time I went in I had no idea what to expect but what I found was amazing. The walk in is not for the wusses. It’s rocky and there is a large waterhole that you need to wade through. I didn’t no this when I left so when I saw it I thought how the hell am I going to get across this with my camera gear. I sat and fed the fish for a while and thought about the best way across as at the other side I had to climb through a tricky area between the gorge and a huge boulder to get to the next level. If I slipped on the rocks in the water I was a gonner and if I couldn’t get up the side of the boulder with my gear I wouldn’t be able to go any further and would have to head back. I looked at it for a while and was always going to have a go at getting across. Shoes and socks off and tied to my pack I headed across with my pack over my head and my tripod left on the bank for the second trip. Shit the rocks where sharp and the water was bloody freezing but I had to keep going and when I reached the other side I found a safe spot to leave the camera bag and went back for the tripod. Next issue was getting myself up between the rocks and over so I could somehow grab my camera bag and tripod. Keep in mind my pack weighs maybe 10kg fully loaded and this was really awkward without the cameras but with all my gear it was almost impossible as there was hardly any room to manoeuvre myself into the right position. Once I was over and on the top it was a matter of grabbing my gear from the level below and pulling it up and over. Shoes back on and I was away and the terrain got more and more rugged but when I reached the end it was all worth it. What a truly pretty spot Elquestro Gorge is not a huge gorge but its just beautiful and the best part about this walk is hardly anyone goes all the way because of the water crossing that’s where they walk to and turn back and they miss the best part.
Pentacost Crossing Gibb River Rd East Kimberley Ranges WA- SHIIITTTT is all that I could say when I pulled up at the Pentacost Crossing on the Gibb River Road and how the hell am I going to cross this? I stopped for a while and thought about it and then I thought what the hell I am just going to go for it. I put the car in low range 4WD so I would not be tempted to give suzie to much gas and said a little prayer and went for it nice and slow. I remember I could hear the water lapping on the bottom of the car and my heart was racing and I was saying don’t stall don’t stall and I don’t know why I was worried as it was not a problem and I crossed that crossing so many times after that to and from town without a problem. Anyway once I arrived at the other side I decided to set up camp for the night as I was going to photograph both evening and sunrise. I was a little worried about crocodiles and dared not go near the water initially but after a while you become complacent and I started to venture across the rocks for better vantage points jumping at every little noise I heard through the course of the evening but I saw no sign of crocs any where in this area. This is the best part of the Gibb River Rd and I spent many hours at this spot on my own and with people I met there. I met 2 school teachers from Wyndam and had a drink with them here one evening, I met a Dutch guy riding his mountain bike around OZ here and had a drink and chat with him. I have met musterers down here filling their water truck in the middle of the river. I met Dave Ryder here before I started at Home Valley and he stopped his truck stuck his head out and said hello and then asked me if I was married. (scary) and then their was the time Janneke and I came down for sunset drinks and along came the road train driver Sam who let me have a drive of his vehicle. I have some great memories from this spot.
Home Valley Station Gibb River Rd WA- Brumbies – another memorable moment was the evening that Diesel from Home Valley took me and Belinda out to his aboriginal land so I could photograph an old truck that had been there since he was a kid. It was a full moon also so I got a great shot of the truck backed against the full moon and the Cockburn Ranges. The mozzies out here are shocking at this time of day and so I was plastered with repellent. As it got darker a large herd of wild brumbies cantered through the flats and it was amazing to see. It was getting to dark to photograph but I will never forget it as special place. Oh and I lost a $80 filter out there also.
Windjana gorge West Kimberley Ranges - Brolgas - On the way to Broome I made a stop at Windjana gorge and it was as hot as hell 40+ The gorge itself was pretty ordinary as the water level was very low at this time of the year. As I was walking around I spotted a pair of Brolgas which I had been wanting to photograph for weeks but had not had the opportunity to do. I quickly changed lenses and camera settings and started to follow them. I am not really set up to this type of photography but I knew if I could get close enough I could still get some good shots with the lens I had. I slowly walked up and then stopped for a bit just to get them used to me being present before I walked in closer and started to shoot. They were quite relaxed but also aware of my presence and just kept walking away from me as they were feeding in the shallow water pools. All of a sudden a crocodile launched itself at one of the brolgas and the bird jumped up and back as it went airborne to get way from the crocs jaws. It happened that fast I didn’t even get a chance to get a shot of it. I must have followed them over a Km down the gorge and then they had had enough of me and took flight about 2km in the other direction to the other side of the gorge. It was so hot in here and I had nothing but hot water to drink and was feeling really stressed. I packed up my stuff and headed back into the direction that they flew hoping that I would have another opportunity to photograph them. As I was walking along the water I could see many fresh water crocs in the water and as I walked back to the other end of the gorge I bumped into someone that said they had seen the Brolgas just 200 metres up the track feeding. I was in luck. I hiked down an embankment and got my gear set up again and headed into where they were. By this time it was late afternoon and the light was great. I managed to get some shots of them in the water before they moved away into a really shady spot. I was done and had a pounding headache from the sun and dehydration. When I got back to the camp ground I felt pretty ordinary.
Sunrise Lake Eyre SA -70KM of the worst road in to the North Lake. It was a last minute decision to drive in late afternoon with only about an hour of light left and at least 2 hours of driving. The track was rough and corrugated with ruts and potholes and side tracks people had made to try and save their vehicles from the torture. By the time I arrived at the camp ground it was of course pitch black and I had no idea where I was in the scale of things and I was exhausted. I set my alarm for 5 am.
When I rose from the living dead which is what I felt like it was still pretty dark but I could get my bearings. I got my gear ready and started walking up a track to the lake which was closer than I thought it would be. The camp ground is right on the edge of it. In every direction was a white salt pan. It had started to get light by now and I started to walk out on to the lake for about half a km. By this time the sun had started to rise but because it was cloudy and the clouds were wispy and thin the sun was diffused and the colour came through right over the entire sky. It was a pastel cocktail of colour from purple to orange and everything in between. It was amazing to watch this in every direction a different shade of colour over this surreal landscape. And it was so quiet out there as I was the only one on the planet. I didn’t see any water but it didn’t matter it was truly beautiful anyway. The sky went through many changes in the course of an hour or so until the entire colour was gone. I didn’t walk out any further as my feet were sinking into thick black mud the further I went out and I was finding it really difficult to walk. I managed to get some shots of the patterns in the salt also and have really good look around before it started raining and it was time for to leave to head back into William Creek.
Riddell Beach Broome WA- The latest of my incredible experiences is at Broome where I currently am. About 2 weeks ago there were two threatening storm fronts moving through one afternoon and I was down on the beach watching it. The cloud formation was spectacular and the light that was filtering through was just perfect. I was out there for about 2 hours until the sun went right down. It was high tide also so I was in the water on the rock ledges shooting back to shore initially and getting hammered with waves as I was using myself as a shield to protect my camera. As the tide rose and the waves got bigger I had to move and set up in a safer spot. Sea spray is a nightmare down here as it always seems to be windy. I always carry a towel to throw over my camera in between shots and when I get home I clean my gear after a shoot like this.
There have been more but i guess these have just stood out in my mind, there was also the time i borrowed a buoy which you are not suppose to touch unless there is an emergency at Redbank Gorge in the west Mcdonald Ranges and was running around in my bra and G String as i didnt have my bikini with me so i could float my camera gear into the gorge and photograph from the inside out. I was praying that no one came along and caught me.
Another time i was at the Olgas in the Red Centre and snuck in to an area that i was not suppose to be in and was ducking everytime a car came past and then the ranger came past but didnt see me in the bushes. When it got dark i snuck out.
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