Thunderstorm in Wellington
A thunderstorm just rolled over Wellington… lightning strikes over the Miramar Peninsula, as seen from the deck of my house in Hataitai.
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Mount Stokes, Marlborough Sounds
Ah, Mount Stokes! When I first visited the Marlborough Sounds, at the northern tip of New Zealand’s beautiful South Island, cloud, mist and drizzle prevented me from climbing to the highest summit. Well, I guess I could have climbed, but without the promise of a view at the top, what would have been the point? 4 years later, I was back, and this time the weather gods obligingly provided sunny blue skies revealing a great view towards Endeavour Inlet in Queen Charlotte Sound. It was windy as hell though!
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Cradle Mountain, Tasmania
Tasmania’s greatest icon: Cradle Mountain. On my last visit there I was graced with a beautiful bluebird day, perfect for a good day walk. We went up to Marions Lookout through Wombat Pool, then back down along a steep and slippery trail that took us back to the shores of Dove Lake, which we then proceeded to circumnavigate. This spot, on the far shore of the lake, was where we had lunch – it was peaceful and quiet, with a handy bench to sit and watch a while, and we went knee-deep into the water to refresh our tired legs. Bliss!
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Photographing the Beach
On location in Newland Head Conservation Park, South Australia, just a couple hours drive from Adelaide. But hang on… what’s that flimsy camera doing on this heavy duty tripod!? Well, there was 3 of us that day, and let me tell you that as we were all carrying a DSLR and wearing wannabee akubras, we looked uncanninly like clones. So we set up this handy point and shoot to take a group photo of us with all our gear… and yeah, we did look silly!
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Kahurangi Dawn
Waking up in Mount Arthur Hut, in Kahurangi National Park, it’s just a short walk to the top of the range and a beautiful view on the surrounding mountains. The sunrise paints the clouds pink, heralding the start of a brand new day, and another great tramp.
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Path to Mount Difficult, Grampians
I woke up in a secluded little campspot in the northern Grampians on a quiet winter morning. After breakfast, it was straight up – I couldn’t help but smile at the sign that warned “strenuous walking” involved at the trailhead. How hard can it be, when even the highest peak in the park doesn’t quite reach 1200m? Well, not hard, but definitely steep enough to liven up my lungs. During my ascent, the sky was overcast, but on the way down it started to clear and I nabbed this sunny shot of the rocky path along the cliff. Walking in the Grampians always seems to involve a little bit of rock scrambling, and that has to be one of my favorite things about it!
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Pohara Beach, Golden Bay
A short wander down onto Pohara Beach, in Golden Bay, inspired me to try some black & white again – it had been a while. There is something about the ripple lines in the sand and the bulk of the rocks that just seemed to fit the old-time look and “textural” feel of B&W. It’s also a nice alternative when the harsh light of the middle of the day leeches colors away from the landscape!
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Shades of Red
Shades of red… in 2010, I took a 2-month trip through the outback. It was a fantastic year to be out there as unusual heavy rains meant that lakes that had been empty for years were now just about full. I camped a couple of nights at Fort Grey, in Sturt National Park, and during one of my wanders down to nearby Lake Pinaroo got this abstract shot of the shore’s hues and textures.
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Steam of Dawn
Morning mist rises off the stream that flows out of Lake Peel, Kahurangi National Park. This made for quite a dreamy and relaxing sight when I woke up just a few steps away.
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Sheep on the Road
Sheep on the road are quite a common occurence in New Zealand when you start leaving highways behind and exploring lonely roads through the country. This shot was taken near Ngawi, on the road to Cape Palliser. The real wonder is that there are only 2 sheep there!
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Methodist House, Balmain
Well, it says “methodist” above the door anyway. I have to admit I just quickly snatched this shot on my morning walk to the bus stop, and never actually found out more about this lovely building…
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Red-tailed Black Cockatoos
During my travels, I have seen many, many cockatoos of different species, but never these ones before. While their yellow-tailed cousins spend time along the coast, where I had regularly had a chance to spot them, these red-tailed black cockies are residents of the outback. Funny enough, I didn’t actually need to go anywhere remote to find them: while I was walking through the streets of Bourke, NSW, a hell of a lot of familiar screeching made me look up. And there they were, perched in a backyard, ready for the photo op! The female is on the left, and the male on the right.
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Water and Sky
Steam rises off the mineral waters of the Wairakei Terraces near Taupo, and for a second it looks like clouds floating into a liquid sky…
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Mount Ngauruhoe, Tongariro
The perfect cone of volcanic Mount Ngauruhoe must have been quite an obvious choice for Mount Doom in the Lord of the Rings movies. Here a few wisps of clouds drift gently by on a peaceful sunny day, a far cry from the brutality of an explosion!
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Cowan River
A peaceful moment by the Cowan River… this quiet place where herons stalk the shallows for small crabs and the silence is only very occasionally broken by the odd boat is nestled in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, just a stone’s throw from Sydney.
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Pondanna Ruins
The Pondanna Ruins are located in the Gawler Ranges, a fairly lonely, relatively remote corner of the South Australian outback. They date back to the 1880′s and now remain as a testimony to man’s efforts to tame the wilderness… not always with much success. The red soil and bricks offer a great contrast to the blue sky above, and this combination of vibrant colors is one of my favorite things about the outback.
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On the Cobb Ridge Track
I came across these wooden signs on the Cobb Ridge Track, Kahurangi National Park, as I was making my way from Flora to Lake Peel via the Bullock Track. Something about them caught my fancy – two lonely little signs, pointing away into the silent forest, guiding my steps.
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Pelorus River
There’s something about New Zealand’s waterways – rivers in this country display the most amazing array of colors, from green to blue and every shade in between, always with mind blowing clarity. Here, a shot of the Pelorus River near Captain Creek Hut, in Mount Richmond Forest Park.
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Lane Culture
It’s impossible to go to Melbourne without going for a wander through its maze of laneways, tight little streets jam packed with cafés and bistros, full of hustle and bustle, full of life.
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Learning about Aboriginal Rock Art
When I was visiting Mutawintji National Park, in outback NSW, I joined an informal tour led by Paakantji ranger Gerard Quayle, traditional custodian of the land. Going with him is the only way to get access to some beautiful examples of aboriginal rock art, including both engravings and paintings. Why is access restricted? As Gerard sits here he tells a tale about the block of rock that stands out next to him: it was carved out by vandals trying to steal it.