Winter in Queensland. Weekly photo challenge : One Shot, Two Ways

, Winter???
Yes it is…

 

We went for a drive along the Waterfall Way. It starts at the small village of Milla Milla only 24 kilometres from home. The scenery is lush and green, the continued dry weather has not, yet, taken effect. Unless rain comes soon the paddocks will start to dry out. It is a perfect time to see the waterfalls in all their glory. There are 7 waterfalls in this area but today we only visit 3, leaving the others for another days outing

The first waterfall on the circuit is the Milla Milla Falls. We have visited this area several times over the years but never have we seen so many people enjoying this splendid waterfall. It must be the beautiful weather that has drawn them all here. This is the reason we come north each year…

Note the date at the bottom of this cutting, it was prophetic…

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As the Weekly photo challenge this week is to shoot 2 ways what better scene than this to try two ways..

Here is the Milla Milla Falls landscape style.

Can you see the people under the falls?

Well I must admit that does not show the difference very well so I will try again with the next falls.

Zillie Falls are surrounded by the rainforest and the track in is steep and rugged. Very few people here.

Zillie falls

 

Rainforest track to the falls

 

 

Imposing buttress roots to climb over

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The final waterfall we visit today is my favourite. Again it is quiet only a couple of other people here. The way down is steep

but it is well-formed and made easy by a concrete track and steps.

Rounding the last bend we are confronted with this magical scene as water cascades over the rocks and forms a veil of delicate beauty.

Ellinjaa falls, landscape

Ellinjaa Falls, portrait

What came down must now go back up again….

Going up

Rainforest, landscape

 

It has been a beautiful day but now time to head home, the cats will be waiting and the chooks will want their evening feed.

As we drive toward home it is that magic golden hour time and we stop to take photos of the way it lights up this glorious landscape.

Atherton Tablelands

 

 

Wild Weekly Photo Challenge : Mountains

Australia is mainly a country of sweeping plains and endless vistas, but round the edges we have some rather spectacular mountains.

The Great Dividing Range runs along the east coast and at the southern end the Snowy Mountains loom up. When we crossed them a bush fire had raged through and left the land scorched and devoid of trees, the scenery was stark and rugged but made beautiful subject for aerial perspective.

In the opposite corner, the north-west, there are the Kimberly’s. Hidden in the heart of this mountain range are the Bungles. Only discovered by Europeans in the 1980’s. Of course the Aboriginal people had known and worshipped them as a sacred place for thousands of years. These are now called our “last great wilderness”  and they are spectacular.

The fly over and then the walk among the domes of the Bungles and into Cathedral Cove I rate in the top three experiences on my journey around Australia.

So here is a gallery of photos I took of these two mountain areas.

Mt Hotham, Snowy Mountains

Mt Hotham

Mt Hotham

Mt Hotham

Mt Hotham

Beehive domes of the Bungles

Picaniny River bed

Entrance to Cathedral Cove

Track through the Bungles

Domes of the bungles from the air

The Bungles from the air

This week, we’re challenging you to take inspiration from the mountains! If you happen to live in an area totally devoid of altitude, even moderate hills will do!

On Wednesday, April 24th (at 2pm EST, so be sure to submit your entries before that time, even at 1:59pm!) we’ll choose 1 judge’s choice winner, 5 runner ups, and 1 audience choice winner & share their entries here on LetsBeWild.com, announcing the winners by the following day! Send your friends to this page to leave a comment-vote for your entry to win the audience choice award!

This on-line travel magazine now provides an excellent photography course for both beginners and more advanced photographers. It has quality information and  if you click here you can check it out for yourself, and it is FREE…

Wild Weekly Photo Challenge : Overlooked

The on line travel blog “Let’s be wild” has challenged us this week to look more closely at the world around us and record things that are often “overlooked”.

I love looking for the detail in photos, the patterns and colours amaze me. So I hope you enjoy looking closely at my world…

Let  the rain kiss you.

Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops. 

Let the rain sing you a lullaby.
Langston Hughes

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The fungus works its magic on the damp forest floor turning debris to a rich life-giving compost.

Look closely at the patterns and colours on these often over-looked beauties.

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The scribbly dialect, which zigzags around in a seemingly random and indecipherable pattern, found its place in Australian literature and culture. Yet the cause of the scribbles has always been somewhat of a mystery. They are old and dry with no sign of their creator, no ‘graffiti tag’ to identify the artist. How and why are they on the trees? What creature is responsible? (click here to read the fascinating story of the creator of the scribbles)

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The  sea, once it casts its spell,

holds one in its net of wonder  forever.
Jacques  Yves Cousteau

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The wonder and beauty of new life unfurling is part of nature’s magic.

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Look closely, in the early morning mist these seed heads are weighed down by dew-drops.

Look closer and you will see the fine threads of the spider’s web.

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Finally, have you ever gazed into the beautiful eyes of an ostrich and wished you could have eyelashes like that.

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Wild Weekly Photo Challenge : Reflections

India

Deeg Palace India

Taj Mahal

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More reflections from the South Island of New Zealand

Mahinapua Lake South Island New Zealand

Queenstown botanic gardens, Sth. Island New Zealand

 

Crown Range Sth Island New Zealand

 

Lake Wanaka Sth Island New Zealand

The challenge this week from “Let’s be wild” is reflections. I hope you enjoy looking at these reflections from journeys I have taken in India and New Zealand.

Visit the “Let’s be wild” site to see some amazing photos of reflections from around the world.

 

 

 

Wild Weekly Photo Challenge : Black and White

The challenge this week almost had me stumped, I see everything in colour and find it hard to visualise the world in black and white or even the many shades of grey… But I enjoy the challenges from “Let’s be wild” so have thought about what I can submit this week.

Then I had one of those light bulb moments…. Many of the Australian birds are black and white…

So this is my contribution this week….

Black Cockatoo

Young magpies resting on our front deck

Searching for breakfast

Almost like Japanese art work

Gracefully landing

Pelican

Wild Weekly Photo Challenge : Green

The challenge from “Let’s be Wild” this week is Green. So I am going to take you to New Zealand or Aotearoa (land of the long white cloud) the Māori name for this green, fertile country.

When I travel from Australia to New Zealand it is the vivid, vibrant green landscape that is such a contrast to the Australian landscape and it’s palette  of colours.

The dairy and sheep farms are a rolling sea of lush green grass producing the best produce in the world. The country is marketed as the “clean green” paradise…

Bay of Plenty, what a good name for this rolling green farming country in NZ

New Zealand farming country

But there are 2 Islands making up New Zealand (actually 3 if you count Stewart Island) The South Island is wild and rugged dominated by lakes and the Southern Alps running down it’s spine. Go over to the West Coast of this Island and you enter another world. A world of mist and constant rain creating forests that drip with moss and lichen that covers branches with a pale iridescent green. The atmosphere is haunted and surreal.

Haast Pass New Zealand South Island

In contrast Australia is a different green. Yes some areas are as green as New Zealand, the Atherton Tablelands are prime dairying country. The tropical rainforests with the palms and huge, broad-leaved, buttress rooted trees entwined with lianas and vines are a dark, dusky, olive-green

Tropical rainforest, Cape Tribulation

Finally the many shades of dusty, sage green of the Australian bush.

I never expected to find shrubs or trees along the road across the Nullabor plains, after all the name “Nullarbor” is Aboriginal for “treeless plain”The word “Nullarbor” is from two Latin words (nullus arbor) literally meaning “no tree” (Null, from nullus = nothing, arbor = tree).  It was first named in 1865 by E.A. Delisser ( Thank you Sandra for this information)

But at the Western edge of the Iconic Nullabor plains road we camped in among this group of shrubs and was amazed at the variety of colours.

Western edge of the Nullabor plain so many shades of green

Browse through the “Let’s be wild” site, if you enjoy these photos make a comment on the “lets be wild ” site. You will also find some excellent posts on this subject. Maybe you have some green photos you would like to share with us…

Wild Weekly Photo Challenge : Flowers

This is a theme that I love. Flowers are the most beautiful forms of nature and just ask to be admired, loved and photographed.

Western Australia in the springtime is a mecca for flower lovers. We spent August to October in 2010 slowly travelling along the west coast immersed in the most incredible display of flowers you could imagine. This area has the most diverse collection of wild flowers in the world. The shape, texture, form and colours are a visual feast. From huge swathes of one variety spreading to the horizon to the tiny orchids and small, petite flowers that hide shyly under other foliage and have to be searched for. Stop at the side of the road, wander in every direction and every step you take opens your eyes to more flowers.

These are photos of just a small sample of the many varieties we saw, I do not know all the names, so I hope you will enjoy the colours, textures and amazing forms of these Western Australia wild flowers.

Browse through the “Let’s be wild” site, if you enjoy these photos make a comment on the “lets be wild ” site and I maybe chosen as having the most enjoyed photos by viewers. You will also find some excellent posts on this subject. Maybe you have some flower photos you would like to share with us…

Wild Weekly Photo Challenge : Now

“The Wild Weekly Photo Challenge encourages bloggers to head into the wild (or the backyard) and photograph something that they feel fits the weekly theme. Once you’ve posted your blog entry, comment on the Challenge theme that you’re entering with the link to your post! Each week we choose one first place winner, one audience choice winner, and five honorable mention winners. Be sure to read the simple rules in each challenge to make sure your entry qualifies!”

I have just recently found this site and it showcases beautiful photos and travel stories from around the world. I love it. This is what they challenged us with this week…

“The theme for this challenge is pretty simple – Now! While all our other challenges have allowed you to go back through your archives and select the most appropriate photos, this challenge theme is all about heading outside this week & taking photos! After all, LetsBeWild.com is all about getting people outside and enjoying the great outdoors….so what better time than now? Be creative and go exploring, and remember, the shots for this challenge have to be taken this week!”

Last night I woke to the beautiful sound of rain. For 2 months the conditions have been dry and I have watered the garden almost every day. The sound of rain made me smile. It made the plants smile too and I went outside to try to capture the soft, dripping, life-giving rain-drops as they coated the plants…

Wild Weekly Photo Challenge : People in Nature

We love to explore, and being out in the beauty of nature revitalized and inspires us. These are some of the activities we have enjoyed in the past 2 years of travelling around Australia…

Flying across the rainforest at Eungella

 

Canoeing through the Katherine Gorge

A dip in the pool under the Jourama Falls

 

 

Photographing the beehive formation of the Bungle Bungle

 

Gazing in awe at the glowing colours of Cathedral Gorge bungle bungle

Early morning walk in the Gregory Ranges

If you look carefully you can just see our small van parked on the left hand side of the above photo. This was one of the free camping areas we found in Western Australia. We love freedom camping, sometimes you are alone, other times a few like-minded people share the space with you. Then there is the joy of camp cooking…

Camp fire cooking, yummy…

A glass of wine while waiting for dinner to cook

The best way to really absorb the sights and sounds of nature is to sit and sketch.

Jack sketching

This is my contribution to the “Wild Weekly Photo Challenge” click this link take a look at the other competitors,  they set a very high standard of photography and I felt honoured last week, to receive an honourable mention with my photo of the crocodile (see it here).