04-05-2019, 03:28 AM
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Re: Pictures you love
Originally Posted by tootsweet
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Autumn roadPosted 49 minutes ago
Autumn colours have well and truly taken over in Glenlyon, Victoria.
ABC Open contributor dean.o24
05-05-2019, 04:38 AM
5364
Re: Pictures you love
Thanks RuthioOnly 1% of visitors get to see rain on Uluru
By Lexa Harpell · · From Pic of the Week
Visitors to Uluru have a mental image of Uluru long before they arrive at this iconic 'rock'. Dramatic changing hues of orange and red with a vibrant blue sky backdrop of the most photographed monolith in the world.
I had some reservations visiting Uluru as I'd seen millions of images and thought it may be a let down. Oh how I was wrong!
Driving to Uluru is undoubtedly an epic journey from any point within Australia. With just two days to go, I heard on the radio that it had rained on Uluru that day! This made my heart jump! Seeing waterfalls cascading down the rock face is a rare event. Only 1% of visitors get to witness this sight and all of a sudden my reservations vanished.
Then the feeling of elation slumped when I realised I still had two days of driving to go. The next radio weather update was expecting more rain. My emotions rose again, so I decided to cram two days of driving into one.
The sky was overcast with patches of rain puddles as I arrived late afternoon, yet no actual rain. I found a campsite with a bit of a heavy heart.
Within the hour, dark clouds loomed with the promise of rain. My excitement rose once again then quickly slumped when I realised it was almost night time and I had learnt the waterfalls only last around an hour after the rain and it was now too dark to see them.
All of a sudden the sky light up with lightening bolts. The sky filled with rapid brilliant white bolts sent from the clouds heading down in search of the earth. It was the most spectacular display lasting for a full five hours. It was an incredible awe-inspiring moment. Mother nature at her best.
My emotions were mixed as I was still hoping for more rain the following day. Waking very early I drove to a close vantage point whilst it was still darkish and a heavy mist shrouded Uluru. As light began to illuminate the sky, the mist began to roll away revealing remnants of the prior night's rain trickling down the purple and brown hues of the rock face.
My roller coaster of emotions was exciting with the anticipations and I got to witness a rare event on Uluru.
Published 14 hours ago. Petermann NT 0872
05-05-2019, 04:41 AM
5365
Re: Pictures you love
Sunrise on an Outback DamBy Lexa Harpell · · From Pic of the Week
The buzz of 'The Big Loop around Australia Road Trip' will take you to some incredible places in your 15,000 kilometer journey, more if you take side trips say to Tasmania and The Centre. It's a BIG country!
So many places, so little time. I've come across some travellers who have been 'On the Road' for 10 years and say they still haven't seen everything they want.
OK so you take in the main touristy places - they are a must!
Yet by taking some roads less travelled, I've found the essence of Australia in some of the unexpected places.
About 30 kilometers outside of Mount Isa is a working cattle station called West Leichhardt Station. You can camp on the property and if it is mustering time you can join in in some ways.
Unfortunately, I arrived around Easter and no mustering for another month. However I did camp up on the ridge of the dam away from the homestead and woke to a glorious Outback sunrise.
This is real life of The Outback, not set up for tourists as a 'Theme Park', rather for an experience to stay on a working cattle station. My first night, there was only three visitors, which made it all the more 'special'.
Walking around the large dam, the first thing you notice is the brilliant light and vivid blue sky. Set that against the dramatic colour palette of the iconic vivid rust and red tones and you have and Outback experience. The silence and isolation makes you stand 'in the moment' and absorb its essence.
Take some of those roads less travelled and gain those experiences to 'feel' life in The Outback.
Published 14 hours ago.
05-05-2019, 04:50 AM
5366
Re: Pictures you love
Sunrise on Lake PamamarooBy Lexa Harpell · · From Pic of the Week
I have a very long list of places around Australia that I want to witness, experience and capture. Menindee Lakes was one of them.
Lake Pamamaroo is part of the Menindee Lakes system in far west New South Wales, about 120kms south of Broken Hill.
I'd been following the Darling River on my travels during the devastating drought at the end of 2018. The water levels were gut wrenching. The landscape was brittle and brown. The number of road kill kangaroos was overwhelming. On one stretch, I counted 48 in one kilometer. This extreme is part of our country.
Arriving at Broken Hill I learnt that the lakes water levels were down to less than 10%. Some lakes in this semi man made system along the Darling River had little to no water, yet Lake Pamamaroo still had 'some' water.
It's a savage raw beauty in drought times, where thousands of previously drowned tree skeletons stand as sentinels across the flat plains. Emus roam the mud flats and a variety of birds perch in the trees. You can also see the odd cow.
I free camped beside the lake for several days photographing the most spectacular sunrises and sunsets Australia's outback can offer. Lake Pamamaroo provided a stark beauty during this devastating time. A cruel land with moments of beauty.
It's a silent, solitary place with some basic toilet facilities - yet that is the joy, to just be with nature.
With the water levels so low, I had to walk across the thick sticky mud flats of the lake's floor to capture this and other images at sunrise.
I sounded like Astro Boy. The mud became thicker as my boots sunk deeper into the mud. I was stuck. Trying to wrench one foot out of the mud, my boot came off and my foot landed in the mud way past my ankle. So I wrenched my foot out of the other boot, removed my socks and proceeded as far as I could without forever 'stuck' in time! haha
At a sunset in another location, I sat in that sticky mud waiting for that 'last light' when the trees became silhouettes against the bold colours of the sky.
A good soaking and hose down of boots and clothes was well worth it!
I now have a lasting experience and glorious images of our incredible country.
Published 14 hours ago. Menindee NSW 2879
07-05-2019, 12:44 AM
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Re: Pictures you love
Yellow robinBy Margaret Midkiff · · From Pic of the Week
At Spring Bluff, not too far from Toowoomba, it was nice to see a few of these cute little yellow robins.
They seemed to be enjoying the day just as much as I was.
Published a day ago. Spring Bluff QLD 4352
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