RISING AND FALLING
Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia
Sunday 31 December 2017
On the morning I took a hot air balloon ride over the north eastern side of Melbourne and into the Yarra Valley, I counted no less than nine other balloons also making the voyage. It was interesting watching the other balloons rising and falling in relation to ours during the one hour flight. Nearing the end of the journey the red balloon in this photo began to rise above us, or perhaps we descended below it as our pilots maneuvered us towards our final destination. (2278)
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AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE
Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia
Saturday 30 December 2017
I had a lovely morning today, flying over Melbourne and the Yarra Valley in a hot air balloon. The flight last almost an hour while we watched the sun rise over the Dandenong Ranges on the eastern side of the city. Nearing our destination we passed over market gardens and vineyards where the rising sun cast lovely long shadows and light trails. This was an amazing and peaceful experience that I would recommend to anyone, and I hope to try it again sometime. (2277)
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LAST LIGHT
Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia
Friday 29 December 2017
'Within the Living Desert Reserve are two must see major attractions - the sculptures and the flora and fauna sanctuary. The Sculptures comprise 12 sandstone artworks which highlight the skyline, all with a story to tell. Located on a majestic hilltop within the centre of the reserve, the sculptures were completed in 1993 by artists from around the world. ' [visitnsw.com] (2276)
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DOING ITS JOB
Torquay, Victoria, Australia
Thursday 28 December 2017
This is one of a number of groynes along the Front Beach at Torquay. What caught my eye with this image is the way the waves swirl around the small structure on one side but the other side remains relatively calm. I guess this is what a groyne is meant to do and if this is the case, then this one is certainly doing its job. (2275)
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IT HASN'T CHANGED
Sofala, New South Wales, Australia
Wednesday 27 December 2017
The historic township of Sofala in New South Wales has survived a time warp. It's streets have been used in many movies and is a tourist attraction for those who love architecture that hasn't changed for more than one hundred years. I walked around the streets for an hour or so and captured many different scenes, including this one of the old post office building and the little house beside it. (2274)
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GOLDEN SUNLIGHT
Torquay, Victoria, Australia
Tuesday 26 December 2017
An early morning drive to Torquay this morning resulted in me being able to capture a wonderful sunrise. Things didn't completely go to plan though as there wasn't a cloud in the sky and the tide was very high, but it wasn't cold so that was a bonus. The front beach at Torquay isn't all that photogenic, but at the southern end I found the remnants of an old groyne that was interrupting the wave flow and creating swirls of water that caught the golden sunlight. (2273)
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THANK YOU
Geelong, Victoria, Australia
Monday 25 December 2017
Merry Christmas everyone, and thank you for a wonderful year. While I didn't do as many photo expeditions as I had hoped for during 2017, I did have my first photographic exhibition in a new Geelong Art Gallery called 101 Ryrie Arts. This has been an amazing experience for me, seeing some of my works hanging and for a number of them being sold on the opening night! Three of my images were also selected for inclusion in a book called 'Behind the Wheel' which has been widely acclaimed and which resulted in a half page article in the local newspaper being written about me. I passed the 2,222 photos in 2,222 days mark a month or two back and now have my sights firmly fixed on reaching 3,000. Thank you for your support and I look forward to sharing with you again in 2018. (2272)
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THE HISTORIC KINCHEGA WOOLSHED
Menindee, New South Wales, Australia
Sunday 24 December 2017
'No visit to Kinchega National Park is complete without exploring the beautiful, old buildings of Kinchega Station. Built in 1875 of corrugated iron and river red gum, the historic Kinchega Woolshed is a vast and very well preserved classic piece of Australian pastoral heritage.Inside the woolshed, you’ll see wool presses and tables, a machinery room and an original steam engine as well as sweating pens and the board where the sheep were held for shearing. In 97 years of operation, six million sheep were sheared here, an amazing thing to imagine as you wander through this quietly majestic building.' [nationalparks.nsw.gov.au] (2271)
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FOR A CHANGE
Dunsborough, Western Australia, Australia
Saturday 23 December 2017
The rocks on the beach at Dunsborough are interesting and colourful. Some are large boulder shapes, while others shown here are slivers protruding from the sand at a forty five degree angle. Normally my beach scenes show waves and the blue or green sea, but today's only shows rocks and sands, which provides a different aspect for a change. (2270)
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LESS DETAIL BUT MORE MOOD
Addiscot Beach, Victoria, Australia
Friday 22 December 2017
Most of my images are full of light, colour & detail. Every now and then I start processing an image and it seems to look better as a dark and silhouetted scene. Such is the case today with this image of Addiscot Beach near the beginning of the Great Ocean Road. I would be interested to know what you think about the light versus dark dilemma I have been having and whether less detail but more mood is OK on this occasion. (2269)
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A GREAT EXPERIENCE
Maits Rest, Victoria, Australia
Thursday 21 December 2017
Walking through the Maits Rest forest I found a different scene at every turn of the path. In some sections where the trees were thick and overgrowing the walkway, the scene was dark and almost haunting. In other sections though, light slipped through the less densely grown trees and provided spotlights on the surround ferns, just as this image shows. From a photographers point of view, this provides a great experience because I was able to take many images in a single park with not one of them looking the same. (2268)
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WE SURVIVED
Colbrook, Victoria, Australia
Wednesday 20 December 2017
A friend and I made the trek to the base of the Colbrook Reservoir wall. It wasn't easy, with a very steep decline into the ravine where the creek flowed below the reservoir and then we slowly walked back towards the wall. At the end of the walk, we had to climb over rocks and the outlet pipe until we stood next to a pool of water that was now the start of the diverted river. Ahead of us was a small stream of water falling down the face of the wall and there was green moss either side of this trickle. I think the risk to life and limb was worth the effort we both exerted on the expedition, with this photo the proof that we survived. (2267)
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INTERNATIONAL NOTORIETY
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Tuesday 19 December 2017
'Melbourne, the capital of Victoria and the second largest city in Australia, has gained international notoriety for its diverse range of street art and associated subcultures. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, much of the city's disaffected youth were influenced by the graffiti of New York, which subsequently became popular in Melbourne's inner suburbs, and along suburban railway and tram lines.Melbourne was a major city in which stencil art was embraced at an early stage, leading to the naming of Melbourne as 'stencil capital of the world'; the adoption of stencil art also increased public awareness of the concept of street art. The first stencil festival in the world was held in Melbourne in 2004 and featured the work of many major international artists.' [Wikipedia] (2266)
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IT SOON DISAPPEARED
Trentham, Victoria, Australia
Monday 18 December 2017
After I walked back up from the Trentham Falls, I took a little track off to the north into the bush, hoping for a better way to get down to the river. The track started off ok, but soon disappeared, leaving me standing looking out across the bush. A number of fallen tree trunks littered the area, like the one in this image and green moss had quickly decided to make it's home on them. Wattle flowers could be seen throughout the park, providing a yellow spot of colour to the typically drab green Australian bush. (2265)
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THE MOST NOTABLE FEATURE
Studley Park, Victoria, Australia
Sunday 17 December 2017
Yarra Bend Park is a 260 hectare (642 acre) park in the Melbourne suburb of Kew. Located 4 km northeast of Melbourne's CBD, it is the largest area of natural bushland left in inner Melbourne. Yarra Bend Park was officially reserved in 1877, and in 1929 it joined with Studley Park to the south to cover the whole of the area today. The most notable feature of the park is the Yarra River which flows for 12 km through it. The park hosts two golf courses, two historic boathouses, sheds and a number of cycle and walking trails.' [Wikipedia] (2264)
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SQUEAKY UNDER FOOT
Squeaky Beach, Victoria, Australia
Saturday 16 December 2017
I was fortunate to be able to visit Squeaky Beach recently and walk along the track from the car park to this amazing scene. A number of huge rocks that are stained orange sit at one side of the beach and a small trickle of water flows from the nearby creek into the bay. The water from the creek has made amazing patterns in the sand that make this beach extremely attractive, albeit squeaky under foot. (2263)
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RANGER N
Echuca, Victoria, Australia
Friday 15 December 2017
Two steam powered paddle wheelers tie up against the bank of the Murray River overnight. Interestingly, they are moored on the Victorian side of the river, with the actual river belonging to the State of New South Wales. As the morning light begins to break through the fog and trees lining the river, the river will once again spring into life, including both native wildlife and river vessels. (2262)
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NO LONGER THE HIGHEST
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Thursday 14 December 2017
When the spires on St Paul's Cathedral were erected in 1926 (the cathedral was built in 1891), they would have been amongst the highest structures in the centre of Melbourne. Times have changed and they have been dwarfed by more than 700 other buildings, 41 of which are more than 150 metres tall and the Eureka Tower reaching 297 metres. The belfry of St Paul's has a ring of 13 bells, which can be regularly heard on Wednesday evenings, around 6pm. (2261)
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MORE INTERESTING
The Gulch, Victoria, Australia
Wednesday 13 December 2017
I am constantly amazed and pleased by the variety of cloud covered skies that are presented along the Surf Coast of southern Australia. It is these ever changing natural occurrences that tend to make my photography more interesting and provide an interest above the horizon line. I know that the foreground is often more interesting, but a balanced image includes the foreground and a great sky and today's shot has amazing dark speckled clouds that prove my point. (2260)
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ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
Queenscliff, Victoria, Australia
Tuesday 12 December 2017
Just past this spot on the Queenscliff foreshore, I almost became trapped by the rising tide. I remember thinking that I shouldn't go any further, but the lure of the sunrise just around the corner was way too much. I kept going until I realised enough was enough and retreated back to the safety of my car. I really loath rising tides and try to plan my beach expeditions when it is receding, but this isn't always possible, unfortunately. (2259)
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NOT ON THIS OCCASION
Barwon Heads, Victoria, Australia
Monday 11 December 2017
One of my favourite things is taking photos into the sun. I have fantastic luck with the light that bends around rocks and trees and bursts into a large star on my camera's sensor. Just sometimes though, I turn around and catch the light as it is reflected off the scene behind my back, like these waves and sand dunes. I do prefer some clouds in the sky though, but one can't have everything, well not at least not on this occasion. (2258)
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TRIPLE-TAIL DESIGN
Avalon, Victoria, Australia
Sunday 10 December 2017
'The Lockheed Constellation ('Connie') was a propeller-driven, four-engined airliner built by Lockheed Corporation between 1943 and 1958 at Burbank, California. Lockheed built 856 in numerous models—all with the same triple-tail design and dolphin-shaped fuselage. Most were powered by four 18-cylinder Wright R-3350 Duplex-Cyclones. The Constellation was used as a civil airliner and as a military and civilian air transport.' [Wikipedia] (2257)
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NOT TOO EARLY FOR THE PHOTOGRAPHER
Torquay, Victoria, Australia
Saturday 9 December 2017
I'm very blue this morning, well my image is at least. It is a lovely time of the day to be on the beach. Generally, it is calm with very little wind, and the anticipation or even the expectation of a lovely sunrise makes the photographer keep looking towards the east. This is the time of day when nobody else is on the beach. It is too early for the dog walkers or the fishermen, but it isn't too early for the photographer! (2256)
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USUALLY DRY
Silverton, New South Wales, Australia
Friday 8 December 2017
'Silverton’s creeks are usually dry. They are home to big, beautiful gum trees, Silverton Gums, which are our very own species of River Red Gum. The seeds of the Silverton Red Gum have been harvested at various times for regenerating areas of high salt levels, as the trees are renowned for their salt tolerance. The trees are spectacular with beautifully coloured and textured trunks and are home to many species of birds, reptiles, bats, insects…you name it. The creeks are wonderful subjects for artists and photographers.' [silverton.org.au] (2255)
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THE WALKING BRIDGE
Geelong, Victoria, Australia
Thursday 7 December 2017
The Barwon River cuts through Geelong, dividing the southern suburbs from the city centre and the northern suburbs There are a number of road bridges that spans the waterway and a single walking bridge that crosses the section used for rowing competitions. On a recent early morning walk across this bridge and looking back decided to take this image. (2254)
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THE CONTRAST IS DRAMATIC
Beech Forest, Victoria, Australia
Wednesday 6 December 2017
An incredibly unique experience is found just south of Beech Forest where a stand of Californian Redwoods were planted in 1939. The Redwoods are located alongside a small river and look across to the native bushland that is more typical in Australia. The contrast is dramatic with the Redwood bark and fallen foliage creating a dense mat on the forest floor and not allowing any other plants to survive. Across the river however, the bushland is lush and dense with ferns and eucalyptus trees making it almost impossible to walk through. (2253)
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NOT BORING
Anglesea, Victoria, Australia
Thursday 5 December 2017
Another boring morning at the Anglesea beach and with a dull sunrise (joke). It really was a crackerjack (adjective: Of excellent quality; top-notch; exceptionally fine) morning. The tide was out so there were wonderful reflections in the wet sand and the sky had just enough cloud to capture the colour from the vibrant red sunrise. Altogether, another successful photographic expedition, and certainly not boring! (2252)
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SOMETHING MAGICAL
Grassy Creek, Victoria, Australia
Monday 4 December 2017
There is something magical about the sun rising over the sea. The beach is already a wonderful place to be with the continuous wave action, but having the sun begin to light up the rocks and sand and provide a lovely golden glow makes it complete. I love the very early shadows cast by the rocks along this beach and the little pools of water left behind by the receding tide. (2251)
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INDUSTRIAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia
Sunday 3 December 2017
'One of the earliest Broken Hill leases, Mineral Lease No. 39 was pegged in 1884 by Penglase and Carson. The Great Northern Junction Silver Company was registered in 1886. The site was worked almost continuously until 1972. Junction Mine is an important industrial archaeological site, showing the change in technology from steam to electric power.The Mine Manager’s house, Browne’s Shaft, the concentration mill and other structures and ruins, all complete the picture of a traditional, self-contained 19th/20th century mining operation. ' [visitbrokenhill.com.au] (2250)
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IT REALLY DOES SQUEAK
Squeaky Beach, Victoria, Australia
Saturday 2 December 2017
'The rounded grains of quartz on Squeaky Beach make a squeaking sound when you walk in the dry sand - hence its name. The rock formations at the north end of the beach create a maze of passages for exploration. Access from the Squeaky Beach car park. Surf lifesavers do not operate at this beach.' [visitvictoria.com]I was fortunate to be able to visit Squeaky Beach recently and walk along the track from the car park to this amazing scene. A number of huge rocks that are stained orange sit at one end of the beach and a small trickle of water flows from the nearby creek into the bay. The water from the creek has made amazing patterns in the sand which you can see in this photograph (enlarge it and have a good look). (2249)
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MYSTERIOUS
Pirates Bay, Tasmania, Australia
Friday 1 December 2017
Today's photo is from the wonderful and mysterious Pirates Bay in Tasmania. This lovely little spot is very tranquil and contains a section that has tessellated rock formations. The blue sky and water were very inviting when I visited and made me wish I could live in the isolated houses that overlook this bay. (2248)
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