Recovery Mode

Arrived back last night from 8 days in Western NSW with a couple of photo buddies.  Fabulous time, brilliant scenery and photo opportunities.

We began the trip from the Blue Mountains and headed west to Hay for our first night, then on to Mungo National Park where we stayed in the Shearers' Quarters for a couple of nights.

The first four images are taken from around Hay.  I had some fun panning and "blurring" as the car went along.

In Mungo, the history, the sense of being in a very special and ancient place was all around.  The Aboriginal people who now have responsibility for the stories that their elders know, shared with us as we walked on the Walls of China.  Impossible to fully explain the sense of significance in this place.  The Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area, in which Mungo sits is a very special part of Australia.  The discovery not so long ago of Mungo Lady and Mungo Man have changed this place.  It is a area steeped in both Aboriginal and European history.  It is a place where scientists, archaeologists, local Aboriginal people, farming families and government work together.

The sands are moving quite quickly each year and every new rain and windstorm bring a difference to the landscape.

For us, to spend some time here in the silence and with nature allowed us to really begin our photographic journey.  Emus, kangaroos, birds were all about and the recently renovated old shearers' quarters were wonderful to sit and think about what had come before.

http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/nationalparks/parkWorldHeritage.aspx?id=N0049

The land here has experienced much.  It was also a working sheep station for many years.  The renovations at the National Park Information Centre are fabulous and allow you to get a strong understanding of all that has come before.  Quite a bit of interpretive work has been done for the displays and outside, the new landscaping has provided a dignified yet informative welcome.

This emu was around the old shearing shed with a few young chicks.

One of the roos we came across in Mungo.

These emu chicks were out with their father (not shown here)

We had a long drive around Mungo and this is typical of the landscape out there at the moment.  They have had some unusually high rainfall of late.

Even though the rains have been, it is clear what the ground will be like in the coming weeks.  It has begun to recede and dry up around all the waterways.

An opportunity to wander over one of the sand dunes.  Fabulous views!  I have tried this shot a few ways but like this interpretation as, for me, it captures the simplicity and the beauty.

The mono image above was also taken on the Dunes @ Mungo.









The Walls of China (below)

Then to Menindee .....

Menindee is on the Darling River and the large lakes surrounding the area can be home to many birds and animals.  With 2 heavy rain seasons in a row, the lakes are full to the brim.  One of the women in our group has visited Menindee on many occasions and has never seen such water.

The middle of the day was not ideal for capturing photos but I found on this occasion a few nice spots that came up well as almost a black and white image.  The image below is one such image.  Taken in the middle of the day in bright sunshine, the white milky looking water against the dying trees in the lake and reeds in front, looks as if it could even be in a snow field mid winter.   I was really attracted to the blackened bottom sections of the trees as they met the water.

These next two images (below) also taken at midday in sun shows the milky water beyond the pepper tree.

In the two images (below) I enjoyed the opportunity to get a pano look.  It was a stunning vista!

And then to sunrise.  I am not a morning person, but agreed to be shoved in the car about 5.30am to drive about 45 minutes to see if we could get a nice bit of early morning light.  Even if the images weren't award winning, the moment certainly was one to treasure.    I wandered a bit away from the area where we started because I could see this lovely creamy yellow streak appearing on the water parallel to the horizon and a bit below the trees.  This is a hasty edit of one image so I could upload today.  I'm looking forward to playing with a few of these a bit later to see if I can get one to print well.

The image above is the Darling Pea in early bud.












The journey home......

In all we did about 2800kms.  Heading east again, we stopped for lunch west of Nyngan and shared the table with the Apostle birds.  They in turn shared the water bath with a few hundred bees.  Harmony in nature!

Through the windscreen heading east on the way home. (below)

The sun was gone and the fog lights were on as we headed back over the mountains.  This image below was taken about Blackheath around 5.30pm.  What a difference!