Water Birds, Patterns and Party Animals

Interesting patterns form in the reflection of a wire fence in the water, also these I discovered when processing these images the cormorants had bright emerald green eyes.

Nikon D300, Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-f5.6 @ ISO 200, 18mm, f3.5, 1/125

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-f5.6 @ ISO 200, 18mm, f5.6, 1/200

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Don't know where this bloke came from but was obviously left behind and in a no parking zone :-)

Nikon D300, Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-f5.6 @ ISO 200, 18mm, f3.5, 1/100

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Blackwattle Bay

Blackwattle Bay was named in 1788 from the mistaken identification of a yellow flowered tree which grew on the slopes of the bay at that time.

Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11mm f8, 1/250 sec

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The Chinese Garden in Darling Harbour

The Chinese Garden in Darling Harbour Sydney was designed and built by Chinese landscape architects and gardeners and the local Chinese community to share their rich cultural heritage and celebrate Australia's 1988 Bicentenary, the Chinese Garden is the result of a close bond of friendship and cooperation between the sister cities of Sydney and Guangzhou in Guangdong Province, China.

Nikon D300, Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 @ ISO 200, 200mm f2.8, 1/60 sec

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Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11mm f2.8, 1/13 sec

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The garden scenes are all constructed to be best viewed from a pavilion but on paths windows are used to frame garden views which provide multiple layers of scenery and create a sense of the infinite in the finite, artfully distant views are incorporated into the whole scene. Screen walls often have moon shaped (round) doorways and small windows in the shapes of vases and apples.

Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11mm f2.8, 1/60 sec

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Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 16mm f2.8, 1/80 sec

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Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11mm f2.8, 1/20 sec

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Chinese Classical Gardens are a place for the contemplation of nature and the design should provide a place for to connect with nature. Chinese gardens are built not planted. The essential elements in a Chinese garden are a wall surrounding a pavilion, a pool, and a mountain with a tree.

Nikon D300, Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 @ ISO 200, 70mm f8, 1/10 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 @ ISO 200, 82mm f8, 0.4 sec

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Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11mm f22, 1/10 sec

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Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 16mm f2.8, 1/400 sec

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Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 16mm f2.8, 1/50 sec

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Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11mm f3.5, 1/60 sec

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Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11mm f2.8, 1/50 sec

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Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11mm f3.5, 1/200 sec

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Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11mm f3.5, 1/200 sec

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Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11mm f3.5, 1/500 sec

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Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 13mm f2.8, 1/500 sec

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Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11mm f8, 1/250 sec

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Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11mm f2.8, 1/125 sec

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Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11mm f22, 1/10 sec

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Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11mm f2.8, 1/1000 sec

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Keeping it Organised

I organise my wine cellar with 'The Uncorked Cellar' wine cellar software, it's PC based (doh!) and I have yet to find a Mac cellaring program that I like. So you can run it on a Mac using Parallels Desktop or every new Mac lets you install Windows XP and Vista and run them at native speeds, using a built-in utility called Boot Camp. (info HERE)

I have an old PC Notebook which I run The Uncorked Cellar on until I find a viable Mac alternative. The Uncorked Cellar is essentially a database and wine information system.

THE INTERFACE (Click on image for a larger view)

Its great because you can see your wine ageing potential and tasting notes provided by the winemaker. This way you know when your wines will be at their very best. You can also configure a virtual rack display that looks just like your rack (or racks) which makes them easy to find. You can also view a range of graphs and reports of your wine.

2005 PENFOLDS 389 MATURITY CURVE (Click on image for a larger view)

Currently it has over 329,000 wines in the database from Australia NZ and all over the world. I have yet to fin a wine it does not recognise, but if you do you can submit it to the web site for consideration for inclusion.

ALL WINES MATURITY TIMELINE (Click on image for a larger view)

New Members Of The Family

Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2 @ ISO 200, 35mm f22, 10 sec

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Redman Coonawarra Shiraz 2007

Grown along the Coonawarra Terra rosa, this well structured wine has fruit flavours, subdued oak and mild tannins. Purple red in the glass its dark, dense and spicey, with bouquets of currant and chocolate, cola, mint and menthol.

Best in 2015 and drink by 2019

Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz 2008

Premium grapes from South Australia’s vineyards. Dark red, spicy, dark fruit aromas of quince and fig, hints of olive and liquorice, and gamey overtones. Aromas of dark chocolate and fruitcake develop against a background of subtle, yet spicy oak.

Best in 2013 and drink by 2015

Houghton's Shiraz 2008

From WA’s premium wine growing regions of Margaret and Frankland Rivers, Swan Valley & Gingin. Great flavours and soft tannins, deep garnet in colour, fresh aromas with pepper spice and hints of cloves balanced out with careful oak handling exhibiting sweet fruit characters with subtle tannins and a long finish.

Best in 2011 and drink by 2014

Wynns Coonawarra Estate Shiraz 2008

Wynns reputation as a producer of essential Coonawarra Shiraz continues with this deep red wine with a purple hue. It has dark fruit aromas, dominated by plums, raspberry and stewed rhubarb, red cherry and wild berries, with hints of cocoa and subtle vanillin oak.

Best in 2018 and drink by 2022

Wirra Wirra Church Block 2008

A well made wine sourced from Mclaren Vale SA. Deep plum with brick red hues. It has aromas of fresh berry fruit, mulberry, plump blackberry and raspberry, with hints of liquorice, cinnamon and juniper and velvety tannins.

Best in 2014 and drink by 2017

How do wines taste? Go Here

Bicentennial Park Homebush Bay In Autumn

Bicentennial Park was created during the 1980s to celebrate Australia's Bicentenary in 1988. It is a 100 hectare natural heritage site featuring an important wetland ecosystem and over 40 hectares of parklands. Bicentennial Park is part of the Sydney Olympic Park. You can hire a bike and ride around the many pathways to sculptures, lakes, lookouts and wetlands or just walk it like Hermione and I.

Nikon D300, Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 @ ISO 200, 70mm f8, 1/500 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 @ ISO 200, 70mm f8, 1/160 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 @ ISO 200, 70mm f3.2, 1/2000 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 @ ISO 200, 200mm f2.8, 1/4000 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 @ ISO 200, 200mm f2.8, 1/400 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 @ ISO 200, 200mm f2.8, 1/250 sec

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Wine Dog and Opera

If you have collected a modest number of wines, that you have managed not to drink yet. You might find cellaring software useful. I use a program on an old PC notebook still because after investing some time into learning all the vagaries of the software, I can't fine a cellaring program for the Mac that is compelling enough to make me shift (go figure). I use Uncorked Cellar, its been around since 1996, and has an integrated wine guide providing winery details, wine ratings, value guide, winemaker's notes, cellaring guide, and a visual rack display for wines in your cellar. Currently it includes information about over 329,000 wines. There is a video getting started guide here if you are interested. There are few others out there and mostly databases developed from the old PC days of the 90's and they mostly look like it and all take you on quite a bit of a learning curve. See Google here for some.

Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2 @ ISO 200, 35mm f2, 1/25 sec

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Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 16mm f2.8, 3 Sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2 @ ISO 800, 35mm f2, 1/40 sec

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