Sunday Meanderings

I took the boat out for a run today and dragged a Stumpjumper lure around for an hour or so with no results. Then I tried a 2.0 hook and some cheese . . . nothing. Soft plastic . . . same. Came across some patches of fish on the fish finder but no luck jagging any. The lake was flat and the sun was warm and it was fun just to go for a run anyway.

 Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2D @ ISO 200, 35mm f8, 1/160 sec

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 Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2D @ ISO 200, 35mm f8, 1/125 sec

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 iPhone 4

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iPhone 4

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Blast From The Past

These images captured in August 2006 with my younger brother while on a snapper fishing and camping trip on the west coast (mainland) side of Fraser Island Qld. Just off Wathumba Creek in 9 metres of water and a perfectly still 25 degrees c day. The water was so clear you could see the sandy bottom 9 metres below. We encountered many whales but this one gee us a close up and personal visit. Every year humpback whales travel from Antarctica along the east coast of Australia to give birth in the warm waters of Northern Queensland. You are not allowed to approach within 500 metres of Humpback whales and I had cut the motor and was drifting when 'blubber boy' approached. The whale circled the boat three times and breached vertically twice. You could plainly see its cow like eye looking at us. Then it just slowly swam away. Priceless.

KODAK DX6490 ZOOM

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KODAK DX6490 ZOOM

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 KODAK DX6490 ZOOM

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KODAK DX6490 ZOOM

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Robe to Beachport 4x4 Challenge

Little Dip Conservation Park, located on the outskirts of Robe, South Australia, and is the gateway to the famous Robe to Beachport 4x4 run. This is the place many Victorians head to for beach driving, as its not legal in that state. As we know South Australia is a strange and quaint place but maybe they got this right, what great fun. I came across the park Ranger while preparing the D-Max for the run, letting the tyres down to 15 psi, fitting the sand flag and putting the UHF radio on scan to pick up any broadcasting traffic on the track. He was about to do his weekend daily run to patrol the park repair fences and check the tracks. "The first beach" he said "is so soft and fluffy that if you get through that without getting bogged the rest isn't so bad". The 50 or 60 Km, if you keep heading south and don't divert onto any of the many tracks leading into the dunes, took me 5 hours. Just got bogged once when I got a little ambitious on a pointy soft fluffy dune just off the track. I was belly deep in it and sideways on a 45 degree angle and the Max Trax and my shovel were very handy. Or else that would have been camp for the night. The track is rated as Moderate to Easy but hearing the horror stories from the locals I think its moderate to challenging, even if you are properly prepared. I think plenty of those soccer mum 4x4's would come to grief pretty quickly. Anyway I got to the destination on dusk and snapped the sunset below. Spent the night in 3 Mile Bend camp ground on lake George near Beachport where I caught a great sunrise and explored the jetty.

iPhone 4

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iPhone 4

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 18-200mm f3.5-5.6 @ ISO 200, 48mm f11, 1/400 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 18-200mm f3.5-5.6 @ ISO 200, 18mm f11, 1/250 sec

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Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 16mm f11, 1/250 sec

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Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11mm f16, 1/200 sec

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*Sunset*

Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11mm f8, 1/640 sec

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Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 1600, 16mm f2.8, 1/20 sec

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*Sunrise*

Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11mm f5.6, 1/1000 sec

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

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 Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11mm f5.6, 1/250 sec

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Early Sunday Dog Walk

While on a cold morning walk along a local reserve pathway with Hermione I took the opportunity to give the Nikkor 105mm Macro a run. Winter rains on grass in the 5 degree c morning and the first forming of Wattle flowers waiting for spring to bloom. Then I tested the focus pull from a lemon tree through a fence and gradually pulled back until the wire fence was in focus. Some interesting effects. Lastly a couple of shots of a dead gum tree denuded of bark and showing the grub trails that were beneath making some very interesting patterns.

Nikon D300, Nikkor 105mm Macro f2.8 @ ISO 220, 105mm f2.8, 1/80 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 105mm Macro f2.8 @ ISO 200, 105mm f3.2, 1/80 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 105mm Macro f2.8 @ ISO 320, 105mm f3.2, 1/80 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 105mm Macro f2.8 @ ISO 200, 105mm f2.8, 1/125 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 105mm Macro f2.8 @ ISO 200, 105mm f2.8, 1/100 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 105mm Macro f2.8 @ ISO 200, 105mm f2.8, 1/80 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 105mm Macro f2.8 @ ISO 200, 105mm f3, 1/80 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 105mm Macro f2.8 @ ISO 220, 105mm f3, 1/80 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 105mm Macro f2.8 @ ISO 400, 105mm f3, 1/80 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 105mm Macro f2.8 @ ISO 800, 105mm f5.6, 1/80 sec

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