Lace Monitor

A Lace Monitor can to grow to 2 metres in length , this one was about 1.5 and they feed upon birds, insects, reptiles, small mammals and carrion. They also actively forage for nesting birds’ eggs and I found he loved chicken eggs.

 Nikon D300, Nikkor 70-200  2.8 @ ISO 200, 200mm f2.8, 1/125 sec

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 Nikon D300, Nikkor 70-200  2.8 @ ISO 200, 200mm f2.8, 1/60 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 70-200  2.8 @ ISO 200, 200mm f2.8, 1/60 sec

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 Nikon D300, Nikkor 70-200  2.8 @ ISO 200, 200mm f2.8, 1/60 sec

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 Nikon D300, Nikkor 70-200  2.8 @ ISO 200, 200mm f2.8, 1/60 sec

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 Nikon D300, Nikkor 70-200  2.8 @ ISO 200, 200mm f2.8, 1/80 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 70-200  2.8 @ ISO 200, 200mm f2.8, 1/60 sec

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The Walk

Walking the walk . . .

Nikon D300, Nikkor 50mm f1.4D @ ISO 800, 50mm f1.4, 1/1250 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 50mm f1.4D @ ISO 800, 50mm f1.4, 1/3200 sec

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 Nikon D300, Nikkor 50mm f1.4D @ ISO 200, 50mm f1.4, 1/1000 sec

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 Nikon D300, Nikkor 50mm f1.4D @ ISO 200, 50mm f1.4, 1/800 sec

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Fishin and Huntin

This last week I was lucky enough to get an invitation to some exclusive access to camping, fishing and shooting on a property called Beemery. Beemery Station is a 40,558 ha (100,221 acre) farm near Bourke and is situated on the Barwon River and the Kamilaroi Highway between Bourke and Brewarrina. The Barwon, Bogan and Culgoa rivers combine to form the Darling river here. We got some fish, masses of big yabbies and goats and pigs.

Bag o Yabbies

 River Sunrise

 Boiling the billy

Bogan River Weir 

Gone Fishin 

 Gas Light

Guns & Ammo 

 Parrot

 Pig Trap

 Bluey the yabbie

 Two hot camp ovens

Yabbie 

Camp light 

 Track in 5000 Ha Paddock

Accidental by catch while spinning for Yellow Belly. Released healthy. 

Yella 

 Hypnotising a yabbie (yep!)

It will sit here for hours 

 Typical property condition.

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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In The Pink

The Pink Lakes are in the Murray Sunset National Park in the far North Western corner of Victoria, on the border with South Australia and New South Wales. You turn off the highway at Underbool, 60km west of Ouyen on the Mallee Highway and 80kms from the South Australian border. From here its an an all weather gravel road to the main camping area at Lake Crosbie and nearby you have Lake Becking, Kenyon and Hardy. The waters of all these lakes appear pink and the intensity of colour varies throughout the year and is strongest after rains and in overcast conditions. The water is actualy crystal clear and 80 times more salty than the ocean, its on the solid salt bed of the lakes which is covered with a species of red algae (Dunaliella salina) that gives the lakes their characteristic pink colouring. Commercial salt mining was carried out here from 1916 until 1979 and there was once even a small town and a school. Access further north into the 633,000ha national park is 4WD only, very soft sand and some of the most remote areas of Victoria. We returned home via Manangatang and Swan Hill where I finally got to see a Murray Cod.

 Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11mm f2.8, 1/8000 sec

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 Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11mm f2.8, 1/8000 sec

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 Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11mm f2.8, 1/8000 sec

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 Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11mm f22, 1/125 sec

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 Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11mm f22, 1/60 sec

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Swan Hill Cod Shot

Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11mm f16, 1/250 sec

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Who? Whroo . . .

Whroo Historic Reserve is on 500 hectares near Rushworth in Victoria and contains the Whroo township an old gold mining ghost town in the Whroo goldfields. The town once had over 140 buildings and a cemetery on Spring Hill near the town site. The last resident of the town left in the early 1960s. Mine shafts dot the area and the Balaclava open cut mine has a mine tunnel running through Balaclava hill into its centre.

Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2D @ ISO 200, 35mm f16, 1/250 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2D @ ISO 200, 35mm f2.8, 1/800 sec

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 Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2D @ ISO 1600, 35mm f2.8, 1/80 sec

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   Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 560, 11mm f8, 1/80 sec

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  Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 1600, 11mm f8, 1/40 sec

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   Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 320, 11mm f22, 1/80 sec

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   Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 280, 11mm f22, 1/80 sec

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