Australia Day 2013

Happy Australia Day, the official national day of Australia commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove, New South Wales in 1788 and the proclamation at that time of British sovereignty over the eastern seaboard of Australia. We get together as families, friends and also as a nation to celebrate what's great about Australia and being Australian.

Indigenouse Australians may view this day as Invasion Day so I would like to show my respect and acknowledge all the traditional custodians of this land, those peoples and elders past and present, in Western Australia the Nyoogar, in Queensland the Murri, in South Australia the Nungah, in Tasmania the Palawa, in the Northern Territory the Yolngu, and in New South Wales and Victoria the Koori, where this celebration takes place. 

The Australian National Flag has the Union Jack (maybe for too long) occupying the upper quarter of it and 5 white stars representing the Southern Cross (CRUX). Crux is a distinctive constellation who's name is Latin means cross, and it is dominated by a cross-shaped asterism that is commonly known as the Southern Cross. The large white star Commonwealth Star – a 7 pointed star representing the 6 States of Australia and the Territories, Alpha Crucis – a 7 pointed star, Beta Crucis – 7 pointed star, Gamma Crucis – a 7 pointed star, Delta Crucis – 7 pointed star and finaly Epsilon Crucis – a 5 pointed star.

Our Flag

     

Nikon D300, Nikkor 70-200  2.8 @ ISO 200, 110mm f8, 1/800 sec

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The Southern Cross (Crux)

Sourced Image from iPad app Star Walk HD

Australia Day BBQ

iPhone Click on photo for larger image view

iPhone Click on photo for larger image view

Total Fire Ban No, Pizza Oven Yes.

This is the pictorial process of making pizza from scratch with mostly home grown and authentic italian ingredients. Preparing the oven, needing the dough, making home made tomato base, buffalo mozzarella, our own dried tomatoes, basil for a Margherita and purchased pepperoni and pancetta for a carnivores version.

Nikon D300, Nikkor 50mm f1.4D @ ISO 200, 50mm f12.8, 1/30 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 50mm f1.4D @ ISO 200, 50mm f2.8, 1/40 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 50mm f1.4D @ ISO 200, 50mm f2.8, 1/15 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 50mm f1.4D @ ISO 200, 50mm f5.6, 1/50 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 50mm f1.4D @ ISO 200, 50mm f8, 1/50 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 50mm f1.4D @ ISO 200, 50mm f1.4, 1/40 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 50mm f1.4D @ ISO 200, 50mm f1.4, 1/125 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 50mm f1.4D @ ISO 200, 50mm f1.4, 1/125 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 50mm f1.4D @ ISO 200, 50mm f1.4, 1/80 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 50mm f1.4D @ ISO 200, 50mm f1.4, 1/80 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 50mm f1.4D @ ISO 200, 50mm f1.4, 1/80 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 50mm f1.4D @ ISO 200, 50mm f1.4, 1/4000 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 50mm f1.4D @ ISO 200, 50mm f1.4, 1/4000 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 50mm f1.4D @ ISO 200, 50mm f1.4, 1/4000 sec

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Summer Fruits

Nikon D300, Nikkor 70-200  2.8 @ ISO 200, 110mm f8, 1/800 sec

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QLD via Lightning Ridge

Travelling to Mt Tamborine Qld for Christmas we decided to take a small detour from the usual direct route from Victoria up the Newell Highway and turn North West at Gilgandra up through Coonamble and Walgett to Lightning Ridge. We camped in the Lightning Ridge Tourist Park and witnessed a large electrical storm where we saw lots of lightning but no rain. The next day we went the back dirt road way to Collarenebri to join the Gwydir Highway and on to Moree and found that lots of rain had fallen East of our camp. From Moree we continued on the Newell Highway to Goondawindi, Warwick and Beaudesert to the Gold Coast and Mt Tamborine.

Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11mm f8, 1/500 sec

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Google Maps Click on photo for larger image view 

Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11mm f8, 1/100 sec

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Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11mm f16, 1/125 sec

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Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11mm f16, 1/125 sec

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Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11mm f8, 1/50 sec

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

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iPhone Click on photo for larger image view 

iPhone Click on photo for larger image view 

Project Maccullochella Phase III

Now that I have officially caught a Murray Cod (Maccullochella peelii) in my boat (released and undersized) I decided to add a flourish to it. This also follows on from the older posts Project Maccullochella Phase I and Project Maccullochella Phase II. Maybe this will bring me luck. See process below.

Finished Design

Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 12mm f10, 1/80 sec

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Inspiration

Not my image :-)

Original side panel

Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11.5mm f8, 1/5 sec

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Building the Effect

Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 12mm f8, 1/100 sec

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 Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 12mm f10, 1/100 sec

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Lake Mulwala & Murray Cod Season Opening

Murray Cod season opened on Saturday 1 December 2012 after the annual three month breeding closure. I made camp at Kyffins Reserve on the NSW side of Lake Mulwala early Friday evening. I had camped near this spot last February (see post). I had some dinner and a couple of beers while watching the sunset, got a couple of hours sleep in the warm open air with a star filled sky for a roof before waking at midnight (opening time!) to go out on the lake. Murray Cod are a prized catch for freshwater anglers and are one of Australia's largest freshwater fish that can grow up to 1.8 metres in length and weigh more than 100 kilo's. The minimum legal length to keep a Murray Cod is 60 cm and you can only have one over 100 cm in your possession. The sky was cloudy by now but it was a full moon so visibility was OK. Trolling lures and spinner baits never got a hit so I tried freshwater Long Armed Shrimp, that I had trapped earlier. Then whack I got a 20 cm Murray Cod which I of course released. I later got one about the same size that broke me off at the boat. Around 4:30 am a large storm was approaching and with lots of fork lightning and I knew being in a metal boat in the middle of a lake was a bad idea, so I packed it in.

Sunset Lake Mulwala

Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 3200, 12mm f2.8, 1/5 sec

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Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 12mm f8, 1/10 sec

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Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 12mm f2.8, 1/60 sec

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Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 12mm f2.8, 1/40 sec

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Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 3200, 12mm f2.8, 1/15 sec

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