M & M's favourites of Australia

All our favourites of Western Australia in a book

Mattie — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 07:48:13 +0000

Today we have great news!
We have put all our favourite photos of Western Australia in a book which is available on the Blurb website.

The book has 118 pages and over 160 photos. You may want to check this out.

This is what the cover looks like:

Book cover of our Western Australia Photo Book

Please click on the image to be taken to the Blurb website and then press preview to have a closer look.

Thorny Devil

Mattie — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 11:18:29 +0000

The Thorny Devil (Moloch horridus) is an intimidating looking Australian lizard.
Don’t worry … this dangerous look is only a disguise, this animal is very harmless (unless you are an ant).

The Thorny Devil inhabits the arid scrubs and deserts of Central Australia and early morning is the best time to come across them, when they are warming themselves in the sun on the road.

The fellow below we met on our trip over the Gunbarrel Highway in 2004.

Please, click here or on the photo to see more photos of this location)

The Gawler Ranges National Park

Mattie — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 06:47:51 +0000

Today, I’d like to take you with me to the Gawler Ranges.
Not many Australians have been there, which is understandable, because the nearest city of substance (Adelaide) is a good 600 kilometres away..
The first time we came there was when we were on our way to Western Australia, to go to the Gunbarrel Highway. It was one of those (very rare) wet days there, and we were lucky not to get stuck for some days.. To give you an idea, just look at the first couple of photos of of our webpages that are dedicated to the Gawler Ranges..
Then, two years later, we decided, again, to go to WA, and again the Gawler Ranges were en route.. This time, the weather was more favourable for us.
The National Park has a lot to offer: aboriginal history, more recent history from the ‘early settlers’, scenery and wildlife.
There is the old Paney Homestead and there is the Pondanna Outstation, both well preserved.
Nature features inlclude the Kolay Mirica Falls and the Organ Pipes, and of course wildlife galore! Emus, kangaroos, birds, you name it.

(Please, click here or on the photo to see more photos of this location)

Today’s picture is one of abandoned machinery at Pondanna Outstation. The rusty apparatus (I don’t know what it is used for, so I’m not giving it a name) combines well with the red sand, the odd dusty tree and the ever present blue sky.
Typical Australian landscape indeed, and one of our favourites…

Australian Pelican

Mattie — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 07:26:30 +0000

The Australian Pelican (Pelecanus Conspiccilatus) is a large water bird. It can be found in Australia, wherever there is water with fish in it. For instance, if there’s water in Lake Eyre, in Outback South Australia, they will somehow know it, and be there. Naturally, they’re quite common at the seaside as well.
The Australian Pelican is usually white, with some black in its wings. The eyes are yellow, and its bill is enormous. It always looks to me as if the bill is a little bit over-sized compared to the rest of the body. But it sure makes them look very special.

(Please, click here or on the photo to see more photos of this location)

This particular one was sitting on a branch over the Paroo river, at the Corni Paroo Waterhole, in Western Queensland, close to the border of New South Wales.

Blencoe Falls, North Queensland

Mattie — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

The photo below is of the Blencoe Falls in Tropical North Queensland. The Blencoe Falls lies within Girringun National Park and is part of the traditional lands of the Warungnu Aboriginal people.

This section of Girringun National Park is very remote and not easy to access, especially since the road to the falls from Kennedy has been closed by the council and the falls can only be accessed from Mount Garnett. But the drive is worth it! The waterfall plunges 90m to the pool below, before cascading a further 230m into the Blencoe Gorge which joins the Herbert River a few kilometres further on.

(Please, click here or on the photo to see more photos of Australia)

The photo was taken from the Blencoe Falls lookout that can be reached following a track of a few kilometres from the camping area and then walking about 200 metres (See map).

Wedge-tailed Eagle

Mattie — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 14:31:24 +0000

The Wedge-tailed Eagle (Aquila Audax), in short called Wedgie, is Australia’s largest bird of prey and one of the largest eagles in the world. It has long, fairly broad wings, fully feathered legs, and an wedge-shaped tail. It measures 0.85-1.05 metres in length and has a wingspan of up to 2.3 metres.

The Wedge-tailed Eagle is found throughout Australia. Wedge-tailed Eagles eat both live prey (like rabbits, lizards and the occasional lamb) and carrion. You often see them in groups feeding on roadkill.

(Please, click here or on the photo to see more photos of this location)

The Wedge-tailed Eagle on the photo was shot at a waterhole in Glen Annie Gorge in Ruby Gap Nature Park in the East MacDonnell Ranges NorthernTerritory, Australia

Old Peake Telegraph Station

Mattie — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 09:47:43 +0000

The ruins of the Old Peake Telegraph Station are off the Oodnadatta Track in Outback South Australia. It is a rough drive, even for 4wd vehicles, but it is definitely worth it!

The Telegraph Station use to be a major centre on the Australian Overland Telegraph Line in the early 1900s, but is now as remote and deserted as can be. A small pocket of date palms and some white-washed ruined buildings are all that is left.

The Australian Overland Telegraph Line was a 3200 km telegraph line that connected Darwin with Adelaide (or rather Port Augusta) in South Australia. Completed in 1872 the Overland Telegraph Line allowed fast communication between Australia and England.

(Please, click here or on the photo to see more photos of this location)

The surroundings of the Old Peake Telegraph Station are very harsh and makes you wonder how people could survive …

Green Cape Lighthouse

Mattie — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 22:43:12 +0000

Green Cape Lighthouse is located in Ben Boyd National Park and is the southernmost lighthouse in New South Wales. The lighthouse was designed by colonial architect James Barnett and built in 1883. It stands 29 metre high on the tip of Green Cape.

The presence of the lighthouse could not prevent the SS Ly-ee-moon shipwrecking on the nearby reef in 1886; 15 people were saved by the lighthouse keeper, 71 people lost their lives.

In recent year the tower has been replaced by an automatic steel lattice skeleton tower with a solar powered light.

On the photo below you can see the modern lighthouse and its surrounding reflected in the immense lens of the original lighthouse.

(Please, click here or on the photo to see more photos of this location)

You can rent the lighthouse assistant keeper’s cottage for the night or a couple of days. It makes very nice (self-contained) accommodation. From there you can take a tour and climb the old lighthouse, as well as explore the surrounding national park. For more information on the cottage or the national park contact National Parks and Wildlife Services.

G’day Mate! Coolah Tops National Park

Mattie — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 11:09:05 +0000

Coolah Tops National Park in New South Wales, Australia is a magic place.

This not so well known park is situated where the Warrumbungle Range meets the Great Dividing Range and has beautiful lookouts, pretty waterfalls, heaps of wildlife and last, but not least, the amazing Grasstree forest.

The park lies east of the sleepy country town of Coolah.

Our thanks go to Peter Smith who used to run the Barringun Roadhouse (anybody knows where to find him?) and took us there very early in 1995 when it was still a state forest; this was our very first ‘Australian bush’ experience and started the ball rolling …

(Please, click here or on the photo to see more photos of this location)

We spent last Christmas camping there among the Kangaroos and had a great time!

Another one of the Simpson Desert

Mattie — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 03:22:31 +0000

On that same trip though the Simpson Desert we were quite lucky with the wildflowers. Apparently there had been some rain lately and the red sand dunes were covered with wildflowers.

This photo was taken along the WAA-line and shows a field of Annual Yellowtops. Although by no means very special or scarce, their sheer numbers make them very pretty and their yellow colours go very well with the red sand and blue sky.

(Please, click here or on the photo to see more photos of this location)

The good thing about going so slow is that you have ample time to enjoy the wildflower!