Monthly Archives: October 2009

Land of Arkaroo

This country would have to fall into the category of being part of the most rugged in Australia. It’s very old, very dry, formerly a volcanic region and not very forgiving. Yet it is also very beautiful.

Following on from the previous post, in this landscape, Mt Gee is directly to the left and behind the rocky crag with the yakka bush on top.

From a photographic point of view it’s a great illustration of what time of day, time of year and the weather conditions can have on the photograph when you compare it with The Crystal Mountain which is of the same country but in different circumstances.

If I have to have some favorites this would be one of them. I was very fortunate to be able to see a mix of broken cloud cover and morning light soften the sometimes rich, sometimes harsh or burned out colours usually seen up here. It brought a very painterly quality to the photograph.

This is the land of Arkaroo or Akurra, the giant serpent of the local Adnyamathanha people’s traditional stories.

Best, in my view that Arkaroo’s rumblings are not replaced by those of mining trucks and machinery.

However for a more comprehensive coverage of the issue click here UnkownsSA

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Too Beautiful to Ruin

I posted some photographs about uranium mining in one of my favorite locations in the Flinders Ranges back on Sunday September 20.
To Beautiful to Ruin.

A statement by the South Australian Premier a couple of days ago indicates that his government will only regulate mining in this fantastic area, not ban it.

Being what it is, political speak is a bit hard to understand but phrases like “preserve areas of local heritage and scenic beauty:…..”low impact exploration” and standard exploration and mining access, all in the one statement don’t add up to much in the way of protection.

“The framework clearly provides for ongoing access to areas of high mineral prospectivity” doesn’t mean much long term protection for the Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary and in particular Mt Gee, seen here with some of the tracks and tanks already quite visible.

Arkaroola, and indeed all of the northern Flinders Ranges is one of Australia’s most rugged tourist, cultural and heritage regions. If they’ll allow this place to be carved up then it’s likely to happen anywhere else too, unless public opinion for a mining ban is strong.

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Jamestown Air Show

Jamestown Air Show in the southern Flinders Ranges is always an attraction and the one held recently was lucky to have perfect weather.

Knowing all the aircraft enthusiasts would be taking lots of shots of the planes, I went there with the idea of getting something different – people at close quarters, just looking at aircraft we don’t see too much of anymore.

But it wasn’t to be. Getting up close to the machines was not possible, so the shots I had in mind didn’t eventuate.

Nevertheless 8,000 people had a great time watching some very beautiful old birds strut their stuff.

If you Google Jamestown Air Show you will find plenty of shots of the planes.

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On the Road

On assignment in the Flinders Ranges. More pictures starting Wednesday night.

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The Old Dog Fence

In Australia, dog fences have been part of the Outback for nearly two hundred years.

Built to protect sheep and cattle from marauding wild dogs and dingoes, the remnants of this bygone era still remain.

This one, with Wilpena Pound in the background is a long way from the existing fence, hundreds of kilometres to the north.

Posted in Flinders Ranges | 3 Comments

Bull Dust

This reminds me of scenes you sometimes see in advertisements. They look too good to be true.

Well the truth is that when I’m home I often go for walks across some paddocks where there’s quite a large herd of cows and several bulls.

I take a lot of shots of the herd. It’s almost as if they know me by name. I get to shoot their newborn, even the teenagers don’t mind me.

So if I want a picture of a very contented cow up to its belly in flowers with an old homestead in the background that looks too good to be true, I just have to ask.

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Bush Humor

If you decide to head out bush you’re likely to come across some outback humor.

Pubs are a good place to find a bit of local fun but this sign cracks me up everytime I see it.

If you can’t read the sign it says ” Accommodation, the Agnew Spread, B & B.

Now Tom has been around the northern Flinders for an awful long time and he’s a bit of a character.

While the hospitality thing may not have endured, he made an art form out of the spare parts business.

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Sliding Rock

Mining a century or more ago was not for the faint-hearted. There was no fly-in-fly-out or roatating shifts..

What was once the Assay office at the Sliding Rock copper mine stands in ruins more than 130 years after it closed for business.

A whole community complete with hotel, butcher shop and family homes sprung up here when copper was discovered in 1870.

The mining work was substantial until water flooded the mines seven years later and the town was doomed.

Sliding Rock is on Warraweena conservations park east of Beltana in the northern Flinders Ranges. It’s well worth a look at, as even today much of the mine and the town are still there.

The fireplace in the hotel still stands

Ruins of the Sliding Rock Hotel not far from the mine shaft and the copper smelter.

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The "Eyeful’ Tower (2)

There are three companies here in the Outback trying to harness the energy far below the earth’s surface to produce electricity for domestic and industrial use.

Apart from the one here at Paralana there’s another at Innamincka and a third one the western side of the Flinders Ranges.

This rig, which came from Dubai, had to be transported by 75 trucks from Port Pirie.

Once the drilling is completed the rig will be dismantled and removed and the second stage of the project begins.

There was a 30 second exposure on this shot which made the fast moving clouds look a little surreal.

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Spectacular Acts of Kindness

Mother Nature was indeed kind to me the evening I managed to get this image.

I spent several days at the hot rock drilling site near Paralana, after getting permission from one of the venture partners, Beach Petroleum, to take late afternoon, dusk and night shots.

The first night I worked out that this was probably the best angle but four very strong lights which lit up the entire working platform of the rig just ruined all the shots I took.

On the last evening the crew kindly agreed to cut the main lights for ten minutes but in fact had them off for the entire time I was shooting. What a bonus and Thank You.

The sunset then went to work and turned on a display that was hard to believe. What a symbol of harnessing natural clean energy.

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