The western side of the Flinders Ranges seems to be in vogue in recent posts.
Here is another one which was taken six years ago from the western slopes of Warraweena, a former sheep station and now a conservation park, looking north towards Leigh Creek.
I seem to remember coming out of the more rugged country on Warraweena onto this beautiful vista with the The Bayley Range is in the far distance.
Most of the counhtry is on Beltana Station.
These hills are not too far from a little towns that is celebrating a centenary this year.
Beltana in the northern Flinders Ranges is surrounded by some really beautiful scenery, evident even on an overcast day like this one.
The town celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Australian Inland Mission that used to be based there.
It has quite a history. An out line of the history and details of the celebration can be found here.
Some time back I posted some pictures of the inland mission as it was a few decades ago and as it is now as well as another post with one of the stately old building, Martins Hall that has stood the test of time.
There’s something almost sad about a shed when shearing is over.
Gone are the sounds of hard toil , the machinery whirring, dogs barking, sheep bleating, music blaring.
Until the same time next year, when once again the shed comes alive.
Woolshed, Beltana Station, northern Flinders Ranges
Taken with a Canon D60 and a 17-40mm L series Canon lens back in 2005.
f16, exposure 2 seconds, ISO 100, focal length 17mm
It was part of a series which included this picture taken when shearing was in full swing.
After posting the last photograph of the ruins at Black Rock I thought it would be a good idea to look for photographs I have made that illustrate the heat of summer in the Flinders Ranges and Outback.
It is generally very hot, many businesses close at least for part of the hottest months, visitors stay away and locals who are used to the heat, tailor their lives accordingly.
Usually the early morning or late afternoon is the time for photography, but using the harsh light of the middle of the day can illustrate the heat of summer.
Like here, where there is a hint of a mirage along the base of Bayley Range on Beltana station in the northern Flinders Ranges that helps tell the story.
I used an aperture of f5.6 to get a sharp foreground and a soft focus on the ranges behind. The shutter speed was 1/125 sec, ISO 100.
The sun’s early morning rays beaming across this northern Flinders Ranges plain.
The mist will soon disappear under the warming sun so speed is essential.
For good composition it is best to have a strong foreground. Searching around, the only feature on the plain close by, was a salt bush. Under the circumstances good enough.
The location is Beltana station south of Leigh Creek. The Bayley range is in the background.
This was shot with an entry level Canon 300D. However the lens was one of Canon’s best, a 28-300mm f3.5-5.6 IS USM L series. Generally speaking buying quality lenses will give the best results.
The stately but aging Royal Victoria Hotel in the old ghost town of Beltana.
It’s in the northern Flinders Ranges and some photographs of the pub itself appeared in an earlier Post.
Click Here to have a look at the pub as it looks today.
