Category Archives: Weather

Monday Morning Blues

Posted on March 3, 2013 by Peter MacDonald

Posted in Outback South Australia, Weather | Leave a comment

Summer Storm

Posted on February 27, 2013 by Peter MacDonald

Bad weather is a one of the best times to get interesting photographs.

A case in point is this shot taken recently on Gum Creek station in the Flinders Ranges.

There’s a well known landmark on Gum Creek called the Great Wall of China.

It’s a spectacular line of exposed rock atop an extended row of hills – in fact an ancient seabed.

You can see a bit of the ‘Great Wall’ in the shot above.

However it was not my aim to concentrate on the landmark, rather it was more an opportunity made available by the approaching storm.

Posted in Flinders Ranges, Weather | Tagged | 2 Comments

High Country

Posted on February 24, 2013 by Peter MacDonald

This scene is constantly changing – time of day, weather, seasons – they all contribute.

Even though it has been seen a hundred times before, sometimes the change can be starling.

This is the ancient Flinders Ranges – so different from the much visited central and southern areas.

The Freeling Height and the Mawson Plateau in the background.

The photograph was taken not long after the previous post – a natural haunt of eagles.

The heat and humidity clouds of a summer afternoon, a strong wind blowing and the sun dipping towards the background all contribute to this picture.

The first landscape taken with the Fuji X-Pro 1 and a 50 mm prime or fixed lens.

Posted in Arkaroola, Weather | 2 Comments

The Vagaries of Summer

Posted on February 18, 2013 by Peter MacDonald

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The Vagaries of Summer

Posted on February 17, 2013 by Peter MacDonald

A week and a few kilometres from the location of the previous post… a dry summer storm and tonnes of top soil disappearing to who knows where.

Posted in Pastoral Industry, Weather | 1 Comment

Workshops 2013

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Peter MacDonald

It will not be long before summer temperatures in the Flinders Ranges begin to wane and my workshops will be back on the agenda again.

Last year some individuals who wanted to attend my workshops during their trip to the Flinders Ranges were not able to link up with a group and so missed out.

To avoid this problem for this year, there will be an individual day rate of $450 for anyone wanting to do one of my workshops.

Groups of up to four can still do a workshop but I am happy to accommodate one-on-one sessions.

Locations are Parachilna, the Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary in the northern Flinders and Rawnsley Park Station.

Accommodation is available at the three locations and they can be contacted through the links on the sidebar on the right hand side of this website.

If you are planning a trip to the area and would like to include a one, or two day workshop at any of the above locations, I will do my best to fit in around your itinerary.

Email me at [email protected] or use the email form on the Contact Page in the Sentimental Bloke website, which can be found on the headings along the top of this page.

We can then discuss your exact requirements.

The workshops will be fairly intense, starting before dawn and including a late afternoon session. Participants will visit several locations throughout the day.

Please Note: workshops will not be available between mid-May and mid-June

The above photo – a simple summer scene….typically of a large area of Australia.

The southern Flinders Ranges of South Australia near the farming town of Orroroo.

Posted in Pastoral Industry, Weather | 1 Comment

On the Road

Posted on February 12, 2013 by Peter MacDonald

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Depot Springs – Disaster

Posted on January 31, 2013 by Peter MacDonald

The dead trees along this creek tell a story of heartbreak and hardship.

While quick and heavy falls of rain are nothing new around this part of the world, particularly in summer and often caused by thunderstorms, nothing prepared Geoff and Di Mengersen for devastating floods in April 2010.

Depot Springs received about 100 millimetres or 4 inches of rain in 90 minutes.

The torrential downpour changed the whole landscape. It washed away hills, took out about 15 kilometres of fences, washed away roads, and destroyed infrastructure.

700 sheep were lost.

Hundreds of large river red gums were ripped from the ground and washed away. Those that remained were literally battered to death…..ringbarked by the tons of broken trees and other debris hurled down by the terrific force of the water.

Today they make a forlorn sight…a stark reminder of a storm that almost forced the Mengersens to give up the property.

Posted in Depot Springs, Flinders Ranges, Outback Stations, Weather | 1 Comment

Depot Springs Station – Jack’s Camp

Posted on January 29, 2013 by Peter MacDonald

First light at the Jack Camp yards on the Eastern side of Depot Springs station

A thunderstorm approaching from the left…the sun rising on the right.

A great recipe for an electric sky.

Posted in Depot Springs, Flinders Ranges, Outback Stations, Pastoral Industry, Weather | 3 Comments

Old Stone Tank

Posted on January 11, 2013 by Peter MacDonald

It was 45 degrees on my back porch this afternoon at 3 o’clock and it wasn’t much cooler when I took this photo last week.

This old tank has seen a few hot summers and temperatures sometimes in the 50s.

It was built in the 1870 as far as anyone can remember. Even today it is still in use on Nilpena station which backs onto the eastern shore of Lake Torrens.

The tank holds a substantial amount of water from the bore and it will probably see in a few more summers yet.

Photographing in extreme temperatures in outback Australia has some advantages. There seems to be more intense and unusual colours to capture when the days are long and extremely hot.

However it’s not recommended for the inexperienced or foolhardy.

Posted in Lake Torrens Area, Pastoral Industry, Weather | Leave a comment