The Big Blog
Niugini Diary - 2012
Success chasing a Common Sandpiper Friday 20 January 2012 BNE airport en route to Kimbe, West New Britain PNG - People here seem a lot more casual than in Adelaide, maybe it’s the weather, or that there are a lot of “islanders” about. Strangely the Air Nuigini...
11 February 2023
The Chapel Oak
The venerable Le Chene Chapelle, Allouville France In 2009, on our first European motorcycle adventure, one of our first stops was an iconic tree. We caught the 1420 train from Folkestone in the U.K., two hours behind schedule. It took some coercing for them...
15 July 2022
HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY
Since it's Australia Day today I thought I would return to my 2016 Australia Day Theme of signs of Australia. Firstly, HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY to Australians and those that might be feeling a bit Australian. I don't get too excited about Australia Day, usually...
26 January 2022
The tree that outlived St Francis
In 2009 we managed to find the Villa Verucchio in Emilia-Romagna, Italy, and the venerable old cypress tree with a somewhat fantastic story of how it came to be thanks to St Francis of Assisi. The story is somewhat fantastic, as is the tree.
25 July 2021
Back to the birds
Budgerygahs at FarinaI'm not sure why it's six months since my last blog, I guess I can blame COVID19? I shall wind the clock back to our Oodnadatta trip when I returned to my photographic roots somewhat and engaged with the birds and other animals. I moved...
18 June 2021
No Horizons
The Painted Hills, Anna Creek StationSometimes in the outback everything looks the same no matter which way you look. It's often flat with no apparent landscape features to guide you, no wonder many souls get lost and perish. The extraordinary mega Lake Eyre...
1 December 2020
Cosmic Blast
Maree S.A.We managed to get away from contemporary life for a few weeks to where self reliance and weather became the main focus. Traveling on the Oodnadatta Track, an unsealed road linking Maree and Oodnadatta and running just west of the vast Lake Eyre in...
17 November 2020
The Scot on the hill
Very occasionally in life I have experienced a strange feeling of having just arrived home when arriving at a place for the first time ever! The first occasion I recall this was in 1994 when I visited Ireland for the first time. I remember very much feeling...
10 August 2020
The Circle of Oaks
At some point around 1840, or just before, someone planted a ring of some 14 pedunculate or “English” oaks around a spring in the Adelaide hills at what is now known as Gumeracha. A name thought to be derived from Umer-acha, a word used by the local Peramangk...
15 June 2020
The Deity of the Desert
Cradled in the arms of the disappearing giantRecent rains in north eastern Australia have given some relief for the starved grazers and the graziers. The tributaries in the catchment of the Darling River have been flowing, birds have begun to sing again and...
31 March 2020