Wattamolla Beach in Royal National Park – Sydney, NSW.

Wattamolla Beach in Royal National Park, Sydney, NSW.

Wattamolla Beach 2AM 9321-9331_stack ©Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.

Wattamolla Beach 2AM 9231-9243_stack ©Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.

Wattamolla Beach 2AM 9205-9216_stack ©Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.

Wattamolla Beach 2AM-002795 ©Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.

Wattamolla Beach 2AM-009197 ©Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.

Wattamolla Beach 2AM-009259 ©Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.

Wattamolla Beach 2AM-009191 ©Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.

Wattamolla Beach 2AM-009189 ©Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.

Wattamolla Beach 2AM-009186 ©Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.

Wattamolla Beach 2AM-009183 ©Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.

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Wattamolla Beach 2AM-009135 ©Andrew McInnes. All Rights Reserved.

Posting #7 of my road trip from Fremantle to Kununurra, Western Australia.

Ah, I arrived at my destination – Kununurra – after 9 days of driving and bush camping. Here are some images around the greater Kununurra area from the first day or so.

Not far short of Kununurra, and the scenery, topography, and geology changes (after leaving Halls Creek).

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Great Northern Highway 2AM-003678. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.

Assorted roadside grasses…

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Grass 2AM-002958. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.

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Grass 2AM-002960. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.

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Grass 2AM-003141. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.

The fishing is fantastic in the Kimberley; this is a 1.14 meter Barramundi (released immediately after photo) caught on the lower Ord River.

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Fisherman and Barramundi 2AM-3066. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.

The ubiquitous estaurine crocodiles (“Saltwater Crocodile”) necessitate care around the water.

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Saltwater Crocodile 2AM-004748. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.

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Saltwater Crocodile 2AM-004757. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.

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Saltwater Crocodile 2AM-004771. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.

 

Iconic Kimberley vistas…
If you have watched the movie “Australia” then you may recognise this geologic feature, known as ‘House Roof Hill’ – it is the backdrop to the fictional “Faraway Downs” homestead.
This image was captured very early on another glorious Kimberley morning.

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House Roof Hill 2AM-003047. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.

The next image is “False House Roof Hill” – neighboring bluffs along the Ord River.

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False House Roof Hill 2AM-003013. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.

The April 2014 Lunar Eclipse occurred whilst I was in this area. The following image captures part of this eclipse over a Kimberley range.

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Lunar Eclipse 2AM-004793. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.

Lake Argyle is Australia’s largest artificial lake (by volume). It is part of the Ord River Irrigation Scheme and is a sight to behold. Unfortunately these “roadside” images are all I managed to capture of this vast and beautiful feature – I must return and spend time above and on the lake!

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Lake Argyle 2AM_3131-3134 panoramic. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.

An alternate view of the Ord River Dam – construction was completed in 1971.

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Lake Argyle 2AM-003126. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.

Grass in seed along the dam wall – beautiful April conditions.

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Lake Argyle 2AM-003137. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.

 

 

Posting #5 of my road trip from Fremantle to Kununurra, Western Australia.

All images in this post are from a very brief (overnight) stop in Broome and its immediate surrounds. A town full of history, gorgeous scenery, and the fabled Cable Beach.

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A glorious storm building over Cable Beach, Broome – Western Australia. In addition to the much needed rainfall, this storm did wonders ameliorating the hot conditions on that day. © 2014 Andrew McInnes

 

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A portion of Cable Beach. © 2014 Andrew McInnes

 

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Pioneer Cemetery, overlooking the bay. © 2014 Andrew McInnes

 

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Pioneer Cemetery, overlooking the bay. © 2014 Andrew McInnes

 

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Mangroves on Roebuck Bay. © 2014 Andrew McInnes

 

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Mangroves on Roebuck Bay. © 2014 Andrew McInnes

 

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Patterns by a sand bubbler crab. © 2014 Andrew McInnes

 

Sun Pictures (Sun Picture Gardens) is reportedly the world’s oldest picture garden still in operation.

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Sun Pictures. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.

 

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Sun Pictures. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.

 

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Sun Pictures. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.

 

Another glorious dusk as I departed Broome.

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Highway at dusk. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.

 

 

 

 

 

Posting #3 of my road trip from Fremantle to Kununurra, Western Australia.

This post contains images from my express visit to Coral Bay and Exmouth, Western Australia.

 

Ah, the tropics 🙂

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On the Minilya – Exmouth road. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.

 

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A ‘short’ road train delivers supplies to Exmouth. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.

 

These next three images are from Coral Bay – a stunning and simple place.

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The front of the image is shallow water over a sand substrate; this then abruptly drops off into a deepish lagoon which is protected by Ningaloo Reef (Australia’s “other” reef) in the background. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.

 

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A mooring line and buoy – the cerulean water deepens rapidly here, making for fantastic swimming. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.

 

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Two youths paddle in the tranquil waters behind Ningaloo Reef. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.

 

Unfortunately I only spent about 8 hours in Exmouth which is nowhere near sufficient. Nevertheless, here are some scenes of this fascinating area.

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A light-painting of Yardie Creek (Cape Range National Park) during dusk’s blue hour. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.

 

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Pebble Beach, Exmouth. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.

 

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Pebble Beach, Exmouth. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.

 

A light-painting of the retired (non-functioning) Vlamingh Head Lighthouse – Exmouth. The evening air was thick with moisture from the Indian Ocean as it pounded Ningaloo Reef so I thought I’d make an image to suggest how the light from the lighthouse may have appeared to mariners of yore. During the 30 second exposure I mimicked a beam of light from the lighthouse by aiming my spotlight on the structure for a few seconds, allowing the moisture in the air to appear as a beam.
This image includes the Southern Cross (and pointers), along with a portion of the Milky Way.

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© 2014 Andrew McInnes.

 

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Star trails caress the retired (non-functioning) Vlamingh Head Lighthouse – Exmouth, on a blustery and balmy autumn night. This is a stacked image consisting of 61 images (each image f4 for 30 seconds at ISO 800). © 2014 Andrew McInnes.

More posts from this road trip to follow this.

 

 

 

 

Posting #1 of my road trip from Fremantle to Kununurra, Western Australia.

I recently embarked on what turned out to be a quite a drive with the purpose of visiting an old mate from my teenage years whom I have not seen for more than 20 years! My old vehicle (1984 Toyota Hilux diesel) logged 9,193 km (5,712 miles) doing my return trip from Fremantle – Kununurra – Fremantle, Western Australia.

With an esky full of water and assorted sandwich-construction material, plus spare diesel, oil, etc., I essentially drove until it was time to find a bush-camp for the night. I’d awake early and continue northward, repeating as required until I arrived at Kununurra.

Subsequent blog postings will present more images from the trip to the north of this bloody big state.
Theses images document my travels up and back – I hope you will find them appealing.

 

It isn’t long until these emblematic signs present themselves, with varying fauna presented.

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Iconic Aussie Wildlife (sans koala which is not native to WA) – Indian Ocean Road. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.

 

Having previously visited and photographed The Pinnacles (click here to view these) at Nambung National Park, near Cervantes, I chose to revisit and shoot more images from this amazing ‘moonscape’ before moving on and finding a place to camp for the night.

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Early evening light bathes a portion of the calcium carbonate structures at The Pinnacles Desert. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.

 

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This image contains part of the Milky Way, plus the Southern Cross, a meteor, and Magellanic Clouds which are irregular dwarf galaxies visible from the southern hemisphere. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.

 

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© 2014 Andrew McInnes.

 

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A long exposure for pin-wheel stars. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.

 

This leaning tree is but one of many around the Greenough area. These River Gum/eucalyptus trees (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) have horizontal trunks due to exposure to strong and near-continuous southerly winds.

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Leaning Tree of Greenough. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.

 

Should you find yourself anywhere near Geraldton or Walkaway, I thoroughly recommend a visit to Ellendale Pool, be it for a day trip or a place to camp – as I did for an evening.

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This is a light-painting during the blue-hour of dusk.  © 2014 Andrew McInnes.

 

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Another light-painting, this time a little later in the evening. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.

 

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Ahhh, a rope swing – top setting for it! © 2014 Andrew McInnes.

 

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Morning’s reflection. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.

 

Lovely spot to set up a caravan!

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A “room with a view”. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.

 

The ubiquitous and raucous Little Corella

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Little Corellas in flight. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.

 

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Little Corella. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.

 

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Little Corella. © 2014 Andrew McInnes.

 

Hope you enjoyed the early portion of my trip, if vicariously 🙂

More images from the trip to follow soon.

 

Cheers,

Andrew

 

 

 

Hotham Ridge Organic Winery – Wandering, Western Australia

I recently had the pleasure of 36 hours at the lovely Hotham Ridge Winery at Wandering, Western Australia as I conducted a photo-shoot for the owners. At only a little beyond 1.5 hours from downtown Perth, this organic/biodynamic winery is a wonderful and proximal location to spend time relaxing with fine wine, delicious food, and gorgeous rammed-earth cottages that are refreshingly clean and quiet. The bistro utilizes a wood-fired oven to produce meals, from which I enjoyed what may well be the most delicious pizza I can recall – the “Classico.”

The following images are all taken at the winery – I hope you enjoy them, and if you are planning a visit to the Perth area I suggest you may want to consider spending time at Hotham Ridge Winery, even if only for a bite to eat and a sampling of their award winning wines.

 

Overlooking the Chardonnay, with a beautiful crop for this vintage.

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Three-image stitch.
Copyright © Andrew McInnes. All rights reserved.

 

Looking back at the cottages, homestead, bistro, and winery.

Hotham Ridge Winery

Copyright © Andrew McInnes. All rights reserved.

 

The Dutch influenced homestead, and the two cottages – “Billie” and “Nina” – as seen from the bistro.

Hotham Ridge Winery

Copyright © Andrew McInnes. All rights reserved.

 

Here is “Billie’s” porch.

Hotham Ridge Winery

Copyright © Andrew McInnes. All rights reserved.

 

Hotham Ridge Winery

Copyright © Andrew McInnes. All rights reserved.

 

These old oak barrels, settled among a garden of ponds, flowing water, and birds-a-plenty, greet visitors on pathway to the cellar door and bistro.

Hotham Ridge Winery

Copyright © Andrew McInnes. All rights reserved.

 

The Magpie tapestry – illustrating the basis of the Hotham Ridge label.

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Copyright © Andrew McInnes. All rights reserved.

 

The vintner’s vintages.

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Copyright © Andrew McInnes. All rights reserved.

 

Hotham Ridge Winery

Copyright © Andrew McInnes. All rights reserved.

 

Hotham Ridge Winery

Copyright © Andrew McInnes. All rights reserved.

 

Vines, very soon to be relieved of their sweet bounty.

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Dawn breaks over the Chardonnay. HDR image.
Copyright © Andrew McInnes. All rights reserved.

 

A red bicycle appearance among the vines.

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This red bicycle makes an appearance in several of these images as the owners of the winery wanted the bicycle included in some of the scenes – I like it.
Copyright © Andrew McInnes. All rights reserved.

 

Hotham Ridge Winery

Copyright © Andrew McInnes. All rights reserved.

 

Hotham Ridge Winery

As this is an organic winery (certified), there is no herbicide or pesticide usage thus these young vines are competing with the remnants of the spring’s grass.
Copyright © Andrew McInnes. All rights reserved.

 

Hotham Ridge Winery

Copyright © Andrew McInnes. All rights reserved.

 

Mmmm, I see another award winning red in the making…

Hotham Ridge Winery

Copyright © Andrew McInnes. All rights reserved.

 

Table grapes drape and shade an outside table at the bistro.

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Copyright © Andrew McInnes. All rights reserved.

 

The bountiful flora surrounding the Bistro entrance from the parking lot.

Hotham Ridge Winery

Copyright © Andrew McInnes. All rights reserved.

 

This short board-walk to the bistro is edged by a luscious pond and wetlands.

Hotham Ridge Winery

Copyright © Andrew McInnes. All rights reserved.

 

“The Wide World” as seen from the bistro garden area.

Hotham Ridge Winery

Copyright © Andrew McInnes. All rights reserved.

 

Ever closer, some of the outdoor bistro dining tables are revealed.

Hotham Ridge Winery

Copyright © Andrew McInnes. All rights reserved.

 

You have arrived at the bistro entrance

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Copyright © Andrew McInnes. All rights reserved.

 

Hotham Ridge Winery

Copyright © Andrew McInnes. All rights reserved.

 

Times of yore;  traps, sickles, and shears adorn the bistro wall.

Hotham Ridge Winery

Copyright © Andrew McInnes. All rights reserved.

 

Some of the available seating in the bistro – bench and table section.

Hotham Ridge Winery

Copyright © Andrew McInnes. All rights reserved.

 

Hotham Ridge Winery

Copyright © Andrew McInnes. All rights reserved.

 

Delightfully fresh wholemeal spelt sour-dough bread, fresh out of the wood-fired oven.

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Copyright © Andrew McInnes. All rights reserved.

 

Awaiting oven’s readiness for my soon to be savoured “Classico” pizza!

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Copyright © Andrew McInnes. All rights reserved.

 

To wrap up this express tour, I present a variety of  visual vagaries 🙂

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Plumbago (Plumbago auriculata) in full bloom.
Copyright © Andrew McInnes. All rights reserved.

 

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A eucalyptus gumnut – species yet to be confirmed.
Copyright © Andrew McInnes. All rights reserved.

 

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Silvereye (Zosterops lateralis).
Copyright © Andrew McInnes. All rights reserved.

 

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Highly aromatic flower of the caper plant.
Copyright © Andrew McInnes. All rights reserved.

 

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Motorbike Frog (Litoria moorei).
Copyright © Andrew McInnes. All rights reserved.

 

Hotham Ridge Winery

Bulrush; Cattails; Cumbungi; Wonga; Reed-mace; raupo; (Typha)
Copyright © Andrew McInnes. All rights reserved.

 

Hotham Ridge Winery

Wild oats ablaze in dusk’s amazing light.
Copyright © Andrew McInnes. All rights reserved.

 

Hotham Ridge Winery

Curling bark.
Copyright © Andrew McInnes. All rights reserved.

 

Hotham Ridge Winery

Lichen on granite (primarily).
Copyright © Andrew McInnes. All rights reserved.

 

Hotham Ridge Winery

Wine vines swishing in silhouette before a highlight of wild oats.
Copyright © Andrew McInnes. All rights reserved.

 

Thanks for taking a look at my images.
Ciao for now.