The sails on the wharf have been absent for quite a while due to damage in high winds. Now they are back just in time for the festive season. Sunrise this morning was very festive ;-)) There is still a lot of cloud around which in this case coloured nicely at dawn before the sun slipped behind them to produce a grey day. Maybe it is a premonition of the heat to come as the forecast for Christmas day is 42 C.
Often at this time of the year mothers and calves venture up into the calm waters of the Spencer Gulf but rarely do they cruise through the town itself... The word was out at 5pm that whales were cruising past the west side jetty. By the time I got there they had moved over to the east side jetty. I headed over the bridge hoping that they wouldn't disappear underneath, heading further up the gulf... LUCKY... they played around the jetty for a while giving those watching quite a treat and then headed back south past the wharf and back down the gulf. I was able to get a few shots of them with the town centre directly behind them. No tail displays just a lot of gentle playing ;-))
Only a month to go till grandchild number 1 is born!
The baby shower afternoon tea was a lot of fun with friends and family invited to afternoon tea.
On a beautiful Autumn day all the family silver, china and embroidered tablecloths came out for an airing and looked resplendent laden with miniature cakes, tarts, pasties, sausage rolls and sandwiches.
There were lots of lovely gifts and of course silly games and tips to educate the mum to be.
Two days at Uluru gave us plenty of time to see the rock in all it's moods (apart from a thunder storm ;-)) This photo was taken at the very last moment before sunset when the sun had been teasing us by hiding behind clouds. The previous day was a classic cloudless day with vibrant blue skies. Unbelievable beauty. The rock itself is very scaly and textured and it exudes a powerful and mystic presence.
I have been granted permission to sell a selected range of images by the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park and the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population & Communities. These are available at http://www.photoartgallery.com/artist/GeorgieSharp
KataTjuta means many heads. This a fascinating rocky outcrop is not far from Uluru (Eyres Rock) in the centre of Australia.
The afternoon was moody with the sun light slipping in and out of the clouds creating many different painterly effects on the landscape.
The water holes in the MacDonnell Ranges are spectacular!
Ellery Creek is part of the Finke River system, with Ellery Creek Big Hole being one of the largest permanent waterholes in the West MacDonnell National Park, offering a important source of water for the local wildlife and a popular, refreshing stop for many locals and travellers.
The Aboriginal name for Ellery Bighole is Udepata. This permanent water made it a special meeting place for the Arrernte people on the fish and honey ant dreaming trails.
The area around Alice Springs has been transformed by incredible Summer rains, usually dry, dusty and red the valleys are currently green and lush.
When we reached Glen Helen station we were offered the opportunity to view the landscape by helicopter. I really hate heights but the idea of taking some different photos was compelling.
I learnt a great deal during the flight..... a door less helicopter means a lot of wind and consequently passengers spend most of the time hanging on tightly... this didn't really allow much time for talking photos LOL.
After all our travelling over seas we decided it was probably time to explore our own back yard. This week we travelled up the Stuart highway to Alice Springs and then visited Uluru (Eyre's Rock) on the way home.
The centre of Australia was incredibly green after the wettest start to the year on record.
I couldn't get over the transformation of the land around Coober Pedy, having visited this town regularly in my role as Curriculum Advisor for DECS.
The Breakaways were a riot of colour with the usually dry Gibber Plains covered with green growth that played against the many shades of the rocky outcrops.
Andrew Feilke held a master class as part of the "Tastes of the Outback" food and wine event in the region.
The founder of the Red Ochre Grill, Andrew is an internationally acclaimed guest and consulting chef specialising in creating unique dishes using Australian native ingredients.
Some of the foods available were familiar plants that we see in arid gardens but many were exotic plants from more tropical parts of Australia.
The trick with seafood is to cook it gently and Andrew demonstrated this by using an iron to cook barramundi fillets.
This was another opportunity take photos as a record of the event for the organizers.
Carly is currently coordinating the "Tastes of the Outback" and required a photographer to record aspects of the event.
We arrived at the Royal Flying Doctor hanger at sunset to find the tables bathed in a wonderful golden light.
Everything was laid out to perfection and the band of amazing young women coordinating the event were in full control. Before I knew it I was asked to take photos of celebrities for the media.
The event raises funds for The Australian Royal Flying Doctor and other organisations including Remote and Isolated Children's Exercise where I spent 10 years as a teacher many years ago ;-))
After the coolest and wettest start to the year on record it is nearly the end of daylight savings and the perfect time to catch the dawn light at the top of the gulf as dawn is at about 7.30am.
Magnificent colours and atmosphere with the hawks surfing the breeze looking for breakfast.
The Red Banks is the eastern edge of the Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden and offers very different land form, vegetation and wild life to the rest of the garden.
The Curdnatta Photographers Group is still going strong. This month the theme is Architecture and Structures. This was taken under the Port Augusta Bridge early in the morning when the tide was low enough to stand right under it. The wind was just picking up providing soft movement in the water. I love the play of the shapes and the reflections.
This has definitely been the wettest March that I can remember in Port Augusta. Widespread tropical cloud moving down from the north brought rain all day long. I am starting to feel a little like the child in a bubble we saw at the Garden of Unearthly Delights during the FRINGE.
