The start of Troppo season in North Queensland, sometimes referred to as Mango Fever Season. Always an interesting time to observe people around you, especially those that don't know the implications and aren't aware of what happens to them.
A few shots I worked on over the last week both 3D Posters and a few 3D Stereo shots. Do have a limited number of 3D Books and viewers left that would make affordable Xmas presents, for that hard to buy for person. Will send directly to the recipients if you want to do it that way.
Some creatures are masters of disguise and the following photos of a spider in our rainforest is a great example of ultimate disguise. The Monsoon has come early and the Summer storms have started...all of life comes to a crescendo at this time...bringing home the fact that people who don't visit during our monsoon season miss out on so much.
The first photo below was taken using no flash on the camera. The spider blends in very well with it's background under a thin film of web. The second photo was taken with a flash...penetrating the web cover and outlining the spider.
the flash exposes the spider below... brilliant camouflage
although not a clear shot at all I thought I would publish it here anyway..sometimes driving when the wildlife comes out and shoot from the hip...this is an encounter with an Adult cassowary and two juvenile chicks I came across on a track the other day...much to the delight of all the passengers on board the bus that day.
Not too sure exactly what species of pepper vine this is but was found near Cape Tribulation. Different species of pepper seem to fruit at different times of the year. This particular species hasn't been seriously introduced to garden culture yet but is a plant with great potential as a new herb, or condiment. The peppers are ripe when bright red, easily gathered, put them on a hot rock in the sun for a few days and they will shrivel up and turn black into the more recognisable pepper corns one is used to seeing. Put them through a pepper mill and you will end up with a condiment pepper, half as hot as the black pepper we are used to but twice the flavour. Coincidently, this is the reason Europeans first sailed into this part of the Southern hemisphere...to search for herbs and spices. In those days certain herbs were worth more then their weight in gold...makes me think that the food in Europe must have been pretty bland in those days for them to come half way around the globe to gather these herbs and spices...apparently they were used to preserve foods for their harsh winters and not for flavouring at all.
Reflections on the bank of Cooper Creek.
having just dropped the visitors off at Cooper Creek Wilderness Cruise gives me the opportunity to check out the condition of the lunch camp and facilities, find where the wildlife is hiding and prepare and set up for lunch. If I do this quickly I will create some time for myself to indulge in a few minutes quiet reflection on the banks of Cooper Creek. I meditate about days gone by when I used to earn a living conducting expeditions through our tropical rainforests...and for a brief moment I feel at home again..
Welcome to Mossman, Queensland's Tidy Town of the year....1957.
A quintessential deliciously old fashioned North Queensland sugar milling town. Please speak slowly and end your sentences with Ay. No parking meters, no traffic lights, a town where pedestrians still have the right of way. A town where people still greet you in the street. A town where some small businesses still survive.
Every Saturday, markets are held under the Raintrees on the northern side of town.
Was on my way to a quest searching for Frangipani when I decided to stop at the markets to see if I could find anything there. Met the Coconut lady who sold me some Frangipani scented Coconut oil. Also nice to see all the multi cultural people and stalls selling their wares.
Especially nice to see the local Aboriginal people present their artwork here.
My new business card
Native Kapok is related to a tree called Kapok which is an exotic. They both yield a high quality cotton which was used to stuff life vests and saddles in earlier times. Nowadays still being harvested for non alergenic pillows and mattresses.
Kapok Bush Cochlospermum fraseri
Below are five photographs taken on a recent magic day trip to Mt Carbine area. Had forgotten how beautiful this area is at this time of the year.
A two lined dragon or " Tommy Roundhead" as some of the bushies call them. A common lizard in the savannahlands of Cape York Peninsular.
Mcleod river...clean and crystal clear...and invigorating.
A lot of the Kapok trees were in fruit and in this photo you will find a pair of Red winged parrots feeding on then seeds. Might have to click on it to see the detail. Not the best of photos but they were quite a distance away.
Moon rising over Kapok Dreaming.
Finally a composite 3d picture of Kapok seed in three stages of opening.
The last of the components for my macro 3D rig arrived this week so now have a fully functioning apparatus to take care of the smaller things I like to photograph in 3D. Camera is now multi adjustable and steady...using a turntable to move subject rather then trying a camera shift. Still in it's experimental stage but already getting good results.
Rebirth of Take a Walk on the Wild Side...created in 1979. The longest running nature appreciation tour in North Queensland.
After spending most of this year trying to carve a living out of our dying Tourism industry working for other companies as a freelance guide have decided to resurrect Take a Walk on the Wild Side as an upmarket alternative tour company to cater for the more discerning thinking travellers to this region. Still working on web content and the itineraries and should be quite complete by Xmas...you can see some progress clicking on the link in the top right hand column. Like a Phoenix rising from the ashes...
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