Robert's Ramblings

A few minutes earlier a number of fishers were chancing their luck out here on Brighton Jetty however getting wet was not a chance they were prepared to make and shortly hightailed their way back to more substantial cover.

One solitary stalwart fisher persists despite the oncoming deluge.

A few seconds later we took for cover too as it came in lashing in while the fisher remained content to keep on fishing.

#Brightonjetty #southaustralia #jetty #boardwalk #rain #twilight #sea #ocean #fishing #solitary #aerial #drone

You could easily miss out on this beautiful mural adorning the grain silo’s of Kimba if you were just passing through. The main highway from east to west passes a view of nondescript plain white.

Melbourne artist Cam Scale used 200 litres of paint to cover this unusual canvas with a vision representing the region. It is now one of South Australia’s most photographed silos.

Silo art has become wonderful part of Australia’s rural landscape since the first grain silos were painted back in 2015 in Western Australia. Since then over thirty more silos across Australia have become canvas’s for artists who like working on grand scales for rural communities with vision.

#Kimba #southaustralia #mural #silos #siloart #art #graffiti #rural #camscale #artist

It’s like a tiny little Uluru. At 500m across the top, Pildappa Rock is big! Still when you do the maths it’s only one percent of Uluru’s massive presence and that’s the bit we can see above the ground.

We stopped here for a while travelling out of Minnipa and explored some of Pildappa Rock’s terrain including the natural pools of water that collect on the surface and provide a source of life for birds, frogs and other critters.

Just like Uluru, that red colour is just a thin veneer of red dust over grey sandstone. Spray painted by the wind and then baked on by the sun it lulls into thinking the entire rock is that familiar orange, red all the way through.

#Pildappa #Pildapparock #landscape #gawlerranges #minipa #southaustralia #landscape #outback

Standing on a large rock slab just below Kolay Mirica Falls in the Gawler Ranges, looking around and taking in this beautiful place which we thought we had all to ourselves.

I look down and suddenly realise we’re not alone here.

#Shadows #abstract #gawlerranges #KolayMiricaFalls #southaustralia

Imagine a life in a beautiful semi-arid wilderness. Imagine no internet, no telephone, and only dirt tracks for miles to the closest souls.

Imagine a trip to the grocery store or the post office being a full day’s project.

Imagine an existence that demanded your attention to land and field and livestock every day.

Looking though the kitchen window of the old Paney homestead I feel the tension of experiencing this beautiful land from easy and privileged lives juxtaposed with how hard they must have worked for theirs.

Old Paney Homestead, Gawler Ranges, South Australia

#Paney #oldpaney #homestead #kitchen #silhouette #landscape #blackandwhite #gawlerranges

The camera really had no idea what to do as it hunted back and forth searching for the subject in its view.

One moment the subtle textures of the moon would appear, only to then bloom out into a white ball as tree branches appeared in sharp relief. The next moment neither could be seen as it simply gave up in confusion only to repeat it all as I tried again and again and again.

Finally I simply picked a random moment, pressed the shutter, and chose.

#Moon #moonlight #silhouette #abstract #branches #lunar #light #moonscape #gawlerranges

Air Conditioned
Road House Motel
Accommodation

Souvenirs
Meals
Takeaways
Drinks Ice
Car Accessories
Tyres Tubes
* Batteries

… but not for a long time

#Ironknob #southaustralia #outback #derelict #abandoned #progress #bypassed #history #roadhouse #progress

This sunset view of the Barunga Range from a nondescript sheep paddock in South Australia’s mid-north town of Burnsfield, was a wonderful respite in out eight hour drive home today.

Even the towers of the Snowtown wind farm dotted along the ridges seem to belong.

#Hopegap #augustahighway #windfarm #sunset #goldenhour #aerial #drone #southaustralia #clouds #reflections #Burnsfield #BarungaRange #snowtown

Calm in the wake of a storm with the residue of summer long gone, emergence from isolation is a slow and cautious thing. For a while at least it’s lovely to revel in this quiet space between waves.

#beach #overcast #twilight #beachscape #isolation #caution #henleybeach #southaustralia

Fort Glanville, tucked away in a little coastal corner of Adelaide, is like a preserved snapshot of South Australia’s 19th century colonial heritage.

Built in 1880, you can still see the original armaments, intact, and reportedly still operational. Never actually used, its very reason for being is a story unto itself.

I have driven past here countless times and never stepped foot inside the grounds. This image captured from a privilege vantage point is really my first glimpse into this part of South Australian history.

I wanted to capture how this island of history holds to its past amid the suburban landscape of roads, homes, holiday parks and progress. Both hiding in place sight and becoming lost in time.

Note: This image has been created from a panoramic grid of multiple horizontal positions above the fort providing both scale and detail without having to go to high.

#FortGlanville #Adelaide #semaphore #SouthAustralia #colonial #history #aerial #drone

I’ve sat on this image for way too long just because I did not feel it was technically good enough how ever I’ve keep revisiting it just because I love that the indifferent attitude. Time to share.

I’m so grateful to Damian who guided me around Bare Island, Sydney, for this dive. His critter spotting eyes are legendary and transformed a surgey low visibility dive into a zoological extravaganza.

The Red Indian Fish is one of the three members of the prowfish family, all which are endemic to Southern Australia. This critter is my second ever in all of my dives and the only one I’ve successfully photographed.

#Redindianfish #prowfish #bareisland #sydney #scuba #diving #critters #frontoPataceus

A squint of light finds its way under Queens Bridge, Melbourne. Perhaps they thought the shadows would hide them but the fickle Melbourne sun had other ideas!

It’s probably only a joyride but it’s fun to imagine!

#Melbourne #queensbridge #yarrariver #yarra #boating #exploring #tourisim

This little corner of the Barrosa Valley, part of the village of Bethany, has been a playground to me for as long as I can remember.

Nestled between the Schrapel vineyards, Tanunda Creek winds its way up Schlinke’s Gully into the Barrosa Ranges leaving people and farmland behind and replacing it all with bracken fern forest, rocky waterfalls, shady gumtrees, granite cliffs and the sights, sounds and smells of nature.

Here I undertook epic day long solo adventures, explored the little tributaries, collected tadpoles and scorpions and felt like a real explorer. The school excursions were fun but I liked it here best under my own direction.

I camped up in those hills with school friends, undertook my first attempts at campfire cooking and made friends with old man Schrapel and his dog. Much later that friendship would extend to his sons Robert and Jeff and visiting their little winery, Bethany Wines nestled right up in the foothills.

I’m not usually one to dabble in nostalgia but perhaps now more than ever is good time to remember the wonderful moments that have shaped who we are and make sure we never loose wonder in our beautiful world.

#Barrosa #barrosavalley #bethany #bethanywines #schlinkesgully #barrosaranges #childhood #nostalgia #aerial #drone #goldenhour #playground #vineyards #wineregion #southaustralia

If you spend a little time exploring this image you might start noticing how the blurred images of reality echo the sharp lines of cobalt blue.

So often I will capture an image because it just feels interesting. Later while editing I’m both surprised and delighted by the things I never saw.

I wonder how often a person looks at a scene, a painting, sculpture or just their immediate surrounds and loves what they see without consciously understanding why.

Here with my editing hat on I ponder that ‘why’. What is it, in an image, that commands my interest, my attention, my fascination?

When I am out and about, in some wilderness landscape, under the ocean, or in some marketplace, that ‘why’ never occurs to me. Like everyone else, I just enjoy what I see.

#Porcelain #china #crockery #cobaltblue #plates #markets #commercial #retail #cheese #southmelbournemarkets

There is nothing lonesome about being alone. That’s a state of mind, not of place.

I have it on good authority that this boatman was as happy in his element as anyone alone could possibly be,

… on very good authority!

#Sunset #twilight #blackandwhite #boats #isolation #lonesome #boatman #ocean #calm #tranquil #semaphore #southaustralia

There is a funny irony about our tentative emergence from isolation. Ten people, outdoors only, safe distances and the onslaught of some serious cold, windy, wintery weather that will keep most peoples safely indoors.

For those that can, rug up and enjoy the irony!

#Outdoor #dining #cutlery #highkey #setting #blackandwhite #restaurants #isolation #irony #depthoffield #rundlestreet #adelaide

With a view from far above I’m made acutely aware how tiny my little boat is in this big ocean. It’s curious how seeing a fragile version of myself in a much bigger context shifts my thinking from being in control to just being.

Not so bad really...

#Tin-can #isolation #boat #boating #ocean #boating #aerial #drones

Wow the sky put on a performance tonight!

For twenty minutes after sunset the colours in the sky shifted through reds, yellows, greens and blues then back to deep reds again before fading into the indigo and violets of twilight.

How lucky to experience this natural masterpiece with only a pod of dolphins and the odd gull to share with.

#Seascape #twilight #sunset #ocean #landscape #isolation #aerial #rainbow #colour #boat #boating

There is always a story behind every image and yesterday’s experience is a yarn worth telling.

There is place I like to fly and capture images from; a little boat ramp adjacent to the South Australian Royal Yacht Squadron, thank you Paul for the tip! It’s a quirky little spot where boaties can launch their little ‘tinnies’ and you can watch the sailing boats leave and return to the marina.

There are two other interesting things about this place, the land spit 300m away across the channel and being nestled between two international cargo terminals. For me the land spit and the waterfowl it attracts was my mark.

Not more that a few minutes into exploring the spit and its possible photo opportunities I became aware or a man striding up behind me with purpose. Without even an introduction he demanded ‘Sir, can you please show me where your drone is!’. Caught by surprise and a little off guard I looked at him, noticed his official uniform and then pointed out across the water to the spit I was hovering next to.

What happened next was simply lovely. He noticed the image I was composing on my screen and seemed almost apologetic about his initial brusque demeanour. “You can never be too careful around port operations”, he offered as he reminded me of the no-fly boundaries. Once that official moment was over we got into a great conversation about the awesomeness of technology.

Satisfied that the biggest threat I presented was a few started seagulls he took his leave and left me to explore the spit and capture images.

That was my first interaction with the Australian Border Force and I was very impressed with how quickly they responded!

#Sunset #goldenhour #outerharbour #landscape #seascape #aerial #sea #ocean #australianborderforce #drones

This little critter is one of my most favourite animals in the sea and we are so lucky here in South Australia to share our part of the world with such an extraordinary creature.

Leafy seadragons are both common and elusive. I dived for years before ever seeing my first leafy. Even knowing how to find them I still sometimes come up from a dive disappointed.

I captured this leafy a couple of weeks ago at ‘The Bluff’ near Victor Harbour. The Bluff is my ‘go to’ place when Rapid Bay is being hit with northerlies and I am hanging out for my dragon fix. It’s not the most pleasant place to dive when there is any hint of a swell. Strong surge and poor visibility are the norm here most days.

Still it’s always worth it just to spend some time with one of my most favourite animals in the sea.

#Leafyseadragon #Victorharbor #thebluff #scuba #diving #underwater #critters #fish #photography #southaustralia #dragons

Isolation need not be lonely or isolating.

As vague as the directives here may be, travel for essential reasons does includes health and well-being. For many, and perhaps the community, that ‘call to stay home’ that we’ve all been told might do more harm than good.

To go out and find a place in the world that reconnects you with the sky and with the land and with the ocean is probably one of the most valuable things one could do in this time of isolation.

Not only are solo adventures in the physical world good for your soul, they may be good for everyone else too.

#Rapidbay #calm #fishing #paddleboard #southaustralia #isolation #seascape #landscape #oceanscape

Six solitary souls patrol the border between sand and sea. Between the comfort of warm clothes and the distress of unprotected immersion, they may be forays close to the edge, but with a comfortable retreat. It’s good to see them here.

Like the edge of a precipice, that boundary calls to me like some deranged version of ‘the grass (water) is greener on the other side’. Surely it would not be so bad being tossed to and fro in that stormy sea and a real connection with being alive in the world.

For now my only excuse is that I can’t fly a drone while swimming …

#Grange #beach #storm #weather #aerial #waves #photography #southaustralia #isolation

What a wild and stormy evening tonight with intermittent squalls interspersed with downpours.
The few stoic souls out braving the cold could teach the many about enjoying isolation.

#Grange #beach #storm #weather #aerial #waves #photography #southaustralia #isolation

This sign was just begging to be photographed ...

#retail #signs #southmelbournemarkets #thesupercool

How strange to imagine no travel beyond the natural borders of your town, state, country or continent.

Once travel was some exotic thing others did. Then I did too and soon forgot the extraordinary privilege and responsibility that travel is and demands.

Perhaps when borders open up again we we be humbled by the opportunity and take on the responsibility that comes with travel near and far.

#Travel #airports #travellator #isolation #perspective #borders

Growing up in a country town far from the ocean pelicans were exotic and beautiful birds that belonged to far away places and movies like ‘Storm Boy’.

Now I delight in finding them live where ever they please, even alongside busy suburban transport routes.

I see many tens of pelicans a week now on the days that I have to travel to work but they will always be exotic and beautiful and I will never tire of them.

#Pelicans #gillman #wetlands #birdlife #portriverexpressway #isolation #birds #waterfowl #southaustralia #wildlife #photography

Coming up from the south the urban sprawl had long been contained by the natural barriers of marsh and wetland. Now that the northern connector is finally finished I expected the northward sprawl will resume.

#Northernconnector #motorway #gillman #wingfield #sunset #goldenhour #twilight #aerial #photography #southaustralia

Like a forest in decay the old Rapid Bay jetty lingers on and on and on. Year by year planking that once felt footsteps, then seagulls, fall in storms and are washed away. Pylons decay and fall to the ocean floor.

Eventually the old jetty will fall completely into the sea but this forest will remain a haven for the life below and above for many, many years to come.

#Rapidbay #jetty #aerial #photography #southaustralia #isolation #seagulls

Lying on the ocean floor staring up through the pylons of the old Rapid Bay Jetty I am struck by how much life abounds irrespective my being here.

The ocean abounds in light, and life and sound and though devoid of the smells of a terrestrial forest the salty taste more than makes up for it.

#Rapidbay #jetty #pylons #underwater #photography #scuba #diving #southaustralia #isolation

To me one of our greatest achievements is the humble boat.

For thousands of years boats have served us by enabling migration, by making fishing a viable food source for large communities; have enabled the crossing of oceans, the establishment of global trade and brought untold recreational pleasure to millions.

No other craft takes us so far away from the safety of land to places impossible to reach in any other way even today.

If you ever get the chance to skipper or crew a seafaring boat at least once in your life then take it.
The respect for the water that comes with such an adventure is priceless.

#Boats #seafaring #oceangoing #travel #recreation #respect #sea #ocean