Entries by Robert

Experiments with Qik

Qik is a little piece of software that enables you to stream videos directly from your phone to the Web. Use it to stream engaging videos to your friends in Facebook, Twitter, etc. or as your camcorder to capture entertaining and special moments.

With Qik you can stream engaging video live from your phone to the world or use your phone like a camcorder to capture entertaining, interesting and special moments. Go LIVE with your life by streaming anytime, anywhere—right from your phone. Be an eyewitness, capture those first steps, or whip up your own streaming video blog. There are just a million and one uses of Qik.

This is one of the coolest Web things I have played with in a long time. Let me know what you think.



... Robert

I can remember when I was 5 years old and had formulated a theory of how electric motors worked. I got as far as electricity, currents and forces but how the forces "knew" what to do was a mystery to me! So began a career in electronics. In the last 23 years I have been involved in product development, embedded software design, engineering management, technology and innovation management, marketing and business development.

In short it has to date been a rewarding and fascinating time. As a self confessed techie, I love being involved in the latest and most interesting innovations, especially those impacting our everyday lives

... Robert

Edithburgh Dive Weekend 17/18th June '06



















Edithburgh Dive Weekend 3rd September '05


















Jennifer & Myself Diving 'The Lumb', 5th June '05


















Andy & Myself Diving 'The John Robb', 4th June '05

















Whyalla Cuttlefish Weekend, 15th May '05

I have been a SCUBA diver for more than 18 years now and in that time have had the opportunity to dive extensively throughout South Australia. I've dived elsewhere and yes, tropical water is wonderful but my soft spot is for the dramatic offshore waters of Australia's Southern coast. It may be cold but the dramatic scale of walls, caves, ledges, kelp, dolphins, seals, reef fish, oceanic pelagics and the odd rather too large for comfort predator make for what South Australian diving stands for!!

My favorite dive location is Allthorpe Island off the coast of South Australia's York Peninsula. My favorite shore dive is Chinaman's Hat, again on South Australia's York Peninsula.

I wish I could say how many dives I have done but for 10 years I kept no record of my diving, an oversight I now regret, many hundreds I'd say at a pinch! I now teach others to dive and my enthusiasm for the salty realm is as strong as ever.

... Robert

I have been involved in this mad sport for nearly 20 years now and can be found at the bottom of the pool on a regular basis. We play weekly at the Adelaide Aquatics Centre with formally organised teams and games. After the game you will almost certainly find us continuing the proceedings at a nearby watering hole!

Underwater hockey is very similar to field hockey in the way it is played with 6 players in the game per side and 4 players as interchange. We use a puck which, although looks like an ice hockey puck, is made of plastic coated lead. The hockey stick is very short, about 20cm long and is held in one hand. The entire game is played at the bottom of the pool while holding your breath!

Underwater Hockey started in England in 1954, but it was not until 1984 that the first World Championships took place in Chicago , USA where Australia made a clean sweep in Men’s and Women’s winning in both team events. Australian Open UWH Championships were held in 1975. The Women’s UWH Titles commenced in 1981, with the Junior UWH Championships commencing in 1990.

... Robert

I could could tell you a bit about who I am but I'm afraid the story would be obsolete before you get to read it. So let me give you a little of who I am at the time of writing this text. I am having a rich and adventurous life, full of "life experiences" as they say and it is my intention to keep things that way!

I presently live in the quiet city of Adelaide in South Australia. Adelaide may be quiet to some but believe me, there is plenty here to keep anyone thoroughly engaged, enthralled and occupied! You might just have to put in a bit of effort to find it sometimes!

My most recent passion has become the pursuit of excellence in teaching scuba divers. For me it has been a wonderful experience in bringing the brand new uninitiated into a world I have had many privileged years to be part of. Such a stark contrast from my previous life in the world of electronics, technology and computing.

That all being said I am still a technologist at heart and keep my ears to the ground and my eyes out for the latest, the greatest and most fun new things to play with. Today's new ideas may seem like fun and folly for the early adopters but history has shown that the future depends on us. If it were not for our insatiable appetite for ever new and more complex things to fill our lives with then I'm sure we would all still be living in caves and wondering "is this all there is!!".

... Robert

Cuttle’s Last Stand

Impressive as his pose may be there is not much fight or life left in this big male cuttlefish.

Countless fights have fought for the reward of an intimate encounter. He’s still in one piece so there is a very good chance his progeny and genetic line will live on. That’s all that matters in the life of the giant cuttlefish who have congregated this winter at Stony Point near Whyalla.

Perhaps he will enter the fray one more time, perhaps he will become prey to some larger predator.

Regardless, this is probably Cuttle’s last stand.

#critters #cuttlefish #diving #giantcuttlefish #marinelife #molluscs #pointlowly #scuba #sepiaapana #southaustralia #stonypoint #sunburst #whyalla #wideangle

Framed by curtains of rain, bathed in sunset gold, the sun peeks below the dark clouds of the receding winter.

Not since I was a child do I remember rain like this season has brought.

As if the curtains of winter were finally drawn back, this weekend was the first in weeks the rain has not taken centre stage making our plans its own.

The rain will be back soon but for now I am enjoying the sunshine of the coming spring.

#Adelaide #sunset #goldenhour #rain #winter #aerial #clouds #southaustralia

As we sat out watching the sun set on the distant Flinders Ranges and bathing the Waukaringa Hotel ruins in amber light, we were not alone.

Along side us, sunbaking on her own piece of ruin, this Bearded Dragon cared not for the visual beauty of the outback, only the last rays of sun keeping her warm.

#beardeddragon #dragon #lizard #outback #Pogonavitticeps #reptile #southaustralia #bush #desert #outback #remote #ruins #travel #waukaringa

Bathing in the emerald green shallows of Stony Point this sealion, belly full of cuttlefish, is probably the most content creature on earth.

To us the Whyalla cuttlefish season is an extraordinary opportunity to swim with, observe, and simply be with one of our most amazing sea critters. To sealions, it’s a gastronomical smorgasbord with one item on the menu.

For now, belly full, I’d wager she is dreaming of more tomorrow.

#sealion #whyalla #stonypoint #aquatic #cuttlefish #dreaming #green #animals #pinnipeds #abstract

Well, more orange perhaps, but plenty of deep deep colour. This was the afterglow of tonight’s beautiful sunset on the Grange beach foreshore.

The inclement stormy weather of the last few weeks has turned our coastal waters into something akin to an insipid mocha. As a scuba diver I’ll just have to wait until water clarity returns.

In the meantime a beautiful evening on Grange beach with a fiery red, or orange sea will do just fine.

#Grange #seascape #sunset #goldenhour #aerial #southaustralia #sea #ocean #twilight

It does not matter if the beach is crowded or you have it all to yourself; all you need do is look out to sea and it you’ll have it all, in solitude, on your own.

#Whyalla #solitude #ocean #seascape #beach #coastline #blackandwhite #monochrome

It looks as if something exploded here in the salty shallows just off Torrens Island

One large mangrove might be to blame or possibly the outcome.

It is curious to note the perimeter of benthic disturbance encircling the entire group.

Perhaps it is indeed the fallout of the large mangrove; wind, waves and tide doing the rest.

#torrensisland #ocean #aerial #water #mangrove #solitary #abstract #patterns #sea #ocean

A beautiful pelican glides into view as I watch from the tranquil river bank. How strange it seems to me, this green brown waterway so far from the ocean.

In the river’s reflection I see another creature, a creature of dry, arid places. A desert dweller lurks here too in the most incongruous of realms; somewhere between reflection and imagination.

I am missing my ocean but the pelican is happy here in the backwaters of the River Murray; as long as he or she does not see the lurking scorpion.

#pelican #river #murray #loxton #katarapko #tranquil #waterfowl #birds #scorpion #reflection #water #animals #nature #southaustralia

I often come here on the way home from my day occupation. Perhaps not so often in these short winter days when I seem to leave and return during the in-between light of twilight.

The little tidal creeks of Torrens Island in the last rays of sunset always make be feel like I have stepped into another world altogether.

The colours, rich and vibrant. The texture, almost tactile. The azure rivulets drawing attention to the rising tide which feeds them. The entire landscape, so natural and detached from the world I usually inhabit.

This little haven, Torrens Island, one of suburban Adelaide’s hidden treasures, is I place I can completely escape to, if only for a little while.

#abstract #aerial #barkerinlet #bog #landscape #life #mangroves #marshes #salt-marsh #sunset #torrensisland #goldenhour #creek

What Australian artist would be so bold as to use his very own Rolls Royce as the canvas for images of the mines of Broken Hill?

There was no airbrush or spray booth used here. Just a talented artist and his brush.

Thank you for the sacrilege Pro Hart,
… we miss you.

#prohart #rollsroyce #canvas #brokenhill #paintjob #abstract #automobile #newsouthwales

He’s on the hunt for a breeding mate.

Iridescent waves of chromatophore colour ripple from head to tail.
Tenticles outstretch ready to caress or to fight.

He’s beautiful and he knows it and nothing will stop him from getting what he wants,
… except perhaps the hundreds of other males around him with the same intent.

He probably will get what he wants but it will cost him.

If he is still alive by the end of the cuttlefish breeding season he’ll be left a ragged spectre of his former glorious self,

… but happy.

#cephalapod #critters #cuttlefish #diving #giantcuttlefish #marinelife #molluscs #pointlowly #scuba #sepiaapana #southaustralia #stonypoint #sunburst #whyalla #wideangle

Chronological Abstraction

At a glance I could easily imagine some old civic timepiece adorning the municipal building of some sleepy Austrian village, a little after 9am on a chilly but sunny winter morning.

How easy it is to imagine seeing something completely different when presented with an inaccessible perspective. In this view, the Point Lowly Lighthouse, an iconic landmark of the Whyalla region, is transformed into something abstract letting me imagine what I will.

However it is done, a macro image of some everyday object or an aerial view of an iconic landmark, an abstracted perspective of something I know I should recognise but don’t, frees me from what is, letting my imagination create what might be.

… breakfast at 10am anyone?

#aerialdrone #lighthouse #pointlowly #southaustralia #travel #whyalla #abstract #clock

At first I thought two males were simply facing off but on closer inspection the plot thickened.

First I noticed a diminutive female beneath one male, now thinking he defended his claim. Then I realised a second female lay protected beneath the second male. So it was clear now that both males had their prize mates.

In the distance, on all flanks, challenging suitors lurked patiently waiting their chance.

At last the scene beneath my cuttlefish eye made perfect sense.

#cephalapod #critters #cuttlefish #diving #giantcuttlefish #marinelife #molluscs #pointlowly #scuba #sepiaapana #southaustralia #stonypoint #whyalla #wideangle #fisheye

Just another moon? Perhaps…

It’s the same one I’ve seen in the sky countless nights and in countless phases. So why is it that when I glance up into the night sky, perhaps for the ten thousandth time, the moon still takes my breath away?

A wonderful question I’ll leave for other minds to ponder.

There is nothing special about this image. It’s identical to thousands like it. What’s special is that this waxing gibbous phase is my favourite moon.

Waxing, growing, becoming; Textured, visceral, visually tactile; Gibbous, solid, substantive with a promise of immanent completion...

These are just some of the reasons why this moon, a few days from full, is absolutely my favourite moon.

#astrophotography #celestial #moon #lunar #waxing #gibbous #moonphase

What an odd shaped blue swimmer crab I thought as it raised it claws to frighten me away.

It was not until we met at eye level did the source of the odd symmetry become apparent.

I quickly took my photo and then sheepishly backed away hoping to preserve some modesty. After all who wants to be photographed in this position?

Still, I kept the photo!

#blueswimmer #blueys #crab #critters #crustacean #diving #jetty #edithburgh #portunusarmatus #scuba #underwater #mating #mirror

Alien Encounter

If scuba diving is a privileged opportunity to experience critters hidden from our world then scuba diving at night takes it into a different, almost alien, world altogether.

Strange creatures come out from their secret nooks to search and hunt for prey. Sea lice and phytoplankton swarm dive lights like insects to headlights. Strange creaks, crackles and the odd indescribable sound fills the inky blackness while our lights illuminates just the tiniest bit of our surrounds.

Diving at night requires giving in to certainty and comfort in exchange for the unkown, the unexpected and alien encounters.

This southern calamari (Sepioteuthis australis) under Edithburgh Jetty on a recent dive was just such and encounter.

#animals #chromataphores #creatures #scuba #diving,juvenile #night #ocean #edithburgh #sea #critters #Sepioteuthisaustralis #squid #underwater #cephlapods #southaustralia

This seagull’s view of Point Lowly holds three of the Whyalla area’s oldest buildings, the heritage listed lighthouse and the two lighthouse keepers’ cottages.

Completed in 1883, the Point Lowly assisted maritime operations for the next 90 years. Today it’s maintained operational as a tourist attraction and the cottages can be rented for holiday accommodation.

#lighthouse #landscape #travel #pointlowly #southaustralia #whyalla #wideangle #aerial #drone

Some may think that the eagle ray is one of the uglier cousins of the ray family but I love them as one of my favourites.

Yes, that snubby nose and mottled skin make it just a little bit ‘bulldog crossed with dalmation’, but I think that they give this ray a unique character all its own.

It is however when eagle rays are swimming that their elegant beauty truly stands out. Their long birdlike wings and slender wipe-like tail are mesmerising in flight and take my breath away every time I see them.

I came here to Point Lowley to see the giant cuttlefish but am so glad this eagle has landed here.

#critters #stingray #diving #eagleray #marinelife #rays #pointlowly #scuba #southaustralia #stonypoint #whyalla #wideangle

Last weekend we made a trip to Whyalla on South Australia’s Spencer Gulf to frolic in the wintry ocean with our Giant Cuttlefish for their seasonal breeding congregation.

This year I was delighted with the numbers, as hundred and hundreds of mating crazed cuttlefish could be found along the shallow coastline west from Port Lowley.

As I have written before, this place is a rare treat for non-divers too with just snorkelling gear needed to completely experience the spectacle. There were in fact some places so shallow you could have stood with a pair of waders and a glass bottomed bucket and still got a good sense of the cuttlefish carry-on.

We got to share this experience with a couple of our dearest friends as well as hopefully making new ones, both human and cephalapod!

The Whyalla cuttlefish yet again remind me why I love South Australian diving.

#critters #cuttlefish #diving #giantcuttlefish #marinelife #molluscs #pointlowly #scuba #sepiaapana #southaustralia #stonypoint #sunburst #whyalla #wideangle #cephalapod

Look at the rainbow behind us Jennifer exclaimed; looking away from the beautiful sunset over Hummocks Range west of Lake Bumbunga near Lochiel.

We both agreed we’d never seen a rainbow like it before. It was if a painter had taken to the sky creating wispy downward brush strokes of colour.

It’s raining a rainbow I sighed as we watched this extraordinary play of colour and rain paint the ground below a brilliant gold.

For a time we looked back and forth from rainbow to sunset until eventually the colours faded and the gold turn to the grey blue of twilight.

It rained a rainbow this evening.

#rainbow #lochiel #hummocksrange #sunset #goldenhour #lakebumbunga #landscape #panorama #aerial #drone #southaustralia

Here anchored in the calm shallows of Sultana Bay, ‘Miros’ epitomises how to do a socially distant holiday.

We are so very lucky here in South Australia with relative freedom to move about and enjoy life with only minor inconvenience.

Still, if we find ourselves in lock-down again I wouldn’t mind being all-at-sea in such a beautiful boat!

#Ocean #sailing #yacht #edithburgh #boats #travel #sea #aerial #saltanabay #isolation #miros

Diving in South Australia would not be the same if every dive was not frequented by old wives!

An odd name for these attractive fish but as I am told their name comes from the way they behave when caught by fishers and the way they carry on when landed.

I am happy to see them down here where they belong. Not so desperate at all.

#Oldwives #rapidbay #jetty #scuba #diving #southaustralia #underwater #fish #marine

I offer no apologies for an obviously tourist snapshot! The boldness of this outback town’s welcome sign is nothing short of ostentatious and I simply had to capture it (along with every other visitor to Silverton)!

This humble little town in the middle of the Australian outback is the birthplace of our largest and most powerful company outside of the banking industry. Even on the world stage, BHP ranks in the top 100 companies (depending on your criteria).

Despite its auspicious heritage, Silverton's notoriety has very little to do with its mining giant offspring. It is the movie industry that brought the current Silverton into the public eye with Mel Gibson and ‘Mad Max II’, a.k.a. ‘The Road Warrior’ as the movie was renamed for international release. Since then Silverton has played host to many other Australian and international productions.

Silverton is a quirky place with fascinating local characters and perhaps is all the more interesting, not because of it being the birthplace of BHP but because of its moments in the show business limelight.

#bhp #silverton #newsouthwales #outback #madmax #roadwarrior #tourism #australia #silver #lead #mining

It’s not rained here for more than three weeks now and it’s starting to show.

The wetlands north of Adelaide are becoming more and more like salty badlands every day.
Marches have turn to mud and cracked like a patchwork of crazy paving.

Time to pray for rain.

#parched #arid #dry #texture #patterns #cracked #outerharbour