Lava Light Show

Our big splurge for this trip was the Lava Boat Tour at Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island. Starting at 5am, the tour is timed to get you right up close just at the right time, and you get to within about 20 feet of the action - boy, was it hot!...it was an awesome (I don't use that word very often!) experience, and worth everyone one of the many dollars it cost. Even the 45 minute boat trip each way was a huge adventure, and when we got to the freely running lava show, the boat captain gave us heaps of time, from all angles, to shoot the show. And all the time the light just got better and better. This is going to take some beating........and I have heaps of images to work through. Very hard conditions to shoot in, off a wildly rocking boat, but managed to get a lot of great images - all I can say is "WOW!"  You've just gotta click on this one for a bigger look! And don't get burnt!!

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Green Turtle, Black Sand, Blue Sky

After spending the morning at Volcanoes National Park, we headed down the south east coast of the Big Island to visit the green turtles. Luckily there were four of them on the amazing black sand beach, and the reflection off the sky gave this one a lovely blue glow. This image is especially for the great American couple we ran into a couple of times in the Park, just in case they didn't make it here!

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Lava!

This is as close as we've got to lava at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park....the best is yet to come!

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The Needle in Maui

Before we flew over to the Big Island, we had a chance to visit Iao Valley State Park, and though only a small park it has some fantastic scenery. This is a close up of the Needle and its surrounding hills, quite an awesome sight. Next up is the Big Island and Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. And just gotta say....boy, it rains a lot over here!

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The Maui Sunset

Caught this on Saturday night whilst out looking for dinner.......thought you'd all appreciate an iconic Hawaiian sunset!

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Wow! Haleakala National Park, Maui

Gotta say Haleakala Crater is out of this world....one of the most amazing vistas I've ever seen. Here's a taste.......trying to catch up a bit after spending Friday night sleeping the car! Our big hike was cancelled due to flash flood warnings...!! Got many, many extraordinary images from this visit, the conditions were fantastic!

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A Great Start in Maui

After a very long trip into Los Angeles and then over to Maui in Hawaii, we hit the road on our first day. First day plans were to visit the east side of Haleakala National Park, our 48th USA National Park, and our first stop, after a very long, windy road was this waterfall just a few miles before you enter the Park. The first picture I took on the trip! There has been massive rain here, and today was one of the wettest. Things just got wetter and wetter and it looks like our plans for the big hike may be threatened.....but still so much to investigate and explore. Heading up to the top of the crater today........

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A Final Farewell Fly By

...before we head off, from Wednesday morning.

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Golden Glow

...and just in case I miss a day whilst on the long flight over, hows this beauty from the Grampians a couple of weeks ago!

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Some Birds at Springbank

Tuesday around midday out at Springbank. A very different day to what we've been having with a lot of low mist around. Some wild birds out this way, and check out that sheep ducking for cover!
Off on the trip Wednesday morning, next stop Maui, Hawaii!

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The Shed in Black and White

Thought this was worth a look....its a great location and when you get the big sky behind it looks fantastic.

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Is This The End?

On Monday evening, whilst having dinner around 7pm, the light coming from outside changed to a very eerie red - obviously some smoke in the air from fires. So I headed off, initially via Lake Wendouree and then out west to Lake Burrumbeet where the sky was looking awesome. On the way out I stopped at this well-known shearing shed that always gives me something special, and by the time I got to Lake Burrumbeet the sun was just breaking through the clouds in the most incredible strong, deep red. Very apocalyptic....and then it just faded away and that was it....we're safe for another day!

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Grampians National Park

Its almost 2 weeks since my visit to the Grampians, and with our departure for Hawaii on Wednesday, I thought I'd better get a few more images posted here before they get forgotten. I had 2 sunsets, and 2 sunrises on my visit. These are probably 4 of the most iconic spots to visit and each one gave me something special. In fact the sunrise from Mt William was one of, if not the best, sunrise I have ever experienced. Its a place I'll happily be looking to return to later in the year, I think winter would be a great time to visit! And you gotta click on these for a bigger look!!

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Orange Evening

On Sunday evening I was out around north Creswick, just cruising around watching the sun go down and grabbing what ever caught my eye. Common theme through this series is the strong orange colours, and the crepuscular rays (thats the suns rays, hopefully your new word for today!)

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Moods of Lake Burrumbeet

Saturday evening out at Lake Burrumbeet. Great range of lighting conditions, the water was still, the options were endless...here's a few.......

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The Mountain on Fire

As I mentioned in the previous post, we had a large fire on Mt Warrenheip, one of my most visited locations, on Thursday due to lightning strikes. I was in Melbourne, so missed all the action that day, but on Friday you could still see it burning from in town Ballarat, so about 4pm I made the trip out there, and once I got around to the east side, looking west, I got some fantastic lighting across the side of the mountain, and the sun rays streaming down from above were something very special. Clicking on these will give you a much larger view!

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More Fireworks at Lake Wendouree

We had our main fireworks display for the year in Ballarat back on Australia Day, January 26th, but on Friday night we were treated to an awesome display. This series were taken from St Patricks Point and gives a good indication of the changing colours throughout the show, which actually went on for longer than the show back on Australia Day. You've gotta click on thse for a larger viewing, I've left them a bit bigger than normal as they are so spectacular.
And earlier in the day, around 4.30pm, I went out to Mt Warrenheip, which was still burning from the previous days big fire that was started by lightning. I missed this because I was in Melbourne for the day, but there was still plenty of action on Friday, some that I think are quite unique, so I'll put some of those up a bit later.......phew, its hard keeping up with all this action! I think I need a holiday.........!

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Thursday Morning at Lake Wendouree Ballarat

Here's a selection from the great sunrise on Thursday morning up at Lake Wendouree here in Ballarat. 

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The Last Minute

...as the sun sets at Allendale West on Wednesday evening. I thought I'd posted this but it seems to have gone missing.....

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A Big Day Out in Melbourne

Had a big day out in Melbourne on Thursday, and I'm happy to report the sensor on the camera is now as clean as a whistle. Whilst I seemed to be driving around all day in heavy, but actually quite good traffic, I managed to fit in a visit DIghts Falls in Abbotsford. Dights Falls is an artificial weir built on a natural rock bar across the Yarra. The weir was built in the 1840s to provide water to the 'Ceres' flour mill, one of the first in Victoria. The falls were later to become known as Dights Falls after the owners of the mill. After a couple of family visits I ended the day with a presentation at the Rosanna Camera Club, that was very well received. I really enjoy giving talks to fellow photographers - we all have a common interest and its great to share my work and stories with others.
I actually got up for what turned into a pretty spectacular sunrise at Lake Wendouree as I wasn't sure if I'd get a chance later in the day, so I'll post a couple of those later.
And I I hadn't mentioned it yet...we are off to Hawaii and then the west coast USA next Wednesday...more National Parks to visit!

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Canyonlands National Park

I'm preparing for a presentation at Rosanna Camera Club on Thursday night, highlighting my USA National Parks, and whilst looking for images this one from back in October 2008 caught my eye.

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As The Sun Sets.....

....on another clear, blue sky day, I found this long-range view out at Warrenheip. I was actually out looking for the new, crescent moon that didn't really cause much excitement, but thought this was a nice replacement option. And its great if you click on it for a larger view.

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Alive at Yellowstone National Park

This is another image from a past trip in October 2010. One of the great things about Yellowstone is the feeling of the whole place being alive and active - ready to blow at any time. Its an amazing place!

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Out Warrenheip Way

Monday was another day of clear blue skies....until about an hour before sunset when some nice clouds started to move through from the south west. Out around Mt Warrenheip seemed the best place to use them to greatest advantage. The first one is from a side road I haven't been along before, though I have seen those bales from the opposite side many times. The huge irrigators continue to douse the potato crops throughout the district.

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Creswick Silhouette

On Sunday evening I caught this nice view across Creswick to St Augustine's on the horizon. Looks good up large if you click on it!

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The Arch of Victory, Ballarat

I've been meaning to photograph Ballarat's Arch for ages, and last night on the way home from the fantastic sunset at Lake Burrumbeet seemed like a good time as the clouds were just how I wanted them.

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Way Back......

First one here is from Hurricane Ridge atop Olympic National Park in May 2008, followed by some amazing textures from the Mammoth Terraces at Yellowstone National Park from September 2008. Just some of the hidden gems I've got buried away in the archives.

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Fire All Round

As you can see from this set, I once again scored some fantastic conditions at Lake Burrumbeet on Saturday evening. I really like the way this series shows the changing colour over a pretty short period. There are quite a few more from this session that I really liked, so I'll try and get some posted later on.

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