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Author Topic: Photos of Australia  (Read 5308 times)

Peter Fitness

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Photos of Australia
« on: July 27, 2009, 12:00:34 am »

Since my wife and I both retired, she at the end of 2001, and I completely in 2004, we have done quite a lot of travelling around Australia, and have taken thousands of photographs. Australia is a huge country, a fact that does not seem to be fully appreciated by many of the tourists who visit here, particularly those from Britain and Europe, who can't comprehend the vast distances involved. To illustrate that point, if I boarded a 747 in Brisbane, bound for London via Singapore, it would take nearly 4 hours flying before we crossed the northern Australia coastline. Similarly, if I caught a flight in a 737 or 767 from Brisbane, on the east coast, to Perth, on the west coast, it would take 5 hours between cities....as I said, it's a huge country.

Most of our travelling, however, has been in our car and caravan. We have covered most of the coast from Cooktown in far north Queensland, to Adelaide in South Australia. We have been through outback Queensland to the Gulf of Carpentaria, outback New South Wales to such places as Bourke, Broken Hill and Lightning Ridge, as well as many other towns and cities in the eastern half of the continent. We have yet to visit the Northern Territory or Western Australia by road, but we hope to do so one day - if we live long enough  :-)

As I mentioned, we have taken thousands of photos, and I thought some of the forum members may be interested to see a small selection of them, so here are a few.

Peter.
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Peter Fitness

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Re: Photos of Australia
« Reply #1 on: July 27, 2009, 12:03:55 am »

Some more
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Peter Fitness

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Re: Photos of Australia
« Reply #2 on: July 27, 2009, 12:10:08 am »

Yet more, including the unusual sight of a Qantas 747 in the outback. It's a retired aircraft, now forming part of the display at the Qantas Founders Museum in Longreach, Queensland, where Qantas first started. It has since been joined by Qantas's first jet aircraft, a restored 707.
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Peter Fitness

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Re: Photos of Australia
« Reply #3 on: July 27, 2009, 12:20:22 am »

Still more, including the Spirit of Tasmania I which brought us and with car and van from Devonport, in Tasmania, across Bass Strait to Melbourne, a 10 hour overnight voyage.
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Colin Bishop

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Re: Photos of Australia
« Reply #4 on: July 27, 2009, 12:32:42 am »

Thanks for sharing these Peter, fascinating.

Colin
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Martin (Admin)

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Re: Photos of Australia
« Reply #5 on: July 27, 2009, 04:01:15 am »

Wonderful pictures Peter, you've quite an eye for a photo.  :-))
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Peter Fitness

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Re: Photos of Australia
« Reply #6 on: July 27, 2009, 06:45:37 am »

Thank you, Martin, but I work on the theory if you take enough photos, and with digital cameras you can take heaps, then at least some of them will turn out OK.  O0

Australia is a very diverse country, scenery wise, from the red outback to the tropical blue water of north Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef, and from the big cities of Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, to the vast snowfields of NSW and Victoria in winter,and also countless picturesque small country towns. So much to see, so little time  :-)

I'll add some more later.

Peter.
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Bunkerbarge

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Re: Photos of Australia
« Reply #7 on: July 27, 2009, 07:41:11 am »

Peter, absolutely superb pictures and a pleasure to look at them and get a bit of a feel for your country.  One thing I did notice was the fact that there don't seem to be many rain clouds around.  Not quite so easy to get as many cloud free shots in the UK, especially in the north of the country!!

it's great to see someone celebrating thier own country and heritage and having the pride to show it to every one else.  Man thanks for taking the time to do this.
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Albion

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Re: Photos of Australia
« Reply #8 on: July 27, 2009, 11:12:27 am »

Townsville looks quite nice from the air ;)

Thanks for sharing
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Liverbudgie2

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Re: Photos of Australia
« Reply #9 on: July 27, 2009, 02:01:10 pm »

I think you will find that picture was taken from the top of quite a high hill behind the town.
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oldiron

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Re: Photos of Australia
« Reply #10 on: July 27, 2009, 02:31:19 pm »

Great pictures Peter. Often thought of touring Australia, but haven't made it yet. your pictures certainly wet my appetite.

John
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tolnedra

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Re: Photos of Australia
« Reply #11 on: July 27, 2009, 04:40:04 pm »

Thanks for showing some of your photos Peter. Brings back some memories of my visits to your country whilst in the RN. Have been to Sydney (twice), Melbourne, and Freemantle (Perth) but as there is no inland sea, didn't get the opportunity to go inland.!

Danny
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Albion

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Re: Photos of Australia
« Reply #12 on: July 27, 2009, 06:34:12 pm »

I think you will find that picture was taken from the top of quite a high hill behind the town.
Thats true, still looks better from up there than down in the town shopping street ;)
Must admit, did have a great night out there O0
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Liverbudgie2

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Re: Photos of Australia
« Reply #13 on: July 27, 2009, 08:07:07 pm »

T'ville I found to be a very nice place up and coming I thought and far from the dusty, single jetty, town as someone once discribed it as being.

Also spent some time in the Table Lands, Ab Fab country, with some interesting ponds to play on! So yes I do miss it very much - anybody out want a clockmaker BTW?.

If I may I will post some of my pics later.

LB
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rob

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Re: Photos of Australia
« Reply #14 on: July 27, 2009, 09:23:25 pm »

Some great shots there.
Ive god a good many hundred slides taken by my late Dad in the 60's, We were £10 poms way back then.

been back a few times and still love the country.
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Peter Fitness

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Re: Photos of Australia
« Reply #15 on: July 27, 2009, 11:30:25 pm »

I think you will find that picture was taken from the top of quite a high hill behind the town.

You're quite right, LB, it was taken from Castle Hill. I would love to see some of your photos here, the thread says "Photos of Australia", and they don't have to be mine.

Townsville is quite a big city, with an estimated total population of 165,000 people in 2008. It's not my all time favourite place, far too hot for me, but the locals love it. One of the problems with north Queensland is the heat and humidity, and you can't go swimming in the ocean in summer, because if the marine stingers don't get you, the crocodiles will  O0 The Great Barrier Reef is a magnificent place to visit, though.  :-))

The Atherton Tableland, inland from Townsville, is a beautiful place. It's much higher than the coastal areas, therefore considerably cooler.

Bunkerbarge, clear skies are the norm here but, having said that, some parts of Australia, particularly the coast, can get lots of rain. The heaviest rainfall is in the tropics in the wet season, you haven't seen rain until you experience the wet, or cyclone, seasons.

Peter.

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OMK

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Re: Photos of Australia
« Reply #16 on: July 28, 2009, 01:24:26 am »

I've obviously been without for too long... bits of spit dribbling from the sides of me gob...

Since you ask, here's my choice..........
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Peter Fitness

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Re: Photos of Australia
« Reply #17 on: July 28, 2009, 03:12:03 am »

They're Dutch tourists, PMK, it was too cold for the Aussies to go swimming, even in north Queensland  O0 {-)

Peter.
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Peter Fitness

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Re: Photos of Australia
« Reply #18 on: July 28, 2009, 07:45:35 am »

Bunkerbarge, just so you don't think that it's sunny here ALL the time, here are 2 photos, taken from similar positions, of Lennox Head, where I live. The first was taken in May this year when we had some very wild weather, with winds up to 130 kph, and waves over 7 metres, and the second, taken in 2007, is how it usually looks.

Peter.
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Bunkerbarge

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Re: Photos of Australia
« Reply #19 on: July 28, 2009, 07:58:57 am »

That's a bit more like it Peter, I get far more of a buzz from more serious weather.
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hopeitfloats

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Re: Photos of Australia
« Reply #20 on: July 28, 2009, 09:41:41 am »

a query peter:  in the quantas museum picture - how did they get the 747 there. doesnt look like the sort of place where there would be a sealed runway for it. then again being an airways museum maybe it does. that aside you certainly have some excellent photos there.
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Peter Fitness

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Re: Photos of Australia
« Reply #21 on: July 29, 2009, 01:07:36 am »

  in the Qantas museum picture - how did they get the 747 there.

It was flown in, with just the minimum amount of fuel required for the flight from Brisbane, plus a reserve for an alternate airport. There is a video at the museum showing the arrival of the aircraft, landing on a very short runway, for a 747, but the crew stopped it well short. They had to shut down the outboard engines to taxi to the terminal, as the taxiway is quite narrow, and they were trying to avoid blowing stones and dust over all and sundry. As I mentioned earlier, it has since been joined by a Boeing 707, which I think was the actual first jet aircraft operated by Qantas.

Peter.
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Peter Fitness

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Re: Photos of Australia
« Reply #22 on: July 29, 2009, 01:22:05 am »

Here are some more photos of various parts of eastern Australia. The photo of Krys the crocodile is of a full size model of the animal, which was shot by a woman in 1957. It is claimed to be the biggest ever caught, anywhere in the world, and was 28 feet 4 inches long, absolutely huge. The live animal in photo 42 is about 16 feet long.

Peter.
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Peter Fitness

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Re: Photos of Australia
« Reply #23 on: July 29, 2009, 01:33:08 am »

Still more.

Silverton is a tiny settlement 25 km west of Broken Hill in NSW, close to the South Australia border. It was a mining town in the early days, but has now become an artists' enclave, and the photo is of John Dynon's gallery, and his quirky "Leaning Dunny of Silverton" (dunny = toilet  O0 ). The wooden statues at Geelong, in southern Victoria, were done by a woman, and are carved from old wharf pilings; they represent an old style surf lifesaving rescue team.

The Lockheed Constellation shown at the Bundaberg Air Show, was an aircraft formerly operated by Qantas. It was recovered from Arizona, fully restored and flown to Australia, and makes regular appearances at air shows all over the country.

Peter.
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oldiron

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Re: Photos of Australia
« Reply #24 on: July 29, 2009, 03:18:47 am »

Good to see the Conny flying. I've seen a couple in "preservation", but none flying for a long time.

John
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