Category Archives: Uncategorised

Mutawintji Revisited

Australia, desert, Mutawintji NP, NSW, river/creeks, Uncategorised

The Doc returned to Mutawinjti National Park after the Scotia visit. Mutawintji is pronounced Mut-a-win-gee. An aboriginal word meaning green and waterholes. The early settlers misheard the aborigines and called it Mootwingee.

It was and is a major meeting area for Aborigines, it has extensive engravings and rock art, one of the most extensive in Australia. A sample is given below of hand stencils around 2,000 years old. The rock engravings predate the art work and is over 8,000 years old, perhaps even 15,000 years.

A visit to Mutawintji is incomplete unless you visit the Mutawintji Historic Site, where you must be accompanied by a guide. We had Michel from Tri State Safaris who did an excellent job. An extensive report of the Park may come later, after the Simpson Desert trip.

The Doc is now back in Broken Hill getting everything ready for the Simpson Desert trip starting Monday morning.

NSW Trip Mutawintji May 2014 - 0917 NSW Trip Mutawintji May 2014 - 0939

Warrumbungles recon finished

Australia, Landscape, mountains, NSW, Panoramio, Uncategorised, Warrumbungles NP

In January 2013 the Wambelong Fire destroyed much of the Warrumbungles National Park. The Doc visited to do some recon for a trip later. Nearly half the walking trails are still closed and many facilities still need major repair work. But the birds and animals are returning in numbers.

You need to hike for at least half a day to most places, so the closed tracks make it hard.

The Doc arranged a sunrise shot of the mountains, but the weather had other ideas with it raining. So The Doc headed off to Dubbo to visit the Western Plains Zoo in the next day or so. It was raining over much of the area.

A panorama shot from yesterday, from the lookout right next to Siding Springs Telescope.

_DSC0079_stitch

Kangaroo Island travels

Australia, Kangaroo Island, SA, Uncategorised, Wildlife

Kangaroo Island is the third largest island in Australia after Tasmania and Melville Island. It is about 190km from Penneshaw to Remarkable Rocks. The Doc travelled almost 3,000km on the Island. A map of his travels:

KI GPS Map

Part 1 of his Trip is here. Part 2 will be posted in the next day or so.

Easter Island Report posted

Easter Island, landscape, sunrise, sunset, Uncategorised

The 5 Day Easter Island trip is written up in one report. There are some some great sunset and sunrise photos of the Giant Moai. The Report is posted here.

Remember to click on the photos to see the best photo. The thumbnails are blurred.

Yanga and Mungo National Parks next stop

Australia, NSW, Uncategorised

The Doc has a long drive ahead to Balranald in NSW. Home of one of the State’s newest National Parks, Yanga NP (not to be mistaken for Yengo NP in the Blue Mountains of NSW). Yanga NP is located at Balranald, and Balranald markets itself as the gateway to Mungo NP, some 120km away. Mungo is part of a world heritage listed site and has the famous Walls of China formations.

It was also where Mungo Man was found. The oldest human remains found in Australia, somewhere between 40,000-68,000 years old. The remains are not a DNA match to Australian Aboriginals, they are more closely related to Europeans. That surprised a few people.

The Doc suspects it is the wrong time of year for the Yanga NP visit, but Mungo NP should yield some nice landscape shots, weather permitting.

Then home via Wagga Wagga (visit a friend) and the ACT to have the water watch system for the diesel looked at.

Reached Balranald safely.

On the road

Australia, Kangaroo Island, NSW, SA, sunrise, Uncategorised, Wildlife

The Doc has now explored the Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia, especially around Victor Harbour and the mouth of the Mighty Murray, he then moved on to Kangaroo Island for 3 weeks and will return to Sydney the long way, via Yango and Mungo National Parks.

When he returns home he will first post the Easter Island update which is written, then the Kangaroo Island Report and finish with Fleurieu. The Doc may also add Mungo National Park.

The Kangaroo Island Report will be divided into 3 parts: KI main attractions, Around KI and lastly KI wildlife.

The main KI attractions are the Remarkable Rocks, the Lighthouses (mostly Cape du Couedic Lighthouse) and Admirals Arch. Others include Raptor Domain and the Australian and New Zealand Fur seals (to be in The Doc’s Widllife Report). This what the one day tour involves. One day visitors sure miss a lot.

A small sample, the sunrise at West End Bay The Doc waited 2.5 weeks to get.

Sunrise at West End Bay, KI

Australian Wildlife Conservancy update

Australia, AWC, Kangaroo Island, Nissan Patrol, SA, Uncategorised, Wildlife, Yookamurra

As readers know The Doc’s Nissan Patrol has Australian Wildlife Conservancy stickers on its doors. This trip started with pitfall trapping at AWC Yookamurra Sanctuary near Sedan in South Australia. Where it was 42 degrees one day and the next had half their yearly rainfall. Not the best combination for successful trapping. But that maybe a topic for a separate post. This is about comments made about AWC.

While staying at the Wintersun Motel in Victory Harbour before the ferry ride across to Kangaroo Island, The Doc heard a knock at his door. The person introduced themselves as Graeme Chapman, a noted bird photographer and ornithologist. Graeme and his wife were on there way to Kangaroo Island also, or KI as the local call it. Or Sealink Island as the Victor Harbour people call it.

Graeme allows AWC to use some of his images royalty free and wondered about the fancy fitted out 4WD being used by AWC now. The Doc explained he was a supporter, not a staff member. We laughed. We both chatted about birds, the Galapagos and Kangaroo Islands and photography for the next 2.5 hours. The Doc enjoyed our talk.

Next stop Kangaroo Island and at Vivonne Bay a stranger approached and asked about AWC. The Doc was happy to discuss, it turns out Steve was one of the parents with a school group from the Adelaide Hills visiting KI. The Doc explained about the educational facilities at Yookamurra. The next day, Julian the organiser of the school tour had a talk, as well. Perhaps the school may visit. Julian remembered Yookamurra from the Earth Sanctuary days, the previous owners.

Next day while at the remote Hanson Bay a gentleman came up and asked about AWC. He had been at Raptor Domain together the previous day. Perhaps he will support AWC. He like the background The Doc gave.

Today at Parndana a lady came up and asked whether AWC has a sanctuary on KI. No they do not, The Doc was just a supporter visiting KI, he was not looking at potential sanctuaries either. She seemed relieved as she was a regular reader of the AWC Newsletter and had not heard about KI being on the list of sanctuaries.

It seems people read the stickers.

Postscript
The Doc forgot to mention that while driving through major roadworks his UHF radio was set to scan. It picked up a conversation between the road crew that they were being filmed by Australian Geographic, not quite but as the Patrol was the only car at the time they meant AWC.

Galapagos Land Trip Day 4 – The End

Galapagos, Uncategorised, Wildlife

This time we have a trip to Bartolomé Island (Isla Bartolomé). We also visit Sullivan Bay (Bahia Sullivan) on Santiago Island. This is the last day of Galapagos. The next day we packed up flew out of Baltra to mainland Ecuador. But it was a great way to finish. Report here.

Galapagos Land Trip Day 3

Galapagos, Uncategorised, Wildlife

Day 3 of the Galapagos Land Trip, we visit North Seymour Island (or Isla Seymour Norte), the largest pirate’s base in the Galapagos. Also known as the Frigate birds breeding colony.

Do not miss the mating display of the Magnificent Frigate bird, the red sack under the male’s neck is inflated to impress the ladies, a site to behold. It takes about 25 minutes for the bird to inflate the sack. They must then guard their nest and ward off other males.

Then a trip in the afternoon to Bachus Beach, a beautiful white coral sand beach.

Report here. Click on the photos to see the correct size, not blurred like the thumbnails.