Daintree River Views (IR)

Daintree River, Queensland, 22 July 2022
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Click on any image to see it larger (If you are on a PC at least).

The last post was of wildlife on the Daintree River and there were a few river views as well, in normal colour. At the same time I took river views in infrared, which is what you see here. Usually I process each one differently, sometimes in different editors. I was short of time on this occasion, so I quickly processed one in Lightroom, copied to the others, and made a few individual adjustments. So while some of them may have been more dramatic processed differently, they do form a coherent group.

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Rorschach river views anyone?.

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Daintree River Wildlife

Mar5

Daintree River, Queensland, 22 July 2022
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Click on any image to see it larger (If you are on a PC at least).

We got up early for a dawn wildlife cruise on the Daintree River with Murray Hunt of Daintree Boatman Wildlife Cruises.

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Early on, there were a few Brahman cattle on the banks.

… together with a few young ones and also some cattle egrets.

Common tree snake, hidden in the foliage at the edge of the river.

Australasian Darter at top right. I suspect the bird at bottom left is a juvenile pied heron.

(Click on image for a better view).

Common tree snake.

Flowering plant beside the river.

Common tree snake.

I think this is a Striated Heron.

… and away it goes….

Great-billed Heron.

Salt water crocodile (this one called “Lumpy”).

Swimming not advised.

Common tree snake.

Sacred Kingfisher (above) and Black Bittern (below).

Cattle Egret.

Azure Kingfisher.

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Papuan Frogmouth.

Saltwater crocodile (“Lumpy”).

(Not “Lumpy”).

A flock of white birds in the sky.

… descending into a tree.

Where we can see they are cattle egrets.

I think a Little Pied Cormorant.

Rainbow Bee-Eater (male).

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He’s just about to take off but I didn’t successfully manage to catch him in flight.

On a new perch.

Welcome Swallow.

Daintree Valley

Feb26

Daintree, Queensland, 21 July 2022
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Click on any image to see it larger (If you are on a PC at least).

It was only half an hour’s drive from our accommodation near Mossman Gorge to the accomodation for our next night at Daintree Village. We needed to be there for a wildlife cruise the next morning. So we had most of a day to fill and we decided to drive up the valley beside the Daintree River and also explore some of the side roads.

Daintree river.

A stream down a side road.

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We got to a sign on the main road down the valley that said four wheel drive only beyond there. We only had a tiny Chinese MG hire car so we turned around. At this place there was a massive broad-leafed rainforest plant beside the road. I asked Jools to stand beside it to show you how large it was.

Daintree River.

Daintree River, suddenly showing autumn colours.

Autumn can be quite brief, especially in Queensland in July.

At the end of a side road we got to a point where we couldn’t drive further. Based on the colour of that water, perhaps it was just as well.

Appearances can change quite rapidly though.

On the way back from that bridge….

“Red sky in the morning, Shepherd’s warning”. This was mid-afternoon though.

Some cattle perhaps interested in gaining our acquaintance.

The last two images show a glimpse of the coast. We drove there through a motor camp that may have been private no access but no-one stopped us.

You might perhaps have noticed that some of these images are infrared. Eight are infrared and six are normal. One is perhaps less obvious than the others.

Mossman Gorge

Feb19

Mossman Gorge, Queensland, 20 July 2022
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Click on any image to see it larger (If you are on a PC at least).

We travelled south from Cooktown to Mossman where we stayed at a delightful B&B near the entrance to Mossman Gorge. In the morning during breakfast I photographed a few birds on the feeder, having their brreakfast perhaps.

Macleay’s Honeyeater.

Helmeted Friarbird.

After breakfast we proceeded to Mossman Gorge.

In many ways I found the Gorge quite disappointing. Rather than being a quiet place to commune with nature, it is for the most part a giant tourist trap. The Visitors’ Centre I found to be something of a travesty. Its only purpose was to sell you things. there was no historical or ecological information about the area and even maps of walking trails were not available. Fortunately I had already printed one out before we left Canberra.

The gorge itself was fine, at least when you had got off the main metal walkway and onto the less frequented loop track.

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I did not include the humans by choice, I had no option, despite this being a scenic viewpoint from the main track.

A bush turkey, very common in Queensland including in suburbs.

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Lots of fish in the river.

Cooktown Monochromes

Feb12

Cooktown, Northern Queensland, 17 to 19 July 2022.

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Links go to colour posts (with information). If an image does not have a link, the preceding one applies.

(Click on any image to see it in a larger size, if you are on a PC or tablet at least.)

Mouth of the Endeavour River from Grassy Hill Lookout.

Laura and Cooktown Infrareds.

Grassy Hill Lighthouse from 1886.

Cooktown and Rock Art.

Rock Art.

Enroute to Rock Art.

Rock Art.

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Keating’s Lagoon.

Keating’s Lagoon (Mulbabidgee).

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(Still Keating’s lagoon).

Laura and Cooktown Infrareds.

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Keating’s Lagoon (Mulbabidgee).

Laura and Cooktown Infrareds.

Keating’s Lagoon (Mulbabidgee).

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Black Mountain or Kalkajaka.

Laura and Cooktown Infrareds.

View from Rex Range Lookout, looking north towards the Daintree.

Keating’s Lagoon (Mulbabidgee).

Laura Monochromes

Feb5

Laura, Northern Queensland, 12 to 15 July 2022.

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Links go to colour posts (with information). If an image does not have a link, the preceding one applies.

(Click on any image to see it in a larger size, if you are on a PC or tablet at least.)

Views from the road between Yungaburra and Laura.

Yungaburra to Laura.

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Galahs in Laura.

Laura General Store and Pub.

Kookaburra.

Galahs.

Helmeted guineafowl.

Driving into the bush camp.

Laura Bush Camp Day 1.

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Ants’ nest in tree.

Johnny explaining rock art.

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A cave for special female ceremonies.

Laura Bush Camp Day 2.

Swimming hole with waterfall.

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Anthills. On the road again.

Back to the main rock art site.

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Back at camp. Ground cover, bush and miniature tree.

Rock art (Art by the rock).

Night skies.

Laura and Cooktown Infrareds

Jan22

Far North Queensland, 13-19 July 2022
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Click on any image to see it larger (If you are on a PC at least). It makes a big difference for most images.

Links go to ordinary colour posts at the same location (for more information and context). Only three images have normal colour versions. If an image does not have a link, the preceding one applies..

The road into the Laura Bush Camp.

Laura Bush Camp Day 1.

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Cooktown fishermen (Endeavour River).

Cooktown and Rock Art.

Mouth of the Endeavour River from Grassy Hill Lookout.

Bunya Pine, Botanic Gardens.

Swamp views, Mulbabidgee.

Keating’s Lagoon (Mulbabidgee).

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Black Mountain or Kalkajaka.

View from Rex Range Lookout, looking north towards the Daintree.

Keating’s Lagoon (Mulbabidgee)

Jan15

Cooktown, Queensland, 19 July 2022
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Click on any image to see it larger (If you are on a PC at least).

Gastro stopped me seeing as much of Cooktown as I would have liked but we are now on our way out, heading towards Mosman Gorge. On the way we stopped at Keatings Lagoon or Mulbabidgeee.

Mulbabidgeee is a wetlands area on the outskirts of Cooktown.

I could have got closer on the way in, going off the path, but something was holding me back.

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A bit further on there is a view across the lagoon from a bird hide.

… and some distant waterbirds….

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Giant waterlily in flower.

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After a while one a bit came closer. Note the extraordinary toes.

This is a juvenile comb-crested jacana. It becomes more spectacular as an adult.

They roost and build nests on the floating lilypads.

Walking back with some reflection(s).

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The black pile of rocks in the background is Black Mountain or Kalkajaka.

This was originally a tongue of volcanic magma. Over time, heat and water led to fractures and it is now a heap of granite boulders with the solid granite core buried well beneath.

Beneath the surface rocks is a maze of passages and chambers, with sheer drops in complete darkness, pockets of bad air and likely encounters with bats and snakes. So access is prohibited and it also includes many sites sacred to Aborigines.

It houses unique wildlife, including Black Mountain boulderfrog, Black Mountain skink and Black Mountain gecko, as well as Godman’s rock-wallabies and amethystine pythons that can grow to more than five metres long. There have been numerous reports as recently as a few decades ago of an animal appearing to be a thylaceo or marsupial lion and reputedly living here, though supposedly extinct for 20,000 years.

Aboriginal legend has it that the twin-peaked black mountain was built by two brothers who were competing for the same girl. They were so invested in this task that they did not notice an approaching cyclone which blew the brothers into the cracks between the boulders and drowned the girl.

Somewhat further on, we stopped near a bridge and I took some images of the small river flowing through.

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Much further in the journey, getting close to our Mosman Gorge destination, this is the view from Rex Range Lookout, looking north towards the Daintree.

Now in our B&B near Mosman Gorge, this is the view from our bedroom window.

Cooktown and Rock Art

Jan8

Cooktown, Queensland, 17-18 July 2022
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Click on any image to see it larger (If you are on a PC at least).

From the bush camp (posts Laura Bush Camp 1 and 2, with much more rock art), we returned to Laura and then to Cooktown. However, the journey back from the bush camp was quite different for me than the way in. I was hit by gastro on the last night there. I have been to several countries including India and Madagasacar where you need to be careful about directly or indirectly consuming water without having problems but it didn’t occur to me I might need to take care within Australia and fulled my camel (backpack water container) with tap water at Laura. The bouncy and speedy drive in on the tiny four wheel drive was great fun but the journey out was torture and they had to stop several times so I could vomit at the side of the road. From Laura we went straight to Cooktown and I also stayed in bed for all of the next day.

That next day Jools went out and got some medicine for gastro from the Chemist. Unfortunately, we later found it produces hallucinations when you are dehydrated, which is what happens with gastro. I got up during the night for a piss and didn’t turn the light on so as not to disturb Jools. I then saw dogs and cats in the corners of the room though I knew they were not real. Walls completely changed in appearance from one look to the next. The short trip to the toilet became a maze and I became quite disoriented and repeatedly bumped into things. We were in a split level apartment and I ended up falling down the four steps to the lower level in the dark. I bruised my left forearm and severely bruised the palm of my left hand. It took months for my left hand to fully recover but I didn’t hit my head so it could have been much worse. Also, I am right-handed, otherwise I might not have been able to use the camera.

Mouth of the Endeavour River from Grassy Hill Lookout.

The day after that I was semi-recovered and we went for a short drive in the afternoon. We did not see much of Queenstown in our time there but at least our accommodation was a good place to recover.

Grassy Hill Lighthouse from 1886.

Hibiscus flowers nearby.

I think this is Finch Bay, not far from Grassy Hill.

In the late afternoon we visited the bird hide at Keating’s Lagoon.

These are images from trees in the river along the way.

I might have been able to get closer images off the path except that the crocodile warning signs made that inadvisable. More images from here in the next post.

The following day we joined a rock art tour with Culture Connect and set off along this road.

We stopped at a river crossing that we later drove through.

Looking down the river.

Later, on foot, a stream crossing requiring care when carrying camera gear.

Rock art. Kangaroo.

Lungfish maybe?

Turtles on the left.

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We walked to another rock art site.

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Crocodile, northern quoll perhaps, cassowary (maybe emu), fish, head of the previous figure.

Crocodile.

This image and the next one were taken looking upwards in a cramped overhang space that was logistically quite awkward.

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Xanthorrhoea flower cone.

View from the road on the way out.

Goulburn Blues Festival 2022

Jan1

Goulburn Blues Festival 2022 took place over three days and nights on a weekend at the end of November. Here is a selection of images, and links at the bottom to more.

Click on any image to see it larger (if on a PC at least). With many it makes a big difference.

This is a free festival and I had not organised in advance to cover it. I had intended to photograph just some of the non-Canberra bands I was less familiar with but I ended up effectively covering the festival. However, although I photographed thirty-two performances, I missed some of the earlier acts including Guitar Case Troubadors, The Honey Sippeers, Matt Ross and Johnny Reynolds Band. This post presents a selection of images, I have not tried to include each performance. However, as it happens the only ones without an image here are Catfish Soup, Key Grip, Piano Wizard, Lying Cheating Bastards (though the boy under the table was during Key Grip).

Paul Leeder with Chris Harland Blues Trio.

Mats Marklund with Boneyard Blondes.
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Don Hopkins.

Isy Cappo Band.

Minnie Marks.

Katherine Vavahea with The Marvellous Hearts.

Craig Lyons with The Marvellous Hearts.

Chris Harland and Liam Macalister Jam.

Thomann King Band.

Lead singer, Killwater.

Sheltering from the rain in front of the band (Key Grip).

Frank Sultana, Ben Wicks and James Southwell with Sultana Southwell Roulette.

Sultana Southwell Roulette in the pouring rain with people dancing under umbrellas.

Owen Campbell Band.

Owen Campbell.

Young bass player. This and next four from Goulburn Club jams.

Ross Buchanan.

Daniel Fernandez.

Frank Sultana, James Southwell, Johnny Tesoriero, Jarrod Cockman and Ben Wicks.

Johnny Tesoriero.

Ben Jansz.

Dave Blanken, DJ Gosper and Ali Penney (Divine Devilles).

Dave Blanken with Divine Devilles.

Frank Sultana.

Davo Fester and Al Britten (PJ O’Brien Band).

Al Britten (PJ O’Brien Band).

Davo Fester PJ O’Brien Band).

PJ O’Brien Band.

Howlin’ Mitch.

CC Hall (Sunbears).

Craig Marshalsey (Sunbears).

Simon Kinny-Lewis, Tony Boyd and Christian Young (Simon Kinny-Lewis Band).

Tony Boyd (Simon Kinny-Lewis Band).

Simon Kinny-Lewis.

Chloe Kay and the Crusade.

Drummer, Chloe Kay and the Crusade.

Chloe Kay Richardson.

The Other Blues Festivals page in this Blog includes an overall link for Goulburn 2022 as well as links for each performance, top 100 images, top 30 images and selected monochromes. (That page also has links for thirteen previous festivals, including five previous Goulburns. There are also other pages for Thredbo, Sydney and Narooma Blues Festivals.)

The festival was six weeks ago but I have just finished processing, albeit not on a fulltime basis. I took 3,000 images and produced 360 colour images in individual band portfolios, and also 30 monochrome conversions. I used Lightroom to organise and select images, including preliminary processing, and processed images in Capture One.

(There are over 10,000 images linked to on this Blog for Live Music Festivals (mainly Blues Festivals) and 13,500 for all live music (I still have to add links for about 750 images from last year which I shall do soon). For images of a particular band I may have taken since 2006, see the Musicians and Bands Page .)