Went Wandering in Western Australia

[Zichar]

Here's one of the pano stitches that PS refused to align
I had 4 more shots to the left for the space
The dry brush on the right as anchor,
And then the sweeping wide land
With the riverbed, snaking into the horizon
Intentions and executions, another tale of incongruous outcomes

<65>

 

[Zichar]

Brought up on a steady diet of Cowboy/Western Picture Library
I love the wide rolling hills
The reddish hue of rocks and mountains
Oh ferrous deposits

For this too, a culmination of past and present desires
My dad, a fan of Spaghetti Westerns and Louis L'amour
Thought it'd be great for him to be here and envision
What it may be like, to be a cattle drover through the canyons
I know I could the last I visited the southern mountain ranges

<66>

 

[Zichar]

The Z-Bend, as it's called
Looks like a U from where we were
Where flows the mighty Murchison River
Home to fish and stingrays downtown
Here reduced to mere puddles by the drought
The power of suggestion?
I remember feeling really thirsty just looking at it...

<67>

 

[emlee]

For #67, any possibilities of shooting from somewhere a bit more to the left, so that one can see the full "U"?

 

[Zichar]

For #67, any possibilities of shooting from somewhere a bit more to the left, so that one can see the full "U"?

Dunno if this is too much then...

>>

I'm not sure if I caught them in the frame
But there were adult feral goats near the river bed
In a conference call to the young somewhere to the right of us
Or so we tried to pinpoint the direction of the kids
The speed and direction of the wind and nature of the valley
Providing echoes that made that almost impossible
The kids' cries were rather alarming sounding more like a human baby wail
What was our first guess when we heard it before seeing the rest down below

<68>

 

[Zichar]

The dark rolling clouds played havoc with exposure
Handheld bracketing didn't really work out
Not even with a high-speed burst

The different elevation meant I could get the bend with different views
But when a few raindrops kissed my bare wrists
I grew worried, wouldn't be very fun to be caught out in the open
That really cut short my plans of reaching the bottom
(A post-trip look at flickr shows how 'well-stocked' the river can be. LE of rushing water down below no less!)

What was encouraging (and embarrassing too) that made us stay awhile longer
Were the groups of elders just waltzing past us without a care in the world
Dangerous fall down the slope, incoming thunderstorm, who cares, let's go
And this happened quite a few times during the trip; bunch of very old men and women
Gamboling up trails past us city slickers, with a short wave and a Gd'day mate, sigh

<69>

 

[Zichar]

<70>

 

[Zichar]

Unimpeded view

<71>

 

[Zichar]

Framed with rocks

<72>

 

[Zichar]

Overlooking the Z-Bend was the other attraction
Nature's Window
Being popular, it became a chokepoint of sorts
Those unwilling to proceed down to the riverbed
Turn back

I waited sometime for the group ahead of me to complete
Ahead because they didn't notice me setup further for a wider shot
And not knowing they were still in the frame after

<73>

 

[Fapic]

That looks like an oxbow lake!
haha.

fab pictures bro

 

[Zichar]

That looks like an oxbow lake!
haha.

fab pictures bro

Thanks. It does look like one

>>

We drove on up to Monkey Mia next
Memorable for being one of the dullest 2 hours on the road
Nothing worthwhile in between
No gas stations except the Overlander Roadhouse
On the turn into Shark Bay Road
No fuel, no supplies

Our first stop in the byland
Hamelin Pool, famous for stromatolites
Living rocks made from layers of algae and debris
The precious structures, accessible in the shallow waters
Protected by a long, low 2ft wide boardwalk, zigzagging far into sea
Strictly a 'no touch look only' policy
Grubby greedy hands obviously not welcome by fragile cyanobacteria

<74>

 

[Zichar]

The beaches in the area, littered with tiny cockle shells
Cardiid cockle, Fragum erugatum
Over time, with rainwater and moisture, they turn into coquina
Compact limestone formations
Hand sawn in blocks, bricks for building the township nearby
By the pool, a historic mine
Half finished carven blocks left abandoned

<75>

 

[Zichar]

With winds that make you see through slit-eyes
I chanted to myself repeatedly not to fall in
As I balanced myself on the balls of my feet
Rocking with the wind, squat down low by the edge

And then the mothership unloaded the invaders
A tour coach with its passengers
Hungry at being let out
Trooped down and onto the boardwalk
In goose steps

<76>

 

[Zichar]

The visitors were nonplussed, shaking heads and puzzled looks
A quick walk around, with a stop for a photo
Was all that they could muster, completing the lap as a tour requirement

Only I remained fascinated
My inner geek biology-major invoked
The knee-high waters only barely hiding its ancient treasures
With the deception of refraction
Inviting with every tongue of wave lapping
Glimpses of the sandbed
When not flecked with sunlight
Circular green domes

<77>

 

[Zichar]

Or billion-year-old kueh lapis of algae
Large flat pieces
Brown and slimey, glazed with fresh mucus

I could see why many guidebooks and websites suggest this an attraction that can be skipped
As I desperately tried to figure out how to penetrate the foamy crust
My travel companions, circuit completed, feet a-tapping
Hand at brow, peering at me, chunky hands, fiddling with dials

<78>

 

[hlyeoh]

Great shots, I missed WA...was there 2 years back but wandered to the south and all the way to Esperance before rounding back to Waverock and back to Perth. wonderful experience.
Esperance IMO is a paradise with nice white fine sand to walk on.

 

[Zichar]

Great shots, I missed WA...was there 2 years back but wandered to the south and all the way to Esperance before rounding back to Waverock and back to Perth. wonderful experience.
Esperance IMO is a paradise with nice white fine sand to walk on.

Thanks. I thought heading north was the road less traveled and took it.
Also wanted to avoid the rains and cold weather of the season; get in the red rocks and dust of the outback ;p

>>

Shell Beach was one of the main reasons we decided to head up
SWMBO being a lover of those marine discards
Miles and miles of tiny Cardiid cockle shells, the same as in <75>

And deep too, more than 5m deep and you still hit cockles
Looks as though some sort of machinery tried
Creating trenches, undulating waves of cockle shells

Not sure what it is with large quantities of small objects
That regresses you in age, and you sit, making piles and piles
Running your fingers deep within, lifting
Letting them sift through
Must be the years growing up watching Scrooge McDuck
Dive into his pool of gold coins

I don't think my brother will mind much
His face is hidden by the cap...

<79>

 

[Zichar]

In childlike glee, I always remove my socks and shoes at a beach
Walking barefoot hurt
Tip-toeing brought forth a litany of curses
So like an ascetic and his bed of nails
We lay down, basking in the remnant warmth
Left by the sun on baked bleached shells
Staring at the blue sky
Deciphering patterns from the cotton wisps of clouds
Pure idle throwback the years bliss

<80>

 

[Zichar]

<81>