I am back from my lovely week away in Northern Victoria.

This was taken on my first evening away. A quick dash out to try to find somewhere to photograph sunset when I noticed the sky change colour. Saw this lovely farm gate, open, so figured it was an invitation to photograph the fast disappearing sunset!

Hope everyone is doing fine and I will try to catch up with you all soon!

Tags:   farm gate sunset swan hill CloudsStormsSunsetsSunrises Clouds Wimmera Mallee Wimmera-Mallee red farm outback Outdoor Laneway Nikon D750 Nikon 24-120

© All Rights Reserved

Flicker x 100 2017 challenge. 21/100 Theme- Bob Dylan songs Mr Tambourine Man

When I was younger, I used to skip over this song, annoyed by the whiney refrain. However, listening to it later on, I realised how absolutely exquisite the lyrics are. Pure poetry and probably one of the earliest examples of lyrical poetry played on the radio in song style.

It was released on Dylan's Bringing It All Back Home in 1965, although first recorded for the Another Side of Bob Dylan session but not released on that album as Dylan didn't think the band did it justice. As with many of Dylan's songs, it was made famous by someone else, in this case the Byrds later in 1965 and it was the only song Dylan wrote that went to No 1 in America. Even William Shattner has had a go at this song!

It is an exquisitely whimsical piece, apparently written on a road trip to New York where the enjoyment of marijuana was frequent and most likely heightened the senses so beautifully expressed in this song..

"And take me disappearing through the smoke rings of my mind
Down the foggy ruins of time
Far past the frozen leaves
The haunted, frightened trees
Out to the windy beach
Far from the twisted reach
Of crazy sorrow"

My favourite line from this song which I have tried to create with this image is

"Yes, to dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free
Silhouetted by the sea
Circled by the circus sands
With all memory and fate
Driven deep beneath the waves
Let me forget about today
Until tomorrow"

I had this type of image in mind from the early stages of my Dylan project but hadn't been able to find the right place. It wasn't till my recent trip to Lake Tyrrell, that I thought I might have the opportunity. A salt lake where the reflections of the sky are mirrored in the water. The sunset was lovely. As it was a full moon, I could not get the starry sky I wanted so have added a diamond sky myself.

Hope I have done it justice!

Tags:   sunset swan hill Bob Dylan Challenge Bob Dylan Salt lake CloudsStormsSunsetsSunrises Night sky Nightscape Nikon D750 Nikon 24-120 weather Landscape Mr Tambourine Man stars 'Starry Lake Tyrrell Salt Lake Sea Lake

© All Rights Reserved

It was fun to see Emus in the wild at Hattah-Kulkyne National Park.
They are strange, looking flightless birds and our largest Australian bird, second in the world to the Ostrich. They can grow up to 1.9 m in height. We encountered a family with two adults and two "teenagers".
I got out of the car to photograph a parrot when I saw this one, peeking through a bush with purple flowers.

It lent itself to Enchantment!

Tags:   Emu Australian Bird large Australian bird Dromaius novaehollandiae Hattah Lakes Hattah Kulkyne National Park The Mallee Mallee Enchanted Animal Australian Animal Bird Nikon D500 Tamron 150-600 Flightless Bird

© All Rights Reserved

Lake Tyrrell is an ancient lake, thought to be formed by drifting sand blocking the passage of Tyrrell Creek.

Over time it became a giant salt basin due to the flow of subterranean saline water and the run-off from Tyrrell Creek.

At certain times of the year it is covered by shallow water, often creating a mirror like effect which pulls tourists in their droves from China (more on that in another post). Evaporation leaves a salt crust which is commercially extracted. The lake turns pink from the red pigment secreted by the pink micro-algae red marine phytoplankton.

Tags:   wetlands Lake Tyrrell pink lake Salt Lake Landscape outdoors Sea Lake Lake pink Micro-algae Nikon D750 Nikon 24-120

© All Rights Reserved

I went back three times trying to get a reasonable shot of this little beauty. He was so quick and the challenge with Fairywrens is that they love to hide amongst the think little shrubs. You can often hear the tease of their chorus of chatter but barely glimpse them.

Taken at Lake Tyrrell.

Tags:   Lake Tyrell white-winged Fairy wren Fairywren bird Australian Bird Lake Tyrrell male fariywren Ni Tamron 150-600 Nikon D500

© All Rights Reserved