The Restless Sea-Kangaroo Island 2002

Seals on the Rocks-Kangaroo Island.

Kangaroo Island. What happens when there are no predators. Black Swans.

My Country is burning! Australia on fire!

These pics taken near Darwin in 2011 from the Stuart Highway.These bushfires start up almost every year in the NT and for the most part are left to burn themselves out

As I write this Australia has been battling for some weeks now catastrophic bush fires.
Some countries call them Wildfires.

There have been, and are still burning, major fires in NSW, Victoria,South Australia and Western Australia.

We have visited many of the areas where the fires have been burning on holidays and feel very much for the people and animals living there.

There is some tapering off now and there is a threat of flooding rain in some areas.

People have been very traumatised by the whole event but in many cases the fires have shown a great example of where community spirit and unselfishness kicks in.

The not so positive side has been the  accusations when something like this happens.

Climate change of course is right up there in the discussions and people are wanting to pour blame on Australia"s Prime Minister.

In the Old testament we,the human race, are told we are to look after the earth so in a sense with our pollution and poor management we as a human race are responsible.

Australia has always been a country ravaged by bushfires and indeed many native trees rely on bushfires to regenerate.

What I find difficult to swallow the climate change debate part of this is when you ask yourself the questions about past great fires.

Eg. the burning of London and the burning of Rome.

Was that climate change?

That was a long time ago.

And in more recent times when Canberra was badly affected by a massive bushfire I don't remember climate change being discussed then.

The current protests to me in Australia seems more like an opportunist groundswell to oust the Prime Minister.

It's interesting that  when you read how London was re built that it appears a coal tax was used to raise money.

And when you examine these events the human reactions in apportioning blame are quite evident.

These terrible fires have been awful and I pray that people will be able to recover and receive the help they need.

Below are some links to the past events I have highlighted.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Fire_of_London

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Fire_of_Rome

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_Canberra_bushfires#cite_note-24

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-11/australia-bushfire-crisis-just-dont-mention-climate-change/11857590

 Of course we don't see the widespread protests about the world being aflame as written by Billy Graham in 1965..

Aflame with moral decay.

That's another story.

https://geoffthompsonsblog.blogspot.com/2017/06/world-aflame.html

Images that lift your spirits.

I have just been looking at Steve Parrish's Webpage.
https://www.steveparish-natureconnect.com.au/about-steve-parish/
He is without doubt a National Australian Treasure.His images are just amazing and inspiring.
I thought I would just share some of my own favourites.

Glenelg Jetty and approaching storm

Wedgetailed Eagle near lake Merreti South Australia

Bark on Eucalyptus tree

Blue Wren Tidbinbilla ACT

Reflections Port Augusta South Australia

Nursing home cat on the prowl,Old Reynella, South Australia

Saltwater Crocodile, Adelaide River Northern Territory

"Ta Ta" Lizard, Edith Falls NT

Roadside Architecture, Country Victoria

Well weathered bush Freeling South Australia

The lads and the car

Chapman River Kangaroo Island

Chapman River Kangaroo Island,Paper Bark Tree

Chapman River Kangaroo Island

Chapman River Kangaroo Island

Daybreak at Penneshaw Kangaroo Island

Swan ,Lake Merreti, Riverland South Australia

Contra Jour Eucalyptus leaf

Contra Jour Eucalyptus leaf

Seaweed, Glenelg beach South Australia

Sunset from balcony at Merino South Australia

Sealink at Penneshaw Jetty Kangaroo Island

Backwaters in the Riverland SA

Bush Stone Curlew, East Point Darwin NT

View from "Window on the Wetland" NT

Stuart Highway Outback Australia

Wedgetailed Eagle Central Australia

Red Sand Dune Central Australia

"Written in the Wind" Central Australia

Feral Camel, Central Australia

Zebra Finches, Kings Canyon Central Australia

Wedgetailed Eagle Central Australia

Near "the Breakaways" Coober Pedy South Australia

The end of the road, Breakaways

"two Dogs" at the Breakaways

the Breakaways

Approaching Adelaide

Emu Chicks are cute

Emu chicks are some of the cutest babies in the animal kingdom. These were filmed on a trip to Kangaroo Island in 2003. The little one at the end with the "bung" leg would not survive in the wild. These were in a protected enclosure.They were filmed with a Canon XL1 video camera.
It is interesting that the Male looks after the chicks once they are born.

Emu and Chicks in wild at Lake Merreti Calperum Station

Kangaroo Island-World's best kept secret

A bit over a year ago I captured a wedding on Kangaroo Island South Australia my home State.The sad thing is many of the local South Australians have never been there. It is a fantastic place for phhotography.Here are some shots from the "reccy" the day before the wedding.
I will post some of the wedding shots on a later post.