My good mate and fellow photographer BigFigTree said he wanted to try to get some atmospheric shots of the wild Brumbies on the Long Plain in Kosciuszko National Park, and that there was a spare seat in his car if I wanted it. I jumped at the chance so we decided to do the trip over the Saturday and Sunday of the Canberra Day Long Weekend. I am so glad that he invited me because it opened my eyes to a whole wilderness just on the outskirts of Canberra that is so beautiful. We had a great couple of days, stopping to take photos, camping beside the beautiful Blue Waterholes and just moving at a slower pace. Our Brumby photographs did not turn out well but we found so many other subjects. He is a great photographer and I would recommend checking out his Flickr feed, linked above. It really was a fun two days and I hope that you enjoy the photographs below.
Our route onto Long Plain to the left and Blue Waterholes to the right (Sorry, Squarespace’s maps are playing up for me)
The plan was very simple, we would leave Canberra after lunch on Saturday, drive to Brindabella Road then follow it westward before turning south along Barnetts Road, that we would leave to follow the somewhat foreboding sounding Broken Cart Trail which would bring us out onto Long Plain Road. Following that road for a while, we would turn onto Blue Waterholes Trail to take us to our overnight location. The next day the plan was to retrace our route back to Canberra, except that we would spend a bit of time exploring Long Plain in the morning, looking for Brumbies. The great thing about travelling with BigFigTree, apart from the fact that he was a very nice bloke, was that he is also a photographer, so he was happy to pull over at random places to take photographs. Although our photographic interests were similar they were not exactly the same. So we could go to the same location and yet take different photographs. For example, that night, he was keen to do some astrophotography whereas I was happy to wander around with my macro set-up trying not to shine any torches into his lens.
Getting back to the plan, we followed it pretty much as we intended; it was a very simple plan so there was not much chance of major deviation. The drive had some sketchy parts but he has a classic Land Rover Defender, so it was great to bump along the trails in, enjoying the natural scenery.
Our firs stop was just after Brindabella Road became unsealed so that BigFigTree could let the pressure down in the tyres. Rather than being a good passenger and helping him, I grabbed my camera to see what shots I could get. There were a lot of bird calls in the surrounding trees but I was having trouble seeing them. Eventually I was able to get a rushed shot of this Striated Thornbill (Acanthiza lineata) before it launched off into a different tree.
Striated Thornbill
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
There was also at least one Silvereye (Zosterops lateralis) moving through the same tree but more on the outside of the foliage than inside the crown like the thornbill.
Silvereye
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
After we returned to the car and drove on, the next stop was a brief visit, for photography, to the slow moving, shallow Goodradigbee River in the Brindabella Valley. This was how I pictured rivers in quite mountain valleys, not raging torrents frothing with white rapids but placid bodies of water meandering with clear water making it easy to see their pebble-lined bottoms. This river certainly fitted that bill and it was nice to get out to enjoy it. The river was not too long, just over 100km and flowed into the Murrumbidgee River. We only stayed about 15 minutes but it was such a nice place to enjoy; as you can see I also had the drone out for some shots.
Goodradigbee River
DJI Mavic Air 2 [ISO 100, 4.5mm, f/2.8 and 1/640 SEC]
There were a number of speeding dragonflies and damselflies skimming up and down the river. The only one that I was able to photograph well was this Golden Tigertail (Eusynthemis virgula). I was lucky because it was patrolling up and down the river at about the level of the tops of the reeds. I tried some in flight shots but its body was facing upstream and away from me. Eventually it landed on a reed not far from where I was so I was able to get some photographs.
Golden TIgertail at Goodradigbee River
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 320, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/640 SEC])
There were also a number of European Wasps (Vespula germanica) that seemed to be getting water from the river pooling among the rocks on the banks of the river. They were probably not drinking the water but either using it for cooling or to mix with wood pulp they create so that they can build a nest.
European Wasp apparently looking for water in a shallow part of the river
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 320, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/640 SEC])
After enjoying the river for a while we knew that we had to keep moving so that we could get to the camp site before nightfall. We eventually made it to Broken Cart Trail, which was previously blocked by a fallen tree but passable on that weekend. That trail had some really bumpy parts, not that we cared because it was just magical being out there in the Australian bush. At one stage, we thought that we saw a large blackish bird fly low across the road in front of us. BigFigTRee quickly stopped the car so that we could try to photograph the mystery bird but it had either flown off or was hiding somewhere, because we did not find it.
Not to worry because we both got distracted by other subjects. I started trying to photograph some of the butterflies sunning themselves on the road. The one I ended up getting a useable shot of was a Marbled Xenica (Geitoneura klugii).
Marbled Xenica
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 320, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/640 SEC])
We were soon back travelling along the trail that came out onto the Long Plain, and it was obvious how it got its name. We first saw it as an undulating area of yellowish green surrounded by the bush but after we drove for a while and emerged from some bush the plain opened out before us like a long dining table, but blighted by high power electricity pylons running down its middle. Still, not even those steel giants with their arms outstretched supporting the powerlines like some modern day, monstrous scarecrows were going to stop us enjoying this lovely, expansive plain under the bluest of skies. It was a magical scene.
Again, we thought that we saw an interesting, large bird fly across the road in front of the car. However, again, we were unable to locate this avian apparition. In the end, it did not matter because we were also soon distracted by other subjects in the long grass. A very tattered looking Southern TIgertail (Eusynthemis guttata) landed on a grass stem and stayed still, even as I moved around it to get the sun onto it with a better angle. All four of its wings seemed to have bits missing yet it was still flying.
Tattered-looking Southern TIgertail on the Long Plain
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 200, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
Head-on shot
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 320, 400mm, f/14 and 1/400 SEC])
In the same grassy area a Hangingfly (Harpobittacus australis) had caught a fly. It was likely that the larger insect was going to consume the smaller fly but in mating behaviour the male Hangingfly will present some recently caught prey to the female as an offering. Despite having ‘fly’ in their name they are not flies, that is clearly seen because they have two pairs of wings, whereas flies have a single pair. These insects use their long front legs to hang from vegetation until some prey flies by, which they either capture by wrapping it in their long legs or by dropping onto the unfortunate creature.
Hangingfly
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 200, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/250 SEC] with internal flash)
Hopping back into the car, I had to take a picture of this lichen on a tree. It was nothing special, but I do like a good bit of lichen.
Lichen on a tree branch
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1000, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
With that last stop we decided that we needed to drive to the campsite so that we could have a look around before it go too dark. We enjoyed the drive across Long Plane to the lovely Blue Waterholes. Being a long weekend in Canberra there were a number of other cars at the site, although most of them were about a kilometre back at Emu Flats, there were only seven cars at the Blue Waterholes. When we arrived the light was already fading but we grabbed our camera gear determined to make the most of what light there was. Unfortunately, the blue water that gave the location its name was already in shadow so it was not clear, despite the best efforts of BigFigTree to get the proof. I shot straight towards the rock feature, just enjoying the reflection of the limestone in the still water. I also used my telephoto to zoom in on part of the wall to show the reflection. I didn’t really have the light to do it justice but the beauty of the spot was so obvious. It would have been great to have a few days at the location to really test different compositions and lighting because my shots certainly did not portray this spectacular natural landscape to its fullest.
Blue Waterholes in the fading afternoon light
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF16-35mm f/4L IS USM [ISO 250, 16mm, f/14 and 1/100 SEC])
The rock wall reflecting in the still water
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1000, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/250 SEC])
I also loved the colours on the trees that dotted the banks, the way the bark strips revealed different colours in the trees, especially with the afternoon golden light.
Wonderful colours on a tree trunk
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 500, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/200 SEC])
I tried a few more shots but the light was fading and the photographs did not really work. BigFigTree was still able to get some shots but even he eventually decided the light had gone. With that, we called it a day but not a night. We set up the tents before eating dinner so that we were ready to head out again once the darkness of night had truly fallen around us. BigFigTree was after some astrophotography while I was keen to see what I could find for some night-time macrophotography.
Before we even got to the waterhole my headlamp picked up two sparkling reflections from what would turn out to be an Isopedella Huntsman poised on the trunk of a tree under some peeling bark. I couldn’t identify it down to a species level and I suspected it probably takes an expert to get the identity correct. This one was very relaxed. It wasn’t spooked by multiple flashes and was still in the same spot when I finished.
Isopedella Huntsman on a tree trunk behind some bark
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 200, 100mm, f/14 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
Crossing over the to the other side of the Blue Waterhole an Emerald Moth, most likely a Veined Emerald (Chlorocoma carenaria), landed on a plant frond. The moth landed upside down and stayed that way. Its emerald green was truly beautiful, even in such a small creature, less than 5cm across its wings. This was a male given the wide form of its antenna. Scientists believe that male moths developed these broad antenna to more readily detect female scents.
I also really liked how the flash brought out some of the vegetation in the background, almost like streaks of washed-out colour flashing by. The moth stayed suspended under the frond while I photographed it several times with a flash and it was still there when I continued the walk.
Emerald Moth under a grass stem
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 200, 100mm, f/14 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
Climbing further up from the water I noticed a Darkling Beetle crawling on the ground. This is a varied family of insects that mainly eat dead and decaying vegetable matter. They are primarily nocturnal, hiding during the daylight, where they may be disturbed during gardening, which often happens when I am cleaning up in the yard.
Darkling Beetle
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 200, 100mm, f/14 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
I also noticed several spiders on rocks. The spiders were motionless on the rocks. I am not sure of the identity of these but I think that they may have been Giant Water Spiders (Megadolomedes sp.) The one in the photograph was about 10cm long and lacked its front right leg.
Giant Water Spider
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 200, 100mm, f/14 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
I kept climbing up the slope to where there was a small cave. BigFigTree had joined me by this time because he had his camera on a long exposure. He was happy to have us swing lights around the place because it would add character to his shots. I noticed a number of what I believed were Cave Crickets. The long spike on the abdomen of the cricket in the second photograph is an ovipositor, used by her to lay eggs.
Cave Cricket instar
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 200, 100mm, f/14 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
Cave Cricket female adult
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 200, 100mm, f/14 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
After the crickets we moved down the slope again to where there was a larger cave. This was actually a u-shaped tunnel then got smaller and narrower before it emerged out from another part of the rock wall. There was no way across the water from that second entrance or back to the first opening without retracing our steps. This short, tight cave was well worth a look because of the interesting things inside it.
There were a couple of Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena) nests on the walls but no indication that there were birds around, although something flew out of the cave, but we were not sure if it was a swallow or a microbat. I only heard wings flapping.
Swallow nest
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 200, 100mm, f/14 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
There were several, what I believed to be, Osmylid Lacewings on the wall of the cave where it really started to narrow, including this one that was at eye level. It stayed still while I was photographing it and there did not seem to be any interaction between the lacewings.
Osmylid Lacewing on the cave wall
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 200, 100mm, f/14 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
Near to where the lacewings were, there was also some cave graffiti that appeared to be from the 1800s. While it was interesting to see that graffiti from almost 140 years ago, I was glad it had not started a trend, indeed that was the only graffiti that we saw in the caves.
Graffiti possibly reading “E Davis Feb 1882”
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 200, 100mm, f/14 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
Other graffiti possibly reading “G FD & S - Apr 14 1887”
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 200, 100mm, f/14 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
BigFigTree went back to retrieve his camera while I countinued through the rest of the cave before returning to the entrance. Crossing back over the water by stepping across the same stones, which I had previously used only an hour before, somehow seemed more challenging going, but I managed it without falling in.
BigFigTree wanted to get some more astro shots from the small lookout so I went searching for more macro subjects. I found a decently sized Click Beetle, about 3-4cm long on the bark of a tree. Its head appeared to be moving backwards and forwards over the bark, even pushing into it like it was eating something, although adult Click Beetles are noted as eating pollen and nectar.
There are about 800 species of Click Beetles in Australia and they get their name from the click noise they make when they flick their body up from their back. There is a special peg on the underside of their prothorax that slides into a groove on their mesothorax. If they are on their back they can curve their body to form an arch before they rapidly slide the peg into the groove, flicking themselves into the air and potentially from whatever has knocked them onto their back.
Click Beetle pushing into the bark of a tree
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 200, 100mm, f/14 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
More detail of the head and antennae
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 200, 100mm, f/14 and 1/180 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)
We walked back to what was a quiet campsite with most of our neighbours apparently already asleep. We decided that it would make sense if we also hit the sack so that we were ready for an early start. We bid each other a good sleep and headed off to our respective tents.
The night was cold and I could hear some kangaroos near my tent at some stage, but my rustling in an effort to get a torch must have scared them because I heard hopping noises disappearing into the surrounding bush.
I had a reasonably good sleep. although I did add a layer of clothing over my shorts and t-shirt to ward off the cold. The next morning I was up before the dawn because I wanted to be ready for the sunrise and the early morning light. I changed into my day clothes inside the confines of my tent and grabbed my toothbrush as well as some water to get ready for the day. Upon exiting my tent I first felt the dampness of the tent’s fly and the grass before I noticed that there was a low fog siting just above us. BigFigTree was up soon after me and we both lamented the fog but knew it would not stop us. While we were having breakfast I took a photograph of the scene with my macro lens mounted on a tripod because I like prime lenses and I needed the tripod to allow me to get a low shutter speed, low ISO and high aperture. The shot was not great but showed the environs that morning.
After breakfast we quickly broke camp so that we could load the car up before going for a walk. My tent was still soaked with mist but I knew that I could dry it out at home before I stored it away.
Fog covering Cave Creek in the gorge
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 200, 100mm, f/14 and 1/40 SEC])
Once we had the car sorted out we started out walk. I foolishly only took my zoom lens and drone, meaning I could not get any macro shots. That mistake was borne out almost immediately when I came across some Wingless Soldier Flies (boreoides subulatus) mating on the wooden deck outside the drop toilets. Although may be it was best that I was not on my hands and knees with the macro setup just outside the toilets.
The two insects almost seemed to be wrestling with each other. The female often looked to be trying to move away and she was rolling around the floor. The male seemed to be dragging the much larger insect to where he wanted to go. I did not hang around for long there because I did feel very self-conscious about photographing at the entrance to the toilets.
Wingless Soldier Flies mating, with the larger female on the right
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 500, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/200 SEC] with internal flash)
We started the walk back down to the Blue Waterhole to see if we could get a better shot of the blue water.
On our way to the waterhole I could hear birds but I could not see them until I spotted some movement in a tree at eye level. It turned out to be what I think is a juvenile Pink Robin (Petroica rodinogaster). It was staying still but it was well inside the crown of a tree that was still in the shade so the lighting was not great. Unfortunately, I tried one shot with flash and that was enough to scare it away.
Pink Robin juvenile
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 500, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/200 SEC])
This morning it was very obvious where Blue Waterholes got its name. I tried to look up online and in a book about Austtralia’s Alpine area why the water is blue but with no luck. I think the general consensus on alpine water bodies being blue is because the water travels through the surrounding limestone leaching out the calcium carbonate in the rock forming crystals called calcites. These crystals reflect the light but probably reduce the other bands of light leaving a stronger blue band, hence making the water appear blue. That was my bad science, which could be completely inaccurate. The important thing to note was that the effect was truly beautiful. I have included a few photos below in which I tried to capture the beauty of the location. The final photograph was of bubbles rising from the blue depths, that may be water leaking in but displacing some air or gas in the ground, or it may be a chemical reaction at the bottom on the waterhole. Again, the reason was not clear but the clear, aqua blue water was making it a beautiful place to enjoy.
Looking down on the main waterhole at Blue Waterholes
DJI Mavic Air 2 [ISO 200, 4.5mm, f/2.8 and 1/400 SEC]
Looking down on the main waterhole to the right and the rock wall to the left
DJI Mavic Air 2 [ISO 100, 4.5mm, f/2.8 and 1/400 SEC]
Regular bubbling in the waterhole that probably helps with the colour
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 640, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
The water from Blue Waterholes feeds Cave Creek. It was interesting looking at the scattered ponds, which appeared to have no feeder stream or brook but were still able to supply enough water to keep Cave Creek full and flowing. That creek started just below where the drone was flying, yet there were no water courses feeding it. Cave Creek flows towards the top of the photograph before turning to the right through a gorge.
In the photograph, immediately below this writing, there was also a small creek with no name, that only flowed a short distance before it also became part of Cave Creek. I have included a vertical shot of that creek further below because I liked the composition.
Looking down along Cave Creek to the right, and the un-named creek to the left, the are in-between is where we were walking
DJI Mavic Air 2 [ISO 200, 4.5mm, f/2.8 and 1/400 SEC]
Looking along Cave Creek, in the same direction as the photograph above, but from ground level
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 500, 100mm, f/13 and 1/200 SEC])
Un-named creek
DJI Mavic Air 2 [ISO 200, 4.5mm, f/2.8 and 1/400 SEC]
While walking around the area in the morning I could not find many animals to shoot but I did like the scenery as well as the lichen. I really do like the patterns in lichen as well as how it grows on things, making even more patterns.
Lichen on a dead branch
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 100, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/200 SEC])
Another example of Lichen, but this time on a living shrub
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 100, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/200 SEC])
When we felt like we had exhausted the photographic opportunities at Blue Waterholes, which we hadn’t really, we knew we had to get going to Long Plain so that we would have enough time to photograph there. By the time we got there the fog had lifted and we had an almost completely blue sky. It was clear how this alpine plateau got its name as it stretched into the distance. The plain looked dry but there was a lot of water flowing across it. However, we were looking for Brumbies, so water could wait.
Looking south-west along the Long Plain
DJI Mavic Air 2 [ISO 100, 4.5mm, f/2.8 and 1/640 SEC]
We saw two small groups of Brumbies, the original reason for the trip. The first group had four horses, including a foal while the second group had six, including a foal as well but probably older than in the first group. BigFigTree warned me that the Brumbies would be skittish and we would not be able to get close. He was right. Both groups saw us from a distance and started to move away from us while we still a long way off. This reaction was different to kangaroos that are far more approachable. The Brumbies looked well fed, which was different to how they were reported during the recent dry years.
At the second group, we were able to use some trees to shield our approach and we came from downwind so our smell should not have carried, but they still detected us. In both groups, at least one horse kept us under observation while the others continued to eat. The horse that kept looking at us, really looked at us, hardly moving its gaze from us. I could not hear any noises among the horses and none of the other horses looked in our direction but they moved in a way that increased the distance from us. I tried to launch my drone to get some shots of the second group from the air but they were already heading in among the trees and the noise of the drone only made them move faster into the tree line where I lost them.
We were both disappointed with the photographs that we took because they were not sharp. We were not sure why because nothing in the shots appeared in focus. It was not particularly windy so there was not much dust in the air. The only reason that we could think of was because of evaporation. There had been a fog that night that may have increased the water on the plants so that as the fog lifted the sun caused more evaporation than normal therefore causing a sort of haze above the plants that may not have been clear to us visually.
Brumbies, while they can look spectacular, do bring a raft of environmental problems with them. They can out compete local wildlife for grass, they compact the soil impacting vegetation growth, damage the banks of waterways, destroy fragile bog plants, etc. Managing the Brumby population is an emotive subject because plenty of people love horses and Brumbies have been brought into the folklore and culture of settler Australia. It is not an easy issue to deal with because of intense feelings on all sides but one that will probably become very topical again once Australia re-enters its next long, dry spell and the horses, as well as the land suffer.
Two wild Brumbies - sorry for the quality, I think the blurry photo was caused by moisture evaporating off the plants
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 100, 400mm, f/11 and 1/250 SEC])
Brumbies disappearing into the trees
DJI Mavic Air 2 [ISO 100, 4.5mm, f/2.8 and 1/1000 SEC]
I mentioned above that there was a lot of water moving across the Long Plain. During my planning I had seen the myriad of creeks in one area that I wanted to photograph with a drone. I was drawn by the patterns that the water made in the ground. Some of these patterns were complemented by the trails animals made to get to the water. In flying the drone back to where we had parked I noticed a teenage boy who had dragged a kayak from probably a 1 km distant campground to a very windy stream. I am not sure what his plan was but the water course did not look very navigable to me with all those tight corners. I suspect he would have ended up taking his kayak all the way back to the campsite without much paddling. I have a photograph of the creek and him at the bottom of these shots.
Some of the patterns created by the waterways on the Long Plain
DJI Mavic Air 2 [ISO 100, 4.5mm, f/2.8 and 1/400 SEC]
Lineal stream along the plain showing possible animal trails to the water and across it
DJI Mavic Air 2 [ISO 100, 4.5mm, f/2.8 and 1/400 SEC]
A multitude of channels
DJI Mavic Air 2 [ISO 100, 4.5mm, f/2.8 and 1/400 SEC]
An optimistic kayaker, right side of the stream at the top of the photograph
DJI Mavic Air 2 [ISO 200, 4.5mm, f/2.8 and 1/500 SEC]
In conclusion, it was a great two-day trip that I did not want to end. While we did not get the photographs of the Brumbies that we wanted it was a great opportunity to photograph a variety of subjects. The trip also introduced a whole new area to me that was not far from Canberra. I knew the region existed but I had never visited it but now it was like Pandora’s box was opened and there was no way that I wanted to shut the lid again. I want to return to see more of the area and its wildlife. I feel that there is so much to see that I will never be able to see everything especially during different seasons and different times of the day. Australia is truly lucky to have such natural gems and I hope that they will be around in their current form or better for me to show my grandchildren.
Thanks for reading this post and thanks also for looking at my photos. I hope you come back again to read more about some of the wonderful natural things that the Australian Capital Territory has on offer. All the best until the next post.