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MARCH 2006 : AUSTRALIA
Back in Sydney for the third time, but the old sights don't disappoint. Shortly after this was taken I fell asleep, shagged out after the long flight.
One sure way to revive body and soul: a plateful of baked beans on rye bread with chunks of feta and sliced tomato.
Next morning, down to Central Quays to take the ferry to Taronga Zoo, past the Harbour Bridge.
Oh, come on, ditch that cynicism, they really are cute! This fellow was later to quite unashamedly display an enormous pair of testicles to his public (or should that be 'pubic'?).
Meerkats - daft as a brush, but apparently immune to the bite of a scorpion.
Minar birds seem quite exotic to me, but in Australia they're the equivalent of sparrows. This example is trying to muscle in on the Meerkat action.
Another sparrow, I suppose!
Still in Taronga Zoo, two marsupials check each other out: the jolly Quokka (a kind of diminutive Wallaby) and an Echidna.
The money shot: is there another zoo anywhere in the world with a better backdrop?
Wow - it could almost be the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Not that I've ever seen the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, but you no what I mean, right?
Now back on the other side of the harbour, and a stroll through the Botanical Gardens to Mrs.Macquarie's Chair, which gives us this splendid view.
Late afternoon, and as the shadows lengthen, it's prime time for the photographer as we get up closer to the Opera House.
What most people don't realise is that straight landscapes are dull without something in the foreground for contrast: thank you, anonymous orange man!
Sydney Harbour Bridge at sunset.
A part of the fine haul of tomes I picked up from the southern hemisphere's finest book emporium, Dymock's.
Next day I set off on a 10km walk through the Sydney Harbour National Park. Shortly after arriving by ferry at the holiday suburb of Manly to pick up the trail, I spy the exotic Banksia plant.
Either side of the pathway is a riot of verdant green.
The first section of the hike is easy, skirting the edge of the bay.
Suddenly, I spy this evil-looking critter blocking my way on the path. He's an Eastern Water Dragon, about 50cm in length - yikes!
If onlyI could swim, this would be paradise...
The path now climbs through scrubland and brings me to a promontory affording little cover from the hot sun, but fantastic views of the harbour.
I contemplate chewing the berries for added sustenance, but luckily find a granola bar in my rucksack.
Hmm..now that I have an enormous digital SLR camera, the old self-portrait is becoming increasingly difficult...
I discover some old Victorian gun installations on the headland, and get all excited by rusty bits of metal in the long-deserted bunkers.
The view from my hotel - not!
Back in Central Quays, Sydney, and an exhibition of plastic bears, one for each country in the world, makes an odd sight in front of the liner Maxim Gorkiy.
Just time enough to check the Nikon D50's depth of field before sunset...
You're getting sick of this building, right? Well, let me tell you that this was taken from near the Harbour Bridge, so it's actually totally different from the other 23 pictures of the Opera House.
Sydney tower - which I didn't ascend - not far from my very centrally located hotel.
We say goodbye to Sydney and fly up to the capital of Queensland, Brisbane. Unfortunately, it's a bit of a dump infested by drunken rednecks, but I do manage to find a couple of nice unrepresentative scenic shots...
The dirty-looking river than runs through Brisbane is also pretty horrible, but this jolly old steamer cheers things up a bit, no?
About the only nice part of the city is the little botanical garden squeezed into a bend in the river very near the CBD. It is here I am followed for a time by this little fellow.
At last - a bit of colour to liven up this dull rainy city!
A bit further in, and I spot this little chap on a wooden post. I think it's a spider. Shortly after this photo was taken, I ventured even closer, only to have the critter actually jump onto the camera, after which I did a quirky little dance in an effort to shake him off.
At last I escape the city and bus it out to the Mt.Coot-tha park where I can unwind among the acres of exotic trees and plants.
An Ibis among the flowers. Once more, this unusual-looking and large creature is considered to be nothing special in Australia.
Deeper into the part, and more critters appear. I narowly missed stepping on a skinny metre-long snake, and then saw this geezer crossing the path. Frog or toad? You tell me...
More unidentified tropical flora in the Mt.Coot-tha park.
I stop for a chew on a nutty energy bar, and am joined by this gentleman, who received a peanut for his boldness.
Send your witty captions for this picture to ardle@ardle.net, cos I'm buggered if I can think of one.
Stumbling upon this vista, I immediately thought of Lord of the Rings, although I can't really say why.
It was easy to sit for hours here, under a suitably shady tree, and just observe the waters, as I had been told that I might see various interesting aquatic life forms if I was patient enough.
Sure enough, some enormous manta rays soon put in an appearance. Yes, they are the vague black shapes just below the surface of the water. Oh, use your imagination, for God's sake!Later I also saw sea turtles and a couple of dolphins, but they were even more difficult to photograph than the mantas.
Who needs beaches when you've got sexy inlets like this?
And to round out this pictorial odyssey, another look at the proud profile of the Eastern Water Dragon.
All images © 2008 Andy Lightfoot: no unauthorised reproduction without the author's prior consent. Enquires to that effect should be directed here.
07/2010 : Recent Photos
05/2010 : Tokyo, Japan
01/2010 : Ujina, Hiroshima
01/2010 : Recent Pictures
09/2009 : Spain
05/2009 : Kyoto, Otsu and Shiga, Japan
03/2009 : Hokkaido, Japan
09/2008 : Britain and France
04/2008 : Chubu, Japan
10/2007 : France
03/2007 : Kyushu, Japan
10/2006 : Norway
08/2006 : Kansai, Japan
03/2006 : Australia
09/2005 : Czech Republic
08/2005 : Tokyo, Japan
03/2005 : Australia
01/2005 : Hiroshima and Kyoto, Japan
09/2004 : Britain, Finland and Germany
03/2004 : New Zealand
09/2003 : France and Switzerland
03/2003 : New Zealand
12/2002 : Hiroshima, Japan, Denmark and Sweden