All of these photos were taken within the NT, in what most would consider the 'Red Centre'. The lines between the Red Centre and the Top End can sometimes be a little blurry, but that just adds to the uniqueness of the NT.
I've deliberately avoided adding shots taken in Alice itself, almost all of these places are at least 10km outside of the town.
This is one of the few shots taken quite close to town. It's a few km south west of Alice, on a ridge informally known as The Razorback.
Carlisle Rogers' LC79 Dual Cab
The ever-faithful FJ at Old Ambalindum Station
While I didn't get any shots of these guys in motion, they looked just as good standing still
We were able to get some amazing footage of a mock muster. We were stood in the middle of a paddock while this UTV roared around herding them toward us.
I took this shot for no other reason than because it looked cool. Brave move getting a nice camera that close to the ground when cattle and horses are nearby. And yes, that is a 7D strap on a 5D ;-)
One of my all-time favourite shots. The flowers were amazing, and my circular polarising filter really made the sky pop.
So much happens behind the scenes. Getting good sound is just as important as good footage.
This little dude or dudette was just chilling in the middle of the track on the way back out of Ruby Gap. Had to stop the car to avoid running it over.
Had to get right down low for this shot. One of my favourites. He/she tore off almost immediately after I hit the shutter.
The colour contrast of the outback is phenomenal. Intense blue skies, deep red and brown rocks, grey and green foliage. And then some idiot parks a yellow 4WD in the middle of it...
Just like good makeup, a well chosen and edited photo can conceal a lot of flaws. Trust me, there are a lot of 'character marks' all over the old girl...
God damnit I love this car.
Went on a little day trip into the East MacDonnell Ranges with a friend a few years back. Just about the only shot from it that was worth publishing.
This shot and the two that follow are repeated in the Outback 4WD Club gallery, but it was too good not to include here. Such a pretty spot.
This shot and the one previous were taken about 15 paces from the main campsite. Not a bad view while you eat dinner!
I think it's pretty well accepted that almost all cultures find staring into a campfire relaxing. This shot reminds me of a painting my parents have, of an old swagman sitting on a log tending his fire with gums in the background.
I have a love/hate relationship with this shot. On the one hand it's got nice contrasts between the highlights and shadows but on the other hand I sometimes think the colour looks a little unreal and oversaturated.
Compared to the previous shot this has a lot less dynamic range, but I like it a lot more. It's just so calm and contemplative. The Australian version of a single rock in the middle of a Zen garden.
As of 06-10-16, all these images were captured on a six-day whirlwind through the southern Kimberly region with Your4x4. I was subbing in for Matt Frost, the National Sales Manager for ARB, who had to return to Melbourne before the trip ended.
Of particular note is the image of a Boab tree silhouetted against the purple sky. This was taken at Windjana Gorge when we were walking back from the main waterhole. Dozens of freshwater crocs just laying around, not particularly concerned with our presence. Quite a sight. And then, while strolling back through the campground, the sky suddenly went purple. It took about 30 seconds to go from orange and blue to deep purple, stayed that way for maybe 90 seconds, and then went back to a dark blue and grey. I managed to get a few shots, but the one you see was just perfect - it's basically cropped a little, sharpened a fraction, and then saved. The colour you see is straight out of the camera. Amazing.
I simply can't wait to get back there. Such a remarkable area of the country.
On a more technical note, this trip yielded my best ratio of good:average shots. There are more than a few that I think could look at home in a travel magazine or some similar publication. Maybe I was just 'on' during this trip or maybe the area is just so picturesque it's hard to take a bad shot. I was particularly pleased with how well the two silhouette shots came out.
This is the shot mentioned in the sidebar. Cropped, sharpened, and posted. No colour correction. Lucky to have had my camera at the ready...
Photographed countless times, but still spectacular. Growing up in Darwin I was never a beach person - too easy to get stung or eaten. If I'd grown up here I have no doubt that would've been very different.
This wasn't a shot I actually expected to turn out well. I got back to Alice after the trip to download the raw photos off the camera and was really nicely surprised at how good it looks. You can almost feel the warmth of the breeze.
This was the third of three shots I took of this guy as he walked along the path. The other two were framed better so you could see him and his board separately from the palm, but the sun blew out the whole picture and they were unusable.
The last shot I took on my first day in Broome. Reminded me so much of growing up in Darwin. If I didn't know different, I'd look at this shot and swear it was taken at Fannie Bay or Casuarina Beach.
I think this one is testament to how easy it is to take good photos in an area with such great scenery. This was literally a half-assed snap I took walking through the car park of the motel. No skill involved I'm afraid.
We got a serious lecture before filming here: "It's either 'The Bungles' or 'Bungle Bungle'. It's not 'The Bungle Bungles'! Make sure you get it right when you're on camera!" Yes sir.
Taken on the walk to Echidna Chasm. It always frustrates me when I'm unable to properly capture the scale of things in a photo. This cliff face was much more imposing in person, but I'm happy with how well the photo represents the colour of the real thing.
At the risk of being too cliched, there was something almost Indiana Jones-ish about this spot. Walking through an ever-narrowing gully into the chasm itself, sheer rock walls looming above, the sharp echo as rocks clacked about underfoot.
I debated including this since it's not a good photo, but it was something cool on the trail out of the chasm, so here it is...
We were rapidly running out of light on our way into the campground in Purnululu, but at the golden hour there's always time to stop for a photo.
This shot was taken *maybe* 5 minutes after the previous. What a difference in the quality of light...
One of the most amazing events you'll ever see Australia-wide, not just locally. Literally thousands of people descend on Alice and the surrounding areas to witness 150+ buggies and trucks, and ~500 bikes, quads and UTVs race 240km from Alice to Finke, and then turn around and come back again the next morning.
Alice and the areas along the race track become a seething mass of 4WDs, camper trailers, caravans, tents, awnings, dirt bikes, quad bikes, bonfires, booze and merriment. From the very beginning of the track right the way through to Finke you're hard pressed to find an area that doesn't have some sort of camp setup within sight. Young and old, people of all types come to the Centre to witness the big race.
International competitors spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to ship their vehicles, equipment and crew across the globe to race Finke. It may not have the international notoriety amongst the general public that the Dakar race does, but among the racing scene it's one of the more 'glamourous' titles. I use that term very loosely, since virtually nobody comes away from Finke without having to remove dirt and dust from various bodily locations.
This one's a 1000cc Polaris being driven by a customer of mine; Jason Neate of Neaty's Machinery Hire.
The people I camped with had organised a "wing-off" for the Saturday night. In one case, this seemed to consist of adding roughly a 1:1 ratio by weight of chicken wings and volcanically-hot chilli. Certainly it was enough to vapourise my taste buds and render them basically useless until the next morning.
It's most definitely not all ultra-dollar pro racing machines. You can quite realistically go racing in an otherwise standard 4WD. There are classes of vehicle that only require you to have the requisite safety equipment. No need for major modifications or upgrades, although your chances of finishing are much better if things like heavier-duty suspension are added.
This was the only decent image I took at Finke 2016. To be honest I really didn't take many photos at all that time, but this one of some racers silhouetted against the setting sun on the Sunday turned out nicely.
Well another one has been run and done! Much more successful this year from a photography standpoint - a more relaxed camp that was closer to town meant I had more time to let myself unwind and get in the mood to take pictures. That contrasts to last year where I was in Finke itself, surrounded by the hubbub of the competitors' camps and the various goings-on that I'd never experienced before.
I have a feeling I might come back to this site later in the year just by myself, and wander around looking for some more opportunities to capture the feel of the countryside at different times of day. It might even afford me the opportunity to photograph some wildlife which, quite understandably, tends to make itself scarce while thousands of people and vehicles descend upon their home turf.
A friend of mine uses that phrase - "Bullshit cold" - I like it a lot.
When you forget your saucepan, you improvise...
Apparently, according to these fellas, when the stack of finished cans gets taller than the drinker, they're a wizard. Each to their own...
Various versions of these buggies can be found throughout Finke campsites. They're a popular way to pass the time between the cars and bikes, and then again once the bikes have been through. Always driven off-track though...
It makes it hard to take a crap photo when the light's this good. I still manage though - there were 7 or 8 discarded versions of this shot before I got this one.
His Royal Highness not only gets a padded chair, but a special blanket too (not pictured).
In 2014 I, my dad, my brother, two long-time family friends, and a friend of theirs, took a fantastic trip west of Katherine to the Fitzmaurice river.
This is an area that gets very little attention, and it wasn't an easy spot to get to. The trip out was cool because we went looking for a spot called Dead Man's Pocket. This was probably the most extreme 4WDing I've ever done 'in the wild' i.e. in a spot well away from any help if things went wrong. I've done harder terrain in the company of other experienced 4WDers, and within easy striking distance of a town. This was literally a full day's drive from the nearest help if someone got hurt, and the chances of getting someone to recover a broken vehicle are almost zero.
This area is truly wild. With so little human traffic there were bush cattle, crocodiles and donkeys everywhere, and most of them simply weren't afraid of us. That was a bit disconcerting when it came to the crocs, one of which you'll see in the second photo. This lad or lady was quite content to hang around on the surface less than 75m from the boat, in plain view.
On this trip I also tried to take some photos of the moon since it fell over a full moon. Unfortunately none of them turned out :-(
I also managed to catch the biggest fish of my life on this trip - a 123cm Barra caught just after sunrise on a little 80mm NilsMaster Spearhead. Unfortunately I didn't get a great photo of it. Missed opportunity.
No, not my brother...
And before anyone e-mails me in a fit of rage about how cruel and awful we are for killing animals, just take a moment to read up on the wholesale destruction that feral pests like pigs and donkeys do across the Top End. When ethically hunted (and I do mean that - a clean, instant kill is the only goal) the removal of these animals is a benefit to the environment.
We made a friend one day. The whole story is too long to put here, but this guy or girl was always somewhere nearby for a few days after we got to this fishing spot. It's eerie, knowing that you're being monitored even when you have no idea where they are...
On our search for Dead Man's Pocket we could only go so far by 4WD. Then it was a mixture of leisurely strolling through tall grass, clambering up and over rockfalls, and very carefully crossing this creek. Beautifully clear water, and bloody March flies the size of small birds as soon as you got anywhere near the bank.
I was so annoyed at myself for not taking the time to properly set up my camera in this area. The pool was spectacular, and I was so preoccupied with taking it all in that I just didn't take any well-prepared shots. Despite the very inviting looks of this pool (especially after several kilometres of hiking in the heat), like any sizeable body of water it would be easy to hide a decent sized croc in it. No chance of taking a dip, not even for a moment...
Blue skies, cool breeze, glass-smooth water and plenty of submerged rocks to upend your tinny into croc-infested water if you don't pay attention. Aaaah the Top End. Love it...
Behind me in this shot is where, about 20 minutes after this shot was taken, I caught the biggest fish of my life. It was a 5:30am start to get down the river for sunrise casting, using the light of a full 'Supermoon' to navigate. Wading through calf-deep water to get the dinghy across a rock bar when you know the river geckos are nearby definitely ensures you're wide awake...
Various adventures and hijinks with the Outback 4WD Club
Not too far from Alice, at a spot called the 'Ghan Pans', we went out to take a photo or two for the club to use digitally and in print. This shot was actually taken in landscape orientation, and I digitally extended the sky to allow it to be used with a block of text above the subject of the image.
This was meant to be the hero shot of the outing. The club president (seen later in all his technological glory) had scouted a great location for the photo. Unfortunately one of our members had some major dramas on a lumpy climb on the way in and got themselves in a bit of a dangerous position. It took quite some time to recover them and get moving again, so by the time we reached the location and got everyone spaced properly it was half in bright sunshine and half in shadow. No good. So we had to sit and twiddle our thumbs until the sun went down far enough to properly expose the photo for the whole group.
Stopped for lunch in the river bed. A nice family photo.
Is there a collective noun for a group of 4WD's? A scramble maybe?
As seen in the 'Red Centre' album. One of the most popular destinations in the West MacDonnell Ranges.
Not hard to see why...
How's the serenity?
Looking southwest from the same spot the first two photos were shot.
We headed south after Boggy Hole, through Running Waters, and this is taken not too long after we turned East onto the Ernest Giles Road going back to the Stuart Highway. One of our members had suffered a punctured tyre the previous day, which had been repaired with a plug kit. We paused for a moment to double check how much pressure the tyre had lost on the way out, and topped it up.
I honestly debated whether to include these two shots, but since nether the occupants nor the vehicle are individually identifiable I felt it was ok. The guy driving is not the owner - he had borrowed the vehicle to take his new lady friend out to Boggy Hole. To put it mildly and succinctly, he was a dangerous idiot who couldn't drive, had a bad attitude, was completely useless, and generally made bad decisions wherever he opportunity presented itself. We rescued him twice and eventually told him to turn around and go home. They hadn't brought any food, and each occupant only had 1 x 600mL bottle of water. Moron...
El Presidente of the 4WD Club. We decided to make a very small detour on the way in to Boggy Hole to check out the new mobile phone passive amplifier. Requires no power, it just captures and focuses the signal and directs it back to the nearest tower at Hermannsburg. You must place your phone in the holder provided, and you go from zero signal at all to about 75% strength 3G. Pretty impressive tech actually...
This shot, with a slightly different crop and edit, is currently being used as the artwork for the Outback 4WD Club flyer.
Located roughly 6 - 7 hours drive north of Alice, this is a favourite Easter camping spot for me. Its distance from Alice means the Easter weekend is ideal since you can write off the Friday and Monday for travel, and have a chilled Saturday and Sunday camping.
The local Rangers keep everything in excellent condition, heading out just before the Easter weekend to slash the grass and refresh the toilets ready for the upcoming tourist season.
While the waterhole has permanent water, the level is greatly affected by runoff from any recent nearby rains.
The ruins that give the waterhole its name. The view is breathtaking when you have the luxury of going back to your nice home in a few days, but living out here back then would have been a harsh existence...
The trees in the background mark the edge of the waterhole itself. While it's not that far in a straight line from the campsite, walking around the bottom of the waterhole to the ruins and then around the top of the waterhole back to the campground is a leisurely 2-hour stroll.
Created to monitor the mining operations supporting WW1, the Police station only operated for a few years before being abandoned.
When I visit places like this I try to put myself in the minds of the people who had to live here back then. It's not always easy since it's such a foreign way of life, but it helps me to respect those who made a solid go at it.
Little legs can only carry you so far before they run out of steam...
There was MUCH umm-ing and aah-ing before deciding to wade across with the camera gear. The ground was mainly sandy, but peppered with flat, mossy rocks which made grip hard to find at times.
A well-deserved nap after a long walk.
Mike from the 4WD Club's Nikon D3S. Despite the fact that I'm a Canon fanboy, this is a nice setup and he takes great photos with it!
So, disclaimer: This is literally the first set of shots I took with the new 5D. I'm still very much learning how to drive it at this point. With that said, I'm totally in love with how well it fits in my hand and how easily portable it is. A couple of people expressed concern I'd find it a bit chunky and heavy to deal with for longer periods but I'm stoked.
