Driving around Wollongong

Shao Ping and I went out to purchase some plants for the garden and some sugar soap to clean the walls of our home before they are painted in a week or so. Anyway, the little Casio camera mentioned in the previous post was sitting on the table and I thought that it might be an idea to record the journey from our home to the store as we drove through town. That attempt failed as I must have switched off the camera as I adjusted the two rubber bands that held the camera to the front of the passenger's sun visor.

Our second attempt, from the store through town and back home was more successful. The cricket commentary can be heard on the car radio. Australia is playing Sri Lanka as well as some interstate matches. I cropped the ending of the video before we reached our street. I wish to maintain a little anonymity.

Bird sounds in our neighbourhood

My little Casio digital camera has a small built in voice recorder. I used it to record the bird sounds one can hear from our back yard. One tends to take these things for granted. The birds and their calls are interesting. It changes during the course of the day. Can you recognise the bird calls?

Morning bird sounds ~ 6:16AM

Midday bird sounds ~ 12:24PM

Evening bird sounds ~ 7:09PM

I have also photographed birds in our garden. Gallery One. Gallery Two.

The little Casio camera is quite handy. I always use it in my digital photography workshops with teachers in order to demonstrate how a standard digital camera can be quite handy and powerful. It is also a fully mobile podcasting studio. In addition to taking digital photographs it records video and audio. That is all one needs when out in the field.

The Illawarra

I live on the Illawarra coastline, south of Sydney, NSW. The Illawarra is flanked by the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Great Dividing Range to the west. You can gain a feel for the area by consulting the Google Map below.

View Larger Map

Photographs taken around the region can be explored in the Illawarra Galleries.

Bulli Rock Platform

After visiting the Mount Kembla Mining Heritage Festival Shao Ping, Fiona, Michelle and I went to Ruby's Cafe at Bulli Beach to grab a bite to eat. I wandered about the rock platform at the water's edge and took some photographs of the intricate designs in the rocks. The weather was fine and the light was good. Explore the gallery.

Mount Kembla Mining Heritage Festival

Shao Ping, Fiona, Michelle and I checked out the Mount Kembla Mining Heritage Festival. We watched the parade and wandered about. There were lots of stalls, vintage cars & bikes and historical displays. We walked up to the cemetery and I took some photographs of the tombstones of the miners that perished in the 1902 mining disaster. The festival was most entertaining. Explore the gallery.

Mount Keira Bush Walk

The adventurers went for a hike on the Mount Keira ring tack today. They took the walk up to the summit and then descended via the Dave Walsh track. The adventurers then took the ring track back around to the starting point in Mount Pleasant. Stay posted for the update on the Adventurers' Club site.

New gallery over at the Adventurers' Club

My friend Larry just dropped a line to say that the The Adventurers' Club has uploaded a gallery of images taken on their recent excursion to Botany Bay and Cape Solander on the 6th July. The adventurers took in the rugged coastline and paid a visit to the birthplace of European settlement in Australia. Why not have a look at the excellent photographs and historical mementos Diamond captured with his brand new camera?

Eerie sounds from the transmission towers

During the bush walk across to the peak at Broker's Nose we had to pass the transmission tower that sits atop the site. There was a fresh wind and as the breeze blew through the construction an eerie sound emanated from the tower... like a metallic symphony coming down through a long, cold pipe. Listen to it here.

The sound of metallic ghosts

Telegraph pole on the lean...

Nearly every day I notice this telegraph pole leaning rather precariously in Figtree. I wonder if it will ever topple over? Are they still called telegraph poles? I think they no longer carry telegraph wires.

Burst water mains...

While driving home last night I spotted this a fountain of water where one should not be. I proposed to hetho and dobbo that we should investigate and I captured the photograph and movie. It was soon stopped by Sydney Water.

Creek in Jamberoo

Last Monday I attended a staff development day in Jamberoo. There was creek running alongside the property. It was quite pleasant. It was simply relaxing to sit there and to watch the water flow down the creek.

Storms across the Illawarra

A severe low pressure weather system during the days from the 8th June through to the 12th June brought heavy winds, flooding rains and big seas to NSW. On the 9th and 10th June Shao Ping and I drove to Wollongong Harbour and took a number of photographs of the heavy seas battering the coast. We walked across to the breakwater and took a number of images showing the waves crashing across the rock wall and soaking the spectators.

The Adventurers' Club

Created a new web site today. The Adventurers' Club. I hope this project proceeds as we hope.