Posts from the ‘Weekly Photo Challenge’ category

Weekly Photo Challenge: Culture – ANZAC Day

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Someone has to be in charge.

ANZAC was the name given to the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps soldiers who landed on the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey early on the morning of 25 April 1915 during the First World War (1914-1918).

ANZAC Day (celebrated on 25 April each year) is a national public holiday and is considered by many Australians to be one of the most solemn days of the year.

Ceremonies of remembrance and marches take place in cities and towns throughout the country.  It’s a time when then Nation shows its gratitude and pride for all our men and women who fought and died in all wars.

This poem by D Hunter captures beautifully the sentiment of the day. – Be aware though, if you are like me it will bring a tear to your eye each time you read it.

ANZAC Day

I saw a kid marchin’ with medals on his chest.
He marched alongside Diggers marching six abreast.
He knew that it was ANZAC Day – he walked along with pride.
He did his best to keep in step with the Diggers by his side.

And when the march was over the kid was rather tired.
A Digger said “Whose medals, son?” to which the kid replied:
“They belong to daddy, but he did not come back.
He died up in New Guinea on a lonely jungle track”.

The kid looked rather sad then and a tear came to his eye.
The Digger said “Don’t cry my son and I will tell you why.
Your daddy marched with us today – all the blooming way.
We Diggers know that he was there – it’s like that on ANZAC Day”.

The kid looked rather puzzled and didn’t understand,
But the Digger went on talking and started to wave his hand.
“For this great land we live in, there’s a price we have to pay
For we all love fun and merriment in this country where we live.
The price was that some soldier his precious life must give.

For you to go to school my lad and worship God at will,
Someone had to pay the price so the Diggers paid the bill.
Your daddy died for us my son – for all things good and true.
I wonder if you understand the things I’ve said to you”.

The kid looked up at the Digger – just for a little while
And with a changed expression, said, with a lovely smile:
“I know my dad marched here today – this is ANZAC Day.
I know he did. I know he did, all the bloomin’ way”.

D. Hunter
(A veteran of Shaggy Ridge with the 2/12 Battalion in WW2)

Here are just a few images from this years march in Brisbane.

Final Instructions.
Historical Uniform Contingent 1
Historical Uniform Contingent 2
Historical Uniform Contingent 3
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Up

Byron Lighthouse

Up on the cliffs, lighting up the way is Cape Byron Lighthouse.

A two hour drive south of Brisbane, Cape Byron is the easternmost point on the Australian mainland. A well known stopping off point for tourists including backpackers traveling along the Australian coast, the lighthouse attracts more than 500,000 visitors each year.

26 Comments

Weekly Photo Challenge: Colours

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Colours of the Rainbow

Over the past couple of days Brisbane has hosted the Rainbow Warrior.

Promoting Greenpeace’s “Save the Reef” campaign the vessel was berthed at our Cruise Terminal on the Brisbane River, and for a short while was open for public viewing.

‘Save the Reef’ campaign.
Helicopter landing pad.
Crewman talking with visitors on the bridge.
On the bridge
Dave doing what dolphins do.
‘Dave’ the metre high wood carving that once graced the bow of the second Rainbow Warrior.
One of the ‘action boats’ capable of being deployed in minutes.
The 55 metre high masts only just fit under the Gateway Bridges. Hence departure was timed to coincide with low tide on the Brisbane River.

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You may be wondering why its necessary for Greenpeace to run a campaign in 2013, aimed at saving the Great Barrier Reef.

I can only say that over the past few years our State and Federal politicians have ‘entertained’ us with their antics, so much so that serious issues such as the health of the Barrier Reef hardly get a look in.  It takes an outsider with a high profile such as Greenpeace to put these issues back on the agenda.

Why in 2013 ….. well you won’t be surprised to know, its election year.   Make enough noise and the pollies may just get the message.

PS.  “In 2012, the UN World Heritage Committee sent a delegation to Australia to investigate threats to the Great Barrier Reef. Its report was scathing, noting that the unprecedented scale of development in the World Heritage Area poses serious concerns over its long-term conservation”. Greenpeace

For more on the Greenpeace campaign Save the Reef.

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Lost in the Details

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The Elusive Trifecta

Sometimes Queenslander’s cross the Tweed and head south. Not so much Ambling Around Brisbane but rather meandering around Melbourne at present.

I’ve been in a few Hotels, Motels and Apartments over the years and living out of a suitcase is not new to me.

Gambling though is not one of my vices and I’m reminded why this is so …… by a simple trifecta.

1. A clean room. Tick
2. A comfortable bed and pillow. Tick, Tick
3. An adequate shower. Cross

Two out of three ….. this time it’s the shower.

I’ve found from experience that the odds of winning are not shortened by the price of the room and certainly not by the prestige of the establishment – six stars though is a little beyond my wallet.

I don’t want to crouch, twist and gyrate to get wet, nor bang my elbows, knees and what have you on walls, doors and fixtures, all I’m asking for is warm water that covers me when I stand beneath the shower rose and enough room to do my business.

I’m not a large man. All Right! yes I could loose a few kilos, but I wonder how my bigger brothers and sisters manage incarcerated in these torturous cubicles.

So why is it that winning the trifecta is so difficult. Is it just me or does something gets lost in the detail.

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Forward

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An occasional visitor to Brisbane the Antonov AN-124 is the world’s second largest cargo aircraft in operation.

As jets don’t fly in reverse, and on the ground they have to be pushed backwards by a small truck, I thought these images fitted the bill for this weeks challenge.

This YouTube video is really impressive if you are looking for some idea of how many flights in the world there are in a single day.

Uploaded on 30 Dec 2010
A 24-hour sequence of air traffic around the world. Notice night/day pattern changes. Remember, Earth is spherical. The airplanes up top are not speeding; they’re traveling a shorter distance. Cool, eh?

9 Comments

Weekly Photo Challenge: Love

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Love it, or Loathe it.

I recall thinking ‘that’s a contradiction’ – the word Love stenciled on a swastika.

In the back of my mind I think I’ve always known that the symbol was hijacked and as such had totally opposite meanings depending on your background.

Images captured in King George Square, Brisbane July 2010

4 Comments

Weekly Photo Challenge: Beyond

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Your eyes cannot rest … trapped in a cycle between looking into the mirror, then across to the wheel – back and forth, looking behind and then beyond.

The composition is such that there is little to hold the eye, most of the components are incomplete, there is a size incongruity between the mirror and the wheel. The only real colour is provided by the frame of the mirror but all you can see is a distorted building and part of a car …… nothing of note, so the eye moves on. At least this is the way I see it ……. How do you see it?

Details: This shot was taken in 2012 at Southbank Parklands, Brisbane. The area was still a construction zone. The building is the new offices for the ABC, Australia’s National Broadcaster.

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Special Photo Challenge: Inspiration

In Pursuit of the Image

We are at Boonah, a small town about 100 kilometres south west of Brisbane in an area they call the Scenic Rim.  And I’m out to try my hand at aerial photography.

This is one of those days when I think check lists are a good thing.  The pilot has one, I’ve got mine.

Pre Flight Check List

  • Leather flight helmet  ….. Cool     √
  • Sunglasses  and Goggles ….. nice   √
  • Headphones and mic ….. Now I look the part      √
  • Seatbelt ….. good idea      √√√
  • Camera ….. that’s what its all about      √√√√
  • Pilot ….. Yep, we need one of them      √√√√√√√√√
  • That thing under the seat ….. MISSING
  • What is it that the pretty hostess says …………  ‘they could be behind you’.  No, no need to worry about the exits, I’ll be hanging on.  That is if I can find something to hang on to.
  • Empty bladder.  No need to elaborate.      √

I’m in the front seat.  The pilot normally sits here but for this trip he’s in the back.  You know what they say about backseat drivers, well on this occasion I put that…..right out of my mind.

I feel like ‘Biggles’ the original super hero, at least to me.  You see I’ve got the ‘Biggles’ helmet, and I’m in an open cockpit just like the Sopwith Pup he used to fly.  Perhaps with a little more legroom …..OK a lot more legroom.  So I am ready to take on the world, well to take some photos anyway.

We start to taxi for takeoff.  Accelerating down the grass runway, faster and faster, noisier and noisier and all I can see in front of me are the bumps in the runway, a couple of bounces and then we are in the air.  We circle around the airdrome steadily climbing under power to our cruising altitude of 4000 ft.

Above the noise of the engine I can hear Greg, my pilot, in the headphones talking to Traffic Control and once we have cleared Boonah airdrome he gives me a commentary on what is going on and points out the landmarks along the way.

It’s an exciting experience sitting in an open cockpit as you soar into the air; its not hard to imagine what it was like for those pioneer aviators in their primitive machines – exposed to the elements, the wind in your face, the drop in temperature as you climb higher and higher, the grind of the engine and the rise and fall of the aircraft as you hit air pockets along with the swaying from side to side as you fight to steer your course against the air currents.  Exhilarating.

Taking photos from what is basically an open seat at 4000 feet is an interesting experience – the inclination is to hang on, not so much out of fear but just to steady yourself.  The camera though needs two hands, the only option I found was to push away from the seat in order to brace myself against the safety harness.  I should say that there was always one thing in the back of my mind though when carrying out this procedure …….

Our flight took us in a southerly direction past Mt Maroon and Mt Barney, two of the tallest and most recognisable peaks in the region, before arriving at Mt Lindesay.

From the ground all you can see is the rock face above the tree line but from the ultralight you get to view this wonderfully symmetrical rock formation that sits like a tiara on top of the mountain.

One circuit around Mt Lindesay and we are on our way back.

Round trip about 80 kilometres and a little over an hour in the air.

Would I do it again.  You bet.

Bucket List

  • Aerial photography from an ultralight aircraft.     √

For more shots from the ultralight click hear

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