Sleeping under the stars
March 2023
My view under the stars, 25th March 2023.
I love being in the bush but when I have a bad week I really need to get away to the bush. Last week was one of those weeks so after my Saturday meetings with customers I headed bush.
Above is the view I had from my swag as I slept in the bush. One of my customers sent me some of his great astro photos recently. It reminded me how much my astro needed to improve so I made the effort to point the camera at the sky…..and stuffed up the whole process……need to do some astro study again.
Wurruma Swamp, late evening 25th March 2023.
Before I settled in for the night and took the previous photo, I made a run out to Wurruma Swamp to see if I could locate the family of Swans that I had been photographing regularly in late 2022. It was a beautiful sunset.
The above Swan is not from that family but based on where I found it I think I now know the section of the swamp I need to search. The water is so high at the moment I think the swans moved to a shallower area to feed. That deep water also makes it hard to work my way around the edge of the swamp. Boots are required.
I woke the next morning in the bush to a beautiful day. I made my way down to the nearby river and enjoyed breakfast using some of that crystal clear water to make a milo.
Some new friends on Ravenshoe golf course.
I spent a good part of the morning at the river. I got no photos but had a wonderful time. With the sun now too bright for landscape photos I decided to do something different. I spent the mid part of the day on Ravenshoe Golf course with some very friendly kangaroos.
They were everywhere from the tees to the greens. The only time I had to move them on was when they insisted in standing in front of the tee. Ravenshoe is the only place I know where you can have the entire course to yourself for 18 holes and it will cost you $10.
A big male beside the green.
As friendly as the kangaroos seemed I stay away from them especially the big males. They can rip you to shreds. There are signs advising not to feed them and that they can be dangerous.
The last of the sun hitting the top tier of MacKenzie Falls.
With golf finished I headed into Ravenshoe for something to eat before heading to MacKenzie Falls trying to stay ahead of the setting sun. By the time I had walked the 3-4 kilometres in sunset was fast approaching.
The track into the falls.
With so much rain early this year the track into the falls is quite rutted. From the algae on that water I dare say it has been a while since any great volume of 4WD’s have passed through it.
A Noisy Minor walking the other way.
Noisy Minors are not birds I generally take photos of but when one walked up the path to the falls towards me and kept on coming I got the camera out….actually I pretty much always have it out.
…and it just kept on walking past me.
This bird seemed oblivious to my presence and walked straight past heading in the other direction. You can see in this photo from that little bit of tongue sticking out that the Noisy Minor is from the honeyeater family of birds.
The bottom tier of MacKenzie falls on the day.
Before I started the walk into MacKenzie Falls that day I had already decided it was about the journey more than the photos. I got a couple of shots of the bottom tier, had a cup of Milo and then got ready to head out.
Water flowing over the stepped rocks.
With the water clearing up like it is, it will not be long before that water flow will be just right for some nice waterfall shots. Just so long as we do not get any more heavy rain.
Darkness was approaching, time to make the walk back out then the drive back to Cairns. Great day and a half in the bush before work on the Monday.