Bikes and Bunkers



I would like to acknowledge the Indigenous People of Australia, the traditional owners of this land past and present.

 

Saturday first day of Spring and I did not want to get out of bed.

I thought it was local council elections today, and maybe I could get a few shots at the booths. After arriving at the Community Hall, I quickly realised I was a week early. With a sigh of relief, as I also had TAFE (college) on today, I raced home for another heart starter Coffee!! 

With about half hour up my sleeve I headed for the Perch Hole, hoping to capture some wildlife shots, and with a little luck the elusive Jabiru. The waterline, still quite visible from the unopened lake of the previous week, highlighted the wetland species that have evolved to grow in saltwater conditions. Featured trees in the following image are Melaleuca species also known as Paperbark.
 

View from The Perch Hole looking south on the eastern bank.

 

By this stage it was a little late in the morning (around 8.30am), and the light was harsh with no sign of wildlife at the Perch Hole.

 

A local businessman Rex Patterson was photographing his motorbike amongst the trees, and after striking up a conversation and introductions, he agreed for me to take a few shots. As a motor bike enthusiast Rex informed me that in recent years his Kawasaki bike model was considerd to be the fastest in the world.

 

 

Rex Patterson with Kawasaki

My only experience on a powerful motorbike was when I was thirteen years old, and my first girlfriend's brother doubled me up Black Charlie's Hill at Bankstown all the time hanging on for grim death.This happened on a few occasions, as hitch hiking was my only mode of transport in those days.

Little did we know at the time across the road from my first girldfriend's house was the Bankstown Bunker, kept secret for many years but later discovered by my younger cousin and a few mates and soon after made public. It was a major underground air force facility for plotting action in the Pacific during WW2, and with a panoramic view over Sydney and its close proximity to Bankstown Airport, it is easy to understand why.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bankstown_Bunker

 

Late last year I was photographing landscapes on the Oxley Highway near Walcha when in the distance I could hear the roar of bikes approaching. I set up for the shot and the following image is the best I could do. I was later told that they were most likely doing over 200 mph.

 

 

Oxley Highway near Walcha NSW

 

 

Another shot of Rex's Kawaski

My SLR camera tip for the day is by photographing in Manual Mode and experimenting with the metering mode will help in using lower ISO settings in low light.

Fair Dinkum!!