A Flickr group I am a part of, the Wollongong Pictorial Mafia, held their 1st exhibition at Project Contemporary Artspace in Wollongong. I was invited to exhibit as well, but a few factors ruled that out.
I got along to the official opening night last Friday night and had a ball meeting quite a few people I had only known online. The quality of work was terrific, and its a great group to be involved in.
Congratulations to all involved. It was a fantastic night.
Yes, the rumour mill has finally stopped, and the specs for the new Canon 5D have been released.
A full list of specs is available here, but the stuff that interests me is:
– 21 megapixels. Holy crap, hello new hard drives.
– Auto sensor cleaning. Does it really work?
– DIGIC 4 processor with 14 bit A/D. Should be nice and fast, and give better colour than the old 12 bit converter.
– ISO 50 to 25600. Another holy crap. I know it is now the norm, but bloody hell. Keen to see what that looks like.
– Live view. Still don’t know if I am a huge fan, but I have only ever used it briefly.
– ISO in viewfinder. Most people don’t give a rats about this, but for me, its a ripper feature.
– Movie recording at 1080. The elitists hate this. I reckon it is very cool. Bigger CF cards and MORE hard drives will be needed.
It still has the direct print button which I think is a waste. Still wont take EF-S lenses, which I don’t think is all that bad. Overall, Im excited. Will I get one, no. Not until they drop in price and my 5D Classic dies.
Well it is here.
Day 10, the lost tape! from Todd Norbury on Vimeo.
Thats it now. No more videos from the road trip. I hope one of you found them enjoyable.
In what seems like a first, the massive water holdings on Toorale Station will be released back into the Darling River. No, I haven’t turned into a green activist, my interest comes from the fact that I was there just a few weeks back.
More info can be found here. I don’t know about the local economy, it seems Bourke is dieing anyway, but it has to be good for the river.
Well, here is what I thought was the last video from the road trip. Technically, it is the last one shot, but I still have one from the day before that I forgot to download off my phone, so there is a bonus bonus video that will be available next week.
Day 11. Coming Home. from Todd Norbury on Vimeo.
Well, tomorrow is my 1st day back at work after 2 weeks off. It is always a hard day to get out of bed. You know you aren’t doing it for the enjoyment, you have to do it to pay the bills.
I am still ploughing through the 1100 photos I took whilst I was away. Its like panning for gold in a mined out creek. I’m not finding any nuggets, but the odd speck of gold here and there.
I managed to find 1 more boring video, and it is on its way to the interweb. Thanks to my speedy connection, it should be there in a bit over 2 hours. Link to follow.
Sheep, Im surprised they can even baa!
……well, home and shaved actually.
Its been 2 days since I arrived home. A 780km trip from Hay to home, with a couple of little detours. I am still going through the photos. Its a long and boring job. Going out and taking the photos is far more fun than processing them. God knows how much I would bitch if I was doing all in a dark room.
To break up this little chapter of the Blog, I am going to scatter the odd photo through it to break things up a bit. Like this….
The famous Ireland Beanie that has seen lots of the Aussie Outback.
After 3400kms and meeting so many terrific people, it is very difficult to pick out highlights. None the less, I will have a go. The meatworks at Bourke were certainly a stand out. I love any old buildings or derelict places, and this was a ripper as far as a run down spot is concerned. My mate Duncan from Bourke organised it and I think he is probably the only one that will ever know just how much I enjoyed it. So thanks to the big feller.
An old train station on a now unused line.
The people I met along the way will stay in my memory for years to come. Rick, Tom and Allan at Bourke. The guys at the Louth pub. The service station owner ad Menindee. And Miriam, from Stockinbingal, a tiny town on the railway line between Temora and Harden. I had stopped for a nature break and was walking back to the car when I saw Miriam. As usual, I said “gday” and she said “hello, how are you?” Well, we got chatting and ended up sitting at a park bench for a while. She told me I was the 1st person apart from the storekeeper and butcher that she had spoken to in the flesh for 6 weeks. Her kids, and grandkids all lived interstate, and although she spoke to them quite often, she was desperately lonely. Her husband of 60 years, Bill, had passed away late last year and as you can imagine, she missed him. We chatted about a few different things, then I had to go. She gave me a big hug and I was away. I have thought about her alot since I got back and I should have got her phone number. To busy thinking about where to next and not about her I suppose.
Aussie landscape.
So between seeing this bloody big place, and meeting some fantastic people, I can chalk up another fantastic road trip. I am glad to be home with the bride. But I look forward to doing it again next year at some point.
I can really recommend a trip out to the outback for any Aussies that havent been out there. The skies are blue, the air is clean, the food fantastic most of the time and the people are friendly. What more could you want?
Here is a list of places I would recommend if you are ever in the area.
Accomodation
Trilby Station on the Darling River. I stayed in the Shearers Bunkhouse which was great. Liz was very friendly, and the property is on a fantastic bit of the River. Its a rough old road to get there, but I would love to get back out there and spend more time on the station having a look around. Thanks Liz.
The Salt Bush Motor Inn at Hay was easily the most luxurious and best value accommodation of the trip. It is a very new establishment, and it is well looked after by Gary and Ellen. Large comfortable rooms, a spacious bathroom and free internet access makes this the stand out accommodation in Hay. I will be back, thats for sure.
The Oasis Motor Inn at Broken Hill was the other really good accommodation I stayed at. Not as flash as Salt Bush in Hay, but clean and the staff are very friendly.
Attractions
Shear Outback is like a Shearers hall of fame. I think i was there for well over 2 hours. Billy Garner, the Gun shearer is a great bloke who has lots of funny stories. There is also a great gift shop and a water exhibition that tells some sobering facts about Australia’s water useage.
Broken Hill rail Museum in the heart of Broken Hill. The best $2.50 I have spent in a long time. Lots to see and read about. And if you are a train buff, get ready for a few hours of wandering about.
Also, the drive down the Darling from Bourke to Wilcannia, although slow going at times, is a great drive to do if you like the outback. Drop into Toorale station and see the old homestead and shearers sheds where Henry Lawson worked as a rouseabout. Spend the night at Trilby station and soak up some country living.
Here are a few videos that have now been uploaded.
Day 9. Hay. from Todd Norbury on Vimeo.
Day 8. Broken Hill. from Todd Norbury on Vimeo.
Day 7 Broken Hill from Todd Norbury on Vimeo.
Day 6, Broken Hill from Todd Norbury on Vimeo.
Day 5, Louth from Todd Norbury on Vimeo.
Day 4, Fort Bourke from Todd Norbury on Vimeo.
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