OUR WORLD - Going far North to the dry country . . .

The further North you go in South Australia

the drier it gets and the  the more the landscape 

changes from what one is used to 

we occasionally stopped to stretch our legs,

with views like this, who wouldn't?

in the Flinders Ranges Salvation Jane painted the

ground a blue-purple

where emus wandered at will

from the hills to the creek

fun watching them amble by . . .

threatening skies

that brought just a few drops to wet

the leaves of this parched landscape

we snaked our way to Stokes Lookout

with a 360 degree view

another quick photo op

for this crazy track straight up the hill

If I can manage, I'll put up a few birds tomorrow 

and the sky for our arrival for SkyWatch

Linking with 

OUR WORLD

SkyWatch - A bit of weather coming in . . .

Heading towards Port Augusta we had just a little weather 

coming up

so I did just a little drive-by shooting

looking towards the Flinders Ranges

and the other way towards Spencer Gulf

they looked just a little bit threatening

and when they closed up

we were in for a downpour and had to crawl until 

we had passed through the storm

not exactly ideal

as we were nearing our stop for the night and it had been 

a looong day sitting in the car

since I'm still here, we did get there safely.

Linking with 

SkyWatch Friday

with thanks to all who run the meme

Wild Bird Wednesday - Emus

I had to delve into my files for the size of bird I can still see . .

From our last trip to the Flinders Ranges, here is the sort of 

country you find lots of

these big guys

here are all five of this family group although in other places

we saw dad raising nine chicks as well as larger groups of adults.

Now go see the other entries on

Wild Bird Wednesday

Wild Bird Wednesday - Australian Ringneck Parrots & Bonus

The Australian Ringneck Parrot, Barnardius zonarius,

these were taken at Wilpena Pound but birds of the same 

coloration were also documented in the N.Flinders Ranges

As no two learned tomes agree on regional differences and names,

I am not prepared to hang my hat on any of the seven pegs 

I have checked.

Below, a bird in it's native habitat

and feeding on tiny berries on the planted native vegetation

parrots so often look like they are laughing at one with that 

cunning look in the eye and cheeky grin

these jokers invariably park themselves in the middle of 

vegetation or in dense shade.

Just because I can, a little, and I really mean tiny, treat for the eyes

a Variegated Fairy-Wren from the N. Flinders Ranges.

Do click to enlarge that flirty tail!

Linking with Wild Bird Wednesday

OUR WORLD - Burra Mines on the Way to the Flinders Ranges

Two springs ago, we drove to The Flinders Ranges

fields of canola were flowering gold

trees on the way were coming into leaf

we stopped to walk the old mine site and 

pick up lumps of copper carbonate

at the side of this road

it once was an open cut mine but eventually

the water level rose and 

it had to be abandoned

the colour of the water is amazing but it was hard 

to get photos through a six foot mesh fence

if you enlarge this shot, you can see the bird at the water's edge

and onward to the folded ancient hills of the Flinders Ranges.

With gratitude to Klaus who started this meme as MY WORLD

which, after his passing was renamed to OUR WORLD 

and continues in his memory.

SkyWatch - A Moment of a Sunrise

The cold of winter brings joint pains with it, so this none too

happy bunny, is posting just one moment of a magical sunrise

at Wilpena Pound in the Flinders Ranges.

Enjoy!

Variegated Fairy-Wren

My mind seems to be a blank and my camera has been very lazy

as well so I am regressing a little in time and returning to a happy

snappy time in the drylands around the Flinders Ranges.

Early morning at Wirrealpa Station and the birds were coming

for a dip in the big water tank near our little cottage.

Here is the little hen Variegated Fairy-Wren, Malurus lamberti, 

and just that you don't think she was an easy shot, below is the 

uncropped version of the little grey dot in the middle.

Here is her colourful little mate, not yet in full mating plumage

but looking rather dapper none the less.

I am linking to:

OUR WORLD

Wild Bird Wednesday

id-rather-b-birdin

and

Nature Notes

and thank all the organisers of these memes.

OUR WORLD - Ever northward, Wirrealpa to Arkaroola

After two nice station-hands repaired one of our tyres, we were

off north, crossing scores of creek beds with rough and tumble

stones and doing our best not to tread on the feet of magnificent

River Redgums.

The only road, a hundred plus many miles of rough as guts dirt 

roads, creek crossings and floodways was east of the ranges with 

tantalising glimpses of the hills and huge, wide open skies.

An occasional glimpse of a flower as we got into the foothills.

The countryside had a lush cover of vegetation so unlike the normal

look of these dry ranges.

A young camel was quite a surprise to see, just a a teenager taking

 a rest in the afternoon heat

and here is the next generation, with mom and dad being very 

protective and sending junior to hide over the crest and behind them.

At last, Griselda hill at Arkaroola where I hope to get to see and

photograph some birds of the region.

We checked in, booked a table for dinner and . . . discovered we had  

another flat tyre!

Sequel to follow . . .

OUR WORLD - 1 Hour in the Flinders Ranges

Treasured memories from last year's trip to the North Flinders

Ranges and Wirrealpa Station. A number of you have asked

about the stove in my header. Unfortunately it is not mine, I

wish, but has seen service in the shearer's quarters of Wirrealpa

Station for well over 100 years. There was of course also a new

electric rage which we scorned in favour of the real thing.

Two great kettles for innumerable cups of tea and some large

aluminium pots that we used for natural dyeing under India

Flint's guidance.

Fate decreed it was time to leave and here is a selection of

just one of the wonderful hours we spent on the road.

Do enlarge for more detail.

Above, a natural wall of China wends it's way over the hills

and below, the hills folded and kneaded like puff pastry.

It had been an unusually wet spring so the normally dry and

sere country side magically burst with colour.

My favourite kind of road . . .

and unexpectedly vibrant shades of gold and green along the way.

A consolation as we again hit the tarmac, was the exposed

geological features of these ancient, weather-worm mountains.

The further south we came, the more grasses had already dried

off, but there were plenty of colourful patches still left to feast

the eyes upon

and Emus, too many to fit in one frame, grazing in a veritable

Garden of Eden. All shots from a moving car in the space of

just one hour as one of our number had to catch a flight back

to the US.

I revel in these memories and only wish I were back there now.

I hope you enjoyed a little of what my world has to offer the intrepid traveller.

If you haven't yet, do put up a post and add to the wonders OUR WORLS offers!

SkyWatch ~ Sunrise

Unusual for me I know, but just one shot of this splendid

sunrise. I am packing for a trip to the Flinders Ranges and

a coastal town on the Eyre Peninsula for a week or two.

Do enlarge it to see the full beauty.

I hope to get in some bird watching, fishing and painting while

away.

Be kind and leave some comments for me to come home to,

you know they brighten my days.

Keep safe and well until my return.

Click on the Skywatch Logo to join this fun meme with skies of

all descriptions on view.

MY WORLD ~ Back to the Ranges

I know I have posted about this remarkable part of South

Australia before but this is an area I love so much that I

just could not help showing you a little more.

The Ranges are a National Heritage area, a National Park

where the 'dreamtime' sings to you and draws you into the

landscape. Painters are mesmerised by the beauty of the

light and intricacy of the rock formations and those who

seek solace for the sole just soak it up through every pore.

Hills photographed while driving by and as you snap, suddenly

you see a patch of brilliant colour.

Whether you have time or not, you stop and get out of your

car for a closer look. Snap a few dozen photos and turn back

to be faced with a flowering bush perhaps not quite as stunning

as the Sturt Desert Peas, but certainly a stunner in it's own right.

For the purists among the artist community there is gloriously

colourful ochre right on the roadside. One is not supposed to

plunder this riches but how can one resist when it is washing

away before your eyes.

Red ochre above and yellow below. There was white, deep

yellow and orange to be found here and there as well.

Changing light and little birds capture you attention

and the ever present red soil one can just never get enough of.

Beat this for a colour contrast!

All photos enlarge if you want to be sucked into the magic.

Enlarge at least the first one to see the folding of the mountainsides.

Thanks as always to the MY WORLD Team for hosting this meme.