Last weekend I went for a ‘flex’ with my new mirrorless Pentax K-01 camera to Baw Baw country. It’s a stylish little brick that seems to make people cringe and smile at the same time. On the first night we camped at Fulton’s Creek on top of a bullant nest (with scorpions!) and the second night inside the impressively hard to access Macalister Gorge.
Filed under Environmental
The 3 Peaks Challenge provides cyclists with one of the world’s toughest and most picturesque cycling challenges of the Victorian Alps. The 235 km loop provides a course that is so epic it’s comparable to a Tour de France stage with 3 major climbs – Tawonga Gap, Mount Hotham and Falls Creek via Omeo. Source: Bicycle Network Victoria
When asked to summarise my 3 Peaks Challenge experience in the post-event survey I ticked the box labelled solitude. Cycling for me has always been about the rhythmic meditative experience of zoning out on a quiet country road. Over three months in the lead-up to the event I followed the suggested training schedule and dispersed weekend hill climbs around Cape Otway and the Dandenong Ranges with intervals on the Casey Fields criterium track. I didn’t want to be busting my balls conquering peaks like a conquistador to reach the finish line but instead wanted to enjoy the alpine serenity free of the brain-rattlig noise and hair-burning smell of big two-stroke engines running at full throttle. Unfortunately my brother tapped out at Omeo but it was good riding with him to that point. I thought he might at least attempt the infamous final climb but he seemed happy with the effort he put in. With a lift from friends Scott and Clare he was able to catch me roll through the finish line after surreally awakening from that nightmarish final climb to Falls Creek on the Bogong High Plains Rd.
Thanks to Bicycle Network Victoria for organising and safely executing this challenge. The relaxed vibe of the Falls Creek Village was very much harmonious with the style of event.
Filed under Events
The Victoria Derby is an Australian Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Melbourne’s Flemington Racecourse. Traditionally held on the Saturday prior to Melbourne Cup Day (the first Tuesday in November), the Victoria Derby marks the first day of Melbourne’s annual Spring Racing Carnival. It’s a Group One race for three-year-old horses and is raced anti-clockwise on a turf course over a 2.5 km distance.The total prize money for the race is AUD$1,500,000.
In adhering to the traditional black and white dress code, the Myer Fashions on the Field winner was judged to be Deborah Hunter in a Dolce Gabbana polka dot balloon skirt. The first runner-up was awarded to Marney McQueen in her Rosa Waxes Lyrical garb and second runner-up awarded to Jamie Lowe in a Nicola Finetti dress and Kim Fletcher head piece.
I placed only one bet during the day and came up trumps with Monaco Consul, the winner of the Victoria Derby, thereby making my day somewhat worth it after being boxed in by the inebriated crowd in the scorching heat.
On the Saturday of the Moto GP each year, the City of Casey hosts the MRA (Motorcycle Riders Association Of Australia) Cranbourne GP Run. The MRA Cranbourne GP Run is one of the most exciting motorcycle events in Victoria, as people assemble to watch the wave off of thousands of motorcycle riders travelling en masse to Phillip Island for the Moto GP. The MRA Cranbourne GP Run is an opportunity for riders of different backgrounds and abilities to get together and participate in the biggest group motorcycle ride in Victoria. The event is a major attraction to the South East region and attracts thousands of people to The City of Casey. Source
Filed under Events
After meeting Ric at Cape Woolamai’s Pinnacles, we decided to spend a wildly windy weekend shooting in Wilsons Promontory National Park. Ric is a passionate landscape photographer who is intending to launch a website soon focusing on Victoria’s National Parks. We were a bit restricted where we could shoot because large areas were still closed from extensive bushfire damage.
Ric arrived a day before me and scoped out a few locations, one being the picturesque Whisky Bay with its orange lichen encrusted granite boulders as seen here under heavy cloud in the morning and strong sunlight in the afternoon. The main track to Whisky Bay was closed because some aboriginal artifacts had been uncovered in the fires so we had to scramble around from Squeaky Beach on the rocks.
On a related note, Travis Easton has just released a book, The Prom, featuring some of his finest photographs from his many years of trekking the wilderness.
Filed under Environmental
