Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2006

My Partner and I have made something of a habit of seeing the ‘Wildlife Photographer of the Year’ exhibition at the Australian Museum. It’s a great collection of stunning wildlife photos in a range of categories. This year, many of the bird shots where my favourite – a change from the landscape ones I’ve liked a lot more in the past.

Some of the descriptions that go with the photos are almost as interesting as the photo itself. Some of them reveal just how persistent (mad?) some of these people are. One guy learnt how to dive with walruses (very dangerous) then took over 400 shots in one session just to get his winning shot. This is the Everest mountain climb of photography. Personally, I think there is more creative art in finding something beautiful in something ordinary, like the winning dewdrops on a window (looks totally surreal) and the ‘bark as art’ shot.

Some of the Macro shots of insects, so on a recent walk in the blue mountains, I shot this Dragonfly.

I’d reccomend going to see this exhibition, but if you can, see it after school holidays finish – I found it way too crowded to see everthing at my own pace.

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

Snorkelling at Bushranger Bay

I have a mate who lives in Wollongong, on the coast south of Sydney. I wen down there for a few days between Christmas and New Years and went snorkeling in Bushranger Bay, just south of Shellharbour.

It’s too far south for brightly coloured tropical corals and fish, but there was plenty to see. Not more than a few meters from the shoreline, small schools of small fish where having a rest. I floated with them for a while checking out their coloured bands – very cute. Then I noticed a group of about 5 largeish silver fish, each about a foot long. They where stalking the small fish looking for an easy lunch. Further out, in the middle of the bay I spotted a sand coloured sting ray about 20cm wide. I ducked dived down close enough to see those two weird eyes on the top of it’s flat body. Finally, at the mouth of the bay, a large school of fish where having a rest. They where about 15cm long, blue with a white strip on their tail. I floated around them and as they got used to me they came closer, surrounding me. Totally amazing!

I loved it and will be going back. If you choose to go, here’s a few tips;

• Go in the morning, while the wind is low and visibility is good
• Go at low tide – it just seems to be better
• Flippers are a must, a wetsuit and a weight belt would have been great – I had to get out an warm up regularly. You can hire everything in Shellharbour or Windang.
• Take care not to get burnt!

I highly recommend it – it’s just not that often you can get close to animals like this in the wild!

My rating: 4.5 Stars

For more info, see this site