Any Day in the Park

 

People in general sometimes take our National Parks for granted, which is a shame as they really deserve our very finest appreciation. Belair was Australia's first National Park, established in the 1880s, and remains one of the best—as parks-pass holders we used the place as a frequent getaway for a day among green spaces and wildlife. I caught this image on September 9^th, 2020, on the trail leading op from Old Government Farm to the ridge overlooking much of the park, with views to the sea, and it struck me at the time that the interplay of light and shadow was nothing short of magic. The steep embankment up to the trees, its ranks of vegetation each catching the sun at that precise angle, could not have been more perfect if an artist had executed the composition—the sort of fleeting moment an artist would wait for, then sketch furiously in a swift tonal values study, and commit to canvas later. The image has been adjusted slightly—contrast, colour and sharpness. Fuji FinePix S5600, automatic. Image by Mike.

Cool and Lush

 

A temperate woodland—Europe? North America? This is the redwood plantation (Sequoia sempervirens) at Belair National Park, east of Adelaide, photographed on July 12^th, 2017. These trees were planted in 1966, the last mass planting of an exotic species to ever occur in the park, and have a long way to go to reach their full size. They towering trunks and fern ground cover create a distinctly north-temperate feeling to the hills above a very Australian eucalypt forest, and the wind in the coniferous needles is an unusual sound in these surroundings. Nothing fancy on this shot, just some minor enhancements. Fuji FinePix S5600, automatic. Image by Mike.

A Tangle of Life

 

A simple image but it epitomises the “be there and catch it” serendipity of photography. Just this association of trees, just that display of clouds, the light at just that angle, coming together to make a visual maze of stems and leaves, with the depth of the rich blue beyond. This shot was taken at Belair National Park on August 13^th, 2017, beside Playfiord Lake. Fuji FinePix S5600, automatic. Image by Mike.

The Old Man of The Forest

The park rangers tell us that this bloke is "As old as the hills." He's been around longer than any of the current rangers and he is completely blind. He knows all the trails and all the places to find good eats. Notice he has an apple in his front paws. He also doesn't mind people getting close. Belair National Park, South Australia. Picture taken from about 10 feet away with the Fuji S6500fd on full automatics. The picture was resized for the upload, but otherwise this is the raw shot. Photo by dave, 2009.

Momma Koala

I see a lot of koalas when I'm out hiking around Belair National Park --which happens to be Australia's first National Park. Every once in a while I'll spy one with a baby. The mother with baby usually stay way up high in the gum trees, but these were only about 15 feet up in a bluegum. The Fuji S6500fd was on full automatics, and I think it did a great job with the difficult lighting. Photo by dave.

Life is but a yawn ... when you're a koala

The Australian koala ... in its natural environment ... doing what these guys usually do. They sleep, they eat, then they sleep some more. They're just so cute, you can't find an argument with them! Best place to see them locally, in the wild, is Belair National Park. You can also see them at Clealand Wildlife Park, but the name is deceiving. The animals there are actually in captivity, in pens and paddocks. However, at Belair we've seen -- absolutely wild -- and photographed koalas, kangaroos, echidnas, bettongs, bandicoots, blue tongues, a couple of snakes, and numerous bird species. This little guy is sleeping in a tree way off the trail; the camera was at the max of its optical zoom -- 10x, on the Fuji S6500fd. The koala was cropped out of the 6MP frame and digitally enhanced with Irfanview. Photo by Dave, 2008.