November December 2011 we made a 4 weeks long trip to Melbourne, Victoria and South Australia. For the first time since three years this was not only about photography but also about vacation. All the same some time was dedicated to photography. We had been a bit unlucky with the weather, lots of rain and very cold temperatures for southern summer. Our wollen caps have been our best friends....

After all we had a good time and the results in terms of photography have been successfull as well.

have fun watching the pictures!!

Great Ocean Road, Great Otway NP and the 12 Apostels

This part of the southern Australia is by far the most known and most travelled. You will be not alone, but it is worth doing it. If you spend the evening at the 12 Apostels be prepared for sharing this experience with hundreds of people some of them having a party. If you want to be alone, go early in the morning, where you have the best light anyway!

I enjoyed most the Loch Ard area, where we had stormy but sunny weather.

Kangaroo Island

This island is not so well known outside of Australia, but the National Park is really nice for hiking and lots of wildlife. The ferry however is ridiculous expensive. Again the weather was so cold, that we fled to the outback after a while. I did not get a single good shot of the main attraction, the remarkable rocks. Thats a reason to come back.

Flinders Ranges National Park

This park was really worth doing the trip into the outback of South Australia. I got very mixed information during my internet research and I really can recommend this park. If you go there do not stay only in Wilpena Pound but visit also the more remote parts of the park. For all fellow geographers, geologists and palaenotolgists - remember Ediacara? thats the place where it all happened and they have an outstanding geologic trail in one of the gorges!
Watching the elusive yellow footed rock wallaby made it even more rewarding, but take your time, get up very early and leave very late.

Back to Melbourne via Mildura, Hattah-Kulkyne and the Grampians

Hattah-Kulkyne - we had been lucky to go there, perfect evening, the Murray flowing peacefully, very good experience and completely unknown in europe.

The Grampians have been as expected. It is not a spectacular mountain range, at least if you know The Alps, Patagonia or other "real" mountains. It is nice for walking and the great eastern kangaroos are really a reason to go there.

Wildlife

The itinerary was planned with the focus on 3 to 4 species. Of course I wanted to take pictures of Great Eastern Kangaroos, the seals of Kangaroo Island and Koalas. But the animal I really was looking for was the elusive and endangered yellow footed rock wallaby. It is a really beautiful kangaroo, perhaps the most pretty of all. Birds where not a focus, but some where hard to avoid (and very noisy...).

and last but not least some private shots...