Posts Tagged ‘The Sentimental Bloke’
March 20th, 2012 by Lunch
Lake Eyre is 60%covered as of 15th March 2012
Above is another image taken by the Outback photographer Peter MacDonald or The Sentimental Bloke as he is also known. Its very coincidental that after my last blog post on the current conditions of the very wet country side in northern South Australia and Lake Eyre, he sent me his latest blog of which I subscribe to.
Peter has been up and about the countryside and gave a brief report on the scenes that he saw & quoted;
“I ran a few photographs of the result of heavy rains that recently fell in the Flinders Ranges & Outback of South Australia. It’s becoming evident that rains we have had this year will equal or exceed those that fell in the last really big wet this region had…. & that was way back in 1974.
The rain is of course transformomg the land in many ways. The vast inland water system that is the- Lake Eyre Basin, Goyders Lagoon and the Coongie Lakes will fill again for the 3rd year in arow. Lake Eyre has water again over much of its surface & is continuing to fill. Huge amounts of water are heading from the north into this region…”
Well spoken from a man who knows his stuff! If you’re keen on getting up to to see this spectacular region, check out our 2 and 3 day Lake Eyre & Outback Tours and itineraries, dates, images & videos here on Goin’ Off Safaris web page and contact us to book your seat!
Cheers!
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Lake Eyre has water again over much of its surface and is continuing to fill.
Huge amounts of water are heading from the north into this region. |
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Posted: 17 Mar 2012 03:40 AM PDT
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Posted by Lunch Tags: 3 Day Supreme Scenic Safari, Birdsville Pub, Birdsville Working museum, Coongie Lakes, Cooper Creek, Flinders Ranges, Goin Off Safaris, Goyders Lagoon, Innamincka, Lake Eyre, lake eyre 1974, Lake Eyre filling, lake Eyre Tours, South Australia, The Sentimental Bloke, Warburton Groove
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March 19th, 2012 by Lunch
Goyders Lagoon, 80km SW of Birdsville
What a deluge of rain that we have seen fall across nearly all parts of the country of late! There are many places that have received way too much rain across many areas but pastrolists in the Outback regions cannot hide the smiles as many of the station owners recorded their annual average rainfall over a few very wet days just 2 weeks ago.
The result from this is enormous as most have recorded very little rainfall in the last 12 months and this recent event has just encouraged more growth and feed for cattle and refilled every dam, waterhole, creek and another catchment area. As reported by South Australia’s 639 North and West Radio last Thursday,the rains have also filled Lake Eyre South and Australia’s inland sea, Lake Eyre North is all ready 60% covered with water that has been flowing in from the Cooper Creek on the eastern side of the Lake and via the Warburton Creek and Macumba River into the Warburton Groove from the northern parts!
The whole river system is amazing which extends far and wide through the top northern parts of Queensland, all the way down the Channel Country via the Diamantina, Thompson, Barcoo & Georgina Rivers (just to name a few) to the lowest part of Australia, Lake Eyre at -15m below sea level.
Our pilots Chris Pfitzner and Tony Schwerdt, have been flying around the countryside on some evacuation missions to the gas fields of Moomba and nearby outback town of Innamincka. They say that from the bottom of Lake Frome all the way to Moomba, the Sturt Stony Desert was a sheet of water! Lake Frome was full, the Cooper Creek flowing ( which it has been for 2 months now and getting fuller and faster) and between the sandhills there was water everywhere! Tony predicted back in early February that this season, due to similar weather patterns at the time, was shaping up just like 1974- the last time Lake Eyre completely filled. I cannot argue with him as I was only just brought into the world at the time but from all the summer rains in the Eastern states, he may be well on the money.
For anyone who wants to keep an eye out on the current status of Lake Eyre, the Lake Eyre Yacht Club has a very informative page to keep you up to date and can be found here.
Our Lake Eyre and Outback tours are all underway and it is going to be another action packed season up north. These flying safaris are exceptional and for more details, please click here to Goin’ Off Safaris web page for our itineraries, images, FAQ’s, blogs and other information.
Below are some images kindly supplied by our man on the ground (and air), Peter MacDonald- The Sentimental Bloke. His images are up stunning and up to date, to highlight the region at its best so stay tuned for more of his work.
OutbackFloods-Flinders-Ranges
Parachilna Creek
Parachilna Creek
Thunderstorm about to strike!
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Posted by Lunch Tags: 2012 northern floods, 3 Day Supreme Scenic Safari, ABC 639 North & West, Barcoo Rivers, Birdsville Pub, Channel country, Coober Pedy, Coongie Lakes, Cooper Creek, Diamantina, Flinders Ranges, Goin Off Safaris, Goyders Lagoon, Innamincka, Innamincka Hotel, Lake Eyre, Lake Eyre filling, Lake Eyre scenic flights, lake Eyre Tours, Lake Eyre Yacht Club, Marree, Outback tours, Peter MacDonald, South Australia, The Outback Loop, The Sentimental Bloke, Warburton Creek, Warburton Groove, William Creek Hotel
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July 13th, 2011 by Lunch
Whilst everyone is talking up Lake Eyre, for me one of the many unknowns of the outback flooded regions is the magnificent fresh water system of the Coongie Lakes.
Because of the lake’s incredible diversity, Coongie Lake’s are in fact recognised as having World Heritage standard by the CSIRO and are included on the National Heritage List.
Over 470 plant species (52 of which are considered very rare), 180 bird species, 20 native mammal species, 35 reptile, 12 native fish and 10 frog species are present within the wetlands, making Coongie Lakes an extremely diverse area of high ecological value.
The Lakes are also recognised as having both European and Indigenous cultural significance, having provided an important trade route for Indigenous communities prior to settlement, and an historical landmark for European heritage as the site where explorers Burke, Wills and Gray perished.
Both our 3 Day Supreme Scenic Safari and our 2 Day Lake Eyre & Outback Ultimate Weekender include low flying to capture the glory of this fresh water system as we travel to Birdsville via the Dig Tree and Innamincka. Stunning viewing and at the moment there are thousands of pelicans on the lake as you can see in the photo below.
This certainly proves that the best way to see this region and the rest of the flooded region of the outback, is by flying! You can check out our departure dates, vacancies, 2011 images and comments from our guests at Goin’ Off Safaris by clicking here.
Thanks to The Sentimental Bloke, Peter MacDonald for his great photos. For more of his outstanding work, click here.
Hope to see you on board soon!
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Posted by Lunch Tags: 3 Day Supreme Scenic Safari, Birdsville, Coongie Lakes, Goin Off Safaris, Innamincka, Lake Eyre, Lake Eyre and Outback Scenic safaris, The Dig Tree, The Sentimental Bloke, Ultimate Outback weekender
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October 1st, 2010 by Lunch
Here’s a close up image of part of the Coongie Lakes at sundown. Taken by The Sentimental Bloke, Peter MacDonald, this region of far north eastern part of SA is the highlight of all flooded areas. Fuelled from rain and the mass of rainfall surging out of the Cooper Creek, we can showcase this National Park from about 600 ft which is close enough to see all the wildlife blink as we fly on over!
We’re flying up here next Friday the 8th of October and also on the 19th of October as part of our 3 day Lake Eyre Supreme Scenic Safari and will be staying close by at the fantastic Cooper’s Creek Homestay in Innamincka. 2 seats vacant on both trips and looking forward to those monster yabbies again for breakfast!
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Posted by Lunch Tags: Birdsville Pub, Coober Pedy, Coongie Lakes, Cooper Creek, Goin Off Safaris, Goyders Lagoon, Lake Eyre, Lake Eyre filling, Lake Eyre scenic flights, lake Eyre Tours, Peter MacDonald, The Sentimental Bloke, William Creek Hotel
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September 15th, 2010 by Lunch
Due to popular demand, we have a new scheduled date for our 3 Day Lake Eyre Supreme Scenic Safari, ex Adelaide. Priced at $2990.00 per person, this all inclusive trip is a “ripper” and we have 4 seats available for the 19th to 21st of October.(There are still 2 seats on the 8th-10th of October as well!)
With 3 days flying, you can imagine the vast area that we cover and includes all of the outbacks hotspots of the Flinders Ranges, Marree, Innamincka, Birdsville, the Cooper Creek, William Creek, Coober Pedy plus the mining towns of Roxby Downs and Olympic Dam. Apparently there is a massive lake up there as well which is close to full which only happens a few times per century so we will be exploring this and all the wild life very closely!
For more information & details, contact us asap! Below is another great image of Lake Eyre, from The Sentimental Bloke,which shows the various shades the salt takes on.
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Posted by Lunch Tags: Birdsville Pub, Coober Pedy, Coongie Lakes, Cooper Creek, Dalhousie Springs, Flinders Ranges, Goin Off Safaris, Goyders Lagoon, Lake Eyre, Lake Eyre scenic flights, lake Eyre Tours, The Sentimental Bloke, William Creek Hotel, Wilpena Pound
Posted in Lake Eyre Tours | 1 Comment »
September 7th, 2010 by Lunch
Its amazing how a decent rainfall event can do to the country side. In this case, the rain event has lasted pretty much all year and really has transformed the whole outback.
With the weekend just gone, widespread rain across much of Australia and South Australia’s Lake Eyre region means that we will all be able to enjoy the outback experience a lot longer!
18 months ago, the Sentimental Bloke, Peter Macdonald took this image above of a barren Lake Eyre. Below is the start of a massive thunderstorm that caused some local floodings across many regions of the outback, which is going to enhance the region for a long while to come!
Just a friendly reminder that we have 4 seats available on our 3 Day Supreme Scenic Safari departing Adelaide on the 8th October 2010. $2990.00 all inclusive per person.Contact us for more details!
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Posted by Lunch Tags: Coober Pedy, Coongie Lakes, Cooper Creek, Dalhousie Springs, Flinders Ranges, Goin Off Safaris, Goyders Lagoon, Lake Eyre, Lake Eyre scenic flights, lake Eyre Tours, Peter MacDonald, The Sentimental Bloke, Warburton Groove, William Creek Hotel
Posted in Lake Eyre Tours | 2 Comments »
August 31st, 2010 by Lunch
The whole of the far north of South Australia is in it’s full glory. With consistent winter rains and thunderstorms ( and another deluge this weekend), Lake Eyre and its surrounds really is a true iconic spectacle. Still filling, thousands have emerged on the ground and many more in the sky to check the whole show out.
With all our 3 Day Supreme Scenic Safaris booked out, we have another 4 seats available for departure on October 8th-10th 2010. All inclusive at $2990.00 per person, this is a fantastic opportunity to see the Flinders Ranges, Innamincka, Birdsville, Coober Pedy, Spencer Gulf and every bit of wild life, lake, river, cattle/sheep station, wildflower and mountain in between!
Contact us asap! Below is a great Lake Eyre sunset captured by the Sentimental Bloke.
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Posted by Lunch Tags: Birdsville Pub, Coober Pedy, Coongie Lakes, Cooper Creek, Dalhousie Springs, Flinders Ranges, Goin Off Safaris, Goyders Lagoon, Lake Eyre, Lake Eyre filling, Lake Eyre scenic flights, lake Eyre Tours, Painted Desert, Peter MacDonald, The Sentimental Bloke, Warburton Groove, William Creek Hotel, Wilpena Pound
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August 18th, 2010 by Lunch
There is nothing better than cruising around the middle of Australia checking out the incredible scenes below of wild life, bird life and the massive amount of water that has ebbed, meandered and flowed through many different pathways and terrains to get to Lake Eyre. And it doesn’t get any better than doing so in the beautiful Beech 18. (see pictured above)
By popular demand, we are putting together another 3 day/2 night all inclusive scenic safari aboard the Beech 18 ex Adelaide on the 17th of September, with only 4 seats available for $2990.00 per person.
We depart from Parafield Airport out of Adelaide to Port Augusta- Wilpena Pound- Arkaroola- Innamincka- The Dig Tree- Birdsville- Goyders Lagoon-Warburton Creek- Lake Eyre North- William Creek- Oonnaddata -Dalhousie Springs- Painted Hills- Coober Pedy- Olympic Dam- Woomera- Pt.Augusta- Parafield. For full details and itinerary contact us asap.
Check out this faultless image below, by The Sentimental Bloke
. This is how stunning the views are and Peter does certainly capture the moment!
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Posted by Lunch Tags: Birdsville Pub, Coongie Lakes, Cooper Creek, Dalhousie Springs, Flinders Ranges, Goin Off Safaris, Goyders Lagoon, Lake Eyre, Lake Eyre scenic flights, lake Eyre Tours, Peter MacDonald, The Sentimental Bloke, Warburton Groove, William Creek Hotel, Wilpena Pound
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August 6th, 2010 by Lunch
Lake Eyre actually consists of two lakes, Lake Eyre North (8 430 km²) and Lake Eyre South (1 260 km²), connected by Goyder Channel which has a length of 15 km.
The Lake Eyre basin is massive! It covers more than 1 million km², or 1/6th of the continent, mainly in Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory. Globally, the basin is one of the largest internal drainage systems.
Below are a couple of photographs that best illustrate just how vast this inland sea really is ( Thanks again to ” The Sentimental Bloke” ).When over 4m deep the Lake is no more salty than the sea and salinity increases as the water evaporates with saturation occurring at about 500mm depth. The Lake takes on a “pink” hue when saturated due to the presence of beta-carotene pigment caused by the algae Dunaliella salina.
For our current flight specials and itinerary’s please contact us.
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Posted by Lunch Tags: Coongie Lakes, Goin Off Safaris, Goyders Lagoon, Lake Eyre, Lake Eyre filling, Lake Eyre scenic flights, lake Eyre Tours, Peter MacDonald, The Sentimental Bloke
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July 19th, 2010 by Lunch
Presumably science still hasn’t come up with the answer as to how these pelicans know when the Coongie Lakes fill with water.
Since it happens only once every decade or longer it’s hard to know how ‘they’ know.
Even birds in Russia get on the wing and head down for a paddle and a bit of mating.
All that aside, it’s even harder to figure out how they can come back to the same island in the lakes to breed.
I mean, when they left, they weren’t much more than chicks and have cruised around our coasts for ten years or so.
This is the same place that The Sentimental Bloke, Peter MacDonald photographed in 1999. Click here to look at the island back then (it’s the third photo down). It doesn’t look much like the same place. Yet they know.
Soon, if not already, the larger of the two islands will be crammed with pelicans and not long after that there will be almost as many chicks ready to start the cycle all over again. Its an amazing,unknown piece of nature that can only be described as “Pelican Business”!
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Posted by Lunch Tags: Coongie Lakes, Goin Off Safaris, Lake Eyre, Lake Eyre filling, Lake Eyre scenic flights, lake Eyre Tours, Pelicans breeding on Coongie Lakes, Peter MacDonald, The Sentimental Bloke
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