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Travelling Australias East Coast – Part I


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Hi all

Last year we made a trip to the East Coast of Australia. Although it was not a trip with the intention to search CPs I managed to find some, esp. Utricularia, Droseras / tuberous Droseras and some Orchids. In only 6 weeks was not much time to plan extensive trips, but we found some nice spots, let’s have a go:

The first CPs we discovered at a golf course in Byron Bay at a kangaroo watching excursion - a Uticularia unknown to me.

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Later, on Fraser Island, we found an orchid growing on the ground of the forest

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But Fraser Island, as I knew, had other plants, we wanted to see! – Droseras. I found them easily at the shores of Lake McKenzie

Drosera spathulata (the D. pygmea was absent at this place)

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Back on the mainland we travelled further to Noosa Heads. In a National Park there we found the next CP population.

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There we found some nice D. spathulatas again – this time with the macro lens for my camera ;-)

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D. spathulata grows in the wet moss parts between cliffs, where a small water runlet ends to the sea.

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Close up of the flower

Obviously there were other CPs too in the area

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Utricularias!

Here U. uligionosa

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And U. caerulea

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Besides carnivorous plants Australians Flora had many surprisingly plants – her some kind of lily forming tubers: Thysanotus patersonii.

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Then we travelled further north to Queensland, bund couldn’t find any CPs any more – to my disappointment. But the spectacular nature of Australia compensated this by far.

The best should come at the end – some tuberous droseras just next to Sydney!

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But first some travel impressions – have a go:

Sydney

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A Loricet parrot. They nest in the towns along the coast… 1005083.jpg

.. and made every night a hell of a spectacle at sunset. Here in Cairn a “topgun” like air display

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A nice view from a hill near Cairns..

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.. and a waterfall

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Some of Australias famous spiders!

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The green Queensland ant

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Some Qutback impression

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Super photos Oliver - looks like you had a great trip :rolleyes: Love the pic of the Thysanotus patersonii - what a fantastic flower! Some very nice cp's and scenery shots too.

Thanks for posting!

Heather

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Hey man ~ You are a real photographer ~~~

Great scenery shots and nice spiders ~~~

May I ask what 10mm lens are you using together with your D70s while shooting stars ??

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Hi Guys

Many thanks for your replies in this topic too!

@Jeff: It's one of my favourite pics too - its not showing something really spectacular, but its just perfect is it?

@avery: the startrails are done with the Sigma 10-20mm, at f4 with an 1799sec aperture - the longest i can take digitally.

The spiders are everywhere in Australia, but one gets used to it. In fact none of them is really dangerous although they are all venomous. The one with the yellow marks made its web just next our door at the hostel we’ve been for 10 days. We looked at it all the time without knowing that it s related to the black widow.

Another one – the wolf spider on the green leave – was very nervous and jumped all the time I moved – what made me nervous to ;-)

And the last one – the Golden Orb was about everywhere on the coast. It makes golden glooming nets which are very sturdy. One can walk into it without damaging it – but then you will have to deal with the spider.

We meet it the first day out in the Bot. garden in Sidney and were quiet horrified – already there such spiders!! A bushy (Australian bushwalker) let us know later, there are three kinds of spiders: some that ruins your day, some that ruins the weekend and just a few that ruins the whole thing (lethal). Got to know what you are touching.. In Australia happens just one or two deadly accidents with spider each year – nothing compared to car accident, smoking or other social accepted dangers.

Cheers

Olivier

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Hi Olivier,

Spectacular pictures, you are a good photographer. Polarizing filters really are a must when taking pictures of water and blue skies, I started using it recently and am quite happy with the results.

Regards,

Sebastian.

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