Australia Day, Mount Kosciuszko 2010

bloodhound31 · #1 26-01-2010, 04:35 PM

...now how do I spell Kosciuszko?

I've had this trip planned for the last few months now and it has finally come to fruition.

What a FANTASTIC trip we all had up to the summit of Australia's highest peak! From the roof of Australia, 2228 meters above sea level, we enjoyed a magnificent sunset last night, a starry night and a beautiful dawn! WOW. Look at God's great paintbrush! What an artist!

23 people ended up coming along last night and they all put in the hard work getting up there on mountain bikes with all the weight on their backs. Once on top, we set up camp and relaxed, getting to know each other.

Yesterday was a warm 23 degrees and last night was down to about 6 with a nice blustery wind to flap the tents and keep us awake all night.

Of course the LASER was produced and we had a great tour of the skies in small groups. Camp awoke this morning to the sound of an authentic Croc-Dundee bull-roarer, followed by sunrise and a nice cup of billy-tea.

Mount Kosciuszko cast an amazing shadow to the west into the dawn-lit haze on the horizon.

We had a ball speeding back down the 9 kilometers to Charlotte's pass this morning, wind in our hair and dust on our heels.

The Milky Way Galaxy section of the southern Cross and Coal Sack regions is a stack of 9 x 30 seconds, no darks or flats.

The Campsite photo was a 25 second exposure while I air-wrote 2010 from behind the camera with the LASER.

Taken with a Canon EOS 400D and 18-55 mm lens, just below the summit of Kosi in the saddle to the north.

I think I will do it again next year and see how many more join us!

Happy Australia Day!!

Baz.

iceman (Mike) · #2 26-01-2010, 04:38 PM

Stunning images - the sunset or sunrise with the clouds) is brilliant!

bloodhound31 · #3 26-01-2010, 04:44 PM

Thanks Mike, yeah it was an amazing display! Dazzling!

Baz.

Kevnool (Kev) · #4 26-01-2010, 06:16 PM

Great way to spend Australia day there Baz.
Some good pics to remind you of A/Day 2010.
Cheers Kev.

troypiggo (Troy) · #5 26-01-2010, 06:31 PM

Fantastic Baz. All of them. Love the colours, and nice light-painting

bloodhound31 · #6 26-01-2010, 10:52 PM

Thanks Kev and Troy, Happy Australia Day blokes!

jjjnettie (Jeanette) · #7 26-01-2010, 10:58 PM

Sounds like a great trip Barry!!
Do they still have that cairn of rocks up there, with the visitors book to sign??

bloodhound31 · #8 26-01-2010, 11:34 PM

There is a permanent monument up there, but alas, no book mate.

DavidU (Dave) · #9 26-01-2010, 11:39 PM

Truly awesome shot's Baz ! Wish I was there.

RB (Andrew) · #10 27-01-2010, 09:55 AM

Barry, Happy Australia Day my friend, sorry I missed this yesterday.
Glad you had a wonderful time, I wish I could have been there, I'd love to do this one day.

These are wonderful shots mate, thank you for sharing, I love the sunset colours, absolutely breathtaking !!

If I may, my only advice would be to adjust the colour cast in the milkyway shot.
It has a Cyan bias, if you open the image in PS and click on curves, you can adjust it by selecting the white eyedropper and clicking on a bright 'white patch' to bring the WB back.

All the best.

bloodhound31 · #11 27-01-2010, 10:25 AM

Thanks David and Andrew. I'll try that Andrew.

It just seemed right to share this to encourage and inspire people that there is so much beauty and more to life than the daily urban grind and same four walls!

If anyone wants to do it again next year, I am going to keep this as a tradition I think. This is the second year we have done it. Last year we did it on foot and I did an all-night time-lapse up there. Hopefully I will have my 24mm F1.4 lens by then!

Baz.