Go Back   IceInSpace > General Astronomy > General Chat
Register FAQ Calendar Today's Posts Search

Reply
 
Thread Tools Rate Thread
  #21  
Old 19-06-2012, 06:06 AM
iceman's Avatar
iceman (Mike)
Sir Post a Lot!

iceman is offline
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Gosford, NSW, Australia
Posts: 36,799
Thanks guys - I keep coming up with things I haven't packed yet.

I need to even take $1 coins for some coin operated laundries at various places we're staying.

I also need to get a AA battery recharger for my iPhone, just in-case.

I've got a spare (older) battery for my Toshiba laptop which will help if I need power to transfer photos with no 240v nearby.

I think I need a better suitcase for luggage, some hiking shoes (instead of joggers), and now (thanks Dennis) a multi-tool!

The list is growing!
Reply With Quote
  #22  
Old 19-06-2012, 07:57 AM
RichardJ (Richard)
Psalm 19: 1 - 4

RichardJ is offline
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Carlingford
Posts: 1,150
Hi Mike,

Have a great time. My wife and I did a 10 day tour of the region last year. Had a fabulous time. Darkest sky I've ever been under. If you can afford it take the long helicopter flight over Bungle Bungles. Defintely worth it.

regards,

RichardJ.
Reply With Quote
  #23  
Old 19-06-2012, 01:01 PM
colinmlegg's Avatar
colinmlegg (Colin)
Registered User

colinmlegg is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Perth, WA
Posts: 610
Mike,

Just got back from travelling to many of the same locations. I can answer a couple of questions based on my experience:

1. You'll get 3G mobile coverage near Broome, Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek, Kununurra, Derby. Outside of that, things are very limited. I got some near Warmun (Turkey Creek) and Home Valley Station. Most of the Gibb River road and Bungles are no go. Both are so remote you can't even get the local ABC station.

2. Very very unlikely you'll see rain. You may get some occasional cloud, but most days should be clear. No issues with dew.

3. Be sure to cover up at night. I got munched by mozzies, sandflies and ticks one night I wasn't careful. Be most careful around the Gibb River water courses.

Have a good one, you'll love it!

Colin
Reply With Quote
  #24  
Old 19-06-2012, 03:43 PM
iceman's Avatar
iceman (Mike)
Sir Post a Lot!

iceman is offline
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Gosford, NSW, Australia
Posts: 36,799
Quote:
Originally Posted by RichardJ View Post
Hi Mike,

Have a great time. My wife and I did a 10 day tour of the region last year. Had a fabulous time. Darkest sky I've ever been under. If you can afford it take the long helicopter flight over Bungle Bungles. Defintely worth it.

regards,

RichardJ.
Thanks Richard, have booked in for the 48 minute helicopter flight. Something I won't get the chance to do again so may as well make the most of it


Quote:
Originally Posted by colinmlegg View Post
Mike,

Just got back from travelling to many of the same locations. I can answer a couple of questions based on my experience:

1. You'll get 3G mobile coverage near Broome, Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek, Kununurra, Derby. Outside of that, things are very limited. I got some near Warmun (Turkey Creek) and Home Valley Station. Most of the Gibb River road and Bungles are no go. Both are so remote you can't even get the local ABC station.

2. Very very unlikely you'll see rain. You may get some occasional cloud, but most days should be clear. No issues with dew.

3. Be sure to cover up at night. I got munched by mozzies, sandflies and ticks one night I wasn't careful. Be most careful around the Gibb River water courses.

Have a good one, you'll love it!

Colin
Wow thanks for the great details Colin. Great news about dew.
I wish there was a little bit of cloud though - plain blue skies day after day will be tough for sunrises and sunsets

I've got aeroguard on my list, but haven't packed it yet. Mustn't forget!

Can't wait to see your photos!

Cheers
Reply With Quote
  #25  
Old 19-06-2012, 04:57 PM
Nightshift's Avatar
Nightshift
Registered User

Nightshift is offline
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 211
Hey Mike,

Who are you flying over the Bungles with? I work for Slingair and have a helicopter base in the Bungles.

Cheers, Dennis.
Reply With Quote
  #26  
Old 19-06-2012, 05:00 PM
iceman's Avatar
iceman (Mike)
Sir Post a Lot!

iceman is offline
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Gosford, NSW, Australia
Posts: 36,799
I believe it's Slingair, Dennis.
Reply With Quote
  #27  
Old 20-06-2012, 07:17 AM
Shark Bait's Avatar
Shark Bait (Stu)
'ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha'

Shark Bait is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 1,017
Quote:
Originally Posted by iceman View Post
Have booked in for the 48 minute helicopter flight. Something I won't get the chance to do again so may as well make the most of it
Awesome. That will be a busy 48 minutes of photography.

What time of day did you book the flight for?

Will it be a good time for photography?

Do they have a safe means to allow you to lean out a little from the door frame?
Reply With Quote
  #28  
Old 20-06-2012, 07:36 AM
iceman's Avatar
iceman (Mike)
Sir Post a Lot!

iceman is offline
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Gosford, NSW, Australia
Posts: 36,799
Good questions, I don't know the answers yet

I will have access to use some Phase One's on the trip too

Quote:
Phase One: Ken’s assistant on the expedition is Colin. Colin’s background and current employment is working at Phase One. For those who aren’t sure what Phase One is, it’s the medium digital format camera system that Ken uses and LOVES! And as a bonus to you all, Colin will be bringing some of his Phase One gear that you can use! I asked him for a list of gear he’ll be bringing so you may like to do some research before you depart.
Here it is:
2x IQ 180 Camera System
1x IQ140 Camera System
1xP65+ Camera System
With a range of lenses.
Reply With Quote
  #29  
Old 20-06-2012, 09:40 AM
Deeno's Avatar
Deeno
“We are star-stuff”

Deeno is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Central Coast
Posts: 1,317
Wow!
What an opportunity.
Have a great trip. Looking forward to hearing all about it.
Reply With Quote
  #30  
Old 20-06-2012, 02:22 PM
Nightshift's Avatar
Nightshift
Registered User

Nightshift is offline
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 211
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shark Bait View Post
Awesome. That will be a busy 48 minutes of photography.

What time of day did you book the flight for?

Will it be a good time for photography?

Do they have a safe means to allow you to lean out a little from the door frame?
Just ask for a doors off flight, I dont know the details of your flight (I looked in the booking system under your name but couldnt se a booking) but it will almost certainly be in a Robinson 44, we generally remove the doors for a tourist flight anyway, you do have seat belts on, ask the pilot and he will happily fly sideways to get a good shot but be warned, doors off and sideways is a) a little scary at first, b) VERY windy. Read more about it here http://slingair.com.au/2011/07/bungl...s-from-warmun/

Cheers, Dennis.
Reply With Quote
  #31  
Old 20-06-2012, 02:26 PM
Shark Bait's Avatar
Shark Bait (Stu)
'ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha'

Shark Bait is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 1,017
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nightshift View Post
we generally remove the doors for a tourist flight anyway, you do have seat belts on, ask the pilot and he will happily fly sideways to get a good shot but be warned, doors off and sideways is a) a little scary at first, b) VERY windy. Read more about it here http://slingair.com.au/2011/07/bungl...s-from-warmun/

Cheers, Dennis.
Doors off, sideways and the wind in your hair. THE ONLY WAY TO FLY!
Reply With Quote
  #32  
Old 20-06-2012, 06:13 PM
iceman's Avatar
iceman (Mike)
Sir Post a Lot!

iceman is offline
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Gosford, NSW, Australia
Posts: 36,799
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nightshift View Post
Just ask for a doors off flight, I dont know the details of your flight (I looked in the booking system under your name but couldnt se a booking) but it will almost certainly be in a Robinson 44, we generally remove the doors for a tourist flight anyway, you do have seat belts on, ask the pilot and he will happily fly sideways to get a good shot but be warned, doors off and sideways is a) a little scary at first, b) VERY windy. Read more about it here http://slingair.com.au/2011/07/bungl...s-from-warmun/

Cheers, Dennis.
Hi Dennis

The booking won't have come through with my name yet - I'm filling in the form tonight. I only got the form today but the Ken Duncan events group might have reserved some spots.
Reply With Quote
  #33  
Old 21-06-2012, 11:33 AM
iceman's Avatar
iceman (Mike)
Sir Post a Lot!

iceman is offline
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Gosford, NSW, Australia
Posts: 36,799
2 sleeps!
Reply With Quote
  #34  
Old 21-06-2012, 01:14 PM
gary
Registered User

gary is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Mt. Kuring-Gai
Posts: 5,999
The hazards of being incommunicado

Hi Mike,

With regards mobile phone coverage, once you head out of Broome along the
Gibb River Road, there is no mobile phone coverage at all.

With ever increasing tourist traffic, the Gibb River Road has improved dramatically
over the years but this is a road that is typically closed between about January and
May due to the wet.

North of Broome at Cape Leveque there is some mobile phone coverage to
service the aboriginal communities there.

But unless you have a satellite phone, the only way to communicate to the
outside world is via the public phones that are at some of the homesteads,
such as Drysdale River Station and at places such as the Barnett Roadhouse.
But when you consider that stations such as Drysdale are a million acres you
can appreciate it can be a very long way to the next phone.

If you have not done so already, I would be impressing upon your family
that you may go several days at a time without being able to phone them and so
they should not panic.

Likewise with work. Somehow we managed to transform ourselves from a time
when a holiday was a holiday and a bloke would be left in peace for a couple
of weeks. But these days, as you are well aware particularly in areas such as IT,
work colleagues or the boss somehow expect that they can just phone you day
or night often with the most trivial questions. And for some, particularly
for workers who are more newly arrived in Australia, the concept there are
parts of the country where one can be incommunicado due to a lack of telephone
infrastructure is something they can be blissfully unaware of. It starts one
morning with one of the junior programmers wanting to know if they can rename foo.c to bar.c
and by the time it gets to lunchtime and you haven't responded to the message they left
on your mobile phone, panic sets in. By the next day it is escalated all the way
to corporate management and they quickly reach the only logical conclusion which
is that you must certainly be dead. By the time you get back to work, someone
has not only swapped your good office chair for one with coffee stained
upholstery and a broken caster, as the final coup de grace, a student on work experience
has been given your desk, computer and coffee mug.

With the exception of items such as toiletries, pies and drinks, the roadhouses
have very little else to offer so if you haven't bought it by the time you left
Broome, you aren't going to find it.

From a sightseeing point of view, what the Gibb River road is largely about
is that it is punctuated by numerous scenic gorges, particularly along its
western extent. A lot of your time will undoubtedly be spent going down into
the gorges. There are no shops there, just lots of sunshine and in some but not all,
mostly harmless freshwater crocodiles. At Windjana Gorge the freshwater
crocodiles in parts can be impressively packed cheek by jowl, so watch where you
tread.

The best baobab trees to photograph are predominantly found in the western
extent of the Gibb River Road.

Keep a sharp eye out for beautiful Gouldian finches in the shrubbery around
creek crossings. Apparently becoming rarer and rarer.
Reply With Quote
  #35  
Old 21-06-2012, 01:41 PM
iceman's Avatar
iceman (Mike)
Sir Post a Lot!

iceman is offline
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Gosford, NSW, Australia
Posts: 36,799
LOL is there anything you don't know, Gary? You continue to amaze me!

The tour guide will apparently have a satellite phone for emergencies.. I can just imagine me bailing her up and demanding to use the phone - the programmers are going crazy!

I wonder if the satellite phone has a Facebook app?
Reply With Quote
  #36  
Old 21-06-2012, 05:39 PM
iceman's Avatar
iceman (Mike)
Sir Post a Lot!

iceman is offline
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Gosford, NSW, Australia
Posts: 36,799
Australia is a BIG place!

Zoomed in view (but still, look at the scale)
And then zoomed out!

Attached Thumbnails
Click for full-size image (kimberley-zoom.jpg)
106.1 KB27 views
Click for full-size image (kimberley-zoom-out.jpg)
76.9 KB23 views
Reply With Quote
  #37  
Old 22-06-2012, 08:26 AM
AstralTraveller's Avatar
AstralTraveller (David)
Registered User

AstralTraveller is offline
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Wollongong
Posts: 3,819
Quote:
Originally Posted by gary View Post
The best baobab trees to photograph are predominantly found in the western
extent of the Gibb River Road.

Keep a sharp eye out for beautiful Gouldian finches in the shrubbery around
creek crossings. Apparently becoming rarer and rarer.
There used to be a very pretty group of baobabs on a hobby farm on Packsaddle Springs Rd Kununurra. I think I just found it again using Google street view but now they are amongst fruit trees. Still looks sort of nice. I know you won't have time but if you could get out to Packsaddle Springs you'd love it. We bush camped out there for a few weeks while we picked limes on one of the nearby farms (the one north of the boababs). Ever heard of green tree-ants?

I didn't see a Gouldian finch at all so if you do it's quite a find. My rarest bird was a square-tailed kite which flow over about 5m up while I was lying on the grass in Young's caravan park and was gone before I could stand up. With any luck you'll see some of the spectacular Crimson Finches - they were even in Town Caravan Park and you'll almost certainly see Zebra Finches and Double-Barred Finches and perhaps some Mannikins. Fork-tail Kites are everywhere and they will be Whistling Kites at every waterhole. Larger water bodies could have Magpie Geese, Plumed Whistling Ducks, Sea Eagles and Ospreys. There are also Red-tailed Cockatoos which are the most graceful fliers. It's amazing how fast they go with such apparently little effort.

I better stop reminiscing now and get to work. Oh I want to go back to the Kimberley!!
Reply With Quote
  #38  
Old 22-06-2012, 10:06 AM
iceman's Avatar
iceman (Mike)
Sir Post a Lot!

iceman is offline
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Gosford, NSW, Australia
Posts: 36,799
1 sleep!
Reply With Quote
  #39  
Old 22-06-2012, 10:40 AM
Omaroo's Avatar
Omaroo (Chris Malikoff)
Let there be night...

Omaroo is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Hobart, TAS
Posts: 7,639
Have fun Mike.
Reply With Quote
  #40  
Old 22-06-2012, 03:07 PM
colinmlegg's Avatar
colinmlegg (Colin)
Registered User

colinmlegg is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Perth, WA
Posts: 610
Quote:
Originally Posted by gary View Post
Hi Mike,


But unless you have a satellite phone, the only way to communicate to the
outside world is via the public phones that are at some of the homesteads,
such as Drysdale River Station and at places such as the Barnett Roadhouse.
But when you consider that stations such as Drysdale are a million acres you
can appreciate it can be a very long way to the next phone.

If you have not done so already, I would be impressing upon your family
that you may go several days at a time without being able to phone them and so
they should not panic.
After worrying my wife sick on a trip to Chile with no coverage and no idea whether I was alive or dead, I now travel with a SPOT device. Has options to locate me and message whether I'm OK or not. Neat little device.

Quote:
Originally Posted by iceman View Post
Wow thanks for the great details Colin. Great news about dew.
I wish there was a little bit of cloud though - plain blue skies day after day will be tough for sunrises and sunsets

I've got aeroguard on my list, but haven't packed it yet. Mustn't forget!

Can't wait to see your photos!
Haven't had a chance to process much yet, Mike, but here are some to wet the appetite.

Cheers.
Attached Thumbnails
Click for full-size image (2012-05-25-Bungles-8mm-Moonset.jpg)
94.2 KB32 views
Click for full-size image (2012-05-30-Bungles-Reflections-24mm-C.jpg)
153.7 KB30 views
Click for full-size image (2012-06-15-Cape-Leveque-Milky-Way-Set-18-perc-moonrise-1920-1280-B.jpg)
145.4 KB45 views
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +10. The time is now 08:15 PM.

Powered by vBulletin Version 3.8.7 | Copyright ©2000 - 2025, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Advertisement
Bintel
Advertisement