Come Fly With Me

It was a cold, cold August day on Saturday & one that was better suited to more sedentary indoor activities. However, we were minding our grand-daughter Heidi & so, given that she is a 'speed freak', it was off to Fighter World, located at the Williamtown RAAF Base. Newcastle Airport is also co-located with the RAAF Base & so there is also a high level of commercial activity. One real big bonus is Fighter World is located within the boundary of the airport & has an excellent observation deck just a couple of hundred metres from the main runway & while we were there, we were lucky enough to observe a Virgin Blue 737 - 8BK (VH - VOB 'Matilda Blue') coming into land.

Heidi had such a ball, sitting in the cockpits pretending to fly & playing with the old radar panels. Once again I was thankful that my low light photography is now at an acceptable level & I'm not reliant on the flash to get great indoor shots (although I am still saving up for a proper hotshoe flash ... anyone got a spare $600!)

After a couple of hours wandering around the displays & watching the activity around Newcastle Airport, we decided to head to Stockton, to catch the ferry across to Newcastle & walk down to Nobby's Beach. Once again Newcastle Harbour provided a stunning backdrop to my photographs as I chased Heidi up & down The Foreshore. When we got to the beach, I experimented with taking 'portrait' shots from different angles , instead of the usual 'stand up & stare' shot. Out of all the shots I took, I just fell in love with the one below. Just a tip for photographers, always be alert, kids, sand & DSLR camera's, are not a real good combination.

View From A Truck

"Bottle of wine, fruit of the vine

When you gonna let me get sober,

Let me alone, Let me go home,

Let me go back and start over"

What do you get when you combine a Canon 400D camera, a truck & the picturesque Hunter Valley vineyards?

Yep, you guessed it, the opportunity to grab some great scenic photographs. However, as a twist, I tried to take every shot from window of the truck I was driving that day. I will admit there were times, when due to safety concerns, that I did actually have to safely park the truck & go back & complete the shot that I had previously seen.

"Ramblin' around this dirty old town

A-singin' for nickels and dimes

Times gettin' rough, I ain't got enough

To buy me a bottle of wine, yeah"

Now, I really love the Hunter wineries & although winter is not the best way to showcase it's beauty, there are still plenty of photographic opportunities for capturing the vines in their dormant state.

"Pain in my head, there's bugs in my bed,

My pants are so old that they shine,

Out on the street I tell the people I meet,

To buy me a bottle of wine"

So next time you hear the old Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs classic 'Bottle Of Wine', just think of the poor Aussie Post driver, working hard, picking up cartons of wine for customers from some of Australia's best boutique wineries.

"Bottle of wine, fruit of the vine,

When you gonna let me get sober,

Leave me alone, let me go home,

Let me go home and start over"