Tag Archives: larapinta

dawn on namatjira drive

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A wide-angle landscape photograph of the Larapinta Range against a dramatic and cloudy sunrise sky. The sky is filled with streaks of gold and blue, with ominous clouds gathering overhead. The image was taken from Namatjira Drive. 

namatjira drove himself to death
from regret and blame
from painting trees as trees
and dawns as dawns
from drinking in spirits that others
could not hold down

whitebird

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does he resent
how songs are mostly sung
for blackbirds 
in the dead of night?
A vertical photograph of a seemingly solitary, mostly leafless tree with intricate branches extending upwards against a clear blue sky. Upon closer inspection, a small, white bird is perched delicately on one of the upper branches. The ground features dry, golden grasses and low vegetation. The image, taken in bright daylight, offers a visual counterpoint to the poem's themes of blackbirds and night, and the presence of the small "whitebird" becomes a key element.

 

uncommon times series no. 5 — ochre pits leaching after noon

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A photograph of the Ochre Pits in Australia, featuring a detailed view of a layered cliff face. The rock is a tapestry of vibrant, naturally occurring ochre, with prominent bands of yellow, deep orange, and earthy red. Vertical streaks of color run down the face, suggesting the 'leaching' process mentioned in the title. The top of the formation is capped with a few small trees and dry grasses, all set against a clear, brilliant blue sky. The afternoon light sharply defines the rich textures and colors of the mineral deposits.

uncommon times series no. 4 — serpentine gorge under noon flare

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A photograph taken within Serpentine Gorge under bright noon sunlight. Towering, reddish rock faces form the steep sides of the gorge, partially shaded in areas. A mature gum tree with a light-colored trunk and dense green foliage dominates the foreground, reaching upwards towards the strong sunlight that flares around its higher branches. The sky visible above is a clear, bright blue. The perspective is looking up through the trees within the narrow gorge, emphasizing the height and enclosed nature of the location and the intensity of the midday sun.

uncommon times series no. 3 — east of the finke late morning

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A wide panoramic photograph taken in the late morning light, showcasing the landscape east of the Finke River in Australia. The scene features a gentle valley with low-lying vegetation and scattered trees in the midground. On either side, undulating hills or low ranges rise, displaying a mix of earthy red rock faces and dry, golden grasses. The sky above is a clear, pale blue. A small body of still water reflects the landscape in the foreground, and a dirt track winds through the scene. The overall impression is of a vast, arid, and peaceful outback environment under the soft light of late morning.

uncommon times series no. 2 — ellery creek by early morn

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A photograph of Ellery Creek Big Hole in the West MacDonnell Ranges, Australia. The image shows a calm body of water reflecting the sky, framed by two high, rocky gorges on either side. Sparse, gum-like trees grow along the water's edge and up the rocky slopes. The sky is a bright blue with some scattered white clouds. The overall mood is peaceful and serene, capturing the stillness of the early morning.

uncommon times series no. 1 — west mcdonnell range before real light

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A photograph capturing the pre-dawn glow over the West MacDonnell Ranges in Australia. The lower half of the image is dominated by the deep silhouette of the mountains and foreground, while the upper half shows a gradient sky transitioning from deep indigo at the top to a vibrant, fiery orange and yellow at the horizon line.

sand-stone misnomer

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the heavitree range, it would appear 
is not
A wide, panoramic photograph of the Heavitree Range, an arid and rugged landscape under a clear, light blue sky. Despite the name suggesting trees ("Heavy-tree"), the scene is characterized by undulating, rocky terrain with sparse, dry vegetation and no prominent trees visible across the vast expanse. A distant ridge of low mountains forms the horizon. The color palette is dominated by earthy browns, yellows, and grays, emphasizing the stark and open nature of this Australian environment.

as craggy habitat, it's no match 
for sandy river gorge
A photograph taken at ground level within what is likely the Sandy River Gorge, featuring several tall, slender gum trees with light-colored bark and sparse green foliage. The ground is sandy or dusty, with dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves, suggesting the presence of a riverine environment conducive to tree growth, despite the "sandy" descriptor. In the background, more trees and vegetation indicate a more vegetated area than depicted in the Heavitree Range photograph, highlighting the unexpected contrast and the wordplay in the post's title.

standley’s chasm

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A vertical photograph looking up from the floor of Standley Chasm, also known as Angkerle Atwatye, in the Northern Territory of Australia. Two towering, reddish-orange rock walls rise steeply on either side, their vertical textures emphasized by the narrow strip of bright daylight that enters from above. The light powerfully illuminates the sandy ground at the base of the chasm and the top of the rock faces, while the rest of the walls are cast in deep shadow. The image conveys a dramatic sense of scale and enclosure within this significant geological feature of Central Australia.

Ms. Ida Standley 
flinty with resolve
first schooled
the mulatto castoffs in Alice
till the attentions of leery townsmen
dogging her female charges 
drove her bulwark westward
to Ray's Creek 
near the chasm  
the namby magma stretchmark
once extruded through quartzite
worn now down to naught
great Australian orogeny
and misogyny alike
bowing to force of nature
leaving the base cleft

putting on the ritz

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on the red centre way
most crossings are regular
kanga cattle schoolkids
wombats

20 klicks from alice
fashion doesn’t just sit
dandy dessert dressage
prances

A yellow, diamond-shaped road sign on a dirt road in the Australian Outback. The sign features a black silhouette of a horse in a prancing pose, with a distinct top hat on its head. The image is a direct visual representation of the poem's theme of a "dandy" horse "putting on the ritz" and performing a "desert dressage prance.