Flight around Australia's coastline 19th anniversary

On the 3rd July 1999 I set off to fly around the coast of Australia in a Cessna 172P, so this month I'm celebrating the 19th anniversary of that flight. Read more about it at http://franwest.com/adventurer. I'm planning a few things for my 20th anniversary next year so stay tuned.

Fran West Photography on Fine Art America

Fran West Photography is now available on Fine Art America.

Check out the slideshow below and click on it to be taken to the website.

Photographs as wrapped canvas wall art

One way of using your photographs is to upload them to a Print On Demand website like Zazzle.

I've just opened a new store on Zazzle: Fran West Photography. 

It "specialises in unique wall art for home, corporate and commercial use. Wall art brings flair, elegance and style to your spaces. It provides an instant colour palette and creates a focal point. It brings a sense of texture and makes spaces appear finished. Make a statement or set the mood with original photographs from Australian pilot/adventurer, Fran West (Adventurer Fran)".

At the moment there are eight categories to search through, with some categories expanding even further. Click here to go to the website.

You can choose to have the wrapped canvas in colour, sepia or black & white.​

Various sizes, widths and styles of the actual canvas can also be customised to your taste and you can even add your own text to the wall art.

Please drop by and have a look. More products will be added during the coming months.

Twinnies Pelican and Seabird Rescue Inc.

I love to photograph animals and birds in order to put their photos into my DVDs or on products in places like CafePress and Zazzle (http://www.cafepress.com.au/profile/franwest1 and http://www.zazzle.com/adventurerfran).

One of the animal programmes which I watch is Bondi Vet.

Last episode had the Twinnies and their Pelican & Seabird Rescue place, so I decided to make a donation to help them out. They're located in Queensland.

If you want to help out here's the site: http://twinnies.com.au/. Every little bit counts!

Greater Flamingo at the Adelaide Zoo, South Australia

Last year, "Greater", the Greater Flamingo at the Adelaide Zoo, South Australia, died at the ripe old age of 83 years.

I remember seeing the flamingo standing on one leg right from the time when I was a child many years ago.

The bird was beautiful with its stately plumage and not much went unnoticed as the bird watched people pass by its home.

I'm sure its photo has been taken countless times but here's the photo which I took and made into a series of interactive jigsaw puzzles.

I've had the pleasure of seeing flamingos in the wild when I was trekking in South America, but they were never that close that I could have touched them like "Greater" at the Adelaide Zoo.

Maybe you don't agree with animals and birds being kept in captivity, but many modern zoos these days love and respect the creatures they care for and provide them with food, a home, safety (free from predators) and their own free medical health plan.

And for the people who aren't able to travel to places from where the animals come, zoos provide a tiny glimpse of wildlife which lives on our planet.

Animal and bird photography can be a bit tricky at times, so patience is required. Standing or sitting quietly and not making any sudden movements is also essential.

In a walk-in bird aviary a telephoto lens isn't really necessary unless you want close ups of plumage etc. However, a telephoto or zoom lens can be of real benefit when photographing in the wild and you are unable to get really close to the subject.

The Birds Interactive Jigsaw Puzzle CD is available for purchase below. Here's the link for more information on my jigsaw puzzles on CD.

Birds Jigsaw Puzzles CD

Australia (incl. P&H) $29.00 AUD Overseas (incl. P&H) $33.00 AUD

Here's the link to my beautiful local zoo - the Adelaide Zoo.

Australia's Coast from the Air Detour to the Argyle Diamond Mine, Western Australia

During the "Australia's Coast from the Air" flight, a detour was made to the Argyle Diamond Mine, Western Australia. This blog post adds to the first post of "Diamond Adventure".

The Argyle Diamond Mine, located in the East Kimberley area of Western Australia, near Kununurra, is the world's largest single producer of natural coloured diamonds and is famous for its rare pink diamonds.

A commercial joyflight was taken from Kununurra to the diamond mine airstrip and then a bus tour followed. The bus trip was hot and dusty but FIFOs (people who Fly In and Fly Out) enjoy the work and the big money from mining in the Outback. A great lifestyle for people who want to work away from home and save their money. Western Australia really is the "State of Adventure and Excitement" with loads of opportunities for people who want to work hard and reap the monetary rewards.

Argyle Diamond Mine, Kimberleys, Western Australia - Fran West

 The mine area is quite extensive with several buildings around the place (like those above and below).

Argyle Diamond Mine, Kimberleys, Western Australia - Fran West

However, the most impressive sight is that of the open pit mine (below) which is huge.

Argyle Diamond Mine, Kimberleys, Western Australia - Fran West

You can read more about the Argyle Diamond Mine and Rio Tinto's operations by clicking here.

As with any marathon flight or holiday, you need to take a break and let someone else do the flying (or driving) and just enjoy.

It was worth the effort of researching side trips for my flight and having time off every now and then.

By visiting the mine I learnt something special about my own country and I learnt more about diamonds. As far as I'm concerned diamonds aren't always a girl's best friend. Give me a beautiful blue Australian sapphire any day!

Natural Bridges National Monument Bridges the Gap Again

Although Natural Bridges National Monument isn't a huge park, it's still worth visiting. You may like to read the previous post about it before continuing on with this post - click here! This is Utah's first National Monument, declared in 1908, so it's been open for business for over a hundred years. It's famous for its bridges, naturally, but there's more to the park than just those. The rest of the terrain and the flora are outstanding.  

Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah, USA - Fran West

The wildflowers and shrubs (above) are colourful as are the rock formations in the distance (below).  

Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah, USA - Fran West

Wherever you drive or walk, there's something to enjoy and photograph. However, with all of these parks, to really appreciate what nature has to offer, you must spend longer than a few hours or even a day there.  

Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah, USA - Fran West

In this desert country, as well as your trusty camera, camcorder or mobile phone etc., remember to take snacks and plenty of water. Sightseeing is very hungry and thirsty work! Many people have emailed me about my photos and where they're available for purchase. I've started loading a lot of the photos already onto CafePress where you can buy them on mugs, T-shirts, magnets, clothing etc., so here's the link to that - Fran West photos on CafePress. If you want to be more specific about Utah photos here's the link to those.