Pichi Richi Railway on Track Again near Quorn, South Australia

The Pichi Richi Railway, based at Quorn, in the southern Flinders Ranges, is one of the favourite train journeys in South Australia.

The line extends from the historic little township of Quorn to Woolshed Flat. When I was on "Off the Beaten Track", photographing for the "Outback Adventure" DVD, it was in the spring after such a lot of rain. The grass was green, instead of brown, making everything look especially lush and the wattles were also in bloom adding splashes of yellow to the countryside.

From the train we could see rolling hills, dams, huge gnarled gum trees and fast flowing creeks. Just a pleasant view of the country including the Devil's Peak.

After we'd been on our train journey, we continued on to Wilpena Pound, in the Flinders Ranges, and also to the Gammon Ranges. On the way back we were fortunate to have a roadside view of the Pichi Richi Railway again.



We saw a group of cars parked near the railway crossing and knew that the train was bound to be along shortly. A great photo of the train crossing the road appears in "Outback Adventure" DVD. However, I like to photograph more than just the engine at the front.

Here's a photo of the guard's van at the back of the train. Note the old lamps at the rear of the van.

Modern technology is here to stay with the solar panel in the background providing the power for the railway crossing signals.

More views of the Pichi Richi Railway are on the "Outback Adventure" DVD.

Outback Adventure DVD

Australia (incl. P&H) $27.50 Overseas (incl. P&H) $31.00

Fran's Backpack - Digital Exposure Handbook

Fran's Backpack brings to you various products on travel, adventure, flying and photography.

They could be books, ebooks, videos, or gear. Check each one out as it's highlighted on the day.

Today's item in the Backpack is Digital Exposure Handbook [Paperback].

You can never have too many photography books. Even if you think you know it all, seeing someone else's view of the world through a lens can still be an eye opener if not a pleasure.

Click on the ad for more information.

Product Description
“Exposure is the heartbeat of photography… If you try to overlook this key fundamental, your photography will never realize its full creative potential.” That’s the compelling message of this extraordinary tutorial. It explains why automatic settings limit the digital camera’s artistic possibilities, and shows with a gallery of spectacular examples how technically “incorrect” exposures achieve dramatic effects—creating bold silhouettes or blazing highlights, manipulating depth of field, blurring to give the sense of motion, or freezing fast action. This exhaustive state-of-the-art manual covers all aspects of its subject, from the basics of metering and the use of flash and filters, to the four-thirds system and exposure in the digital darkroom.

About the Author
Ross Hoddinott (www.rosshoddinott.co.uk) is a professional photographer specialising in nature photography. He regularly contributes to photography magazines including Outdoor Photography. Ross's previous books for Photographer's Institute Press include Digital Macro Photography (9781861085306) and he lives in Bude, Cornwall

Flyabout around Australia's Coast - Useless Loop Salt Pans, Western Australia

During my flight around Australia's coast, I flew past several salt pans. Some were located at Useless Loop, in the Shark Bay area of Western Australia, not far from Monkey Mia where the dolphins come to visit.

Each of the salt pans around the coast vary in colour - blues, greens, pink/purple. From the air they reveal a patchwork of colour and different shapes.

The solar salt operation is run by Shark Bay Salt and the town itself is closed to the public. The table salt from the ponds is reputed to be among the purest in the world.






Useless Loop was named by one of the French de Freycinet brothers on the Baudin sailing ship expedition.

Flying around Australia's coast became for me a real history lesson. Many of the names on the map originated with the early English, French and Dutch maritime explorers.

A different photo of Useless Loop appears in my DVD "Australia's Coast from the Air".


View Useless Loop salt pans, Western Australia in a larger map


Australia's Coast from the Air DVD.

Australia's Coast from the Air DVD

Australia (incl. P&H) $27.50 Overseas (incl. P&H) $31.00

Fran's Backpack - The Fearless Flier's Handbook: Learning to Beat the Fear of Flying with the Experts from the Qantas Clinic

Fran's Backpack brings to you various products on travel, adventure, flying and photography.

They could be books, ebooks, videos, or gear. Check each one out as it's highlighted on the day.

Today's item in the Backpack is The Fearless Flier's Handbook: Learning to Beat the Fear of Flying with the Experts from the Qantas Clinic [Paperback].

Click on the ad for more information.

Product Description
As many as one in five people is afraid of flying. For some, the fear is so paralyzing that they have never boarded a plane. For others, flying is a necessary evil-they'll do it because they have to, but it's torture. They white-knuckle their way through the flights they have to take or avoid air travel and miss out on promotions, business opportunities, and the thrill of visiting new places with friends and family. This book provides a sensible, tested alternative, with proven strategies that have helped hundreds of people overcome their fears and head happily skyward.Based on the Australian airline Qantas's world-renowned "Fearless Fliers" course, THE FEARLESS FLIER'S HANDBOOK is filled with soothing facts and step-by-step exercises for turning fear into calm and confidence.

About the Author
Debbie Seaman is a freelance journalist who writes about travel and the creative side of the advertising business. She currently contributes to People, the New York Times travel section, and Advertising Age's Creativity magazine. She first wrote about her recovery in the Fearless Flyers program in an article in the New York Times.

Flyabout around Australia's Coast - Cape Otway Lighthouse, Victoria

On the first day of my flight around Australia's coast, I flew past the Cape Otway Lighthouse, Victoria.

The day was overcast, the cloud base was low and in July it was quite chilly even with the heater on in the plane. I was flying about 1,500 feet (500 metres) above the ocean.

As you can see from the photo the spray from the ocean created a mist effect to the right side of the lighthouse and other buildings.

The lighthouse, built in 1848 not far from Apollo Bay and the Great Ocean Road, overlooks the Southern Ocean and Bass Strait. There was also a telegraph station built there in 1859.





The coast is dramatic and treacherous and the winds fierce. Many ships were wrecked before the lighthouse was built.

Cape Otway was named by the English maritime explorer, Lieutenant James Grant, after his friend Captain Albany Otway.

For more information check out http://www.lightstation.com/
and http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/1park_display.cfm?park=86.

Fran's Backpack - Reader's Digest - Great Wonders & Splendors of the World DVD Set

Fran's Backpack brings to you various products on travel, adventure, flying and photography.

They could be books, ebooks, videos, or gear. Check each one out as it's highlighted on the day.

Today's item in the Backpack is Reader's Digest - Great Wonders & Splendors of the World DVD Set.

This set reminds me of my bucket list because I've been to 11 of the places listed but I obviously have to keep going to visit the rest. These DVDs just whet the appetite for more travel.

Click on the ad for more information.

Product Description
Explore the world’s greatest creations, from the natural to the man-made, that have left indelible impressions on countless generations with their beauty, scale and style. From Australia’s Great Barrier Reef to China’s Forbidden City, the Great Pyramids of Giza to the Grand Canyon of the United States–travel to the world’s most breathtaking sights, monuments, palaces and natural wonders.

Disc 1: Wonders of Nature - Although nature’s many miracles evoke a sense of wonder, specific examples of magnificence are revealed to us in many different and special ways. The Grand Canyon, The Serengeti, The Sahara Desert, Iguazi Falls, The Amazon River, Ayers Rock, and The Himalayas.

Disc 2: Wonders Sacred & Mysterious - Experience six supreme examples of man’s attempt to honor the mysteries of life by creating monuments of astonishing beauty. Stonehenge, The Great Pyramids, Hagia Sophia, Borobudur, St. Peter’s Basilica, and The Taj Mahal.

Disc 3: Wonders of Man’s Creation - When the urge to build is combined with a vision of beauty, man leaves behind an enduring mark on an ever-changing world. The Colosseum, Machu Picchu, The Great Wall, The Kremlin, Versailles, The Statue of Liberty, The Eiffel Tower, and Mount Rushmore.

Disc 4: Splendors of Nature - Travel the world to experience splendors unknown to past generations. Witness the incomparable beauty of the natural world: Bengal Tigers of Autumn, Snow Monkeys of Winter, The Great Barrier Reef in Spring, Caribou of Summer, and Victoria Falls.

Disc 5: Ancient Splendors - Take a world tour of the wonders, mysteries and achievements wrought by long-ago civilizations. Temples of Egypt, Lost City of the Maya, Acropolis of Ancient Greece, and Angkor Wat.

Disc 6: Imperial Splendors - See rare and beautiful monuments of powerful empires and splendid courts. Ponder the bittersweet reminders of those who once conquered, ruled and flourished. Xanadu, The Forbidden City, Alhambra, Summer Palace, and Neuschwanstein.

Fran's Backpack - Digital SLR Expert: Landscapes: Essential Advice from the Pros

Fran's Backpack brings to you various products on travel, adventure, flying and photography.

They could be books, ebooks, videos, or gear. Check each one out as it's highlighted on the day.

Today's item in the Backpack is Digital SLR Expert: Landscapes: Essential Advice from the Pros [Hardcover].

Even though I'm a photographer I always want to find ways of improving my skills in taking landscape photos. You can never stop learning, no matter what level you are.

Click on the ad for more information.

Product Description
The first title in a new photography series presents a comprehensive guide to taking fantastic landscape photographs using the digital SLR.This guide provides subject-specific advice from five leading professional landscape photographers.It features beautifully displayed, breathtaking photography from Darwin Wiggett, David Noton, William Neill, Tom Mackie and Tony Worobiec.Covering both in-camera and photoshop techniques in-depth, "Digital SLR Expert: Landscapes" is as practical as it is stunning.