claypanpete's photostream

Utju Community lies about 250km west of Alice Springs. After a long beautiful drive, over corrugated roads, once we hit the turn off to the Community, the kids forget the hardship and turn into Donkey spotters for the final dusty 20km down a glorious valley.
The donkeys are looking fit and healthy, benefiting from above average rains over the past 3 years.
Here the dust from the car accentuates the late arvo light.

In a few days on 22 May 2012, the Arabana people from the Nth of South Australia will be formally recognised, 14 years after initial claim, as the Native tile holders of Lake Eyre, soon to be called (Kati Thanda), and a vast area surrounding adding up in surface area to 1/3 of South Australia. I congratulate them, wish them well for the future and thank the Traditional owners for permission to travel this incredible landscape.
This image is an aerial photo during a rare filling event of the Lake Eyre a vast salt lake in Central Australia surrounded by 3 deserts. It shows the wading tracks left in the mud by coastal birds who somehow know the lake is full. They feed on masses of fish and breed rapidly.
The print is 100cm which details the Pelicans flying off and their shadows as well as ripples on the shallow water.
Usually after the floods cease, the lake is dry again within a season or
two.
Whether or not it's an indication of changing climate this one in 10 year event has just occurred for the 4th year in succession. I am heading out again in June to further document this.

This is a remote location on Aboriginal Land, not too far from Uluru/Kata-Tjuta National Park. I've been visiting now for 3 years. One of those rare places where your guaranteed to be alone on any given day.
It is a landscape of Red Sand dunes, Salt Lake, Camels and Lizards. The pristine nature of the place insists on me treading softly. It seems criminal to disturb ripples, or lizard tracks. It is a
place where the silence is so deep that you become self aware.
Of your breathing, your heart beat, the slip of sand as it slides down hill.
Then a crow rolls up.