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GuySmiley started the topic in Tuesday, 7 Apr 2020 at 6:11pm

In semi lockdown I'm finally sorting through a lifetime of photos and inspired by what Craig and Andy recently posted I thought why not.
We travel a fair bit and there has to be some crackers in the vaults.
Good if we follow the Swellnet tradition of not naming or being too obvious.

Supafreak's picture
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Supafreak Monday, 26 Dec 2022 at 11:31am
blackers's picture
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blackers Monday, 26 Dec 2022 at 12:18pm

Aw gee Supa, that's nasty. Really lucky boy. Wonder what was he doing, answering the "phone"?

Craig's picture
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Craig Monday, 16 Jan 2023 at 8:36pm

Couple of shots from a weekend up around Treach. Lots of wildlife..

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Supafreak Monday, 16 Jan 2023 at 10:06pm

Some recent photos of cortez posted on Facebook 376-C277-F-A216-45-C3-B699-41-B549-A95-D49
DBA40427-8-C15-41-AB-8-CB5-957-F027825-BA
1990-FDC4-D112-4744-A838-77-FB60-CB150-B https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0PxuG8pP42gsr46XwaPHYx6.... Looking forward to the movie

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seeds Saturday, 4 Feb 2023 at 9:38pm

Time to hang up the camera boys and girls
https://apple.news/A33l58hIRRfyyIoDc6CYhUQ

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Supafreak Sunday, 5 Feb 2023 at 7:29am
seeds wrote:

Time to hang up the camera boys and girls
https://apple.news/A33l58hIRRfyyIoDc6CYhUQ

I’m watching on ABC this morning and they are talking about AI in the music industry, it’s a fast changing world.

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seeds Sunday, 5 Feb 2023 at 7:36am

Yes Supafreak. Not sure if I like it.
Nick Cave is not a fan.
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/jan/17/this-song-sucks-nick-cave-...

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Supafreak Sunday, 5 Feb 2023 at 8:06am
seeds wrote:

Yes Supafreak. Not sure if I like it.
Nick Cave is not a fan.
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/jan/17/this-song-sucks-nick-cave-...

It will be interesting to see who’s winning at the grammys in 5 years time. I’m with you in not liking this direction.

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blackers Sunday, 5 Feb 2023 at 9:51am
Supafreak wrote:
seeds wrote:

Yes Supafreak. Not sure if I like it.
Nick Cave is not a fan.
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/jan/17/this-song-sucks-nick-cave-...

It will be interesting to see who’s winning at the grammys in 5 years time. I’m with you in not liking this direction.

Interesting. I want to see a band live. No instruments? Not for me. Lyrics by chat gpt? Not sure we could tell the difference, Ian Curtis, Michael Stipe and many more used cut and paste techniques to construct their lyrics. Those photos look like overly photoshopped constructions.. Pretty, but…
I reckon there is a corollary with machine /CAD shaping vs hand shaping. Mass production or bespoke, there will be a market for both. Keep the crafts alive, support the artist.

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blackers Wednesday, 8 Feb 2023 at 12:31pm
Craig's picture
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Craig Monday, 20 Feb 2023 at 10:12am

It's that time of the year where the surf becomes lack lustre and the mountains call.

I took my partner on her first abseil and canyon on Saturday, while only an entry level canyon, the sights and scenes were as always mind blowing.

A mix of Avatar and Tomb Raider, like being a kid in a candy store.

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udo Monday, 20 Feb 2023 at 10:29am

Fantastic pics
Solo man..

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seeds Monday, 20 Feb 2023 at 11:05am

Looks beautiful Craig

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seeds Monday, 20 Feb 2023 at 11:55am

Haha I hope you’re entry was smoother than this Craig

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seeds Monday, 20 Feb 2023 at 11:59am

Is the water that cold in there Craig? Wettie?

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Craig Monday, 20 Feb 2023 at 12:25pm

Yeah it is, I reckon 15-16 degrees but not much light either, so some spots are dark and gloomy. Fine in a 4/3 and even a 3/2 if you keep moving.

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seeds Monday, 20 Feb 2023 at 12:40pm

Righto makes sense for an extended adventure

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blackers Monday, 20 Feb 2023 at 3:45pm

Awesome pix Craig. Your partner has a keen eye for composition too. What a great way to spend the weekend.

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arcadia Monday, 20 Feb 2023 at 4:49pm

Great photos, Craig. Are you abseiling off bolts or do you set up your own anchor points?

GuySmiley's picture
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GuySmiley Monday, 20 Feb 2023 at 4:58pm

Great adventure and photos there Craig

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Craig Tuesday, 21 Feb 2023 at 5:56am

Doesn't she Blackers, nailed it!

And thanks crew, Arcadia, this one has pre-set anchors. Three seperate bolts that are then individually chained to a central ring which you put the rope through. Fairly bomb proof as it's a popular one.

Other less populated ones we do have slings around trees etc, and you have to check that they're still in great condition.

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arcadia Tuesday, 21 Feb 2023 at 10:28am

Nice, Craig. It's reassuring to arrive at the top of an abseil and see shiny new bolts and not a frayed, stiffening sling or rope of indeterminate age.
I've got a lot of time and respect for the people who drill & bolt routes or contribute their gear for the safety of others.

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Craig Tuesday, 21 Feb 2023 at 11:16am

Totally Arcadia, custodians of the mountains and canyons. There must be a few regularly doing reconnaissance through the canyons especially after the floods and fires.

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AndyM Tuesday, 21 Feb 2023 at 12:38pm

Brilliant photos Craig especially that one of your partner standing in that shaft of light.
I would’ve thought that be a strong anti-bolt community out there?
Frowned upon in all but the busiest areas.

zenagain's picture
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zenagain Tuesday, 21 Feb 2023 at 1:21pm

Agree with the above. Time well spent and great accompanying pics.

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Craig Tuesday, 21 Feb 2023 at 1:25pm

Andy yes it is, mostly slings. But some of the busier and well known ones must be managed by NPWS.

AndyM's picture
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AndyM Tuesday, 21 Feb 2023 at 1:58pm

Cheers Craig yeah I would’ve thought that leaving the odd sling behind would be a small price to pay for accessing areas like that.

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velocityjohnno Thursday, 23 Feb 2023 at 4:18pm

That's just amazing. Near total ignorance: did you climb down the tallest cliff to get in there?

udo's picture
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udo Thursday, 23 Feb 2023 at 5:20pm

Eh Solo Man
i can feel a ' Crangle's Rig ' Calendar coming on
#shaved chest - #medinasmooth

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Island Bay Saturday, 4 Mar 2023 at 5:22am

It was another morning of fog spilling over the divide and onto the harbour.



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blackers Saturday, 4 Mar 2023 at 8:08am

Taken from your place IB? What a stunning outlook.

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Island Bay Saturday, 4 Mar 2023 at 8:14am

Yes, and yes. Pinch myself every morning.

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blackers Saturday, 4 Mar 2023 at 5:10pm

Lucky you. Don't pinch too hard.

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Craig Monday, 6 Mar 2023 at 8:22pm

VJ, yeah abseil down from the top, only 15m or so with 8m vert.

Moody IB!!

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velocityjohnno Tuesday, 7 Mar 2023 at 1:02pm

Nice work Craig, and 15m would seem a long way down when you begin it. I expect take it easy on the abseiling? Go slowish if it's wet? Jumped 15m into water on a high school camp, it was a long way down! Great pics IB, that part of the world is a stunner. I think we're about to send some swell up the Tasman toward you, very windy and bumpy here today.

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Craig Tuesday, 7 Mar 2023 at 1:18pm

Usually yes, but this one was more so a two staged abseil, the first 1/3 or so on an easy 45° angle, then the other 2/3rds straight down.

I did a straight down 50m one last weekend and that was spicy.

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Island Bay Tuesday, 7 Mar 2023 at 1:29pm

Gotta love the he-man pose, Craig!

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Craig Tuesday, 7 Mar 2023 at 1:46pm

Haha, thanks IB, misses caught a moment while I was wrapping up the rope. No posing like some of the others where I'm looking up at the sights.

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Craig Tuesday, 14 Mar 2023 at 1:28pm

I finally got to visit the heart of Australia over the weekend.

On landing, I was a little jealous that the window seat I had was on the right, with those on the left seeing Uluru from the sky, but in hindsight this helped build anticipation once touching down.

The flight from Sydney covered lots of territory with great views of Lake Eyre (now dry) and parts of the Simpson Desert. It was more vegetated landscape than expected surrounding Uluru.

After picking up the hire car, the drive outside of the airport provided the first glimpse of a rock and shape I've seen so many times in video/photos.

In real life it's striking. Way more awe inspiring than I had imagined and looks almost fake on the drive towards Yulara and then closer into the National Park.

It was 36°C and on the way to 38°C so my partner and I got some groceries and dipped in and out of the pool at the local camping ground.

We headed off towards Uluru late afternoon and did a short section of the base walk, taking in the intricacies and grandeur of what stood before us. We were alone, only running into tourist groups at the watering hole.

With the sunset approaching we found a little area to ourselves beside the road and took in the red glow as the sun dropped rapidly to the west. While people started leaving the afterglow and re-lighting of the face as the stars started to pop was intense.

The next morning we got up before sunrise and drove to the Kata Tjuta sunrise spot to watch first light hitting the rounder stone faces.

I was excited to do the Valley of the Winds track and thought I'd find Kata Tjuta more spiritual than Uluru, but it was quite the opposite. The stark difference besides connection was the varying geology between the two regions, only 40km or so apart.

Kata Tjuta is sedimentary and a conglomerate mix of ancient sand, mud and stones while Uluru is more sand-stoney and consistent in composition. On reading later they're two totally seperate rock slabs, lifted in a tectonic folding event millions of years ago.

On driving back to Uluru, seeing the stark land mass against the red desert soil and allocasuarina trees was again jaw dropping. A very special place.

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I focus Tuesday, 14 Mar 2023 at 1:59pm

Thanks Craig, love the frames and words

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Sprout Tuesday, 14 Mar 2023 at 4:35pm

Great photos Craig. I was way more impressed than I thought I'd be too, both incredible sites. We arrived to rain showers, no-one around and the whole rock a wet, shimmering silver in the overcast light, magic. The Field of Light with no moon and the Milky Way stretched horizon to horizon was something too.
It was never high on my list but now I tell everyone to go. Did you get to Kings Canyon?

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Sprout Tuesday, 14 Mar 2023 at 4:49pm

Here's my left window seat photo lol.

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Craig Tuesday, 14 Mar 2023 at 5:00pm

Moody as! Would be so special to see the rain cascading down the runnels. Was a FIFO deal, so will have to to Kings Canyon and the Macdonnell Ranges next time!

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blackers Tuesday, 14 Mar 2023 at 6:04pm

Sweet, it's very special indeed.

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Mcface Wednesday, 15 Mar 2023 at 10:15am

Epic photos and accompanying narration there Craig. Never been to the red centre myself and it's been on my mind to do a long weekend there when we can find a cheap flight. Keen to do the larapinta some time too with more time and prep.

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Craig Friday, 26 May 2023 at 3:15pm

As mentioned in the post caption, this hike would have to be one of the most beautiful I've done.

Doing a bit of research I found this mountainous region on Kyushu with quite unique geology. Big granite monoliths rising high into the sky and there's no distortion in the below images.

The hour drive up to the trailhead was a complete head turner and looked like what I'd imagine to be a mini version of Canada. Deep rocky gorges, maples and pines along with crazy coloured water.

We ran into three people the whole hike, an older couple who just went to the first section/river crossing and a young guy doing the whole loop track.

For how stunning and beautiful this hike, to have no real foot marks on the trail which was marked by little tags on the trees (so some slight route finding at times) was incredible. I'm glad it hasn't made it to the masses and hope it stays that way.

There was quite a bit of vertical with 650m or so in only 3km of horizontal but mostly under forest canopy with lots of rock scrambling/climbing. I love these sorts of mixed hikes.

From gin clear creeks to mossy trees and rocks and that view up to the granite rocks, incredible.

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blackers Friday, 26 May 2023 at 4:32pm

Beautiful photos Craig. The thing that struck me the most when we were there was the green. It infuses everything. Bluebird skies and stunning mountain vistas just ice the cake.

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zenagain Friday, 26 May 2023 at 5:27pm

Just got to this- those Red Centre pics are awesome.

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Craig Tuesday, 27 Jun 2023 at 4:15pm

Nearly every day for the past three/four weeks I've been heading to my favourite cliff lookout. Hoping for a moment like this.

Perseverance paid off yesterday morning when I spotted a young humpback whale heading straight in towards the cliffs.

It got as close as it could to the rock ledge and was incredible to capture in such clarity and light.

No drone, just lots of patience and positioning.







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basesix Tuesday, 27 Jun 2023 at 4:32pm

awesome craig!!!