Drought images (700kB)

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

I thought I'd show the kids the drought we've got here at the moment and take the opportunity to try my new camera somewhere other than the jetty for Erich:D

Drove 400 km round trip to Lake Alexandrina on the river Murray. Its 22 x 11 nautical miles, is very shallow normally and is currently down by about 1.5 metres.

The river flows through 4 states and they can't agree on a sensible water plan and everyone is using too much water. IMHO you can't seriously try to irrigate a whole country off one river - I couldn't believe how big a percentage of the land is irrigated now. Mostly grapes here at the downstream end but apparently rice and cotton way upstream. When the river used to work all this land was mostly unirrigated pasture. Anyway this lake is at the end and provides drinking water for around 1 million people including me.

[tim11]

This one has the most impact for showing the drought.
http://www.dcresource.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=34300&stc=1&d=1206521624

[ssil2000]

i would like to say great pics mate, but unfortunately this is the reality you and i and millions of other aussies are living in at them moment... i never understood how a country as dry as ours could allow cotton and rice farming, not to mention not having regulations on the river murray controlling the amount of water used until now... sad very sad, and i think your pictures tell this very sad story...

[K1W1]

So tonight you post drought pictures while we are getting our first decent rain since early December, I can hardly hear because of the drumming on the roof and the gutters are overflowing onto the grass.

Thanks. Please post more each night for at least a couple of months. :D:D

[Paradox]

I love the one with the 'No mooring here for more than 15 minutes' Sign. I'm a big fan of irony. :p Nice shots.

[Rooz]

really nice pics mate. i''d consider going there at sunrise/ sunset aswell. looks like a great location for that kind of light.

[erichlund]

When I said go to the other end of the pier and get a sunrise, I was talking about just a different perspective from the same basic location. Not sure how you knew I was thinking, does this guy ever shoot anywhere else??? Must be psychic. ;)

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

Thanks Erich,

I have allready tried the view the other way at sunrise on the jetty and the view just sucks. Plenty of less attractive buildings. I'll post one oneday when I've got great cloud effects to make up for the ugly foregound just for you.:)

I have limited opportunity to get out and about with young kids. Basically I'm I'm affraid you've seen everything new I have to offer. Future posts from me are likely to be variations of the same stuff.

On that note does anyone have any shots of NZ south Island? K1W1 perhaps? I've never been there, never will get the chance and would like to see some of it.

I didn't mention it in the original post but the image with the log in the foreground is of the upstream side of the river with the ocean behind the dam. The dam or barrage as it's properly called keeps the ocean out of the river! It was built around 1943.

[K1W1]

This is about as far south as I have on digital and I'm not going to dig out and scan a whole lot of probably embarrassing 30 year old shots for your benefit. :)

"Long Beach" near Wellington March 2006. It's the closest part of the north Island to the south. As they say never work with kids or animals. :-)

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/145/414522622_cc62da1144_b.jpg

This search (http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=all&q=%22new+Zealand%22+%22South+Island%22&m=text) on Flickr found 79,000 photos if you want to trawl through them.

The other option is to go to Blockbuster and rent the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Most of the mountain scenery is the South Island and the bits that aren't look like the South island anyway.

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

K1W1 is it just me or did a kid magically appear in your post.
I'd swear it was just a seal yesterday. Am I seeing things:confused:

[K1W1]

The magic of photography. :)

Actually I changed the photo in the post.

[ssil2000]

i would like to say great pics mate, but unfortunately this is the reality you and i and millions of other aussies are living in at them moment... i never understood how a country as dry as ours could allow cotton and rice farming, not to mention not having regulations on the river murray controlling the amount of water used until now... sad very sad, and i think your pictures tell this very sad story...

hi dread,
i just read what i wrote, and it may have come across the wrong way, i wasnt trying to say your pics werent any good.. your pics were awesome :) its just sad to see the murray like that :(

so i hope i didnt offend as that was not my intention :o

Sergio

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

It's all cool Sergio, I knew what you meant. Hey by the way can I interest you in jointly photographing the city lights from Windy Point?

Very tricky repost K1W1. Thanks for the Flckr search suggestion, I'll give it a serious look when I get a moment. I had thought of that myself but I know you post some great images so thought I'd try and prompt you.

[ssil2000]

sounds good, but where the hell is windy point? hehe

[K1W1]

I know you post some great images so thought I'd try and prompt you.

Thank you for the compliment but I'm a North Island boy and as I said any photos I have of the South Is that may be worth viewing here are at least 30 years old. You can of course refine the Flickr search or even look for specific groups such as a Christchurch Group or a Mt Cook Group. I'm sure they exist.