A late night drive.

[Outdated]

At about 1:30 am I realised I wasn't tired and I was getting bored on the computer, so I decided why not go for a drive? Which direction? What would I like to take a picture of? I figured if I timed it right I could get some nice dawn pictures. I ended up driving 250 Km away, here's dawn at Berri on the Murray River.

I'm standing right in the centre of the town, there's a nice strip of park along the river front, Mum used to bring us here often when we were little to go swimming.

Then I slowly drove back home going on a bit of a nostalgia trip. There wasn't a great deal to get nostalgic about though, last time I went to some of these places was 50 years ago and it has all changed so much.

 

[Tired]

Very nice pictures, looks serene.
I wonder when I'll return back to Ukraine, and how will I feel seeing the city I lived in for some years being destroyed in some places by bombs and rockets. I wasn't there for 7+ years, and won't come there in the near future.

 

[Judge]

One thing I really like about the Internet is in how it enables so many people to see so many places on the planet where we have never been before, or have little to no idea what it may look like.

 

[thejuice]

I like that first pic, a keeper! Any gators in that river?

 

[Outdated]

Any gators in that river?

No, no gators. You won't find "gators" in Australia. Crocs are much bigger and far more dangerous but you won't find any of them either, the Murray River is too far south and too cold for them. Nothing very dangerous there at all unless you're not a confident swimmer.

If you sit still for too long though tiny little shrimps start crawling on you and cleaning you. They tickle.

I like that first pic, a keeper!

Thanks, here's a portrait version:

 

[thejuice]

No, no gators. You won't find "gators" in Australia. Crocs are much bigger and far more dangerous but you won't find any of them either, the Murray River is too far south and too cold for them. Nothing very dangerous there at all unless you're not a confident swimmer.

If you sit still for too long though tiny little shrimps start crawling on you and cleaning you. They tickle.


Thanks, here's a portrait version:

View attachment 137424

Crocs are the ones with narrower snout right

 

[vergil96]

If you sit still for too long though tiny little shrimps start crawling on you and cleaning you. They tickle.

I've never seen an alive shrimp neither in the sea nor in a river. I believed they lived just in salty water.

 

[Outdated]

I've never seen an alive shrimp neither in the sea nor in a river. I believed they lived just in salty water.

We have several species of fresh water shrimp, and lobster. Strangely, we don't have oceanic shrimp here but do have many different species of prawns, they're a very similar animal.

These are fresh water shrimp, and that's almost as big as they get. They make good fish bait and they're also quite edible.

Crocs are the ones with narrower snout right

Crocs have a less rounded snout than an American Alligator but that's not the very first thing you'll notice about them. They're more than twice the size and extremely aggressive.

 

[Judge]

No, no gators. You won't find "gators" in Australia. Crocs are much bigger and far more dangerous but you won't find any of them either, the Murray River is too far south and too cold for them. Nothing very dangerous there at all unless you're not a confident swimmer.

Another one of the things that intrigues so much about both Australia and New Zealand. The latitudes and where all sorts of things change the further south you go. Always struck me as being more profound compared to the Northern Hemisphere.

Making me that more curious about Tasmania, and whether or not it might be similar in various ways to New Zealand's South Island. Topography, animals, weather & climate.

 

[Outdated]

Always struck me as being more profound compared to the Northern Hemisphere.

It's exactly the same deal, just opposite directions. Head due south from Australia and the next land mass is Antarctica.

Melbourne is our most southern city on the mainland, 36 degrees from the equator, Darwin is less than 12 degrees from the equator so full tropics.

 

[Judge]

It's exactly the same deal, just opposite directions. Head due south from Australia and the next land mass is Antarctica.

Melbourne is our most southern city on the mainland, 36 degrees from the equator, Darwin is less than 12 degrees from the equator so full tropics.

But on our continent altitude plays a much greater role in comparison. Where I live for instance. We're not all that far to the north, yet it snowed today. Being nearly a mile high can make a difference. Not quite the same, especially compared to locales at sea level.

 

[Outdated]

Making me that more curious about Tasmania, and whether or not it might be similar in various ways to New Zealand's South Island. Topography, animals, weather & climate.

I think the weather isn't too dissimilar, Tasmania being slightly warmer. The wildlife is extremely different though, before Europeans came New Zealnd had no land based mammals and many species of flightless birds. The birds had no predators and without the need to fly they lost that ability.

Cats, rats, foxes and stoats soon sorted them out.

 

[Outdated]

Being nearly a mile high can make a difference.

Australia is the flattest continent on the planet.

 

[Judge]

Australia is the flattest continent on the planet.

Exactly. Where in comparison with the Northern Hemisphere those higher elevations can impact the weather and climate. Our "High Desert" being a good example. We got snow this morning.

Oddly enough we're close to the same latitude as Melbourne, but in the opposite hemisphere. Interesting that it can snow there, but rarely compared to here.

 

[Outdated]

Exactly. Where in comparison with the Northern Hemisphere those higher elevations can impact the weather and climate. Our "High Desert" being a good example. We got snow this morning.

Our tallest mountain is Mount Kosciuszko at 2200 metres. It gets snow every year. Note that the trees still have leaves on them, none of our native trees are deciduous.

 

[Judge]

Our tallest mountain is Mount Kosciuszko at 2200 metres. It gets snow every year. Note that the trees still have leaves on them, none of our native trees are deciduous.

View attachment 137443

That's close to the height of one of our local mountains, Mt. Rose. But with less than half of this amount of snow at the moment...but not for long. The skiers love it.

 

[Outdated]

That's close to the height of one of our local mountains, Mt. Rose. Already covered in snow.

We have quite a thriving ski tourist season here but recently climate change has been making that more difficult for some operators.

The best ski resorts in Australia - Tourism Australia

 

[Judge]

We have quite a thriving ski tourist season here but recently climate change has been making that more difficult for some operators.

The best ski resorts in Australia - Tourism Australia

Here the climate changes have been the opposite. Where the ski season has been extended some years into July.

 

[Outdated]

Here the climate changes have been the opposite. Where the ski season has been extended some years into July.

That means almost year round snow. Here the ski season only lasts about 10 weeks. By this time of year there'll be no sign that there ever was any snow.

 

[Judge]

That means almost year round snow. Here the ski season only lasts about 10 weeks. By this time of year there'll be no sign that there ever was any snow.

It is kind of funny to watch the summer weather forecast with sweltering heat on the valley floor while they're still skiing on Mt. Rose.

The weather here seems to be increasingly unpredictable. And it's snowing again.