|
On The Beaton Track: July 2001
Travels and Treks
The Kimberley
My biggest adventure for many a year took place in April and May: The Kimberley.
I’ve lived in Australia for 27 years and this was my first chance to get there. 4,500 kilometres from Sydney means it’s too remote even for most Australians. Our good old Mitsubishi Pajero performed admirably, sloshing through 312 creek crossings, 1693 mudholes and bouncing over 5000 kilometres of corrugated dirt tracks.
The wildlife was completely different from what I’m used to. Can you imagine travelling through huge open expanses, day after day, and never seeing a kangaroo? Instead of white cockatoos we saw black ones. Instead of eucalypt trees we saw boabs and pandanus. At night we were invaded by hunters like dingos and tree snakes.
I looked forward to each river crossing because it offered an opportunity to cool off from the heat. However, much of the time I missed out because many were occupied by ‘salties’ (saltwater crocodiles).
Some of the stories I covered, with the help of my partner Nick, who got behind the panorama camera once more, were: birds of prey in the Top End, the mysterious Wandjina figures, Windjana Gorge (where we didn’t see any figures but, oh, what a beautiful place), Purnululu, Cape Leveque and some aboriginal business operations.
Rock Wallabies
In March I travelled to my old haunt, Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve outside Canberra. It was a complete nostalgia trip for me because I haven’t seen it for about ten years. The ducks, geese and other waterfowl looked better than ever on their spacious ponds. Little Ripper, the agitated musk duck, was still there in his segregated pond. The highlight of my visit was finally being able to photograph a brush-tailed rock wallaby. I remember when the search was on for evidence of any wild ones left in the Australian Capital Territory. And now, years later, here they were, reintroduced into their native habitat. They were thriving, judging by the two little joeys I sighted peeping out of their mothers’ pouches.
Tidbinbilla is the most unique wildlife sanctuary in Australia, I believe. The animals, native to the region, are in huge open air enclosures which allow you to get much closer than if they were totally in the wild. You can see koalas in their natural trees, feeding, sleeping, fighting, on the ground, etc, unlike most tourist parks where they are displayed on cut branches. I came across a newly separated young one just two meters off the ground. Its mother was high up, two trees away, keeping an eye on her youngster. I got the feeling she was ready to drop on me if I looked the least bit threatening. Anyone who likes wildlife should include Tidbinbilla in their “must see” list of destinations.
Publicity
Upon arriving back from the Kimberley in late May, I discovered several articles about me had hit the presses. ProPhoto magazine had a small “snapshot” piece in the April issue featuring my once-purple hair. The May issue then came out featuring my work in Kodak’s famous centrefold spread “Great Moments in Creative Photography” and I was delighted to discover I’d also made it onto the cover with a huge credit!
MaxFolio, the magazine put out by Maxwell Optical Industries, the Australian distributors of Nikon cameras, carried an article about my trek along Tasmania’s wild east coast for Australian Geographic magazine. In both instances I was advocating some products: Kodak’s E100VS film, LowePro’s "feminine" backpack and Benbo’s lightweight tripod—all fantastic products which I find to be a wildlife photographer’s lifesavers.
And finally, in Canada, Owl magazine ran a story on me as a female wildlife photographer in Australia.
Life in the Tall Eucalypt Forests: The Exhibition
The book I coauthored with David Lindenmayer has been receiving great reviews. One of the most glowing was by Richard Major and appeared in the Autumn issue of Nature Australia magazine.
It is with great pleasure that David and I can announce that an exhibition based on the book is finally underway. It is sponsored by Melbourne Water and will be opening at the prestigious new Melbourne Museum on August 13. It will be on display in the prominent Australia Gallery for three months and thereafter will be touring the country for at least two years. Jacqueline Taylor of OzLink Entertainment in Melbourne is the magic component that made it all come together. I’m so appreciative of her and her great talent.
More details about this book can be read in the November 2000 and January 2001 editions of On The Beaton Track.
Until next time,
All photographs and text are copyright Esther Beaton and other parties.
The images shown throughout this website may not be downloaded, copied, stored, or reproduced in any way, whether digital, electronic, film or paper, with the exceptions mentioned in the Stock Library Terms of Use. Prohibited reproduction will be considered a breach of the Copyright Act 1968 (Commonwealth) and of the Berne Convention. To obtain permission to reproduce any images, you are invited to go to the Contact section of this website and to make your request in writing.