Another Day in Heaven

Fraser Island's forests have always delighted me. Within them towering satinays dwarf piccabeen palms, ancient ferns fringe creeks that flow silently over their sandy beds and animals relish in their protected environment. They are without a doubt a remarkable feature of the island.

The forest is looking in need of a drink at the moment and overnight showers no doubt will be providing a welcomed watering.

Though the island was once heavily logged, tall stands of satinays, kauri pines and brush box remain untouched by man showcasing the unique vegetation of the island. Pile Valley, between Central Station and Lake McKenzie, where much of the logging took place, has the tallest of the towering satinay and brush box. 

If you have never been here make sure you earmark a walk along Wanggoolba Creek at Central Station, where you can easily see the magnificent angiopteris fern, which has the largest fern fronds in the world. The angiopteris fern is notable due to its use of water pressure rather than structural tissue to keep its fronds erect.

There is more than tall forest to lure the naturalist. Fungi is one that is assured to delight and a favourite of mine to photograph here. Maybe it's because they sit still, don't fidget or run away. For those with a keen eye there is an array of species to be found and each year that I come I seem to discover another that I've never seen sprouting from the forest floor or the rotting remains of fallen timbers.

So when you take a work through the forest, look closely and you will be rewarded.

A fungi found on our walk yesterday through Pile Valley

One of my companions captures another fungi

On a previous walk I found this tiny fungi sprouting from the bottom of a large Satinay

Happy Birthday Kingfisher Bay Resort: 20 years!

We are back on Fraser Island! One of my favourite places on Earth and to Kingfisher Bay Resort, this year celebrating 20 years on the heritage-listed island.

This world recognised eco-island resort, designed by Queensland architects, constructed from local materials and built by local builders and artisans, was first conceived at a time when ecotourism wasn't even a word.

Kingfisher Bay Resort's main pool designed to mimic Lake McKenzie
Image courtesy Kingfisher Bay Resort.

The first part constructed was the jetty, still a favourite location of ours for photographing sunset. At 250 metres long it is built from mixed eucalypt piles, mainly spotted gum, with satinay planks and beams.

Kingfisher Bay Resort's jetty stretches 250metres into the channel.
Image courtesy Danielle Lancaster

During construction of the resort two tropical cyclones hit in 1991 causing major water damage, however they rallied on. More than 600 workers were employed on the site at the peak of construction which was completed on time with the resort welcoming its first guests on the 16th July 1992.

Much research went into the design of the resort, and the dedication shows. All buildings are below the tree line and hidden in the natural bush land. You don’t even see the resort until you actually arrive at the front door. Even the curving tin roofs of the buildings mimic the rolling sand dunes of the island.

So to celebrate they have been busy upgrading. One innovative item we are keen to try out is the new trendy menu by Chef Kenneth Clapham and his team in the kitchen. Tonight for us it’s the seafood buffet!

For us, as photographers,  one of the biggest assets of the resort is its affiliation with nature. Almost around every corner is a wonderful glimpse into the natural environment of Fraser Island: the largest sand island on the planet Earth. Birds are abundant, frogs croak filling the night air, wildflowers bloom alongside tall eucalypt trees and dragon flies busily buzz over the lagoons. Yes, we do love Fraser and Kingfisher Bay Resort. Well done and happy birthday to all those that have made this available for all of us to enjoy.

Check out the birthday specials on offer:

* Available from 23/07/2012 to 31/10/2012. Conditions apply. Subject to availability.

HOTEL STAY

Stay in the Awinya and Boomanjin hotel wings, bordering natural bushland and mirror lakes on

stunning Fraser, for just $200 per person (twin share).

Inclusions:

• 2 nights' hotel accommodation (with complimentary upgrade)

• passenger ferry transfers

• daily buffet breakfast

• spa room upgrade

• bottle of wine.

Plus a $20 room credit (per room, per night) to spend on food and beverage, touring or pop towards

a treatment at our natural therapies salon during your stay. It's their present to you!

VILLA STAY

Relax in self contained villas set in natural bushland with all the creature comforts of home as well

as being close enough to all of the resort's amenities. The perfect retreat for family and friends plus

prices are cut for the birthday celebrations to just $200 per person (quad share) in a two - bedroom

Villa.

Inclusions:

• 2 nights' villa accommodation

• walk-on ferry transfers

• daily breakfast

• bottle of wine

• spa room upgrade and

• $20 villa credit (per villa, per night) to spend on food and beverage, touring or at the

Kingfisher Natural Therapies salon during your stay.

Enjoy Fraser and Kingfisher Bay Resort!

Checking out the wild life around the resort during a night walk.
Image courtesy Danielle Lancaster

Are keywords in your images important?

Part 1 :

In one word: yes. Before we talk about how and what to use for your keywords first you need to work out your particular situation and what will work best for you.

For instance, if you are just keywording for your own use to find images easily in the future then that makes it fairly easy but if you are keywording for a stock image library, agency, magazine etc you need to be more specific.

Many agencies and stock libraries have specific guidelines and if your images are not keyworded no one will ever fine them, you’ll never make a sale and it’s a waste of time uploading them to the agency. These days it is important to find these guidelines and take note of the length of the captions and the quality of the key words used. For instance a stock library I submit to also has cartoons and graphics in it so the word photograph is very important in that collection of keywording. Many have limits on the number of keywords or total characters (this may or may not include spaces) you can use. If you exceed that then the keywording may be cut off and never be seen.

Take your time when keywording. Research what others have done: what works and what does not. Look at your image if you were a buyer: what would you type into a search engine? This is another reason captioning (which we’ll cover later) is important to be keyworder-friendly. Just because you think it’s a logical process does not mean others will.

Pom Pom Positively Turtle Heaven

By Danielle Lancaster

Pom Pom Island is an idyllic paradise.

Relatively unknown, this tiny tropical island around 45 minutes by boat from Borneo’s coast, is picture perfect postcard material. White sandy beaches, turquoise waters teeming with tropical marine life and on land, lush vegetation with brilliantly coloured flowers provide a safe habitat for birds, their feathers as vividly tinted as the flowers that their bills pierce seeking nectar.

For Melissa Mangalis, Pom Pom Island’s Resort Marine Biologist, it’s a perfect office.  Melissa is working hard for change. Not unlike any other island in the world, rubbish is a problem even on this uninhabited (except for the resort) island. Years of plastic use has caused a never ending rubbish problem. And here on Pom Pom its item like plastic bottles and bags washed up on the sandy beach. While yes an eye sore, the foremost problem this plastic waste presents is for the sea turtles. For them it’s a killer. And for Melissa a war that must be won. 

 Melissa at the turtle hatchery on Pom Pom Island

Working hand in hand with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Melissa is an advocate for change. ‘If we can educate the children, we and the turtles have a future,’ she told me today as we sat in the shade by Pom Pom turtle’s hatchery.

Behind us school children from three schools (two from the mainland and another island) are playing games on the beach. Each game has a deep message. Along with their teachers and WWF staff they are being taught through fun the effects of plastics and illegal fishing practices such as dynamite and cyanide fishing have on the environment.

‘Some of these children’s father’s may be fishermen, they all use plastic and the children are our key for change. It’s how we can work for change together, and save our precious environment,’ explains Melissa.

Children from schools on the mainland and a nearby island play games to learn
about the impact of rubbish on marine life.

In one afternoon I counted 12 sea turtles just outside my bungalow on Pom Pom. Green and Hawksbill turtles regularly use the beaches of Pom Pom to lay their clutches of eggs. In the water Melissa is just as active and so is the diving team at Pom Pom. 

There are regular reef clean-ups and work removing Crown of Thorn Starfish, coral painting and the team works closely with the Marine Police in Semporna for any breaches in fishing protocols they see or hear. Dynamite fishing is still being illegally undertaken and a group of divers told me over lunch today of a large blast they heard while diving far off Pom Pom this morning.

 A green turtle in the shallows of Pom Pom Island.

Back on land the team on the island are every bit as proactive. Daily beach clean-ups keep Pom Pom’s beaches as pristine as they can be. Visitors are encouraged to join in and there are regular talks and activities aimed at educating.

It’s a great case of every little bit helps, and with people like the young and energetic Melissa coming up through the ranks we can feel positive these magnificent ancient sea mariners the turtles, will be visiting Pom Pom for many more generations to come and its beaches have a chance of staying white and not becoming just another rubbish dump.