Gone to Gove blogs Claire and Chris have gone to the Gove Peninsula http://gonetogove.com/blog/atom/feed 2007-12-24T04:13:09+11:00 Cape Arnhem http://gonetogove.com/node/105 2008-06-15T21:00:36+10:00 2008-06-17T18:44:16+10:00 Chris This Saturday just gone a few people from the CTS group (the department I work in at Rio Tinto Alcan - Gove) went out to Cape Arnhem (Wanuwuy). It wasn't the best day to go out (rain and wind) but because we need to book in advance it is a bit of a lottery.

We set out at 7am and Claire and I got a lift in James' Prado, I wasn't convinced that the X-trail would make it.

It is a rough trip and it takes around 2 hours. We passed a Rav4 going the other way so that means I am going to HAVE to take the X-trail next time :)

Here are some pics from the day:

Cape Arnhem 3Cape Arnhem 3

Cape Arnhem 2Cape Arnhem 2

I took some macro photos too:

Beach macro 2Beach macro 2

Beach macro 3Beach macro 3

Wave macro 2Wave macro 2

ShellsShells

I also saw an osprey catching a fish, I had to run and chase him.

OspreyOsprey

Osprey with fishOsprey with fish

Claire and I went snorkelling as well. It was much more impressive than the other locations we have been so far. I even saw a little turtle (no picture unfortunately).

Underwater 5Underwater 5

 

Underwater 4Underwater 4

 

 

Finally we went to Twin Eagles (Gaynada) which is an amazing rock formation with awesome views.

 

Cape Arnhem pano 4Cape Arnhem pano 4

 

 

Twin Eagles 3Twin Eagles 3

 

 

 

I have attached a Google Earth file to show the details of the trip we took out there. It was created using my Garmin 76CSx and Mapsource and Google Earth.

]]> This Saturday just gone a few people from the CTS group (the department I work in at Rio Tinto Alcan - Gove) went out to Cape Arnhem (Wanuwuy). It wasn't the best day to go out (rain and wind) but because we need to book in advance it is a bit of a lottery.

We set out at 7am and Claire and I got a lift in James' Prado, I wasn't convinced that the X-trail would make it.

It is a rough trip and it takes around 2 hours. We passed a Rav4 going the other way so that means I am going to HAVE to take the X-trail next time :)

Here are some pics from the day:

Cape Arnhem 3Cape Arnhem 3

Cape Arnhem 2Cape Arnhem 2

I took some macro photos too:

Beach macro 2Beach macro 2

Beach macro 3Beach macro 3

Wave macro 2Wave macro 2

ShellsShells

I also saw an osprey catching a fish, I had to run and chase him.

OspreyOsprey

Osprey with fishOsprey with fish

Claire and I went snorkelling as well. It was much more impressive than the other locations we have been so far. I even saw a little turtle (no picture unfortunately).

Underwater 5Underwater 5

 

Underwater 4Underwater 4

 

 

Finally we went to Twin Eagles (Gaynada) which is an amazing rock formation with awesome views.

 

Cape Arnhem pano 4Cape Arnhem pano 4

 

 

Twin Eagles 3Twin Eagles 3

 

 

 

I have attached a Google Earth file to show the details of the trip we took out there. It was created using my Garmin 76CSx and Mapsource and Google Earth.

]]> Test camping trip http://gonetogove.com/node/76 2008-05-10T17:39:45+10:00 2008-05-10T17:39:45+10:00 Chris It has been a while since I have updated the blog. There are a couple of reasons for this, slackness and also the fact we haven't been home much recently. I had a training course in Brisbane during the week leading up to ANZAC day. The course was good and Claire took the opportunity to come down as well. We did some shopping and also I got to catch up with a friend and also my Uncle, Aunty and cousins who live in Brisbane. It had been a while, and they even put the good weather on for us.

Before we went to Brisbane we had a trial camping trip to Little Bondi, to test out our equipment etc. From the trip we discovered the following:

  • Reuben isn't going to come camping with us again
  • We can't buy fuel canisters for our nifty gas cooker
  • Green ants should be avoided
  • Don't camp in a windy spot
  • The X-Trail can drive on sand
  • The X-Trail doesn't have enough ground clearance

So it was a pretty successful trip. We got in a bit late on Friday afternoon and it was a bit of a rush to get the tents sorted. We had a nice dinner and a few drinks. Reuben wasn't the most helpful in the tent, we was covered in sand and didn't seem to be content. He insisted that he needed to be walked multiple times during the night, we think he might have been a bit hot.

I got up early (because Reuben wanted another walk) and saw a wonderful sunrise.

Little Bondi SunriseLittle Bondi Sunrise

Reuben liked it too!

Reuben looking at the sunriseReuben looking at the sunrise

I was happy with the X-Trail's performance, it did sustain some damage under the drivers side door but if I choose the locations and drive carefully I should be ok.

Little Bondi CampingLittle Bondi Camping

The beach is wonderful, and the water was very nice. A bunch of people came down to surf while we were there. So Claire decided she should get in the water as well.

Claire swimmingClaire swimming

The water was nice, but the beach is dangerous. There is a very strong undertow and Claire almost got into a bit of trouble. Apparently there have been quite a few bad swimming accidents at the beach. We headed back just before lunch, and letting the tyres down on the car definately helped with the sand driving. We all got back safely and then I had to start packing for Brisbane.

I bought a GPS in Brisbane so I will be able to give accurate coordinates of the locations I visit from now on.

]]> It has been a while since I have updated the blog. There are a couple of reasons for this, slackness and also the fact we haven't been home much recently. I had a training course in Brisbane during the week leading up to ANZAC day. The course was good and Claire took the opportunity to come down as well. We did some shopping and also I got to catch up with a friend and also my Uncle, Aunty and cousins who live in Brisbane. It had been a while, and they even put the good weather on for us.

Before we went to Brisbane we had a trial camping trip to Little Bondi, to test out our equipment etc. From the trip we discovered the following:

  • Reuben isn't going to come camping with us again
  • We can't buy fuel canisters for our nifty gas cooker
  • Green ants should be avoided
  • Don't camp in a windy spot
  • The X-Trail can drive on sand
  • The X-Trail doesn't have enough ground clearance

So it was a pretty successful trip. We got in a bit late on Friday afternoon and it was a bit of a rush to get the tents sorted. We had a nice dinner and a few drinks. Reuben wasn't the most helpful in the tent, we was covered in sand and didn't seem to be content. He insisted that he needed to be walked multiple times during the night, we think he might have been a bit hot.

I got up early (because Reuben wanted another walk) and saw a wonderful sunrise.

Little Bondi SunriseLittle Bondi Sunrise

Reuben liked it too!

Reuben looking at the sunriseReuben looking at the sunrise

I was happy with the X-Trail's performance, it did sustain some damage under the drivers side door but if I choose the locations and drive carefully I should be ok.

Little Bondi CampingLittle Bondi Camping

The beach is wonderful, and the water was very nice. A bunch of people came down to surf while we were there. So Claire decided she should get in the water as well.

Claire swimmingClaire swimming

The water was nice, but the beach is dangerous. There is a very strong undertow and Claire almost got into a bit of trouble. Apparently there have been quite a few bad swimming accidents at the beach. We headed back just before lunch, and letting the tyres down on the car definately helped with the sand driving. We all got back safely and then I had to start packing for Brisbane.

I bought a GPS in Brisbane so I will be able to give accurate coordinates of the locations I visit from now on.

]]> Sunburnt even when it rains http://gonetogove.com/node/71 2008-03-11T21:44:28+11:00 2008-03-11T21:47:15+11:00 Chris The weekend just gone was excellent. On Saturday it rained quite a bit and Claire and I took it easy. On Sunday Michael and Campbell from work picked us up for a 4WD trip. I had been relunctant to take the X-trail out since the rain started because I don't think it would cope very well.
We decided to have a trip to Little Bondi, which is a very popular spot and not too hard to get to. We did have some trouble because Michael wasn't 100% sure how to get there, and his natural sense of direction seemed to be taking us the wrong way. With some prodding we managed to get him to aim towards the coast and after some fretting we saw the sign to Little Bondi.
It was raining on and off and just as we arrived at Little Bondi we had a welcoming party.
Buffalo at Little BondiBuffalo at Little Bondi
 
They seemed to be pretty scared of the ute, but there were three of them. I think they took off after we parked on the beach.
Little Bondi is a great little cove beach with a nice outlook and some good cliffs.
Little Bondi PanoramaLittle Bondi Panorama We tried to do some fishing but everyone except for Campbell had no idea, and no body caught anything. There was some successful fishing occurring at Little Bondi, by dolphins. We saw a group of three rounding up fish and having a bit of a splash about. I was patient enough to get a few snaps.
Dolphin at Little BondiDolphin at Little Bondi
Another dolphin at Little BondiAnother dolphin at Little Bondi
 I am going to blame the dolphins for my sunburn. I spent so much time out trying to get those pictures that I stupidly got a bit sunburnt, and with my new extra short haircut I have a red head.
After Little Bondi we had a detour to the Latram river. Michael said it would be a bit of fun to have a look and drive through the mud and puddles. I have very limited 4WD experience and I did my best to try and bog the ute in the deepest puddle I could find. But with some good advice from other passengers and trying to ignore the steam rising from the engine bay I managed to get us out of mud.
The Latram looked significantly different on this visit.
Latram river with more waterLatram river with more water
Apparently there has been a sighting of a 2m crocodile in the river and there were signs suggesting that people shouldn't be swimming in there at the moment. We weren't going to swim there anyway because the water was very turbid.
 
So we all had a good day and took it easy that afternoon. Thanks to Michael and Campbell for letting Claire and I tag along.
]]> The weekend just gone was excellent. On Saturday it rained quite a bit and Claire and I took it easy. On Sunday Michael and Campbell from work picked us up for a 4WD trip. I had been relunctant to take the X-trail out since the rain started because I don't think it would cope very well.
We decided to have a trip to Little Bondi, which is a very popular spot and not too hard to get to. We did have some trouble because Michael wasn't 100% sure how to get there, and his natural sense of direction seemed to be taking us the wrong way. With some prodding we managed to get him to aim towards the coast and after some fretting we saw the sign to Little Bondi.
It was raining on and off and just as we arrived at Little Bondi we had a welcoming party.
Buffalo at Little BondiBuffalo at Little Bondi
 
They seemed to be pretty scared of the ute, but there were three of them. I think they took off after we parked on the beach.
Little Bondi is a great little cove beach with a nice outlook and some good cliffs.
Little Bondi PanoramaLittle Bondi Panorama We tried to do some fishing but everyone except for Campbell had no idea, and no body caught anything. There was some successful fishing occurring at Little Bondi, by dolphins. We saw a group of three rounding up fish and having a bit of a splash about. I was patient enough to get a few snaps.
Dolphin at Little BondiDolphin at Little Bondi
Another dolphin at Little BondiAnother dolphin at Little Bondi
 I am going to blame the dolphins for my sunburn. I spent so much time out trying to get those pictures that I stupidly got a bit sunburnt, and with my new extra short haircut I have a red head.
After Little Bondi we had a detour to the Latram river. Michael said it would be a bit of fun to have a look and drive through the mud and puddles. I have very limited 4WD experience and I did my best to try and bog the ute in the deepest puddle I could find. But with some good advice from other passengers and trying to ignore the steam rising from the engine bay I managed to get us out of mud.
The Latram looked significantly different on this visit.
Latram river with more waterLatram river with more water
Apparently there has been a sighting of a 2m crocodile in the river and there were signs suggesting that people shouldn't be swimming in there at the moment. We weren't going to swim there anyway because the water was very turbid.
 
So we all had a good day and took it easy that afternoon. Thanks to Michael and Campbell for letting Claire and I tag along.
]]> Too slack to post http://gonetogove.com/node/64 2008-03-06T22:45:47+11:00 2008-03-06T22:45:47+11:00 Chris Well it is pretty obvious that Claire and I are too slack to keep posting. Probably because we haven't been up to much recently. Claire had her 31st birthday, and before that we both got some kind of virus that knocked us about a bit. As usual I got it on a Friday and was sick all weekend but come Monday I was fine.

Before that Claire and I did have a good paddle to East Woody Island. It isn't too far from our flat (around 15km).

 On the way to East WoodyOn the way to East Woody

We got there without any problems. What surprised us the most is the number of people who were in the water. Considering it still is stinger season I don't think it is a good idea to be swimming. When we kayak we are both wearing gloves and long sleaved rashies.

East Woody Island RocksEast Woody Island Rocks

One of the things I really liked about this paddle was that the rock formations reminded me of the granite in Tasmania (specifically around Bridport). The big difference is that the orange lichen doesn't grow on these rocks. Probably because of the temperature and climate.

We thought we were going to get some rain that day.

Storm on the wayStorm on the wayBut it just moved on by and didn't hit the town, or us. I bet it did hit Groote Eylandt.

We stopped on the island (which is attached to the mainland via quite a bit of sand). We found a shady spot under a rock and had our picnic.

East Woody Island PanoramaEast Woody Island Panorama

On the way back Claire got a bit dehydrated, which is always the risk in the tropics. It really sneaks up on you and by the time the symptoms hit it is too late. We had our Camelbaks but still the heat in the afternoon ended up being too much. So it was a very long trip back.

We got home safe, and a good time was had by all. Hopefully we will get back out on the water this weekend, weather permitting.

]]> Well it is pretty obvious that Claire and I are too slack to keep posting. Probably because we haven't been up to much recently. Claire had her 31st birthday, and before that we both got some kind of virus that knocked us about a bit. As usual I got it on a Friday and was sick all weekend but come Monday I was fine.

Before that Claire and I did have a good paddle to East Woody Island. It isn't too far from our flat (around 15km).

 On the way to East WoodyOn the way to East Woody

We got there without any problems. What surprised us the most is the number of people who were in the water. Considering it still is stinger season I don't think it is a good idea to be swimming. When we kayak we are both wearing gloves and long sleaved rashies.

East Woody Island RocksEast Woody Island Rocks

One of the things I really liked about this paddle was that the rock formations reminded me of the granite in Tasmania (specifically around Bridport). The big difference is that the orange lichen doesn't grow on these rocks. Probably because of the temperature and climate.

We thought we were going to get some rain that day.

Storm on the wayStorm on the wayBut it just moved on by and didn't hit the town, or us. I bet it did hit Groote Eylandt.

We stopped on the island (which is attached to the mainland via quite a bit of sand). We found a shady spot under a rock and had our picnic.

East Woody Island PanoramaEast Woody Island Panorama

On the way back Claire got a bit dehydrated, which is always the risk in the tropics. It really sneaks up on you and by the time the symptoms hit it is too late. We had our Camelbaks but still the heat in the afternoon ended up being too much. So it was a very long trip back.

We got home safe, and a good time was had by all. Hopefully we will get back out on the water this weekend, weather permitting.

]]> First paddle in Gove http://gonetogove.com/node/58 2008-01-26T03:05:19+11:00 2008-01-26T03:08:48+11:00 Chris Well Friday was the day that Claire and I got organised and had our first kayak in Gove. We had to put the kayak on the X-trail to take it around 200 metres, because I don't have a trolley yet.

We had a great paddle and while were were out there we saw Alan, who works in the same department as me. He goes paddling on his surf ski every Friday and agreed it was a good night for a quick paddle.

It was a bit overcast, but very pleasant.

 

Clouds during our first paddleClouds during our first paddle

Claire enjoyed it a lot.

 

 

Claire in front on our first paddleClaire in front on our first paddle

 

We are thinking about doing a small trip next weekend. Hopefully we can find someone to dog sit Reuben.

]]> Well Friday was the day that Claire and I got organised and had our first kayak in Gove. We had to put the kayak on the X-trail to take it around 200 metres, because I don't have a trolley yet.

We had a great paddle and while were were out there we saw Alan, who works in the same department as me. He goes paddling on his surf ski every Friday and agreed it was a good night for a quick paddle.

It was a bit overcast, but very pleasant.

 

Clouds during our first paddleClouds during our first paddle

Claire enjoyed it a lot.

 

 

Claire in front on our first paddleClaire in front on our first paddle

 

We are thinking about doing a small trip next weekend. Hopefully we can find someone to dog sit Reuben.

]]> Animals we have seen so far http://gonetogove.com/node/55 2008-01-26T02:41:28+11:00 2008-03-30T12:42:23+11:00 Chris I haven't posted for quite a while. But I've been taking lots of photos with my new lenses. I am still getting the hang of it and I need to work on getting the exposure right. I've also found that using RAW files is good for compensating for exposure but the files tend to be noisy because there is no noise filtering applied by the camera, and I need to do it all in Photoshop. Here is my list of animals I have photographed since coming to Nhulunbuy.
Australian White IbisAustralian White Ibis

Bar-shouldered DoveBar-shouldered Dove
Beach Stone-curlewBeach Stone-curlew
Blue winged kookaburraBlue winged kookaburra
DragonDragon
DragonflyDragonfly
FigbirdFigbird
Lesser FrigatebirdLesser Frigatebird
Little black cormorantLittle black cormorant
Oliander butterflyOliander butterfly
Pied Imperial-pigeonPied Imperial-pigeon
Rainbow LorikeetRainbow Lorikeet
Silver-backed ButcherbirdSilver-backed Butcherbird
Skinks fightingSkinks fighting
Yellow-throated MinerYellow-throated Miner
]]> I haven't posted for quite a while. But I've been taking lots of photos with my new lenses. I am still getting the hang of it and I need to work on getting the exposure right. I've also found that using RAW files is good for compensating for exposure but the files tend to be noisy because there is no noise filtering applied by the camera, and I need to do it all in Photoshop. Here is my list of animals I have photographed since coming to Nhulunbuy.
Australian White IbisAustralian White Ibis

Bar-shouldered DoveBar-shouldered Dove
Beach Stone-curlewBeach Stone-curlew
Blue winged kookaburraBlue winged kookaburra
DragonDragon
DragonflyDragonfly
FigbirdFigbird
Lesser FrigatebirdLesser Frigatebird
Little black cormorantLittle black cormorant
Oliander butterflyOliander butterfly
Pied Imperial-pigeonPied Imperial-pigeon
Rainbow LorikeetRainbow Lorikeet
Silver-backed ButcherbirdSilver-backed Butcherbird
Skinks fightingSkinks fighting
Yellow-throated MinerYellow-throated Miner
]]> Our New Flat http://gonetogove.com/node/39 2008-01-19T00:30:55+11:00 2008-01-19T00:30:55+11:00 Claire We have unpacked and settled in. Check out our new flat! ]]> We have unpacked and settled in. Check out our new flat! ]]> Hand Bell Hero http://gonetogove.com/node/38 2007-12-25T18:59:33+11:00 2007-12-25T19:03:25+11:00 Chris Probably the greatest Flash game ever (well at this time of year maybe).

http://www.vml.com/handbellhero/

 

Hand bell heroHand bell hero
]]> Probably the greatest Flash game ever (well at this time of year maybe).

http://www.vml.com/handbellhero/

 

Hand bell heroHand bell hero
]]> The new lens http://gonetogove.com/node/36 2007-12-24T17:26:03+11:00 2007-12-24T17:26:03+11:00 Chris I'm happy with my new Canon 100-400mm IS USM zoom lens that I bought myself for Christmas. I managed to get www.camerasdirect.com.au to send up that lens and my new Sigma 10-20mm via Australian Air Express. It arrived yesterday.

I've been taking a few pictures already. Unfortunately I don't have my tripod up here yet so I'm a bit limited on what I can do with low light. The Image Stabilizer helps but doesn't fix all problems.

Here are some example pics:

 

Bird cleaning it's wingBird cleaning it's wing

Cocky with food in mouthCocky with food in mouth

Moon closeupMoon closeup

The top two images are not cropped, but the moon image is. Unfortuately because ofmy lack of a tripod I couldn't get a shot which included the clouds.

]]> I'm happy with my new Canon 100-400mm IS USM zoom lens that I bought myself for Christmas. I managed to get www.camerasdirect.com.au to send up that lens and my new Sigma 10-20mm via Australian Air Express. It arrived yesterday.

I've been taking a few pictures already. Unfortunately I don't have my tripod up here yet so I'm a bit limited on what I can do with low light. The Image Stabilizer helps but doesn't fix all problems.

Here are some example pics:

 

Bird cleaning it's wingBird cleaning it's wing

Cocky with food in mouthCocky with food in mouth

Moon closeupMoon closeup

The top two images are not cropped, but the moon image is. Unfortuately because ofmy lack of a tripod I couldn't get a shot which included the clouds.

]]> Cockatoo Christmas http://gonetogove.com/node/32 2007-12-24T04:11:40+11:00 2007-12-24T04:13:09+11:00 Claire CockyCocky

 

A Cheerio to our family and friends. We wish you a Christmas full of yummy food and prezzies and hope your have a fabulous New Year.

 

Chris took the photo of the cockatoo this afternoon with his brand new, hunking big zoom lens. It's very exciting!!! My christmas present is a macro lens (which will turn up some time in January). I can't wait.

 

XXOXX

 

]]> CockyCocky

 

A Cheerio to our family and friends. We wish you a Christmas full of yummy food and prezzies and hope your have a fabulous New Year.

 

Chris took the photo of the cockatoo this afternoon with his brand new, hunking big zoom lens. It's very exciting!!! My christmas present is a macro lens (which will turn up some time in January). I can't wait.

 

XXOXX

 

]]>