Peaks of Australia List with Photos

In the following, I have assembled a list of all major and some minor peaks in Australia, ordered by state. I give a short description, show a photo or two and list the official elevation. Besides, I provide the coordinates and altitudes that I measured using a GPS device when climbing the mountains.

James takes a photo behind the summit cairn on Mt. Jerusalem.
James takes a photo behind the summit cairn on Mt. Jerusalem.
more ...

Photos of Australian Animals (part 3)

This is an update of two of my older posts about Australian animals, mainly focused on animals that live close to the water. The first two parts are here: part 1 and part 2. I have added a few more photos of animals that I stumbled upon on bushwalks, or close to home, in parks in and around Melbourne.

A Gibbsland water dragon sitting next to a river.
A Gibbsland water dragon sitting next to a river.
more ...

Why carry a personal locator beacon while outdoors?

Personal locator beacons (PLBs) are satellite devices that transmit a distress signal to search and rescue organisations once they are activated. Because they transmit the signal via satellites, they can be used in remote locations, where no cell phone access is available. Here I explain how they operate and why they are important to have in remote wilderness areas.

The back of a PLB that I hired some time ago. The text describes its activation in detail.
The back of a PLB that I hired some time ago. The text describes its activation in detail.
more ...

Climbing Frenchmans Cap in Tasmania

In early 2015, I organised a bushwalking trip to Frenchmans Cap, which is the most prominent peak in the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers national park in Tasmania. The white quartzite of its summit dome, which looks a bit like a French beret from a distance gave the peak its name and is visible from far away.

Our group on the summit of Frenchmans Cap. You can see the smoke from bushfires in the distance.
Our group on the summit of Frenchmans Cap. You can see the smoke from bushfires in the distance.
more ...

First Experience with Night and Astrophotography

Over the last months, I have experimented a bit with night and astrophotography. By astrophotography I mean landscape photography of the night sky with different objects in the foreground, see the photos below.

The Molonglo radio telescope in front of the Milky Way and the South Celestial pole.
The Molonglo radio telescope in front of the Milky Way and the South Celestial pole.
more ...

Photos of Australian Animals (part 2)

Since my last post about Australian animals at the end of 2013, a lot has happened, and I have seen many more Australian animals either in the wild or animal sanctuaries. While most of them are quite friendly, some can potentially be very dangerous.

Here is an updated list of animals in Australia that I have tried to match up with photos that I have taken.

Two kangaroos fighting.
Two kangaroos fighting.
more ...



Welcome to Australia! — Unexpected Things

Here is a list of things that I did not expect in Melbourne, Australia.

It has been nearly a month now that I arrived in Melbourne. While most things are roughly how I imagined them to be, some are quite different to what I thought. Here are some things that I did not expect:

more ...