Australia Day - Answers and some History

An Aussie Sunset!

So, you've all had a go at the Australia Day Quiz? If you haven't, there's still time - before you continue reading this post, checkout the quiz page, and then drop by and leave a comment to let everyone know how you went.

For those who've completed the quiz (whether you're from Australia, America, or elsewhere) - How did you go? I have to admit - the first time someone asked me these questions, I pretty much failed! It's amazing how so many of us Australians have so little knowledge about our history. Yes, I did throw a few hard ones in there. But I hope none of you chose "Jack Sparrow" as the Captain in command!

Well, without further ado, here is a full listing of each question, along with the correct answer. Enjoy! =)

1. What do we remember on Australia day?
   Correct Answer: The raising of the British flag
   The raising of the flag was the official symbol proclaiming British sovereignty over the Eastern coast of Australia. We celebrate this occasion on January 26th every year.
   

2. Where did this happen?
   Correct Answer: Port Jackson
   When the First Fleet arrived at Botany Bay, the intended settlement location, they found it unsuitable for living. They travelled a short distance to Port Jackson, where the flag was raised.
   

3. In what year?
   Correct Answer: 1788
   This is a confusing one! You've just gotta know this. Everyone I know tends to get this confused with 1770, the year when James Cook "discovered" Australia. Just remember all those 7's and 8's and you'll be fine!
   

4. Who was in command?
   Correct Answer: Captain Arthur Phillip
   Captain James Cook was the first European to explore the East coast of Australia, Captain William Lawson is fictionary, and Captain Jack Sparrow has yet to command an entire fleet.

5. How many ships were in the First Fleet?
   Correct Answer: 11
   This is another one you just have to know.

6. Which one of the following ships was NOT in the First Fleet?
   Correct Answer: The Endeavour
   Ok, so everyone got this one, right?
   The Endeavour was Captain Cook's ship during his first voyage. All the other names are actual ships in the First Fleet.

That's it! I hope you enjoyed the chance to test your knowledge, and maybe even gain some on the way. A huge thanks to all those who answered the quiz - and for any new people, please do leave a comment - no matter how short - to let me know how you scored!

More resources: Australia Day, Captain James Cook

This photo taken with the Fujifilm S9600 digital camera.

"It was a dark and stormy night..." - SWF

"It was a dark and stormy night..."
Trees silhouetted by the purple
clouds, with lightning back-lighting
Sky Watch Friday

I know, you've probably heard that title too many times already. It's one of the most under-rated and over-quoted verses in history. But I couldn't think of a better title for this picture, which was taken late one stormy night. The trees are back-lit by a flash of lightning, fading out as it reaches the top of the picture to reveal the dark storm clouds.

You might also have noticed something familiar about these trees. Yep, you guessed it, this is the same easterly viewpoint seen in many other photos. Somehow, whenever there's an interesting sky around, it has to sit behind these trees. All I can really do is change the angle!

This photo taken with the Fujifilm S9600 digital camera.

Thunder and Lightning! Strike at Night

"Thunder and Lightning!"
Lightning striking in a thunder storm at night
Sky Watch Friday

Wow! That's what I thought when I saw this lightning bolt strike last night. We had a thunder storm here (fairly rare, I might add) and so I went out, like I did during our last lightning storm, in the cold and wet, to get some lightning photos. The noise of this particular strike nearly deafened me! It struck less than 1km away, so the thunder came almost instantaneously.

I took this picture on "B" shutter mode with about a 20-second exposure at F6.4. The lightning you see in the picture is actually the result of two strikes - one huge lightning strike (the large ball of white lightning on the left), and another smaller one almost directly after.

Because of the long exposure, and the brightness of the lightning, I had to use the GIMP to adjust the saturation curve for this image to make the lightning bolts visible. But I can assure you it isn't "touched up" in the common sense of the word - this is exactly what it looked like in real life! Even though I only saw the lightning for a second, I can still see the strike as if it was right in front of me now. And I can hear the thunder just as clearly - it was the sort of sound that's so loud and deep that you can feel it as much as hear it!

This Thunder-bolt Sky Watch Friday photo taken with the Fujifilm S9600 digital camera.

The Calm Before the Storm - Wordless Wednesday

"The Calm Before the Storm"
Wordless Wednesday

This Wordless Wednesday photo taken with the Fujifilm S9600 digital camera.

Cumulonimbus Storm Cloud - Thor's Masterpiece

"Thor's Masterpiece"
Cumulonimbus Thunder Storm Cloud at Sunset
Sky Watch Friday

I found this storm cloud photo as I was going through my archives searching for images to enter in an upcoming photographic competition. The huge Cumulonimbus cloud is lit up a light pink colour by the setting sun, while the horizon below is silhouetted against the threatening dark blue clouds around the base of the thunder-head.

This photo was taken in Goondiwindi, Queensland. When I entered it into the Goondiwindi Photo Competition, I titled it "Thor's Masterpiece".

Original post: Cumulonimbus Storm Cloud
This Sky Watch Friday photo taken with the Kodak C330 digital camera.

Weird Clouds Hiding the Sun - Sky Watch Friday

Sun shining through a gap in the strange clouds
Sky Watch Friday

This sky actually looked quite bland when seen in real life, but I somehow felt the urge to take a photo of it. Maybe it was the framing with the tops of the houses at the bottom and the tree silhouette, but regardless of the reason I took the photo. This is what it turned out like. By focusing on the sun and adjusting the white balance for it, the clouds are made to look ominous and threatening, when they are far from it in reality!

This was shot with a 28mm (equivalent) lens, making it appear slightly "fish-eyed".

This Sky Watch Friday photo taken with the Fujifilm S9600 digital camera.

Dramatic Sunset in Australian Bush - Sky Watch Friday

Dramatic Sunset in the Australian Bush (Outback)
Sky Watch Friday

You probably haven't noticed, but there's something different about today's Sky Watch Friday Sunset. This post has been published automatically by blogger. Last week blogger got a new feature enabling you to schedule posts to be published automatically at a later date, and so I am taking advantage of this new functionality today. This Friday, I haven't actually got on the computer at all. I prepared the sunset photo and post on Thursday, and it has been automatically published for you today. Now, I know this is old stuff for you Wordpress users, but for anyone using Blogger, this is a very handy new tool. Has anyone else used it yet?

This sunset is very "dramatic" - the multi-layered clouds and irregular tint give the photo a tense composition. I took this photo at the same time as this other sunset, but you wouldn't be able to tell just by looking at the photos. In one minute, which is the time difference between the two photos, the clouds changed position completely. That's one of the great aspects of a sunset - you'll never get bored watching one!

This photo taken with the Fujifilm S9600 digital camera.

The Glory of the Heavens - Clouds and Tree - Sky Watch Friday

Clouds and a Tree in Shadow - Sky Watch Friday

I got this shot purely by chance one day. I was outside with the camera getting some nature photos, when I happened to glance up and see this stunning cloud formation aligned perfectly with the top of a gum tree. Had I gone a few steps further in any direction, this scene wouldn't have been as exceptional, as the tree needed to be in just the right position relative to the clouds for this shot to work. As it turned out, I was able to quickly snap this picture.

The composition of this shot is almost the inverse of Rembrandt's famous style, where he uses small areas of bright light to draw attention to important areas of the painting. In this photo, the large dark area occupied by the tree draws your attention, and then you notice the bright white cloud in the opposite corner. Then a trailing wisp of cloud brings your attention back in circle to the right, where the dark tree is.

Another interesting aspect of this photo is the many different layers that appear in the one picture. At least four are distinctly visible - the tree, the dark layer of cloud, the light layer of cloud, and the blue-grey sky. All of these elements again combine to create the "clockwise rotation" of the eye when looking at this picture.

This photo taken with the Fujfilm S9600 digital camera.

Storm Clouds - Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Storm Clouds

This photo taken with the Fujifilm S9600 digital camera.
Shutter speed: 1/220, f/3.6, ISO 100

Lighting Striking Dead Tree

Lightning Striking at Night - Dead Tree Silhouette

The other night we had a big thunderstorm with lightning over here, so naturally I was out with the camera in the cold and wet while others were inside snug and warm. Actually, I wasn't so foolish as to bring the camera outside during the rain, but after the storm passed over I went out looking for lightning shots. I took a few 30-second exposures, but the noise even at ISO 80 was disappointing. Decreasing the shutter speed by increments, eventually I got down to a 2-second exposure at ISO 80. Now for lightning, there's not much chance of getting a good shot with only a 2-second exposure. But I tried anyway. And what turned out was amazing...

It was a one in a million chance. During the second exposure, a huge bolt of lightning split the sky - directly in the middle of the frame. And this is how it turned out. I find it amazing that I was able to get such a good shot on just the second try. The lightning is streaking through the darkened sky, ending in a flash of electricity near the ground. A dead tree stands in stark silhouette against the backdrop of dark purple clouds. The pitch black of the surrounding terrain serves to intensify the scene, as well as provide a natural frame for the action.


It just goes to show: don't rely on the tried and tested methods, do something different and strange - it might just work out!