November is the month where like magic the blue Lake at Mount Gambier changes from a dull grey to the unbelievable vivid blue colour that has made it famous. A short drive away is the Crater Lake which is usually a very scenic spot and I wasn’t disappointed…….. The Limestone coast is amazing in its diversity and seaside Towns like Beachport have incredible seascapes. At Beachport one of South Australia’s longest jetties heads out into the aqua waters of the Great Australian Bight……. Our drive along the Coorong was a highlight of this trip. I knew from the media reports that it had suffered badly in the last decade from serious drought and lack of water flowing down the Murray River. Now it looks magnificent, just the way it should. The Government has funded the opening of the Murray mouth and fresh sea-water is flowing into the Coorong. Both Lake Alexandrina and Lake Albert are full of fresh water and the Coorong now has its fresh sea-water. The area is getting back to normal and its a great time to see it.

A stay at the Town of Victor Harbour saw me out at dusk because there was a full moon. The Maria creek runs into the sea here and I was able to find a spot where the moonlight had brightened up the water. ………A Panorama of the unbelievable aqua waters in the coastal area at Robe, a lovely spot on the Limestone Coast…….The region around Lake Albert between the Town of Meningie and the River Murray is open grassland with salt-pans. the area is of course famous for its Pink Lakes. These will always dry out in the summer months and if there has not been sufficient rain through the winter you will not find the lakes with water at this time of year anyway. What makes them so special is the amazing Pink colour which is real! The algae in the water produce carotene, a substance found in things like carrots, which actually protect them from the sun’s rays. As the lake dries out it leaves salt and the algae die. Pink Flamingo’s get their colour from the same algae. These lakes are a sight to behold, especially on a sunny day.

Noarlunga beach and the river mouth is great for sunsets as there is a good vantage point right at the spot where the river meets the sea. This is the Onkaparinga river which runs through the heart of the Fleurieu region, starting its course up in the Adelaide hills. The river cuts a gorge through the landscape near the historic town of Old Noarlunga. Afternoon light can be amazing in this area.

Willunga Bay at Dusk is often so colourful as one of the images here shows. On Moana beach just after dawn you will often find horses being exercised in full harness as they trot up and down the water’s edge.

At this time of the year on the Fleurieu Peninsular the sun sets at a particular angle to the Coastline to colour the cliffs in a magnificent display at dusk.  Maslins Beach, Willunga Bay and Noarlunga beach are among the best spots to observe this amazing display of colour. The dams are full as plenty of spring rain has fallen over the area. Mypongo Dam Panorama shows this clearly.

At this time of the year the region experiences constant change with rainfall and storms that move in from the Southern Ocean. A wonderful time to experience Light shows in the Skies over the vineyards. Every afternoon for about five days I made sure I drove up to good vantage points and waited for the light to change. Sometimes it did and especially around dusk. Storms approaching from the coast only added drama to the scene.

The whole of South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsular is a Landscape Photographer’s delight and I have been here on numerous occasions. From the hinterland down to the coast its a palette of colours rarely seen in other parts of Australia.  However this is the first time I have been here in the month of November. As much of South-East Australia have received above average and much needed rainfall this year the countryside looked spectacular. I now plan to return here again and try for the month of October which apparently is even better.

This past weekend which took in Melbourne Cup day saw me back on King Island Photographing a special event. I had been asked to take images of  a group of people involved in using products including the wonderful cheeses that National Foods Produce. My good friend Ian Johnson from King Island Holiday Village had organized the weekend on behalf of National foods and the King Island Dairy.The whole weekend proved to be a resounding success and the rain that swept over the Island did not put a damper on the event at all. The weekend included a unique tour of the King Island Dairy and two day trips in the south of the Island to savour some of the Island’s amazing coastline and scenery. Ian and I had time on our own to also explore some other areas including the amazing Yarra Creek gorge which was in flood.