In my last blog post, I had just finished photographing the sunset at the Twelve Apostles. I hadn't planned on spending several hours at the Apostles. Darkness fell and I had a couple hours of driving to reach Port Fairy for the night ...

Driving at night in rural Australia is a bit nerve racking ... That's when so many cars and kangaroos collide with often times disastrous consequences for both ... Thankfully a cautious drive to Port Fairy with no kangaroos encounters or casualties!

After a late arrival to Port Fairy and breakfast the next morning, I headed out for the Grampions -- a mountain range to the north. My intent was to find lodging in the Grampions and then head west the next day, but after a day wandering the Grampions, Port Fairy seemed like a better choice for another night ...

A lot of the drive to the Grampions was along country roads like these with massive cattle ranges on either side ...

Typical countryside as I journeyed to (and from) the Grampions.

Looking for a break from driving, I drove down a short access road to Lake Bellefield... Kind of had me scratching my head, but in hindsight, makes sense in the hot dry landscape of Grampions...

Up into the heights of the Grampions ... at Boroka Lookout with Wartook Reservoir in the distance...

Reed Lookout with Wartook Reservoir in the distance ... Very typical scrub and brush in the foreground

MacKenzie falls

By midday, I was hot and parched ... so of course, I found a waterfall!

On my way back to Port Fairy ... the countryside and the gum trees in the summer heat ... This had far more of an impact on me than the Grampions... Found myself pulling repeatedly to try capturing the essence of this countryside ...

Sheep gathering in the shade of a gum tree

Blue skies and gum trees

So, after a second night in Port Fairy and a delicious breakfast at The Farmer's Daughter, I head out for Naracoorte ...

Cape Bridgewater

My first stop was to be the Petrified Forest, but I started seeing my old obsession: wind turbines ...

Wind Turbines at Cape Bridgewater

Approaching the Petrified Forest gave me an opportunity to get even closer to these amazing behemoths ...

I was here to see these geological oddities of erosion and such which form these trunk-like forms, they couldn't compete the wind turbines for my attention...

Cape Bridgewater

Looks like its a bit windy here on a regular basis (thus the wind farm ...)

Cape Bridgewater

Slow turning, quiet giants -- I want one of my own! Next stop - Piccaninnie Ponds!

Oops ...

In the middle of nowhere are these crystal clear waters surrounded by acres of reeds ... Had been looking forward to a swim / snorkel, but hadn't realized there were permit requirements ... next trip! Onward ...

Selfie at Blue Lake at Mount Gambier

Blue Lake at Mount Gambier

A wee bit anticlimatic ... Yup a big, crater like, deep blue lake... Okay ...

It's overnight in Naracoorte and then onto Kangaroo Island tomorrow!!! Stay tuned