i will be in Australia in August for 3 weeks, need your advices?????

hll · 06-30-2008, 05:29 AM

i am sure some suggestions from Australian folks will be very helpful for me...
i have k10d, 16-45, 50-135, gorillapod, metz 54 flash, 100 gb hdd for back-up....
i think i need a tele zoom like 70-300????? or??
any advice (not only equipment) would be very appreciated...
many thanks
halil

alohadave · 06-30-2008, 06:31 AM

Where are you going? That will help with recommendations.

If you'll be doing any night shots (and you should, Sydney and Melbourne both have great night opportunities), a lightweight tripod would be useful.

*Wombat* · 06-30-2008, 06:32 AM

Originally Posted by hll

i am sure some suggestions from Australian folks will be very helpful for me...
i have k10d, 16-45, 50-135, gorillapod, metz 54 flash, 100 gb hdd for back-up....
i think i need a tele zoom like 70-300????? or??
any advice (not only equipment) would be very appreciated...
many thanks
halil

Er, what do you want to do, mate? Where are you going, what would you be likely to photograph? Australia is a vast country with a very wide range of exciting and beautiful things to shoot. It also has a huge spread of climates, from sub-tropical to arid desert and everything in between. Depending where you go at this time of year you could encounter humid heat, freezing cold, dust like you've never dreamed of, lots of rain, lots of sea spray as well as sublimely perfect weather. This will all give your camera gear a hard time, so above all make sure you have a good, weather-proof bag and a lens/sensor cleaning kit. Pack a small cloth bag that you can use to protect your gear when you're changing lenses if you encounter dust, which can be so fine it runs like water and seeps into everything.
You probably will want a tele-zoom of some sort to capture the abundant wildlife if you're heading to the Outback (and I certainly recommend you do). Speaking of the Outback, outside the major cities be prepared for lots of emptiness, especially in the central and western states, but in Queensland and New South Wales as well. Paradoxically, the empty parts often have the best places for photography. Whatever you do, if you go to the Outback, don't wander off on your own to take photos. You can get lost in the blink of an eye. Always have someone with you who knows the area. Note that if you have particular dietary needs such as hallal or vegetarian it can be hard to find in the small country towns. But don't let that put you off - the country towns can be fascinating and filled with interesting and wonderful people and crumbling buildings which speak of past struggles with a challenging continent. You'll get some excellent photographic opportunities.
Aussies are friendly, generous, straight-talking and practical people. You'll be made welcome. Gallipoli is very big here and there's a lot of warmth and respect for Turkish people.

Enjoy yourself, mate. Learn to say "No worries" and you'll be fine. Now I'll leave it to some of my compatriots to add their 2 cents' worth.

Fritzvds · 06-30-2008, 07:17 AM

Hey Hll,
Its good to see more people comine ovr to spend there holidays over in our great country.
I think the kit you have would probably be enough if you want to travel light. The 16-45 would probably be my choice in the aussie out back. Like wombat said there is a lot of emtyness in the outback so you need a wide lens to capture it.
5 years ago I travelled from my home state of Western Oz through to South Oz, Victoria, Tasmania and the Northern Territory and probably my most used lens was a 24mm. That was on film so was relatively wide. Out of the places I could recomend they would be, the Red Centre NT, and the Pilbara in Western Australia. Both are awesome.

What ever you decide, I hope you have a fabulous holiday in my backyard!!!

cupic · 06-30-2008, 07:40 AM

The key questions would be

When?
Where? east side west side central australia(Australia's bigger in area than US)

Are you spending it in one destination

3 weeks you'll need 3 months at a minimum

Have fun sunblock you whole face( and watch out for the honey eater badger you know they rip off your testicles:Clarkson said it and its funny)

cheers

KjetilH · 06-30-2008, 08:02 AM

Maybe a polarizer filter?

lithos · 06-30-2008, 09:54 AM

[i]

Excellent advice, everyone. The first rule of travelling to Australia is to make it past the bloody Great Divide.

Get out of the big cities - Melbourne, Sydney - and into the bush! My hometown, Bingara, is beautiful. About 1500 people. Cypress pine and eucalypt, raw red earth. The odd bigibilla and roos. Maybe a platypus, if you're lucky. Stay aware from them. They're cute, but they're also one of the few cute, furry mammals that have a venomous spike. According to one Vietnam vet, their sting hurts more than shrapnel.

Which is a good reason to get a long lens - 70-300, like you mentioned - and a decent tripod. A gorillapod won't hold a K10D with a long lens. Get a decent tripod.

Stay away from anyone called Milat.

If you meet up with some other tourists who say they've got a hire car and want to drive out to Uluru (or, to call it by it's politically incorrect name, Ayer's Rock) for a day, just smile and nod. That's what we call natural selection.

Australia is BIG. And sparsely populated. 80% of the population live within 200km of the coastline. Inside is beautiful, and not a McDonald's or a bloody Krispy Kreme in sight. But by god is it beautiful.

Probably should warn you, though, that Steve Irwin is not a great role model for bushwalking. We've got the top 19 of the world's venomous snakes. And spiders, crocs and sharks. Wear long pants, take plenty of water, and tell someone where you're going and when you'll most likely be back.

It's winter, too, down here. While we're famous for being hot, it does get pretty cold, too. Someone from Turkey'll probably find it very cold.

Internet access is pretty poor, out in the rural areas, due to the shortsightedness of a so-called communications in the last government (who literally said that the only reason Korea has fast internet is because they're all using it to download porn.)

But I digress. Places you should see:

* New England. Armidale is beautiful, just get inside before 5pm. My hometown Bingara is (almost) a real Aussie small town, those there is a lack of indigenous people due to some disturbing carnage back in the 19th century. The Gwydir River that runs through Bingara is beautiful, and you might spot the odd platypus. We had a few rare bigibillas (echidnas) on our old property, too. Rough stands of eucalypt and tea trees line the banks. In the hills, there're kangaroos and flocks of galahs, sulphur-crest cockatoos, and topknot pigeons (the dumbest birds in the world.)

* The NSW North Coast is some of the most beautiful coastline in the world - wide green rolling hills, spilling out to the soft blue-grey waters of the Pacific. Murwillimbah is beautiful subtropical rainforest, out around Byron Bay is soft sand and those hills. Byron's fulla hippies, though. Take a stick to beat them back.

Places to avoid:

* Major cities. Face it, most of them, including Brisbane, are composed of knockoffs of London, New York or Milan or Paris. Not a lot that's unique.

* Anywhere with restaurants with menus that only give prices to the one decimal place - "7.5" instead of "7.50." Well, there's no good reason other than that really bugs me.

We're a very friendly bunch. Our culture's a million different pieces of culture from around the world, built up of underdogs and rejected people from around the world. Even out in the bush, someone'll probably know a Turk, and that Turk would've been a pretty good bloke. If not, they'll be willing to give you a go.

And if you are in Brisbane, give us a Private Message.

dosdan · 06-30-2008, 04:29 PM

What is the primary reason for your visit? Visiting Australia's a bit of a stretch for a EU citizen. You have so many other destinations so close compared to getting here.

Maxington · 06-30-2008, 09:10 PM

Originally Posted by lithos

[i]
Get out of the big cities - Melbourne, Sydney - and into the bush!

This is the best advice you'll hear. If you come to Australia and only tour the capital cities, you may as well not have left your own country. All the capitals are just the same western-style city crap.

Make sure you get to the north end of the country, its completely different to the south.

And make sure you don't travel alone, some place if your car breaks down, you are a thousand kilometres from help.

NicholasN · 06-30-2008, 09:56 PM

Definately don't blow all your time in the cities.

Hit the road and explore the country.

Get up into the mountains (Great Dividing Range), go and see the real Australia - which means finding that red dirt the outback is renowned for.

Try and get to Cairns or Far North Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef.

Don't go home with regrets that you missed something special.

Definately take a polarizing filter and a 70-300 lens they will come in very handy.

hll · 07-01-2008, 05:13 AM

Originally Posted by dosdan

What is the primary reason for your visit? Visiting Australia's a bit of a stretch for a EU citizen. You have so many other destinations so close compared to getting here.

you are right but i already have seen some countries close to Turkey, but all of them were European countries. holland, italy, belgium, germany, cyprus, france...
anyway it is not the reason why i will visit Australia.

this time i am not going with my peers, i will be with my family....

one of my fahter's best friend moved to Australia many years ago. it is my father's turn to visit him. and i will be the one who benefit from this visit....

my first destination would be near to Sydney and after it i had no idea where to visit. (Now i have thanks to you)
i totally agree with you about leaving the big cities.
i have already a polarizer and will buy a tele. (maybe from Australia)
i am grateful to you all and
waiting for more suggestions...

btw, i like shooting portraits more than shooting landscapes....
i hope i can take some

many thanks
halil

lithos · 07-01-2008, 09:11 AM

Don't buy a tele here - our gear is notoriously expensive. Our dollar's up to about 90 US cents, yet gear still costs more than in the States. For example, the prices I get quoted for the FA 50 f1.4 is AU$450.

*Bramela* · 07-01-2008, 02:16 PM

I agree with all the foregoing advice, well put by true Aussies!
I f you are going to be based in Sydney, andperhaps your travel time is not as free as you would like, (3 weeks isnt that long after all) at least get up into the Blue Mountains and out west of there a way. Enjoy the beautiful country Aus has to offer, its diverse, its rugged and and it is beautifully perfect for the keen photographer.
I suggest lens which has a reach to 300 would be extremely useful, otherwise what you have there in lenses is not too lacking.
Enjoy Australia and a warm welcome.

*Ash* · 07-01-2008, 03:10 PM

Halil,
You'll have a great time.
3 weeks is OK but there's a lot to see in this vast land. If you have the opportunity, spend at least a few days in Queensland. Apart from the tourist spots of Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, which are really nice places to visit, there are an endless supply of iconic rural towns not so far away from Brisbane.

If you're considering coming these sides, don't hesitate to let us know!

hll · 07-02-2008, 04:54 AM

i really don't know how to thank you!!!
btw, i won't buy 70-300 from Australia, prices are not cheap i think

again, many thanks
halil