Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON
Mate, you ain't driven in the Outback unless you've driven the Nullarbor, the barren highway that cuts across this dry continent from east to west. There is nothing longer in this country, so I guess this was the perfect way to illustrate the "Long" theme for this week. The highway is straight as a die and its greatest beauty is its amazing starkness. It's called the Nullarbor because it comes from the Latin "null" and "arbor" - meaning no trees.
You think I'm kidding? Look carefully at this photograph. There's not a tree to be seen. Look left, right. Come and stand where I took this shot. Look in front of you, look behind you. Swivel 360 degrees. Ain't nuffin'. Just brown desert scrub, as far as the eye can see. Nothing higher than a man's calf muscles. This sun-bleached stretch of barren land is as dry as a bushman's wit.
The sign says "Nullarbor Plain. Western end of treeless plain". Examine the image carefully and you'll see that the sign itself is the only thing that casts a shadow in this entire vista. I was also capitvated by the seemingly endless concrete ribbon of highway and the amazing sky that spans everything from light blue to azure.
In the past week, quite a few bloggers have told me they can't get serious about photography because their cameras aren't good enough. Folks, you can take a decent shot with just about any camera. This was taken with a little point-and-shoot Ricoh. Just take out those cameras and post your pictures. If you have problems, let me know and I'll try and help you. But follow the Nike slogan and just do it. You'll never regret it.
