I barely remember what I just did. I forget what comes next. I live only now. Existing, living, breathing in the very moment in the prehistoric ancient environment of the Kimberley is an addictive feeling. My head is still spinning wildly; filled with two weeks of fantastic fun with fantastic people in amazing epic locations in the Kimberley on board the world’s best ship – True North. The image on the right of True North at King Georg Falls tells the tale of the locations we visit better than my words. What follows is just a few fragmented images and memories.
A record wet season promised epic waterfall and storm clouds and the Kimberley delivered. The rivers, creeks and gorges of northern Kimberley were pumping with a primeval force inspiring awe. Everywhere was as green and lush as a jungle cruise in Borneo. Incredible cloud systems came and went as if parading on a cloud catwalk. The untouched environment of the Kimberley makes you feel as if one travelled back in time to the Cretaceous period and a Tyrannosaurus Rex is lurking just around the corner. If my time machine would work, I would add indigenous people to these landscapes and complete them as I did miss doing portraits.
Living now. Something about being on True North enables a state of being that is purely enjoying the present. Experiences come fast and rich and I doubt I have ever let myself have that much fun living mostly in the present, unable to remember yesterday, not having a clue about tomorrow. Life is reduced to choices like; are we going on a photo trek? do I wish to go fishing? perhaps join the rock art bush walk? helicopter ride? Which dress do I wear for party night?
Firsts. The feeling of a first is something I seem to chase lately and Kimberley provided more fuel. I swam under a waterfall. I jumped into a pool in a cave from a height of 3-4 meters. I left the camera alone for two days and got very hooked on fishing (thanks to Greg, Maria, Ken and Jeanne), learned lure casting and caught my first barramundi. I wore a dress, gloves, pashmina and full facial makeup (thanks Rebecca!) going all woman at dress-up party night! It was awesome fun and I dare anyone to have the guts to do the same. I was going for a David Bowie Ziggy Stardust look but the wardrobe choices dictated a Grace Kelly approach. I also freaked Mark and Dave a bit which added greatly to the fun. There is an image somewhere of Mark and me dancing which is just too odd to show!
Thanks and foremost to my good friend True North Mark, and to fellow musketeer and member of Epicness Incorporated; David Bettini. Thanks to Captain Brad and crew, as always, everyone onboard was just brilliant and such fun and a pleasure to be around. Special thanks to friends Greg, Maria, Ken, Jeanne who brought me into fishing group and taught me the skills. True North is an adventure like nothing else, highly recommended.
Kimberley Photo tales
A few very quickly developed images from a great two weeks of shooting. I experimented a lot with my work and I also managed to capture video and timelapse. I shall soon be uploading my 6 minute video I presented the last night on the ship.
Dave and Mark deep freezing their feet after a hard day at the office at Eagle Creek Falls. Look at the boys, so happy:
The main office of Epicness Incorporated at King Georg Falls. Yes, I am looking a bit worse for wear and still wearing some makeup as this is the day after Party Night and the eyeliner was hard to get off at 6am! Climbing up to this point (and down again) from river level early morning after party night is a good way to get the blood going, sweat out the hangover.
More to come.
31 Comments on “Kimberley Tales”
Albert,
Looks like a great trip, but who's bag is that in the photo mate… You had better tell me there is some of the better brand somewhere mate, or we need to talk…..
Rod
Stop calling me Albert and I might just email you a nice photo of the amazing F-Stop bag (which performed so well in the Kimberleys, blog post about that soon mate)
Great post mate… I will read it with interest as time permits….off to do another photo shoot now!
Amazing shots Flemming, they are just unreal. Looks stunning.
Thank you much Andrea.
your work is so amazing…
Thank you, welcome to the blog.
Sounds like you guys had an epic trip, looking forward to seeing some more great images!
Indeed it was epic, we even founded Epicness Incorporated. The sister company is called Awesomeness Incorporated. Awesome.
many great fun times by the sounds of it Flem. good to see you managed to get such a unique year to experience it. bit scared and woried about the party pic too, but you're having fun which is the main thing. takes more guts to take the piss outa yourself then anyone else lol
love the king gorge falls pics, and probably the candid shot with you in it too is actually right up along side for me. tells a good story, puts us right there. can't half tell you're having the time of your life hey! 😀
Cheers Stephen. Scared and worried? Sorry, don't get that at all. I intend to keep rocking the boat, metrosexual european style.
Yep indeed a good story mate and Rodney that is my bag as I have not been lucky enough to acquire a ripstop yet! 🙂
Cheers big buddy, fellow Epicness explorer. Rip-stop bags rock 🙂
Cross-dressing and makeup? Must have been a wild party!
Great images as always!
Thank you Zane and you should see some of the other costumes, mine was actually quite stylish and subdued!
Mark,
You had your chance mate.. all you had to do was get me on the boat.. LOL
Rodney
I think that trade would have been somewhat imbalanced mate!:)
Lovely post, and lovely images. And what a lovely boy, I knew you had a woman inside 🙂
Gert.
Thanks and don't we all, don't we all.
Nice shots Flemming, look forward too some more.
Looks like there is almost too much water at King George falls, takes a bit of the color away. Great too see it roaring though.
Cheers Merv my mate, you are right that the water threatens to overpower the frame leaving big chunky holes of just white. I think it works at King Georg, but Mitchell falls had way too much water. Video shows off the waterfall much better, video coming right up.
Oooh la la, tres chic ma chere! Now where are the rest of these photos?!
Which photos mate, party or Kimberley? 🙂 Kimberley video coming right up.
I watched your Kimberley video after I read this post. It's gorgeous *wistful sigh* Loving all the timelapse work you've been doing. Oh and the last bit too 😀
As for photos – of the party night of course! We need to see Bo Kelly in action! (Plus, you know, a proper one of you in a dress 😉
There's many golden images of me in the dress. I have only the one though so it'll have to wait till I get some of others'. Glad you like the video. Last bit went down well 🙂 There was a nice timelapse at Hunter River I screwed up by walking into the tripod (it was quite early).
Dave and Mark are cooling their swollen feet in icy buckets of water (I did the same, water was roughly minus 273 degrees) after a lot of rock climbing.
Oh and, why did David and Mark have their feet in pails again?
Hey Flemming great images from what seems to be have been the ultimate Kimberely experience. Stunning images cheers Adrian
Thanks very much Adrian!
Great images as usual FBJ. You are freaking me out with the tranny look though – too convincing for my liking. Get yourself an army shirt, rip the sleeves off and get back on track! Look forward to the video when I can watch it on a faster machine at home tonight. Glad you made it back safe and sound, if a little fishy 🙂
Nothing like a European androgynous metrosexual to scare a bunch of Aussies! Loving it. I think you'd like the video, no dresses at all in there 🙂
Amazing images. You have captured the beauty of the Kimberley so well. I loved the video, too. I spent a couple of weeks camping across the Kimberley a few years ago, but it was August, so there was not nearly as much water in the falls. But it was still intoxicatingly beautiful, and it remains on of my favorite Australian excursions. We did have the opportunity to take a helicopter flight along the coast, so some of those images are familiar, but they all resonate. Simply gorgeous photos of a remarkable place.