This weeks weekend wanderings was hard to name. After being to a few places I didn’t know what to call it. There and back again came to mind, then again from one place to another, but in the end settled on from here to there, which pretty much described the day. I went out with a friend and first we went to a waterfall, then to a viaduct railway bridge and finally to an old railway bridge that is no longer used. None of the places were new to use, but they were all so different to previous visits.
Turpins Falls
I’ve been to this waterfall many times. I’ve been when I thought the flow was good, then again a few months back when it was terrible. We have had a lot of rain recently so when Chris Wilson suggested going there it seemed like a good idea. We weren’t disappointed with the flow, that’s for sure.
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It was disappointing with the sun beating down on it directly. Though the weather turned almost straight away after we left, maybe we should have hung around for another half an hour.
Malmsbury
The last time Chris and I had been there it was a beautiful winters day. The sun was shining and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, unfortunately. We had both wanted to find the viaduct railway bridge and do some long exposures, but with no clouds, there was no point. It was a bit disappointing, still we did get some nice photos of the bridge reflected in the water.
This time as we got closer to Malmsbury the clouds rolled in and kept rolling in. There were so many clouds and it was so overcast that long exposures were out of the question again. If the sky is full of clouds and not much blue long exposures can look just white, almost pointless. I did try a couple, but they really didn’t work. Still the clouds were great and I enjoyed the moodiness they created in the images.
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After the bridge we went into the park there. There were some geese running around there. I do love geese. I think they are great fun. I tried to get photos and wanted to see how close they would let me get.
After the park we went to the bakery and had a quick lunch before heading to our next stop.
Cairn Curran Reservoir
The last place we went to was the Cairn Curran Reservoir near Newstead. We went there last year and visited this old disused railway bridge, that most of last century was under water. When we went that time the area around it was all mud and we couldn’t get close the river or we sank in the mud.
This time we had thought it would be much the same, but were shocked to find that it was completely overgrown with vegetation and we could get very close to the river. The ground was hard enough to walk on.
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The photos were so different to last time.
Revisiting
It is amazing how much a place can change from year to year. It is always worth going back to see what has changed and what photographs you can get. In all three places we got something completely different to previous visits. I hope you go back to previous places to see how much they have changed.
Leanne, you’ve really captured atmosphere in these images. The clouds, the colors, the mood … wonderful!
Thank you LB, that is great to hear.
Wow. That Cairn Curran shot at the top of your post is stunning. The sky in the background, the moodiness of the place. Gorgeous.
Thank you Patti, it was very much like that and as we left the rain came, so timing was perfect.
Hi Leanne The viaduct at Cairn Curran I think was a line going from Maryborough .just a bit of information the Park at Malmsbury had swans there once on the island in the middle of the lake but some local teenagers terrorised and stole there eggs and broke them so the Male swan was removed as the community said he was savage. The viaduct was meant to go to another station and they mixed it up The Bakery where you had lunch was a derelict ice-cream shop and a stable It. was restored by Mrs J Grant. The falls are that colour because they are bottomless so the story goes Both Ron and I can show you some more lovely places up that way and tell you some history of the area.
I don’t know Lynne where it went. They have rebuilt another one near by and it is much higher, so would go over the top of the water I suppose. I don’t think we were ever meant to see the other one again, but the bad water conditions have make it possible, there is a house there on the other side too that is now dry again. The waterfall was interesting, very blue at the bottom when looking at it, but greeny brown at the top. We just thought it was the blue sky reflecting off it. I don’t know much about them really. Thanks Lynne, some interesting tid bids there.
I loved your fourth shot of Turpins Falls- the landscape looks fascinating- I love the knuckles of rock crumbling down from the seemingly endless expanse of rolling hills scrabbling beyond, dappled with sharp scraggly vegetation- rather other-worldly, to me. I would love to explore this place. The closest I have come to a water-fall here in Florida, USA, is inside a giant sinkhole, watching the torrents of rain spurt through the crags and cavities in the moss-bearded, acid-eaten limestone walls surrounding me.
I really loved your fourth image of Malmsbury, absolutely striking with those fantastic clouds. And the pious geese are splendid. I frequently visit a similar gaggle of geese at one of the little city parks, here. Very charming and funny animals, though they terrify much of the rest of the unassuming public with their antics. Sometimes, the two that I am closest to, will let me stroke their necks. One sat in my lap once for a few seconds. Er…I just realised that I may be spending a bit TOO much time at that park…Anyway, I just love the images of the geese. How close were you able to get?
Cairn Curran Reservoir seems like an absolutely fascinating place! WOW. And the NAME. Love it. Beautiful shots.
Smiling cheers,
Autumn Jade
They are all fascinating places, I think, anyway 😀 I love going up there and seeing what I can get, it is always different. I love geese so much fun, and so big. Sounds like you have some nice relationships with some as well.
Thanks again.
Glad that you have put a link on your old blog! I think that viaducts are amazing feat of engineering but they are so difficult to photograph and do them justice – aren’t they. Just love the waterfall.
Glad you found me Diana, the link is working which is good. I love them too, they are incredible. Yes, very hard, you really need the right conditions. Thank you.
Great pics Leanne. I always enjoy Malmsbury and the Turpin Falls are wonderful ..
Thanks Julie, it is a great area.
The Cain Curran railway bridge is so sturdy looking compared to the ones in our area. That area fascinates me. Most of the older ones are wooden. They either burn or get ruined in floods. Even concrete bridges don’t hold up against the mighty Kaweah River when it floods. The railway picture I have as my Google+ header is completely charred now. 🙂 Hope you had a great weekend, and have a great week coming up! 🙂
We lose bridges in floods too Marsha, but these ones are very sturdy, though we might get the same sort of floods, they usually aren’t violent. Most of our wooden bridges have been replaced by concrete ones now. Still a few around though. Thanks Marsha. 😀
In Oregon we lived in a little town that had two covered bridges! I think they are still there. They’re famous now. 🙂
Those covered bridges are so amazing, but I can never work out why they are covered, do you know Marsha?
It rains a great deal in Oregon 40 inches or so in the winter months where we lived in Cottage Grove. I’m sure that in the 1800s many people took refuge under the bridge during a stormy ride home in their buggies or on horseback. That’s only a guess, though.
Actually that makes perfect sense, I hadn’t thought of that, so I think you might be right. I wouldn’t have even thought of that, we don’t get anything like that here, so we have no covered bridges.
Your structures seem much more permanent and grand than most of ours – like they were made to last for a while, whereas many of ours were built in a hurry to fulfil an immediate need. If they turned out to be pretty – like covered bridges, they are maintained. 🙂
Some of them are, but a lot are done on the cheap too. I think it depends on when it was built and why. If they are old, then yes, very strong, but if they are new only if they are there to impress.
The test of time will tell for sure.
It will.
Now we have an incentive to live another 30-40 years. 😀😀😀
Yep, that’s for sure.
The bridge that is no longer there looks amazingly like the footings to old Roman aquaducts which are also no longer there. I don’t suppose those support will last quite as long.
They are pretty solid, so who knows, but I suspect not, though they look pretty good for being underwater for about 100 years. Thanks Marilyn.
Hi Leanne I don’t remember seeing the “Viaduct at Cairn Curran. I have seen it full and totally empty in our time in Malmsbury. I have also seen other water storages empty at times. Makes for hard times for those relying on them. Nice photos all the same. Did you chat to those geese getting them all standing on one leg? An old friend of ours managed to photograph the Malmsbury viaduct with a R class steam train crossing the bridge. Wish I could have had that photo on my wall. Nice that you caught the train in one of your photos too. Lots of stories to tell but another time. Great Falls shots too Well done.
You may not have see it because it may have been underwater Ron, I don’t know how long it has been since you were there but it has only recently been uncovered from when the dam when down. That photograph your friend got, I would have liked too, haha. Thank you Ron.
We were there from 1988 to early 1995. There is probably a lot of places I didn’t see but looking forward to going back soon.
I think the bridge struts, or whatever they are called have only become visible since the last drought, so from the early 2000’s which is probably why you wouldn’t have seen them if you had gone there. We were just exploring the area, the dead trees were interesting, and we found it then last year. It was very muddy then, and nothing was growing, so I suspect the water had only recently gone. Not like this time when it was solid to walk on and was very overgrown.
I especially like Cairn reservoir. Moody.
It amazing there, love going there. Thanks Sherry.
Beautiful Leanne! I love the mood of the overcast days. I haven’t seen that part of Oz – yet 🙂
Thank you, I love overcast days as well. It is a good part, you will have to put it on the list. 😉
I love the photos. Winter is so much better for photos. I find myself missing it! I should visit you in winter, but it will be fall.
The color of the water at the base of the falls is stunning, like a navy blue. I’ve never seen water quite that color before. The smooth version is of course very special.
I love the viaduct. Very dramatic with the clouds. (That’s true about long exposure). I love the one with the pillars marching away and that line of trees with the little opening in it in the distance.
Thank you Nicci, it is, I love taking photos in winter. You miss it because you are too busy skiing, lol The best time to come is May June, end of Autumn and into winter.
It was weird the colour of the water, from ground level it was blue, I think because the sky was so blue too, but from the top it was green.
The viaduct was amazing, I am going to have to keep going back there I think. I like that too. Thanks again Nicci.
Thanks for sharing this excursion. Although I’ve lived in Australia for 28 years, I know so little of the countryside. You can bet I will be including these location this year. Nice work again, Lianne.
You’re welcome Don, I suspect I will be helping you to see some of these places very soon. Country Victoria is fantastic, a bit sad, but very interesting. Thank you.
Awesome!
Thanks John.