What a place...!
If you travel thousands of miles from where I live in Canberra to the staggering beauty of the Kimberly Region in Western Australia this timber was obtained.
So called cause it resembles marbled cut beef. The timber differs in character wherever it grows.
I love it.
Regards Peter.
Hi Peter,
Your work is outstanding and I like the way you introduce/present many of the less known woods from this big country of ours.
Many moons ago, I worked in very deep and remote country in the Kimberly's
half way in the Duncan "highway", a 500+ kilometres long of pure and nasty gravel, sandy, rocky road, which many would call a oversized goat track. Is a interesting road sign at the beginning of that road (pic attached) and like
johncrane said" ...
every bend in the road you turn! there's a postcard photo to "take""
I was apparently the first white man to put foot on a particularly area of a property called Nelson Springs run by one of the old traditional owners son, a property that is so vast that it across the boundary of Northern Territory and Western Australia 7 times at different locations. The boundary fence line run, as many in Australia are familiar with this term, will take a full week (7 days) by 4x4 vehicle to complete.
Anyway, I've seen country and "things" out there that, few people will ever be fortunate to experience, I certainly took pics but, those were the days when we had to rely on film rolls and despite my best efforts to keep the camera and used/unused rolls in a cool environment, that was impossible without any type of refrigeration available and the property house was about 8 hours drive from my camp (working area). Temperatures at that time of the year (October-November) are very high, a temperature gauge I had installed inside (shade) of my working vehicles cab, would show consistently about 50 degrees Celsius at about 1:00 afternoon, there is with all windows open, and no windscreen.
I've seen trees and shrubs I never saw before, did had/have no idea what they were/are but I know that it did make some top firewood for about 5 long weeks of my stay.
Searching on vegetation type growing/living in that country, I have learn that it contain some of the most rare woods found in Australia. Some do not grow anywhere else, most are very dense and hardy woods, as they have to be to survive in such environment, then we have the trees and vegetation that grow/live near water holes and natural springs (few and far in between...!) that are very different in size, shape, canopy and density.
My interest and work had nothing to do with wood (apart from collecting firewood, daily...!), for a great number of years after I arrived in Australia, nor I had the time or need to take much notice so, my memory and pics (some very badly damaged from heat) are the only thing I have from those spectacular places, apart from some scars also.
Beef Wood, is one of many that come up in a search on possible vegetation from that large area, I'm certain that I went pass, drove over, used for firewood many pieces of this wood and many other that I wouldn't mind to have samples of, or access to them, too far now and without the sort of vehicle one would require to reach those places...!
I will try to find some of those old pics (nearly 15 year old) and scan them into digital format so that I can post some here for everyone to see some of what I had under my feet...!:biggrin:
Thanks Peter, for allowing me the opportunity to re-visit my memory lane and some of my old photo albums...!:wink:
Cheers
George
