myday #21 - 114℉ in Australia + A Dusty Vehicle = One Epic Journey - Part Two

I felt like I was the master at the wheel, the captain at the controller. I had previously passed my Heavy Rigid vechile licence so I could drive buses, trucks and the like, so I felt like a highly competent driver in this punishing terrain.

Off the sealed road the gravel tracks were tough with rough corrugations designed to break any car not equipped with four wheel drive and a comforting suspension. My gaze was occassionally drawn to the empty discarded wrecks unable to withstand the scorching Pilbara conditions, my unforgiving engine showed no mercy, propelling me past the silent metal graveyards. The road was long, dusty and the journey to Karijini was becoming tiresome.

My destination felt like it was at the end of a out of control treadmill. I needed to stop and stretch. Fortunately the landscape had changed and the photographer inside of me kicked into gear.

I pulled off the road to disembark in an unused gravel pit. It was situated next to a blacked set of tarnished railway tracks. The red rocky hills around me formed a valley with train tracks meandering through the lower contours. Spinifex, the prickly shrub of the Pilbara was abundant and could be seen as far as the eye could see. Without hesitation I knew I needed a higher vantage point. I had in my mind to capture a sprawling train, filled with rich iron ore, chugging its way through the north of Western Australia.

I started to assend with a camera and a set of filters in hand. My mission was to get to the top.

Fighting my way through loose rock and spiny spinifex I gravitated toward the top, finishing in shadow of the large martian hill. The rocks here were bareable as a place of rest, on the other side they were like a hot pan waiting for a fried egg. I could take my time here and wait for a train to fall into my composition.

Around thirty minutes later the distant rumbled filled the horizon. The locomotion along with it 100 or so carriages were coming into the picture. I had planned the shot and all I needed to do now was complete it.

After the rest stop was over I climbed back into my vechile and continued my outback adventure. Before I knew it I was stopping all over the place like a good hop scotch game with rewards at every mile. The colours of the north intreged my inner artist. Rich blood reds, burnt yellows and flurecent oranges were a delight to my colour blind eyes. The sun had truly influenced the pallet here and it was my turn to be the painter.

Eventually I did arrive at Karijini, my home for the night where exploring its beauty would overcome my memory card with its detail and natural wonder, but don't worry you will get to see and experience this ancient world in part 3…. to be continued…. ;)

All photographs were captured by me.

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I'm Leigh, from Sydney Australia and through @steemit I'm seeing what its like to explore @myday. Not in any particular order, or particular time frame but just parts of @myday through my eyes and sometimes the cameras lens._

If you are interested in reading about myself and my beautiful partner Grace - @photooftheday then have a read of myday #0 where everything is explained. If you enjoyed reading this post I welcome you to upvote this article and follow me. Please drop me a comment as I would love to hear from you!