Traralgon - Gippsland Photo Tours & Workshops
Indulge in your passion. Gippsland is blessed with an abundance of natural beauty. Spend a day or a week developing your passion for photography in a small group where no one will say "hurry up, I've already seen that, let's move on!"
Darryl Whitaker from Gippsland Photo Tours has 20 years experience photographing Gippsland, he loves being in nature's garden with a camera and a group of enthusiasts. He'll help you to understand your camera, elements of composition, shutter speed, aperture and more.
Locations include: Walhalla, Tarra Bulga National Park, Port Albert, Gippsland's High Country, Gippsland Lakes, Buchan Caves and Wilson's Promontory.
Darryl has also produced the 'Gippsland - A Photographers Guide' featuring 112 pages of beautiful images of Gippsland. Available now at Gippsland bookstores.
Day Tours
Tarra Bulga & Port AlbertExperience the beautiful Tarra Bulga National Park and historical Port Albert, Gippsland's first port.
The rainforest is always a pleasure to photograph, even when it's raining or shrouded in fog. The Tarra Bulga and Tarra Valley parks are unique and I never get tired of strolling around here with a camera. If you have a liking for macro photography you will be in seventh heaven, even if you don't have a macro lens in your kit you'll still have no trouble filling a memory card or two during this tour. Your tripod will be a great help as the light can be quite low on the floor of the forest and your polarizing filter will be your best friend.
The day also includes a visit to the Mt Tassie Lookout with its 180 degree views of the Latrobe Valley. When the valley is blanketed in fog it makes a stunning panorama.
Port Albert is a quaint fishing village with heaps of character.
Pick up from Traralgon 9.00am return 5.00pm
Walhalla
If you like photographing history, then this is the tour for you. Walhalla has a stunning heritage, as one of the major gold producers in Victoria. Walhalla has managed to retain a lot of its original character and charm, it's just there waiting for you to come and take a shot...
The cemetery is perched on the side of a hill, (just like the rest of Walhalla) it makes for great shots, minimal depth of field works really well here. Time to get that aperture wide open.
The famous Goldfield's Railway train runs on Wednesday, Saturday and Sundays. It makes for stunning images as it crosses over the Thomson River. A ride on the train is great fun and leaning out of the windows to get THAT SHOT is always a joy. Bring as many lenses as you can, wide, zoom, macro, you'll want them all.
We can break for lunch at one of the local cafes; the pies at the 'Grey Horse' are a treat! In the afternoon mine tour make sure you take your tripod, flash is optional as the available light in the mine is pretty good as long as you have your tripod.
If time permits and the river is not too high we can do some 4 wheel driving on the way back and head through Brunton's Bridge or to Horseshoe Bend Tunnel.
Our early pioneers diverted the Thomson River to access gold.
Pick up from Traralgon 9.00am return 5.00pm
Gippsland High Country
The trip up to the high country through Licola offers more than you might expect. As you travel past Licola the scenery changes markedly. The soil turns a vivid red and the red rocks along the MacAlister and Wellington rivers make for great landscape vistas.
The unique reptile, the Gippsland Water Dragon, is common along the rivers here as are of course kangaroos and even magnificent majestic eagles. The views become spectacular as we head up to the high plains, once we rise above the sub alpine region we're greeted with clear mountain streams, expansive grass plains, gorgeous billabongs, snow gums and iconic Cattleman's Huts.
'The Pinnacles' is a fire watch tower with spectacular 360 degree views. The short walk up the rugged path to the tower is well worth the effort. On a clear day this is a great panorama. Bring as many lenses as you can, wide, zoom, macro, you'll want them all.
Bring a packed lunch as there are no shops in this part of the high country, we are 'away from it all'. Also best be prepared for any weather, from warm and sunny to wet and foggy, as it can all happen quite quickly.
Pick up from Traralgon 8.30am return 5.30pm
Weekend Tours
Gippsland Lakes & Buchan CavesArrive at Paynesville at your leisure on Friday night. We stay in waterfront cabins and everyone gets their own room. Saturday is spent on the water motoring around the Gippsland Lakes visiting Bunga Arm, Metung and Nicholson.
Sunday we drive to Buchan Caves where we have special permission to tour through the caves without the general public. We are allowed to take tripods and spend 9o minutes in the caves, giving us plenty of time to stop and take photos.
Level of fitness required is minimal, if you can step in and out of a boat - you're in. Meals are not included.
If you have your own group and wish to do this tour during the week, no problems.
Extended Tours
3 Night Gippsland Lakes & Buchan CavesWe start at Paynesville where we spend 2 nights in waterfront cabins and everyone gets their own room.
Day 1 is spent on the water sailing around the Gippsland Lakes visiting Bunga Arm, Sperm Whale Head, Rotomah Island.
Day 2 we drive to Buchan Caves where we have special permission to tour through the caves without the general public. We are allowed to take tripods and spend 9o minutes in the caves, giving us plenty of time to stop and take photos. We spend the night in Lakes Entrance.
Day 3 drive back through Metung and a few hidden treasures.
Meals are not included.
3 Nights Wilsons Promontory
Limited to 4 people. Meals not included.
The Gippsland Grand Tour
7 Days of photography heaven at Walahlla, Gippsland Lakes, Buchan Caves, Cape Conran and Gippsland High Country.
Location
Cnr Whittakers Road and Princes Highway, Traralgon 3844 Map
✆ 0412 145 730
Web Links
→ www.djwtv.com.au/gippslandphototours
