No Excuses

There really is no excuse for not getting out in the bush in S.E. Queensland when it is just so damn easy. Well, except for maybe the odd hail storm or two that we've had lately.

This past weekend Maree and I decided to head to the J.C. Slaughter Falls picnic area to fit in a quick walk between other engagements. This is part of the Mt Coot-tha Reserve which is maintained by the Brisbane City Council (more information here). We decided to head up Ithaca Creek to try and get away from most of the crowds, so started on the summit track but headed up stream as soon as we hit the creek.

Spikey grass trees along the creek

The creek was fairly clear from debris and had a minor flow despite the heavy rain lately. The rocks were slippery though so take care if you're heading out after rain. Within 10 or 15 minutes you get to the base of J.C. Slaughter Falls. The falls themselves aren't the most impressive but still provide a nice spot to have morning tea at their top. This can be easily reached from the base by a small scramble.

J.C. Slaughter Falls

This little walk was also a test for a Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 lens that I picked up last week to compare to the Pentax equivalent. The Tamron is highly regarded for its sharpness and flare control. Two aspects which are important to me, and if it can do a similar job to the Pentax DA* for a third of the price it's win-win. These are a couple of comparison shots I took. The first is the Tamron, the second is the Pentax. You be the judge.

Tamron Shot

Pentax Shot

We continued on from the falls until we reached our half way time mark and a couple of bends in the creek. After taking a few more photos we headed back the way we'd come. This reserve has plenty to give you your bush fix virtually in the middle of the city and we'll be back to further explore the area.

Ithaca Creek