Friday, July 15, 2011

The Mighty FINKE RIVER



The Mighty FINKE RIVER



 Geologists say that this is the oldest river in the world. It is considered a major river of the Red Centre, but is also generally described as “intermittent.” That is, it’s only sometimes a river. The 400-mile-long river rises in the MacDonnell Ranges and winds down through Palm Valley on its way to South Australia to the Simpson dessert.

Link below with more info.



 Finke River Bridge looking north, on this occasion there was a small amount of water laying around after rain.


 Finke River Bridge looking south





Ghan stopped on the Finke Bridge. We always stop the Ghan on the bridge to allow the passengers to take photos from aboard the train. This day the Ghan was almost 1 hour ahead of schedule. So it was a great opportunity for several pictures for me.



On this day we weren’t lucky enough to have one of the red painted Ghan locomotives. My mate was Geoff Nayda. Geoff and I started on the locomotives in 1993 as Trainee Engineman. Hopefully with Geoff dad's permission, I will do a post on Mr Nayda Snr who also was a locomotive driver.



Looking west in the middle of the Finke river. As I stood there I imagined the river completely full and flowing. I wondered to myself what force and power so much water could do. Yet no sooner does this river flood and its dry again, Good ole mother nature.




Finke with water left over.




Finke River looking west from the driver’s seat.


These photos’s where taken by Mr Jim Dawson, Finke was in flood this trip. I haven’t been lucky enough to see this great sight as yet. As I added these photos’s I found myself scrolling backwards and forwards to the opposite photo. My dry river shots and Jimmy’s flood pictures.









Thank you for following and viewing my photos. I hope you enjoy my latest post. I am hoping to use as many photos of my own. But on occasions like this I have used Jimmy’s wonderful photos. If I happen to be lucky enough to see the Finke in flood I will certainly do another post on this magnificent wonder of our great wide land we live in.

1 comment:

  1. Awesome pictures! :) It reminds me a little of the Willochra, which is dry 99% of the time, but then when it does flood it's a raging torrent for a few days and then dries up again.
    ~S.

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