Photographs of Victorian wind farms:
Wind in the Bush

All the photos on this page were taken using a Canon PowerShot
S2 IS (5MP) digital camera in late March and early April 2008.

This page created 2008/04/17, last edited 2024/04/29



Cape Bridgewater

Cape Bridgewater

Cape Bridgewater Wind Farm

The weather was poor; windy and mostly cloudy and dull.

High dynamic range photography (HDR) improved this photo markedly.

Email daveclarkecb@yahoo.com


Cape Bridgewater

Cape Bridgewater

The beautifully restored stone house is well placed for photographs.

The turbines were not operating, but the wind was causing some movement in the blades as can be seen in the more distant of the two in this high dynamic range photo.


Wonthaggi

3 Turbines

Wonthaggi Wind Farm

This photo was taken in the evening, when the light was getting more interesting.

There is a hill of mine waste that can be reached along West Area Road that gives one of the few opportunities for an elevated point of view in the generally flat land around Wonthaggi.




Toora

Early moring

Toora Wind Farm

Before sunrise

A one-second time exposure produced major blurring in the blades.

Some of the few remaining trees in this area (that once was covered in rain forest) are useful in composing photos of this wind farm.

The off-vertical tower is produced by the perspective; I was looking steeply up at it and using a wide angle setting on my lens. It is technically correct, whether it appeals aesthetically is another matter; I like it.


Early morning

Toora

Another shot before sunrise.

An eighth of a second exposure gives just enough blurring to produce an impression of movement in the blades.

Willson's Promontory in the background.


Sunrise

Toora

The same place as the photo above, but after sunrise

1/400sec 'shutter speed' has frozen the blade movement.




Cows grazing

Toora

Cows grazing beneath a working turbine.

The high dynamic range process - producing a single well balance image from several photos of a very high-contrast scene - has doubled the apparent number of blades on the turbine.

The turbines were producing quite a bit of sound - more than I have noticed at other wind farms - but neither this, nor the movement, bothered the cows.


Strzelecki Ranges

Toora

Toora Wind Farm is nicely placed between Wilson's Promontory and the Strzelecki Ranges (in the background here).

Of the Victorian wind farms I visited in March and April 2008, Toora was, by a big margin, the most photogenic. This was partly due to the weather, but the locality also gives good oportunities.


Silhouette

Toora

A fifth of a second exposure before sunrise silhouetted the turbine and tree against the brighter sky.




Silhouette

Toora

Much of the weather while my wife and I were in Victoria was cold and cloudy. I think the clouds add something to this view.


Silhouette

Toora

The sun was rising over the hill behind the turbine.

1/13sec gives a blur to the rotating blades (and less desirably on the wind-blown grass on the left).


Turbine and Venus

Toora

Venus, the 'Morning Star', was in the sky behind this turbine.




Cows and turbines

Toora

It was good of the cows to stand on the skyline while I got this shot.


Turbines and coast

Toora

Overlooking the coastal plain at sunrise


Waubra

Crane and turbine

Waubra Wind Farm

I was in the Ballarat area for two days. The weather was crap!

There were about 15 turbines erected at Waubra (of the intended 128), but none of them working at the time of my visit.




Challicum Hills

Close-up

Challicum Hills wind farm

There is a sign-posted viewing area on a public road near the Challicum Hills Wind Farm. It is not well placed. Unfortunately it is not possible to get onto the ridge where the turbines are except by crossing privately owned farm land.


Turbines on ridge

Challicum Hills

These turbines are more-or-less spread along the top of a single ridge.

The local people and the people of Ararat, the nearest town to Challicum Hills, are very happy with the wind farm, similarly to the people of Snowtown and Edithburgh in SA with their wind farms.



Challicum from Boroka

Challicum Hills

As seen before sunrise from Boroka Lookout in The Grampians, more than 60km to the west. The turbines are on the skyline.
The turbines of the previous photo can be seen on the prominent hill on the left of this photo.