So I was quite frustrated last week that I didn’t manage to get a decent picture of any wildlife at Joshua Tree. We saw two road runners (ironically running along the road), the first was too quick for me to capture on camera, the second I was able to just get a picture of but unfortunately a little too late, and before I could focus and zoom on it. So the only thing I have to show for all my efforts is this ordinary picture of a Road Runner which you can hardly make out.

My frustrations doubled this morning when I saw a beautiful humming bird in the tree outside my flat. I went to get the camera and by the time I got back….. you guessed it! It dissapeared!

So I decided I would do what any failed wildlife photographer would do, and that was ….Go to the Zoo!

There I managed to catch a few nice shots. The trapped animals make it so much easier, but I still had to learn the virtue of patience

….oh and I got a hummingbird!

Click here to view the gallery…

This weekend, a group of friends/workmates got together at the last minute and scrambled up a weekend plan to camp out at Joshua Tree.

Joshua Tree is a National Park located in the south eastern side of California near Palm Springs.

ok! Whoever can pronounce the name of this road gets a prize! WTF?

I found that sign on my way to the Grand Canyon for the long Labor day weekend. I had originally planned to drive there but it was way too far for the short amount of time I had, so I decided that I would drive to Vegas and take a helicopter out to the Grand Canyon from there! Pretty idea cool idea huh? And yup! it was awesome!!!

So I decided to rent a car and drive up Saturday morning and spend the day/night in Vegas, and then fly out early Sunday morning. I didn’t have Chad with me this time so I behaved myself and just did the basic walk up the strip.

Sunday morning I got picked up by Maverick Helicopters and they took me to the airport where I was given the basic briefing and within half an hour, we were up and away!

The tour first took me up over the Las Vegas strip, then onto Hoover Dam and Lake Mead (the largest man made lake in the western hemisphere). From there we went over to the west rim of the grand canyon.

People are not kidding when they say this is one of the world’s greatest sites and a must see. The crazy thing is I have never seen any photos that truly give it the justice it deserves. The enormality of scale of the grand canyon can’t easily be judged in a photo. It’s just something that you plain need to see for yourself. The flight was absolutely breathtaking. Flying through the middle of these enormous walls of rock has definetly made it as one of the highlights of my life.