How to empty out a reservoir ... Mount Bold, Clarendon and the river

How do you empty out a reservoir? This is the challenge at Mount Bold right now, where the dam is due for a major "safety" upgrade. It must be couple of years ago when Dave and I were there, and a knot of guys in hardhats were clustered in a bunch, talking in undertones and looking ... concerned. About that time, SA Water lowered the level in the reservoir, took it waaaay down, and now -- well, this, from the SA Water website:

"Mount Bold Reservoir Reserve will be temporarily closed to visitors from Monday 4 May for around three to four weeks, while we use heavy equipment and machinery on site, as part of early investigative works for a dam safety upgrade.

The water level at Mount Bold has been lowered to enable this part of the project to be undertaken, and there will be an opportunity for the public to view a near empty reservoir from usual access areas, following the completion of the works."

Cool. But how do you empty out the reservoir, down to zero, without flooding something or someone? The answer --

Carefully! You work out what the river can carry at one time, open the spills juuust enough ... and the result is a full river (which you very seldom see), and some picturesque views. Make the most of it ... soon enough, the river will be back to reed beds and levels so low, it can be more like a chain of unconnected ponds.

We'd heard the news, and went to Riverbend Park, behind Clarendon, on Tuesday, to take a look...

...and yes, I'm loving the Lumix camera. It's not just that it's s light and easy to carry in (and use with) one hand, but it also captures excellent images. 20MP is a godsend. 

Santa Goes Bush and Gets Blitzed, Aussie Style

"Santa goes bush" ... or, "Santa Spotting" ... or, "Father Christmas takes a long overdue holiday in the antipodes, and rather overdoes things" ... or, "We seem to have been invaded by Saint Nick Clones, they've been spotted everywhere, doing -- well, everything you can do in the Clarendon - Kangarilla area in late December!" To put this into context:

IT IS THE MIDDLE OF SUMMER. SEE?

...which makes it all the more delicious when Aussies decide to make the Silly Season just a little sillier than it usually is. Santa has been caught driving tractors, fishing, climbing ladders, impersonating Elvis (not elves...), sitting in trees, riding bikes, getting caught in hay bales, taking a pit stop, getting blitzed and passing out on the roadside. Uh huh.

There are hundreds of these Santas all over the place between Clarendon and Kangarilla. Dave and I took a drive and a photographed a FEW. Here are some of what I think are the best. It was a lot of fun -- I hope the residents of the area do it again next year, as they did last!

...and after all of the above, we're not the slightest bit surprised to find Santa blitzed, having performed the proverbial face-plant on the roadside ... albeit with the assistance of a box of something red from Berri Estates. Ahem. [Nudge, wink]

It looks like being a lovely Christmas, weather-wise. Not to hot, and not stormy -- which can happen when the weather breaks in mid-summer: crash, boom, thunder and humidity. Dave, Mike and I are all set for the three day break from reality, though it's going to be somewhat strange this year: the first Christmas without Mom. I'm sure she'll be here in spirit. And I'm sure she'd have enjoy the "Santa Spotting." 

Let me close with a few more landscapes from the Clarendon - Kangarilla area, to put this bit of seasonal silliness into context. Yes, vineyards in full green, hills burned brown (camera misbehaving like a [insert favorite expletive] the whole time...!) and -- well, I'll just shush-up now and let the pictures speak for themselves: