Hunting the Elusive

Welcome to another instalment of my solitary promenades. Over the last few weekends (with the exception of last week, when I was working on Eve no Jikan), I have been stepping out to explore Sydney. More than ever, I am awed by the vast variety of landscapes this city presents. A bit of a journey out from the CBD and you are out of the concrete jungle, and thrust into the middle of nature and history. This time, we gain access to the industrial ruins of Cockatoo Island. [Download: all photos in post]

Cockatoo Island is a short boat ride from the tourist district of Darling Harbour. Currently, part of the Sydney Biennale is being held there, so there is a free boat which goes there every half an hour until September.

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The island was used in various capacities for ship and plane building, as well as being a prison and a correctional facility. It has since been taken over by the government and opened up to tourists. Much work remains to be done to make the island "tourist-friendly", but in the meanwhile, the readily-accessible remnants of industry offer a fascinating aesthetic for those inclined to make the effort to visit.

In Half Life 2, the journey starts on a train. Here, it starts on the boat winding its way to the island.

The first view after passing through the "welcome office" and cafes is this wide strip of concrete which used to be industrial buildings. These have now been scrapped and removed and the government is turning this area into a plaza of sorts. On the far end are the remaining buildings which have been appropriated as a cafe and for the display of art.

Immediately around you are relics, mysterious machines from the industrial era, streaked with the rust of age.

This is the cafe in the industrial building. As you can see, they have converted cable reels into makeshift tables.

A big dock building, with aesthetics somewhat similar to the Finger Wharf, except left in a much rougher condition.

I just really like the lines on the roof.

Walking around, a lot of the machinery has been left intact. Most of the areas are not accessible, but you can still look in and take photos. In the third photo, those sails are part of an artwork for the Biennale.

More machines.

As you can see, the art exhibition has appropriated the industrial space for their purposes, and it does work, by transporting the viewer out of the norm of the gallery space into a rough, rugged and "authentic" atmosphere.

The spaces stand empty, silent. The sounds of heavy machinery are but a distant echo, and it seems altogether impossible now that those big bulks ever moved.

These cubby holes are marked with sizes, used to catalogue parts and screws. The room is almost entirely dark, and there is an entire wall of these, like a square honeycomb, now bereft of their contents.

Two toilet bowls sit side-by-side in a long room. This is not an art display, but it could come close to being a readymade installation.

Emerging from the buildings, once again we face the hulk of machinery, with their booms, cogs and wheels. Seagulls have colonised this place and are everywhere.

Here, art and industrial remnants merge and become indistinguishable.

These ruined toilets are apparently undergoing some sort of controversy. The graffiti which has built up over the years has historical value, providing insight into the minds of people during that time, but at the same time can be very offensive. To clean, or not to clean?

I gained access to a limited art installation (you can only go in during certain times, which is weird). This was in a power station building with a lot of fascinating equipment. Of most interest to me was the row of giant light bulbs lining an upper balcony.

HDR of course brings out the details in these industrial ruins beautifully.

The island itself has two levels. A single inclined road connects the two levels. The second picture was taken on the incline.

These are prison-related buildings such as a guard house and I think a convict's mess.

The guard house has lost its roof, but one can imagine what it would look like with a fire down the far end and guns and coats held on the racks.

There are signs saying not to feed the birds. The seagulls are indeed ferocious, and more so because it's their nesting season. Depending on the bird you approach (most nests are on the ground), they might stay stubbornly on the nest and make a big fuss, or they make a big fuss but move away anyway. Don't touch the eggs or you get attacked.

Tool rooms.

I found this weathered and rusted building quite fascinating. I thought it'd make a good HDR subject.

Went for the sky contrast in the first, and the second is a strange collection of broken bottles lining a short wall.

A silo tank, possibly still in use, and the last photograph I took on the island, a long-lost part of the dock, looking like a monolith. I guess it's like an industrial version of Easter Island, almost.

A panoramic HDR view of what can be seen from the cliff walkway on the second level of the island. Boats and stuff moved, so those ended up being weird.

Note: if you do go to the island, go to the cafe near the wharf and get yourself some mutton shanks. Best stuff ever.

Technica:

HDR for many of the photos again. I brought my tripod this time, and it was a good idea because the interiors of most of the buildings are pretty dim. HDR ends up making the pictures more grainy, but I left the grains for the industrial theme. I know, even shooting with ISO100, the digital noise on the camera is pretty bad (unnoticeable usually until you do HDR). So who wants to buy me a new camera?

Imagine how they would have turned out if I shot using more than ISO100. So I had a tripod and went for the longer exposures -- thus the ghosting which is visible sometimes.

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