Outback Australia’s constant battle with drought. A lifeless landscape with the remnants of what was once the dog fence built to protect sheep grazing country from the ravages of wild dogs.

The breaking of the drought. Thunderstorms on Mt. Deception, Outback South Australia.                                                             ©Copyright Peter MacDonald. All Rights Reserved

Although the pictures posted on the Sentimental Bloke website have always been randomly selected there has always been an underlying theme.

For more than a decade I have been recording the ever changing cycles of nature.  These cycles have included drought, flood, dust storms, good weather and bad, the four seasons, the flora, the wildlife and lots more.

Salt patterns with water stained pink by algae on Lake Eyre. ©Copyright Peter Macdonald. All Rights Reserved.

Perhaps the biggest cycle of nature that I have followed is the flooding of the salt lakes in South Australia’s outback.

Watching this epic phenomenon unfold brought with it a realisation there is true natural art occurring almost everywhere, the trick being to see it.

The Sentimental Bloke is now on Instagram with the intention of focusing on the these natural events in a more orderly fashion and to showcase a truly amazing part of the world to an international audience.

Follow on Instagram –  @thesentimentalbloke

I took this photograph at the height of the last drought.

It is of Arkaroola in the northern Flinders Ranges with Dinnertime Hill on the left and Mt Oliphant on the right.

It doesn’t look anything like this at the moment.

The regeneration of bushes, trees and all sorts of smaller plant life has been an explosion since the breaking of the drought.

However back in 2008 when this shot was taken, conditions were pretty terrible – so much so that the two mountains and much of the surrounding countryside had lost their vegetation cover.

The bare bones of this rugged terrain are totally exposed.