- Orphan Valley Model Railway -

Have just returned from spending late December and January in New Zealand. What a stunning place. It's really true.  Apart from taking a heap of scenery photos, I did keep an eye out for interesting scenes and artifacts for modelling inspiration and the family did allow me to stop. Traveled the North and then South Island with the family. Nice placement of iron and timber. Good variety of rust colours and styles North Island Thames Gold mine museum. Trestle Bridge entering Arthurs Pass South Island. Nice railway views. There is a wealth of interesting old time places to visit,with preserved working equipment from milling to mining, and timber appears to be the building choice of most New Zealand premises. Aged timber planking and weathered paint and rust is everywhere. If you have the privilege of visiting New Zealand, I highly recommend doing it by hiring a car and booking into motels using the wotif accommodation site. So easy and the hot showers are what you need to ...

Have been spending Christmas at my in-laws in the Adelaide Hills at Nairne . Have enjoyed traveling around and seeing the lovely old buildings, railway formations and buildings, farm settings, all with plenty of rust, peeling paint  and variation of colouring - great for modeling inspiration - character, form and coloring. There is such a wealth of heritage in the Adelaide hills and surrounds. Time is frozen. The variation in rust colours and the examples of peeling paint are in abundance. For reference photos check out my collection which will grow as I add more at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/39664641@N00/sets/72157625564081347/ An example of the rust colouring and peeling paint textures. This was taken at Nairne Railway station on the old yard crane. Now to go out and find some more ref examples. in between finishing of the ham and turkey. Must be up to day 3 of the same...ham for breakfast, lunch and dinner...

NSW in Early Winter is great - the air is crisp after rains, the sky bluer and the rustic hues come alive. Found a nice wind mill with lovely rust details. Love the matt effect of the rust on the mechanism. Wish I had my weathering powders here. This specimen is out at Narromine. The other shot is of the shed nearby - love the greys in the corrugated iron, the hoops and the rust details.