2006 was a big year for me. It kicked off with Eastern Victoria and the Snowies plus some local trips with the 20D and the 100-400, then trips to Eastern Victoria, Western Victoria, Mungo again, South Australia's magnificent Gluepot for the first time, far-northern NSW looking for rarities, and finally a long trip up the coast to Cape York.

In late February my first proper long lens arrived, a Canon 500/4; it was a game-changer. Long slow lenses (150-600 f/6.3s, for example) have become common these days but they are not nearly the same league. Like all big lenses the 500/4 was expensive and very heavy, but it was to become my constant companion for the next eleven years.