Well, it's perfectly placed. The angle of the sun in relation to this southern coast of Western Australia is less than 42 degrees above the horizon (particularly in winter).
The sun shines out of the north onto the rain that comes off the southern ocean... you get Rainbows throughout the day! Remember, it takes SUN to make rainbows!
Rainbows are magical, mystical, and marvelous.
Though the bottom of a rainbow can never be found, there might still
be a buried pot of gold. If ever you were to find a rainbow's end
it would be here along the Rainbow Coast of Western Australia.
Rainbows are caused by refraction and reflection of the full spectrum
light given out by the sun. The light is altered by the presence
of raindrops.The raindrops break up the light into its component colours...
showing us what is hidden in every ray of light.
Being at this distance 'downunder' - the Rainbow Coast is perfectly
placed, and perfectly named. During the winter months (which is
the rainiest time of the year for all of WA) the sun is closer to
the northern horizon as we are tilted away from the sun. In order to see rainbows, the sun must be within 42 degrees of
the horizon, as well as behind you. As the rain usually comes off
the ocean from the south west which geometrically means "rainbows, rainbows everywhere."
Essentially: If you visit in the winter time, face south and
look for rainbows.
Don't
be fooled by the name! The yearly average rainfall along
the coast is the same as Perth and Broome. (Australian
Bureau of Meterology) For instance, in July 2008 Albany
had only 2mm more rain than Perth, and 5mm less than Rottnest Island.
Because rainbows change with the location of the observer, everyone's
rainbow is slightly unique. However, at the top we will all see RED
(the longest wavelength that we can see), then orange, yellow, green,
blue and violet at the bottom/inner side.
A rainbow from our front window, Denmark, WA
As you can see it's slightly rainy and beautiful.
This is mid-winter 2008
A Rainbow to the Wind Farm, Albany.
My heart leaps up
when I behold
a rainbow in the sky. ~ William Wordsworth
"Someday
we'll find it,
the Rainbow connection,
the lovers, the dreamers and me.
All of us under it's spell,
we know that it's probably magic." ~ Kermit the Frog (Jim Henson), The
Muppet Movie
There is something very healing about seeing a rainbow. There are several videos of Rainbows we recorded this winter, click play below to see them:
The
true harvest of my life
is intangible - a little stardust caught, a portion of the
rainbow I have clutched. ~ Henry David Thoreau
The Rainbow Coast is a national biosphere area and deserves our care and respect, please reduce your environmental impact when visiting the coast. Your safety while visiting the Rainbow Coast is your responsibility. Website photographs are copyright protected and are editorial in nature and are not for sale and may NOT be used without written permission. Maps coded using open source technology from Google. Videos are intended for educational and documentary purposes and are streamed using YouTube technology. Website Design and photography by our family of five living in the heart of the Rainbow Coast. This website is for informational purposes only and is a travelogue, weblog and a web resource for visitors to the south coast of western australia: Albany, Denmark & Welpole. Contact Us - Advertise -
Don't
be fooled by the name! The yearly average rainfall along
the coast is the same as Perth and Broome. 
