}

4 January 2012

Happy New Year, everybody!

For the midnight fireworks, I walked to the Balls Head nature reserve. There were lots of people jostling for position at the more obvious vantage spots, but luckily I knew of a small, tucked away cove right on the water's edge where I was one of only a few. There was tons of space to laze out and chat with other revellers and it was a fantastic spot for the show with simultaneous views of all three sets of fireworks (over Harbour Bridge, city and Darling Harbour.) The most difficult decision was which set of fireworks to photograph! When all was over, I walked home past the Waverton station and it was pandemonium! Hundreds of people queued up waiting for the train. I feel very fortunate to live where I do, and have all this right on my doorstep.
















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3 January 2012

9 pm fireworks over Sydney (New Year's Eve)

I arrived at Larkin Street (2 minutes walk from home) at ten to 9 after having had a drink with my wonderful neighbour, James. It was very crowded up the top but I managed to find some free space in some high grass perched atop a high cliff. Scared of heights, I wasn't too comfortable at first (though it was safe enough) but once the show started, I forgot all about it.  So much so, that I had to remind myself of my precarious position when it all stopped!








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2 January 2012

Bothings at Cape Point for New Year's Eve

Thanks for the photos, Jo.




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2012 Highlights

Quality time with the family in Cape Town and The Orange River, photographing wildlife in The Kruger National Park and fun times with Dani



 Priceless Moments
  • The amazing fireworks on New Year's eve which I photographed from my own secret spot in Ball's Head.
  • Deciding that, like my dad, I look better with a beard.
  • Capturing lots of action at the Penrith Whitewater Centre with the camera club and stopping off at the Spur (a South African institution) for a pecan nut sundae (one of my favourite things as a kid).
  • Mum and Mike visiting Sydney after a cruise on the Queen Mary and doing some fun outings with them including Blue Mountains, Cremorne Point, Watson's Bay and Palm Beach.
  • A fun day of steam with the camera club and thinking of dad, who would have loved it.
  • Doing a weekend workshop with Behram Ghista, a Buddhist teacher (thanks to Nerium, a new found friend), that set me back on my spiritual path of meditation and mindfulness.
  • Joining an Eckhart Tolle group in Kirribilli and the beautiful, loving, indomitable Jilly coming into my life.  
  • Through Jilly, joining a wonderful Saturday meditation group run by wonderful Geraldine.
  • Lots of mindful walks around Berry Island and Balls Head.
  • Any time spent with gorgeous Mack.
  • Buying a Kindle, one of my best ever purchases.
  • Crawling on my belly on The Newcastle mud flats to photograph birds and the wondrous sight of millions of soldier crabs.
  • Playing weekly tennis with Brendan and having some titanic battles. 
  • A fun weekend away at the Hunter's Valley with great people from the camera club and getting to photograph hot air balloons and beautiful horses and birds.
  • A great day outing to Robertson and getting to admire the amazing autumn colours.  
  • Meeting the beautiful Dani at the Kirribilli Hotel pub and being so smitten that I forgot to pay for our drinks and had the bartender run after me!
  • My first real date with Dani - rollerblading near Manly - where I got to hold her hand and feel even more smitten.
  • Photographing the Vivid Festival with Sue and Guy , the three amigos together again.
  • Doing the Two Creeks Hike with Dani.
  • Photographing a gorgeous black swan with its chicks at Bicentennial Park. 
  • Whale watching with Dani and dolphins swimming alongside our boat.
  • Ice skating with Dani, always such a romantic thing to do.
  • A wonderful weekend at the Blue Mountains where we did two lovely hikes.
  • Being blissfully reunited in Cape Town with my family and frolicking  with Matt and Sam by the pool.
  • Paddling down the Orange River with my family through gorgeous desert scenery and especially the awe inspiring stars on the final night.
  • Three unforgettable weeks in The Kruger National Park by myself where I had a wondrous encounter with a leopard, got great shots of birds and had a very close shave with a bull elephant. 
  • Spending an evening with Jo in Joberg on my way back from the Kruger to Sydney, helping me to get over my end-of-holiday blues.
  • Getting to wear a mullet and leopard trousers at Dani's fun 40th birthday party in The Blue Mountains.
  • Getting to experience Mattias Klum, one of National Geographic's top nature photographers, present his life's work at The Opera House. 
  • Spending Xmas at Nambucca Heads with Dani's family on their macadamia nut farm and getting to see Regent Bowerbird, a bird I've wanted to see for ages.
  • Exploring the gorgeous waterfalls and rain forests along the Waterfall Way.
  • A sensational hike in the Cathedral Rock National Park where we needed to use chains to scramble up mighty boulders to a incredible view.
  • Cycling around Dubbo Zoo, photographing cute critters.


Less happy moments
  • Thomas Pham, a photographer buddy, passing away from cancer.
  • Getting a bad cold and fever on day two of the 5 day Orange River trip in sweltering heat.  My lovely sister saved my life by being my engine.


 New friends met this year


Favourite Movies
  • Prometheus
  • Argo
  • Skyfall
  • The Descendants
  • The Separation



2012 Index of Links


 Holiday in South Africa  (late Sep - early Nov)


Christmas roadtrip with Dani


Fun times with Dani


Mum and Mike visit Sydney  (Feb)


Photography outings


Everyday life


Related


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1 January 2012

My Spiritual Compass

I soon realized that no journey carries one far unless, as it extends into the world around us, it goes an equal distance into the world within.  Lillian Smith
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I believe...
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Living in the moment
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Photographing waterfalls in The Blue Mountains

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Valley of a Thousand Waters

The Valley of a Thousand Waters (a wonderfully evocative name) is a circular hike that starts at Wentworth Falls and descends extremely steeply into the valley, through beautiful rainforest, and then crisscrosses rivers and streams and waterfalls as you follow the valley, before a gruelling steep climb back up. It's a stunning 5 hour walk, one of my favourites in Australia, and I will never grow tired of the amazing colours of the rocks.











Victoria Falls

Wow, what an undiscovered gem of a place this is.  A steep 340 metre descent into the valley brings you to a beautiful set of cascades.  Then down some more steps to the top of Victoria Falls with stunning views over the rainforest.  Then some more descent to the base of the falls and a plethora of smaller waterfalls and eddies which are all extremely photogenic.  I put my new ballhead tripod through its paces to get some different angles.  And the best thing is there were almost no people at all on the trail, despite it being New Year's eve.  It's right off the beaten track.  I'll definitely be coming back here. It's also a great way to get down to the Blue Gum forrest, less steep than the way I took last year.  All in all, a great find.






For info on how to get to Victoria Falls
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Blue Mountains

.The National Pass, a famous part of the hike at Wentworth's Falls. Not for those scared of heights.



The cable car at Scenic World, Katoomba



The distinctive blue horizon of the Blue Mountains.  Where does the blue come from?  Well, The Blue Mountains is densely populated by oil bearing Eucalyptus trees. The atmosphere is filled with finely dispersed droplets of oil, which, in combination with dust particles and water vapour, scatter short-wave length rays of light which are predominantly blue in colour. So now you know!  Consider yourself enlightened!

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Abandoned Shale Mine, Glen Davis

I felt a lot like I was Indiana Jones when exploring the abandoned shale mine in Glen Davis.  For several reasons.

Firstly was the nature of the ruins themselves.  They were only abandoned 60 years ago, but the remaining rows of pillars and soaring brickfaced walls and arches make them look a bit like ancient classical ruins, like Ephesus in Turkey or Pompeii in Italy.  

Secondly, nature has done a remarkable job of reclaiming many of the ruins, with huge trees growing inside the old walls and monstrous, thorny weeds, the size of small trees, just as you'd find in an Indiana Jones movie.  

Third was the marvellous natural setting of the ruins.  Set right in the heart of the Capertee Valley with sandstone cliffs on either side.  Not quite like Petra in "Indiana and the Last Crusade", but beautiful nevertheless.

Fourth, I had to do my explorations in secret.  The mine is only open to the public on Saturday afternoons at 2 pm for an hour, so I had to slip over the fence and creep in quietly, and I faced the constant threat of discovery and capture.  

And finally, but most importantly, there were snakes!!!  Not pitfulls of snakes like Indiana faced in "Raiders of the Lost Ark", but I did see two large black ones in the space of just two minutes!  And as I had snubbed my toe the day before, I was wearing open sandals, so totally vulnerable to poisonous bites!  

So all in all, it was a marvellous adventure.  Of course, I was not there to find priceless relics, but to take photos and this I managed to do without capture or being bitten, so mission accomplished.  I think Indiana himself would have been impressed, except for the girlie squeal I made when I nearly stepped on the first snake.

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