Camping at Ganguddy-Dunns Swamp

A wonderful two night camping trip to one of my favourite places in NSW.  

Highlights included...

• The feeling of freedom after recently being in Covid isolation for a week due to Christina, my housemate, getting the dreaded lurgy.
• Swimming in the gorgeous water.  As you can see from the photos below, Dunn-Swamp has some of the best swimming anywhere.
• Exploring upstream on a stand-up paddle board with Elna and Anne-Maree.  So much fun, I'm really tempted to get one!
• The view of the river from up on the top of The Pagoda. I love it up there.  An awesome place to meditate and reflect.
• Lovely early morning walks, really feeling the photographic muse.
• The way the river looked so different in different light and weather. And the incredible cloud reflections in the water.
• The sudden storm that swept through and feeling cosy in my tent, sheltered from the rain - until it started to leak!
• Celebrating Samira's birthday and the delicious chocolate cake Anne-Maree brought with whipped cream. Yum!

Spiritual moments (2022)

Being

• Sitting and Being at park with Mack near tree
• Nov & Dec, timed Being. Ave of 30 mins per day.

Love

• Love to music (driving to and from Carocar at Xmas)

Wisdom

• Presence, Spaciousness, Surrender wisdom deeply reviewed & understood.
• Reading daily wisdom (Life is God's experience)

Birding 

• Malachite kingfisher in Rondevlei
• Puffin close to the zodiac in The Arctic
• Wagtails at Dunns Swamp
• Cape Rockjumper and Buntings in Cedarberg

Animals

• Polar bears in the Arctic
• Arctic fox

Synchronicity

• James at La Perouse (never been there before)
• NRMA car service van at Barton Park after I left my lights on.
• Fine for seat-belt

Beauty

• Ndlovu Choir

Vision

• Sight of camera screen in dark

Evidence for benevolence

• Getting dex in Longyearbyen

Moments of synchronicity (2022)

Meeting James at La Perouse

I was hiking at La Perouse with Gavin, Srini and Elna.  As we walked, we spoke of Gavin's friend, James, who I knew well and liked very much.  Gavin said he had asked James to come hiking with us that day, but that he had decided he wanted to do a solitary hike to sort some things out in his head.  Half an hour later. we walked out onto an isolated headland to have some lunch.  Suddenly who should appear but James!  He said he had never hiked at La Perousa before but had decided to explore it on a whim.  The chances of us doing the same hike and then meeting in this isolated spot were mind bogglingly tiny.

The NRMA service van

A few months later, I went birding at Barton Park near Botany Bay. I parked at an isolated parking spot well off the main road and walked into the park.  After a couple of hours, as I walked back to the car, I remembered I had switched on my car lights on my early morning drive to the park and had forgotten to switch them off. I made mental peace with it as I returned to the car. When I reached the car, what should I discover, but an NRMA van parked right next to my car. There were no other car in the parking lot. The NRMA driver had parked there to have a short break. I asked him for a jump start and he willingly obliged.

Priceless Moments (2022)

Outings

• Leaping Mermaid Falls with the boys
• Photography at Dunns Swamp
• Swimming with Gavin at Centennial Glen and the Coastal track
• The Grand Canyon in flood
• Bonnum Pic trail
• Wolfberg Cracks and Arch in The Cedarberg
• Corang Arch, Buddawang

New Macbook Pro

• Anticipation and getting all sorted
• So fast (especially Lightroom) with its 64 gigs of RAM.
• Giving my old computer to Chris

Medical relief

• Discovering my hand (growth) was ok
• Stool test negative
• Neck after physio

Buying and learning my new R5 camera

• Realisation wider angle lenses are not expensive
• Camera store: especially 100 - 500 lens
• Taronga Zoo: Realise I have something special
• Birding

The Arctic

• Polar bears (including cub)
• Puffin
• Photo presentation on ship and feedback
• Photographing with Peter Eastway on my back at the bird cliff and chatting on our hike.

Birding

• Rondevlei, Strandfontein, Kirstenbosch, Barton Park
• Malachite kingfisher mating
• Puffin in ocean close to zodiac
• Mousebirds, Sugarbirds, Sunbird

Movies

• Maestro music

Thank you letter to Gavin after the Arctic

 Hi there Gavin

I have started blogging about our arctic adventures and it's been a form of ecstasy to start reliving it all again in vivid detail.

Wow, what a time it's been!  Without doubt, one of the greatest experiences of my whole life. And to do it with one of my best friends makes it beyond priceless. 

I just want to say thank you for everything...

...for making the whole thing happen! For impressing Justin with your online lessons, for coming up with the idea and for getting Aurora super-excited about it (which of course, is one of your many superpowers!) ...

... for believing in my photography and choosing me as part of the team. What an absolute privilege it has been. And also for all your support and encouragement with my photography over the years....

... for all the inspiration you bring. You are by far the most inspiring and energising person I've ever known and to spend so much time with you and to see you in full creative flow has been beyond amazing...

... for making the trip so much fun: for all the great laughs, wondrous facts, sightings shared, stories told, connections made, and shared jacuzzi wallowings...

...for all the admin you did to get us there, especially booking all the flights...

...for your support when I was so worried about my meds running out.  Your intervention allowed me to relax and enjoy the rest of the trip....

...for playing such a driving role in getting us out of Longyearbyen by refreshing that page a million times.  You and Tanya also made one hell of a team on Skyscanner - the king and queen of the ultimate real life "escape room" challenge.!!! ...

...for treating us with your Quatar gold passes.  Pure luxury!  That shower ranks as the best I've ever had!  And don't get me started on the passion fruit yoghurt :)

...and most of all, for your priceless friendship. For all the memories, adventures, outings and special meals we've shared. For the inspiration, fun and laughter you bring.  You enrich my life in so many ways .  Friends simply don’t come better.  

Meeting you in the little town of Thredbo feels like the ultimate synchronicity.

G

Special connections (2022)

 

Nic

• Nic site
• Nic hypnosis

Gratitude expressed

• Gavin
• Elna birthday tribute video
• Jo 50th birthday video

Michael

• Beautiful lunch conversation. Heartfelt gratitude re camera. Sharing about my Arctic trip.
• Lunch with Michael & his friends. Reminiscing about Sue.
• Offer to scan his photos and create a blog.

 

Anusha

• Share my movie list
• Beautiful conversation

Xenia

• Some beautiful sharing and mutual inspiring during lunch
• Xenia trip to Tasmania
• What we want from our lives
• Wanting to live life to the full
• Coal Loader

Chris

• A room to stay while in South Africa when he lost his room
• Taking his books to help out
• His delight in finding a room
• Looking after Mack while in The Arctic & South Africa

Tina, Ruth, Dom

• Carcoar for Xmas
• Heart to hearts with Tina

Francisca

• Chatting about movies, get great recommendations