Tag:roadtrips
Cactus Country at Strathmerton is a Victorian Tourism Awards Gold Winner. It is an Australian desert landscape with more than 4000 cacti and succulents, and it abounds with photo opportunities when the cactus is flowering.
History
Cactus Country started as a collection of Cactus plants owned by Jim Hall’s Father. In 1979, when Jim’s father decided to sell, Jim and his fiancé Julie purchased the collection, tended the plants for the following four years, and propagated new seeds. They also planted mature specimens allowing the cactus to grow faster.
In 1983, Jim and Julie purchased the peach orchard that has become Cactus Country. They bulldozed the trees and began creating gardens. In 1984 they bought a second collection from the estate of Mr Ed Kroemer. Kroemer was a bachelor from Loxton, SA, who had travelled the world collecting cactus plants. Kroemer wanted his collection to stay together, and his family approached Jim and Julie. Since then, the gardens have grown from ½ an acre to over 8 acres.
With the growth, the name has been changed to Cactus Country, and Jim and Julie continue to expand the garden.
Cacti Vs Succulents
All cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are cacti. Cacti have needle-like spines and fleshy stems. They also store water and are capable of photosynthesis – the process whereby plants utilise sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to create oxygen and energy in the form of sugar.
On the other hand, succulents store water and nutrients in their fleshy leaves. Outdoors, cacti can live for hundreds of years. However, indoors their lifespan is reduced to 10 years or more. As they don’t drop leaves like a typical plant, the damage remains visible for the life of the plant every time they sustain damage from knocks or scratches.
Cactus Blooms
All cacti flower, with some creating large and impressive blooms. Cacti only flower on new growth. Many cacti won’t flower until they reach maturity and grow at least two metres tall. In Mexican culture, cactus blooms signify love. They believe that when a person sees a blooming cactus, someone close to them will get married soon.
In Native American culture, it is believed that the cactus represents warmth, protection, and motherly love. This is because cactus plants survive in harsh conditions; thus, they’ve become a symbol of unconditional, enduring maternal love.
The Garden
Laid out with mostly circular paths, it is easy to cover the entire garden in an hour. Spring is the best time for photographers as the cactus is flowering.
The café
While the garden is worth a visit, unfortunately (and this is solely my opinion and experience), the same cannot be said for the café. The coffee and cactus cake (made from prickly pear) was delicious, but the margaritas (way too tart) and slushies (over-the-top sweet) were not. In fact, if you are looking for lunch, the only menu item is nachos. Another group near us ordered coffee and had it with the food they had brought along from home — they had evidently been there before and were aware of the limited options.
Cactus Country – Location and pricing
4986 Murray Valley Hwy, Strathmerton VIC 3641
Entry is $20 for adults, $17.50 for seniors and $10 per child
Open Wednesday to Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm
4986 Murray Valley Highway, Strathmerton 3641
Narooma NSW is a little slice of heaven on the NSW far south coast. With pristine blue waterways, it’s a popular destination for photographers, fishermen or families who want to chill out or surf spectacular beaches. Unfortunately, our schedule only allowed for two days. So sadly, we didn’t get to see and do all we wanted; how I would have loved to stay longer.
History
Narooma takes its name from the Aboriginal language meaning “clear blue waters”, and with the intense blues and greens of the area’s waters, it’s not hard to see why. After discovering gold in nearby Central Tilba, the town sprung up in 1883. A school was added in 1886, and the post office followed in 1889. The oyster industry was established in 1900. The Narooma Oyster Festival is held in May each year – celebrating the heart of Rock Oyster country.
Getting There
From Sydney, it’s a pleasant 350km drive to Narooma, following the coast along the Princes Highway. The route is 220km via the Kings and Princes Highways from Canberra or 684kms from Melbourne via the Princes Hwy. While the journey from Melbourne is longer, you get to drive through Lakes Entrance, Eden, and Bermagui. All are great seaside towns and deserving of an overnight visit.
Attractions and Landmarks
While we were there for the photography, Narooma had plenty to keep everyone happy.
- Cycle or stroll along the Mill Bay Boardwalk and spot the stingrays, dolphins or seals
- Hit a few balls at the Narooma Golf Club and the famous Hogans Hole.
- A stroll along the surf beach will take you to Glasshouse Rocks
- At Bar Beach, you can enjoy a swim or snorkel in its sheltered waters where NZ and Australian fur seals also enjoy a sunbake
- Forsters Bay is perfect for kayaking around the oyster farms on the western side of town
- Bermagui – Camel Rock and Horse Head rock – only 30 mins away
- Montague Island. It boasts a historic lighthouse and nature reserve. If only we could have gone there. Because there is no bridge, you have to take a ferry – and none were running that day due to a heavy swell, so we missed out. Tours are available from Montague Island Tours or Narooma Charters
Accommodation
We stayed at the Narooma Golfers Lodge, which was very good. While not golfers, we picked it for its views, price and the easy walk to the Golf Club Bistro. They offer clean and comfortable one and two-bedroom apartments at very reasonable prices. Airbnb also has loads of accommodation options in the area, and there are plenty of hotels and motels.
Day two of our road trip saw us head off early from St Arnaud. We were travelling the Silo Art Trail on our way to Sea Lake.
Rupanyup
The first stop of the day was Rupanyup, 63kms to the east of St Arnaud. Twin steel silos painted by Russian artist Julia Volchkova in 2017 depict two young people, Ebony, who plays in the local netball team and Jordan, a footballer.
Sheep hills
Starting our run North, the second stop was 36kms up the road at Sheep Hills. Painted by Matt Adnate in 2016, it depicts Wergaia elder Uncle Ron Marks and Wotjobaluk Elder Aunty Regina Hood. Between them are two children, Savannah Marks and Curtly McDonald. Adnate’s artwork celebrates the area’s indigenous culture, and his depiction of the night sky represents the ‘dreaming’ element and highlights the strong ancestral connection indigenous children share with their elders.
brim
Heading off again, our third stop was Brim, another 42 kms up the road. The Brim silo, completed in 2016, was the first one to be painted in Victoria and the second in Australia after Northham, WA. Following the completion of the Brim silo, the town enjoyed newfound energy and optimism through the widespread attention towards Brim and the Wimmera, from both local and international media. It was from the success of the Brim silo that the Silo Art Trail was born. Guido’s work depicts four anonymous farmers, three men and one woman.
Rosebery
Just a short 24kms up the road, we came to Rosebery. Completed in 2017 by Kaff-eine, her artwork on the left depicts a female sheep farmer in a workshirt and cowboy boots. On the right is a horseman and his mount. The horseman wears an Akubra hat, bogs boots and oilskin vest – common attire for mallee farmers.
Patchewollock
Our next stop was Patchewollock. At 63 kms further north, it’s the longest distance between silos. As you drive down the road with endless flat fields and huge open skies on either side of you, you can’t help but reflect on the isolation of the land, the lack of ‘city’ conveniences and the continual hardships the farmers endure against droughts and fires. Patchewollock silo depicts local farmer Nick “noodle” Hulland. Completed in 2016, it shows the archetypal Aussie farmer in a faded blue flannelette shirt and worn jeans.
Fintan painted him with a solemn expression and squinting gaze to embody the harshness of the environment and the challenges a mallee farmer faces.
lascelles
From Patchellwock, it’s 50 kms south to Lascelles. With no breakfast, and 3 hours on the road, our tummies were rumbling, and we were looking forward to getting to our lunch stop. But, while close, Lascelles wasn’t it. Painted by Rone in 2017, its subjects are a local couple Geoff and Merrilyn Horman, part of a family who has lived and farmed the area for four generations.
Woomelang
A short 15kms further south from Lascelles is Woomelang (pop 150!). Our lunch stop. Being so far away from a major town, we weren’t expecting a sumptuous lunch. Still, given they promote the Woomelang “cafe” and its python mural, its closeness to the silo trail, and the fact that they have a ‘field bin’ trail within the town, we did expect a reasonably passable cafe. No. It’s a general store, combined with a post office and an opp shop that also sells fried food and pizzas. We settled for a potato cake and a couple of dimmies and sat outside as there was no tables or chairs inside.
Field Bins
The young Vice President of the Woomelang and District Development Association, Joe Collins (19 yrs old), had originally wanted their silo included in the trail. But, being privately owned, it couldn’t be included. He then came up with the idea for street art on the general store wall to boost the economy. Locals thought he had been in the sun a bit too long. Determined to forge ahead, he contacted Juddy Roller, who had started the silo art trail and was put in touch with Sirum. Sirum came back with a draft idea of the endangered carpet python.
A town meeting was called, and while many locals were against the idea of a snake on the wall, Joe prevailed. Once the python was painted and tourists started calling into town, the opposition vanished, and the townsfolk started looking at more ways to bring visitors to the town. They liaised with the Wimmera Catchment Authority, and eight new endangered animals were chosen to grace eight mobile field bins. Call into the general store to pick up a map. I would, however, suggest taking a cut lunch with you, rather than buying from the “cafe”.
Before leaving Woomelang, we also stopped by the Shearing shed in Cronomby Tanks Rd. Built of compressed kerosine tins, it stands as a monument to bush ingenuity during the wartime shortage of building materials.
Nullawil
We had one more stop before reaching Sea Lake. Nullawil, 65kms south from Woomelang, is probably my favourite silo. Painted by Smug it features a farmer in an obligatory checked flannel shirt and his mate a black and tan Kelpie.
Sea Lake
Turning north again, we covered the last 50 km to arrive at Sea Lake and the end of our days driving. The Sea Lake silo features a young girl on a swing looking over Lake Tyrell. Painted over three weeks in 2019, the silo embodies the wide-open sky of Lake Tyrell, the indigenous name of which is ‘Tyrille’ meaning ‘space opening to the sky’. After viewing the silo, we drove around town, capturing the murals on walls of stores. We didn’t go to Lake Tyrell before dinner, as our group were booked to do that on the sunset tour. Both decisions turned out to be huge mistakes—more on that in the next post.
Days End
After leaving St Arnaud around 8 am, we had made it to Sea Lake by 3.30 pm and covered the entire silo trail plus Woomelang and its field bins in 407 kms. We booked into Sea Lake Motel and dinner at the Royal Hotel. The old pub, built in 1910, burnt down in 2017. The only other pub in town had closed, and drastic action was called for. You can’t have a pub with no beer or a town with no pub. Locals started the Royal Hotel Co-op at $5000 per share and raised enough money to purchase the old pub. Seven months and 28 loads of rubbish to the tip later, the pub reopened in June 2019, providing 16 local jobs staffing the hotel.
Coming up next Sunday: Day Three is off to Mungo NP
Day one saw us head off on our Outback Road Trip from Nagambie with our first stop, Redesdale, just on an hour away. Situated in the Agnes Mumford Reserve on the corner of Lyell Road and Heathcote-Redesdale Road is the Redesdale Water Tank Art. Painted by Damian Arena in 2019, it marks the 10th anniversary of ‘Black Saturday’ when fourteen homes were destroyed along with 7086 hectares of land.
The Agnes Mumford Reserve is directly opposite the Redesdale Hotel – so either works for a pit stop. We parked in the reserve and enjoyed our cookies and hot coffee. As we never know where we are going to find an image – we always travel with snacks and a thermos 🙂
Avoca
From Redesdale, we headed to Avoca. Jimmy Busuttil has been working on the Avoca silo for a couple of months now, but work has come to a standstill while they await permission to paint the other side, which is almost on the railway line, so a few OH&S issues need to be solved. When it is finished, it will have a background of the night sky behind the owl; his eyes and stars will be glow in the dark paint – and it will be lit up at night.
We also stopped off at the railway cafe, up the road from the silo, for a late lunch – but they seemed to be mainly catering to cakes and coffee – and while they were open – there was no one there to serve us.
From Avoca, we headed off on the final leg of the days’ journey – to St Arnaud. Arriving in St Arnaud, we drove around photographing the street murals and silo – all done by Kyle Torney and featuring locals of the town or its history.
St Arnaud
Mural Locations
- The Hope silo – Mc Mahon st
- Ron Reyne Mural – opposite the Hope silo at 14 Mc Mahon st
- Mates Mural – Cnr Wills St and Kings Ave
- The Miner Mural – 22 Kings Ave
- CFA Mural – Cnr Napier and Alma Sts
- Andrea Hicks Mural – side of the wall at 117 Napier St
- Loss Hamilton Mural – 36 Alma St
- Torneys Fighting Fit Gym – cnr of Alma and McMahon sts
- Owen – sidewall of 18 Napier St
- St Arnaud Primary school – observe from Dundas Street
- Royal Hotel Beer Garden at 60 Napier St
We were booked into the Motel St Arnaud for the night before an early start the next day to Sea Lake via the Silo Art Trail. Our motel was clean, beds and shower were good, and the free wifi was fast – for a budget motel it’s excellent value. Dinner that night was at the Royal Hotel, built in 1874 its full of character and old-world charm and decorated throughout with antiques and another mural in the beer garden. We enjoyed wine by the open fire before heading into the dining room for dinner.
Travelling (within Australia) hasn’t been possible for months and may not be for some time yet. Due to border closures, overseas travel is off the agenda for the next couple of years. It’s enough to make you sell your camera. Except no one would buy it because it’s lockdown, and they can’t take photos either. It’s impossible to do travel photography when restrictions to movement are implemented to halt the spread of Covid-19, which means I can’t go further than 5km from my front door.
The Great Pandemic
I love history and find it fascinating. I like to read about it and watch documentaries. However, I do not enjoy being part of it. We are living through the ‘Great Pandemic of 2020/21’ and, in the future, will probably feature in a school curriculum.
A small silver lining
On Facebook and Instagram, along with many others, I have been sharing previous travel photography as “armchair travels”. One silver lining of armchair travel is, inspired by the locations others are sharing; I am now compiling a list of places to see – for when we can all start moving again.
Photography and travel planning are all we can do now, and I happily spent hours researching destinations and planning itineraries. Costing is something that can’t be done yet as we have no idea what hotels and airlines etc., will charge once they re-open for business. But whilst we can’t travel, we can plan, research, learn, and be ready for when restrictions are lifted, and we can finally head off on a trip.
Location vs Gear
Many people who are into photography subscribe to the theory that they need a better camera or lens to get a great shot. And it’s partly true. But travelling to new destinations or locations is more important than gear. There is no point in having a whizz-bang $5000 camera if you then can’t afford to stray far from home once you have bought it. You may live in a fabulous spot – but you can only photograph the Wanaka Tree so many times.
Planning is everything
Plan your trips. Learn about where you are going and when is the best time to go. Even if it’s a “family” holiday, you can still do travel photography on your trip without spoiling it for them. It’s your holiday too.
- Research areas, read books, and google the locations. Get as much info as you can before you pick a location. The family will have fun on just about any beach, but if it’s just a stretch of boring white sand, will you?
- Seasons matter! If somewhere is awesome in autumn for the trees or fantastic in spring for the waterfalls, you are shortchanging yourself being there in summer. Match your destination to the season you are travelling.
- Plan your road trip stopovers around scenic locations. Ok, you have to sleep somewhere on a road trip, but if one hour further down the road or one hour closer has a fabulous sunrise or sunset spot, that’s the place to lay your head.
- Take the road less travelled. A secondary highway going through small towns is much more interesting and scenic than mile after mile of main highways. A case in point is the painted silos and water tanks popping up all across Australia. You’ll find them in the towns, not the highway.
- Slow down and look around as you go through the small towns. Small towns often have quirky old buildings.
- Pick your accommodation handy to scenic spots. If doing a sunrise or sunset, you are far better off being close to your location rather than looking at a one-hour drive in the dark or getting up at extra stupid o’clock to be there for sunrise
- Try for a balcony or patio when booking your accommodation. I have gotten some of my best bird shots in the early morning, just sitting on my veranda in my ‘jammies’. It helps to travel with a bag of wild bird seed 😉
- Talk to the locals and ask for location suggestions But be mindful that they aren’t necessarily photographers. What is a pretty spot to them for a sunrise doesn’t mean it’s ‘worth a shot’. Scout out the location before you want to shoot it. While we found a great spot in Nagambie thanks to a local’s suggestion, we totally failed with a “great sunrise spot”, as suggested by the manager at Mungo Lodge. It was a great spot to see the sunrise, but a terrible location, with no foreground interest, regarding photographing it.
- Return to locations at least once. You may have got a nice pic – but next time, you may get an even better one, going back in a different season, or if the conditions are just right
- The early bird gets the worm. The light is soft at sunrise and sunset, but there are fewer people around at sunrise, and you stand a better chance of having the place to yourself. At iconic locations – where even at sunrise there will be a row of tripods and keen photographers, make a thermos of coffee and get there a good hour before sunrise. Find your perfect spot, set up your tripod and camera, and enjoy your coffee while everyone else arrives late and rushes to set up. (again, this is where scouting out the day before helps)
Safety Matters
Early morning starts, and travelling to places for ‘that shot’ is part and parcel of the landscape or travel photographer’s life. But you need to consider your safety and avoid risk where possible. For example, you can’t take that great photo from a coffin or hospital bed.
- Your car needs to be reliable. Don’t do 4WD roads in a 2WD car. And if you are doing 4wd roads, travel in a convoy. Nothing is worse than breaking down in the middle of nowhere, especially if you are alone. Which leads to #2
- Don’t go to unsafe or risky areas alone. Early morning shots of the city with empty streets are fabulous. Not if you come across an aggressive or drug-impaired person. No judgment on them, but from experience, it’s scary. Luckily we were in a group. Find a fellow photographer to go out with or join a group.
- Stay on designated paths and behind the fence. I know there is a great shot to be had by climbing the barrier. But it’s there for a reason. Too many times have I seen on the news where photographers climbed the barrier for a shot, and it ended up a rescue or body retrieval
- Dress for where you are going. Flip Flops are not recommended footwear for scrub or bush. Snakes, insects, and rocks all love exposed feet. Long sleeves, sunglasses, sunscreen and a sunhat for summer. Warm clothes, and even better yet, tactical gear that’s windproof, splash-proof, and a down coat with a minimum 650 loft for winter. Like they say in Norway, “there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing”
- Buy a rain jacket. Keep a rain jacket in your camera bag. They roll up small and are handy for the unexpected shower, sitting on when the ground is wet, or putting your bag on.
- Always carry water.
- Invest in two-way radios If you and your travel buddy are likely to be going off the beaten path with no phone reception. It helps to keep in touch if you are out of sight of each other. If travelling in a convoy, keep one in each car.
- Put your phone in a ziplock bag. If you are walking with it in your pocket, it could make all the difference if it falls out on a muddy trail
- Keep spare shoes in the car. It’s no fun driving for hours in wet shoes and socks. Or bare freezing feet. I stopped for some shots once, and my shoes were sodden by the time I got back to the car. Luckily, I had a spare pair in my luggage because we were off for the weekend. Lesson learned.
Camera Bag essentials
I always have a small ’emergency’ kit in my camera bag, which comes in handy on more than one occasion. They take up very little room – but make all the difference if you need them and are an hour’s walk from the car. You’ll thank yourself for packing them in your camera bag.
- Small tubes of sunscreen and insect repellant
- Painkillers
- Torch and/or headlamp (check that it’s working and carry spare batteries)
- Mosquito/fly net for your hat
- A few bandaids and a small container of antiseptic
- A small bag of salt is also handy to have if you are going into a damp or rainforest area known for leeches and you don’t have a smoker in your group. Your insect repellant will also work if it’s DEET.
- Allen key for your tripod if it takes one
- Chocolate or protein bar. Breakfast biscuits are good, too, to fill you up if hunger strikes.
This, too, shall pass
Stay positive. Lockdown won’t last forever. And hopefully, before too much longer, we will be back on the road. Meanwhile, take a landscape course, watch YouTube tutorials, start planning where you will go, and work out what you want to shoot while there.
In the meantime.. stay safe.
One minor bucket list item of mine was to stay at a lighthouse. I have visited lots of them in the past but never stayed at one and itched to rectify that. Apart from the fun of staying at a heritage lighthouse was the theory that sunrise and sunset, would be so much easier being ‘johnny on the spot’. We chose Cape Nelson Lighthouse for our accomodation down near Portland and booked our stay.
The accom was fabulous. Comfortable beds with quality linen, well appointed kitchen and bathroom and cosy lounge complete with a fire. It also had ducted heating and cooling but we went for the ambiance of the fire 😉
Travelling Down…..
Leaving Melbourne we started driving to Portland via Lismore Vic., and decided to pop in and say hello to Jimmy Buscombe who was commencing work painting the water tower in Lismore Vic., We then travelled on via Warrnambool to see Jimmy’s artwork on the bridge in Warrnambool
Portland
Arriving in Portland we picked up the keys to the cottage and headed the last 18kms to the lighthouse.
Sunset was a complete bust that night.. and sunrise was no better… so much for being ‘Johnny on the spot’ LOL
Leaving next morning our luck continued. We stopped off at a Lavender farm that was closed, but they did allow us to take a couple of pics. We then drove into Port Fairy.. past a strange fence of shoes…
Arriving in Port Fairy Google Maps drove us around in circles… we never did find the Port Fairy Lighthouse. Deciding to cut our losses we headed straight for Warnnambool and lunch. And found another Jimmy Buscombe work on the wall near the cafe
After lunch we continued our journey back to Melbourne… and as a nice surprise came across a field of sunflowers. Two firsts in a weekend.. lighthouse stay and sunflower field.
Sadly the no sunset/no sunrise is all too common with our trips away.
Once a year, hubby and I make our annual pilgrimage to King Valley Camp, visit friends, take photos, cruise the wineries, and have some ‘downtime’. And with no internet at the camp, downtime is total. So I found myself driving down the road each day and pulling up to the side of the road to catch up with emails and FB. Shocking, I know.
Rain, Rain, go away
The weather forecast for the weekend was rain, but we were lucky with no rain except late at night when we were all in bed. So we could do a bit of travelling around during the day.
On Friday, we drove up to Powers Lookout. Named after the bushranger who reputedly had a camp there in the 1860s, he used the high vantage point to watch for approaching troopers. We usually just stop at the upper lookout and take a few shots.
Powers Lookout
This time, feeling a bit stupid and adventurous, I decided to try the ‘other’ northern lookout. The steps seemed ok at the start, heading downhill via steps cut into the rock, but ok. Then they got steeper, massive, single steps where really two would have been better. The stone steps kept going down, then changed to steep metal stairs, shimmy through a gap, past a big rock in the middle of the path (glad I hadn’t had lunch yet), then UP metal stairs to the northern lookout. (I should have stopped and taken photos of the track, but I was saving my energy to keep the lungs and legs working)
The northern lookout gave a different and better view, so the walk was worth it. But OMG I paid for it the next day with very sore legs. So we shot off quite a few photos, then started the trek back, with lots of stops along the way to catch our breath, admire the view.
Chrismont Winery
From Powers Lookout, we headed to lunch and then Chrismont Winery. It’s a beautiful building that won a design award and offers magnificent sweeping views of the valley from the tasting room. I may have liberated a couple of bottles of their delicious Prosecco while I was there.
That evening we played with some light painting, new toys, trying out various ideas.
We did see some rain that night, but the following day was lovely and sunny again. We enjoyed a slow start to the day and then headed up the road to Lake William Hovell. Fabulous reflections and very quiet, we had the place to ourselves, apart from a few fishermen.
We had planned to do more light painting that evening, but the rains really came down not long after dinner, and we were futilely huddled under the awning waiting for them to pass, which they really didn’t. The Olympus held up well in the rain, but I found that the wi-fi to my iPhone doesn’t work too well when I have cold, wet fingers. So mental note to self, make sure I have my wired remote in my bag!
Our plan was Phillip Island & San Remo and for the weekend. Phillip Island is only around 2 hours from home, and while we had been there before, it had been a few years. So we decided to head back this easter break. We started our photography plans with a drive along The Blvd. You can walk it, but we decided to drive it. This was because there is only one place you can stop along the way with a small lookout. Parking is not allowed on the verges. It’s supposed to be one way as it’s too narrow for cars to pass each other on many parts of the road. Not that it stopped some young idiots in a convertible coming from the opposite direction. You access it by driving to the Nobbies visitor centre. From there, you take the road off to the left as you approach the carpark.
There are some fabulous views along the way. We spotted a hovering Kestral that I tried to get a shot off. However, he was too far offshore and dived before I could get a picture every time. The only time he came close was so close that I couldn’t get a shot, either. Because the long lens wouldn’t focus – he was TOO close!
We booked a lovely house in San Remo for our stay as our main photographic goal was to shoot Cadillac Canyon – and the house was only 5 mins drive from there. Cadillac Canyon is accessed from Potters Hill Road.. from the carpark at the end, it’s a short walk to the start of the stairs down to the beach, 138 steps in total but nice wide, solid wooden steps with lots of landings along the way — they need a seat at the halfway point! 😉
Panhandle Flats
Once you are on the beach, Panhandle Flats is off to the left. To the right, at the other end of the beach, is Cadillac Canyon. We first went down there looking for a sunset, and while the light was excellent, the sunset wasn’t happening. The tide also made getting out onto Panhandle a no-go. So we decided to come back again in the morning.
The weekend daylight saving had finished in Victoria, so sunrise moved from 7.09 am to 6.09 am. We were up at 5 am – coffee and out the door arriving at the beach in the dark. Even though it was still dark, a car was already in the carpark before us. It turned out to be a surf fisherman. It had been a full moon the night before. So torches weren’t needed with the moonlighting our way down the steps and across the beach to Panhandle Flats. Tide was also with us. At 6.22 am, we could get out on the flats and set up with the low tide.
The colours in the sky didn’t look that promising. But just before sunrise, the sky popped a glorious red for a few minutes. We got our shots quickly because it was very short-lived.
Once the sun was up, we moved across to Cadillac Canyon. Apart from two surf fishermen, we had the beach totally to ourselves.
Pelicans
By now, it was just after 8 am, and we were starving. So we headed back to the house for breakfast and a rest before heading into San Remo to watch the pelican feeding at the pier. The feeding is free, though they have a collection tin for donations. Feeding takes place every day at midday outside the fishing co-op.
The birds are not worried about the humans. We were roped off from the feeding area (not sure for whose protection, lol). One late pelican arrival just barged into the throng of people, pushing his way through the spectators to get to the feeding area.
Pyramid Rock
Later that afternoon, we headed to Pyramid Rock on Phillip Island. It would be a good sunset spot – and is on our list for next time. The walk to Pyramid from the carpark is an easy 800m return. It has only a slight elevation; even with tired legs from the morning’s stairs, we cruised it in.
We had a fabulous weekend at Phillip Island & San Remo and hope to go back again in the summer months.
Wilsons Promontory National Park, or ‘The Prom’, as it’s affectionately known, is the southernmost point of mainland Australia. It’s also a top-rated destination. It has stunning coastal scenery, pristine wilderness, massive granite mountains, open forests, rainforests, sweeping beaches, and abundant native wildlife. It serves to make Wilsons Prom a photographer and holiday delight.
Accom at the Prom
Accommodation ranges from camping, and caravans to huts, cabins, and lodges. The prom has become so popular in recent years that it has its own manned police station in the summer months at Tidal River. It’s a far cry from my first visit 35 yrs ago. There were no amenities for campers save for a lonely toilet block back then.
Yanakie
We stayed in Yanakie just outside ‘The Prom’ on this visit. The main reason is that the caravan park was right on Corner Inlet. So if the weather gods were kind to us, we could get sunrise right outside our cabins without leaving the park. Some of our group took that to heart and came out to shoot the sunrise in jammies, only a few feet from the cabins. Why get dressed? 🙂
The weather gods did indeed smile on us. We had a magical sunrise on Saturday morning from blue hour, red skies and golden hour.
Tidal River
After a hearty breakfast cooked in our cabins or the bush kitchen for those camping, we headed into the park and made our way to Tidal River. Following the sunrise, it had rained, but the sun was now out, and we had stunning blue skies (prom weather is highly changeable) The temp climbed to around 30C. We were all melting. sun hats, sunnies and find shade became the order of the day
By the time we got back to the general store for lunch, the weather had turned again. The temp had dropped around 10°, and we were all reaching for the jackets we discarded earlier.
Squeaky Beach
After lunch, we headed to Squeaky Beach, so named as the fine sand squeaks when you walk on it. By now, the weather had indeed turned, and a storm threatened, so our time was limited. Nevertheless, the sand had a fabulous array of colours, and little streams led across the sand to the water.
We stopped off at Picnic Bay lookout – didn’t do the walk as it looked too long with the skies threatening.
Agnes Falls
The weather wasn’t kind for either sunset or sunrise the following day. However, we decided to call in at Agnes Falls on home from Wilsons Promontory. Considering it was the end of summer, the amount of water flowing over the top wasn’t too bad.
The Great Ocean Road is one of my favourite road trip destinations. Loads to stop and see along the way, great lunch spots, and very, very changeable weather. We have had sunny, hazy days, cloudy overcast days, rainy days and one glorious sunny day. We have been chasing the elusive sunrise and sunset several times over the last few months.
Redwood Forest
Determined to get that ever-elusive sunrise/sunset, we travelled down the GOR in December, January and again in February…
Heading down in December, we stopped off at the Redwood Forest in the Otway Ranges. Beautiful Californian Sequoia Trees planted along the Aire River in 1939 now rise majestically up to a canopy towering above your head. The ground is covered with rusty red leaf litter; it’s a stunning, serene place to walk in, peaceful and silent like a cathedral of trees. The Aire River meanders through at the back, lined with tree ferns. It cascades across rocks and under fallen logs. Its vibe is otherworldly. You almost expect to see Frodo or Gandalf walk out.
Peterborough
Leaving the redwood, we skipped Apollo Bay and headed towards Princetown. Being the height of the Christmas period, the coast road was packed with tourists, so we had decided to stay a bit further along at Peterborough, passing the Twelve Apostles. The roads were lined with barriers to stop parking on the side of the road, LED signs in both Chinese and Australian, and gazillions of people swarming over the boardwalks and lookouts. Staying further along was looking like a great plan.
When we arrived in the sunshine, the following day was very grey and overcast. So we decided to beat the tourist buses by getting out early. It was nice and quiet, just a couple of others out, not cold, but overcast and windy, not the best weather.
Princetown
Skipping ahead a month, we went back in January. This time the sun was well and truly shining as we headed down
revisited all the stops that we did in December, as well as taking in Lorne, but this in lovely sunshine with blue skies
We were staying at Princetown itself this time. It is a sleepy little place with a tavern (with great food). Accom (very basic) and a general store that keeps surprisingly short trading hours had dinner at the tavern (great food) and then went to the twelve apostles for sunset wasn’t bad but still not a box ticked. I got back to the carpark well after dark and headed back to our accommodation at 9 pm, and everything was closed, a sleepy little place Accom (very basic), and a general store that keeps surprisingly short trading hours.
We were up for sunrise the following day at 5 am and should have stayed in bed. We were definitely out of luck or over-optimistic but going on the cars at the carpark, we weren’t the only ones that thought a sunrise at the twelve apostles on Great Ocean Road was a good idea.
ah well, there’s always February
It was our last full day in Queensland before heading home the next day, and we decided to drive down to Byron Bay, see the lighthouse, and visit the Crystal Castle. Set in the hinterlands above Byron Bay, Crystal Castle and Shambhala Gardens and rainforest with massive crystals brought across South America.
Byron Bay
We woke to beautiful sunshine. At around 5 am again. I had breakfast on the balcony and read for a while before heading off towards Byron Bay at around 8.00 am. It’s only 90 mins from the Gold Coast, and we were there by about 9.30 am. Arriving in Byron Bay, I couldn’t get over how busy it was. There were people out and about and heavy traffic everywhere. Don’t people sleep in Queensland? Heading up to the lighthouse, people out walking, pushing prams, jogging, I have never seen such activity at a lighthouse. It was like it was the central meeting point for everyone in Byron Bay. And it was only 9.30 am!
Byron Bay Lighthouse
The lighthouse has around three car parks, each higher and closer to the lighthouse than the last. We drove up to the top one the parking attendant!? directed us to an empty spot. So we got out, donned hats, grabbed cameras and joined the throng to walk up to the lighthouse. The lighthouse itself is a beautiful little castle-like building at the base with battlements overlooking turquoise and blue sea. We wandered around and down the other side to get shots from the lower vantage point.
Crystal Castle
We stopped for morning tea from the lighthouse, then headed up into the hinterlands. Just 20 mins from Byron Bay is the Crystal Castle and Shambhala Gardens. Entry is $25 and totally worth it. A memorial gate to Tori Johnson is inside the gates, donated by his family. Tori was tragically killed in the Lindt Cafe Siege in 2015.
I would have liked more time here to take in some of the daily events… we missed the music of the plants as by the time we had walked around the gardens, it was quite warm, and we wanted a chair and cold drink 🙂
The Stupa
The gardens are quite large, and to be done properly, and you really need a full day here. We stopped at the Peace Stupa and availed ourselves of the umbrellas dotted around for protection from the rain or sun while we enjoyed the music emanating from the Stupa.
with our walk around finished. We enjoyed a delicious lunch in the cafe before enjoying some retail therapy in the crystal shop. From there, it was back to the car and back to the apartment.
Our last night on the balcony, we finally took some night shots of the city lights. The next morning it was pouring with rain, and all the next week too, but we were home by then 🙂
We were still Rambling The Outback. After a very comfortable night’s sleep in the big king-sized beds at Mungo Lodge, I was up around 5.30 and out the door just after six. Along with Lisa and Amy, we jumped in with Roy and Julie and headed off to the Mungo Lookout for a sunrise. The location was average. It was recommended to us by John at reception as a good sunrise spot. It was for viewing the sunrise. But for, shooting a sunrise it left a lot to be desired. There is no foreground interest and miles and miles of endless flat plain to the sun on the horizon. In the future, when someone recommends a spot to me, I will ask, “are you a photographer” if the answer I no, I will disregard them!
Once the sun was up, we drove down to the Historic Shearing Shed just a few minutes down the road.
The woolshed
Paddy Melons
After about an hour, we headed back to mungo lodge for showers, breakfast and checkout. Breakfast was a delicious cooked buffet in the restaurant. Leaving Mungo, we came across Paddy Melons growing beside the road.
Paddy melon (Cucumis myriocarpus) and Afghan melon (Citrullus lanatus) is both prostrate annual melons germinating in spring and summer. Their growth is favoured by good moisture relations and bare or fallowed paddocks. Melons can stabilise areas prone to wind erosion and provide stock feed when food is scarce (although opinions vary greatly). Horse, sheep and cattle losses have been associated with eating the melon, but the smell of the plants generally makes them unpalatable. Dept of Agriculture
Dirt Roads
From Mungo, we were heading first to Balranald and then onto Swan Hill. Between Balranald and us lay 154kms of dirt road. According to google maps, it’s a 5-hour drive. Maybe they assume you are driving a horse and cart as we did it in just over 2 hours. Just out of Balranald, we finally got the bitumen back.
Swan Hill
We stopped off in Balranald for coffee and comfort stop and were then on our again. Finally, driving on lovely bitumen, we arrived in Swan Hill around midday. I popped into the motel and made sure all was ready for the arrival of those travelling behind us. Then headed over to the Pioneer Settlement and organised the tickets for the evening light show, settlement entry, and Pyap Paddlesteamer ride. We wandered around the settlement for a while, bumped into a few of the group who had arrived, took a paddle steamer ride and then headed back to the hotel to relax for an hour before dinner.
Dinner was at Spoons Restaurant beside the settlement. Sitting outside on the deck, the sky started to turn a glorious orange-red. Everyone started looking and then dashed off for a couple of shots with phones—fantastic sunset, and most of us there without cameras.
After a delicious dinner, we headed over to the settlement for the Heartbeat of the Murray Laser Show. Excellent show using water, laser, and sound, it recently won a prestigious multimedia award. With the closing of the show, we went back to our motel for the night; it was the end of a fabulous week We Got to know some people better and met others for the first time by the close of the week; we had all become closer, had a million memories, and about as many photographs 🙂 The following day it was packed up and headed home and back to ‘real life’. Thank you to all who took this journey with me.