I first set foot on Achill Island, County Mayo a couple of years ago. At the time I was only a little aware of its significance in the life of Ireland’s beloved pirate queen, Gráinne Ní Mháillem (Grace O’Malley). In the last few months my awareness of this incredible woman and her place in sixteenth … Read more
These enigmatic and almost unnerving sponges around Edithburgh Jetty seem to me like some ancient sentinel lifeform left to observe the passage of evolution. When I think of them in that way it no longer seems strange that these are animals, not plants, and that it is more than likely that this sentinel began its … Read more
Australian beaches in summer are fabulous places to keep cool, so fabulous in fact that in some places they have to be closed for the safety of visitors not accustomed to reading the waves and surf and currents. For our tourist destination beaches I reluctantly agree this makes sense. Fortunately for us locals we have … Read more
This place is so close and yet so hidden. Our secret garden guarded by sea on every side. One lone bridge keeps the curious away. This is a place you really need to make an effort for. Torrens Island is so close and yet so detached from awareness that most South Australians are not even … Read more
There was a time long, long ago when I dived here armed with sturdy gloves and a catch-bag. What would ensue was a cat and mouse game of stealthy ambush; the hunter; the prey. Since the day I first took a camera underwater my catch-bag has stayed dry and now seeing crayfish brings me a … Read more
There is a swim-through from amidships to the bow on the wreck of ‘The Australian’ that is packed with bright orange bullseyes. It’s worth a dive here just to experience them parting then reforming behind you. The dark space and severe fish crowding make taking a photo here a real challenge. They are so close … Read more
This parched hillside in the Barossa Ranges caught my attention due to the interesting lines carved into the barren ground. As I got closer the ground began to wriggle and quiver like some larval infestation. It struck me how close to the truth that idea really was. The cause of those abstract striations revealed.
During yesterday’s commute home the view into the distance became muted in a wind driven dusty sky. Strange brown clouds billowed up from the horizon and the smell of dirty rain filled the air. I was not able to capture that initial apocalyptic feel as the rapidly changing clouds and sky shifted the mood but … Read more
The bright lights; they sneak around corners, steal our nights, fill the world with their indifferent scrutiny and threaten to expose our deepest secrets. Yet looking up I am reminded of the sun, of its nurturing warmth and the life it brings to the world. This this light I welcoming shining on me in the … Read more
There is not a single place on this planet where you could walk in a straight line (if possible) and not find your self on a seashore somewhere with a seemingly limitless expanse of ocean beyond. All paths really do lead to the sea.