Entries by Robert

This walker will have walked more than three and a half kilometers by the time he returns from his stroll to the end and back.

At nearly two kilometers, Busselton Jetty is the longest wooden jetty in the world and a drawcard to this region three hours south of Perth.

I dived here more than twenty years ago but unlike our local jetty dives, the only sensible way to get to the end of the jetty is by boat.

I don't really remember much about what we found here beneath the waves so long ago. I think I remember seahorses. I certainly remember many of fish species here were the same as those back home.

I am certain no one was diving here today with turbid cappuccino water crashing around the pylons and onto the beach.

Perhaps this guy is a diver making the longest walk to the end and back instead.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'The Longest Walk' 1/250s f/10 ISO100 50mm

Australia has a bit of a reputation for having some of the 'Largest' things in the world.

Often these are kitsch representations of some local industry or icon like 'The Big Pineapple' or 'The Giant Koala; you get the idea.

When I was told I was about to see the worlds largest coin (legal tender) in the Perth Mint I was not expecting what I was about to see.

One thousand kilograms of 99.99% pure gold crafted into a single legal tender coin with a face value of one million dollars and a true gold value well over $54,000,000.

I considered for a moment if there was a way I might roll it out of there but suspect its shear weight is all the theft protection it needs.

Australia might have a lot of kitsch 'Big' things but this coin is not one of them.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'One Million Dollars' 1/80s f/1.4 ISO2500 50mm

In 1892 William Ford and Arthur Bayley had been prospecting near the Western Australian country town of Coolgardie.

Their story tells how one evening their bush camp was swept away by a flash flood. In their dismay, vowing they'd had enough, they searched for all their scattered belongings with the intention of quitting.

In their searching amid the freshly exposed ground they discovered gold. A total of 16kg of gold for two men who had given up all hope.

William and Arthur are officially credited with starting the first Western Australian gold rush and this statue, sculpted by Western Australian artist Greg James, stands outside the Perth Mint in tribute to their 'strike' and the ensuing wealth for the state of Western Australia.

Photo: Robert Rath, 'The Strike' 1/3200s f/1.8 ISO100 50mm

There were no belfries anywhere in sight but that did not stop the fruit eating, wing flapping, throat screeching foxlike locals from taking up residence in the tree next door.

For the most part they were good neighbors, kept the music down, their garden tidy and were not partial to dropping burnouts in the street or even encouraging such behavior.
For most part we lived harmoniously as good neighbors might; until ... a fight broke out.

You could tell the signs well in advance as one bat happily supped nectar another would start to taunt.

First there was the inconspicuous upside down and sideways shuffle getting almost shoulder to shoulder before a sharp wack of a wing sent the offender off in a screech.
The second time the screeching began even before they could swipe each other. An exchange of wing wacks ensued leaving the defender hanging and the offender flapping madly in thin air.
The third time it was all out war with screeching and flapping and leaves flying.

Then like magic they both find their own nectar laden flowers and settle down as if nothing ever happened.

That would not have been so bad if it had happened only once, twice or a handful of times.
Instead, we had a hundred fruit bats squabbling over and over for an hour or more as afternoon turn to dusk.
Then as night fell all became silent.

They were good neighbors after all.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Just Hanging' 1/100s f/4 ISO160 280mm

There is a blue out there in the open ocean that can't be described. When that black water is filled with a luminous glow, the bright sunlight reflected by millions and millions of tiny particles suspended.

That blue glow, softly caressing, beguiling, comforting me, encouraging me to follow, down and down and down to follow these gentle beasts as they dive.

The ache in my lungs forgotten, the pressure in my ears ignored, that gentle blue glow, that hypnotic blue glow, like a siren's song begs me follow as the gentle beasts descent below.

Softy at first, then louder and louder like Cloister Bells in the halls of Gallifrey a warning sounds. This beautiful blue place is not all it seems having drawn me down here to a depth I should not be.

I look up but all that I see is that gentle blue glow, every direction that gentle blue glow and those warning bells louder and louder.

The enchantment broken, the whales now gone, alone in this luminous blue I start the long swim back to the surface again.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Into The Blue' 1/320s f/7.1 ISO160 15mm

Everything we see around us is relative to everything else we see around us. Small is smaller than big, huge is bigger than large and minuscule is smaller than tiny.

All meaningless really without the context of everything we are comparing everything else with.

To me this makes macro images so interesting because our whole paradigm of comparison becomes useless.

When I look at an image created under a microscope my mind desperately tries to relate what is sees to things we know. More often than not I see things that match objects I am more familiar with.

In this case I however I have the upper hand. I observed my subject from a distance in the world of 'the normal', swam up close to it (there's a hint for you) then photographed a small part in macro.

Of course its a collection of orange pebbles in rice, ... or is it?


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Orange Pebbles in Rice' 1/160s f/22 ISO320 100mm

I'm not the only one drawn to the mystery of the nooks and crannies of the world.

Just like me these paddlers want to know what's inside Swallows Cave.

Just like me the darkness piques their curiosity, leads them to explore the cracks and the fissures and the places the light can't reach.

A short while later, when they had seen all they thought there was to see they paddled back out into the stark sunlight again.

What's curious is they never saw me floating here in the watery darkness observing their explorations.

I wonder what else is down here, never seen, observing all of us.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Watery Grotto' 1/30s f/3.2 ISO1600 15mm

We came across a few of these Yellow Paper Wasps, Polistes olivaceus, while in Tonga.

A couple hung around our house, often cruising through the un-shuttered kitchen before heading out into the trees again.

I do wonder how they came to be here. Did they hitch-hike on some vessel or were they blown by the winds from mainland Asia to finally make a home here.

Next time I meet an entomologist I will remember to ask how far flying insects can travel and maybe shed a little light this one's story.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Yellow Paper Wasp' 1/160 f/7.1 ISO400 280mm

Blue water fan, a Tongan man, returning to his place of birth.
Searching eye, a pirates smile, you've chosen to share your self.

Ballerina you should have seen him dancing in that blue.
Now he's with me, always with me, tiny dancer in my head.

Oh how it feels surreal being here, remembering you,
only you, and I can see you, and I can feel you ...

Show me, show me tiny dancer.
Count the moments that you gave.
Lay me down in sheets of sunlight.

We had a wondrous day that day


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Tiny Dancer' 1/160 f/10 ISO320 15mm

A tiny fin breaks the surface as the waves all around flatten in a way they disquiets the soul. Below a dark shape looms beneath the oddly stilled water.

Without warning the tiny fin rises to becomes a massive black life-scarred body. Larger and larger until my vision is filled by an animal that could drown us all in an idle gesture.

Then in the gentlest of movements the leviathan arches to dive. It's massive body flowing up and over and down back into the depths again.

For a while we gazed at that expanse of stilled water where moments before a giant had been before the ocean reclaimed its own and the waves returned.

Photo: Robert Rath, 'Leviathan' 1/2000 f/5 ISO160 160mm

Like a tribal decoration, elegant, ornate and with a geometry only nature could devise you hang there in the evening gloom of a dark and cold sea.

Oh so patient with your paparazzi fan, lilting this way and that way you tease me. Some times eager to show your best side and sometimes not wanting to be seen from any side.

Despite your generosity, having had enough of my terrestrial intrusion, gently you drift back into the algae and the sea-grasses to once more resemble nothing more than their gently sway back and forth on the ocean floor.


Leafy seadragon, Phycodurus eques, Rapid Bay


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Tribal Decoration' 1/160s f/13 ISO320 100mm

At the end of a big day out on the ocean we all get together to eat and to drink and to talk about our adventures.

At the end of a big day out on the ocean the boats all get together too. I wonder if there is some hidden spirit in those wooden hulls that look over and protect their human occupants when they take to sea.

I wonder if those same spirits, if indeed they exist, share their own experiences of the day.

Regardless, they look so tranquil here as they rest in protective waters until tomorrow when we will all head out into the ocean again.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Until Tomorrow' 1/30s f/4.5 ISO1600 17mm

Imagine for a moment you are battleship engaged in some mortal cat and mouse game with an enemy submarine.

Suddenly out of the deep blue gloom a long grey torpedo shaped object comes into view heading directly for midships.

With no time for evasive maneuvers, counter measures are your only hope now.

Closer and closer it gets until you realise it is not a torpedo after all. It is the submarine about to ram you!!

Ok, so I have played up the drama just a little but actually having 25 tonnes of grey ballistic whale swimming directly at you comes with its own unique combination of fear, panic, distress, acceptance and joy.

In the future if I ever find myself targeted by a large grey underwater ballistic object I sincerely hope it is a humpback whale.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Ballistic Joy ' 1/125s f/6.3 ISO160 15mm

Some moments are beyond words, beyond description.

In this moment the ocean's murky gloom fell away as mother brought her newborn calf out of the deep water towards the light and the life-giving air above.

In this moment I forgot I was hanging in a vast ocean far away from my everyday life. All that mattered here and now were these two beautiful creatures.

We watched her guide baby to the surface, gently nudging this way and that way and then down into the deep water again.

It's not unusual to see a creature care for its young but the way she brought baby into our view, the way she caressed it just like a proud parent and then the way she took baby away to the safety of the deep water again, to me this was not instinct but pride and intellect and love.

This was one of those moments.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Love' 1/250s f/8 ISO320 15mm

One night at dinner I described how I planned to swim out into the harbour at night and capture our home away from home as a long exposure in the starlight.

Later that night when all was quiet I put my camera attached to a small tripod on top a boogie board and gently slipped out into the water.

I'm not sure what I was thinking that night. Even at my highest ISO it was not possible to make out our waterfront villa shrouded in darkness and despite how calm the evening was, even the tiniest movement of the water sent the lens peering off into an infinite variation of contorted directions.

Not one to give up on an idea I took the time to play with ideas, point the camera in other directions and experiment all the while being super careful as the camera was NOT in its housing.

This is the image that finally worked for me that night. It is the view looking back at the lights of the township of Neiafu while floating 10cm above the water.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Drunken Neiafu' 8s f/4 ISO1600 40mm

If I talk about coral gardens there are three ways the conversation might go.

The first, that corals are in the ocean and so you must find them everywhere.

The second, that corals are in the tropical oceans and so you only get to see them in exotic locations.

The third comes from an understanding that corals are part of all ocean eco-systems and indeed you do find them everywhere.

I love the irony, that the first and last ideas are so similar and so right while a little bit of knowledge completely compromises the reality.

This beautiful coral head just happens to be in the warm waters off a secluded northern beach on the island of Vava'u. We spent an afternoon here in the sun and in the ocean winding down, away from the boats and the people.

While snorkeling I noticed many coral heads were almost perfectly round reminding me of planets in a sky of sand, rock and water. My mission became one to find the most perfectly rounded planet and capture its image.

Yes we have corals here back home in South Australia as there are everywhere but nothing like the coral planets of Vava'u.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Coral Planet' 1/400s f/7.1 ISO160 15mm

Twenty metres below us the pair just hung there on the bottom, motionless, a strange stillness in an ever moving ocean.

A silhouette against the white sand, too far down to make out their detail, not so deep as to be hidden from our gaze. Almost as if they wanted our attention.

It was their interactions that opened my mind and my heart to these beautiful creatures. Here in this quiet moment the sense of shared stillness, of being together in that moment was overwhelming.

Like being with a best friend, not talking, each in our own thoughts, reading or drawing or perhaps engaged in some other quiet activity yet with a pervading unspoken underpinning oneness.

In these humpback whales, off the island of Fofoa, Vava'u I felt a kinship, a sense of equals and perhaps even the respect of a cherished mentor.

I am so grateful for my time here with these beautiful beings and their gentle reminder to cherish togetherness.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Togetherness' 1/400s f/7.1 ISO160 15mm

'Play with me', the whale suggested as he circled the girl closer and closer.
How do you play with a creature 400 times your diminutive frame?

'Play with me', the whale intoned with a soundless expression and an oh so gentle nudge.
How do you not panic, how do you trust being pushed through the water by a 25 tonne stranger?

'Play with me', the whale delighted as they parried to and fro.
How can you not be moved to your core by a being both so alien and so equal?

'Play with me', the whale bemoaned as he followed her back to the boat.
How can you leave such a beautiful moment? You can't, it has changed you, will be forever with you.

I'm sure George (the whale) and Jasmine (the girl) had a thing going on.

We all had an extraordinary time with George that day, a day we will treasure forever.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Jasmine and the Whale' 1/1000s f/7.1 ISO160 15mm

And this little piggy went 'we, we, we, we, all the way home'!

While in Vava'u we saw pigs, lots and lots of pigs everywhere.

In fact the maximum speed of 70Kph is almost redundant as everyone drives as if pigs both large and small are about to dart out across the road. Judging by the look of many cars the drivers have learned this lesson experientially.

Even when mum's crossed and a handful of piglets have followed it's best to wait a moment or two for the runt hiding in the bushes.

The reason the locals leave their pigs run wild is simple, the pigs can forage for food wherever they like, meaning the owners do not have to pay for or worry about food.

The down side to letting your pigs roam wild is perhaps obvious. Let's just say, 'what goes around comes around'.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'This Little Piggy' 1/250s f/2.8 ISO160 140mm

When ever I come across a cave, be it on the side of a cliff, deep in the ocean or perhaps somewhere right in the middle of those two worlds I wonder, 'what lives in there?' and feel an urgent need to explore.

Swallows Cave, on the Island of Kapa, Vava'u, did not disappoint my curiosity.

We had come to the end of our fist day on the water and we were all tired of getting in and out of the water over and over and over again.

Yes it was exciting to see so many humpback whales for the very first time. The first fleeting glimpse of diving flukes in the water were just as thrilling as our skipper dropped us into the oncoming path of a pair of large males.

But all day long it was the same; drop in, catch a glimpse, get back in the boat and and repeat.

Entering the cave were greeted by a glittering school of baitfish. Like some organic thermoclyne they held their position in that upper layers until the very last moment, gently parting to make way as we swam through.

The water was still and clear, the dappled diffuse light gentle and we experienced a serenity which washed away the jagged edges of a frantic day.

We never did come back to Swallows Cave after that first day but I'm glad we got to visit and swim here.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Swallows Cave' 1/500s f/3.2 ISO1600 15mm

'Tag me if you can!', a school yard taunt remembered from long ago. Yet here we are again playing that game of dare, chase and tag on a scale un-imagined from a landlocked childhood.

Who would have thought we would encounter Humpback whales both adept and eager to play our boyhood game.

We'd swim away and they would chase getting oh so close as near enough to snort, 'tagged you, you're it!'. W'ed chase them back and the two big males would frolic just out of range long enough to prove who's winning here before accepting the tag again.

We played this game over and over until we were worn out and they were just getting started. Finally they both chased us back to the boat and with one last snort declared 'tagged you, you're it'.

We left with 'the tag', I'm sure we left them with whale winning grins.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Tag Me' 1/320s f/10 ISO320 15mm

Sometimes I wonder just who was checking out who!

No sooner had we arrived here and two large humpback whales appeared about 100m away. As soon as we realised they were heading straight for our boat there was a mad scramble for masks, fins and cameras.

They came closer; 50m, 25m, 10m and then the pair dove and disappeared. This disappearing act was something we had grown used to as the whales often dive under our boat if we stop in their path.

Suddenly without warning one massive head rose right next to the boat, its nose more 2m out of the water. A moment later a second just as enormous head rose next to the boat and we had two unblinking fathomless eyes gazing back at us for a time before quietly sinking back into the water again. Clearly this was an invitation.

Once we were in the water these two large males turned the tables on us. I felt like we were now the subject of their curiosity and if they had had iPhones they'd be taking selfies with the humans and and texting their mates!

We were all circled and observed from every angle. On one occasion when I dived deep to get a view from below the pair dove down, corralled me then followed me back to the surface in a spiraling ascent of three, the two getting closer and closer to me almost embracing me with their huge pectoral fins as we ascended. It felt like they were making sure I returned safely to the surface again.

This was another extraordinary experience where I felt that these beautiful animals were complicit in the exchange of a shared experience of each other.

We should not need moments like these to nurture love and respect for these wonderful creatures but if it were possible I wish every human could experience the humpback whales of Vava'u as I now have.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Just Check'n You Out' 1/160s f/10 ISO320 15mm

The the big male far below me had already started blowing bubbles on his last descent. As his stream of bubbles ascended from below it expanded and divided over and over like some roiling cauldron until the ocean became a sea of bubbles telling of his progress far beneath me.

As I watched all five whales had aligned in a column from the big bubble blowing male below through to the week old calf at the surface. It was an awesome sight to see these beautiful creatures come together this way.

As had happened many timea before, I expected the group to pick up just a little speed to leave us behind. This is the normal behavior for male escorts, a mix of dominance and protection for the mother and calf. This time however something unexpected happened.

The mother and calf continued gently on their way while the other three turned towards the surface. As we swam and the three big whales rose it seemed like they were intent on a collision while all the while the big male's bubbles seemed to blow harder and more violently. They all rose together directly underneath us enveloping us in foaming white-water and completely obscuring our vision. Amidst all the bubbles and confusion three large bodies surface just in front of us with tail flukes in our faces. Despite the showy ascent, all three broke the surface gently, arched their backs and gently slid back down away from us into the depths below.

What a show! Perhaps it was their way of saying we had overstayed our welcome, perhaps they were just having fun with us. Regardless we decided to leave them on their way.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Deep Five' 1/40s f/7.1 ISO160 15mm

'Don't go in there' he said as he swam back from the gates. Unspoken, we both perceived the gauntlet drift downward to the ocean floor below.

For a while we watched and we waited until during a brief lull in the waves we quietly slipped through.

It was so intense in that crazy place, always on our guard and never knowing where the next onslaught would come from.

We lingered as long as we dared then slipped unnoticed out the back in to the world of wind and sunshine again.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'LL in the Underworld', 1/60s f/7.1 ISO640 15mm

We followed these three humpback whales on the surface for a while as they played their own games, indifferent to our attempts to get their attention.

On one particular drop the three dived in unison and came to rest around 20m below the surface where for a while they remained in this beautiful group cuddle, gently sliding their massive bodies across one another.

Finally they split out from this loving embrace to glide gently back to the surface again.

Behavior like this is a beautiful reminder just how social humpback whales can be and if I can be so bold to suggest, affectionate and loving.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Ménage à Trois', 1/160s f/6.3 ISO320 15mm

The day I met George was one of the most magical moments in my life. It was an experience I will relive, will reflect upon and treasure for the rest of my life, ... but I am getting ahead of myself.

It was our second day in the waters just off the west coast of the island of Vava'u in the Kingdom of Tonga and our first day with Vinney our Tongan skipper. That morning during our briefing Vinney described to us how he had prayed the night before for the insight and the guidance that would bring us to the whales but he also told of his respect for the will of the oceans and the whales regardless of our success or otherwise. We knew then we had someone special leading our little expedition.

It was late morning when we spotted George, a young male humpback whale lounging on his own in open blue water. Our excitement was palpable but subdued as until now all our encounters with these graceful giants were fleeting, barely lasting a few seconds and most in poor visibility. This whale did not move on as we slowly drew near. In fact an enormous pectoral fin slapping the water seemed to welcome us as the four of us and our guide slipped into the water.

At first George just seemed happy enough for us to swim around him as he rolled from side to side slapping the water with those massive fins. It was obvious he was happy for our company so I positioned myself a few meters away in front and a little below to photograph the proceedings from what I thought would be a safe distance. Perhaps George's interest increased as he became more comfortable with, perhaps it was something else. What ever the reason this whale decided it was time to play.

Imagine a 25,000 kilogram 12 meter whale eyeing you off and begin swimming directly towards you. Remembering the safety instructions of the briefing you tell yourself remain motionless, tucking in arms and legs for protection when every instinct is screaming 'run'. All the while trying to be mindful to not touch or interfere in any way. At the last moment the whale appears to dive underneath but then lifts you gently onto its head, the pressure of moving water and whale gently holding you there.

This was one of the most terrifying moments of my life but at the same time I was completely struck with how effortlessly and gently I was brought up to the surface, rolled over to his left and let me slide off. As he rolled back to the right I found myself staring into that big beautiful searching eye. For a moment I was lost in that unfathomable gaze but then he rolled further over as he swam and I realised I was being guided down that expansive white belly out of harms way of his two massive pectoral fins.

The last part of George I saw as he continued his roll was that enormous tail fluke. I experienced another moment of terror as I realised the damage that tail was capable of, but it was was short lived as he gently swished that enormous fluke out of harms way leaving me tumbling in his wake.

The extremes and the intensity of emotions I felt, the profoundness of what just happened, the shear inability to even comprehend it all left me shaken. It was as if George new I needed a moment to compose myself but when I had he headed straight back for another round!!

We spent quite some time with George before we had to leave him. Each of us had just experienced something exquisite, something very personal and something very rare. My gratitude for George's gift to all of us that day and for Vinney finding him out there is something I will cherish forever.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'George's Gift', 1/400s f/6.3 ISO320 15mm

I'd already wandered around the grounds of Mandalay House for more than an hour.

I Imagined spaces full of celebration and laughter, then quiet contemplative souls seeking the healing salve of a peaceful garden juxtaposed with the focus of the gardener creating, shaping and nurturing.

... and then I saw her.

She did not move as she sat on that cold stone plinth untroubled by rain or sun or birds.

Oh to be able to sit so still, at least for a little while and enjoy the sunshine and the garden of Mandalay House.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Untroubled by Rain or Sun', 1/800s f/1.4 ISO400 50mm

One of the things we have come to love, expect, admire, desire and despise are mass produced products from China.

Walk into any shoe shop 40 years ago and you were probably in a family business with an assortment of very different looking shoes to ponder and shoes from.
Most of the shoes on display would have been locally made with just a smattering of imported ones, usually Italian, in the more upmarket stores.

My next door neighbor often talks about the good old days working for local Adelaide shoe manufacturer, Clarks Shoes. He talks about the artistry of the 'last', the skill of buying the best leather and the workmanship of crafting each shoe. He made it very clear you did not need to be Italian to craft fine shoes though in his case a little person heritage might just have made a difference.

Soon the conversation veers north. Initially he talked of the buying of materials from China, then finally to the decline and transition to importing everything.
The workers retired or transitioned into other equally fragile manufacturing industries. The wonderful shoe-making machinery was either sold or discarded for scrap and a once vibrant local industry disappeared.

Now when we walk into a department store and see the same shoes replicated over and over down an isle, all we really see is cheap and made in China.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Made In China', 1/800s f/1.4 ISO400 50mm

There's more than one story here.

There is a great chalice subtly placed in the centre of the frame so as to not draw too much attention.

At first I thought that the golden underside was from years of being handled but then noticed the copper tones and tarnished bronze around the rim.

Perhaps it was made that way, perhaps it became that way or perhaps it was restored that way.

What ever its history, it is just one of many stories here.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'Stories', 1/250s f/2.8 ISO160 50mm

Roman had a life long dream to come to Australia, to visit Uluru, the Australian outback and to experience as close to true wilderness as possible.

He's used to rugged terrain, to challenging climbs and to the demands of the trail but in his home near Salzburg the mountains are full of people, full of habitation and no place is truly wild.

As beautiful as the lakes and snow covered mountains of his home in the Austrian Salzkammergut are they are such a part of daily life that they ironically become just part of the local scenery.

We started out from Adelaide by car, made our way up through Coober Pedy, through to the red center of this great continent and then out west to Ulurua and Kata Tjuta. We spent a little time around the beautiful Kings Canyon before undertaking the long road trip back to Adelaide again. No matter where we were, on the highway, Uluru, Kata Tjuta, or on the ridgeline of Kings Canyon we always stopped to experience the sunset and marvel in the extraordinary places we found ourselves.

Despite his desire to to experience just how vast Australia is I think he was glad to see the end of many thousands of Australia kilometers driving or as a passenger watching the country rolling by.

Back in Austria again I am sure he remembers the sunsets, has forgotten the long kilometers and will cherish his time here.


Photo: Robert Rath, 'When Boyhood Dreams', 1/25s f/16 ISO160 15mm