Robert’s Ramblings

Yesterday was my first time back in the water here in South Australia this year, and boy did I experience a juxtaposition of diving worlds. From an Irish winter off the south-west coast of Kerry, where 9-degree water was the warmest place to be, to an Adelaide heatwave in the low to mid-40s and an ocean like bathwater.

Yesterday’s dive under Port Hughes jetty was like taking a 2-hour leisurely soak in a spa filled with beautiful marine life.

As Port Hughes is part of Spencer Gulf, it has so far been able to escape the algal bloom currently ravaging our local Gulf of St Vincent. Thank you, Diana and Amanda, for such a wonderful start to diving here in South Australia again.

Port Hughes has long been a favourite of local Adelaide divers and has one of the most prolific communities of cowfish that I know about. Here, both Shaw’s and ornate cowfish are lining up for a seafood dish of their own.


#cowfish #diving #OrnateCowfish #porthughes #scuba #shawscowfish #southaustralia #underwater

What the southern Irish underwater world lacks in fish, thanks to decades of overfishing, it makes up for in gorgeous benthic life.

Anemones thrive in the cold clear water here if sufficiently protected from the wild Atlantic and its storms. On deep walls down to well below 40 metres and on the protected sides of large bommies, the sight of these beautiful anemone gardens is wonderful. Quilt-work expanses of jewelled anemone are spectacular when lit up by torchlight, but my favourite by far are the dahlias (Urticina felina).

Dahlia anemones may look like flowers – and indeed beds of them remind me of a well-tended garden – but they are in fact predatory animals that sting and capture passing prey.

It’s funny how if a species has no economic value and has not suffered collateral damage from other human pressures, it thrives. Since diving in Kerry, I’ve had first-hand experience of witnessing this effect. Still, the garden remains beautiful and I look forward to my next visit.


#LemontounagherRock #CountyKerry #Ireland #winter #scuba #diving #DahliaAnemones #Urticinafelina

This morning I had to thaw my frozen weight belt off the bench, knock the icicle stalactites off my buoyancy harness and de-ice the car before heading off for today’s dive on Lemontounagher Rock (Lomán tSamhnach), near Puffin Island, Co Kerry.

Despite the cold, the sea was calm, the surface conditions perfect for diving – and I really enjoy the
camaraderie of sharing the icy conditions with like-minded, adventurous divers.

Lemontounagher Rock has spectacular walls and ravines covered in dahlia and jewel anemones, and it was the inspiration behind the image title: a brown/edible crab (Cancer pagurus), tending a garden of dahlias (Urticina felina).

This is my second Irish winter dive of the year. Yes, I got cold – very cold – and I ended my day out washing my dive gear outside in the falling snow. But despite the ardour of it sometimes, it always brings a smile to my face.


#BrownCrab #EdibleCrab #LemontounagherRock #CountyKerry #Ireland #winter #scuba #diving #DahliaAnemones #JewelAnemones

Two years ago Jennifer and I packed our suitcases, jumped on a plane, and left our Adelaide home to start a new life in Ireland. Thus fulfilling Jennifer’s long-time wish to return to the country of her birth and be with her siblings again.

The premise was simple. Let’s give it a go for two years and then see how we feel. Two years would give us a chance to meet people, experience the seasons, and really get to know whether we would like our new home.

Two years ago we landed on the doorstep of Jennifer’s sister and her husband. They welcomed us in, helped us integrate into the community, and generously shared their home with us until we eventually found a place of our own.

Two years in, I have grown much closer to my Irish family and have become integrated into adventure, sporting, art, and music communities both locally and further afield. Our experiences have been personal, rich, and rewarding, resulting in friendships I know will endure. I could not have imagined a better way to find my feet in this beautiful adopted country.

As we close out 2025, now two full years here in Ireland, I want to thank everybody we have met who has welcomed this Australian into your communities. Thank you all for your support, for your generosity, for your friendships, and for the craic. As a result, I think we will be staying, at least for a while.

Happy New Year to family and friends in all the countries we are connected to. May 2026 be awesome for you all!


#Ireland #Australia #emigration #home #family #generosity #travel #community #friendship #landscape #aerial

Throughout the year, the Annabella Roundabout in Mallow is a turning point in the everyday lives of Cork locals. On towards Buttevant or Charleville, or perhaps off to Kanturk, Banteer, or Rathmore. A right turn from Cork will take you into Mallow and perhaps on to villages beyond, such as Rahan or Killavullen.

Once a year, though, when Mallow brings its Christmas spirit to life, a glittering white deer adorns this very public space.

The history linking the famous white deer of Mallow Castle, of Queen Elizabeth I’s gift to the Norreys family in the late 16th century, and the obvious associations with colonialism have almost been forgotten. Today, the white deer of Mallow has been adopted by the people of Mallow and, through the spirit of Christmas, is seen as a symbol of goodwill to all.

This Christmas, spend time with your family if you are able, love them from afar if you can’t, and take time to reset and prepare for the year to come. I wish every one of you all the very best.

Happy Christmas.


#Mallow #Christmas #light #ChristmasLights #festive #bokeh #abstract #deer #whitedeer

Every time the massive body of a humpback whale surfaces next to me, the feeling is indescribable.

There is surprise, there is fear. I feel awe, exhilaration, and joy. Finally, after the moment has passed and the sea returns to its untroubled calm, I am filled with a deep sense of gratitude.

Combine these moments with one of the most beautiful seascapes in the world, and I realise how privileged this experience is, and how grateful I am to be here.


#Norway #humpback #whales #Skjervoy #travel #adventure #seascape #fjords

During our Norwegian adventure, the intimidating outline of Kvænangsfjellet, with its jagged nunataks towering over glacial couloirs, left me in awe every single time we passed beneath its looming presence.

Again and again, I am reminded of the impossibility of truly sharing the experience of presence when the surrounding world is as dramatic, as rugged, and as beautiful as the Norwegian fjords.

There are certainly much bigger teeth than the craggy canines of Kvænangsfjellet elsewhere, but this time, for me, I beheld the teeth of the world and was utterly spellbound by their majesty.


#Kvænangsfjellet #Norway #Skjervoy #travel #tourism #fjords #moutains #snow

Whale watching has become an industry in its own right. It makes sense to me. I feel it caters to a deeper need we all have to reconnect with the natural world. But why whales?

Dolphins and whales have always held a special place in my heart. They epitomise the idea that intelligent beings, perhaps as intelligent as ourselves, can live in harmony with the natural world without trying to bend it to their own will.

For some of us pursuing our own passions, chance encounters with these beautiful creatures have left their mark on the psyche. An encounter lasting only a few moments can become a lifetime memory, cherished and shared. I have been lucky enough to experience many such moments.

For those who aspire, who have the resources, and who yearn to reconnect, there is a growing industry willing and ready to help create your own memories through whale-watching expeditions. I’ve been there and have had wonderful experiences. Still, my most treasured memories have been those unplanned encounters, where a dolphin or whale has noticed me through its own curiosity, and the roles of watcher and watched have been reversed, on the other fin.


#whales #whalewatching #Norway #Skjervoy #travel #tourism #cetaceans #nature #orca

Finding the words is difficult.

Every moment spent in the company of these magnificent animals holds its own special magic.
Every moment immersed in the beauty of the Norwegian fjords is breathtaking.

Deep into twilight, with a rising moon lighting snow-capped mountains, the orca keep us company as we make our way home at the end of another extraordinary day.

There simply are no words…


#Norway #fjords #orca #moon #moonlight #seascape #landscape #travel #Skjervoy #winter

It is well into an Irish winter now and, as much as I am looking forward to festive time with family, I am missing that deep, dark water off the coast of south-west Kerry.

Here, with Richie and John, we are exploring the terrain off Doulus Head, out from Cahersiveen. It’s dark and it’s deep and it’s cold down here – but what a wonderful way to spend our time.

Irish winter, and its storms, will probably keep us land-locked for now, but soon enough we will all get back down deep again.


#scuba #diving #kerry #Cahersiveen #monochrome #torchlight #DoulusHead #Ireland