This is place I write about travel to old and new places and reveal what I'm learning on my photographic journey - in a more detailed and nuanced way than social media allows.
This journal is going where the mood takes me, so expect a variety of content. Some posts will be photo-technical, others may veer into philosophical, but a priority is sharing my photo travel adventures and search for wildlife with you, which is enormously rewarding and full of surprises!
What I enjoy most about photography is its ability to motivate me to get out into nature, be present in the moment, and see my surroundings with fresh eyes. This also means slowing down the mind and becoming focused - which is not always easy to do in today's modern world. Photography is my meditation, bringing a sense of calm and restoring balance.
Coming up in 2024 I will be visiting quite a few places, kicking off with a little camping trip in February to Beowa National Park, located near Eden, NSW and just a short drive drom my home. The kayak will be given a few runs in the lagoon of Saltwater Beach Creek and I hoping to finally crack that Ground Parrot shot that has been eluding me! Beowa rarely disappoints, with its huge variety of terrain, rugged ocean views and high bird count.
Then I'm off to outback NSW. Planning to stay at the amazing Mungo National Park to experience the Penumbral Lunar Eclipse happening at the end of March and explore the Balranald region with 6 other photographers, it's going to be a blast!
A Penumbral Eclipse is when the moon moves through the faint shadow of the earth, dimming the light from the sun for a period. Not a hugely dramatic event like a blood moon eclipse, but Mungo is the perfect surreal location to take in this subtle natural phenomena. Besides which, it's the only eclipse, solar or lunar, for 2024.
Plus the birding in that region is pretty spectacular too! Parrots!
Other destinations for this trip include Lake Tyrell, Yanga Lake Red Gum Bird Hide and Murrumbidgee River. The Red Gums are captivating with their sheer size and gnarled form, so the landscape lenses will also get a work out.
In May I'm off to Bali and Lombok as a first-time visitor to Indonesia. I'll be staying in West Bali for 6 nights before flying to Lombok for 10 days, with a driver to cart me around the island looking for birds. Of course I am super-excited and busy researching potential birding destinations - any tips or recommendations would be most welcome!
As usual I'll be making frequent short trips around my 'extended backyard' from the Eurobodalla to the Sapphire Coast and south to East Gippsland. There's still a surprising amount of places I haven't been to after many years in the region.
Also hoping to sneak at least a week in at another of my favourite destinations, the mid-north Coast. Specifically Crescent Head and the magnificent birding opportunities of Killick Creek estuary, where Ospreys and Brahminy Kites reign supreme.
Travels aside, I'm reviving my neglected Youtube channel, sitting inert since the days of short video production for clients. I'm busy brushing up on my editing skills and looking forward to taking my story telling to a new level. Short videos will be posted to my blog, as well as snippets to my socials, to notify my followers of the latest trip or blog entry.
I hope 2024 brings us all a fantastic adventure-filled year with lots of birding, great shots and happy memories to enjoy forever.
Let's get the flock out of here!
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