Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

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The gale force winds last week drove the beach-eating waves ashore. Its aftermath is marked by a significantly changed coast line. Here are before and after pictures taken in February and today. We used to walk by this lifeguard house on our way to the beach. Before it was a gradual drop with the beach spreading out gently before us. Now it is a 5-6 foot drop with no way up or down.

Finding Nemo

We went snorkeling in a protected cay of the Great Barrier Reef. Right in front of us was the wilderness Hook Island Resort. It looked like a great place to stay,

It was a cloudy day so the water was not incredibly clear, but what a world underneath the water. We saw every color of fish and purple coral undulating in the waves. Nicole spotted a sea turtle that was so busy feeding he didn’t mind being observed with a bunch of people wearing flippers.

I saw several small fish with human teeth. What shocker! The fellows on the boat didn’t know what I saw so I have done some internet sleuthing. I believe that it is called a Pacu. I found this link that is close to what I saw, only much, much smaller. I think in one of my next lives I want to be a marine biologist because I think the GBR is a little bit like heaven.

Fantasy Island

When we began our descent to Hamilton Island I couldn’t help but notice that the runway began and ended in the Ocean. Da plane, Da plane! Boss! Keep going through my mind and I was carried back to the 1970’s show, Fantasy Island. Hamilton Island was a whirlwind fantasy. Where we went snorkeling, on long hikes, deep sea fishing, and a took wonderful sailboat ride into the sunset. The island was by no means rustic, every amenity including a handy golf cart for getting around. Most of the tourists were from Australia and some of the services were a little burly towards Americans. Not that I blame them. They rely on the tourist industry to survive, but would really rather keep this haven to themselves.

Brisbane at Night

We had a great time in Brisbane. Wednesday night we went to a Fulbright dinner at Griffith University on the South Bank. Emmanuel said a few words about his project and how much we love Australia. Hopefully, the future will hold more collaboration! The next night we went out walking, me with my tripod and Emmanuel with his patience. We took the City Cat Ferry to South Bank for a late dinner. While walking through South Bank the reflections Brisbane City lights on the water were amazing.

New Horizons

Last week-end I completed another photo course at Bluedog photography at Mt. Tamborine. We had a bit of theory in the morning, mostly about using a grey card to set exposure and how to adjust white balance. In the afternoon, we trekked down the into the rain forest. I work on a couple of compositions, but most significantly, I was struck by how the rain forest almost forces one to look at the very small details; the ethereal waters against the solid rocks, the canopy that only allows a trickle of light pass and the fallen timbers that can fascinate for hours. This is a tremendous depart from the vistas of the Southwest USA, where one is drawn to the far horizons to capture the play of color and depth of perception.