Staying so close to a beach I just had
to make the effort to get at least one sunrise over the sea. Back home
I am surrounded by tall trees so although I do see colour in the sky it
is short lived and unsuited to a photograph. This was my opportunity!
It was cold! Further south they are
having snow and blizzards and the chill reached up to us this
morning! Brrr! However I resisted the urge to snuggle down into the
bedclothes and dressed in warm fleece and waterproof jacket to sheild
from the wind I lugged my heavy tripod and my trusty Nikon across the
sand dunes to the beach. The dune ground cover didn't offer an
interesting foreground interest so I had to let the sky take centre
stage. What looked as though it would be a spectacular display turned
out to be a disappointment with clouds racing in and denying me a
sight of the sun rising. However I did get quite a few pretty shots,
thanks to my 200mm lens.
It was great to return to a hot shower
and breakfast! An invigorating start to the day!
On the way out for our day's
exploration, we stopped briefly to take a couple of pictures of the
smallest Post Office in NSW. It looks as if one of the veranda
railings has been broken and temporary plastic fencing put up to stop
customers falling off !
This is the Empire Vale post Office on
the Richmond River a few kilometers from Wardell. Empire Vale is a
tiny little town – a “blink and you'll miss it” town. Colin and
I drive through Empire Vale every day either on the way out or on the
way back to the caravan park when we choose not to use the ferry
across the river.
Our car trip took us first to Evans
Head where we first visited a small sandy bay that even on this cool
morning attracted a couple of young boys who, when we were leaving,
were splashing happily in the waters edge.
Driving up the hill above this beach we
were able to look down on the attractive coastline. Evans Head is a
very popular (quiet) holiday destination. I can see why.
On the way to see another holiday
destination I took a turn into what was signed as Shark Bay Picnic
Grounds and when we left the car we were surprised to hear the sound
of many young children. We did not intrude on the groups of children
and their teachers but it appeared that an entire school was being
conducted here in on the lawns of the picnic area or on the beach and
the subject was evidently Aboriginal culture. One group was playing
rhythm sticks and chanting and another group were busy painting on
sheets of paper spread on the ground using sticks and fingers, The
Aboriginal flag was suspended between the branches of one of the low
trees.
When we arrived in Iluka, Colin and I
walked into the Heritage Listed Rainforest which is right against the
beach. Voluteers have spent many hours removing domestic plants from
the rainforest that had threatened to smother everything. Asparagus
fern is one of those plants – it spreads rapidly and has wicked
thorns on it too.
As we drove in to the town of Iluka we
drove through patches of rainforest, eucalypt forest and maleluca
forest, it was amazing how the pattern of trees kept changing. I
could not understand why the little patch of rainforest that was in
the township should have been heritage listed and not the forest on
the drive in to the town (that did not appear to be filled with feral
plants). There must be a reason.
Iluka has a fishing fleet of trawlers
and after taking a couple of pictures I amused myself by trying to
catch a shot of the terns as they dived for fish in the adjacent
yacht harbour. I only caught the splash!
AJ
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