Kookaburras are one of my favourite birds. They always look so calm and wise sitting up high in solitude, like they know more about the world than we do. I’m sure they do. I can’t help but wonder what they think of us running around beneath their wings.

This work was commissioned by a lovely friend for her parents new home in Sydney.
// Watercolour and Graphite on paper

What better way to celebrate International Yoga Day than getting together with a group of wonderful people and practicing yoga high above the Calgary city skyline. Lole’s event was one of 60 celebrated in cities around the world. Everyone is asked to wear white as a symbol of peace. I was lucky enough to be invited along to capture some of the special moments. A big thank you to all the sponsors, teachers and volunteers who helped make the magic happen. Here are some of my favourite images from the evening…

 

The Great Ocean Road, along the Eastern South Coast of Australia is hands down one of the most amazing drives in the world. From some of the best surf breaks to hidden waterfalls the region is jam-packed full of things to explore and discover. I was lucky enough to find myself in Melbourne over the Easter weekend and extended my stay to travel down the amazing coastline. I have driven along the coast a few times before but I had never ventured in to the Otway National Park, where we found so many hidden gems at the end of cool rainforest drives. The region hasn’t seen much rain over the past few months and you could really see that through the landscape but that didn’t stop water flowing down the stunning waterfalls dotted around the map. Beauchamp Falls (below) surrounded in ferns was one of my favourites as well as Hopetoun and Lower Kalimna which you can explore behind.

Hiding just past Hopetoun Falls along an old logging road lies a patch of old Californian Redwood forest that blew my mind. With these beautiful giants surrounding you it feels like being transported to the other side of the world. Towering beside the Airie River everything is silent except for the soft crunch of golden leaves beneath your feet. The forest was planted as an experiment in the early 30’s and due to the climate and rich soils now stands over 60 metres tall. Just a bit further north near the small town of Forrest is the tranquil Elizabeth Lake. Formed over 50 years ago from flooding and rockfall, the lake now is home to a small population of Platypus. A trail runs around the boarder of the lake where you can watch out for their unique little bills amongst the tree sculptures in the lake.

After exploring the secrets of the Otway rainforest we decided to take the iconic coastal drive back, winding our way through the limestone and sandstone formations carved by the wind and seas. The Bay of Islands, Loch Ard Gorge and The amazing Twelve Apostles all glow in the afternoon golden light and make it a dream to photograph. The ever eroding forms change from each direction you look at them tricking your eyes and revealing new rocks as you wander along the dramatic cliffs. On our last night we perched ourselves up on Teddy’s Lookout above Lorne and watched others drive the amazing road that we had just explored. They say its not the destination but the journey that matters, but when you travel the Great Ocean Road they are one and the same.

For more information on this spectacular region please visit:
http://www.visitgreatoceanroad.org.au

When I was invited to Tropical North Queensland for four days alongside two of my favourite photographers Andrew Pavlidis, William Patino and the lovely Amy as our guide I was more than excited. I’ve explored along the Southern side of the East Coast of Australia quite a bit but have never had the chance to get any higher than the Sunshine Coast! As you can imagine the images that came to mind first were sparkling flat beaches filled with coral islands but what we were about to explore could not have been more different and like nothing I have ever seen before.
From Cairns we headed west on the Savannah Way,  a series of highways that cuts through the middle of Australia linking Cairns to Broome. Any time you head inland in Australia you tend to expect dry red soil, but up in the tropics in green season, well its definitely green! The smells from the Eucalypt forests and the humming crickets welcomed us as we entered the Chillagoe – Mungana Caves National Park. Bouncing along the corrugated dirt roads you can see these amazing limestone structures plunging out of the earth around you but we had no idea what was underneath them until we were greated by Mick from Queensland Parks.  Mick guided us through the labyrinths and the beautifully lit walls of the caves in the area. It was like stepping down into another world.

We then headed South to Undara with many stops to let cattle meander off the roads. Undara has an incredible volcanic history and the evidence can be seen today through the series of underground lava tubes. Undara was a volcano that existed millions of years ago and when it erupted the top layers of lava cooled enough to insulate a tube of lava flowing away from the volcano. When all the lava flowed out it left a tube over 100km in length. Now broken up and home to thousands of cheeky bats, you can explore the sections on the tubes via the Undara Experience. As apart of this experience the lovely staff put on a ‘bush breaky’ under the gumtrees complete with freshly brewed billy tea and toast on the fire. I wish this is what I woke up to every morning!

The last section of our trip was spent exploring the amazing waterfalls in the Atherton Tablelands. With our windscreen wipers on high speed and our raincoats on it was the perfect day to see the Milla Milla, Millstream and Nandroya falls at their best! After a long day we were greeted by possum friends at the Canopy Tree Houses, five incredible rainforest structures set high over a winding stream. I wish Amy and the boys had forgotten me there.

Links to get more information about these amazing places:
http://tropicalnorthqueensland.org.au/
http://www.nprsr.qld.gov.au/parks/chillagoe-caves/
http://undara.com.au
http://www.canopytreehouses.com.au

And make sure you check out Will and Andrew’s blogs!

Travelling through New Zealand is a dream. The landscapes are second to none and so diverse for such a small island. The people are beautiful, there are no dangerous animals that will eat you while you are camping (except for the sandflies) and you can get an amazing coffee anywhere!

Last year Andrew and I were lucky enough to travel pretty extensively through the South Island and early this year like addicts we went back for more, this time leaving two weeks to explore Northland. One of the things I was looking forward to most in the North Island were visiting some glow worm caves! We did some research and decided to head off the mainstream route and visit the Nikau Caves, less than 90 minutes drive southwest of Auckland. This was one of the best decisions we made and a real highlight of the trip.

We met up with Phillip and Anne, the owners of the Nikau Cave and Cafe and they sent us off across the sheep paddocks to find the cave entrance. The property is still a running sheep farm and hard to believe there’s any sort of cave around, but sure enough after a short stroll with our helmets and torches in hand we started heading down and what we found was unbelievable…

You can find out more about New Zealands glow worms and the Nikau Cave experience here: http://nikaucave.co.nz/cave/new-zealand-glow-worm-arachnocampa-luminosa/