Lying Low At Richmond

Had been planning a country drive with Mark Nolan from the Sutherland Shire Amateur Photographers Society and after a number of cancellations finally made it to the Richmond Lowlands. We were hoping for some fog which never eventuated but the location is a great spot for tree lined driveways, fence rails and ponds and of course it's close to one of my favourite spots, the Paulownia Plantation.

The Autumn colour was still clinging determinedly to many of the trees scattered throughout the properties and we spent a considerable time trying to photograph the geese and other waterbirds at Pugh's Lagoon. 

The Paulownia Plantation was inaccessible so we had to placate ourselves with taking some token shots from the highway and the side streets. I'd not seen the golden tinges on the tops of the trees before and the small white flowers dotting the surrounding grasses added a delicate touch to the scene. 

Another thing I love about this plantation is it's chameleon quality. Its moods and appearance differ with each changing hour and season. From the highway the dappled light spread a lacework pattern across the trunks.

The plantation is like a living battalion, trees lined in formations and the gnarled age spots resembling eyes peering from the gloom.

Only two trees had fallen and lay amidst their compatriots like wounded soldiers.

Paulownia Plantation

As it nears the end of my holidays I decided to head for the mountains on a waterfall hunt. Travelling via Richmond I decided to spend some time photographing the Paulownia Plantation which I'd noticed on a previous trip to Mt. Wilson. A popular location for wedding photography, the plantation has also appeared in some shots from the Focus group on Flickr and Facebook. Although visible from the road the view is somewhat obscured by rampant choko vines and blackberry bushes so not to be deterred I elected to travel round the perimeter of the block to see if I could find a less obstructed POV.

My gift for today was a beautiful old gentleman called Clive who serendipitously pulled up next to me on the access road and invited me onto the plantation. Clive proudly told me he was 83 years old and had recently recovered from heart surgery. Accompanied by Brownie his faithful dog he headed off on his tractor to do some control burning after inviting me to stay for as long as I wished. He even suggested I call back in Spring when the trees are adorned with their lilac blossoms.


After a few hours spent wandering amongst the majestic trees I set off for Leura Cascades to try and capture some waterfall shots. It was great practice for slow exposures but I was limited for time having spent so long at Richmond. But it was worth it - another item ticked off my bucket list !!!!!!