On The Track Of Snow

Unusual weather conditions have generated some heavy snowfalls in the Blue Mountains so I went on a snow search with a friend. We did see some snow clouds in the distance but were unsuccessful in locating any of the white gold ourselves. We witnessed some beautiful sights along the way as the area was enveloped by shifting fog.Our first stop was Wentworth Lake where we simply sat and luxuriated in the fog surrounding us.

Unfortunately the opportunity to explore was hampered by drizzling rain and the only other sign of life was some moorhens and ducks who dotted the surface of the lake. 

 I took advantage of occasional lulls in the rain to dart out and take some shots of the jetty right next to our parking position.

 Next stop was Govett's Leap Lookout at Blackheath. 

 The fog teased us by acting like a slow reveal slide transition, revealing small details of the Mountain vista piece by piece.

 We were not inclined to bushbash due to the rain so had to satisfy ourselves with glimpses of the contrasting rock formations...............

 the seemingly never ending waterfall ............

............ and the light attempting to break through the cloud cover.

After a day following the highway further West towards Lithgow we resigned ourselves to the fact that we were not going to locate snow on this trip so decided to head home via Mt. Wilson. Firstly we pulled over to Du Faurs Rocks Lookout where we the Garden of Stones glistened on the mountain ridges like tiny specks in the distance. 

To our left the aptly named Chinaman's Hat formation was visible from our vantage position.

Mt.Wilson was almost unrecognisable since our initial visit in Autumn when bright reds golds and amber dotted the streets and gardens. It was as though somebody had either painted the streets with a desaturation slider or denuded the trees of foliage altogether.

 Moving down towards Cathedral Reserve we noticed that the ferns were far more luxuriant than on our previous visits so it appears that Mt. Wilson provides opportunities for each of her attractions to have their moment to shine.

Fond memories of childhood holidays were never far from my mind and I intend to return to the Mountains as soon as possible to take a walk or two down memory lane. It's too long since I've visited this glorious region. If nothing else, our fruitless snowsearch reinvigorated my love of the Mountains of my childhood.

Foggy Morning At Yarramundi

My decision to head out towards Yarramundi Reserve in spite of no fog being forecast by the BOM proved to be one of the best I've made in recent times. So frequently I've become excited driving through patches of fog only to have it disappear within seconds. I had no expectations today and decided to do a reconn trip to the Richmond Lowlands with the intention of returning another day when conditions were more encouraging. A friend had provided very specific directions so it was easy to find and easy to access which is always a pleasant change. Fog appeared the moment I hit the Lowlands and even then I refused to be optimistic because too often I'd been disappointed. I was tempted to head towards the Paulownia Plantation to secure that 'trees in the fog' shot I've so longed for,  but decided it was more important to grab some shots before the fog dissipated. 

I commenced at the bridge and followed an established path.

 The walk through the Reserve was easy and revealed some interesting natural formations. The only area which concerned me was a small section adjoining two areas of the river as I was unaware as to the effect the tides would have on access and I didnt want to return from my walk only to find I had to wade through cold water.

I'm always pleased to encounter birdlife on my travels so after leaving the Yarramundi Reserve I spent some time watching a pelican and a lone black swan swimming leisurely by.

 

 

I decided to investigate the location of a windmill I'd seen in the Focus group while I was so close and was watched closely by a plump Willy Wagtail. These fast moving little birds appear to be distributed across a wide area from coastal to inland locations and are always difficult to capture cleanly.

Foggy Morning at Woronora Bridge

Usually foggy mornings occur on work days but as luck would have it a mad dash to Como was rewarded by a fog that didnt seem intent on lifting as is the usual scenario. I was left with plenty of time to head towards the Woronora River and spent many minutes observing the canoeists, fishermen and dog walkers appearing, then dissolving, into a foggy landscape. I find fog to be one of the most difficult situations to capture digitally, as many images simply end up looking washed out or over exposed rather than atmospheric.

A little too late for this exercise, but I believe I may need to shorten the exposure time or play manipulate exposure compensation next time. Fingers crossed I won't have to wait too long before I'm gifted with another foggy morn . 

Back To Bombo

Bombo is such an atmospheric location irrespective of weather or Season. There is always something to explore. I set off early with two friends,  and we were treated to some great photo opportunities, from fog enveloping the landscape on the trip down, to the craggy headlands and reflections of Bombo Quarry, then on to a feast of sunflowers in a garden at Kiama and finally, to the exciting discovery of a 'secret' cave at Cathedral Rocks. 

We were treated to some great foggy patches on the way down South and stopped a few times to try and capture the scene, however I was aware that we didnt want to linger and arrive at Bombo when the sun was too high.

The swell at the quarry was less than impressive but I was keen to show Megan and Carolyn the access point for high tides and big swells. I'd serendipitously uncovered a path of sorts on a previous visit which led through the bushes and allowed me to bypass the dangerous irregular rocks. There are a few natural rock stairs which allow you to look down onto the water.

After a few hours enjoying ourselves in the quarry we headed for the obligatory brunch and a refuel as we were so thirsty after being in the hot sun.  On our way into Kiama we were treated  to a display of sunflowers in a local garden. Megan's sharp eyes had seen them on our entrance into the township so they were well worth a stop. The wind interfered with our attempts to catch some really sharp shots but we at least have a digital memento from the day.

On the way home we made a detour via Cathedral Rocks as a type of recon trip for a future visit.  While speaking with a local, Carolyn discovered  there was an accessible walk to the top of the headland along Cliff Drive. It gave us some magnificent views down onto the Cathedral Rocks area and provided a number of new POVs to explore. 

 A few photographers have used the cave at the Rocks to frame sunrise shots however the exact location had proven to be elusive. We knew nothing other than the fact that it was only accessible at low tide so we were really excited to see it so clearly from our high vantage point.

 Its a wonderful view from up on the headland and has provided us not only with enjoyment on the day, but some ideas for future sunrise and sunset locations.

My only regret was missing out on the opportunity to capture an enormous sun filtered by cloud patterns as we were in the wrong place at the wrong time and Nature has her set timetable .

Pelicans In The Mist

I realise that pelicans 'in the fog' was the reality, however pelicans 'in the mist' sounds better. I returned to Como bridge on a repeat foggy day hoping to get a better shot of the webs clinging to the railway fence. 

Disappointingly, there were fewer puddles for reflections, negligible droplets on the webs and the fog began to lift the minute I put my foot on the bridge. Refusing to be daunted I spent some time practising macro work on the solitary spider I did locate. The fog began to thicken again by this stage so I was annoyed that it was time to leave for work. The camera was switched off and I headed home, luckily electing to take the route past the closed jetty.

My reward was the opportunity to capture two pelicans performing their morning ablutions in the midst of all that delicious fog. The moral seems to be that most dismal photo shoots can be turned into a worthwhile experience by some small serendipitous occurrence. 

Observing the antics of these amazing birds always brings a smile to my face.