Hastings Point, NSW

Hastings Point is a town located in north-eastern New South Wales, on the Tweed Coast and is the smallest coastal settlement of New South Wales Tweed Shire.

Hastings Point is surrounded by national park, nestled between the ocean on its east and a beautiful but delicate estuary on its west. It is the entrance for the now nationally recognised "Green Cauldron" and is identified without doubt as one of the unique seaside locations in Australia.

With an unspoiled beach, visitors come here to appreciate nature at her finest. For as long as one can remember, seasonal campers and day-trippers have been attracted to the natural beauty of Hastings Point, returning often.

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Embracing Nature: Sunset & the Ocean

"When was the last time you spent a quiet moment just doing nothing - just sitting and looking at the sea, or watching the wind blowing the tree limbs, or waves rippling on a pond, a flickering candle or children playing in the park?" — Ralph Marston

“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks. ” — John Muir

“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

There are 1440 minutes in every day... 1440 opportunities to capture a moment of beauty. What moment of beauty did you capture this week?

How do you embrace nature?


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OCEAN THERAPY: Refresh, Relax & Restore.

Going through my photography archives, I am always drawn to my images of the beach.
Wherever there is soft sand, salt water, crashing waves and sea air, that is where I love to be!
For me, the beach is a place of physical and mental therapy; the salt water on my skin, the clean sea air in my lungs, the rhythmic sounds of the ocean and the sea birds.

The plethora of sensory stimuli as I sit near, walk along, swim in, watch and listen to the ocean, fills me with a sense of calm and clarity.

No matter where I am along the stunning Australian coastline, the result is always the same; I come away feeling refreshed, relaxed and restored both physically and mentally.

I can't think of a place I would rather be.

Where is the place you are most drawn to??



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Be Present in the Moment

Last month, Michael, myself and 3 of our adult daughters (still living at home), went on a week long holiday to Burleigh Heads on Queensland's Gold Coast. We had planned this "family" holiday over a year ago; everyone would contribute an equal share of the accommodation costs, food, etc. It was a much awaited and anticipated holiday; we were all looking forward to walks along the beach and headland, coffee dates, lunches of Acai bowls, Fathers Day celebrations on the Sunday with as many of our combined 9 children as possible, Michael's birthday celebrations, reading books, board games, and a well earned week-long rest and recharge for all who live at number 11!

The view from our 6th floor apartment.

Quite accidentally, we came up with a catch phrase for our time away:
"Be Present in the Moment".
This became a daily reminder that it was important as a family to 'be present' when we spend time together; Michael & I gave the girls the challenge to avoid using their mobile phones unless they were taking photos. This allowed us all to focus on the beauty of our surroundings, enjoy one another's company, engage fully in conversations and use our time at night to read books and play word games, rather than scroll through social media.

Headland walks around sunset provided the opportunity to soak in the beauty of God's creation while exercising together as a family.

The Burleigh Headland walk takes you all the way around to Tallebudgera Creek, with views out west to the mountains of the Tweed Range, part of the Great Dividing Range.

 A fun day out whale watching with a photographer friend, in not-so-perfect conditions.

I'm not a morning person at all but I did manage a couple of sunrises.

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Incoming Tide at Beachmere, QLD

The small town of Beachmere, is located in the Moreton Bay Region of Queensland, Australia. It is located north of Brisbane and has a population of 3,888.

After spending the afternoon bird watching in the area, we decided to stay for sunset. We had been warned not to stay on the sand flats for too long as the incoming tide rises incredibly fast... they weren't wrong!!

The water rose to knee height in a matter of 10-15 minutes!

Never-the-less, the sunset was worth getting our feet wet for!

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