Lake Tyrrell Sky Mirror for Skywatch Friday

 

In the fleeting minutes of twilight, just before Lake Tyrrell succumbs to complete darkness, there occurs a moment of rare and ethereal beauty. Beneath a cloudless sky, the lake’s surface reflects a magnificent wash of pink and violet hues, as if the heavens themselves have descended to meet the earth. This phenomenon—revered by many and often referred to as the "sky mirror"—is among the lake’s most iconic and mesmerising scenes.

I have been fortunate to capture numerous such moments, preserving in photographs the tranquil majesty of this place. There exist a few secret vantage points just off the Salts Road track, where the reflections are particularly vivid and the view unobstructed. Yet, the terrain here can be unforgiving. Vehicles often find themselves marooned, their wheels sunk deep into the treacherous mud that lies hidden beneath the salt-encrusted surface.

Lake Tyrrell, whose name derives from the Boorong word for “sky,” is not only a site of visual splendour but also of profound cultural heritage. The Boorong people, part of the Wergaia nation, have long regarded this lake as a sacred space. For millennia, they have observed the stars and mapped the heavens from its shores, embedding the night sky into their stories, ceremonies, and understanding of the world.

Thus, as twilight falls and the lake is transformed into a mirror of the cosmos, one senses not only nature’s grandeur but also the enduring legacy of those who first understood its deeper meaning. In that stillness, history and beauty are one.

Sony A7RV

FE 14mm f1.8 GM

Linking Skywatch Friday

Note to Self,

5 Hindrances to Self-Mastery

1. Sensual desire (sight/touch/taste/smell/hearing) = Am I addicted?

2. Ill will / aversion = Am I feeling a negative emotion?

3. Dullness / heaviness = Am I unmotivated?

4. Restlessness = Is my mind jumping from thought to thought?

5. Sceptical doubt = Am I indecisive?

RAIN (is the solution)

Recognise which one you're experiencing

Accept that's what you're experiencing

Investigate why you're experiencing it 

Non-identify with that experience.

Lake Tyrrell Sunset sky mirror for Skywatch Friday

 

Sometimes work trip allows me to get the shot. Finally, first sky mirror from this lake this year. It has been a really wet year here which was supposed to be El Nino here. 

Sony A7RV

FE 70-200mm f2.8 GM

I am in a lucky position to work 3 days a week. I post daily on blogspot, Instagram, mastodon and X. Thursday is all consumed on moderating a world page on IG. This is really so busy. I think I over did it again. Really need time to do photography more. 

Linking Sky watch Friday

Sky mirror at Lake Weeroona, Bendigo

 

This lake is located less than 2 km from where I live. Sometimes the sky can reveal its beauty. The river bank is filled with duck poo though. Very organic smell 

Sony A7RIV

FE 24mm. f1.4 GM

Sky mirror

Sky Mirror at Lake Tyrrell, Victoria

 

I forgot it was a public holiday for school kids. So every touristy location is packed by humans. Full stop. I can only photography humans instead.

Sky mirror of thin human.

Sony A7RIV

FE 70-200mm f2.8 GM

Reflection of Nicolas Garden Image

Kilcunda Sky Mirror for Sky Watch Friday

 

It was a lucky moment.

Sony A7RV

FE 16-35mm f2.8 GM

Linking Sky Watch Friday

Joel and I are heading to the coast again this weekend. The forecast on Saturday is sunny again. We preferred partly cloudy. 

Lake Tyrrell Sunset

 

Another shot at Lake Tyrrell without the sky mirror glamour 

Sony A7RIV 

FE 14mm f1.8 GM

Lake Tyrrell

Lake Tyrrell Pastels for Water H2O Thursday

 

Each time I undertake the journey from Melbourne to the more remote regions of Victoria for rural engagements, I find myself invariably drawn to Lake Tyrrell. Situated near the modest township of Sea Lake, this ancient salt lake never ceases to captivate me, particularly at dusk.

Over the years, I have amassed an extensive collection of photographs—sunsets captured in their full splendour, each image a testament to the lake’s ever-changing disposition. The sky, in its myriad hues of violet, gold, and crimson, reflects upon the mirror-like surface of the salt flats, transforming the landscape into a vast and luminous tableau. It is as though nature has claimed Lake Tyrrell as its canvas, rendering a new masterpiece with every setting sun.

Yet the lake's significance extends far beyond its aesthetic allure. Its name, Tyrrell, is derived from the language of the Boorong people, a clan of the Wergaia nation and the traditional custodians of this land. For thousands of years, they have lived in harmony with this environment, drawing upon the stars for navigation and storytelling, and regarding the lake as a place of spiritual and cultural importance. In their tongue, Tyrrell signifies “sky,” an appellation most fitting for a place where the heavens seem to meet the earth.

With each visit, I am reminded that Lake Tyrrell is not merely a picturesque stop along my route—it is a place steeped in antiquity, serenity, and meaning. It welcomes quietly, yet profoundly, with its timeless beauty and enduring stories.

Sony A7RV

FE 14mm f1.8 GM

Linking Water H2O Thursday

Amidst the recent flurry of news concerning tariff disputes, Joel and I have exchanged numerous messages, keeping a vigilant eye on the fluctuations of the stock market. Joel, in particular, finds himself especially unsettled, having made a somewhat premature investment in certain ETFs tied to the U.S. markets. We are both, in essence, enduring a veritable catecholaminergic storm.

Pearses Bay Track Blairgowrie for Treasure Tuesday

 

Pearses Bay has become our chosen trail—Joel’s and mine—a place where the land curves gently toward the restless sea. The walk unfolds with a quiet grace, the salt wind brushing softly against the face like a familiar hand. There is solace in its constancy, a rhythm of air and tide that speaks without words.

With a telephoto lens, I linger by the shore, studying the water as it folds and unfurls in endless conversation with the rocks. Each ripple, each surge, becomes a stanza of motion and light. It matters little whether the sky is bright or brooding; the sea always offers a new language to read, a shifting mirror for the mind. And so, we return—drawn by the hush between the waves, where observation becomes a kind of prayer, and the simple act of looking feels like belonging.

Sony A7RV

FE 20-70mm f4 G

Linking Treasure Tuesday

South Bank Melbourne for Sign2

 

I have posted these two images on the other blog of mine Melbourne Street Photography

Both images were first taken in monochrome, their shadows and silences doing all the speaking. Yet earlier today, with time to spare before the cardiology conference at the Stamford Plaza, I wandered along South Bank in Melbourne and felt the city nudge me toward colour again. The river moved with its usual unhurried grace, reflecting fragments of sky and skyline; the breeze carried the faint scent of roasted coffee from nearby cafés; and the footsteps of passers-by echoed softly along the promenade like a gentle counterpoint to the hum of trams and traffic beyond.

On a whim, I decided to give the photographs a muted colour treatment—just enough for the tones to breathe without losing the quiet dignity of their original monochrome form. The results surprised me. Soft washes of colour settled into the images like memories returning after a long absence: the subdued blues of the Yarra, the mellow greys of the paved walkway, the faintest warmth in the late-morning light. What once felt stark now carries a subtle tenderness, a kind of understated calm that pleases the eye and lingers in the mind.

As I stood by the river, watching the city move at its own measured pace, I realised how these gentle hues mirror the mood of the day—unrushed, contemplative, suspended somewhere between duty and leisure. The photographs now hold that feeling too, quietly echoing the simple pleasure of a solitary stroll along South Bank before the formalities ahead.

Sony A7RV

FE 14mm f1.8 GM

Linking Sign2

Stingray Bay Warrnambool sunset for Skywatch Friday

 

This small estuarine inlet adjoining Stingray Bay is a hidden gem, lying less than a kilometre from where I once stayed, with road access that remains remarkably convenient. The still waters below capture exquisite reflections of sky and vegetation, a mirror to the tranquility of the surrounding landscape.

Stingray Bay itself forms part of the sheltered mouth of the Merri River at Warrnambool, where freshwater mingles with the tides of the Southern Ocean. The area is renowned for its tidal flats and rock platforms, rich in marine life and bird activity — herons, cormorants, and sandpipers frequent the shallows, while stingrays glide silently over the sandy bottom from which the bay takes its name.

Along the inlet’s edge, the weathered wooden barrier now stands as more of an ornament than a necessity, its timbers softened by time and tide. Once built to define or protect, it now blends into the natural scene — a quiet relic of human purpose slowly yielding to nature’s rhythm.

Sony A7RV

FE 20-70mm f4 G

Linking Skywatch Friday