Forest Cave Phillip Island for Water H2O Thursday

 

I have sought a somewhat high-key approach in this composition. Though it is not the product of a long exposure, I endeavoured to capture the advancing waves as they swept across the shore, smoothing the sand as though polishing a vast marble floor. The shutter was set at neither too swift nor too languid a pace, thereby rendering a natural softness in the motion of the sea.

This scene unfolds upon one of Phillip Island’s secluded forest-fringed cave beaches, where rugged cliffs and weathered rock bear silent witness to millennia of wind and tide. The dense coastal woodland above, with its canopy of eucalypt and tea-tree, whispers of an ancient landscape that has sheltered wildlife and echoed with the passage of the Bunurong people long before European discovery. Here, in the meeting of forest, stone, and sea, the rhythms of history and nature are inscribed in every grain of sand and every retreating wave.

Sony A7RV

FE 20-70mm f4 G

Linking Water H2O Thursday

Kitty Miller Bay Phillip Island for Water H2O Thursday

 

Kitty Miller Bay, situated on the southern coast of Phillip Island, is renowned as a premier destination for surfing, drawing enthusiasts with its consistently favorable waves and striking coastal scenery. The bay, framed by dramatic cliffs and pristine sandy shores, bears witness to both natural and human history. Its geological formations tell the story of ancient coastal processes, while the surrounding vegetation reflects the island’s unique flora adapted to the harsh marine environment. Historically, the area has attracted mariners, and remnants of shipwrecks along the shore serve as poignant reminders of the perilous seas that once challenged early navigation. I once visited Kitty Miller Bay in pursuit of capturing a compelling photograph of one such shipwreck, seeking to preserve the interplay of natural beauty and historical resonance in a single image.

Sony A7RV

FE 70-200mm f4 G

Linking Water H2O Thursday

Magic Beach Cape Woolamai Phillip Island for Skywatch Friday

 

Magic Beach, revealed only at low tide along the sweeping shores of Cape Woolamai on Phillip Island, is a place where the natural and the personal converge in quiet wonder. When the ocean withdraws, the sea floor unveils a scatter of ancient rocks, their surfaces carved and smoothed over millennia by waves and wind. These formations are the remnants of a powerful volcanic past, for Cape Woolamai itself is born of basaltic flows and granite intrusions that date back millions of years, their rugged cliffs now standing sentinel over Bass Strait. Long before European arrival, this coastline formed part of the lands of the Bunurong people, who knew its rhythms of tide, bird, and season. Today, it remains both a sanctuary for migratory seabirds and a dramatic landscape that draws the eye and stirs the imagination.

It was here, during the pandemic year when Melbourne lay under lockdown, that I came alone with my newly acquired Sony A7RIV, predecessor of the A7RV, eager to explore its capabilities. Magic Beach seemed an apt stage for such an experiment. I found myself entranced by the interplay of light and shadow across tide pools and rocks, using HDR techniques I had never attempted with my earlier Panasonic or Canon cameras. The solitude of that moment—an island shore, a receding tide, the silence broken only by surf—transformed the practice of photography into something almost meditative. In that fleeting communion, I glimpsed both the deep history of Cape Woolamai and the personal magic of discovery, as if the land itself conspired with my lens to etch memory into image.

Sony A7RIV

FE 16-35mm f2.8 GM

Linking Skywatch Friday

Pinnacles, Cape Woolamai, Victoria for Skywatch Friday

 

What I truly seek is a sky adorned with fish-scale clouds. The Pinnacles, indeed, stand as one of Melbourne’s most remarkable destinations for photography.

At Cape Woolamai’s Pinnacles on Phillip Island, the boulder rocks are covered with vibrant green moss, creating a striking contrast against the pink granite formations. These ancient rocks, formed approximately 360 million years ago from slowly cooled molten magma, have been sculpted over time by relentless ocean waves and winds. The moss thrives in the moist, salty air, adding a lush texture to the rugged landscape. This natural tapestry enhances the visual appeal of the area, making it a popular spot for photographers and nature enthusiasts alike. The combination of geological history and thriving plant life exemplifies the dynamic beauty of this coastal environment

Sony A7RV

FE 16-35mm f2.8 GM

Linking Sky Watch Friday

Cape Woolamai for Sunday Best

 

I have visited this place numerous times, and this particular visit is from the past. Each time I come here, I inevitably acquire a new injury.

The Pinnacles of Phillip Island are a striking natural rock formation located within the Cape Woolamai region, one of the island's most scenic and rugged landscapes. These towering granite structures, sculpted by centuries of wind and ocean erosion, rise dramatically along the coastline, offering breathtaking views, especially at sunrise and sunset when the rocks are bathed in golden light.

Sony A7RV

FE 20-70mm f4 G

This is linking Sunday Best

Cape Woolamai panorama for Skywatch Friday

 

Cape Woolamai drone view

DJ Mini Pro4

Linking Skywatch Friday

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. 

Forest Cave at Phillip Island for Sunday Best

 

This is where 4 people were drowned in Nov 2023. This cave is totally under water within 10 minutes. 90% of the time, it is where fish swim. 

Looks wet and raw. I kind of love it.

Sony A7RV

Laowa 9mm f5.6

Linking Sunday Best

Magic land in Cape Woolamai Surf Beach for Water H2O Thursday

 

The rising tide is invading the beach Joel and I are walking on. Every 10 minutes, a large wave comes up a few more metres onshore. The receding water looks mesmerising. 

Sony A7RV

FE 20-70mm f4 

Linking Water H2O Thursday

Pinnacles, Cape Woolamai, Phillip Island for Skywatch Friday

 

The waves give the look I was looking for with 3 second exposure there.

Sony A7RV

FE 20-70mm f4 

Linking Skywatch Friday

Pinnacles, Cape Woolamai, Phillip Island for Water H2O Thursday

 

Finally, I accessed this area on the weekend. Especially with a high tide. My camera was splashed by rogue waves a few times. 

Sony A7RV + FE 20-70mm f4

Linking Water H2O Thursday

These green plants make the slope even more slippery. 

Phillip Island Coast for Sunday Best

 

The sun happens to fall on the rocks

Sony A7RIV

FE 20-70mm f4

Linking Sunday Best

Forest Cave Phillip Island for Treasure Tuesday

 

This is low tide. Having high tide, this cave would be under water. Love sunset through the cave.

Sony A7RV

FE 20-70mm f4

Linking Treasure Tuesday

Cat Bay Sunset for Water H2O Thursday

 

It was a trip to west end of Phillip Island. Joel refused to photograph the famous broken jetty in the area. Instead, we camped at this rocky foreshore. Later in the night, we abandoned to do Milkyway because of my misreading of the moon rise time which was hanging brightly in the middle of sky. 

School holidays drive traffic even crazier than normal. I can't wait for the kids return to school. 

Sony A7RV

FE 20-70mm f4

Linking Water H2O Thursday

Forest Cave Coast for Skywatch Friday

 

Joel and I were supposed to find the entrance to forest cave. We believed the tide was not low enough that the entrance was immersed in the sea still. So we took a snap at the sea.

Sony A7RV

FE 20-70mm f4

Linking Skywatch Friday

Pinnacles Milkyway Bow for Water H2O Thursday

 

This was what Joel and I were up to last weekend. New moon. Zero cloud for 5 seconds though. It was after a hike elsewhere on Phillip Island. Then we had fish n chips before coming up here for a milkyway bow.

Light pollution is seen on the right. Thanks for the urban sprawl into this once peaceful island. 

Sony A7RV

FE 14mm f1.8 GM (this is a stitch up of 4 vertical frames)

Linking Water H2O Thursday

Just got back from a 9 hour drive from Moulamein. So buggered. Needs rest. 

Speke Shipwreck astro photography for Treasure Tuesday

 

Dying to get back here soon. 

Sony A7RIV

FE 16-35mm f2.8 GM

Linking Treasure Tuesday

Kitty Miller Bay at Phillip Island for Skywatch Friday

 

Magical hour wonder for Sky watch Friday 

Panasonic G9

Leica 12-60mm f2.8-4

Linking Skywatch Friday

Pinnacles Cape Woolamai Phillip Island for Water H2O Thursday Event

 

I realise I love photographing water and street candids. Street candids is an acquired taste due to my association with a former world class street photographer when I was in university years. Water photography on the other hand is a pattern I notice in my portfolio as well. 

I am hosting Water H2O Thursday Blog Hop on Water H2O Thursday Blog Hop 

Sony A7RV

FE 20-70mm f4

P.S. I finally received my camera after infra-red filter conversion. After 8 weeks! I will be testing the n520 wavelength filter in street photography tomorrow. Can't wait! 

Cape Woolamai Pinnacles in Phillip Island for Randomosity

 

There was this Nikon Guy who tried to stand in front of me while I already set up my tripod in this location. So I had to move forward to get him out of my view. Talking about etiquette 

Sony A7RV

FE 20-70mm f4

Linking Randomosity