Ikaho Onsen Signs for Sign2

 

As I have not yet fully recovered from the exertions of my most recent locum assignment, I have for the present refrained from wandering the streets of Melbourne in search of candid moments or sign photography. Instead, I turned once more to one of the albums from my travels in Japan. Among those recollections, the town of Ikaho Onsen stands forth with particular clarity—a place where history, culture, and landscape meet in harmonious accord.

Ikaho Onsen, situated upon the slopes of Mount Haruna in Gunma Prefecture, is among Japan’s most venerable hot spring resorts, its origins traced as far back as the eighth century. For centuries it has been celebrated for the therapeutic properties of its iron-rich waters, which flow in a deep reddish hue and were long believed to promote healing and longevity. The town itself is arranged upon a steep hillside, its heart defined by a celebrated flight of 365 stone steps, each said to mark a day of the year. These steps are lined with traditional ryokan inns, bathhouses, teahouses, and quaint shops, creating an atmosphere at once ancient and enduring.

In the Edo period, Ikaho became a favoured retreat for poets, artists, and travellers, and its charms were frequently recorded in both literature and art. During the Meiji era it attracted statesmen and writers alike, among them the noted author Rokusuke Natsume, who found inspiration in its tranquil setting. Even today, festivals enliven the stone stairway with colour and music, preserving the rhythms of a living tradition.

To stroll through Ikaho is not merely to visit a hot spring, but to step within a cultural landscape where the past remains palpably present—a place in which the slow ascent of the stone steps seems to mirror the centuries of devotion with which this onsen town has been cherished.

Panasonic G9

Leica 12-60mm f2.8-4

Linking Sign2

Murtoa Stick Shed, Victoria for Treasure Tuesday

 

For the past four years I have made the monthly journey to Horsham, where I attend to my professional duties within the local hospital, nursing homes, and community clinics. The drive has become a familiar one, and on each occasion I pass through the modest township of Murtoa. This settlement is distinguished above all by its famed “Stick Shed,” a structure of both national and historical significance.

The Stick Shed, officially known as Murtoa No. 1 Grain Store, was constructed in 1941–42 at the height of the Second World War, when wheat surpluses threatened to overwhelm conventional storage facilities. Built in only four months, it was intended as a temporary measure, yet it endures as the last remaining example of several such sheds once scattered across Victoria. Its extraordinary interior is supported by 560 unmilled mountain ash poles, rising like a vast cathedral of timber and corrugated iron. At 265 metres in length, 60 metres in width, and 19 metres in height, it could accommodate up to 92,500 tonnes of wheat. Once regarded simply as a utilitarian granary, it is now recognised as an engineering feat of national heritage, earning its place on the Australian National Heritage List in 2014.

My blog friend Stefan would, I suspect, remain unimpressed by my indulgence in ultra-wide-angle compositions of the building. Yet I find myself rather taken with the subdued, muted tones with which I have treated my photographs; they seem to lend an atmosphere befitting its austere grandeur, and in turn they awakened in me many recollections of past journeys.

On a lighter note, I was able to meet Joel over the weekend for a restorative bowl of pho. On this occasion there was no photography—only conversation, laughter, and the easy comfort of friendship. It was a simple pleasure, but one deeply felt.

Sony A7RV

Laowa 9mm f5.6 

Linking Treasure Tuesday

Lonsdale St Murals for Mural Monday

 

One evening, during an outing, Joel escorted me to a Korean restaurant. At its entrance, and upon the façades of the neighbouring shops, there were displayed murals of considerable charm.

Sony A7RV

FE 20-70mm f4 G

Linking Mural Monday

Maldon Milkyway sky for Sunday Best

 

Maldon, situated not far from Bendigo, which I often regard as my second home, is a town of vintage charm and historic resonance. By night, the township lies beneath a deep and pervasive darkness, its obscurity relieved only by the faint glow of a few tungsten lamps in the town centre. These lights, though serviceable to the passer-by, are oft resented by photographers, for the colour cast of tungsten is notoriously harsh and unflattering to the delicate sensitivity of the modern camera sensor.

In my own practice of nocturnal photography, I have adopted a particular method of image refinement. For it is a truth, seldom appreciated outside the circles of those who employ a star tracker, that the core of the Milky Way is ablaze with natural hues—crimson, gold, and azure—wrought by the very physics of interstellar gas and dust. Without such aid, these colours often appear subdued, but with patience and careful editing they may yet be revealed in their original splendour.

The town of Maldon itself bears a history no less luminous than the heavens above it. Proclaimed in 1853 amidst the tumult of the Victorian gold rush, Maldon swiftly prospered as miners from near and far sought their fortunes in its quartz reefs. By the mid-nineteenth century, the town was adorned with banks, churches, and fine public houses, their stout masonry and wrought-iron embellishments testifying to both wealth and permanence. Unlike many goldfield settlements that withered when their veins were exhausted, Maldon endured, and in later years became renowned as Australia’s first “notable town” formally classified by the National Trust in 1966, a recognition of its remarkably preserved streetscape of Victorian architecture.

Thus, Maldon is at once a relic of human endeavour and ambition, and a stage upon which the eternal drama of the cosmos may be observed. Its dimly lit lanes, untroubled by the clamour of modern neon, afford the night sky a rare purity—an inheritance both from its miners of old, and from the silence of the stars that wheel above.

Sony A7RV

FE 16-35mm f2.8 GM

Linking Sunday Best

Zebra Finch Healesville for Saturday Critter

 

The Zebra Finch, which I had the rare delight of observing just beyond the bounds of Healesville Sanctuary, presented itself most unexpectedly. Believe it or not, this lively creature graced the shallows for but a fleeting moment, and I took great satisfaction in capturing its likeness through the disciplined craft of manual lens and manual focus—a demanding pursuit when directed upon so agile a bird.

The Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata) is a species of singular charm and resilience. Belonging to the family Estrildidae, it is one of the most widely distributed and abundant birds of the Australian continent. Its natural domain encompasses arid grasslands, open scrub, and lightly wooded plains, where it thrives in colonies often gathered near ephemeral watercourses. Unlike many species that falter in the face of drought, the Zebra Finch is remarkably adapted to the continent’s harsh interior, surviving on meagre resources, feeding upon grass seeds, and subsisting with a frugality that has rendered it emblematic of endurance in a sunburnt land.

Its appearance is no less striking than its habits are resourceful. The male, adorned with a vermilion bill, a bold orange cheek, and barred plumage across the breast, is a spectacle of contrast and pattern; the female, more subdued in hue, carries a quieter dignity. Their song, though modest, is melodious in its simplicity, and has for centuries captured the fascination of naturalists, ornithologists, and aviculturists alike. Indeed, so great has been their adaptability that the Zebra Finch has long since been carried beyond its homeland, establishing itself in distant lands and becoming one of the most studied avian models in science, particularly in the fields of song learning and behavioural ecology.

Thus, to encounter the Zebra Finch near Healesville, fluttering and bathing among the stones, is to glimpse both the immediacy of its quicksilver vitality and the enduring story of a bird that has, from the heart of Australia’s dry plains, risen to international renown. My humble photograph, wrought by patience and careful focus, preserves but a fraction of its spirit; yet in that fraction lies the charm of nature itself.

Pentax K20D 

Pentax 300mm f2.8 

Linking Saturday Critter

Cadillac Gorge Coast Gippsland for Skywatch Friday

 

Cadillac Gorge in Gippsland is a place of singular beauty, best revealed in its fullness when the tide runs high. Unlike many locations along the coast near Melbourne, which lose much of their drama to the receding waters, this gorge gains its splendour precisely at the hour when the sea presses inward, filling its chasms with heaving, silvered tides. It was during the quiet severity of winter that this particular scene was captured, when the air was sharp, the sea restless, and the light cast a subdued, almost austere glow across the stone.

The natural history of the gorge is deeply rooted in the geological character of Gippsland’s coast. Over countless millennia, waves and weather chiselled away at the softer rock, leaving behind a rugged cleft where the sea now surges and withdraws in eternal rhythm. The walls of the gorge bear silent testimony to this slow labour of time, their strata marking ancient epochs of earth and ocean. In winter, sea-spray often wreathes the rocks in a fine mist, and birdlife—gulls, cormorants, and the occasional sea eagle—can be seen circling above, drawn by the bounty of the waters.

The human history of Cadillac Gorge, though quieter, is no less meaningful. Long before European settlement, the coastal country of Gippsland was part of the traditional lands of the Gunai/Kurnai people, for whom the shorelines and sea caves were places of food gathering, story, and spiritual connection. With colonisation, the coast became a frontier for sealing, fishing, and later, tourism, as travellers from Melbourne sought out wild beauty beyond the city. Today, though relatively little known compared with the more frequented coves of Phillip Island or the Great Ocean Road, Cadillac Gorge stands as one of those hidden places that rewards patient discovery.

Thus, a photograph taken here at high tide is not merely an image of rocks and water: it is a moment within a much older story, shaped by the forces of earth and sea, and framed by the layered presence of human history upon the land.

Sony A7RV

FE 16-35mm f2.8 GM

Linking Skywatch Friday

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

New curry house on De Graves St Melbourne for Sign2

 

After returning from my period of work away from home, Joel and I had intended to venture out together, as had been our custom. Yet fate, ever whimsical, had other plans. He was overtaken by a most disagreeable cold which lingered obstinately for several days, robbing him even of his voice, and leaving him in no condition for rambles abroad.

Thus, with reluctant heart, I resolved to take a solitary stroll. The air was gentle enough, though the absence of companionship rendered the way a little quieter than I might have wished. My camera, though faithful, felt almost unfamiliar in my hands, as though it, too, had grown idle during my absence. I captured but a few images, for the rhythm of observation and the instinct for composition, once second nature, now seemed to lie dormant, waiting to be awakened once more.

It was not so much the photographs themselves that mattered, but the act of stepping out, of reacquainting myself with the world through a lens. I sensed that, in time, the old ease would return—that subtle harmony between eye, heart, and machine which makes the smallest detail sing. For now, it was enough simply to begin again, however modestly, and to know that the habit of seeing had not altogether deserted me.

Sony A7RV

FE 16mm f1.8 G

Linking Sign2

Powlett River of Kilcunda, Gippsland for Treasure Tuesday

 

There was a time when I did not care for long-exposure photography. I preferred instead the water in its “natural” state, unsoftened, its surface rippling and restless, rather than rendered into a silken blur. Yet I must concede that the long-exposed image has its own particular merit, offering a dreamlike interpretation of movement and time.

The Powlett River, near Kilcunda on Victoria’s south coast, is no grand stream but rather a modest watercourse, carving a narrow channel through the sand before it yields itself to the Bass Strait. I am fond of it precisely for this reason: it is unassuming, like a quiet canal pressed into the earth. The river originates in the foothills near Wonthaggi and meanders through farmland and wetlands before finding its way to the ocean. Its estuary, fringed by dunes and saltmarsh, provides habitat for birdlife such as herons, egrets, and the shy Latham’s snipe, while native grasses and coastal scrub bind the shifting sands against the sea winds.

Though small in scale, the Powlett has played a quiet but enduring role in the natural and human history of the district. The Bunurong people knew its waters and fished its estuary long before European settlement. In the nineteenth century, the river valley served as fertile ground for agriculture and grazing. Today, it is valued both as a place of ecological significance and as a site of tranquil beauty—its modest waters flowing steadily toward the restless ocean, unchanged in essence by the passing of time.

Sony A7III

Canon 35mm f1.4 L

Linking Treasure Tuesday

Duckboard place mural Melbourne for Mural Monday

 

This mural in Duckboard Place, Melbourne, is the work of Steph Mann, who signs her pieces as @stephmann_artist. It is a striking, dreamlike painting that blends surrealism with whimsical natural motifs.

The piece depicts a fawn-like creature with elongated legs, blending seamlessly with tall mushroom stems that appear to grow into and through its body. The creature turns its head gracefully toward a glowing butterfly perched above its back, suggesting a moment of quiet wonder. The background is layered in vivid blues and purples, transitioning into deep magentas and reds on the ground, evoking an otherworldly twilight or dreamscape.

Steph Mann’s work often explores the fantastical and surreal, transforming familiar animals and natural forms into beings that seem to live in a liminal space between dream and reality. The surreal elongation of limbs and the fusion of plant life with animal life suggest a meditation on interconnectedness, transformation, and the strangeness of the natural world when seen through an imaginative lens.

Duckboard Place, adjacent to the more famous Hosier Lane, is one of Melbourne’s renowned street art precincts. It provides a platform for both established and emerging artists to create large-scale murals that merge fine art with urban expression. Mann’s mural contributes to this vibrant gallery of the streets, offering passersby an invitation to pause, reflect, and immerse themselves in a fantastical vision that lingers long after one has walked past.

Sony A7RV

FE 35mm f1.4 GM

Linking Mural Monday

Mathias track, Dandenong for Sunday Best

 

Mathias Track holds both natural and human history woven into its length. Stretching seventeen kilometres through the Dandenong Ranges National Park, it traverses forests of towering mountain ash, groves of tree ferns, and pockets of dry, open woodland. In winter, the land is drier than one might expect for a mountain range; the undergrowth thins, the soil hardens, and the bare forms of the hills emerge more distinctly, giving the track an austere beauty. Lyrebirds often scratch along the forest floor, and the air carries the scent of eucalyptus and damp earth.

The track itself carries a trace of colonial history. It was originally surveyed as a service road, named after Carl Mathias, an early forester who worked in the region when logging of the mountain ash was at its height in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Alongside its natural splendour, the path retains echoes of human endeavour—abandoned huts and remnants of early forest camps stand as silent witnesses to the men who felled timber and sought shelter here.

Walking along Mathias Track today is thus both a communion with nature and a dialogue with the past. The stillness of the bush contrasts with the faint relics of industry and settlement. To step into the remains of a hut and sit upon its weathered timbers is to momentarily inhabit another life—that of the bushranger, the forester, or the itinerant wanderer—while the surrounding ranges remind one that the land itself endures, vast and unyielding.

Sony A7RV

FE 70-200mm f2.8 GM

Linking Sunday Best

Magpie Shrike found in Healsville Sanctuary (bird park) Victoria Australia

 

I have now completed a three-week term of contract work and at last may return home to rejoin Joel. Together we have long been planning to extend our collection with the addition of three further lenses.

The bird pictured is the Magpie Shrike (Urolestes melanoleucus), which I had once mistaken for a crow. This photograph was taken some years ago and, seeing it again, awakens a sense of fond recollection. The Magpie Shrike, native to the savannahs and open woodlands of sub-Saharan Africa, is distinguished by its striking black-and-white plumage, long tail, and vivid red eyes. It is known for its social nature, often observed in groups, and for the shrike’s characteristic habit of impaling its prey upon thorns—a practice that earned the family the name “butcherbirds.”

At the time, I had recently acquired a Pentax 300mm f/2.8 lens from eBay, a venerable piece of craftsmanship which I added to my vintage collection. The lens, coupled with the encounter with this striking bird, remains a vivid memory, intertwining my passion for photography with the natural history of the African landscape.

Pentax K20D

A 300mm f2.8 

Linking Saturday Critter

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

Turpin Waterfall, Bendigo for Water H20 Thursday

 

Turpin Falls, not far from Bendigo, remains etched in my memory as one of those rare discoveries that seem almost too wondrous to share. I visited the falls some four years ago, and though I cannot recall quite how I came upon the exact vantage point that day, I remember well the sense of awe as the basalt cliffs opened before me and the water poured in a silver sheet into the deep pool below. The cliffs themselves tell of a distant volcanic age, their dark basalt columns rising like the walls of some vast natural cathedral, while the surrounding country speaks of long habitation by the Dja Dja Wurrung people, for whom this landscape has always held meaning. For over a century, the falls have drawn summer visitors, who would climb down to the base for swimming and relief from the heat, their laughter echoing against the stone. Yet such visits belong now to memory, for the track to the base has been permanently closed, both to preserve the fragile environment and to ensure safety upon those treacherous rocks. In a sense, this loss lends a heightened value to my recollection: a private moment of communion with the wild spirit of the place, both a traveller’s fleeting encounter and a glimpse into the deep natural and cultural heritage of Turpin Falls.

Sony A7RV

FE 70-200mm f2.8 GM

Check oout Water H2O Thursday

Martin Place Signs in Sydney for Sign2

 

Martin Place in Sydney is a most agreeable promenade, a thoroughfare distinguished alike by its elegance and its historical resonance. Established in the latter part of the nineteenth century, Martin Place was originally conceived as a civic square adjoining the General Post Office, and over time it has become both the ceremonial heart and the financial centre of Sydney. Lined with imposing sandstone edifices in the classical style, it has witnessed countless public gatherings, from patriotic assemblies during the Great War to the sombre commemorations of Anzac Day and the more recent memorials of national grief. Today, amidst its bustling offices, cafés, and the ever-present signs that guide the pedestrian, it remains a place where history and modernity intermingle.

Over the past weekend, I found myself obliged to return to Bendigo, for there were pressing matters awaiting my attention. Several referrals required immediate consideration, and so I undertook the journey back to that regional city in order to attend personally to the urgent cases, ensuring that no delay should impede the care of those entrusted to me.

Sony A7RV

FE 20-70mm f4 G

Linking Sign2

Mycena species found in Lake Sanitarium for Treasure Tuesday

 

A dense cluster of small, conical mushrooms was observed growing from moss-covered, decaying wood at Lake Sanitarium, Mount Macedon, Victoria, in a shaded, damp montane forest. The caps measured approximately 5–20 mm across, deep wine-brown in colour, finely striate, and hygrophanous. Stipes were slender, fibrous, and darker toward the base. The species is likely a wood-inhabiting Mycena, though precise identification would require spore print analysis and microscopic examination. It is saprotrophic and plays a role in wood decomposition. Consumption is not recommended.

Sony A7RV

Sigma 105mm f2.8 macro

Linking Treasure Tuesday

Lushux's portrait at AC/DC Lane Melbourne for Mural Monday

 

This mural, located in AC/DC Lane in Melbourne’s central business district, reflects the increasing popularity of portraiture within contemporary street art. The work bears the signature of Lushsux, a prominent Melbourne-based graffiti and mural artist celebrated for his large-scale, often pop culture–inspired creations.

Emerging from Melbourne’s vibrant street art scene in the early 2010s, Lushsux quickly gained international recognition for his provocative and often satirical works, which blend popular imagery with political and social commentary. His murals are characterised by bold composition, meticulous attention to facial detail, and a striking use of colour that amplifies emotional impact. Working primarily with aerosol paints, he employs layering techniques to achieve depth and tonal variation, while his choice of subject matter often reflects current cultural phenomena, internet memes, and global media narratives.

By integrating humour, controversy, and technical precision, Lushsux has established himself as one of Australia’s most recognisable urban artists, leaving an indelible mark on Melbourne’s laneways and beyond

Sony A7RV

FE 20-70mm f4 G

Linking Mural Monday

Tenby Point for Sunday Best

 

Recently, I revisited the complete series of Tenby Point images that Joel and I once attempted in the ultra long-exposure style. Ultimately, we abandoned this approach to photography, as the results often appeared somewhat artificial, lacking the natural authenticity we sought. Nevertheless, this genre—once highly regarded—held a particular fascination prior to the widespread advent of AI-generated imagery.

Tenby Point, situated on the scenic coastline of Victoria, Australia, is renowned for its rugged cliffs, sheltered bays, and abundant marine life. Its natural beauty has long attracted photographers and nature enthusiasts alike, offering vistas of rocky outcrops, gentle surf, and abundant seabirds nesting along the shore.

In our attempts, we frequently had to employ neutral density filters exceeding 15 stops to achieve the extended exposures, which, when combined with an aperture stopped down to f/22, rendered automatic metering impracticable. Consequently, manual focus was an absolute necessity. Upon revisiting these images, I find that they no longer seem so unsatisfactory and possess a subtle charm that had previously eluded us. 

Sony A7RV

FE 70-200mm f2.8 GM

Linking Sunday Best

White faced Heron in Lake Entrance for Saturday Critter

 

The White-faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae) is among the most familiar and widely distributed of Australia’s waterbirds, distinguished by its soft slate-grey plumage, long slender yellow legs, and the pure white of its face, throat, and upper breast. This elegant wader inhabits an extensive range of environments, from tidal estuaries and coastal mudflats to freshwater wetlands, inland lakes, and even urban parklands. Its feeding is a study in quiet precision, the bird advancing slowly through shallow waters in search of small fish, amphibians, and aquatic invertebrates, striking with a sudden dart of its fine, dark bill. I recall that I first captured this image during a journey to Lakes Entrance, Victoria, undertaken in my university years with the purpose of practising waterbird photography. Situated where the Gippsland Lakes meet the Southern Ocean, Lakes Entrance is renowned for its vast system of inland waterways, sheltered lagoons, and sweeping sandbars, providing an ideal refuge for a diversity of avian life. The morning light over the calm estuarine waters, combined with the abundance of birdlife, created a scene of tranquil beauty—an atmosphere perfectly suited to observing and photographing the graceful White-faced Heron in its natural domain.

Linking Saturday Critter

Nyah West sunrise for Skywatch Friday

 

Nyah West is the outback town that I visited for monthly nursing home visit. Outside the care facility, the sunrise is always pretty like this.

Sony A7RV

FE 135mm f1.8 GM

Linking Skywatch Friday

Beauchamps waterfall in Beech Forest Great Ocean Road for Water H2O Thursday

 

I remain on call for another week, my days confined to a unit, tethered to a telephone, awaiting summons from hospital staff. Life in such circumstances is uneventful, and my movements are dictated by the ring of a bell rather than my own volition. Within these narrow confines, my one liberty is to share images of water when the opportunity presents itself.

In my university years, I was captivated by the art of photographing waterfalls, seeking them out with a fervour I no longer possess. One such cascade was Beauchamp Falls, among the three principal waterfalls in the Beech Forest region, situated north of Apollo Bay along the famed Great Ocean Road. The walk to the falls is a return trek of approximately two hours—moderate in exertion yet rich in reward. The path descends through cool temperate rainforest, where towering mountain ash (Eucalyptus regnans), tree ferns, and myrtle beech cast deep shade upon the forest floor. Birdsong echoes faintly through the canopy, and in summer the air hums with the persistent presence of mosquitoes, undeterred by human intrusion.

The falls themselves descend in a singular veil of white water, dropping approximately 20 metres into a clear pool encircled by moss-covered rocks and lush undergrowth. They are named in honour of William Beauchamp, an early settler in the district, and stand as a quiet testament to the enduring beauty of the Otways. Fed by the East Barham River, their flow remains steady even in drier months, owing to the high rainfall and dense forest cover of the catchment. Visiting Beauchamp Falls is less an act of travel than a passage into a living remnant of Victoria’s ancient Gondwanan forests—timeless, green, and untamed.

Pentax K10D

FE 30mm f1.8 limited 

Linking Water H2O Thursday

Signs on Flinders St and Swanston St Melbourne for Sign2

 

The first photograph was taken at the renowned Young and Jackson Hotel, an enduring landmark situated in the heart of Melbourne’s central business district. Established in 1861, this historic hotel has long been celebrated for its distinctive Victorian architecture and rich cultural heritage. Beyond its architectural and social significance, the hotel is perhaps most famously associated with tales of the supernatural. According to local legend, the spirit of a former barmaid named ‘Jane’ is said to haunt the premises. It is believed that Jane met a tragic end within the hotel’s walls, and since then, numerous patrons and staff have reported unexplained phenomena—whispers, fleeting shadows, and sudden drops in temperature—giving the establishment an eerie yet compelling allure. These ghostly tales have cemented the Young and Jackson Hotel as one of Melbourne’s most haunting and storied sites, attracting both history enthusiasts and those intrigued by the paranormal.

Following this, the image depicting the juice bars along Swanston Street was taken; these establishments continue to operate, serving a steady stream of patrons.

Sony A7RV 

FE 20-70m f4 G

Linking Sign2

** A glitch that this was posted on Tuesday instead of Wednesday. 

Portsea Back Beach in Mornington Peninsula for Treasure Tuesday

 

At times, once an image is captured, I find it impossible to recreate it again, even when returning to the same location under seemingly similar lighting conditions. For a period, I frequently ventured alone along the shore, experimenting with various shutter speeds and techniques. I persisted in my pursuit irrespective of the weather. These photographs were taken during that time at Portsea—a locale not renowned as a popular tourist destination yet distinguished by its exposed ocean floor at low tide. Though these scenes may not captivate the majority, I hold a profound affection for these two particular images

Sony A7RV

FE 16-35mm f2.8 GM

Linking Treasure Tuesday

Makatron's basketball mural in Fitzroy Melbourne for Mural Monday

 

In the heart of Fitzroy, Melbourne, a vivid and commanding mural by renowned street artist Makatron stretches across a building wall, celebrating the legacy of basketball legends with unmistakable flair. Boldly coloured and rich in caricature detail, the mural features iconic players from the Chicago Bulls, including the unmistakable figure of Michael Jordan, alongside animated expressions, dynamic poses, and even the team’s red mascot brought to life with oversized sunglasses. Known for his large-scale, pop-surrealist works, Makatron infuses this piece with both nostalgia and urban energy, turning a quiet laneway into a vibrant homage to sporting greatness. The mural not only showcases his signature comic-inspired style but also contributes to Fitzroy’s reputation as a living gallery of contemporary street art

Sony A7RV

FE 20-70mm f4 G

Linking Mural Monday

Killen Falls Ballina NSW for Sunday Best

 

I have visited this waterfall on several occasions, primarily during my locum postings in either Ballina or Lismore, New South Wales. While I have previously shared several images of the falls, I had not, until now, revealed the singular perspective from within the cave behind the cascade. On that particular visit, the conditions were exceedingly damp, the air thick with mist and the roar of falling water echoing within the hollowed rock.

Killen Falls, part of the Emigrant Creek catchment, is a vestige of the region's ancient volcanic history—its basalt cliffs formed by lava flows from the long-extinct Mount Warning shield volcano. The waterfall plunges over a semi-circular basalt overhang, allowing one to stand within the cave and behold the curtain of water from behind, a rare and immersive vantage point in nature.

Following this wet and awe-filled exploration, I ventured to a nearby township where I partook in a traditional Jewish breakfast—an experience that remains warmly entwined with the memory of that elemental and storied place.

Sony A7RV

FE 20-70mm f4 G

Linking Sunday Best

European Goldfinches at Cranbourne Garden in Melbourne for Saturday Critter

 

This journey took place during the autumn months, when Joel and I set out in hopes of observing some rare and exotic bird species. However, our efforts were met only with sightings of European Goldfinches.

Despite the absence of more unusual birds, the presence of the European Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) offered its own quiet charm. Native to Europe, North Africa, and western Asia, this species has long held a place in human culture and history, admired for its striking plumage and melodic song. During the Middle Ages, the goldfinch was frequently featured in Christian iconography, symbolising endurance and the soul’s resurrection due to its association with thistle plants—linked to the Passion of Christ.

Biologically, the European Goldfinch is a small passerine bird belonging to the finch family (Fringillidae). It is easily recognised by its bright red face, black-and-white head, and warm golden wing-bars. These birds are primarily seed-eaters, favouring thistles and teasels, and their slender, pointed beaks are well-adapted for this purpose. Social and often found in flocks, they are a common sight across much of their range, thriving in open woodlands, orchards, and gardens.

Though not the exotic encounter we had envisioned, the experience served as a reminder that even the familiar, when seen with attention, carries its own elegance and significance.

Sony A7RV

FE 200-600mm f5.6-6.3 

Linking Saturday Critter

Portsea Back Beach for Skywatch Friday

 

My visit to this area during an unusually low tide proved most rewarding in terms of photographic endeavour. The light, delicate and fleeting, was at its finest just before the onset of complete darkness. The exposed ocean floor took on a strange, otherworldly appearance—almost alien in aspect. Portsea itself, a refined and affluent enclave favoured by the wealthy, remains largely untouched by the ordinary tourist trail. Few ventures beyond the cave gate that marks the divide from London Bridge, lending this particular stretch a sense of quiet seclusion and hidden charm.

Sony A7RV

Laowa 9mm f5.6

Linking Skywatch Friday

Balnarring Jetty at Mornington Peninsula for Thursday H2O Thurdsay

 

I am presently undertaking a three-week placement in regional Victoria. The first week involves continuous 24/7 on-call duties, leaving little opportunity for personal time.

The photograph shared here was taken late last year. Joel and I had become quite captivated by the idea of capturing a particular perspective of an old jetty pylon. Though we never quite achieved the precise image we had envisioned, the final photograph possesses a distinct character of its own.

Sony A7RV

FE 20-70mm f4 G

Linking Water H2O Thursday

More Signs from Hay Street Foodcourt in Sydney for Sign2

 

Over the years, during each visit to Sydney for conferences, I found myself returning to the same familiar stores. They offered convenience and efficiency, remaining largely unchanged in appearance. Remarkably, despite the triannual renovation requirements imposed by their leases within shopping centres and food courts, the signage and overall presentation remained consistent, lending a sense of continuity amid the passage of time.

Sony A7RV

FE 20-70mm f4 G

Linking Sign2

Wynward Station Sydney for Treasure Tuesday

 

During a recent visit to Sydney, I made it a personal mission to locate a particular entrance to Wynyard Station—an architectural curiosity that has captivated the attention of numerous bloggers and photographers alike. This strikingly unconventional design, modern and somewhat whimsical in character, had eluded me on previous occasions, owing to the station's labyrinthine layout and multitude of exits. It was not until my fourth excursion that I successfully discovered the precise location, tucked discreetly within the urban sprawl.

Wynyard Station itself is steeped in history. Originally opened in 1932 as part of the electrified City Railway line masterminded by engineer John Bradfield, the station served as a critical node in the development of Sydney’s underground transport system. The design of the station has undergone several transformations over the decades—from its early utilitarian function to the more recent revitalisation efforts that have introduced contemporary architectural elements. One such feature is the now-iconic "Interloop" installation at the escalator entrance, which reimagines decommissioned wooden escalator treads as a suspended sculpture, blending heritage with modern art in a most imaginative manner.

Since that journey to Sydney two months prior, however, I have found myself increasingly hindered by a malfunctioning camera. My current equipment struggles to capture images with the clarity and tonal nuance I desire. I await, with mounting impatience, the release of Sony’s anticipated successor to the A7RV—the elusive A7RVI. Reports earlier in the year suggested a launch was imminent, possibly heralding the arrival of a 100-megapixel sensor and an even more refined dynamic range. And yet, the months have passed in silence, with no definitive announcements. It is a most vexing delay, particularly for one who values the capacity to record light and form with the highest fidelity.

Sony A7RV

FE 20-70mm f4 G

Linking Treasure Tuesday

Rone's Mural in Fitzroy Melbourne for Mural Monday

 

Rone: Street Artist of Elegance and Decay in Fitzroy, Melbourne

Rone, the pseudonym of Tyrone Wright, is one of Melbourne’s most renowned street artists, celebrated internationally for his hauntingly beautiful portraits of women that grace crumbling walls and forgotten spaces. His murals evoke a compelling contrast between beauty and decay—a central theme that has come to define his aesthetic. Nowhere is this more evocatively expressed than in the streets of Fitzroy, Melbourne’s cradle of bohemian culture and urban creativity.

In Fitzroy, Rone’s work is woven into the very fabric of the suburb. His large-scale murals typically depict elegant female faces rendered with painterly precision—eyes soft, melancholic, and distant, as though they belong to fading memories of another time. These portraits often occupy weathered surfaces, where peeling paint and exposed brick are not flaws but integral elements of the work, symbolising impermanence and the quiet erosion of beauty by time.

One of Rone’s most famous Fitzroy murals was painted on the side of the Young Husband Wool Store, and another memorable piece graced a wall along Napier Street. Though some of his Fitzroy works have since disappeared—painted over, demolished, or reclaimed by the environment—their spirit lingers in photos, archives, and in the visual memory of the community. These transient masterpieces underscore one of Rone’s key messages: beauty is fleeting, and so is the space it occupies.

Rone’s Fitzroy murals are more than art; they are monuments to emotion, atmosphere, and the tension between urban life and artistic stillness. In a city constantly changing, his work offers a quiet pause—inviting passersby to stop, feel, and remember.

Sony A7RV

FE 20-70mm f4 G

Linking Mural Monday

Ink Caps at Mount Macedon for Sunday Best

 

This photograph was taken during one of my regular excursions to Mount Macedon, a place I frequent for contemplative walks through its verdant woodlands. These foraging wanderings are a source of quiet delight, offering both the invigorating freshness of the forest air and the opportunity to encounter nature’s hidden curiosities—among them, the delicate and often overlooked ink cap mushrooms.

The specimens depicted appear to belong to the Coprinopsis or Coprinellus genus, commonly known as ink caps. These fungi are distinguished by their slender stems and conical to bell-shaped caps, often bearing a dusky sheen when moist. They thrive on decaying wood and forest detritus, emerging in clusters after rain or during periods of high humidity. One of their most striking characteristics is their tendency to deliquesce: as the mushroom matures, the cap begins to liquefy, transforming into a dark, inky fluid—hence their common name.

Among the various species, Coprinopsis atramentaria, also known as the Common Ink Cap or Tippler’s Bane, is notable for its chemical interaction with alcohol; when consumed in conjunction with alcohol, it can cause adverse reactions due to the presence of coprine. Others, such as Coprinellus disseminatus, form large, fairy-tale-like colonies across mossy logs and stumps, yet do not deliquesce.

Though some ink caps are considered edible when young and properly identified, their ephemeral nature and potential for toxicity demand caution. For the mindful forager, however, they remain a fascinating subject of study—ephemeral, mysterious, and exquisitely transient.

Sony A7RV

Sigma 105mm f2.8 Macro

Linking Sunday Best

Eastern Long Snake Necked Turtle for Saturday Critter

 

This photograph, too, hails from a bygone era—captured over thirty years ago at Healesville Sanctuary, by the edge of a tranquil pond. It is difficult to fathom that such richness of colour and remarkable clarity could be achieved with a digital SLR of such vintage. The image stands as a quiet testament to the enduring capabilities of early digital photography, as well as to the attentive eye behind the lens.

The true subject of the photograph is a native freshwater turtle, most likely the Eastern Long-necked Turtle (Chelodina longicollis), a species commonly found in the wetlands, rivers, and billabongs of southeastern Australia, including the sanctuary grounds at Healesville. With its distinctive serpentine neck—often as long as its shell—this turtle has long fascinated naturalists and casual observers alike. When threatened, it emits a pungent musk from its glands, earning it the colloquial name "stinker."

In this image, the turtle appears either basking or gliding just beneath the surface, its smooth carapace catching the light, revealing details lost to the hurried eye. These turtles are an essential part of the aquatic ecosystem, feeding on insects, small fish, and carrion, and contributing to the balance of the watery habitats they call home.

To think that this moment—quiet, ordinary, and now distant—was captured so vividly with the technology of the time is both humbling and wondrous. It reminds us of the enduring value of patient observation and the rich natural heritage preserved within sanctuaries such as Healesville.

Pentax K10D 

Pentax 300mm f2.8 

Linking Saturday Critter