Wulai creek fruit mural, Taipei for Mural Monday

 

Last week, I wrote about the Wulai Creek region in Taipei. Recently, I came across a mural there depicting an assortment of fruits. The entire artwork has fallen into decay, its surface mottled with mould and weathered by time. Yet, in its deterioration, I found it hauntingly unique and strangely beautiful.

Sony A7RV

FE 20-70mm f4 G

Linking Mural Monday

Waixi Creek Taipei for Water H2O Thursday

 

Waixi Creek winds quietly through the misty hills of Pingxi, its water a shade of deep green that seems to hold the reflection of the forest itself. Upstream, I crossed a semi-abandoned bridge, its timbers darkened by age and softened by moss. The air was still, save for the low whisper of water and the faint creak of wood beneath my steps. Ahead, a small fan-shaped waterfall spilled gracefully over rocks, its delicate spread catching the morning light. I lingered there, letting the sound of the water wash over me, not yet in sight of the great Shifen Waterfall but already feeling its presence—somewhere ahead, where the creek gathers itself into strength.

Shifen Waterfall lies deep within the Pingxi Valley of northern Taiwan, where the Keelung River winds through layered stone and forest. The name “Shifen” dates back to the Qing dynasty, when ten families settled in this fertile gorge and divided the land into ten equal portions. Over the centuries, the river shaped the valley into what it is today: a landscape of cliffs, pools, and narrow ravines, where countless tributaries like Waixi feed into the main flow. The region’s bedrock slopes against the direction of the water, forcing it into a magnificent arc as it drops nearly twenty meters across a span of forty. When sunlight pierces the rising mist, a rainbow sometimes forms across the pool, and locals call it the “Rainbow Pond.”

The Shifen area once thrived as a coal-mining settlement during the Japanese colonial period. The Pingxi railway line was built through the valley to carry black coal to the port cities, and its narrow track still runs alongside the river today. Over time, as mining faded into memory, the valley’s rhythm returned to one of water and forest. The old bridges, tunnels, and stone paths remain, quietly reclaimed by moss and vines, linking the past to the present with every weathered beam and rusted nail.

As I followed Waixi upstream that morning, I felt that mixture of age and renewal in every sight—the rustic bridge standing like a remnant of an older world, the creek’s green current alive and changing, and the fan-shaped waterfall fanning out in a quiet gesture of welcome. The larger Shifen Waterfall waited farther down, roaring and majestic, but here in the upper stream there was a gentler beauty. It was a place of pause, where time moved as slowly as the drifting ripples on the water’s surface.

Walking toward the main falls, I realised that what draws one to Shifen is not only the grandeur of the waterfall itself, but the quiet journey toward it. The bridges, the green pools, the minor cascades—each holds a story, a small breath of history and nature intertwined. In that gentle space before the thunder of the falls, the world feels balanced between motion and stillness. The creek, the valley, and the waterfall together form a kind of living memory—Taiwan’s heart reflected in water, stone, and light.

Sony A7RV

FE 20-70mm f4 G

Linking Water H2O Thursday

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

La La Creek in Warburton Melbourne for Water H2O Thursday

 

The journey from Melbourne to La La Creek in Warburton is oftentimes a test of patience. Each township en route enforces a strict speed limit of 50 kilometres per hour, and the frequent deceleration through these settlements serves only to prolong the wearying passage. Yet, upon arrival, all such inconveniences are swiftly forgotten.

La La Creek, nestled within the tranquil folds of the Yarra Ranges, offers a quietude that soothes the spirit. In winter, the air is brisk and pure, and the perennial murmur of the creek weaves through the forested glen like a thread of silver sound. The absence of mosquitoes during the colder months renders the experience all the more agreeable, allowing one to linger undisturbed by the banks of this gentle watercourse.

Once a source of life and sustenance for the Wurundjeri people and later a site frequented by timber-cutters and bushwalkers alike, the creek now flows in peaceful retirement, its mossy stones and fern-fringed edges recalling a natural history both rich and enduring. Here, beneath towering mountain ash and alongside trails softened by fallen leaves, one finds a serenity rare in the modern world.

Sony A7RV

FE 20-70mm f4 G

Linking Water H2O Thursday

Flinders Blowhole Sunset for Skywatch Friday

 

This photograph was taken last weekend. The shutter speed was set slightly slow, producing an effect I found more appealing than that of a long exposure. The sky appeared particularly dramatic, and the waves crashing against the rocks were strikingly turbulent.

Wishing everyone a joyful Easter.

I have ordered a special cake from a boutique pâtisserie — a chocolate mousse delicately enrobed in pear cream — which I look forward to sharing with my mother.

Sony A7RV

FE 70-200mm f4 G

Linking Skywatch Friday

Over the past fortnight, I have indulged in viewing all six seasons of Schitt’s Creek. At the outset, the series appeared somewhat clichéd, with a rather uninspired storyline. However, by the third season, it began to reveal a remarkable depth and charm. The romantic arc between Patrick and David, in particular, proved to be both refreshing and heartfelt. Each character was afforded the opportunity for full development, to the extent that, by the series’ conclusion, the actors and actresses felt like dear friends and cherished members of one’s own family. It was with a touch of melancholy that I bid farewell to the show as it drew to a close.

Mullum Mullum Creek for Water H2O Thursday

 

This was taken when I used to stay in Ringwood Melbourne. This is the natural habit for otter in outer Melbourne.

Sony A7RV

FE 16-35mm f2.8 GM

Linking Water H2O Thursday

Arthur's Pass Creek in New Zealand for Treasure Tuesday

 

The hike to Devil's Bowl Falls follows a trail alongside the creek.

Sony A7RV

FE 20-70mm f4 G

Linking Treasure Tuesday

Trestle Bridge in reflection at Kilcunda for Sunday Best

 

The creek is getting dried. It is almost stagnant. 

Sony A7RV

Sigma 14-24mm f2.8 

Linking Sunday Best

Joel called being too sick to be with me outing to NaiDoc Week in city. I ended up staying at home trying out all the croissant varieties bought around East Melbourne. 

Warburton creek river flow for Sunday Best

 

I lost my 50mm f1.2 . I bought the lens again for its special rendition it has. 

Sony A7RV 

FE 50mm f1.2 

Linking Sunday Best

Warburton Creek for Water H2O Thursday

 

Last Saturday was pretty much cloudy overcast. So picking a random creek in Warburton again.

Sony A7RV

FE 14mm f1.8 GM

Joel in the background for infrared test

Linking Water H2O Thursday

Sherbrooke Creek Olinda for Treasure Tuesday

 

This was taken on the weekend. Joel and I ventured into Mount Dandenong in the rain. We were covered by mud as the result. Our coats were all soaked wet. 

After the effort, we tried out Singaporean Chili Crab Pies at the foot of the hill. 

Sony A7RV

FE 14mm f1.8 GM

Linking Treasure Tuesday and FACE OFF

Creek whirl Mount Baw Baw for Sunday Best

 

That is a shot I took when I was waiting for Joel to finish his shots. He always takes forever on the prime spot. So I took out my zoom searching for second best views to snap. 

Sony A7RV

FE 20-70mm f4

Linking Sunday Best

Creek in Gippsland, Victoria, Australia

 

Water can be so soothing. Xmas is truly a silly mad season. After a spiraling runs of various health issues affecting mum and me, my buddy is going through a crisis in marriage...

It is easier to sit by the creek away from the world

Sony A7RIV

FE 16-35mm f2.8 GM

Linking Wordless Wednesday

Thick Trunk Thursday - Warburton Forest

 

Wet and wild. Love the creek.

Sony A7RIV

FE 14mm f1.8 GM

This is linking Random-osity

Creek in Warburton, Melbourne

 

Creeks flowing. A way to let the worries go.

Sony A7RIV

FE 16-35mm f2.8 GM

Through the Lens and Best Sunday Meme

Abandoned Gold Mining Equipment in Forest Creek, Castlemaine

 

After seeing some blogger friends posting on mining equipment, I took quite a few abandoned in the wilderness in Loddon Region of Victoria.

Seriously, this shall be protected in a shelter of some sort instead of being left out in the wilderness.

Sony A7RIV

Laowa 9mm f5.6

Castlemaine photos

The cascade, Metcalfe, Victoria

 

Normally this creek is dried out completely. When it fills up, it is nice to do a long exposure

Sony A7RIV

FE 16-35mm f2.8 GM

Sony A7RIV shots

Warburton Creek

 

A bit Zen, right?

Love the tone in this place. In summer, this spot would be filled with fierce mosquitoes everywhere. 

Sony A7RIV 

FE 14mm f1.8 GM

This place is so dark I dont even need a neutral density filter

Creek

Warburton Creek

 

Long exposure in this waterway turns out quite rewarding 

Sony A7RIV + FE 16-35mm f2.8 GM

Long Exposure shots

Grampians creek above McKenzie Falls

 

The turbulent water without long exposure gives a different feel 

Panasonic G9

Leica 8-18mm 

River shots