Waterfall @ Minnamurra Rainforest.
Snoskred Photography
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Sometimes You Gotta Go
I started writing this post a couple of weeks ago – finally have the time to finish it!
For the last month, every single day off that the other half had has been gorgeous blue skies, but evil winds which made kayaking a bit scary – making big waves on our little waterway. We were suffering from serious kayak withdrawal.
So despite the fact that most of the day was already gone, it was somewhat windy, and clouds were on the way.. it was time to just do it.
As we paddled out we found the two black swans who have been rearing a couple of swan babies not too far from our backyard. We saw them the last time we went kayaking – they have grown a lot since then!
The parents were squawking up a storm, and the little swans were paddling as fast as their little legs would paddle. Seems they find the kayak a little scary. :)
One thing I find about kayaking when the sun is not out – you can’t see into the water. It makes it difficult to know the depth of the water and when you’re in a new spot where you don’t really know the terrain you want to try and keep away from the “edges” so to speak. Which is a shame because I would have liked to get a bit closer to have a look at this spot. It is a reserve, so we’re going to head back for a walk around there.
As we headed back home, the sun got lower in the sky creating some awesome reflections on the water.
When we got back, we found out we were pretty wet from kayaking out into the waves. I know it doesn’t look wavy but it never does in the photos. When we went out today I took some video footage so people will believe me about the waves – maybe this will get posted here in the future.
The great thing about the shark skin for me is that I do not feel the wet or the cold – until I stand up. Then all the water which has collected around my butt runs down the inside of my shark skin towards my toes.
This happens with the bungs in or out, I can’t seem to win – if we leave them out it won’t be wavy and they don’t need to be out so I could have gone without wet butt – if we leave them in the waves will crash over the bow and leave a puddle of water which creates extra wet butt!
I can’t imagine life without the shark skin now. I love them. I can imagine so many uses for them besides kayaking – the windproof aspect of them is the most awesome. I can be warmer being splashed by waves out on the kayak with a big wind blowing right at me than I am sitting here in the house with a rug on. Sounds unbelievable but it is true. :)
Sunset
One afternoon I was reading a book in our “zen space” out the back. Slowly the light on my book changed to a brilliant orange. At that point I had to put the book down to watch the sky. After the brilliant orange there was a gorgeous pink, and at that point I had to get the camera and go for a short walk to get this photo so I could share it with you, too.
Kayak Trip & Jellyfish
After taking several weeks off due to holidays, we finally got back on the kayak yesterday. It was an absolutely stunning day – almost like summer but hello, this is autumn now. Here’s hoping we get many more days like this in the next few months And look, it’s my toe! ;) YAY TOE.
When we got in the water, we noticed there were many tiny jellyfish. They were difficult to see for the most part, but you could see their shadows on the sand. Apparently these ones do not sting – if they did we would certainly know about it.
We decided to head down to the mouth of the creek and back, a shorter version of our usual trip.
When we got down to the mouth we discovered both the Dolphin Watch boats were out in the bay and the wharf was completely empty. We spotted one of the boats out in the bay. You can just see it in this pic.
This is the first time we have ever got there at the right moment with both boats out, so we decided to do a paddle along the wharf.
As we paddled along the other, newer Dolphin Watch boat appeared and headed back to the wharf. This one is usually moored in the river, the bigger boat stays tied up at the wharf.
On the way back we spent some time trying to photograph the jellyfish. On closer inspection we found that they had amazing colors which would run down their bodies. Some were green, some were pink or red. We thought we would try and get some photos of them while we were out but I was worried we would not be able to capture the colors.
We spent quite a lot of time using the Hobie Stake Out stick to keep us in the shadow of this tree, trying to get a picture. The stake out stick is a brilliant invention which enables a kayak to anchor in the sand. This does make it easier to eat a snack.
The camera would not focus on the jellyfish which was very frustrating. We were lucky to find a jellyfish with an air bubble in it so we could finally get a decent shot – and we did manage to capture some of the colors.
On the way back to the boat ramp The Other Half said that we had not seen any stingrays today.. and the next thing you know one appeared. He seemed to be quite curious about the Kayak, and he followed us for about 10 minutes. The water was a bit murky by this time so underwater shots did not turn out well.. here is a shot of the dark blob in the water it makes.. ;)
The ray was heading towards one of the boat ramps. Word on the street is these guys like hang out at boat ramps. I wonder if it is like the cool place to be, because we spotted another one also heading there – this one is known to us because it does not have a tail at all and we’ve seen it many times in the creek. Also hanging out near the boat ramp were these guys.
On the way back there is an amazing dead tree. It fell backwards exposing a huge root structure.
My usual exercise routine has been completely thrown out by our trip, and by this time the muscles in the backs of my thighs were starting to hurt a bit. We decided to call it a day, having been out for 2 hours and 40 minutes according to the i-phone tracking system. Usually those muscles don’t hurt until we’ve been out for four hours, so looks like I have some work to do to get them back into shape. ;)
We do seem to have got our act together when it comes to getting ready to go kayaking and putting together our gear. We also have found the perfect kayak snack – nutrigrain bars. Yes this *sounds* awful, I know. However they are absolutely spectacular, my favourite flavor is honeycomb. I also like to take a banana and a couple of bottles of water.
We use the Olympus 850SW waterproof and shockproof camera to take photos on the kayak and when snorkelling. We chose the pink one in case it were to fall off the kayak or get dropped when we were snorkelling, so that we would be able to see it. :) The above shot is from the Marriott Lagoon Pool we visited while on holiday, it gives you an idea of the kind of shots you can get with this camera.
Making A Splash
It’s been a busy day here in Snoskred-Land. The Other Half had the day off, so we went for a drive to the PO box to pick up some scammer mail and a package for me yay! We bought some meat in bulk which we’ve now food-saved and frozen. We stopped at the Cheesecake shop because I deserved Cheesecake. I took the day off from the computer mostly but I’ll be back and writing something special tomorrow. For now, enjoy the whale photo.
Coincidentally, Speaking Of My Favourite Road
Today we went for a lovely drive. We visited Surf Beach which is near Batemans Bay.
Then we stopped at Kioloa on the way home. I’d heard it was beautiful and it was stunning. Then again we’re a bit spoilt for stunning beaches around here.
On the way home we stopped on my favourite road at one of the most fun bits to take a photo. You can click on the picture for a larger image.
Blame It On The Whales.
Some of you have noticed that I have only been posting one post per day for the last few days. I’ve got the evil flu which the other half had a couple of weeks ago. I started feeling a bit unwell on Friday, had a terrible sleep on Saturday night but it was Sunday that brought the straw which put me flat on my back for the last 3 days. Sunday, a bush hike, and some happy hikers who told us we might see some whales.
And see whales we did, even though the winds were ferocious we were so captivated we could not leave and when we did leave we tried to chase the whales to the next high point, taking a 1km hike and turning it into about a 4km hike, some of it through terrifyingly tiny paths which made me freak out quite a bit. There seemed to be several different pods of whales and they were all doing a jumping out of the water. I have many more photos, but I do not have the energy right now. When I’m feeling better I promise to share.
We also found a baby Echidna. I have no idea why it was showing us its feet. Anyway I am not 100% better yet and really only managing short amounts of time out of bed. Apologies for not dropping by everyone’s blogs. As soon as I am better I’ll be by.
Garden Photos & Water Feature Installed!
On Tuesday we fixed the balcony. We used the high pressure spray to clean it and then put our plants in groups to create little ecosystems – as suggested by River – also because there are drains in the balcony where the run off water goes so it was better to group them near the drains.
We installed the water feature as well. The palms around it got a little too much sun where they were, I’m hoping the new spot will be better for them. In front of the water feature you can see my herb garden in a much more convenient spot to pick the herbs. In the below picture you can see my office window – I can open the window and hear the water which is lovely.
I was reading on A Spot With Pots the other day about ladybirds. I’d noticed since we planted the herb and tomato plants we seemed to have a lot of ladybirds appear seemingly out of nowhere. I thought it was cute. Now I know they are eating my plants!
The Hibiscus have begun to flower again. These are some of my favourite plants. I’d like to have about 20 more of them because they are available in so many colours and variations.
The fuschia is so beautiful right now – this is another plant I would love to have more of.
The jasmine is flowering and it smells gorgeous!
So there you have a little garden update. I hope you enjoyed it!
The Oracle Knows All.. At Least Some.. Well Really Just One Thing.
So, you’ve moved to the beach? You’re going to need an Oracle. What is an Oracle, I hear you ask? It is the God of the Ocean. It is the one thing you must consult before heading off to the beach. It is vital and important, not just for beach walkers but for boaters and for fishermen..
I do not believe in any One God, but I do believe in the Oracle. And now I am going to show you the Oracle. Are you sitting down? Paying full attention? ;) This is *important*!!!
My Oracle is a simple piece of paper with important things printed on it. Some people have an Oracle that comes in book form. Some people who are highly advanced creatures consult the Online Oracle.
As always, I hear your thoughts. Why is an Oracle necessary? Why is this important to someone who wants to walk on the beach? You see the above photo. That is a local creek. There is no bridge over this creek, and at certain times of the day where I am standing to take this photo I would be about neck deep in water. So the Oracle can help me work out when is the best time to take my beach walk and be able to cross this creek.
What the Oracle cannot tell me is what I will see when I get to the beach, if there will be any dolphins there, if the weather will be ok, and a multitude of other things. It simply tells me when the tides will be high or low. Someone tells me this has something to do with the Moon, but I am not sure about this.
(image courtesy Google Earth)
As you see there are a couple of creeks on my beach walk paths. If the Oracle has not lied to me, I am able to walk a very long way on the beach. If I go when the Oracle has said “Don’t Go” I cannot walk very far at all.
All beach photos in this post were taken by me earlier today – I saw two different pods of Dolphins today. I walked a long way but managed to lose my pedometer sometime after 4,256 steps. :( and I still had a long way to walk when I last checked the meter! I walked for over an hour and a half on top of my 20 minute short walk this morning when I foolishly did not listen to The Oracle and could not cross either of the creeks.
This post has been a Hump Day Hmmm. Feel free to write your own Hump Day Hmmm, it is simple and easy to join in! The topic this week was –
Take a topic, any topic, something that is weighing on you, bothering you, troubling you…and find the humor in it. Write about it from a humorous angle. It can be general or personal, just take a troubling topic and bring out the humor. FWIW, sarcasm counts. Letter style, onion style, Shakespeare style, prose, any style you want.
I suppose The Oracle is not a troubling topic for everyone, but it has become a new troubling topic for me this week. I am now joined at the hip to a piece of paper because someone could not simply say – High tide is at midday and midnight, and low tide is at 6am and 6pm! No, they have to make it *complicated* and *ever changing* just to confuse poor little me. :( As much as I love the moon, I believe Juliet was right when she said –
O, swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon, that monthly changes in her circled orb, lest that thy love prove likewise variable.
When you move..
What do you pack first? Do you think whatever that item is must be the most precious to you?
As I type this, my office room has a sad echo. There are only two books left on my shelves – Feng Shui which I’ll need for laying out the new house – and one by my bedside. The rest are packed away in 6 boxes. I won’t see them again for a good couple of weeks. Every time I do this, it is like saying goodbye to much loved friends. Even though it is only a short time I will miss them and the freedom to pick any one of them up and return to wherever they take me when I open them.
The book I never pack, the one I always take with me from the house in my hands is the complete works of Jane Austen. That’s mainly because my complete works of Shakespeare is heavier than your average teenager and just as difficult to co-exist with.
Today we had to take a little trip to Sydney. You may recall that I am quite well endowed. For a girl, I have an enormous..
A rather unfortunate event took place when the other half decided to go out and photograph some lightning recently. The lens fell off the tripod. Of course being that it is such a large and expensive ($3,700AUD) lens, we have it insured as a specified item on our insurance policy, so it is covered completely. But being the camera nuts that we are, we (and by we I mean me) did not want anyone but Canon themselves touching it. So we drove to their head office in Sydney.
On the way we had to drive past Lone Star, so we stopped and had lunch YAY! Then we had to drive PAST Ikea, which was possibly the hardest part of the trip. I did not shed tears but it was almost a very sad moment until I remembered that I would not be happy to leave the car in the carpark on its own.
The head office of Canon is no small place. It was at least 5 stories high, and quite posh and impressive. Unfortunately they seem to suffer from a lack of carparking for customers who want to visit but despite my urge to remain with the vehicle and keep it safe from any door flingers who might park near it, I wanted to go inside. So for the very first time since we bought the car, it was parked in a normal carpark without one of us keeping watch over it. Yes, it’s been a while. ;)
The estimate for fixing it is $1,200. It’s worth it but it is difficult to show you why it is worth it without you being here in person looking at printed out versions of the photographs at full resolution.