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Photographer's Blog: Friday, May 15, 2026

Eastwards Once Again

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With about ten days ahead of us our young lad and I set off on another dedicated landscape photography trip. Fuel prices had been rising alarmingly leading up to our departure due to conflicts abroad, but fortunately they returned to some semblance of normality allowing us to complete a long winding path along the east coast of Victoria, up into New South Wales as far as the Blue Mountains, before meandering back the same way. We put in the work, attempting to capture every sunrise and sunset, with lots of scouting for locations in between all of which ultimately resulted in the small collection of five images presented in this series. To non-photographers that may not seem like much given the money, distance and effort, but five keepers in ten days is actually a very good result.

We started on the Mornington Peninsula with a hike out to Bush Ranger Bay, lured by the promise of a low tide and some cloud forecast. Unfortunately the ocean swell was too dangerous for an image of the exposed rock arch. My plan now is to return at another time, maybe with rope and harness to make it safe. The light was not interesting anyway, so we trekked back out, and headed to the opposite side of the peninsula for sunset. This time, low cloud and rain foiled our attempt at capturing a nice jetty image. Feeling a little deflated we grabbed pizza for tea at Safety Beach, which turned out to be excellent quality, and instantly felt renewed. Eating out is a rarity for us, so the sheer novelty of it combined with being at the start of a grand adventure lifted our spirits. Thus buoyed, we headed further eastward.

It had been well over a decade since I last visited Croajingolong National Park in the east of Victoria, mainly because the Thurra River Campground had been closed for many years due to bushfire damage. Finally it was open again and we were excited to explore. Our boy had not seen this part of the country before, with its wild landscape of tall sand dunes towering over both ocean and bushland. The two of us spent a great day exploring the river and dunes, eventually settling upon a composition looking across the sand towards the forest and river below. When the sun began to set it greatly enhanced an already amazing view, granting me my favourite image of the trip.

Trudging through the dark by head torch, we eventually got back to the campground well after dark. We had wanted to stay overnight, but an earlier call that morning had informed us that all the individual campsites were booked out and there was no space left for us. Walking around the area, however, we quickly saw that of the 45 or so sites, fewer than 10 were occupied and the rest were ghost bookings. Certainly that was frustrating to see. I would have been happy to pay the fee, but instead we headed out of the park, doing a night drive to Mallacoota. At least with so few people around the dunes were not covered in footprints. We also had some fantastic light, and the road was in good condition, so it was still a great result from our day at Thurra River.

Mallacoota is one of those remote, sleepy little fishing villages that, over the years, have become a haven for families and travellers wanting to slow down and relax. Dawn found us positioned near one of the many weathered old wooden jetties looking out across the inlet which turned gold and copper as the sun rose out to sea. The best light only lasted a few moments, but fortunately I was able to capture a dramatic shot straight into the rising sun.

There is a quietness here that makes it feel untouched, despite the busy tourist seasons, the handful of shops and restaurants, and fishing boats coming and going at all hours. There is no traffic to speak of, residents walk, children ride bikes, and cars seem to appear only when a boat is being launched. Out on the inlet the water can sit perfectly still, disturbed only by the occasional pelican landing or the slow drift of a kayaker. It feels as though the people here have discovered something the rest of the world has overlooked. Not wanting to leave too soon, we hung around for sunset as well and would also return to this spot on our way home. Wind and drizzle foiled these subsequent attempts, but Mallacoota delivered on sheer experience. I will certainly try to return here soon.

Our next location was Narooma where we did the touristy thing, walked along the boardwalk, looked at the Australia Rock, watched some seals, had some lunch and scouted for image locations. I must say, Narooma is an appealing holiday destination. It would be a nice spot to spend some time, but alas, no new image locations jumped out beyond those I had already captured. We forged ahead, and ended up further north for sunset, but the light was not on our side. The following sunrise found us at Kiama Downs, and a very familiar photographic subject of their sea stacks. We had a fun pre-dawn walk, but again no luck with light.

As is often the case emotion led me to change direction from the coast to the mountains. I could see the weather was forecast for sunny days which would not grant us those big epic cloud filled skies. At least in the mountains we could do some hiking. Driving up into the Blue Mountains we set our sights on the Fortress Ridge walk. As predicted it was near cloudless but we did manage to find an amazing viewpoint of which I had no previous knowledge. We hung around for sunset, capturing images of golden light striking yellow cliffs. The photograph was very nice, though probably not quite portfolio worthy. Once again, however, the experience was its own reward.

On the hike out I nearly stepped on a black snake giving me quite the shock. By that stage it was getting dark so we were keen to get back to the car, striding along quickly when suddenly there it was slithering across the path ahead. Note to self, bring gaiters next time and slow down. We put head torches on after that, and scanned the trail continuously, eventually making it back to the car without further incident.

My six-stop filter had been cracked during a previous trip, so the next day was spent in Sydney trying to replace it. Fighting through traffic and wandering around a busy shopping area jam packed with people, reminded me why I prefer the peace of remote wilderness areas. It was such a contrast to the previous day we had enjoyed in the mountains that we could not wait to leave. However before departing the city we tried our luck at Bare Island for sunset.

I had attempted to capture a photograph of the old wooden footbridge that leads out to this historic island several times over the course of many years. The volume of people swarming both bridge and island at sunset tends to make it near impossible to obtain a clean image. On this occasion the light had been reasonable, but nothing grand enough to justify an image. The sun had already set, but we decided to stick around as the tourists were finally departing.

Suddenly, the evening twilight kicked in bringing with it an intense but short lived red-magenta glow that cast the most vibrant colours for all of a couple of minutes. Fortunately the camera gear was all still set up and I was able to capture a long exposure, almost completely free of people, before the conditions dwindled.

Running out of days we headed back south along the coast, stopping to have another crack at Pyramid Rock near Moruya. The rock is a distinctively shaped sea stack located off Mullimburra Point. Having visited this location many times, I can attest that it is quite appealing at sunset, when reflected light can paint the sky with soft hues. However it tends to be more vibrant at sunrise, as was the case on this occasion. We were also lucky with the tide which had washed the beach clean of footprints leaving some nice, smooth foreground sand.

We had another day at Mallacoota, and then took our time driving back along the east coast of Victoria. Eventually we found ourselves at a familiar location, Whisky Bay in Wilsons Promontory National Park which is easily accessed via a short walk from the car park. Its popularity is well deserved, with magnificent coastal views from either end of the beach and offshore islands stretching into the distance.

Having photographed this location so many times that I have long since lost count, I am still drawn to capturing its beauty. We sat in the car waiting for a storm to pass, the sound of rain on the roof keeping us company for a couple of hours. Finally, as the day drew to a close, we made a dash down to the beach and set up a composition beneath our umbrellas, looking towards the fading sun. As twilight approached, the wind and rain eased, and the sky delivered a final blush of colour. What a nice way to end the trip.

So that is the end of this trip report. Once again I greatly thank all those who continue to support my work by purchasing a print, it is very much appreciated. May life also grant you, dear readers, a chance to walk under some trees and feel at peace.

Photographic Print Only		US Dollars
8" x 12"	20cm x 31cm	$20 US
10" x 15"	25cm x 38cm	$25 US
12" x 18"	31cm x 46cm	$35 US
16" x 24"	41cm x 61cm	$55 US
20" x 30"	51cm x 76cm	$65 US
24" x 36"	61cm x 91cm	$85 US
30" x 40"	76cm x 102cm	$100 US
Panoramic Prints		US Dollars
8" x 24"	20cm x 61cm	$35 US
10" x 30"	25cm x 76cm	$50 US
12" x 36"	31cm x 91cm	$60 US
16" x 48"	41cm x 122cm	$100 US
20" x 60"	51cm x 152cm	$160 US
30" x 90"	76cm x 228cm	$185 US
Canvas Prints (Standard)		US Dollars
8" x 12"	20cm x 31cm	$75 US
12" x 18"	31cm x 46cm	$95 US
16" x 24"	41cm x 61cm	$100 US
20" x 30"	51cm x 76cm	$125 US
24" x 36"	61cm x 91cm	$175 US
30" x 40"	76cm x 102cm	$200 US
Canvas Prints (Panoramic)		US Dollars
10" x 30"	25cm x 76cm	$150 US
12" x 36"	31cm x 91cm	$180 US
20" x 60"	51cm x 152cm	$310 US
Metal/Aluminum Prints		US Dollars
8" x 12"	20cm x 31cm	$150 US
12" x 18"	31cm x 46cm	$200 US
16" x 24"	41cm x 61cm	$250 US
20" x 30"	51cm x 76cm	$300 US
24" x 36"	61cm x 91cm	$350 US
30" x 40"	76cm x 102cm	$400 US
Metal/Aluminum Prints (Panoramic)		US Dollars
6" x 18"	15cm x 46cm	$125 US
8" x 24"	20cm x 61cm	$150 US
10" x 30"	25cm x 76cm	$200 US
12" x 36"	31cm x 91cm	$250 US
16" x 48"	41cm x 122cm	$400 US
20" x 60"	51cm x 152cm	$550 US
30" x 90"	76cm x 228cm	$1000 US

Timber Framed Prints		Australian
8" x 12"	20cm x 31cm	$172 AUD
12" x 18"	31cm x 46cm	$245 AUD
16" x 24"	41cm x 61cm	$300 AUD
Photographic Print Only		Australian
8" x 12"	20cm x 31cm	$27 AUD
12" x 18"	31cm x 46cm	$33 AUD
16" x 24"	41cm x 61cm	$70 AUD
20" x 30"	51cm x 76cm	$92 AUD
Panoramic Prints		Australian
4" x 12"	10cm x 31cm	$27 AUD
6" x 18"	15cm x 46cm	$33 AUD
8" x 24"	20cm x 61cm	$70 AUD
10" x 30"	25cm x 76cm	$92 AUD
16" x 48"	41cm x 122cm	Please use US Printer
20" x 60"	51cm x 152cm
30" x 90"	76cm x 228cm
33" x 100"	84cm x 254cm	Available On Request (Email)
40" x 120"	102cm x 305cm	Available On Request (Email)
Canvas Prints (Standard)		Australian
8" x 12"	20cm x 31cm	$132 AUD
12" x 18"	31cm x 46cm	$172 AUD
16" x 24"	41cm x 61cm	$224 AUD
20" x 30"	51cm x 76cm	$285 AUD
Canvas Prints (Panoramic)		Australian
4" x 12"	10cm x 31cm	$132 AUD
6" x 18"	15cm x 46cm	$172 AUD
8" x 24"	20cm x 61cm	$224 AUD
10" x 30"	25cm x 76cm	$285 AUD
20" x 60"	51cm x 152cm	Please use US Printer
33" x 100"	84cm x 254cm	Available On Request (Email)
40" x 120"	102cm x 305cm	Available On Request (Email)
Poster		Australian
15" x 23"	39cm x 59cm	$25 AUD
22" x 33"	56cm x 84cm	$40 AUD
31" x 47"	79cm x 119cm	$70 AUD
Postcard		Australian
4" x 6"	10cm x 15cm	$3 AUD
Greeting Card with Envelope		Australian
4" x 6"	10cm x 15cm	$4.50 AUD
5" x 7.5"	13cm x 19cm	$7.00 AUD

Australian Landscape & Nature Photography by Michael Boniwell

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Eastwards Once Again

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