The Journey & the Destination
Waterloo Bay, on the way home. It was an overcast morning and the waves were ferocious (Fujifilm X-T4: f/8, 0.5 secs, ISO 800, 10mm, and Kase circular polariser).
I think behind every good photo, there’s usually a good story. A great landscape photo usually tells a story about the destination, rather than the journey. But the story of the journey, although not captured through the lens of a camera, can make the destination so much more special and memorable. Some of my most favourite photos to date have made that list because they’ve involved backstories of some kind – even though the photos themselves may not be saying much about anything! My recent trip to Wilsons Promontory started out as being about capturing the destination, but ended up being more memorable for the journey.
I’d taken a tonne of photos at Wilsons Promontory, mainly because I was excited that lockdown was over and this was a rare opportunity for me take some real landscape photos (I was a bit over taking snaps of flowers and bees in my backyard). I’d not seen much of this beautiful part of Victoria at all, and the goal was to come away with a bag of keepers for my portfolio, while tackling my first multi-day hike with Cris and sister-in-law, Pia. But unfortunately, breathtaking scenes and vistas don’t always make “great” landscape photos, and a lot of my snaps just didn’t make the cut.
Alas, it was amazing to see a sea of golden sand dunes at The Big Drift after scrambling on all fours up a steep sandy incline with the hot afternoon sun beating down our necks. Dipping our toes to cool off in the pristine waters at Whisky Bay was awesome. And it was spectacular to see the endless stretch of white quartz sand and crystal-clear turquoise water at Waterloo Bay after hiking for over 5 hours with almost 20 kgs on our backs! But the trail to Waterloo Bay and beyond, to Little Waterloo Bay, was just stellar. Full of undulations throughout, the trail has it all – from wide rocky 4WD tracks and flat sandy trails that cut through exposed valleys, to boggy dirt paths, boardwalks that meander through mini tropical rainforests and narrow paths squeezed between granite boulders that edge around cliffs. The scenes along the way showcased the beauty of nature, each in its unique way.
Although I only ended up with a handful of photos that I’d be quite happy to print, it was just magical to be at some of these locations. Above all, the walks and hikes to the locations were unbeatable. Yes, it was definitely grueling, and the lack of experience, fitness and carrying too much weight didn’t help! But the adventure and the journey made arriving at, and capturing, the destinations that little bit extra special.
Getting up this steep, sandy hill to get to The Big Drift was tough going. But once you make it, you’re rewarded with rolling sand dunes as far as the eye can see, and in Victoria too - who would’ve thought?!
This shot was one of a couple of keepers from The Big Drift (Fujifilm X-T4: f/4, 1/250 sec, ISO 160, 17mm, ND64 (6 stop) filter).
Veering off from the path to Little Waterloo Bay campsite, I spotted this little opening on a cliff edge, with views of Bass Strait. Waves were hitting the granite rocks with some force and there must have been an underwater current causing water to swirl around like a washing machine!
Cris and Pia cooling off in the serene surrounds of Whisky Bay.
Cris pretending to train for Iron Man at Squeaky Beach.
Some of the vibrant foliage and unique rock formations along the ascending trail from Telegraph Junction to Little Waterloo Bay.
