Eames Reef, out in the depths of the ocean

Eames Reef, out in the depths of the ocean

Eames reef with Althorpe is and in the distance

 

An adventure off the beaten fishing track to Eames Reef.

 

Eames reef, is a rocky formation with huge waves rising suddenly and sharply out of the depths of the ocean.

This rather savage and unexpected reef is just off Dhilba Guuranda Innes National Park. The reef can only just be seen in the distance from the coastline of Innes National Park on a clear day and in fairly stormy weather. The reef basically lies straight out from Ethels beach. But if you want to get up close and personal you need to take a boat trip.

There are a number of reefs at the bottom end of Yorke Peninsula and many years back there were numerous ship wrecks around this area due to these reefs, as the sailors of old, did not have the sophisticated marine equipment of today.

For us to get close to these reefs, a boat is the only solution.

The times we have ventured near to these reefs it has generally been after a days fishing. On this particular day the swell was reasonable so we decided to take a look. I suggest an experienced driver as the waves emerge seemingly from nowhere and it’s rather frightening when the swell is big.

We went reasonably close, but not too close, my husband being a fisherman of old understood the patterns and variations that the ocean could throw at us. He informed us that, “He must not turn his back on the ocean swell!” Therefore he would not look at the reef, but only out to sea at the oncoming rise of the swells.

This left us to watch the waves roll in and take our photographs and be amazed at this beautiful sight. It certainly seemed weird to have waves of this size way out in the middle of the ocean.

In the background of some of the photographs you can see Althorpe Island and the three houses and lighthouse located on this island.

 

Rising out of nowhere Eames reef off South Yorke Peninsula

Coming out of nowhere this wave starts to rise as it nears the rocks

Eames reef off Yorke Peninsula
Eames reef and splashing high
eames reef after it hits the rocks
Eames reef beautiful colours of the ocean
Deep ocean and reef
Spectacular wave at Eames reef
Eames reef and wave breaking
Eames reef and huge wave
Eames reef and wave crashes on the reef
Eames reef don't get too close
Eames reef and many colours
Eames reef up close
Eames reef and dark sky

The colours and movement of the waves kept us watching and photographing for quite some time. I cannot imagine what it would be like in very stormy weather.

All images were taken by Wendy Philip. No AI generated images.

A visit by boat to Althorpe Island, South Australia

A visit by boat to Althorpe Island, South Australia

Althorpe Island and sea lion swimming

A dream come true, a visit Althorpe Island

 

One fine day we boated out to an uninhabited island that was manned for many years by three families. The families operated the lighthouse and kept the lights burning for many a ship that passed by these often treacherous seas. Many of the buildings are in a state of disrepair but thanks to a small organisation “Friends of Althorpe Island” the islands facitities are now being maintained and repaired, the weeds and environment are also being looked after, thanks to these people this amazing place is now a protected area and will not simply dissolve into a forgotten past.

On many of our visits to the beaches in the Dhilba Guraanda Innes National Park you can view Althorpe Island and you will clearly see three tiny white dots on the island and the white lighthouse practically in the centre of these homes. I had spent many a year gazing and dreaming and even researching what and who these past historical figures and artifacts were. I always longed to visit this island and take in a piece of history.

A boat and finally that long awaited trip to see this remote island.

What an honour, what an exciting adventure. It was a very beautiful and incredibly rugged and spectacular place. Apparently the three families who lived in these cottages had children on the island, schooled them, feed them, played with them etc. All supplies came by boat or air. Unbelievable how these people lived in this harsh environment and performed a very needed task.

My images hopefully tell the rest of the story, what we saw and how history has such a place in our lives.

I am no historian so have included some links to a few more informative sites.

Lighthouses Australia

Wikepedia on Althorpe Island

Friends of Althorpe Island

Cape Spencer lighthouse, Althorpe island in the distance

The distant white homes and the lighthouse I had dreamt and wondered about….. Finally I got to go and visit this remote and unusual place. This is the view from the mainland. Cape Spencer lighthouse and lookout is in the foreground.

Getting closer to the Althorpe Island jetty

Approaching the island the sea is a distinctly strong turquoise colour, and the cliffs are very steep and rugged.

View of old Althorpe Island jetty
Old yellow shed on Althorpe Island jetty

An old storage shed on the jetty

Looking out to sea from the Althorpe Island jetty

The old jetty looks out towards a small fishing boat and Haystack Island in the distance

Climbing up old track of Althorpe Island

Climbing to the top of the island.

Looking down to the ocean Althorpe Island
Looking down from the old track Althorpe Island

Looking down.

A beautiful view from the top of Althorpe Island
View towards West Cape and cliffs along Innes National Park

View from the top of the island. You can see the south end of Yorke Peninsula and Haystack Island in the distance.

Old abandoned white cottage Althorpe Island
Three old lighthouse keepers cottages Althorpe Island
Ap a little closer white lighthouse keepers house

One of the old abandoned lighthouse keepers cottages and three Cape Barren geese flying over.

Althorpe light house Althorpe Island SouthAustralia
Althorpe Island white lighthouse

Lighthouse with some sea birds flying over. Very impressive

Up close an old door
Light house very close to houses
The furthest cottage Althorpe Island
More out house Althorpe Island
Red shed and pulley going down cliff face.

A pulley erected to transport materials and provisions up and down the cliff face.

Time to leave light house amongst the bushes

Looking back and a lot of over grown bushes. Mutton birds build nests and live concealed beneath much of the vegetation. Unfortunately we did not see any as the season was wrong for their nesting period.

A visit from a sea lion as we swim back to our boats

A sea lion comes to say goodbye.

We have returned on only a few occasions to Althorpe Island. Twice to visit a small inlet at the back of Althorpe island, called Salmon Inlet and once on a calm New Years Eve a few years ago, to have a quick fun swim.

Actually the New Years Eve visit turned into quite an adventure. Three huge sea lions swam around our boat while we rested on the sandy shore. It took them some 45 minutes to head off out into the ocean and then this enabled us to swim back to our boat.

We were not game enough to swim with these enormous looking sea creatures. But certainly another adventure to add to the collection.

All images taken by Wendy Philip. No AI generated images.

Keep your chin up…or how to take selfies when you’re older.

Keep your chin up…or how to take selfies when you’re older.

Walking at the beach

Taking selfies, when you are a bit older… hmmm…

Hold that chin up, strike a happy pose and smile a happy smile and those wrinkles will simply disappear in your selfies….well not quite??!! But doing these things will certainly make a difference to the way your images turn out.

If you can, it is a great idea to learn to take selfies. It’s good camera practise and also an inexpensive way of getting photographs if you have your own website or social media page.

However if you do have someone, a friend, or person who is able to take a portrait shot of you, well then all the better, use them.

Things you will need to get started:

  1. A camera that has time delay settings.
  2. A tripod, and you will need to know how to use it.
  3. A bit of extra time.  Capturing an image of yourself takes quite a bit of planning and therefore time. Running backwards and forwards to the camera to see how the shot turned out can be quite exhausting, especially if you are at the far end of a huge grassy field.

Soooo how do you get some photos of yourself that are a reasonable standard.

Here are my methods and ideas:

1.Definitely know what looks good on you, clothing and make up wise. At my age (can’t tell you what that is) I want some colour in my face and my clothing to suit the type of shot I am taking. eg shorts and shirt at the beach, long skirt and scarf at church, jeans and sweater in the garden etc.

2.As you can see I love experimenting and taking photos with my face hidden. I find a face quite confronting. Of course for some portraits I understand you will need a full frontal face shot. Again it’s your preference.

3.Add props if and when necessary. Sun hats at the beach, spade in the garden, flower in my hand in a field etc

4.Set up your tripod…firmly and the right distance from where you will stand, be mindful of the wind on a windy day. I put some sort of marker on the ground about the spot I will need to stand or pose for the photo.

5.Focus… I have various means of doing this and it is a bit tricky. Often I will focus on an object that is close to where I will be posing, but it is a bit hit and miss. There are other ways…..

-Some photographers put there tripod at the place they will pose.

-then go back to the place where you want to take the photo from,

-then focus on the tripod, push the shutter button halfway to focus, then put camera on manual focus so it stays on that setting.

-then bring tripod back to original place and placing camera on tripod, set timer for the amount of time it takes for you to get into position (the exact spot the tripod was.) and for camera to take the shot.

It’s a bit confusing and you will have to mark the spot where the tripod was and  where you intend to stand.

6.I generally just have fun with selfies, I am really not going to use them for selling purposes, but just for practise and my own web site photos.

7.Lastly pose… for your photo and don’t be self conscious.

Many years ago… I did a few weddings. I photographed one bride who posed beautifully. Every time I said ..”Stop.” or, “Hold that pose.” She just basically froze and calmly kept her position. It was so easy to photograph her and the photos turned out so lovely.

Another time I had a bride who would not stop moving. She would get the jitters and look away from the camera, she was terribly shy in front of the camera and it was exceedingly difficult to photograph her. AND to make matters worse when her photos were developed they were sadly awful! Eyes shut, mouth open, head turned too far, nose screwed up and she was quite devastated. The memories of her most wonderful day were not so good. 

8.Lighting…another important aspect of self shooting. I won’t go into any real depth on the subject of lighting of self, as it is quite comprehensive and shooting indoors often requires lights and reflectors etc. As for me I mainly take my shots outdoors and simply consider where the sun is and where the shadows fall and take the photo I think looks good.

In closing there are many many sites on Pinterest that are about self portraits here is one I found simple and quite helpful.

Dawn Charles easiest way to take self portraits

 

Wendy Philip in yellow pants
At the beach Wendy Philip
Seagull on my head Wendy Philip
Seagull flies over head Wendy Philip
Out fishing Wendy Philip
My sunhat at Formby Bay Wendy Philip
Standing on the beach selfie
Standing on Stenhouse jetty
Wendy Philip blurry photo windy day

Try some new effects, blur the entire image, no wrinkles are showing here!!!

Wendy Philip in black skirt beside marble bust
Wendy Philip in blue skirt and sun hat
Wendy Philip in blue skirt
Wendy Philip in red coat and marble bust stands beside
Black and white prints Wendy Philip
In a field of purple Wendy Philip

These next few images were taken many years ago. Quite out of focus, but I did have a great time doing these shots and certainly learnt alot. The purple flowers are actually a weed called Salavation Jane.

Wendy Philip in a field of purple flowers
Wendy Philip in yellow skirt in wheat field selfie
Wendy Philip in yellow canola field

In a canola field. I think I’ve mentioned this before but I do not go into farmers fields any longer.  Out of respect and also many photographers have ruined plants and farmers land by going in and setting up gear and never requesting permission.

This has been a happy project, very enjoyable and satisfying. Not only do you gain a new perspective of how you look at your particular age, but a deeper appreciation of the body and the part it plays in photography. When it comes to the editing process it is an art where you can add or subtract whatever you like. Make your vision clear and go for it!!

Don’ be ashamed or embarrassed about yourself, you are who you are and most of you cannot be changed. Especially as we age. It has taken me quite awhile to accept my wrinkles, however I took to Pinterest and looked at endless lovely photos of older women, it was quite inspiring.

No AI generated images.

An uninhabited island only accessible by boat

An uninhabited island only accessible by boat

Finding a place to anchor our boat

An uninhabited island all to ourselves for the day!

If you’re a beach lover and you have a boat one of the most wonderful things you can do is visit an uninhabited island.

Just around from Pondalowie Bay, which is in the lower  part of Yorke Peninsula, are three islands, the middle island being called Middle Island. How unique is that?
Middle Island has two islands on either side, North Island to the north and South Islet to the South. (Whoever named these islands……was it Mr Basic, or Mrs Unimaginative??)

The day was blue the sea was even bluer, and we set off to visit Middle Island.  A tiny strip of sand was all we had to land our boat and look for a spot to anchor it. 

We achieved this by carefully manoeuvering the boat around the weedy rocks and then jumping into the water and digging the anchor into the sand. No swell and no wind so it floated perfectly in the clear seas. 

We imported sun hats, towels, food and all our added extras and set up camp on the beach. 

The children played on the shoreline with flippers, goggles and snorkels, spying little fish and shell like crustaceans. The excitement level went through the roof. Screams of delight and constant chattering told us how much they were enjoying themselves. In fact as we left the beach later in the day one of my grandchildren said, “This is the best day I have ever had.”

It truly is a beautiful experience you will never forget:

We explored the surrounding rock pools and cliffs. The cliffs were too steep to climb up, so we remained on our tiny beach for the duration of the visit. But this still gave us plenty to do. We then ate our picnic and swam and lay in the sun, till we could lay no longer. 

My photos: are of this tiny uninhabited spot.

No footprints, no rubbish, no life apart from our small venturesome bodies. We made sure we left that island like we found it. 

The joy the ocean can provide is peace giving and soothing. Nature and creation, the ocean and its surroundings have the capacity to entrance and delight us. Relieves stress and even if it costs you a little planning and energy you wont regret it. It was a dream come true for all of us. 

Safety first:

Take a camera, take some sun protection and definitely leave no trace, and if you have a boating vessel go and visit some of these remote places. You will never forget this amazing experience. 

Here is a link for some more safety advice while out boating. READ HERE

Boat on Middle Island Yorke Peninsula
Boat and beach towel
Setting up on the beach on an uninhabited island
Our towels on the beach
Looking out from our island
Walking in for a swim
Snorkelling in the sea water
Snorkelling and swimming

Swimming and snorkelling

Watching the hours go by on our uninhabited island
Child playing in the sea water
Beautiful beach on an uninhabited island
North Island Pondalowie Bay Yorke Peninsula

There are three islands out from Pondalowie Bay, the one seen in the distance is North Island. Maybe we can explore this island next trip??

Middle Island isolated beach
Middle Island Yorke Peninsula

Happy holidays and dont forget the sunscreen and umbrellas.

The old fisherman and the sea

The old fisherman and the sea

Old fishing boat named the Virgo

The old fisherman never tires of his expeditions on the sea .

I have some very old photos of my husband, my father and some deckhands in the early days fishing the seas in Kaikoura, New Zealand. I figured I would love to write a blog of the memories I have of these happy times. I have also included a few other fishing boats that I have photographed over the years.

Drawn by an unending urge, the ocean call is too strong for the fisherman to deny.

It never leaves him or forsakes him.

He arises a great while before even the hint of a dawn sky. Alone and cold he heads for the cool dampness of the fishing boat. A smell of salty air greets him and his ear hears a familiar sound, waves jostling too and fro competitors in a never ending race for the shore.

Finally a cold sun hits the eastern skies. Distant floating buoys of pink and yellow are spotted near the horizon with the naked eye. We drift awhile closer and closer with the silent tide.
The seabirds follow from a distance, waiting for their breakfast to be brought to the oceans surface.

Nets are hoisted and lines and hooks are pulled by swarthy hands.

Fish, from deep in the ocean, 200 to 400 metres straight down, as the crow flies, whoops…as an octopus swims.
Fish are sorted, cut and boxed, the mornings work begins in earnest. The day is long and hard, no lunch break, no morning or afternoon tea, the tides, the winds and the fish cannot enjoy any idle time.

As the sun begins to turn towards the west a deep exhilaration touches the cool fisherman’s heart, money made to keep the kids at school and a few bob for the wife to spend at the local drapers store.
(No apology here for the choice of older style language!)

No one who has fished the great oceans of the world will ever find a reason to not return.
Happy days to say the least.

As he ages, the salty sea dog must now only visit the waves in a recreational way. But it’s still a repeat of the long ago, a reminder, an echo, a yearning to touch the waters, and catch the blessings the great ocean offers.

 

Setting off fishing in the morning old photo

Setting off in the early morning

Setting off fishing in the early morning Kaikoura mountains

A pink float and a pink sky.

fisherman out at sea

Out at sea on winters day setting the nets. As you can see many of these old photos are quite blurry, but stiil able to be enjoyed

Making nets for fishing

Making nets for the fishing days ahead

Old engine and fish
Untangling knots a fisherman out at sea

A winters day and the long line floats to the surface

Bronzed fisherman in the summer

A summers day and the long line floats to the surface. 

Killer whale swims by

A killer whale swims by. 

Out at sea a fishing day

Seagulls trying to eat the catch of the day!!

Fishing boat and Kaikoura mountains

The old fishing boat with the Kaikoura mountain range in the background.

Fisherman out at sea setting a line
Fishing boats Pondalowie Bay
Rope and fishing floats
Fishing boats moored

Looking back…

Nothing or no one can stop the relentless, fleeting moments of time. Maybe a camera can? A photograph can hold on to a cherished memory and a bygone era, stopping time in its tracks for a second or two. Fisherman have a strong connection to the seas as I have witnessed from my family members. These old photographs certainly do it justice, and make history a blessed thing.

 

No AI generated images