As you might know, one of my very happy places is the beach, especially walking along that magical line between the power and mystery of the ocean, and the deeply grounding feeling of solid earth and sand. Actually, anywhere where there is water to be played in is a very happy place for me. Here are some happy places for me in the first few weeks of staying in Woonona, NSW.
The top few photos were from “Magic Beach” which I think is a local name for a quiet section of McCauley’s Beach, near Woonona. A great place for little kids to swim. We had a first for me: BBQ on the beach followed by roasting marshmellows! Two photos are from the Blowhole in Kiama, down the coast a bit. It’s allegedly the largest blowhole in the world, but the swell wasn’t sufficient that day to produce the enormous towers of water for which it is famous. A Great Cormorant was spreading its wings on a rock overlooking the ocean side of the Blowhole, right where the water goes through the opening in the rock. The remaining photos are from Wollongong Harbour, including the Lighthouse.
At Fairy Creek on North Wollongong beach, we played a version of “Pooh Sticks,” and enjoyed watching a Pelican and other water birds look for an evening feed.