Category: Traveling Australia
Adelaide arrival and Glenelg Beach
Monday morning, we had to get up early to make the flight to Adelaide. The flight was 2 hours, and the time distance was 30 minutes. The scenery from the airplane was fascinating when we got closer to Adelaide. Sometimes it looked like they had made crop circles. We had reserved a car from Hertz for the next three weeks. We were told that they had a high-end Corolla for us 😊I never found out what high-end in this case means. Maybe it had good cruise control, because it was the only thing I thought was above normal. And the rent-a-car places never disappoint. You always go the counter expecting you have paid all expenses beforehand, but NO! This time they blamed a third party, Finnair, that we hadn’t paid the return fee. Return fee was returning the car with New South Wales plates to Sydney in NSW. What can you do. We had to pay 250 euros extra.
First few kilometers were exciting hence, to driving on the wrong side of the road but I got into the groove fast. It is much easier driving nowadays because of the navigation systems. You can mostly concentrate on driving and not reading a map.
Boutique Hotel Adabco close to the center of the city proved to really nice and the room was really large. Only negative thing was that there is no free parking. You had to park on the street for maximum of two hours between hours of 8 am to 6 pm. Naturally I ended up with a parking ticket for 66 AUD. Breakfast was included but not on the premises but in Greek café Diaspora. We had walk for about 400 meters but the choices for breakfast were good.
We spent the afternoon and the sunset at Glenelg Beach. We got there around 4 pm and found deckchairs for us at the Moseley Beach Club. Luckily it was off-season so were able to keep the chairs until past sunset at 8 pm. Of course, we bought lunch and couple cool drinks to justify our stay. Temperature was close to 40 degrees Celsius so it was also good to have umbrellas to cover us. Later during the day bar had a skilled guitar player/singer. He played suitable mellow songs for us: Bob Marley, the Eagles, CCR, etc.
A funny Welsh guy came to talk to us few times. He was getting more drunk and louder each time but he was a lot of fun. I sure he had a rough morning because they had on early flight waiting for them. His son was getting married in Sydney in few days and a group of 19 people from the same Welsh village had been travelling for few days before the wedding. The rest of the group is going to be pleasantly surprised at the wedding because a guy from the village, who emigrated to Australia 30 years ago, is going to show up.
Sunset was beautiful and the lighted Glenelg ferris wheel was great too. Check out the pics!
Exploring Monochrome Magic at Glenelg Beach
This week I have been very busy editing photos, and as I love monochrome and black and white images, I took some time to try different styles from our wonderful visit to Glenelg Beach in South Australia.
The Pier there provided great opportunities for photography, largely due to the striking contrasts between light and shadow, which are essential in monochrome photography. I experimented with various angles and compositions to capture the essence of the scene, highlighting the elegant lines of the architecture against the raw natural beauty of the beach.
These images reflect not only the stunning vistas but also the unique atmosphere of the location. These are my contributions this week for Leanne’s Monochrome Madness.
Australia – Sydney
Please note that paragraphs and spacing is all messed up, I have redone this several times, in the edit mode it looks good. After publish, not. WP is the problem this time at least.
We took a taxi from the airport to Yehs Hotel for obvious reasons. Naturally we couldn’t check in at
9 am. So, we left our luggage and headed to gorgeous Queen Victoria Building (QVB) which was just
next door. I headed to nearest medical clinic recommended by our travel insurance provider. The
first one refused me because they only took Japanese tourists. The receptionist at the next clinic had
a fit when she heard I had a flu. She handed me a mask and told me to get out and buy a influenza
test from a pharmacy and then call them back. Going to the doctor’s office while sick seemed to be
forbidden in Australia.
Eventually I got the test for Covid, RSV, influenza A and B and took it, I had influenza A, Ritva didn’t.
The medical clinic had already closed, and it was closed the next day, Saturday, as well. I called my
travel insurance helpline, and they told me that getting a doctor’s appointment in Australia is next to
impossible and I would have to go to hospital and wait in line. I called a hospital and luckily, they
recommended me to an online doctor, Medmate.
Medmate doctor called me back and said there was nothing they could do to save.., no, to help me,
besides rest, drink lots of fluids and eat painkillers. However, he wrote Ritva a prescription for
Tamiflu to hopefully prevent her from getting the A-word. The prescription probably helped because
Ritva didn’t get the influenza, just common flu. But we had to cancel a dinner for the next evening
with our local mates, Kylie and Damian.
For some reason, Yehs Hotel had upgraded us to a larger room, which was nice. Big room next door
to QVB. Can’t go wrong with that.
I must admit we didn’t stay in our room after the diagnosis, but I was wearing a mask. Hopefully I
wasn’t a super spreader, and I would like to say I’m sorry. We had saved our Opal cards for the
public transport from our last visit to Sydney 6 years ago and we had nearly 20 AUD left in them. You
could travel by tapping your credit card at the tram stops. It made us wonder why we can’t make
that method of payment to work in Finland. We are supposed to be very advanced nation in
technology. As it turns out, in few days I read online that city of Helsinki, Finland, was introducing
this method of payment. Oh, happy day!
So off we went to Circle Quay and to the Rocks. We had dinner at Italian restaurant at the Rocks. At
the table next to us was an American couple from the state of Georgia. They were not your typical
American middle-aged couple because they had travelled extensively around the world, and they
knew other countries existed and mattered. Let’s just say they were not MAGA.
After a pleasant dinner, Manly Pale Ale and good conversation with the Yanks, or is it just convo
Down Under, we walked slowly to the Opera House for few snapshots. I even managed to climb the
stairs and take some artistic pictures. The place was packed. No surprise there it being Friday.
I nearly forgot, Ritva bought a lovely hat from a “salesperson” who wasn’t interested in doing his job.
However, she was able to complete the transaction only to leave the hat into our hotel lobby after
the checkout.
Saturday afternoon we finally had to go and eat again. We found something online, called the Rook.
We chose the place close by and it promised to have Aussie bar food. It was a roof top place and
when we got of the elevator, I was ready to leave right away. The music volume from the restaurant was deafening. Not willing to walk further we decided to give it a shot anyway. We talked to the
server, and she told us that they have a drag show every Saturday afternoon and the drag queens
would take a break soon and turn down the volume.
Staying was a great choice. The restaurant was packed with exuberant birthday party, hen party and
coming out party people. Other people obviously knew that there would drags shows at 2 and 3 pm.
We had so much fun just enjoying the shows and the happy people around us. Drag queens had
dance competitions, etc. for the patrons. Luckily, they didn’t pick us from the crowd. Instead, they
chose birthday queens, brides to be and the guy who was celebrating his coming out of the closet. I
must say Aussie people are much less reserved compared to us Finns. I can’t imagine having an
afternoon show like that in Finland without having people falling over drunk. How does a Finn
recognize another Finn abroad. The other Finn is staring at your shoes.
For food we had chicken burger, prawn rolls and we split donut fries for dessert. Delish!
After the meal I went to pharmacy the get the meds. The street corners next to QVB and Town Hall
were really lively with buskers, winos and people praising some guy called Jesus. I wish I’d had the
strength to stay longer to enjoy the big city vibes.
On Sunday we pulled ourselves together and headed to Circle Quay again and plan was to take the
fast ferry to Manly Beach and observe manly men doing manly things at the Manly Beach. Fast ferry
took only 20 minutes to reach the destination, and it was only a 500 meter walk to the beach. On the
way the beach we saw a couple with a sign – Free discussions, about anything for free. The sign
didn’t say JW.org so probably they were not Jehova’s Witnesses, but I was afraid to ask anyway.
They didn’t have any clients at the moment, but I didn’t have the courage find out what the deal
was.
Manly Beach is an old and beautiful beach with people just walking, jogging, surfing, suntanning,
barbecuing and sitting in shade leisurely. We just sat in the shade and enjoyed peoplewatching.
Lunch we had in a Mexican restaurant. We both had nachos, with beef and prawns. On they way
back to the ferry we walked along Market Street that had a lively Sunday Market going on. To my
great surprise and horror, Ritva was not able to walk through the market without buying anything.
Scarf it was.
The scenery from the Manly ferry is just georgeous: Sydney Harbor Bridge from a different angle, the
Opera House, navy ships, Darling Point, Bradleys Head, Syndey Harbor National Park, Hornby
Lighthouse, etc. On the way back we saw coast guard with flashing lights, and we thought that there
might have been an accident. Luckily, it was only the catamarans competing in SailGP and coast
guard directing traffic. There were many big motorboats in the harbor with spectators on board to
follow the race. Later on, we saw those catamarans racing underneath the Harbor Bridge.
From the ferry, we went to a café in Circle Quay to rest some. Quay was filled with people because
Caribbean Cruiseline’s Ovation of the Seas was docked in the harbor. What a huge ship. While sitting
in the café we saw indigenous people playing, jugglers and a guru floating in the air.
Rest of the evening we spent at the Opera House people watching and waiting for the sunset.
Still on the road
I have seen your comments, but days are so full of surprises and new things so I haven’t been active on any social network. Three weeks and 4100 km underneath us and still few more days left.
I will be getting back home later next week..
Today driving t pepply beach, loved this road
Turquoise water movement
Photos taken at Blue Pool at Bermagui and linked to water, water everywhere and PaW for color Turquoise
LEns ARtists challenge #291: Cityscapes
Patti from P.A. Moed – CREATIVE EXPLORATION IN WORDS AND PICTURES wrote: Show us buildings, skylines, the streets, the people, and life in public spaces. Or, if you want, focus on two cities, and compare their features. This is an interesting challenge, I am sure to come across to many places I have never visited and have an urge to visit – add them to my bucket list of unseen destinations.
I don’t have that huge amount of city shots from many cities, when we travel we mostly visit nature locations. When we visited Australia, my cousin was the best host and travel guide to Brisbane. He drove us around and showed us places we wouldn’t have thought about or, to be truthful, known about. It was a truly eye-opening experience, discovering hidden gems and local secrets that only a native would be privy to. It’s amazing how much richer a travel experience can be when guided by someone with a deep connection to the place. Our trip to Australia remains a cherished memory, and it’s all thanks to the unique perspectives and insider knowledge provided by my wonderful cousin.
All photos can be enlarged by clicking on the image.
Brisbane, port, capital of Queensland, Australia, and the country’s third largest city. It lies astride the Brisbane River on the southern slopes of the Taylor Range, 12 miles (19 km) above the river’s mouth at Moreton Bay. You can see my photos of Brisbane CBD , Wheel of Brisbane, and Story Bridge just naming few.
We also visited Streets Beach at South Bank Australia’s only inner-city, man-made beach boasts a sparkling blue lagoon surrounded by white, sandy beaches and sub-tropical plants. It is an oasis in the middle of Brisbane City.
I enjoyed Ann-Christine’s circular challenge last week, who would have thought of how many circular things there are around us. Next week Tina from TRAVELS AND TRIFLES will once again bring us a new topic to challenge ourselves with. Until then, keep on smiling ☺.
To participate in this challenge, you should link to or leave a comment on the week’s host’s original challenge post and please use the #Lens-Artists tag in your own post, so the post is easily found in the Reader.
And if you want even more information on the Lens-Artists Challenge, please click here.
Forest Pathway Tranquility.
A serene and secluded forest path, enveloped by tall, lush green trees in Queensland. Sunlight filters through the canopy, casting dappled shadows on the smooth, inviting trail. It was a delight to venture along this winding path.
I could not resist, I did two edits of this photo.
For CWWC: March 7, 2024
Revisiting photos – nighttime in the city
It’s amazing how a fresh perspective and improved skills can breathe new life into old photos. The process of revisiting and reimagining them can be quite rewarding; it allowed me to uncover hidden photos that I previously overlooked. Embracing artistic freedom and honing your editing skills can truly transform the way one looks at your own captures.
I took these in Australia, but I ignored them previously due to not being sharp enough. But with a bit of artistic liberties they turned out to be Okey shots. First shot is from Sydney and the other from Melbourne
Monochrome – Rocks
Dawn hosts this week Monochrome Madness #2 this week and the topic is Rocks.
I took lead from Leanne’s post, here are my interpretation of the same place.
Lens Artists Challenge #276: Looking Up; Looking Down
This week James of Jazzibee wants us to look up and down; I will demonstrate that’s what I’ve done several times:-)
To see small things you often need to look down. I was really happy find this penguin in its natural habitat – in the nature. A crab on the rocks at a beach, and as well as this little green frog. Turtles. To see Koalas in the nature we found ourselves looking up.
This was from my previous post – but I am looking down 👇
Cities are great places to look up or down. The ones below are from Melbourne.
Sea – Ocean, flowing water, waves.. love, just love watching it
These are taken below or underneath the subject – architectural design choices.
Up and down that’s were your eyes go when looking for something to photograph.
Lens-Artists Challenge #274 – Filling the frame
This week, Anne challenges us with, Filling the Frame.
Filling the frame in photography is a technique that can have different effects depending on how you use it.
It can help you to direct the viewer’s focus to your main subject, by eliminating distractions and negative space. It can also help you to accentuate simplicity in your composition, by highlighting the shapes, colors, textures, and details of your subject. It can also help you to create emotional impact in your image, by making your subject appear larger, closer, and more intimate.
Some of the techniques for filling the frame are: You can get closer to your subject, either physically or by using a zoom lens, to fill the frame with more of your subject. You can also crop your image during editing, to remove unwanted elements and adjust the composition.
Filling the frame in photography is a versatile and powerful technique that can enhance your images in many ways. However, it is not always the best choice for every situation. Sometimes, you might want to leave some negative space or background in your image, to create a sense of context, depth, or contrast.
I already posted this once, it is a very recent shot and I am very happy with it . I used crop technique to get the result. As with the shots below of fruits, berries and vegetables You can also use a macro lens to fill the frame with small subjects, such as flowers, insects, or jewelry.
These are taken below or underneath the subject – architectural design choices.
Traffic below
My last set is portraits.
Lens-Artists Challenge #274 – Asymmetry
Face is the first thing that came to mind, we are all a bit lopsided, right. It has been demonstrated in photo manipulations that symmetric face is odd. I have no photo for this or the interior one, but they came to mind first about the word asymmetrical.
In fact, we’d argue that asymmetrical (yet balanced) rooms are among the most interesting, unique, and elevated spaces. With an asymmetrical approach, you need to reject the literal, mirror-image equilibrium and seek out balance in more abstract terms.
We are exploring asymmetry with Donna. I liked this – Asymmetry – an informal sense of balance.
I really don’t think about any style when taking a photo, I only think about a composition that is pleasant to my eye. In this post I am sharing photos from Brisbane.
My first image is of The Brisbane River is the longest river in South-East Queensland, Australia, and flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay on the Coral Sea
These are taken below or underneath the subject – architectural design choices.
Traffic below
My cousin took us all around Brisbane, he knew the town and all great spots for photos and as he had been builder on many of the buildings we saw, he had so much knowledge about them, This place offered a great framed view of the city. But I think I got it right in terms of these not being symmetric, but the opposite.
concrete blogs by the sea.
My last one is an image of flowers by the beach on a misty morning
Distant
Debbies One Word Sunday: Distant
Street Photography – food stand
Helsinki – esplanade last summer.
The popular Esplanade Park, fondly referred to as “Espa” among locals, is the most famous park in Finland and the green heart of Helsinki. People come here to see and be seen, to listen to music and watch performances, and to enjoy picnics. This Brazilian lady was selling food there the summer day I shot this photo. What caught my attention was the matching colors of the seller and the biker that had stopped by to chat.
Street Photography – Old style public telephone box
While The Rocks is the site of Sydney’s oldest European settlement, there are attractions here that are also thoroughly contemporary. The Rocks, at the to bustling Circular Quay, here you can take in the charming, historic streets of this former convict settlement. And here I saw this old style public telephone box and a lady speaking on the phone next to it – a nice touch don’t you think ?
Street Photography – Chinatown
Photos taken in Melbourne in Australia few years back.
Melbourne’s Chinatown has flourished for over 100 years. Established in the 1850s during the Victorian gold rush, it is notable for being the longest continuous ethnic Chinese settlement in the Western World and the oldest Chinatown in the Southern Hemisphere.
Posted for Cee’s Which Way Challenge
Street photography captures candid moments of daily life in public spaces. From bustling city streets to quiet suburban neighborhoods, we try to document the raw and unscripted moments that unfold around us. With an emphasis on capturing the essence of a scene or the emotions of the people within it, street photography offers a glimpse into the beauty and diversity of the world we inhabit. Whether it’s a fleeting expression, a captivating composition, or an unexpected juxtaposition, street photography celebrates the beauty and intrigue found in everyday moments.
Beautiful in Black and White 12
I have a soft spot for black and white photography, I was once again reminded about the importance of exposure, light. It is the key element in these photos.
Clouds work well in B&W as do distinct shapes. I took these when visiting Queensland few years back
The way that light hits objects, I think, is one of the more important things that sculpture and photography share. – Rashid Johnson
Posted for Bren’s Mid-Week Monochrome and Leanne’s Monochrome Madness
Sunset
Not for any other reason than, I like this shot. Cows in the field with sunset behind them.
Lighthouse
We all need a lighthouse in our lives to lead us, whatever it is, a person, place or state of mind. This came to my mind as I saw all the news about mourning people for Prince Philip. I myself am not one to mourn for people I do not know.
I sympathise, with the person who has lost a loved one, but for me to get really emotional about some celebrity or public persons passing is unlikely to happen. That is just me.
New Edits #16
No words needed.
New Edits #15
Top lake at Talbingo, is a lovely escape in the NSW Snowy Mountains. it is located between Blowering Dam to the north and Talbingo Dam to the south – two popular waterways for fishing and water sports. We went water skiing here, it was so beautiful.
New Edits #14
New Edits #13
I Witnessed the rugged splendour of the famous 12 Apostles, magnificent rock stacks that rise up majestically from the Southern Ocean on Victoria’s dramatic coastline. And you can tell I was impressed by the amount of photos I took there.
Created by constant erosion of the limestone cliffs of the mainland beginning 10–20 million years ago, the stormy Southern Ocean and blasting winds gradually eroded the softer limestone, forming caves in the cliffs.
The caves eventually became arches and when they collapsed rock stacks up to 45 metres high were left isolated from the shore. View the 12 Apostles at sunrise and sunset as they change colour from dark and foreboding in shadow to brilliant sandy yellow under a full sun. ( text from visit Melbourne)
New Edits #12
Still in Australia, the beautiful coast of Victoria certainly stole my heart.
New Edits #11
This photo was taken along the Great Ocean road in Victoria, Australia at one of the beautiful oceans and cliff views, I have so totally forgot what was what place, but all of them were breathtakingly beautiful. Lets appreciate the beauty and forget my lack of memory 😉
Ritva Sillanmäki Photography 