On The Beaton Track: September 2006

Big News! The new Day Safaris are a success! I introduced the one-day photo workshops earlier this year, the first one being May 2006. Despite the fact that not a single waterfall was running in the Central Coast due to the drought, we still found lots to photograph at Somersby Falls and Strickland State Forests. I kept the groups small so we could really target individual needs and interests. The people have been fantastic; I’m surprised at how many keen and good amateurs exist out there.

In 2007, I’ll be expanding the scope to include a special full weekend workshop. This will allow us to work on special techniques, like night time photography.

Nature photography seems to be an increasing leisure activity, judging by the number of photo competitions. Once again in May, I led a couple of bushwalks for Willoughby Council to promote their competition. The theme was on water – or the absence of it, since our drought is making us increasingly aware of water as an unacknowledged resource. I was also asked to judge a couple of the competitions including one for the Community Environment Network (CEN) in July. I gave a talk in September to the local Environment Centre in Woy Woy (yes, I really do live near a town by that name). We were blessed and cursed by a rare deluge of rain. We certainly needed it but it also kept a lot of people indoors on the day.

Books and Exhibitions

The Woodlands - It’s Your Country Exhibition continues to tour country New South Wales. In August and September it appeared in venues in the Hunter Valley, Australia’s premier wine region. What a great way to round out a tour to the wineries—get a little ecology mixed in with the tastings!

The exhibition has also been adopted by Environment ACT and they launched their version of it at Namadgi National Park on September 10th.

My local community of Pearl Beach—that precious little gem of a place—is collaborating in an environmentally focused book. The resident contributors range from scientists like Harold Cogger to artists like Michelle Kinnane. The noted author, Vincent Serventy, is patron of the venture. I’ve been asked to contribute a chapter and that gives me such a sense of pride and community involvement.

I’m letting you in on a little secret—my early plans for a new exhibition. I’m working on a series of prints of native flowers. This one will not tie in with a book like previous exhibitions, but will stand alone. Hopefully at The River Gallery in Brooklyn.

Travels & Treks

My previous newsletters have been catch-ups on things that have already happened. I hope to turn the pattern around and present upcoming events and plans instead. If I let you know about places I intend to visit, you might be interested in talking to me about collaborations or joining me on a tour.

One such venture is a major tour planned with an American associate. We’ll be taking a group of US travellers through some of Australia’s most wonderful scenic destinations as well as some special private places that I know are good for wildlife photography. This is just an enticing hint for now; more on this later.

I’m scheduling a return to Western Australia in October. This time to catch its world famous wildflower display. In November I’ll be in the California desert and might do some ecotourism features.

But some of the best stuff happens in your own backyard. I’ve had some very special nocturnal visitors on my veranda. If it wasn’t for their evidence (nice moist poo!) then I’d have a hard time convincing people they were here. I’ve had sugar gliders, brush-tailed phascogales, brown bandicoots and the latest hot news is a tiger quoll! Our local ecologist, Robert Payne, has been laying traps for it and we’ve sent a sample of its poo for analysis.

Recent Publications

There has been a real meeting of minds with Burke’s Backyard magazine. I love the slant of that magazine with their strong focus on nature. I’ve been lucky enough to do several travel features for them. They’ve published stories on Broome, Water monitors, Tidbinbilla, Wattle touring and a birdwatching feature is coming soon.

I’ve also been working hard for Australian House and Garden magazine with stories on the Hawkesbury River and a Mediterranean style garden coming up and heaps more—2006 is turning out to be a busy year!