the site of the WOW!

It was a very twisty and kinetosis inducing Great Ocean Road that I found myself on for most of the day. Then just before the sun was about to set, my brother, steered the rental car into a parking lot. I opened the door to jump out,but it gave some resistance. It was a fierce wind that pushed back against the door! I fought my way out and then followed the signs that pointed me towards the Twelve Apostles.

No, not the followers of Jesus, these were rock formations in Victoria, Australia. I struggled against the wind towards the cliff edge, peeped out towards the ocean, and WOW!
The sun cast all it's raging orange brilliance on every form, the waves threw themselves relentlessly against the rocks. And the stoic rocks, just leaned into the wind and withstood all the fury of the scene.

The next morning we came back to the same spot to capture the scene in better photographic conditions. But in the friendly morning light, the wind was docile, and the waves were lazy - I just didn't appreciate the scene as much as I did the night before.

Travel Tip

Try to find someone who looks seedier than you to line up behind at an airport security checkpoint.

I still can't pinpoint what it was that made me seem so shady that day, but on my way to Australia, I was specially selected for a pat down search every single time I passed through airport security.

On one occasion, there was a supervisor who was scrutinizing the progress of the security guard who was scrutinizing the waistband on my pants. He gave her a thumbs up and said "Good, you're doing a good job."

Be-Littled Peguins

I've been in away on vacation for a few weeks, I know it's not the best excuse for neglecting my blog, but I can promise that the trip will be a lush source for many blog stories to come.


I was on the southern tip of Australia last month, where hundreds of Little Penguins swim up from the ocean at dusk and waddle across the beach into their little burrows. I settled myself along with the other spectators, onto the concrete staircase and waited for the penguins to emerge along the surf. The beach was illuminated by a very bright floodlight, put there for our viewing pleasure.

Half an hour after waiting, finally one lone penguin emerged. Then in groups, they washed up ashore, swiftly waddled over to, and pressed up against a pile of rocks as if to hide themselves. Some waited there for as long as twenty minutes before they thought it was safe to continue on. Then they furriously waddled up further and finally dissappeared into their nesting area.

I cooed over how cute and silly they were, trying to sneak up onto the beach. But after a while, I felt rather sad for them because they probably couldn't imagine how many people were sitting just beyond the reach of the floodlights, in the safety of natural darkness, watching their fruitless attempts at being undetected.