We missed the sunrise by about an hour. Being winter I cannot prise myself out of bed in the dark. But when we arrived at the beach by 7am it was still a beautiful sky. The sun tingeing the clouds with apricot and turning the ocean to molten gold.
Of course we had our cameras with us and it was a perfect morning for a beach photo opportunity. So much activity. People walking, running, surfing, playing. All ages enjoying the sun while it is out.
I wonder if he is going to catch anything for breakfast. The seagull looks on in anticipation…
The surf is pumping and the wind whips the spray off the top of the waves in a frenzy of foam. It is a good day for the surfers.
When I downloaded these photos I noticed the dark shadow in the wave. I wonder if it is a dolphin.
I took photo after photo of the ocean as it crashed endlessly, trying to catch that moment as the wave peaks and the light shines through in an iridescent green. Most of the shots I missed. These 2 above were the closest I got to what I was trying for.
Walking north the sharks teeth outline of Surfers Paradise is shrouded in the misty ocean spray.
At the top of the sand this patient pooche guards its masters clothes.
He looks a bit woebegone…
This area is the patrolled swimming area and in the distance is the surf life savers yellow hut and vehicle. It is school holidays and the life savers are on patrol from 8am to 6pm. every day. There are dangerous rips in this ocean and every year unsuspecting tourists are dragged out to sea. It is only the vigilance of these dedicated, volunteer life savers that only a few lives are lost each year and they are usually people who swim outside the flags that denote the patrolled, safe areas.
A lovely morning to build sand castles with the help of Mom and Gandma, but keep an eye on those waves…
The tractor has been along the beach grooming the sand ready for another day of fun for the tourists.
Time to turn round and head back south and home for breakfast.
The fisher man is still trying for that catch…
One last look back.
The sun is well up now and we go back to where we left our bikes.
They are still there next to this bench that shows the detail of the shape of a surf board. (Jude is looking for benches with unusual detail for July bench series. Couldn’t resist showing you this one…)
Home we go for breakfast…
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I am also joining Jo’s cyber walking group this week. Being Wednesday I am a bit late for last Monday, and a bit early for next week (Sorry Jo I’m not following the rules too well… )
So beautiful. How are you faring in the fires? Are they close to you? Watching the news is just heartbreaking. We are flying into Sydney at the end of the month. We have reservations in Booderee National Park where I have been before to see the gorgeous birds. The thought of the destruction is just too terrible. I am so sorry. Australia is in my thoughts and prayers.
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Lovely to hear from you Cindy. We are ok at present, we had bad fires around this area In November and present fires are down south. They are truly horrendous, far worse than we experienced. Booderee National Park is not far from the fire zone and hopefully by the time you get here they will be under control. Badly smoke affected at the moment. If you have to change plans and come further north we will always have a bed here. Do you still have our email or mobile number.
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And all before Breakfast! :-)… that photo with the lone suffer stood with board in hand with the City in mist.. Looks like something out of sky-fi movie..Very futuristic.. But then again these stark contrasts of new high-rise buildings are our future..Maybe its me that is stuck in a time-warp lol 🙂
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I agree it is very futuristic. Hi-rise is certainly the future for this area and Brisbane. Not my style though I like small and cottagey
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That’s my own preference also Pauline..
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What a heavenly way to start a day – these photos are outstanding! I see you’re still making good use of your bikes in spite of the car you bought.
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Yes it is so much easier to just hop on the bikes for getting around near home, no traffic lights, no parking hassles…
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Pingback: Bench series #28 | TRAVEL WORDS
Thanks Jude
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every single photo is great, but those wave images are really wonderful! lucky me that i’m in town and using fast internet! should catch up this week.. will be back soon! z
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Thanks for taking the time to comment Lisa, it is lovely to hear from you.
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your photos have always been beautiful, but lately they are stunning! and that wave series is really special.
do you know of national geographic’s ‘your shot’? you should join.. i am not able to spend much time there but participate when possible. the theme right now is ‘framed’ i think, about framing your work…
http://yourshot.nationalgeographic.com/assignments-stories/
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Thanks for the link Lisa I will go for a look see…
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Pingback: Jo’s Monday walk : Surprised at Skinningrove | restlessjo
Thanks for the link Jo
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Oh the colour of those waves is just glorious, Pauline (I will always think of you as pommepal though!) but the one that made me laugh was the fisherman – in your words – still trying for that catch – just as those two lovely girls walk by. I wonder exactly what he was fishing for. 😉
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Ah good comment Ailsa, fishing for more than fish maybe!!!!
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Wonderful wild waves with mysterious things lurking within them Pauline 😀 Who cares you missed sunrise … look what you did enjoy and bring back for us ! Your curl of a wave is just so fresh and perfect .. and those children’s faces …aw takes me back to when DD was younger … so much younger *sigh .. Have a lovely weekend Pauline ! I’m all over the place lately Lol just back from Sussex , and off to lovely Cornwall come Sunday … Summer days … I’m making the most of them !
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Love to hear from you Poppy. Yes make the most of summer, you will have plenty of time to show us your adventures and photos when winter arrives and it is indoors time… I worked at Hickstead House in Sussex as a house keeper for a year in 1990, I have very fond memories of Sussex.
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Pomme – the photos were refreshing. had so many that really drew me in – but the one with jack at the fence and the surfer and person in the back – is such wonderful composition and the informal triangle and whole mood form the post – just nice amiga ❤
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Good to hear from you Y. We had a good morning so much inspiration out there and lots of people photos.
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🙂
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Magnificent photos, especially the breaking waves and the pumping surf. I’ve given up trying to capture them. You also do street photography well, with all those people about their business. Urbanites probably wouldn’t see this beach as a street, but it is, and a very pleasant one. Maybe I’ll get a Gold Coast beach walk this week.
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The weather gods are turning on good weather for the second week of the school holidays, it is perfect. Are you coming to the Coast Meg?
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I love your pictures, Pauline. That dark spot in the wave is very interesting – great capture! 😀
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I cropped that photo and I was surprised when I noticed it.
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Pauline, love your wave shots, especially. So hard to believe this is a winter walk. No wonder Jack thinks NZ is cold!
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Perfect winter weather this week. Have also had rain last week, this is a bonus for the garden as winter is usually dry.
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Those skyscrapers were a surprise! The photo of them with the lone surfer looks almost surreal – dreamlike.
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The tall pointy building is called Q1 and when it was built in 2005 it was the tallest residential building in the world. Surfers Paradise is a tourist mecca in Australia and many of those hi-rises are holiday apartments. I liked that photo too.
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I certainly think I’d prefer looking at them from that beach than living in them.
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The view from the top of Q1 in the observation deck is mind blowing… I should do a post on it…
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Yes, that would be good!
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Great pictures. You make winter look good.
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It is good over here Dawn, sunny but no humidity
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36C today on Centre Court! Phenomenal and I wouldn’t want to play tennis in it 🙂
Gosh, that’s early in the day to be at the beach! I’d never get Mick out of bed for that- and if it was still dark, no way! But that sunrise does look fabulous and I love your greeny blue water shots.
You’re not late, and I’m not strict like Jude ( 🙂 🙂 ) so no worries. Great benches too.
Many thanks for your company!
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I must admit I grumbled a bit/lot when Jack said “come on” he is an early riser, but I was pleased I made the effort.
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36C!!! Wow… is it humid as well?
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Yes, but one of the tennis players said that it’s more humid when they play the Australian Open! I’d have to lie in the sea and be a wrinkly all day (even more of a wrinkly than I already am 🙂 )
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Hahaha… Yes they drip buckets of sweat over here. If I remember rightly I think it was in the 40C’s this year in January.
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Me? Strict? As if I could be with all the rebels I seem to attract 😛
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Haha it is all fun (especially in the sun!!!)
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Very, very nice! Images are all so gorgeous. I felt like I was right there with all of you. Thanks for sharing.
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G’day from Aussie… nice to have your company. Thank you for leaving a comment.
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What a beautiful walk, no matter the time of day! Thanks for allowing me to come along. I, too, felt as if I were in a somewhat remote spot until you turned your camera city-ward. Still lovely. Enjoy snuggling down under that extra blanket.
janet
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We are having perfect weather at the moment.
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Lovely surf-board benches there – you do live in a gorgeous place. Well, except for Surfer’s – I’m not hugely fond of high-risers along the coast 😦
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No we very seldom go into Surfers there are so many areas to go to.
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From memory it is lovely up that way (except for Surfers) though I did enjoy a good fish dinner there once: my former DIL ordered a Moreton Bay Bug and I was horrified, until I realised it was just a type of lobster!
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Wow, you really make me want a beach day, Pauline. Interesting how in your first pictures, the beach looks so remote, until you show the skyline of the Surfer’s Paradise. What a glorious day for a bike ride! 🙂
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No wind and it is all flat from home to the beach in less than 10 minutes… Is your home in USA near a beach? I guess you are getting all excited about going home by now. How much longer?
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I live in northern Virginia, in the Washington, D.C. suburbs, which is nowhere near a beach, sadly. I wish! I now have 10 more days, Pauline, and they’re going really quickly as I’m so busy wrapping up things at work and getting prepared to leave. 🙂
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Enjoy your last few days Kathy.
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Thanks, Pauline, but it isn’t much fun as I’m trying to wrap up things at work.
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Beautiful beach photos PP. Lovely.
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Thanks DJ
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What a fantastic beach! I took some pics of belly boarders at St Ives – you’d just laugh at the size of the waves 🙂 I’m an early riser but sadly that doesn’t mean I can get out the door to catch sunrise. What is the temperature over there?
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Temp is about 20-22c down to approx. 12c at night. We think that is chilly and put on an extra blanket!!!!
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Gosh, 22 is practically a heat wave here! And 12 pretty normal for a spring day. Everything is relative 😀
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Jo tells me it is 36C over there at the moment. Now that is heatwave!!!
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Apparently it is in London, not so much over this side of the country. London is always several degrees hotter than the rest of us because the heat gets trapped I suppose. I can’t think of anywhere worse to be in the heat. It has been humid over the last couple of days and a horrible grey cloud cover. I’d rather see the sun! But this is nothing like the heatwave in Sydney where the sun scorched down and the humidity was horrid and that was 36 degrees too!
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I think that hole in the ozone layer over us has a lot to do with the heat
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What a gorgeous way to start your day!
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It doesn’t get much better.
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