Ola
Everyone,
So,
I was asked to write a guest blog of my travels for Sarah or as friends like to
call her “Foz”.
I wasn't sure how well I would go taking images of the area where I stayed, but, as Elizabeth Musser said “An artist's eye can take the spiritual and bring it
down to earth. Remember the eye is the window to the soul”
So in doing so I went on an
expedition and in search of natural and spiritual beauty on the Central
Coast. I spent my first night
'camping' in a caravan (due to my lateness and cunning sense of direction), but
there is nothing more peaceful then the sound on raindrops tapping on a tin
roof. It’s enough to rock you to sleep.
Day two was not a day for camping,
it was windy and the chill in the air would make you wonder, 'where has summer
has been for the last 3 months?'.
But never the less, we put the tent up, ready for a night of slumber
at Lake Munmorah National Park.
I camped at Freeman Reserve; the
site provides facilities such as showers, toilets and BBQ’s, so I guess you could say its not in anyway
living it rough, but 'camping in comfort.'
The environment: Tranquil. Nature
at its best. Open Skies, makes you
appreciate there are still places out there without planes flying over or light
pollution covering what is, a beautiful view of our galaxy.
Sunday:
Bright and early, up at the crack
of dawn, life is waking up. I know because the Kookaburras were the first to
remind me that it was 6 am. I
took it as a sign that sleep was not going to be my best friend for the rest of
the morning. So camera in hand, I went in search to of that “spirit” to capture
and bring it down to earth.
I have to say, It’s so much more
interesting when you don’t know what you are looking for. Your instinct is your
best friend and sometimes you need to get down and dirty to capture a great
moment.
Walking the beachfront was full of
unexpected surprises (and I don’t mean just because part of the beach is registered
as nude beach), I can say that nothing spiritual was found there.
But in my further exploration I
found art scattered amongst the bay, washed up ship metal, shells, modified rock
formations. So check out the beach off Freemans Reserve or even off the Frazier Reserve and you will not be disappointed. Whether it’s for a camping trip or
just a cruise to chill by the water it’s a sight worth seeing.
Sunday wasn’t over though, I was invited to lunch with Sarah who took me to a place you could best describe it as
a hidden paradise. The food was unbelievable, it’s a must, if you are in the
area then take the opportunity to go to The Bamboo Buddha at Holgate. On entry
you will find you have entered tranquility.
After lunch and conversation that seemed
endless, it turned out that my sight seeing was not over, The next step was to
witness more of what the central coast has to offer, so leaving the restaurant,
we head down towards Terrigal and Avoca to a place call Cocomo... Jokes! I mean
Copacabana. I didn’t want to tell Sarah this but upon arrival at Copacabana all
I could hear in my head were the lyrics
of Barry Manilow:
Her name is Lola, she was a
showgirl
With yellow feathers in her hair
And a dress cut
Just cut down to there
She
would merengue
And do the cha-cha
And while she tried to be a star
Tony always tended bar
Across
the crowded floor
They worked from eight 'til four
They were young and they had each
other
Who could ask for more?
At
the Copa, Copacabana
The hottest spot, north of Havana
At the Copa, Copacabana
Music and passion were always the
fashion at the Copa
They fell in love, love
Sing along if you know the words!
I know, raised eyebrow!
With tune in head we walk down the
beach where we got to see apartments that were not in the average price range,
but had opportunities of taking photos of the cliff that they resided on. Copacabana is and has the element of
amazing, even though I have not stayed there I do recommend it to be a place to
visit or even stay the night. After a hot day of adventure it was time for a
swim, so to end what was I can describe as unpredictable and plentiful day. The
warm ocean water was the a calling for a well deserved dip.
The central coast is full of
adventure and undiscovered territory.
Art is all around us and needs to
be captured. Take the opportunity to go and capture life at it’s best, and live
in the moment. Never say “I wish”. Always live in the moment and say “that was
a great experience”.
There is so much to discover, make
your way up north you won’t regret it.
Gary
Bamboo Buddha
Copacabana
Lake Munmorah National Park
