7.12.2019
I planned to take it easy on Thursday as my back was sore from battling against the wind, rock-hopping and holding strange positions to take photos, however by midday I was restless and decided to head out. I wanted to see if I could get out to the coast a bit further up from the harbour, but the road ended quite a distance from it, and it wasn’t great weather for scrambling over dunes. I went further up the coast until I reached Porky Bay, which was quite lovely. Here I was rewarded for my clambering and saw a purple starfish in a rockpool! I drove back to town (it’s a bit frustrating how you can only access the coast in a few places, and you end up back-tracking a lot) and spent some time in the Cultural Centre with Pam before an extremely early bed-time of 7pm!
Friday began early, and I played with images in Photoshop before lunch at The Boatshed, meeting the director of the Ten Days on the Island Festival. There was quite a crowd, and an absolute dearth of food, some bubbly, and it got warm enough to take a few layers off! I had brought the washing basket along in the car, and afterwards collected a haul of seaweed to study at home. I’ve been trying not to get the large kelp pieces, as I realise that I don’t want to use them as a material for creating, as I will have no access to any back in QLD, so I just want to capture their amazing form and movement. However, I could not resist one lovely piece with many holes, and after washing it and hanging it on the clothesline for a bit, draped it over the tripod lamp in the house! Some other pieces I cut and pressed, and the laundry sink is full of more, and a bluebottle is in a jar on the windowsill, turning the water blue. And yes, the house now smells a little funky. I'm sure if I open it up the wind will clear it right out in 5 minutes!
The bright orange of what appears to be a crayfish ‘skin’ (do they shed?!!) grabbed my attention, and the texture as well as rich colour is just gorgeous!
Saturday I headed out to the airport to catch up with Anna, and borrow her book of King Island walks and map with coastal access roads marked – great to have the inside info! Again the weather wasn’t fabulous, but I headed off to the other side of the island to Blowhole Creek, where I had a great scramble over the amazing rocks – formations like a Star Wars set and so sharp, they’ll cut you!
Then on to Sea Elephant Estuary, a lovely wetland full of driftwood with hanging seaweed, green pippi shells, swans and pheasant – I startled a pair who went off cackling into the scrub.
By this time I was fed up with the weather again, and headed to the pub for a late lunch and some wifi – I do miss having constant access to the internet – I am so used to just thinking of something and being able to look it up!
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