A Whale of a Time – Whale Watching from Gold Coast, Australia

A Whale of a Time……

One of my most vivid memories while here in Gold Coast, Australia was my first ever whale watching eco-tour. It is one thing to see such wild creatures on tv, quite another to see them live in action. Overwhelming, awe, amazement, humble, inspiring – in short words – WOW!

Whale Watching in Queensland, Australia

Eco Tour - Whale Watching

Watching a whale diving

These are humpback whales. Besides whales, there are other marine creatures like dolphins, pelicans and sea birds.

There are many operators from both Brisbane and Gold Coast and some does pick-up and pick-off from hotels. Book early because these tours are very popular. Whale watching is from May to November.

I can’t recall the tour operator that I went with but I do remember we made a stop-over at Tangalooma Island Resort to pick-up more people before heading to the open seas and whale watching. Lunch was also provided on that trip.

It is hard to predict when the whales will jump out of the water, slap their tails or blow air from their blowholes. Did not manage to catch that moment when the humpback would jump high in the air before diving – it would have been a defining moment!  Lesson learnt – turn the camera setting to continuous mode and fast shutter speed.

In other words – it was an unforgettable experience.

Beyond Surfer’s Paradise, Gold Coast – Mt Tamborine

Surfer’s Paradise, Gold Coast

While on the subject of Australia, let’s focus on another location – Surfer’s Paradise, Gold Coast in Queensland.

White sandy beach of Surfer's Paradise, Gold Coast

Yup, Surfer’s Paradise is world famous with such a beautiful beach and the surfs fantastic for windsurfing. But let’s go beyond the theme parks and the beach. Let’s go up to the mountains – Mt Tamborine precisely.

Mt Tamborine signboard

My internet friend, who Iived in Brisbane, picked me up from my hotel and drove to Mt Tamborine. While we stopped to read this signboard, a guy was getting his paraflight gear ready. So I snapped some pictures.

Getting ready for Paragliding flight

A few minutes later and off he flew!

Paragliding over Mt Tamborine

It was a long winding road to and off the mountain but well worth the visit. There are shops here for food and souvenirs. Have a look if you are here. Here is a landscape visage of Mt Tamborine.

Mt Tamborine in Queensland, Australia

So if you are on holiday in Gold Coast, leave the beach for a few days and explore the surroundings. You won’t regret it.

Wish you are here!

Canberra Landscapes

Memories of Canberra

Looking back at my achieves, I came across these two photos while I was on holiday in Canberra, Australia. The photos ware taken with my first digital camera, a Nikon E2500. Yup obsolete now, but I was one of the early adopters.

Two contrasting photos, the first one taken in the afternoon during the bus journey from Sydney airport to Canberra.

The second one was taken in the early morning in Canberra while on the way up to Snowy Mountains for some snow fun. It was winter at that time.

Canberra Rural Landscape

Taking pictures from a moving bus is really tricky. Avoid reflections by keeping the camera lens as close to the windows as possible. Setting was set to Landscape – with the background in sharper details than the blurry foreground.

On the way to Snowy Mountains

One of my favourite photos from that trip is this misty mountain landscape. Woke up early at about 5.30am for this trip to the mountains. Such a serene feeling while passing the scenery.

If you are in Canberra, have a great vacation!