Rottnest Island - the land of quokka

Rottnest Island, viewed from The Bathurst Lighthouse

The first European explorers who stopped at this island in the Indian ocean located off the coast of Fremantle, observed that the place was infested with rats, so they named it "Rattenest", which in Dutch means "rat's nest"[1]. What they didn't know then was that there were hardly any rats living on the island, and the animal they mistook for a rat was, in fact, a marsupial called "quokka".

Vineyards of Swan Valley

An English philosopher by the name Francis Bacon once said, ‘age appears to be best in four things; old wood best to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust, and old authors to read’.

Well, I have been writing for quite some time now. Doesn’t that make me an old author, the best kind to read? No, not exactly? Never mind. Anyway, at least trust me, this old friend of yours, I’m going to write about something special today. And, what’s more, it’s about wine! (You can burn an old wood later while doing a barbecue, if you really want that as well)

Food for thought....

It is said that, 'a picture tells a thousand words'. Let's see if it true.

I have been posting lengthy articles lately, and I could not help wondering whether I bore you out reading them. So, let me entertain you with something slightly different. [i.e., if it is entertaining at all :)...]

I tried creating some art with a few pictures that I shot recently. In each of them, I wanted to bring out a meaning.

What kind of thoughts do they bring you? Do they have anything to do with the titles I have given? (I'm sorry if the titles confine your view, try not to let them)

Title: Abduction

Title: Who am I, what am I, what is 'I' ?

Title: War entertains... (Are you not entertained?)

Title: Powerless

Couple of last words;

My view on the photograph "Who am I, what am I, what is 'I' ?"

Have you watched the movie 'The Matrix'. In it, the world the people perceive as the reality is in fact an environment digitally created. They say 'the truth is stranger than fiction'. Think about it, 'The Matrix' movie is a fiction. So then, what about the truth?

My view on the photograph "War entertains... (Are you not entertained?)"

Have you watched the movie, 'The Gladiator'. Can you remember General Maximus asking the crowd, after swiftly dispatching another gladiator inside an arena, 'Are you not entertained? Is this not why you are here?'. What kind of things do you feel about war, especially when you have something to do with one of the sides fighting it.

Beauty and ugliness

With a peak that rises more than 2010m[1] above sea level, Namunukula mountain range is one of the well-known mountain ranges in Sri Lanka. It is the one you can make out in the above picture as the farthest layer of mountains.

Around four years back, I was able to capture this view of the landscape, which poses itself the prettiest during the last few minutes of the setting sun. Those were the days that I was first trying my hands on artistic photography. If you are wondering what made me post this old picture up here all of a sudden, well, there is a special reason. Sadly, that reason is not as pretty as the focal point of this picture. Thus, I will leave that story to the end.

City hall

Brisbane city hall, originally uploaded by Sachira.

To be honest, there is not much of a story behind this picture. But, I just felt like sharing it with you. Who knows, you might like it even with out a good story =)

Anyway, to talk about a few unimportant things around it, I took this shot one evening while on my way home after visiting Mt. Coot-tha lookout. Mt. Coot-tha lookout is a place where you can to view the Brisbane city and the surrounding areas, all the way from Moreton bay to the mountains located near the Gold Coast. I think it is the best lookout around Brisbane and I am really grateful to one of my friends for telling me about it.

Mystic lake

Mystic Lake, originally uploaded by Sachira.

I took up a self imposed challenge to walk 22km, up to the beach and back in a day, just to prove myself that I am still young and fit. Much to my own relief, I was able to do it, thus, convincing myself that at least I am fit like I have been for the last five year or so, since this travel craze began.

My destination was Nudgee Beach. The same place I described in the previous article named 'Confusion'. I walked along the main roads, among the busy traffic, through the towns, into a residential area. The chaos was gone, temporarily. Here, I ran into a couple of warm-hearted gentlemen, who raised their hats and greeted, 'How ya goin mate...', in fine Aussie style.

Purple dusk

Purple dusk, originally uploaded by Sachira.

Recently, I had to change houses once more. This is my seventh home in a period of seven months. Every time when I move, I not only leave the house, the furniture and the neighborhood behind, but also the brand-new friends I make at each of those places. Nevertheless, I think, now I have got used to a nomadic life. After all, life itself is nomadic. (To be honest, I do miss the feeling of isolation in the barren, semi desert landscapes around Perth though)

For some extraordinary reason I always end up ‘camping’ close to a river. The Swan River I fell in love with back in Perth, Brisbane River in West End, and now slot in between the same river and the Moreton Bay. Rivers have an amazing ability to calm my mind down. Nothing feels more serene than going for a walk down by the river, at the sundown, listening to some soothing music. I do not always accompany my camera with me for such walks, as the urge to take photographs of the splendors created by the setting sun itself deprives me of my relaxation.