Johanna Great Ocean Road

Feeling refreshed energised and calm this morning after, well that is how I felt after our beautiful four days away. Beloved and I spent four of the most loveliest days away at a place called Johanna along the Great Ocean Road. It had been a long time since we had been away together always worrying about the kids and going places where they would say yes we had fun we enjoyed that, this time it was our time time to re connect.

As you all know my love for the beach and this was an awesome opportunity for me to get out with my camera and get some fantastic shots of the great Australian coastline.

The Otway Ranges with it's very tall gum trees peering over us as we drove under them, the fresh smell of eucalyptus wafting up our nose and the very pretty tree ferns which lined the edge of the very windy road as we headed down the coast to one of the beautiful beaches.

Look, look I said to beloved as he slowed the car down to a halt, there were many cars lined up on the side of the road, all foreigners peering up into the trees, which held a mother Koala and he baby. I grabbed my camera and placed my 150mm to 500mm lens on and stepped out of the car to have all the Asians look at me in awe and say wow look at that lens in what limited English they spoke. A lady with an accent her husband and a young girl came up to me and asked what the shots were like which I had taken to which I showed them, they began to ask me a few questions about Australia to which I who surprised myself knew more than I thought I did told them all about the Koalas and great places to see, they proceeded to tell me that they were from Boston and how different it was, then asked for my website so they could view photos. I felt quite proud to be able to say one moment I will get you my business card from the car.

I love my long lens but it is ever so heavy to hold hence why i think my shoulder is sore, but it is so worth it when you see what you have captured.

 

The coastline  along the Great Ocean Road is just amazing, so unspoiled, it just takes your breath away. The beautiful rolling hills which are so green and look like velvet in the distance the beautiful crystal blue waters and the beautiful foamy waves which roll in over the sand and rocks is just breath taking.

Our accommodation at Johanna was just awesome, so beautifully clean and the view from our window was to die for, each night we would sit together and watch the sun set over the ocean as the log fire roared beside us and the stars rose in the sky.

The gardens were beautiful with many pretty flowers and it was a great opportunity for me to once again get my camera out.

Each day was spent traveling looking at the awesome sites, the nights were spent quietly by the log fire, a four day break which I will never forget, I felt so calm and relaxed at the end of it all, It was the first time in ages I had very limited internet and that did not bother me one bit but to come home to a barrage of  Facebook messages and emails. It was a wonderful time and a beautiful way to spend my milestone birthday, with the most special person in the world.

Johanna beach is less than 5 minutes from where we stayed, not a good swimming beach due to all the rocks, but such a pretty spot to sit and just let the world pass you by and to take in the cool sea breeze.

The 12 Apostles and Loch Ard Gorge are amazing, well not 12 anymore, not sure of the number of apostles but a pretty spectacular view never the less. I think with this coastline my trusty camera was working well over time.

We traveled to Apollo Bay, which is a beautiful little beach side town, where people smile at you when you pass them, such a difference to the city, where people are always in a rush and never look happy.

 

These shots are just a few I took on the way home along the Great Ocean Road

 

This lighthouse situated at Aireys Inlet was used in the Australian TV show Round the Twist. The view from the lookout reminded me very much of the area where the 12 Apostles are situated. 

I have 100's of photos which I could load but this page would go one for ever.

If you ever have a chance to see this part of Australia, please take the time to take in the beauty of this wonderful state it is a photographers dream and I had such fun with my camera, I will place photos on both my Facebook and flickr pages for you to view and all will be for sale.

https://www.facebook.com/PicturesThruMyLens/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ezycardz/

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More Photos

Today is Friday and only 8 weeks till Christmas, where the time has gone no one knows. The camera has taken me to a few different places these last few months, one place was into town to the National Gallery. Yes I was able to take photos to my surprise but not aloud to use my flash which was strange, maybe they were hoping shots didn't come out, but thanks to the photo group I'm in I knew how to set my camera so I didn't need flash, even in low light.

 

 

There are so many passages with so many things in them, status, ancient relics, and not to forget some magnificent paintings. It took us a good 4 hours to see everything and I'm quite sure I missed a few passages. The paintings displayed left you in awe, wondering what the person was like who painted them many years ago, all with their own style but each beautiful in their own unique way.

All my photos which were taken in the gallery were taken on manual mode, not so easy to get outstanding photos on my behalf but I did the best I could. The last shot was taken of the Gallery front, an arched window which has water running down it. I had to wait for people to move as there is such a fascination for all to run up and touch it, yes even I did

The following weeks I'd been taking photos at home, we had the cutest little bird coming and going from our garden, not sure of breed as I don't know much about birds. This little bird made the prettiest noise and I just had to get a few shots of him.

These were taken in Manual mode at 250mm. I couldn't get closer and had to zoom in for fear of the bird flying away.

As the days passed and the year slowly crept by and my impending mile stone birthday is coming up in a few days, age shhhhh not telling. 

We are heading down the coast for the weekend of my birthday, so here's hoping I get some good shots I can show you all. A bit of sun sea and surf and fresh air will do hubby and I the world of good and a nice relax as well.

Few weeks ago we went back to Williamstown for some night photography, so with my camera bag and tripod and remote we headed off after dinner, this time we took hubbies elderly aunt as she hadn't been there for such a long time. It was a lovely cool evening by the bay.

 

These shots were taken in manual mode with no flash both at 194mm, it was very hard to get a good shot as it was so dark, the only light was the annoying street light near by.

A few weeks later we wanted to go out but not very far so we headed to Altona beach not the beach I knew as a child, full of seaweed and ever so smelly but that didn't stop those who were kite surfing.

It was quite windy and made the smell seem so much worse, I was still game enough to get out of the car and take a few shots.

  

As the days pass by ever so quickly, and the days turn into nights, and Christmas approaches and we become obsessed with buying that special gift as we charge our credit cards to the max, then begin to wonder how we will pay it off, I will be off somewhere with my beloved and the camera taking in the beautiful fresh air. But at the moment I will get over my milestone birthday and enjoy our few days away with camera and hopefully come home with millions of photos.

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