I’ve had great opportunities to travel and see spectacular sights. As a former photographer, you’d think I would’ve witnessed the best. I have. Australia has some well-known and hidden gems that I’d like to share. So has the world. Here are my offerings.
The best of what I’ve observed hasn’t always made it to film (CMOS for those living in the contemporary camera-sphere). I want to offer you something else that’s sensed rather than seen.
There are special times in our lives that connect with us deeply in ways that no picture can reproduce. A picture is only a representation of various measurements of light. Its science is clever, but it still captures nothing of the emotion or the essence of a town or a site.
Without further delay, I’ve found a few special places over the years.
Boulia Qld (Australia) – After several days west-ing it by car out of Brisbane, the state of Queensland starts to run out of land. Sure, Boulia was a charmer of a town but it was the Min Min story that pulled me and the memory of stories told during my childhood Boulia’s way. The Min Min Light is a well-known Australian fable. The mysterious green glow has many mentions in literature and I wanted to see it myself. I found the site of the old Min Min Hotel, a disreputable pub in no man’s land where the light was first seen. Alas, I saw no light but the experience to find and witness the place was as illuminating.
Brú na Bóinne – Boyne Valley (Ireland) – Commonly known as Newgrange, this may well be the oldest human construction on the planet. It’s not the shape of it that interests me, for it is not extraordinary to look at, even Egypt’s pyramids and England’s Stonehenge offer more to the eye. It’s the building’s existence that hooks me in. Why is it there? What was its purpose? How did the people of the time connect with it? Were their fears different to our own? Has humanity changed over 5000 years?
Strahan Tasmania (Australia) – This quiet little town on the Gordon River is my kind of place. There’s no hurrying in Strahan and everywhere you look is a picture postcard photo opportunity. It’s shiny and bright under a golden sun, misty and mysterious during the rain. Strahan would be my choice of place if I had money to have a holiday home during the summer months. Strahan was to be the beginning for Australia. The vast, deep, protected harbour would’ve been perfect for European sailors and settlers… thank God it didn’t happen; otherwise, it might have become another concrete city like Sydney.
Eucla W. Australia (Australia) – For those who have followed my notes on F/Book, you’ll remember my nudie encounter with a seal. That’s not why I’ve flagged Eucla. Seals and skinny dipping aside, there’s almost nothing at Eucla – except an old telegraph station and a broken-down jetty. It’s the clean, undisturbed view of ocean, beach and sky that strikes me most. It is like nowhere I’ve seen before… and I’ve seen plenty of sky, beach and ocean in my time! It reminds me of how clean Australia is compared to the rest of the world.
Tangalooma Qld (Australia) – For a long while, this was my home away from home, away from my house and land. I cannot tell you how liberating it was to be disconnected from the chaos of land-based life on the ever-changing waters of Moreton Bay! (Another time for more details on that). Tangalooma is like many of the island-based resorts in the Whitsundays; it’s just across the bay, 45 minutes from the business end of Brissie! White sand, blue water… plenty of sharks to keep your island experience real! (lol) The dolphins, the beer, the girls, the beer, the paragliding, the beer… and you’re tropical anywhere in Australia, just one horizon away from the hustle and bustle.
There are many other places I could have put in place of these five faves, hotels, motels, B&Bs, restaurants, resorts, gardens, camping places, cities, forests… but none have made their mark like these. These are those closest to my life, to my heart.
Perhaps you have a favourite place of your own… maybe you’d like to share it. Drop me a line and let me know.
In the meantime, please read my book. It’s downloadable and free for a limited time.
-Mx
‘Forman’s writing style is artful, with the protagonist Mitchell’s warped thought processes masterfully exposed. The author has a powerful and vivid command of language and his word pictures are stark and disturbingly real.’
Linda J Bettenay, author of ‘Secrets Mothers Keep’ and ‘Wishes For Starlight’
Discover more from Michael Forman – Author of Dark Fiction & Drama
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