Anticipating Autumn

In anticipation of Autumn and the good light that comes with it, I could not wait for the recent long weekend in March and the opportunity to grab some photographs. Unfortunately, the Australian Summer is not retiring quietly, and it continues to “scream” with its bright light and heat. 

To work around the challenge of Australian Summer and its heat and fire risks (and accompanying travel restrictions, for those who are sensible), my son and I got out either at pre-dawn, or late evening (way after sunset). 

The photo accompanying this post is of one of the stages in the Olinda Falls (in Victoria, Australia). It was taken at sunrise. Lying across the creek banks, just above the waterfall is the trunk of a fallen tree. It looks like a thin branch, but that’s just an illusion of scale; the trunk was at least 30 inches thick, and easily 24 feet long. 

Given the hot, dry Summer we have had in 2025 we were blessed to have a reasonably good gush of water coming through. I deliberately slowed down (my mind and my physical body, including breathing) and used the sense of peace to capture the silkiness of the flowing water without removing the dynamics of motion. I think the photo still shows the force of the falling water over the rocks and in the pool at the foot of the fall. I also tried to preserve some of the blue sky reflected in the rippling creek as its waters flowed towards me. It was uplifting to be in the cool early morning air with the “whooshing” sound of the flowing water filling the environs. If you allowed your sense of hearing to focus on the “whooshing” sound it was easy to separate from the madness of the world and be fully present in that place of natural beautiful life. 

Allowing your mind and body to fill up with that serenity is a very good way to detach and detox from the human madness that plagues our world. As Autumn calmly enters the stage, the breezes, winds and surrounding air will cool, clouds will appear and be "fluffier" and more dramatic, the sky will appear a deeper blue colour, the light will soften and bathe everything in a golden hue that deepens shadows and makes greens look greener and the fiery colours of red, gold, and brown look bolder. We tend to associate the end of Summer (or the start of Autumn) with the dying of things, but it's actually a time when life gives its best display. 

We spent over an hour at the falls and left at 09:00 when the Summer sun started its daily “rant”. Definitely a place to revisit – maybe with some fog in the forest.


Image: Olinda Falls, Victoria, Australia. Copyright - Michael Beaton

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