Photo of the Week: Under the Moonlight

Main Beach on North Stradbroke Island, as seen from the Gorge Walk.

North Stradbroke Island is one of the two large islands that enclose Moreton Bay to Brisbane’s east. It’s an often overlooked location; once arriving in Brisbane, many people jet straight to the Gold or Sunshine Coast, or even head further north to Fraser Island. However, it’s a spot that I highly recommend, both for the fact that it is stunning and that you won’t encounter swarms of tourists.

This shot was taken from the Gorge Walk, which is probably the most popular place to visit on the island. It’s a short trail around a rocky inlet which is constantly being reshaped by the Pacific Ocean — you could spend many a sunny day here watching the ocean and the creatures that live in it. The dolphins frolic just outside the Gorge, turtles are often seen poking their heads up for water, and whales are visible breaching in the distance from July-November.

The Gorge is usually considered to be a daytime destination, but these photos were taken well after dark. My trip there with Bluedog Photography (who offer photography workshops in the Brisbane/Gold Coast area and who I cannot recommend enough) was one of the first times I’ve tried nighttime photography, and I was taken aback by the results. It was pitch black outside, yet I was getting photos with blue sky? How did I not know about this before?!

And thus started an obsession.

Just a small footnote on this post: I would not recommend going into the Gorge at night by yourself. The rocks where we set up to take the shots below are often very slippery and have no barriers. We stayed well away from the edge, but you need to have someone to watch out, because a fall (into the crashing waves or rocks) is life-threatening.

Here’s a few other photos from my nighttime trip to the Gorge:

About Kristin
I'm Kristin, a Texan born to an American father and English mother. I've been living in Australia since 2008. My first plane flight was when I was three weeks old and I've been hooked ever since. I never feel quite right unless I have a plane ticket (to anywhere, whether it's Sydney or Sweden) booked in my name. You can also find me on Twitter and Facebook.
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