It was 3:00am and I struggled to get back to sleep. So I did what any “normal” photographer would do. I packed my camera bag and headed off on a 2 hour drive south to Morton National Park located near a sleepy little village called Bundanoon.

It was still dark when I arrived but as I poured my second hot coffee of the morning, I could see glimpses of the day’s first light starting to appear. What I saw shocked me at first and then I remembered that the bushfires at the beginning of this year had also ravaged this National Park.

The sky was just starting to light up as I started my hike down to the creek and waterfall. Even so, it was evident that the fires had burnt away most of the ground cover. Then, the rains we experienced after the fires had washed away a lot of the topsoil which resulted in exposing a lot of the rock below. The forest looked so tortured. The tree trunks were blackened and while the canopy had been stripped off its leaves during the fires, there were positive signs that nature was fighting back. As I headed down the trail, I could see noticeable signs of regrowth. Nature in action is such an amazing thing to see.

My hike would take me about 40 mins down what is a relatively steep walk deep into the bush. The bushfires hit some parts of the forest quite severely, yet other areas seemed untouched. (In this image, a partly burnt out part of the forest can be seen recovering in the top right hand corner). The previously burnt-out canopy was now letting a lot of the morning light through which fortuitously, aided me in taking this image.

I finally reached my goal which was the upper Fairy Bower Waterfall. There seemed to be more water flowing this time around, but I did manage to find a little area off to the side of the falls where the water flow was a little calmer. Just beyond this image, the creek changes from an enjoyable calm, to almost a thundering and tortuous drop over the main falls.

To me, this scene not only shows off the best and worse sections of the fire ravaged forest, but it is also a reminder of the power and resilience of nature.

Prints:

Print Paper:
Canson Infinity – Photosatin Premium RC Inkjet Fine Art & Photo Paper 270 gms

Print Size Options are Available:
Please contact me for more information about your selection

Also, please review our Print Information regarding products, shipping, and other general enquiries.