Sunshine, sand, gorgeous water and not a cloud in the sky.  What more could a girl ask of the first day of Spring?  I decided to continue my newly revived backyard appreciation and head an hour north to Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast.

It was a spectacular day and even though a few fluffy white clouds in the sky may have livened up my landscapes, it was just incredible to be walking along the beach with a perfect blue vault above my head.

A walk north along Moffat Beach takes you along large stretches of sand to rocky outcrops,

past a unique thong fence (how Aussie can you get??) with special messages to loved ones,

and eventually to the wreck of the SS Dicky.The SS Dicky ran aground in 1893 and has since been a popular spot for local photographers and newly married couples.

A few years ago I had visited at dawn to try my hand at capturing the soft early light against the wreck but it was a dull morning and my photos very average.  I hadn’t summoned up the energy for an early shoot since but when I saw that one side of the wreck had succumbed to the waves since my last visit, I thought I had better try again.  This time I decided to give sunset and my 6 stop ND filter a go, and the results weren’t bad considering I was almost knee deep in water for most of these!!

So my own backyard delivered yet again – a cracking weekend and even though there wasn’t a cloud about to add some punch to my landscapes and catch the colour of the sunset, I don’t think I can complain!

Click on the first photo to start a slideshow…