shag point boulders .....

Surprisingly, not many people seem to find their way to the Shag Point boulders - in fact Steph and I had been to Shag Point already and had a lovely though incredibly windy explore and did not know they were there.  One of the locals who knew we were visiting artists, asked if we had discovered them and told us how to find them when we said we had not.  Even then a local lady had to help us find the entry point down to these treasures.

You will see from the photos these boulders and the colours here on the rock platform where they are to be found, are quite different and though they lack the symmetry of their more famous brothers they are quite beautiful.  The complete thrill was having a numbers of hours alone along this stretch of coast - not a soul to be seen.  You would think that was the same with the last set of photos you saw, but they were carefully taken amidst numbers of other visitors, or by being the almost first on the beach before sunrise and then late in the evening on other nights.  Certainly there are less people at Moeraki early and late in the day, but we were never there alone and somehow, that makes a difference.

Here at Shag Point you see fossil markings which are quite beautiful.

And because it was still early in the day and the tide was just receding, there were beautiful patterns of light on the rims of channels.

The boulders here seem to be rising up out of the bedrock.  Though on later photos you can clearly see small ones being birthed out of the cliff wall.

Glorious, and quite different colourings.

The birthing of smaller boulders.

I love the colours in this heart shaped puddle and the rock wall behind .... more like clay wall really.

Babies birthing - about 50 cms or thereabouts across.

You can still see how the water is on the rock platform creating these magnificent patterns in a myriad of colours.

I love this row of boulders .... baby boulders.  They were only about 50 to 70 cms high.

I had in mind to walk as far as those boulders at the end of this view but had already been away from Steph for quite some time and thought she may be worried.  Why, you may ask?  As I said the tide was going out but groups of very large waves still seemed be crashing through around this point and many a time I had to scurry onto higher ground .... usually one of the boulders, while watching the water well around me.  Quite beautiful and just a little scary. I do hasten to add I would not have been out there in the first place had it been an incoming tide ..... just in case you are thinking I am completely irresponsible. 

At this point, seeing those all too large washes pouring over the boulders, I tucked away my adventurous spirit in favour of a more sensible minded, long over due, grown up caution!

And headed back to where I had left an hour previously as the waters subsided giving me an exit path...

 One of many inspiring pieces of seaweed thrown up along the shore - still catching that early light.

And I returned back to my adventure starting point where I had left Steph who I had envisaged painting and blissfully unaware of the time, to find she had found this poor little baby yellow eyed penguin, whose arm on the other side seemed quite damaged, and had been trying to phone and organise his rescue.  She had also managed to do some painting but had been distracted by the plight of this terrified little fellow who was far from home.

This isn't yet the end of my photographs, but is enough for now.  I am keeping some of those 'arty' shots for the next post and then hopefully will be posting on studio activity.

It was blissful coming home and realising that the manic busyness of the last six months was over and that I could now settle down and work towards the Exhibition later this year.  There are many things I am wanting to work on and explore and I hope after this restful and creative break, the ideas in my head will be retrievable.