18th June
I set the alarm to make sure I got up early, ready to leave before 8am to catch the low tide at Mushroom Reef, and was good to go by 7:30. Unfortunately my Google Maps lady (Gigi) has stopped talking to me, so I had to keep looking at where she was going. Thank goodness I had her though, because there was absolutely no signage until the actual carpark road! Before that, I had turned around, as I was on a road through a golf course and didn’t see that it continued through, and down to the shore.
Finally at my destination, I changed into my serious boots and coat, grabbed my collection bag and monopod, and earwarmers. As you can see in the photos there was little sun on the beach, which was bitterly cold. Which way to go? I could see no rockpools or low reef to explore, so poked around in the seaweed piles for a bit. It turns out that the monopod is a multi-functional tool – walking stick, poking stick, possible wacking stick, and of course, you can mount your camera on it. I decided I would fill my bag with goodies for the casting process I am hoping to try here. I was glad I had on my serious, more waterproof jacket, as the bag dripped all down me. I walked to where it looked as though the causeway out to the reef might be, but even at supposed low tide, it was all covered. Again thinking of my workshop coming up, I took some photos of patterns in the rocks.
Although I didn’t get the promised reef/rockpools, I was happy with my collection of goodies, and stopped off on the way home to finally pick up my bag of dental cement from Bunnings, ordered several weeks ago, to try relief casting in plasticine. I have to go and pick up the plasticine tomorrow.
Time is passing quickly, and I have spent a lot of time trying to plan out next week to make the most of it. I’m going to try Mount Donna Buang on Tuesday, around 2.5 hours away, which is projected to be cloudy and around -3 to 2 degrees, and might have some ice/snow/frost action for me. I’ve also realised that I am around three hours away from Gippsland Art Gallery, which holds and exhibits the work of my hero, Annemieke Mein, and is currently displaying some new work of hers – she hasn’t done anything for ages! Do I make the effort and drive there and back? When will I be this close with transport again? Surely I must go!
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