Site Based Research Trip: Cliffs at Arthur's Head and Bather's Beach

If you missed the first part of my research photos (some of which were taken by my mum) you can see it here.

It's hard to believe that on the other side of these high, sandy cliffs there is a busy town.  But there is.  At the time these photos were taken, there were three wedding parties trying to take photographs in the middle of the street.  They have to move every time a car came.  In the apartment buildings across the street, a man with long hair was playing his guitar on the balcony.  There was a family of tourists taking photographs just above us, and busy artists studios winding down for the day.  Yet down below the cliffs, there was nothing but the sea and the scrub.

Another view of the ball, which is dropped ceremonially at 1pm, a tribute to the old practise used to signal the time to passing navigators.

The Bather's Bay (formerly Whaler's Bay) entrance to the Whaler's Tunnels.  Sometimes, if you look in here at night, there is an upright piano locked in there.  This tunnel used to be longer but the cliffs have been altered.  It was built in record time, using prison labour.  Sadly, there was a lot of litter in there when we went in.

Ah, the dry prickly trees of the West Australian coastline...

Down on the beach, the air is not quite salty and not quite sweet.  The seaweed on the shore gives of a pickled tang, and the smell of fuel from Fishing Boat Harbour can be detected when the wind picks up.  Sometimes, you can smell the fish and chips.

Garden Island, with a blonde highlight on its tail.  I had a hard time trying to describe this from my character's artistic point of view but I like what I've come up with.  I won't give it away now...

My favourite shot.  Almost certain I took this one.

Anyone else fascinated by lighthouses?  I blame ML Stedman.

If you like this post, and you want to see more of my wanderings while I research this beautiful town, don't forget to leave a comment below this post!