Welcome to Life Images by Jill

Welcome to Life Images by Jill.........Stepping into the light and bringing together the images and stories of our world. I am a photographer, writer and multi-media artist.
Focussing mainly on Western Australia and Australia, I am seeking to preserve images and memories of the beautiful world in which we live and the people in it.

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Monday 21 July 2008

Photos of my world

Western Australia is a beautiful country, with an incredible range of stunning landscapes. I love to get out with my camera and try to capture these images. I hope you enjoy the photos I have posted to show you some of my world.

Sunset on the waterfront at Denham, Shark Bay. The colours were constantly changing - this is just one of the many photos I took that evening.


Big Brook Dam, Pemberton. The reflections of the Karri Trees were perfectly reflected in the still water. An easy walk trail goes around the dam which is popular for swimming during summer.

Charles Knife Gorge, Exmouth, North West Cape. Each view was more spectacular than the next, so we kept stopping the car to take another photo. You can see the ocean in the distance.




Lefroy Brook, Cascades, Pemberton. The path follows beside the Brook. Around each corner is another tranquil place to stop and absorb the peace and quiet.







Skulls Springs, Pilbara. We spent a few days camping by the river, relaxing, fishing and walking. It was simply idyllic.



This majestic salmon gum is in the front paddock of my sister and brother-in-law's property at Bruce Rock in the wheatbelt. This photo earned the back cover spot in the RRR Network News magazine.

The Thrombolites, Lake Clifton, Mandurah. We had driven by on the highway for years, but had never stopped. Then late one afternoon we decide to detour and have a look. We arrived just before sunset, and this photo became a cover photo for an edition of Australian Coast and Country magazine. The light was perfect - an example of being in the right place at the right time!


The best way to explore and experience Western Australia is by getting out on the road and camping out under the stars. This is one of our favourite places on the Gascoyne River along the Great Northern Highway.

Sunday 20 July 2008

Fishing Outback - Pilbara Style, Western Australia

PILBARA, WESTERN AUSTRALIA - July 2006 

They say a true fisherman is always ready to have a go at some fishing anywhere anytime, and so it was that I found myself sitting hard up against a rock wall in a thin sliver of shade trying to get out of the blazing midday sun while the intrepid fishermen, my husband Rod and son Mark, went fishing in Glen Herring Gorge near Marble Bar in Western Australia’s Pilbara.


There was so much radiated heat bouncing off the rock walls of that Gorge that it must have been at least 38 degrees in the waterbag, because my face was a red as the rock, my head ached, the sweat poured out of every pore, the water in my water bottle was warm, and all I wanted to do was find a cool place to sit.
How could they possibly stand out in that heat fishing? Eventually I started to cool down a bit and the ache in my head subsided enough that I began to enjoy the view from my crevice and the light breeze that cooled the sweat running down my face. It was so peaceful that I began to enjoy the solitude while the fishermen fished.


I didn’t know what they thought they were going to catch and Father seemed to be having problems with Son hooking the weed growth in the bottom of the river, so I left them to it and wandered off further up the Gorge with my camera. 


 It was mid July and we had travelled for two days up the Great Northern Highway via Newman and Nullagine to Marble Bar from our home in the south to escape the winter for a few weeks.

To read the rest of the article see Western Angler, February- March 2008



Saturday 19 July 2008

Everlasting Magic, Western Australia

WESTERN AUSTRALIA - September 2005

Not far along the road the wreaths appeared, sitting on the sandy verge like giant cream cakes, their pink and cream flowers surrounding their green centres in perfect circles. It is early September and we are north of Wubin, just off the Great Northern Highway in Western Australia’s Golden Outback. It is the first time I have seen the unique and distinctive Wreath Leschenaultia (Leschenaultia macrantha) which only grows in a small area of the Mid West and one of the reasons I have journeyed here in the peak of the wildflower season. In easy reach of Perth, the exquisite display of wildflowers, seen along the “Everlasting Trail” is considered to be among the finest in the world, drawing visitors from all over the world every year. The area is also rich in heritage interest.
Boasting up to 12,000 known species, the Western Australian wildflower season spreads over several months starting from July in the north’s Pilbara region till November in the south. Walking through the bush during spring you will see the browns and greens of the bush erupt in a dazzling display of vibrant colour.
A wildflower tour could extend from a few days to several weeks or months, or visitors can stroll through the Kings Park Botanic Gardens in the heart of Perth or visit the annual Wildflower Festival in September/October.
Start by planning your trip around the time of year and how far you want to travel. The wildflower season is dependent on seasonal weather variations and each region has unique wildflower species due to environmental differences such as soil type, fauna, plant systems, geography, and weather. Whilst on the road it is a good idea to visit local visitor centres for the latest information on what is flowering where, as the best locations can vary depending on the season.
Armed with a good map, a wildflower tourist guide, identification books, camera, camping gear and walking boots our tour took us from Perth through Dalwallinu to Jibberding and Paynes Find and then across to Camel Soak. From here we travelled to Perenjori and Yalgoo, and via Mullewa to Canna and Coalseam, returning to Perth via Moora. This tour could spread over a couple of weeks, or like us time-poor enthusiasts, over a three or four day weekend. This drive will take you along gravel roads into remote areas, so I recommend a 4 wheel drive vehicle and carrying plenty of water.

To read this complete article see Australian Coast and Country magazine Edition 2, 2008



Walking the Bibbulmun Track, Western Australia


WESTERN AUSTRALIA, August 2007

We are sitting in the small circle of our campfire reading Banjo Patterson. The soft whisper of the wind through the trees and the sound of water falling over rocks in the nearby creek seems fitting background music to Banjo’s poetry.
 
It is late August and I am at the Gregory Brook Hut on the Bibbulmun Track between Balingup and Donnelly River in Western Australia’s South West with two friends, 63 year old “End to End” walker Bernard Glasson from Perth and Trish Gibbs from Donnybrook who has been walking with Bernard for the last five days from Collie.

When I joined Bernard and Trish on Friday morning at Southampton Bridge just south of Balingup, Bernard had been on the Track for four weeks. Nearly halfway through his nine week walk along the 964 kilometre Bibbulmun Track from Kalamunda to Albany, Bernard was looking fit, healthy and happy.

The challenging up hill walk within the first hour, with sweat pouring out of every pore and my leg muscles screaming at me to stop or take the twelve kilogram pack off my back, had me wondering how I was going to cope for the next two days on the Track.

However as the day unfolded, so did my enjoyment of the experience. The flush of colourful wildflowers, bird song, the gentle cooling breeze, the canopy of trees, the log we sat on for lunch, the handful of dried fruit, the intoxicating smell of a patch of Boronia, the light drizzle of rain, the trickling water in a creek we crossed, the magnificent towering Karri trees, the space for my own thoughts, the welcome sight of the hut at the end of the day, and most of all the constant comfort of the company of my friends and the Track itself.

The Bibbulmun Track is Western Australia’s longest walking track, stretching from Kalamunda in the Darling Ranges near Perth, to Albany on the south coast, traversing some of the South West’s most beautiful forests and wilderness, over varying terrain through shady valleys to mountains with 360 degree views and spectacular coastal scenery.

To read this complete article see Go Camping Australia magazine, Winter 2008 Edition.