Memento

Australia is well known for its scorching heat, deadly wild life and the Wiggles. Granted yes we are home to some of the most deadliest animals however, I doubt these guys are conspiring against humanity.

or these guys...

The next two well... it's debatable.

Now growing up we were told the stories of our people or what we refer to in my culture here in Australia as ‘songlines’.

One that always stayed with me was the story of the cassowary.

Before I jump into the story, a quick fact- these majestic, prehistoric, dinosaur looking, flightless birds are quite the attraction in my home town.

Their numbers have significantly decreased over time and so under the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992 they’ve been listed as an endangered species.

Their diet consists of predominantly fruits and once born, the fathers are the sole carer’s of the chicks.

So the story goes like this.

The rainforest people lived in harmony with nature, taking what they needed only and giving back to the rainforest to help keep balance and harmony.

However there were some who were greedy. One man in the tribe was manipulative and evil. Because he wanted more and felt he deserved more he would steal the children of the tribe and eat them.

When the other members of the tribe caught wind of this they sought help from one of their spiritual healers who turned the man into a cassowary as punishment for his crimes.

Once he was transformed his diet could only consist of fruits and he now has the responsibility to care for and protect the children.

Might I add he’s not too fond of this either and quite angry at what’s happened to him.

That’s why the cassowary is known to be an aggressive bird and if provoked, is capable of inflicting serious, even fatal injuries.

A little dark I know, and as an 11 year old hearing this for the first time whilst on a family camping trip, you could imagine the distraught feeling bathing over you.

Nevertheless this is one of the many traditional stories passed down through generations.

Because of stories like this my respect and relationship with my culture, with nature and it’s inhabitants has strengthened throughout the years.

This saltwater crocodile was one of my favourite picture’s to capture. I received a new camera for my 27th birthday and immediately planned my next trip home.

The weekend I spend with the family was beautiful but I still needed to capture the perfect picture to memorialise the trip.

Let me tell you the universe was definitely listening to what I was putting out, because this opportunity presented itself and it was insane!

I didn't want to to stop there though. There's an entire world out there and with my camera in hand I was ready to venture out and capture it. With this new found sense of wonder I found myself planning another trip on a much grander scale.

Now we live in an amazing world and when we get the chance to explore it you have to seize it without hesitation. In doing just that, two days after turning 28, I found myself navigating through the beautiful country of Japan.

Touching down in the Kansai Region we began our two week Japan adventure.

With so much to see and this being my first trip outside of Australia, I took my camera out and made the most of it.

After spending a few days in Osaka we boarded the train to our next destination- the city of Kyoto.

Kyoto is stunning! and we were keen to explore it.

We found ourselves in Arashiyama and whilst there we made some rather cute friends.

One of the several highlights of the trip.

I can't say it enough, but we do live in a world full of wonder and to have times where we can get up close with it and capture the moment is such an honour.

There's this quote by George Santayana that goes "The earth has music for those who will listen."

This resonates deep, it's something I believe to be true. When we take a picture there's this period of silence and focus. When you allow yourself to be in a state of stillness you're connected, you're present and therefore you can hear this music.

Natures very own spotify playlist customised for you.