views

The view that I am rather besotted with, an ever changing landscape continually showcasing the enormity of happenings that occur in a bustling inner city suburb, stretching to the mountains in the distant skyline. Perched on the upper floor of a high-rise building and blessed to be uninhibited by surrounding peers, the view is exceptionally sweeping and vast.

It takes a moment to really appreciate it all, in fact one can while away an entire day just watching the sky. On a clear day ; it will illuminate slowly from darkness as the sun rises, unabashedly shining it’s brilliance upon the morning. Gloriously transitioning to that perfect sky blue, soft and welcoming, alluring you to bask in its gentle hue. As the sun makes its intrinsic rotation around the earth, the blue then transforms to a unique watercolour of purples, pinks and oranges, creating the pastel pallet of every millennials dream. As the sun retreats beneath the skyline it returns to the luxurious midnight blue, the stars emerge and the moon guides us into the night.

On a cloudy day it is so easy to be mesmerised by the swirling configurations as they drift past like lazy elephants, effortless but carrying such weight. Wispy and stretched out or fluffy and thick the clouds paint a calming backdrop for any meditative mind.

It is fantastical to watch a storm, drawing you in with awe (and a touch of fear) as the lighting cracks electrifyingly and the thunder booms crushingly. It feels like you are inside the storm, everything seems to be only inches away from your face. The atmosphere thick and heavy, absorbing you as the rain teams from the bloated clouds, beating down on the aluminium rooves below. The smell of renewal fills your nose, clearing away all that has built up.

As you cast your eyes down from the sky and out towards the horizon. When visibility is good you can almost make out each individual tree on the mountainous ranges that stand proudly in the distance some miles away. The rolling hills and valleys are captivating and stretch distinctively behind the city. My eyes are drawn to the curves, sensually reminding us all that the forrest is never far away, a call home from the damp undergrowth and mineral rich soil. The skyline provides an intriguing mix, a portrait of silhouettes dotted against the cranes and buildings.

As you continue to draw your eyes down, the scale of the city comes into full perspective. Seemingly endless stretches of houses, apartment complexes, business and warehouses. Frantically interwoven with busy roads, dotted with flashing lights and passing traffic. There is a gentle hum as you gaze from afar as people go about their daily lives, a traffic light changes to green and cars stream past as they go about their journeys. A couple walks to collect coffee and food from a nearby cafe, strolling in sync and laughing together. A man patiently waits as his dog sniffs a street pole, lifting it’s leg as a bike courier whizzes past. Construction sites team with life as the suburb undergoes yet another transformation and gentrification, sounds of shouting and banging mixed amongst the joyful cries of the rainbow lorikeets that frequently fly by. Bursts of foliage that undress with the seasons are scattered throughout the urban jungle. A soothing reminder of mother nature’s adaptability to our existence.

Again as night begins to fall the peak hour traffic congests the surrounding streets, the excited rush to get home can also be felt as cars are heard impatiently beeping and accelerating. The urban lights begin to twinkle in dusks haze, shimmering against the particles in the air. A colony of bats can often be seen hauntingly soaring through the twilight sky on their journey to their night feeding spots, indicating that the eve is upon us.

This view often draws me in, luring me outside no matter the weather to appreciate the continually evolving essence of life. A camera roll of images that never capture the entirety or sanctity of what the human eye can see. I think I’ll struggle to ever leave this apartment, such a rarity to be able to experience both nature and city, watching the weather from the couch – truly sky vision.

A tangible shift was felt as covid hit, the traffic and pedestrians disappeared, there were no planes lumbering by and the bustling slowed to a near stop. The world outside the window took a very deep breath. The birds however still playfully flew by in increasing numbers, nature unperturbed by the pandemic and relishing in reclaiming its space. The cars did still trickle past, handfuls of people could be seen wandering for essentials, but there was a distinct stillness and calm (against the backdrop of uncertainty) that settled across the landscape. It is encouraging to see the bustle creeping back into the picture as some parts of normalcy return to life, a sense of hopefulness as we remember that the sun will rise tomorrow.