Hyde Park is a magical place in Autumn. Soft light shining through the golden leaves, crystal clear reflections on the lake, birds everywhere. There is an abundance of benches on which to sit and admire the scenery. Additionally, the park has paths that are suitable for walking, running and cycling. No matter how you do it, Hyde Park is well worth a visit. 

They say that pictures tell a thousand words so I'll let the photographs do the talking. 

The golden coloured leaves, both on the trees and on the ground, are enchanting. 

The green coloured park benches blend beautifully with the surroundings. Benches are located all over the park, giving you plenty of options on where to relax and enjoy the surroundings.

Above: East to West Design Fresco by Graeme Miles Richards.

I was mesmerised by the mural and could have looked at it for hours. However, I knew it was time to move on when I had almost lost sight of the other photographers. Thankfully, they did notice that I was left behind and they waited for me.

We continued to wander along South Terrace, admiring the buildings and the diverse mix of cafes and restaurants. The delicious smell of foods emanating from the restaurants enhanced the experience. Art works outside some of the the buildings were just as seductive and cleverly placed. A stunning mural is Zebras by Anya Brock, outside the Ootong and Lincoln cafe. The design is attention grabbing with its strong use of contrast and lines.

The photographers walked for almost three hours and didn't get to all the murals. However, we decided to turn back towards South Beach. It's just as well that we did, because the sunset was spectacular. 

Sunset at South Fremantle. 

South Fremantle is well worth the visit. It really is a unique place with plenty of character. I had an enjoyable afternoon and will definitely be back to experience more.

On 10 April 2021, Scarborough Beach came alive with the Brazilian Beach Carnaval. Dancing. Drumming. Music. Food. Lots and lots of happy people. We expected a big celebration and that’s what we got. Note that the Brazilian word for "carnival" is "carnaval" and their native language is Portuguese. This is important to know if you're a grammar nazi. 

The warm and sunny weather was the perfect setting for a beach party. While numbers were restricted this year due to COVID, that didn’t hamper the celebrations. It was my first time at the event and I went with a group of photographers. We arrived at 2pm, just in time for the kids' carnaval. Having registered for our free tickets beforehand, the entry process was straight forward, without long queues as we anticipated. That was a pleasant surprise.

Another pleasant surprise was the music that was playing as we entered. The photographers smiled to each other while being welcomed by the sounds of children’s music, sung in Portuguese. It was a magnificent soundtrack as we explored the grassed area outside the auditorium. There were many food trucks with a diverse mix of Brazilian and international foods. The mouthwatering smells whiffed through the air, harmonising beautifully with the music and colours of the carnaval. As well as having great food, the trucks looked stunning with amazing art works and Brazilian flags. It is clear that a lot of effort was made.

The photographers reached the auditorium at 3pm, just in time for the dance session. The dancing was incredible, the dancers shaking their spectacular costumes to traditional Brazilian music. As part of the show, there were dance demonstrations where audience members were invited to have a go. The participants were obviously having a great time and it was fun to watch. While I was preoccupied with taking photographs, I became inspired to try Samba dancing one day. As a “non-dancer,” this is a big deal for me.

Before we knew it, people were gathering to watch the grand parade. As they aligned the street, the COVID marshalls strolled up and down, managing the crowd. At the same time, I strolled up and down, managing my view by looking through the spaces between people. Being a somewhat shorter person, this was not a new experience and I knew how to get a glimpse of the action. 

The drums were beating louder and louder as the parade came nearer and nearer. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Jingle Jingle Jingle. Jingle. Boom. Boom. Boom. Jingle. Jingle. Soon we could see the dancers, drummers, colours, costumes, happy people dancing everywhere. It was clearly a joyous occasion. Suddenly, disaster struck.

As soon as the parade came near us, my camera battery ran out. Speaking of bad timing. It started flashing red, maybe it was trying to flash in time with the beating drums. Thankfully I had a replacement battery and changed it in record time. Phew! Just in time for us to watch the parade make its way across the grass and back into the auditorium. 

Lately I’ve been finding myself photographing ducks a lot. Some might say that I’m quackers to be walking around lakes, getting down amongst the duck droppings. That may be true, but it's a small price to pay for quality entertainment. 

My photographs reflect the entertainment value of the ducks. As per usual, many of the shots are duck "bloopers," therefore not to be taken very seriously. This post is a recount of a recent expedition, which is typical of my duck chasing adventures. 

From a distance I could hear the cacophony of quacks, getting louder and louder as I tiptoed quietly towards the water. Hundreds, or even thousands, of ducks were waddling around, pecking at each other or splashing in the lake. The smell was pungent. Despite the fowl* odour, I positioned myself close to the muddy ground, taking a punt on which way the ducks would jump first. One by one they jumped into the water, in all directions. I was too slow and missed them. I staggered to my feet, shoes covered in a brown mush of mud and freshly laid duck droppings. I followed the ducks to another side of the lake. 
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*fowl is a deliberate choice of spelling

As I snuck closer and closer, the ducks waddled calmly away. They did not even attempt to fly despite me following them. Clearly I'm not scary enough. Suddenly I heard some wings flapping and turned around just as one duck leapt into the water. I snapped with my camera and hoped for the best. Before I knew it, I had a good run of ducks leaping into the water. I managed to get quite a few shots, most of which were WTF (What the Fay) shots. Alternatively you might like to call them WTD (What the Duck) shots. Regardless of the choice of acronym, you have to agree that ducks look incredibly funny when they fly. 

As if the leaping wasn't entertaining enough, the ducks started splashing as soon as they entered the water. I watched a few dive below the surface before lifting themselves up and opening their wings. It was a spectacular show, the ducks looked like they were conducting an orchestra. 

My attention was diverted to another duck floating peacefully on the water. It twisted its neck around and looked like it was doing backstroke. I can assure you that the duck was ok. Moments later, it started splashing in the water, just like the other ducks. 

Feeling content with the day's entertainment, I decided to pack up my camera and go home. It was going to take me a while to recover from the fowl odour, plus I wanted to remove the mud from my shoes while there was still light. I waved goodbye to the ducks, marching away to the sound of the quacking cacophony.