It’s getting darker now. The sun, casting a chartreuse green hue over the water, illuminates the partly submerged logs that offer a haven for assorted wildlife. As night falls the black cockatoos with their noisy chatter, add to the mood that has grown in dimensions over the few days we camped beside Tooloom Creek.
It has been a hectic three months getting my new book to press. With no Internet or phone, this time has been an opportunity for deep reflection, as deep and wide as the water stretched before us. Many have related that watching water, be it the sea, a river or a creek, cleans out the mind and enriches the soul.
Beside walking down to the falls, and exploring the causeway I spent most of my time reading and contemplating new artworks, while my partner went on numerous excursions down the creek in the inflatable boat. I don’t come easy to relaxing during the day. At home I usually fill my time with many active pursuits.
However nature has many lessons to teach us; the first being that we have an eternal self, a part of us that needs to be regularly replenished. The practical side, of many of us, wants to live a full life and fill every moment with ‘doing ‘.
I learnt over those few days beside the water that there are some things we can’t change, and moments of solitude allow us to reflect and transform. Unfortunately there is a dark side to life, and when sad things happen, as well as inspiring creativity, a venture into nature can heal the heart.
Some of the log visitors are pictured below.