FIELD NOTES// Wallaman Falls

QUEENSLAND

18.5896° S, 145.8052° E

Cane, cows and cassowaries. The road to Wallaman Falls takes you through long, straight stretches of road surrounded by feathered cane fields. A faint smell of spun sugar in the air. You dodge cows (and cow pats) and then begin a steep, windy ascent.

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What an incredible descent. From the top of the world – grass, trees, scrub, down into another world. The ever-changing landscape. So many shades of green.

Ferns, palms, shrubs.

I wanted to stop and sketch them all. But to do so, would have meant I never made it to the bottom.

Struck by awe, once again. And inspiration. The words flowing out of me and the feeling of needing to capture it in some way.

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NOTES

Smells like:

The bush on a clear, calm, cool night. Sweet smelling wood burning on a campfire. Damp earth at the bottom of the descent.

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Sounds like:

Thunderous waves crashing at the shore. Birds. Bush turkeys scratching, investigating. The sounds of camps being set up, campfires built and then dismantled. Crickets.

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Looks like:

Steep green landscape descending into cool aqua green pools. Black, grey and ochre rocks. The white wash of water. A rainbow at the bottom from the mist. An abundance of green displayed in different formats – trees, lichen, moss, ferns.

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Feels like:

Long-forgotten camping trips. That fresh air in the morning. Sitting outside as dusk descends, watching stars appear and staying outside for as long as you dare, before the cold and mosquitoes get the better of you.

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Tastes like:

Hot tea to warm the hands and the heart. Tiny teddies- snacks for the walk.