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With my DSLR and wide-angle lens in hand, I set out to preserve the moment—a sunny day in Airlie Beach, where the gentle sculpture of a dugong and her calf stood against the brilliant blue sky. Using a careful handheld technique, I swept the camera across the scene, capturing not just the sculpture but the essence of the day itself.
From my vantage point, the turquoise waters of Airlie Bay stretched into the distance, glistening under the sun’s embrace. There, anchored gracefully, was the Carnival Luminosa—the ship that brought us to this serene corner of the world. The contrast of the sculpture’s timeless artistry with the vibrant, bustling foreshore around me seemed to echo the balance between conservation and the joy of exploration.
This panorama became more than an image; it was a reminder to myself of how it felt to be there. The warmth of the sun, the gentle breeze, and the connection to both the past and present etched themselves into my memory. Each glance at the photo takes me back to that day, where the dugong’s story met mine amidst the beauty of the Whitsundays.
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There are no kangaroos in Austria. We're talking about Australia, the world's smallest continent. That being cleared up, let's dive right in! Australia is a sovereign state under the Commonwealth of Nations, which is in turn overseen by Queen Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of Australia and Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth. The continent was first sighted and charted by the Dutch in 1606. Captain James Cook of Britain came along in the next century to claim it for Britain and name it "New South Wales." Shortly thereafter it was declared to be a penal colony full of nothing but criminals and convicts, giving it the crap reputation you may have heard at your last cocktail party. This rumor ignores 40,000 years of pre-European human history, especially the Aboriginal concept of Dreamtime, an interesting explanation of physical and spiritual reality. The two biggest cities in Australia are Sydney and Melbourne. Sydney is more for business, Melbourne for arts. But that's painting in very broad strokes. Take a whirl around the panoramas to see for yourself! Text by Steve Smith.
