Sunday, March 10, 2024 and the temperature soared above thirty degrees celsius in Newcastle, north of Sydney and the Central Coast in New South Wales, Australia.

My wife and I decided to jump in the car and head north for a visit to the Newcastle foreshore and also some lunch.

To be honest, on the journey we weren’t sure exactly where we would walk once we arrived in the area, however as we approached Nobbys Beach I realised that despite being here many times over the years, we have never ventured into the area where the lighthouse and breakwater were situated, at the very northern end of Nobbys Beach.

Nobbys Beach is Newcastle’s highest profile beach and a favourite swimming spot for both locals and visitors alike. It is also very well regarded by surfers.

As well as a public recreation area where you can barbecue or purchase fish and chips, there is also a pathway which leads to the Newcastle Breakwater after you pass beneath the iconic Nobbys lighthouse.

From the breakwater there are fantastic views looking back toward the lighthouse and beach, the dog friendly cove on the western side of the breakwater, active fishing boats and to our surprise on the day, a pod of beautiful dolphins.

There were many people that decided to take a look along the breakwater, also a handful on bicycles, and one keen fisherman.

The heat was pretty intense, and the decision not to bring along headwear with more protection than a trucker hat, and no sunscreen proved to be a huge mistake.

Despite the heat there was the odd respite with a nice ocean breeze which was welcomed, albeit too brief.

For shooting, today I chose to take along only the Fujifilm X100F, mainly to minimise the gear I would need to hold. There were the odd compositions here and there where I would have preferred to have a longer lens, however I also like the way that a 35mm lens allows scenes to breathe when you’re not in a street environment.

When you have a 35mm lens and you’re in an open landscape like this you have no choice other than to incorporate a lot into the scene, and then try and direct the viewer’s eye toward a point, or points of interest.

You have to pay attention though. For example, you cannot shoot out toward the ocean if there are no definitive points of interest, that’s where the viewer can become lost and disorientated.

I always try to create pathways for the eye to follow, to identify points within a scene where at times they are obvious, and other times they are a surprise to the viewer.

So there you go, a very warm day at Newcastle Breakwater with the Fujifilm X100F.

I hope that you enjoyed reading the blog, and I also hope that you enjoy the images.

Roger Brooks.

Often when I’m riding my motorcycle with my wife I find myself thinking that I should bring along one of my cameras to document the day, and maybe even begin to create blogs showcasing aspects of the day’s adventure… enter my first motorcycle blog.

Now, of course I could always document the day with the help of images taken with my iPhone, however when you’re a photographer and there’s a Fuijifilm X100F in the stable, well, you get the idea.

On this warmish Sunday we left our house on the Central Coast of New South Wales in Australia and headed for Broke which is a beautiful little town situated in the wine region known as the Hunter Valley.

There are a few routes that you can take to arrive at Broke from our house, and usually we would ride through to Wollombi and then onto Broke, however on this day we took the long way around and went through Cessnock, then Lovedale and then down Broke Road.

This part of New South Wales is full of fantastic bike roads with rolling hills, mountains, wineries and plenty of livestock to gaze at. There is also an abundance of great places to eat making for a very enjoyable day out.

We have stopped and eaten at many places in this region, however today we decided to head for a cafe called Magoony’s Coffee House, which was originally a service station.

As you leave Cessnock and head toward Broke you bypass Lovedale and then turn left onto Broke Road and into the town of Pokolbin.

Pokolbin houses many of the famous Australian wine makers and on weekends the carparks are full of visitors. You will always be able to enjoy great wines and a great feed in this area, and that includes a few dessert cafes.

After you pass the wine makers the speed limit increases and the road becomes a little windy in places, which gets the heart racing when you’re on a bike. Eventually Broke Road becomes Cessnock Road and before you know it you’ve reached the bottom and have arrived at Broke.

We parked the bikes outside the Magoony’s Coffee house and immediately felt a sense of calm. There were plenty of visitors there, yet the quietness of the landscape was overwhelming.

We enjoyed a traditional meat pie and coffee and took in the surroundings… no rush, just recharge the batteries.

Broke in New South Wales is within three hours of our house, making for a practical riding distance. We often ride plenty of kilometres, however when you get the chance to enjoy a beautiful experience like this and not too far from home, well that is pretty special.

On the way back we decided to stop in at the Wollombi Tavern for a beer, and today my choice was a schooner of Tooheys Old… bloody beautiful.

It is a special day whenever I get to combine two of my favourite past times, photography and motorbike riding.

I hope that you have enjoyed my first motorcycle blog, and I hope that you enjoy the images below.

Roger Brooks.