Behind the Shot: First Light, Beowa National Park

Having spent the majority of the 2019/2020 Summer inland, my partner and I felt well overdue for a trip to the coast by June of 2020. At the time, Beowa (formerly Ben Boyd) National Park was one of the few coastal destinations that had been reopened following the devastation of the Summer Bushfires. Driving through Nimmitabel and Bombala, and on Imlay Road, the impact of the fires was clear with only a light covering of regrowth to veil the blackened bush. Knowing just how badly the regions surrounding Canberra had been hit, it was eye-opening to see the widespread damage across greater parts of New South Wales.

Arriving at the Saltwater Creek Campground, it felt as if we were in a lush green haven, with a 100-200 metre area surrounding the campsite having been protected from the Border Fire that ravaged a significant area of New South Wales and Victoria. Walking onto the beach, charcoal still littered the sand and the headlands either side were sandy and black, lacking any hint of regrowth or recovery. Watching the sunrise one morning from the rocks, I sat for almost an hour enamoured by the changing light and ocean life. I captured this shot in between the crashing of waves below me, just as the sunlight illuminated the headland across the bay.