I’ve always been fascinated by the way we each see the world differently. Two people can visit the same place and walk away with entirely different impressions. Some visit once and assume they’ve seen everything there is to see. But the truth is, places reveal themselves slowly – over time, to those who keep looking, who stay present, and truly observe.
I love exploring the coast, and one of my favourite places is the rock platform at Ben Buckler. I’ve been returning there for years, and every time I go, I discover something new – sometimes so extraordinary it completely blows my mind.
Tucked away on the north side of Bondi Beach, this place is full of character. It’s scattered with fascinating rock pools, strange boulders, and sandstone formations etched over time by the ocean. All of it lies beneath a towering cliff wall, three stories high. It’s easily one of the most unique and dramatic stretches of coastline in Sydney. But for all its beauty, it’s also a place that demands caution. Like many exposed rock platforms, it can be dangerous. Waves crash in with incredible force, surging across the surface and capable of sweeping people away in an instant.
This afternoon, a storm had rolled across Sydney. Heavy rain poured down, and I didn’t expect anything interesting to happen. But I noticed a tiny break in the clouds on the horizon -a bright spot – and decided to head out anyway, hoping for a rainbow.
I reached my usual spot and waited beneath a rock ledge as the rain eased off. Then, just before sunset, the transformation began. The light broke through, casting an intense, almost apocalyptic glow across the landscape. But as I stepped forward, I realised that the swell was too big to safely reach my favourite rock pool. I ran up and down the platform searching for a new composition, something to match the power of what was unfolding around me. That’s when I climbed over a large rock—and suddenly, in front of me was an area I had never seen before.
It felt like a hidden world had revealed itself. Dozens of new possibilities appeared in an instant. By the time I set up my camera, the sky had exploded in colour. It looked as though the entire ocean was on fire. The scene was wild, radiant, almost unreal.
Even now, I’m left speechless remembering that moment. And I still wonder how such a striking place had gone unnoticed by me for so long.