Tuesday, 29 September 2015

On the beach

I spent most of last week at Apollo Bay, a small coastal town about 3 hours west of Melbourne.  The town itself sits on the Great Ocean Road, a justifiably famous scenic coastal road.  In reality, all of the family needed some down time and we spent a lot of the week in wonderfully low key activities, like wandering rather aimlessly along beaches and going to look at waterfalls - all in all it was just what the doctor ordered.

One of our beach 'routines' is the building of rock towers, with the aim of getting as many balanced on top of each other as possible.  I really like doing this with the kids as there are a vast amount of things going on inside your head as you try to get the most stones in one tower.

I also can't help but think of some of the sculptures done by Andy Goldsworthy when I make these towers - stones telling stories, bringing (brief) order to otherwise disordered things and the transience of human construction.  And I also just plain enjoy building them!


I think that there are 23 stones in this tower - I tried for 25 but it collapsed!




You can find more shots from around the world at Our World Tuesday.  SM
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23 comments:

  1. Sylvia K29 September 2015 at 08:22

    What a beautiful place!! I love the water!! Wonderful captures for the day, Stewart, as always! Hope your week is off to a great start!!

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  2. genie29 September 2015 at 08:30

    Your rock towers are so neat. Here in our creek we build hoodoos stacking as many irregularly shaped stones on the edges of others. I love watching the children and the adults balance and build them hour after hour for the first big rain rushing down the creek to destroy them. The next time they visit they do it all over again. I think your idea of the tower is a great one.

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  3. maryaustria29 September 2015 at 09:29

    A beautiful place! Love your rock tower! :)

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  4. Linda W.29 September 2015 at 09:47

    I love the rock tower! What a fun way to pass the time.

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  5. John @ Beans and I on the Loose29 September 2015 at 09:59

    That is an impressive stack of stones. I'd enjoy trying that.

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  6. Andrea29 September 2015 at 11:47

    I love watching the men who are experts in making those rock arts, balancing some unusual shapes on top of another. Sometimes even the most uneven looking rock stays stable above another one, but i haven't tried it. You said you went to waterfalls too, i want to see them too in some of your next posts. Thanks.

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  7. Karen29 September 2015 at 12:34

    Beautiful spot, great photos.

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  8. Anonymous29 September 2015 at 13:28

    What fabulous shots.

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  9. Bastet's Waka Library29 September 2015 at 14:43

    I love what you've done here .. great shots!

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  10. Unknown29 September 2015 at 15:56

    Wonderful photos from the beach! Sounds like you had a great time.

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  11. Margaret Birding For Pleasure29 September 2015 at 16:01

    Lovely beach setting to relax at and your stone tower looks impressive.

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  12. Lee29 September 2015 at 17:44

    Well done! The Leaning Tower of Pisa is no competition for you! :)

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  13. eileeninmd29 September 2015 at 19:21

    Hello, Stewart, the beach is a great place to relax! I like the rock tower and the pretty views of the beach and water. Have a happy week!

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  14. Author R. Mac Wheeler29 September 2015 at 21:14

    Around these parts, we say, "Life's a beach."

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  15. NCSue29 September 2015 at 22:10

    Beautiful photos.
    There's nothing like the ocean to put the world into perspective for me!
    I hope you'll come link up at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2015/09/shake-those-tail-feathers.html

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  16. David M. Gascoigne,29 September 2015 at 22:44

    Rock building, called Inukshuks, were the way the Inuit people of Canada's north left directional signals and other messages for each other. The inukshuk has become a bit of an icon here. I have a tee shirt emblazoned with one.

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  17. Sallie (FullTime-Life)30 September 2015 at 00:36

    The ocean is beautiful and completely agree that a visit to the Coast is the best way to relax and unwind. We build cairns on the beach and sometimes ... In the southwest US ... In the rocky hills. But I've never seen one that tall!

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  18. Fun6030 September 2015 at 02:22

    Time to relax but I'm sure you were still very competitive when it came to building that tower.

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  19. Silver Parrot30 September 2015 at 03:00

    Love the rock tower...am going to try that next time we are at the beach!

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  20. TexWisGirl30 September 2015 at 05:38

    very cool, stewart.

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  21. Su-sieee! Mac30 September 2015 at 08:42

    So many stones! Was there a river nearby. That would be fun to create rock towers.
    The View from the Top of the Ladder

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  22. A Colorful World2 October 2015 at 03:52

    Wonderful beach photos! Love that really tall stone tower, too.

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  23. Judi Gray4 October 2015 at 10:36

    love the tower!

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