Let there be light

I was happy to escape grey and rainy Sydney. More rain was predicted and I had had enough. I needed to dry out. Sunny Western Australia (WA) was just the place.

I arrived in Broome Saturday evening to warm temperatures. That was a very good sign. We were staying on the bay side, opposite the ocean, so facing east. The flat was open plan with floor to ceiling glass looking out to the water. WA follows daylight saving time and since it was winter it was in effect.

None of this came to mind when we went to bed with the shades open. At 5am the thought occurred to us. The sky was beautiful. Glowing pink, blue and purple as the sun starts to rise from behind the horizon. Then the rays started peeking through.

A slight glare coming off of Argyle Lake near Kununurra.

It was blinding. The water reflecting, the big cloudless sky, nothing was stopping those rays. You had no other choice but to get up and start the day.

The days camping followed a similar pattern but none as memorable as that first day. Our lives were dictated by natural light – the time we got up, when to find shade at midday, hurrying to set up camp by the time the sun set, going to bed soon after dark. It all made perfect sense.