This photo although displaying very poor quality is rare. It is a photo taken in the Church of The Holy Sepulchre in 1980 on a slide, it was originally photocopied and saved as a PDF about twenty years ago. I have recently re-converted it to a .jpg to see how it would turn out. At the time I took this photo, it was very difficult to get access to this church during the period I was in Jerusalem. For me, it is a fantastic memory and reminds me of a determination I once possessed.

On Diamond Princess, we were also lucky enough to visit Busselton in Western Australia. I say lucky because it is just a beautiful part of the world with access to Margaret River and the whole South West of Western Australia.

This is a group of photos taken in Hobart, Tasmania in 2015. My wife and I arrived in Hobart on the Diamond Princess early in the morning to a heavy sky. The day could not have developed better and we had a wonderful day, sampling the delights of Hobart. This is only a small sample of that day but more will follow.

Another long exposure, taken up to the stars, focusing in on the Milky Way.

Taken also with long exposure The beach is 12 kilometers long and it is perfect for long relaxed morning and evening walks.

Long exposure photo was taken at Woodgate beach this year. This photo is taken in a southerly direction showing the beach and the trees along the dunes.

Theodolite Creek looking straight out in the direction of Fraser Island. Beautiful logs just lying on the beach make a beautiful inclusion in this photo of the peaceful, wonderous view.

Taken at Theodolite Creek, Queensland. This is a pristine area with a beautiful beach and small inlet to launch a Tinnie. Great fishing, great walking, Great birdlife and at the right time of the year, the Humpback Whales can be seen just offshore.

Taken at Woodgate Beach in 2018. Late afternoon and the Seagulls are just resting on the beach after a feed!

Taken in Moscow in 1987, these photos include St Basils, The Gum Department store and some other Orthodox churches. Unlike now, these churches only had old rubbish piled up inside them because this was before the “Wall” came down and religious worship was still banned in the Soviet Union at that time. Of course it is no longer called “The Soviet Union!”

One of the previous visits we had with my Mum in 2015

In these photos, there is an Egyptian guide who told us about the area including a Nubian village we visited and stuff like that. In my memory the blond friend was Noelene and the other friend was Sally with whom I traveled through Egypt after Laurence and my other two friends returned to Israel.

This is a King Parrot which is usually quite shy. It was taken this year at Barambah Bush Caravan Park near Murgon, Queensland.

Various photos of Egypt and Israel in 1980.    

This is where we had breakfast after having worked from about 430AM until maybe 10Am picking bananas. After breakfast, we had to do maintenance and cleaning around the banana plants. In the middle with the red beard is myself, looking a little unlike I do now.

Above the Valley of the Kings This photo taken by Laurence Jurman was taken of me sitting above the Valley of the Kings in Egypt. Laurence and I had cycled most of the way out to a Range where we left our pushbikes and trekked over the ridge and then down into the valley before spending the day looking through tombs etc.. this was just before we descended down into the Valley itself.

Indeed the colours are amazing as the sun travels through the day, and as many have observed before me, the changes in hue and colour are really mesmerizing. In truth though, you really do have to see it to believe it, I was absolutely awestruck by its majesty and presence.

And we have the trail of people climbing up Uluru right beside the sign asking people to respect the wishes of the Traditional owners. It just places everything into perspective, doesn’t it? My own ignorance many years earlier in Egypt highlighted by the continued ignorance of others in my own country. Therefore not something I can preach about but it is a salutary lesson and focuses in on one’s own deficiencies!

This photo was taken high up on the Cheops Pyramid in 1980. I took this photo myself, along with a few others, just before being questioned by the Egyptian police as to why I felt it necessary to climb the Pyramid. These days I have to admit some shame that at that young age, I did that. Last year at Uluru, I think I atoned for my earlier bad behaviour by respecting the wishes of the Pitjantjara people with their request not to climb Uluru.

This is a photo of Dad. He is with Mum’s horse and their dog. I have forgotten the name of the dog. This horse is indeed a valid post because when I go to talk to Mum, at the home she lives in now, I know I can always bring back a memory of Dad and of her horse just by mentioning that I have a photo of Dad with his horse. mum will immediately correct me by saying it was her horse. There are a few of things which trigger memory these days, and this is one of those things. I think the dog might have been called Skippy.

Three photos of Mum. I’m pretty sure that all of these were taken in Riverton where they once lived. The baby in the third photo is Doug, already showing signs that he loved to run. My wife and I went out to where Riverton is meant to be a year ago. We found the sign but there is nothing else we could find. There is a mine in roughly the area that they used to live.

This wedding photo is of my Uncle Joe and Auntie Sandra when they were married in Burleigh Heads Catholic Church. I’m not exactly sure when this was but I have a feeling it was in about 1963, maybe 1964. In the back is Dad who was Joe’s best man. Sandra’s sister was Maid of Honour. When I look at this photo of Dad, I see Bernie (my brother) in the gravely focused eyes. Again I can see the early signs of his emphysema in the line of his jaw because he was finding it hard to breathe. It’s good to put words to the memories because otherwise, the memories might disappear.

That’s me, the little one, with my oldest brother Doug. Smug looks, squinty eyes, happy smiles and the window behind us where my mother heard me swearing for the first time. It was from that window that she called me back into the house and demanded I submit to having my mouth washed out with soap. I can’t say I submitted but she succeeded. It was a different world then. Living in the country, simple pleasures, healthy life, Mum and Dad.

Me and Nelle Maree down at the Coffee Club, having a quick Cuppa!  View on Instagram https://ift.tt/2RMiDGR

Purlingbrook Falls in The Gold Coast Hinterland. I was up here visiting in 2009 when this photo was taken with my daughter Saskia Hicks. Over the years I have visited this place many times. The most notable was when Bernie, Anthony and myself were altar boys and we first came up here for the Altar Boys Christmas trip when we were much younger in Primary school together. Equally notable was when our mother and father drove us up there when we were even younger and the road was almost impassable after a storm. It was a little harrowing in those days to drive up the Springbrook Road!

View on Instagram https://ift.tt/2FcXgxf

Taken at the Heritage Centre in Biloela where we camped for a week or so in 2017.

Out in from Biloela and Crackow in Queensland, we were lucky enough to stumble upon a historic road trip where we saw a series of bridges built by Italian Prisoners of war who worked on the roads and other public works in the area during the Second World War. In Australia, we often find amazing stories which tell of times forgotten, places and activities underexposed in our history. This area is one such history. This is one of the bridges still standing.