A place can have attached to it many different memories for many different people. And the journey to get to that place colours that memory - bright warm yellows of shared joy, deep blues of peace and rest, or the cooler colours of reflection.
Kemp Hill, perched along the Yeppoon coastline with breath-taking, panoramic views, is a place filled with memories. Pulling into the little picnic area with a sandy path leading down to the water's edge, the sound of children's laughter fills the air as their father's man the BBQ and their mothers lay down the table cloth on the old picnic tables. This warm, sunny place is one of bright friendship, where we share Australia Day with our friends, dragging the cricket set down to the beach to laugh at each other's batting skills, plunging into the cool blue waves to wash off the sand before the boys drift off to the BBQ while we lay out the delicious spreads of salads for a late lunch and afternoon nap on the picnic rug.
The trek up the hill is one so often shared with a close friend, filling our lungs with the fresh sea air as we discuss things of little consequence, each just enjoying the company of the other. Often interrupted with small lookouts, the path is one my husband and I love to explore, welcoming these disturbances in the smooth path to stop and take in the stunning shades of blue - cobalt, turquoise, sapphire... the colours of the sea representing holidays, and peacefulness and rest. As we pause, we search for turtles in the waves below, gently bobbing up and down with the currents, no care in the world.
The last part of the journey to the top of the hill is steep, but worth the climb. The old wooden bench at the top of the hill, designed comfortably for two. Turning around to take a seat, the scenery before you will take your breath away. This is the place where dreams have been forged as couples discuss what the future could hold, the life-giving shades of every green imaginable contrasting with the crystal blues of the ocean sparking below. This is the place where proposals have been made, and the journey of two have become one.
This is also a place of reflection. As the journey to this place reaches it's peak, the time to pause often brings time for contemplation. Though the journey to this place is not without effort, and is uncomfortable at times, the colourful bursts of precious, shared memories makes the journey worthwhile. And I am thankful to the One who is beside me all the way, through every colour of this journey, who keeps my eyes fixed on the breathtaking place He has created at the end.
- Subject Matter: Landscape
- Collections: Sunshine of the Shoreline