Home

The iconic view of Rockhampton City from the peaceful wooden boardwalk circulating the top of Mt Archer is one that ignites so many emotions. This is my home, the place I was brought to at the beginning of my adult years, my first move out of home to start my career and to begin this new chapter of my life. It is the place where I met the love of my life, and where we have shared together so many highs and lows. Rockhampton City is a place where I have met lifelong friends, and the place from which some of those friends have moved on.
This boardwalk itself has not always been here. I remember day I arrived in Rockhampton, bursting with excitement and apprehension about the new journey I was about to take, my mum and I drove up this mountain and gazed on this view, picnic rug spread out underneath us, the warmth of the sun on our backs and the cool summer breeze playing with our hair as we wondered what the future would bring.
I remember my first date, driving up the now-familiar mountain road in the dark with driving rain beating down against one side of my little old car, with the fearlessness and obliviousness of a young adult in love. Gazing on this view, watching the city lights winking in the blackness from the safety and warmth of my little 1995 Toyota Corolla, my now husband told me for the first time that he liked me, and my heart felt like it could light up the entire mountain that night.
I remember the warmth of friendship and belonging, with countless picnics, hikes, and training sessions with my dearest friends. No matter what the journey to the top was like - whether in a car piled with chattering girls balancing picnic baskets and wine glasses in their laps, or with the slap of runners against the bitcherman keeping the rhythm to which I ran shoulder to shoulder with my training buddy - the sight of the city nestled within the mountains, the glistening Fitzroy snaking through the middle, signalled the end of the journey. This beautiful view was the one we came to enjoy each other's company, through stunning golden sunrises, beautiful sunny days with blue skies and fluffy white clouds, and incredible sunsets with every shade of pinks, reds and yellows imaginable.
But, most importantly, this city is the one I know my God has placed me in, with a purpose. I can see through the highs and lows of the time I have had here, through the friendships He has placed in my life to bring such joy through the good times and support through the difficult ones, He has been there all along as my constant comfort and companion. This is the place I have had countless special times just enjoying His presence in the quietness and stillness, listening to the birds chirping in the background and breathing in the scent of fresh dew on the Australian gums. Looking on the city, the greatest comfort is knowing my God has a plan for it, and is ultimately in control.
I have chosen to capture this iconic scene in the middle of the day, with the sun streaming on the city and glistening off the water, representing the warmth of belonging, and light and life of the sun that God causes to rise each day. The scene I have chosen is framed by the tree in the middle of the Nurim Circuit Boardwalk, along with the other native fauna in the foreground, wrapping up the city like our Heavenly Father cradling it in the palms of His hands. The bright blue of the sky and the fresh greens of the trees and surrounding landscape, combined with the movement created with the bold strokes of the pallet knife, represent the life bursting from within the city, and the excitement of what God has in store for the future of this beautiful place.