Heading southwards along Raspins Beach I found a series of notice boards that alerted me to the area beyond as the Orford Bird Sanctuary. Fenced along the away was a breeding sanctuary: of course, birds don’t read signs so humans were encouraged to walk only on the hard wet sand closest to the water and not stray into the dunes or grass tussocked sand banks.

Of course the rules indicated no dogs were allowed.

I walked, without a person in sight, until I reached the sandbagged edges of the Prosser River where I watched a boat motor along the channel towards the bridge at Orford. I could see the township spread along the far distant shore line.

My eyes followed the river inland.

The tiniest of other movements caught my vision; like a couple of leaves moving on a delicate breeze. Only by stopping and staring intently did I understand this was pair of the tiniest of birds. I believe the pair might have been Red Necked Stints which apparently breed in Siberia or North Alaska. The strength and endurance of migratory birds always astonishes me. The pair I watched flew and stood on top of a bag – probably impossible for you to see in the following photograph.

From the southern end looking north, I appreciated the generous white sand beach which continued until stopped by pretty sandstone cliffs.

Most of all, I adored the glorious cloudy skies – because the beach provided physical and mental space ‘to be present’ in that environment, and to find pleasure in every aspect. Those skies were full of greys, blues and colourful white tones.