My first visit to Australia’s Capital took me by surprise. As a travel photographer, I’m often drafted to wide open spaces instead of cities. However, my first visit to Australia’s largest inland city was a great opportunity to explore and think outside everything I know a city to be.

Lord Howe Island represents the way the world is supposed to be.

Just a two-hour plane flight from mainland Australia (Sydney or Brisbane), to discover a volcanic island of picturesque crescent lagoons teeming with diverse life, palm-tree shaded streets and incredible mountains rising from the sea.

On Lord Howe shoes are optional, the mode of transport is a bicycle and the universal language is a wave combined with a smile found on the face of every person you cross paths with. Mobile reception here doesn’t exist and connecting to WIFI is the last thing you think about when you have the most pristine, untouched beach to yourself for hours.

Australia’s best kept secret, a world treasure, by far the one of the most stunning of them all -- A real Holiday destination.

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I’m now starting to lose count of how many visits I’ve made to the beautiful outback of Australia, a place I sincerely love exploring – it’s alluring charm and magic is never lost on me. Each time I visit I leave feeling lighter and with a heart full of lasting memories.

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“The most memorable experiences are created when one is close to nature.”

I’ve never hidden my utter love for Australia - my passion for sharing this incredibly rich and diverse land pours out of all the pores in my body. The connection is ineffable.

I have an ever-expanding urge to capture and showcase the beauty of Australia, I love using photography to connect others with the natural world and actively seek the peace that comes from spending time in the great outdoors. An insatiable desire to use my art to share and connect with others and to hopefully impart a sense of wonder to See Australia and to see it now!

And there is no better way to really immerse yourself like hitting the open road with a clear mind and willingness to discover.

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 “Our land has a big story. Sometimes we tell a little bit at a time. Come and hear our stories, see our land. A little might stay in your hearts. If you want more, you can come back.” - Jacob Nayinggul, Manilargarr Clan - Kunwinjku language.

My first job back this year put me in the heart of The Top End ( The Northern Territory ) during the Wet Season and it was an exceptional few days of summer-storm-chasing, fleeting but blissful sunshine, and many heart-warming moments.

Welcome to Utopia.  

For a few years I have been dying to get over to Norfolk Island. After hearing my grandparents talk about the place they used to visit in the 70’s and being an avid lover of Zach’s (Stuck on a Rock) incredible work, finally the stars aligned and I was able to accept the invitation to visit.

I was recently invited back to the Northern Territory for my 5th adventure in Central Australia. I will always jump at the opportunity to work here. There is SO much beauty left to see, to be inspired by and to explore.

The raw beauty of the Australian desert literally takes my breath away. It is, remarkably, one of the world’s most harsh and demanding natural landscapes. For 60,000 years Arrernte (the traditional owners of Mparntwe or Alice Springs) have survived here through a deep spiritual connection to land, an incredible level of skill and an encyclopaedic knowledge of the environment and it’s ecology.

A favourite seaside escape, Shellharbour is blessed with a beautiful environment of beaches, lakes and national parks, incredible local food served with a genuine smile and magical underwater worlds. 

It really does have a summer vibe all year round, with a laid back lifestyle that gently washes away all the noise and replaces it with a sense of peacefulness. 

"All the stress, noise, and distractions of life are left at the surface. The ocean is the last truly quiet place on Earth."

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As a photographer and storyteller I  capture moments and bring them to life. To do this, Adobe Lightroom is essential. So when they approached me to officially help launch their #BeBoundless campaign on the Lightroom Instagram, I couldn’t think of a greater honour. They invited me to share my unexpected moments to show you what being boundless means to me.

Escaping the winter blues.  

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As much as I consider myself a summer baby, winter along Australia’s east coast holds a special place in my heart. It is a beautiful and peaceful time of year to spend by the sea. The days are shorter and we find ourselves making the most of each moment and the winter sun before retiring to the warmth of indoors. The skies are bluer and the ocean is clearer. The wattle is flowering bright yellow and the gumnuts are blooming - our nations colours of green and gold are everywhere. Beautiful beaches, golden sand and warmer days are what the Sunshine Coast is famous for, and even in the depths of winter it can still provide the most magical days for sitting on the shore and water warm enough to swim. With daily temperatures sitting steady around 22 degrees (celsius), winter may actually be the perfect time to take advantage of Queensland’s sub-tropical climate and make the most of that seemingly “endless summer".

ON THE ROAD, AGAIN: With COUNTRY ROAD X Live With Us // NORTHERN RIVERS. A change of season is coming; you can feel it in the air. You know the kind, those mornings that are so crisp and fresh that the cool air sends goosebumps all over your body. The sun is beginning to rise a little later and curling up beside one of your best friends in a loft apartment nestled between the beautiful coastline of Byron Bay and the rolling hills of Bangalow is the perfect escape. 

ON THE ROAD: With COUNTRY ROAD X Live With Us // THE BLUE MOUNTAINS. I started out on this journey heading in the direction of the unknown. That’s the true freedom and beauty of the open road. You get to discover more of Australia with the windows down, hair blowing wild in the wind, nostalgic songs and good company – all of which makes heart sing. 

Maintaining an active lifestyle and always dreaming my next adventure, big or small, near or far. Camping is a fantastic way to get outdoors, to escape the bustle of everyday life and find some stillness, some peace and tranquillity in nature — to reset. 

Taking a break whenever I can back in Australia and visiting all my favourite places to just “be.” A chance to recenter and immerse myself in the beauty that is a place, which I am lucky enough to call home. Kick starting a micro-adventure series with TEVA Australia. // Please head to the full blog post here. Get out there! M. x

We are all visitors here, in this time, in this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow and to love, and then we return home. – Australian Aboriginal proverb Spent some time with good hearts in my soul place. It’s so good to be home. M. x  

Life is not about milestones, but moments • The open road, fresh air in our lungs and laughter filling our bellies: eight days on the road with Tourism Queensland and Toyota Australia.  One of my biggest photo updates this year. I’m feeling incredibly grateful to have spent time with good friends exploring all the natural wonders of my home state along The Pacific Coast Way, a 1700km stretch linking Brisbane to Cairns. 

The stars will remind us of the beauty in our struggles and we won’t feel so lost anymore. I recently spent a week on the road with some of my favourite Australian Photographers/Instagrammers and friends. We took the Grand Pacific coastal drive which starts in the Royal National Park, less than an hour south of Sydney and makes its way through the Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama and Shoalhaven regions.  

Beautiful things don’t have to cost the Earth • I was recently a part of @etsyau’s #city2outback adventure featuring Evie and Essie, based in the picturesque foothills of Hobart’s Mt Wellington. The Children’s clothing label Evie & Essie is the joint love of best friends and lifelong crafters Suki Hopgood and Sarah Crawford. Suki and Sarah hosted myself and the Etsy team for a few days, showing us around the unique beauty of Hobart with the city and its surrounds being a constant source of both inspiration and escape. 

I was really excited to head back to the Northern Territory, this time to explore a new region and parts of the Top End which I hadn’t yet made it to. The Northern Territory is truly is one of my favourite places in Australia and the world; the natural beauty, culture and that night sky are all second to none.

Saturday afternoon just gone I was sitting on the beach for hours with one of my best friends, we were discussing the impermanent nature of life and how ‘when we were younger’ (that sentence itself makes me feel old, but what is age?) we used to have countdowns looking forward to certain events or certain holidays.