by Gabrielle Hill-Smith

Australia is almost 3 million square miles, and its landscapes and climate are diverse across this great expanse. In Tasmania, you can feel the bitter chill of winds blowing up from Antarctica as you sit on old harbour walls, while in Western Australia you can drive for days across dusty tracks, between ghost towns and gold mines. In the Northern Territory, you can hike through bushland to find towering cliffs with ancient rock art, painted by the indigenous peoples 60,000 years ago. In Queensland, you can dive on the Great Barrier Reef, swimming in the warm clear water among turtles and colourful corals. In New South Wales you can walk through the vibrant rainforests of Dorrigo National Park, admiring their sparkling waterfalls. In Victoria, you can explore the metropolis of Melbourne, tasting its world-renowned coffee and admiring art galleries. In South Australia, you can walk through the vineyards of the Barossa region, and try their acclaimed Shiraz. And in the Australian Central Territory … you can visit Canberra I guess?

I spent my childhood moving between England and Australia, but I consider my homeland to be the most easterly point of Australia, Cape Byron, New South Wales, a region known for its subtropical climate, its rolling surf and the white sandy beaches which I took my first steps on. Growing up here I was exposed to the beautiful landscapes that make the country so unique, from its fiercesome coastlines with crashing waves, the towering, dense rainforests, the red sandy deserts, and the multicultural cities. Over the summer break, I flew back to Australia and took 8 weeks travelling around, seeing my homeland with new eyes, and feeling a sense of awe at the country that I hadn’t experienced before. These photos, which I took last summer, are some glimpses of Australia, as seen through my eyes as I rediscovered the beauty of the country’s unique landscapes.