The Weekly Photo Challenge called for Spring this week.

Unfortunately its Autumn here, almost Winter, in Australia and I hope I will be forgiven for not putting a “Spring” photo in but the closest I can get to that is Springbrook which is about a 3/4 hour drive from the Gold Coast up in the hills overlooking the coastline.

“Springbrook National Park covers 6197 hectares and is in four sections: Springbrook plateau, Mount Cougal to the east, and Natural Bridge and Numinbah to the west. The plateau has many lookouts with fabulous views while Mount Cougal offers an insight into the area’s logging history.

Spectacular waterfalls, cascades and tumbling creeks are dominant features in this World Heritage-listed Gondwana Rainforests of Australia park”.

On the day we arrived a huge storm had just swept through but we battled on regardless and on getting to the first lookout we thought how stupid we should have stayed at home. It was a white out not lookout or actually look out!! because you couldn’t see very much in front of you. Thank goodness for guard rails!

At the 2nd lookout things were more promising as per the photo and seeing the fog starting to life above the vista was proof enough – yes we should have come here today. I took two photos of the trails getting to the lookout which were other worldly in some parts and I half expected fairies to emerge from the ferns to greet us it was that surreal in places. Forgive the lack of sharpness on the photos but it was quite dark and my wide angle lens aperture didn’t go high enough to take a picture without a tripod, which of course I didn’t carry with me so holding my breath and trying to stand still was the only equipment I had.

We will go back when its drier to hike one of the numerous trails there which takes you down into the valley and hopefully to walk behind one of the waterfalls and get some spectacular waterfall shots. Fingers crossed.

So this is my “Spring” moment….