This little collection of work was the net result of a winter trip into Kosciuszko and Buffalo National Parks, two of my favourite haunts.

Most of the planning went into getting into Cascade Hut and out again in one piece. About 22km return from the Alpine Way road it’s a great mountain bike ride in summer, but in winter things get a little more serious. Cross country skiing or snow shoeing will get you there and out in one big day. For me it was 9 hours return carrying heavy camera gear and including a good hour for the photo-shoot.

It was pitch black by the time I got out, completely exhausted by the long walk back up to Bob’s Ridge and down to the road again. My torch batteries had given up in the cold, but the river offered a good navigational guide so a quick check of the GPS now and then was all that was required.

Keebles Hut was my base of operations for Kosciuszko so I had a few dawns there before catching the one pictured. I really can’t believe it’s so unpopulated during winter. Waking up each morning with the mist rolling over me, slowly opening up the world to reveal the mountains beyond. Such a gem of place to have all to one’s self.

Over at Buffalo the crystal falls shot was one I’d had in the back of my mind for some 20 years, but with each trip to Buffalo I tend to get excited and want to be up higher. On this occasion the fog was so thick I’d all but given up hope, when it occurred to me that descending back to the gorge might mean slipping under the low cloud cover. Incredibly it all came together just as the sun rose. I had the place all to myself again. A real magic morning.

Finally the Cathedral, which has been something of a love-hate relationship for me. I have a rock climber mate living in the valley below who can give me an “eyes on” weather update, but even with this advantage it’s a real hit or miss thing to plan a trip in advance. In the end I invested a few days which ranged from ample snow but zero visibility to receding snow and the complete absence of cloud neither being want I really wanted. In years past I’ve been granted that perfect combination of snow cover and light, so it’s bound to happen again one day. The thought keeps me coming back with a certain stubborn optimism.

Where to next? Not sure, though as I write this I have a few ideas, mostly big drives to distant coastal scenes. However, our little boy is getting to an age now that doing some short nature walks are possible, so it could be time to hit the Grampians and train up the next generation of landscape photographer!