NightScapes: Rugged Calmness

Waitpinga Cliffs on the stunning Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia was a location that a friend and I wanted to get to while on a trip earlier this year in April 2023. This location was originally planned for a sunrise, but I also knew that the Milkyway rose in the same direction, so if sunrise didn't pan out I would be still getting the shot for a Milkyway composite.

Not knowing the area at all, we had done a little bit of research on what we thought would be roughly a 40 minute hike.

With the alarm for 4:30am, we made the 30 minute drive from our accommodation to the campsite where the trail started. It was pitch black and we begun the hike to what we thought was the location.

When we got there, it was still dark, and it was definitely not what we thought it would be and we were a bit stumped. We had a bit of a rest while we checked maps and we decided to keep going to another spot that we thought was it. This location was also not right!

We were now wondering if we keep going or turn around and head back. It was cloudy, the sun was still below the horizon and our eyes were adjusting to the morning light. After thinking about it for a bit, we decided that we have gone this far and surely it isn't much further. So we kept on hiking through the rugged coastal trail.

When we finally got to our location, the views were nothing short of spectacular! We ended up hiking 11.5km and took nearly 5 hours round trip, but absolutely worth it.