We agree on so many things, my mama muse friend Yvonn and I, but on one thing most of all. Energetic children need long, long walks in nature to calm their minds, ignite their creativity and ground their bodies. She truly is the queen of finding the picturesque paths less travelled, and while this track running behind the dunes is a fairly well beaten one, we saw just two dogs and three humans in the space of two hours. To one side the sound of the waves and birds only and the occasional glimpse of each of them through the trees, and to the other, a flat, stretching landscape covered in indigenous flora. Thickets of bottlebrush, banksia bush, and delicate flowering natives. All of their aesthetics, as a visual artist, I have always been undeniably drawn to. A freshly made Aunty Yvonn picnic helped reinvigorate skinny little limbs for the return journey, with little hands forever reaching into the irresistible basket before we even got halfway. The real highlight as always, was watching our kids enjoy our backyard, finding shiny beetles, seed pods and bottlebrushes, using them to brush each others hair. Sandy toes, climbing trees, relaxing in discovered treehouses, racing each other or stopping to help or console. We are lucky to have places like this so close at hand for our children. As a keen snapper herself, together Yvonn and I doubtlessly over document these little day trips of ours, but one day our babies will be grateful to have these visual memory markers of a childhood well spent. I hope.

Lou x