A visual diary of the places and people of far North Queensland by award-winning photographer Paul Dymond
A big part of my business is helping large organisations get a handle on their extensive image libraries. This includes local government departments, who often have more than ten years worth of digital images haphazardly stuck in multiple folders on a central server, with nobody really having any idea where anything is. So I... Continue Reading →
There's no doubt about it. The beaches in this part of the world are stunningly beautiful. I mean just look at this view. Swaying palm trees, blue sky, calm, aqua water. Hang on a minute. What's that boat doing? Well believe it or not they are researchers from the local James Cook University and they... Continue Reading →
Australian rock icons Cold Chisel sang about them, visual artists love to paint them and photograph them, and when in bloom they bring this part of the world to life. The Flame Tree. Properly known as the Poinciana, this beautiful tree is originally from Madagascar. When they start to bloom it lets us know that... Continue Reading →
I love books, and as a by-product of that I love libraries. I always try to visit libraries whenever I'm travelling, even if I don't speak the language or have any idea what the books say. Libraries are a great insight into the culture of a place, and they are often to be found in... Continue Reading →
In an age where the vast majority of us do our shopping at big-chain supermarkets it's nice to be able to get your fruit and veg (that's Aussie for vegetables!) at a farmer's market. One where the person selling you the fruit is the person who grew it. Cairns' most famous market is Rusty's in... Continue Reading →
I remember being on a tour bus once headed to a photo shoot and a passenger asked the driver where the monkeys were. Last time I checked we don't have any monkeys in this neck of the woods, nor lions, elephants or leopards. We do, however, have some of the most biodiverse rainforest on the... Continue Reading →
Or is Townsville the main smoke, and Cairns the other big smoke? I guess there'll always be local arguments about that one! Only a short four hour drive or so from Cairns, Townsville is a popular tourism destination in its own right and Castle Hill is one of its main attractions. Towering over the foreshore,... Continue Reading →
For all its touristy attractions and natural wonders, at the heart of far north Queensland is its agricultural industry. A short drive in any direction out of town and you'll immediately find yourself surrounded by sugar cane farms. Head farther afield and you'll discover banana plantations, avocadoes, mangoes and a wide variety of tropical fruits.... Continue Reading →
This place really is a cliche. Albeit an extremely beautiful cliche where you could happily spend the rest of your days. Late last year I was on a photo shoot for the YHA. Over five beautiful days I photographed four wonderful kids (I can call them that when they're half my age!) as they enjoyed... Continue Reading →
One of the advantages of photographing your local area is that you know the small hidey-holes that short-term visitors might never discover. Whilst big cities might boast out-of-the-way cafes and galleries, Cairns has a plethora of hidden rainforest creeks and swimming holes. One of the closest to the centre of Cairns is the popular local... Continue Reading →
