During my morning paddle on Lake Burley Griffin I crossed paths with a fellow paddler, or maybe I should say ‘sculler.’

It was an amazing morning. When I woke at 5.00pm I looked out the window and quickly noticed the huge moon sitting pride of place in the morning sky. I hastily made my way down to the lake to try and capture the full moon reflecting on the capitals landmarks.

I arrived at the usual entry point at 5.45am only to discover that during the five minute travel time from my home down to the lake, the fog had slowly engulfed the lake and hindering any possibility of me trying to capture my desired shot/s. In saying that some of my most memorable paddles have been heavily blanketed fog sessions! The temperature was a crisp minus 6.3 degrees and the lake, like a sheet of glass. The fog was transparent enough for me to see where I was going; which is a good thing sometimes, especially when there is traffic on the lake!

At 6.00am I set off. As I paddled under the Kings Avenue Bridge heading towards the Main Basin I noticed the Carillion was shrouded in fog, the sun nowhere to be seen. The scene was eerie yet inviting. I decided to paddle in and under the footbridge capturing the Carillion, the island and the trees all of which were casting their reflections on the water.

On my return to Kings Avenue Bridge I noticed a sculler turning to prepare for his return trip back to Yarralumla. His figure was silhouetted in the mist and fog and made for an amazing shot. I tried to position myself for the shot but unfortunately he was too quick for me.  I thought that all had been lost, that I missed a great photo opportunity. I soon noticed that he stopped briefly to take a quick drink and lose a layer of clothing, so I raced over to snap a shot.

Sitting smack bang in the middle of the lake with the sun burning through the fog, we started discussing the lakes beauty and what a great place Canberra is to live. I soon learnt that for many years Geoff had travelled and worked extensively throughout the world. During his working life Geoff has lived and worked in many countries around the world and stated that “very few places come close to the beauty and diversity of Canberra. Until you live and travelled around the world you don’t realise how good it is here.” He also loves the fact that the lake is a place where he is able to row and a take time to clear his mind and take in all its beauty and its surrounding environment.” We both agreed that Canberra offers so much.  For both of us it is the accessibility to Lake Burley Griffin, The quality of our restaurants, ease of commuting, strong employment opportunities and that it’s a two hour gate way to the snow fields, South Coast and Sydney.

I really enjoyed my conversation and look forward to meeting other people in and around the lake and sharing their favourite Canberra experiences.