I was in Coffs Harbour during the off season, just taking a few days break from the daily grind. I'd been taking some snaps around town and on this particular day I wanted to see if I could spot some whales and take some decent photos. It was the right time of year to see humpbacks on their annual migration so I had a good chance of spotting some. I also had a camera with a 500mm telephoto lens so I didn't care if the whales weren't close to shore.
Now, to maximise my chances of getting a decent shot I needed to get a bit of height to see out across the ocean. Standing on the shore wasn't going to get me anywhere. Accordingly I'd crossed the walkway and started up Muttonbird Island.
Muttonbird Island is an odd island. It's just a hill that rears up out of the water, and I do mean up. Walking up Muttonbird isn't what you could call a casual stroll. You have to ascend about 450 feet, the equivalent of climbing to the top of a twelve story building with no steps, just a steep trail. When you finally reach the top there's a lookout point and from there you can watch for that whale you want.
I was quite relieved to reach the lookout point. My legs would probably be sore the next day but the view was spectacular. I could see other small islands scattered about and then the ocean, stretching out to the horizon. Turning around I could see the town laid out before me. I doubted that any building there was greater than four or five stories so I was way above them. To the left and right the coast stretched out into the distance.
There was already one occupant of the lookout, a young woman who I estimated to be in her early twenties. She seemed a trifle disappointed to see me, giving a sigh and turning to look out to sea.
"Expecting someone else?" I asked and she turned to look at me.
"Not expecting so much as hoping," she admitted. "My husband took one look at the climb and told me to have fun, he'd be down on the walkway having a beer when I came down."
"Not the athletic type, I guess," I said with a smile.
"Not so you'd notice," she said. "That's a big camera you've got there. Your phone camera not good enough?"
"Not really. I'm a professional, animals my specialty, and with this lens it will appear as though I'm right next to the little beasties if a whale or two comes swimming by. I want some quality pictures and for that I need a stable platform, not something I'll get on some small whale chasing boat. Of course, I still have to depend on the whales cooperating."
"So what will you do while you're waiting for a whale to appear?"
"Just keep an eye out. I might take a few shots of some muttonbirds if they stick their heads up."
"How about a picture of me?"
"Not quite so easy. You're too close. Even dialled down this lens would have trouble focusing on you. Tell you what. If you wander downhill a little way I should be able to get some decent shots. You'd have to stick to the path so as not to disturb any nesting birds. If you see any you can point them out to me and I might be able to shoot them from here. If you've got a smartphone on you I can use blue-tooth to send the pictures to you."
She looked at the path leading down to the sea. It was nowhere near as steep as the path on the landward side.
"How far would I have to go? I don't want to walk all the way down to the sea."
"No need. Fifty yards will be far enough. That would probably be about a hundred steps for you."
She slipped around the lookout and headed down the track. At approximately fifty yards she stopped and turned to face me, posing. I took a couple of shots and then she started mugging for the camera. I just grinned and took a couple more. Then, to my surprise, she took off her blouse and shorts, revealing a quite fetching bikini.
I took a few more shots, quite pleased at how a couple turned out. Then she held up a hand and came scampering back up the hill, leaving her blouse and shorts behind. I was thinking what the hell but it turned out that she wanted to look down to see if anyone else was coming up the trail. There wasn't, the island being decidedly unpopular today. She promptly turned and scampered back to where her things were.
It seemed she had a wicked frame of mind. She took off her bikini top, posing for the camera with a big smile. I wondered if her smile would be quite that big when she found I zeroed in on her breasts, one photo being just her breasts. I took a couple of frontals and then a couple of side shots as she turned and posed.
I thought that would be it but not so. The bottom half of her bikini went by the way, leaving her beautifully naked. I was now taking some very urgent shots. The camera also captured the blush on her face, caused by her own daring.
She stopped posing, grabbed her clothes, and came hurrying back up the path, slowing as she neared the top to ensure that the land path was still clear and she wasn't about to give a full frontal to an unsuspecting stranger.
"Quickly, show me what you've got," she said looking at the camera. "I'd have loved to show her what I had but assumed that she actually meant the photos. I started paging through them, letting her review them. Initially she was complementary, but then the topless and nudes showed up.
Her face lit up and she pressed her hands against her cheeks.
"Oh my god. I can't believe I did that. They're terrible. You can see everything. Oh my god. You have to delete them."
"I have a better idea. I'll send the lot to your phone and you can delete the ones you don't want. You never know, you may want to keep one or two. Don't be in too much of a rush to delete them. Once you've received them I'll delete them all from my camera. I'll need the space for my whales."
She grabbed her phone and we connected and started the picture transfer.
"This may take a short while," I told her, "so while we're waiting I'll get you to lean over the rails, looking out to sea."
"Ah, why?"
