LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY > FREYCINET NATIONAL PARK – TASMANIA > Cape Tourville Sunrise (Freycinet National Park)
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Freycinet National Park is home to Wineglass Bay and the Hazards, an iconic mountain range resting between Coles Bay and Wineglass Bay. With its crystal blue water, white sand beaches, pink granite peaks and wildlife, Freycinet is an idyllic photographer’s delight.
The unmanned Cape Tourville Lighthouse was built in 1971 and operates today. A short track around Cape Tourville takes you to the lighthouse and up to the edge of a cliff edge overlooking the Tasman Sea. Humback whales, killer whales, seals and dolphins can all be spotted from this high vantage point. Cape Tourville also offers good views toward Wineglass Bay, the Hazards and the Freycinet Peninsula, especially at sunrise. This photograph looks toward a group of small islands called “The Nuggets”, which is home to a seal colony.
Photographer’s Reflection:
“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…” (1 Peter 3:15)
“In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9)
I poked my head out of my tent. I was camped at Freycinet National Park. It was 5 am and pitch black. I squinted at the stars. The Milky Way was magnificently luminous in the dearth of light pollution, despite not having my contacts in. Should I or should I not go up to Cape Tourville Lighthouse and photograph sunrise?
I was too sleep deprived to use any sort of logic, so simply trusting God in my mindless stupour, I made my way up to the lighthouse, unsure if I had made the right decision to deprive myself of even more sleep.
By the time I finally made it there I was running late, so I hurried to get properly set up before sunrise. As I was adjusting my tripod I heard footsteps in the dark walking my way. It startled me because I thought I was alone. Who else would be crazy enough to get up so early in the cold darkness and drive several kilometres out to a secluded lighthouse?
As the large, dark figure approached I offered a warm greeting in the hopes he wouldn’t mug me. I was quite relieved when I received a warm welcome in return.
This young man from Germany had also come to watch the sun rise, and as the horizon began to lighten we quickly delved into a deep conversation about current events, politics and life.
As the dawn gave way to the brilliant rays of the sun I had quite a strong sense that God had sovereignly arranged our meeting. Somehow our conversation shifted to spiritual matters. I shared my personal story of how I met God, which seemed to genuinely intrigue him. (You can read how I met God here.)
My love for his soul also led me to share about what Jesus has done for him and how he could also come to know God personally. (Learn how to enter into a personal relationship with God here.) He had a number of spiritual questions for me, which I was also able to answer.
After we had snapped the full duration of this magnificent sunrise, our friendly conversation came to a natural close and we eventually parted ways.
I left Cape Tourville Lighthouse marvelling over God’s perfect timing and sovereign orchestration of the morning. I left fully knowing that God had directed my steps, despite my initial uncertainty to go. I also left thinking of 2 Timothy 4:2, which tells me to be prepared in season and out of season to share the Word of God with people. The last thing I was expecting that morning in my sleep deprived stupor was to “give a reason for the hope that I have” (1 Peter 3:15), but God’s love reaches to the ends of the earth, to all people, no matter who they are or where they are from. I was so thankful for the privilege to be used by God to share the message of his love with this young man who had come to the ends of the earth to hear it and to discuss the spiritual questions he had been pondering in his heart.
“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.'” (Acts 17:24-28)
“The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” (Psalm 145:18)
To read more stories about how different people from all different backgrounds all around the world met with God, please see Salvation Testimonies.