Life Trove

July 31, 2026

Uluru and surrounds (Research)

July 31, 2026

Favourite movies: My Old Ass (2024)

Romance isn't usually my preferred genre, but My Old Ass completely won me over. It's funny, heartfelt and surprisingly profound. I especially loved Aubrey Plaza as the older version of Elliott. She brings such warmth, wit and quiet wisdom to the role, making every scene she's in a pleasure to watch.

What really stayed with me, though, was the ending. The final twist is both moving and so poignant, completely changing the meaning of everything that came before it. I love stories with pivotal moments that suddenly reframe the entire journey, making you see earlier scenes in a completely different light.

July 31, 2026

Favourite movies: Weapons (2025)

Weapons is one of the creepiest horror films I've seen in a long time. It creates an unsettling atmosphere from the opening scenes and keeps you guessing throughout. Just when I thought I understood where the story was heading, it took another unexpected turn. There are several genuinely shocking moments, but the film relies more on suspense and mystery than cheap jump scares.

What really elevated it for me was the ending. It managed to answer the central mystery in a satisfying way while still leaving plenty to think about afterwards. It's rare for a horror film to be both unpredictable and to stick the landing, but Weapons does exactly that.

Memorable scene

Children rush off after the witch and tear her apart at the end.

July 31, 2026

Favourite movies: Tuner (2025)

I really enjoyed Tuner. It's an immensely entertaining film that blends genres remarkably well, combining crime thriller, romance, drama and comedy into a story that feels fresh and original. The premise of a piano tuner with extraordinary hearing being drawn into the world of safe-cracking is clever, and the film makes brilliant use of sound to immerse you in his experience. The performances, particularly from Leo Woodall and Dustin Hoffman, are excellent.

One of my favourite themes in film is an appreciation of music, and Tuner captures that beautifully. Music isn't just part of the soundtrack—it's at the heart of the story and the characters. I also loved the ending. It ties together the film's themes in a satisfying way and finishes on an emotional, bittersweet note that really stayed with me.

Favourite line

Niki White: Tuning a piano is about creating harmony out of chaos, and to do that you've got to be comfortable with imperfection.

Favourite scene

The bittersweet ending where he plays stunning piano to her. His closing line: "E-flat is out."

July 31, 2026

Favourite movies: Obsession (2025)

I absolutely loved Obsession. It was one of the most entertaining horror films I've seen in years—tense, funny, genuinely creepy and brilliantly paced. Even more remarkable is the story behind it. Writer-director Curry Barker was just 26 when he made the film on a tiny budget of around US$750,000, yet it became one of the biggest surprise box-office successes of 2026, earning more than $400 million worldwide and launching him into Hollywood's top ranks almost overnight. It's a wonderful reminder that fresh ideas, great storytelling and passionate filmmaking can still triumph over massive budgets.

What stayed with me, though, wasn't just the horror—it was the underlying message. At its heart, Obsession is about the difference between genuine love and possession. The central wish turns affection into compulsion, exposing the frightening truth that love cannot be manufactured, controlled or forced without destroying the very thing we seek. The film also explores the danger of living in fantasy instead of reality, and how fear, insecurity and the desire to control can twist something beautiful into something monstrous. Like all the best horror films, the monsters are ultimately reflections of our own human weaknesses. I came for the scares, but I left thinking about the nature of love, freedom and what it really means to care for another person.

Memorable scenes

When she kills the girl in the car by smashing her head into steering wheel.
When his friend wishes for a billion dollars and it falls from the sky.
When she reads her story at the party.
Kill me please!
Twist: Both happily obsessed with each other before he dies.

July 31, 2026

Memorable moments: The three great twitches

In the birding community, those of us who obsessively pursue rare or elusive species are often known as "twitchers." The name comes from a very real, very physical phenomenon. When you finally spot a bird you’ve spent years searching for, a wave of intense excitement hits you. You raise your binoculars to your eyes, but the surge of adrenaline is so overwhelming that a tremor sets in. Your arms begin to shake, and sometimes the twitching spreads through your entire body. It is an extraordinary reaction that has to be experienced to be believed.

Over a lifetime of scanning treetops and riverbanks, I like to say that I have only truly twitched three times.

The first was in the lush wilderness of Ndumu, when I caught a sudden, violent flash of crimson through the canopy—the rare and breathtaking Narina Trogon.

The second was also in Ndumu, when my binoculars landed on the distinctive rufous face of the elusive Pel's Fishing Owl perched silently above the water.

And the third, most unforgettable twitch occurred along the banks of the Palmiet River.

Shortly after meeting Ally and her group of friends, a bunch of us went down to the river for a late-night, moonlit skinny dip. As everyone scrambled into the cool water, I caught a sudden, distinct sight of Ally’s white rump disappearing into the shadows of the river.

Right then and there, the classic birder’s tremor set in. My body began to twitch, and a single, crystal-clear thought echoed through my mind: Wow, I’m going to marry that girl.

I didn't need binoculars for that last sighting, but the instinct was spot on. We ended up spending seventeen wonderful years together—proving that sometimes, the rarest and most life-changing sightings aren't hiding high up in the trees at all.

July 31, 2026

Favourite songs: Both Sides Now (Joni Mitchell)

For me, Both Sides Now is much more than a beautiful song. It is one of the wisest reflections ever written about what it means to be human. Joni Mitchell begins with the certainty and idealism of youth, seeing clouds, love and life through the lens of imagination, only to arrive at the humility of experience: "I really don't know life at all." Far from being a statement of defeat, I hear it as the beginning of wisdom. The older I get, the more I realise that reality is always deeper than my concepts about it. The greatest mysteries cannot be captured by explanations alone—they can only be lived. That is why this song resonates so deeply with me. It reminds me to hold my beliefs lightly, to remain open to wonder, and to approach life with the curiosity of someone who knows there is always another side yet to be seen. In a world that often celebrates certainty, Both Sides Now celebrates something rarer and, to me, far more beautiful: the wisdom of mystery.

July 31, 2026

Manly Scenic Walk and Grotto Point Lighthouse

One of my favourite walks in Sydney is the Manly Scenic Walk. I've done it several times, but this was the first time I took the detour to Grotto Point Lighthouse—and I'm so glad I did. Tucked away on a rocky headland inside Sydney Harbour National Park, this charming little lighthouse has been guiding vessels since 1911. Unlike the towering ocean lighthouses that stand against crashing waves, Grotto Point is a compact harbour light, built to safely direct ships as they navigate one of the world's great natural harbours.

The lighthouse itself is delightful, but it's the setting that really won me over. The short walk to the headland passes through beautiful bushland before opening onto sweeping views across Sydney Harbour, with the city skyline, Middle Head and the harbour's busy shipping lanes all on display. It's a peaceful spot to stop, take in the scenery and appreciate the quiet role this little lighthouse has played for well over a century. It was a wonderful discovery and one I'll definitely return to on future walks.

Not taken by me

July 30, 2026

Favourite photographers: Peter Eastway

Peter Eastway is one of Australia's leading landscape photographers, and I first got to know his work through Mosman Camera Club, where he gave several presentations over the years. I was struck not only by the quality of his photographs but also by his editing skills. He has a remarkable ability to get the very best out of an image, and I learned a great deal from watching him explain his workflow.

One of the highlights of my own photography journey was joining Peter on trip to the Arctic in 2022. It was a real privilege to photograph alongside someone whose work I respected so much. My favourite memory is the two of us lying on our backs at the foot of a cliff, cameras pointed straight up as we photographed the birds flying overhead. It was a sublime moment; one I'll always remember.

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With Peter in Svalbard

July 29, 2026

People who inspire me: Steve Jobs

I've long admired Steve Jobs, not just because he built one of the world's great companies, but because his ideas have influenced the way I think. I use Apple products every day, especially my MacBook Pro and iPhone, and I continue to be impressed by how intuitive, elegant and thoughtfully designed they are. Jobs understood that great technology isn't just about powerful features—it's about creating products that people genuinely enjoy using.

One of the lessons I value most from Steve Jobs is the power of focus. He believed that saying "no" to hundreds of good ideas was often more important than saying "yes" to a few great ones. In a world full of distractions, that's a principle I try to keep coming back to. I also admire his relentless pursuit of simplicity. He showed that making something simple is often much harder than making it complicated, and that great design begins with understanding the user's experience.

His life story is inspiring in its own right. Being forced out of the company he founded could have been the end of the story, but instead it became the beginning of one of the greatest comebacks in business history. He returned to Apple, transformed it from a struggling company into one of the most valuable businesses on Earth, and changed the way millions of people interact with technology. His vision, resilience and insistence on excellence continue to inspire me.

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I loved this biography about Steve jobs which I read in 2012.

Favourite quotes

Don’t just live a life; build one.
None of us are as creative as all of us.
I’d rather be a Pirate than join the Navy.
Do not try to do everything. Do one thing well.
Follow your heart, but check it with your head.
Innovation means saying ‘no’ to a thousand things.
If you’re afraid of failing you won’t get very far.
It isn’t the consumers’ job to know what they want.
Focus does not mean saying yes, it means saying no.
Details matter, it’s worth waiting to get it right.
It takes a lot of hard work to make something simple.
Our job is to read things that are not yet on the page.
I hate the way people use PowerPoints instead of thinking.
Deciding what not to do is as important as deciding what to do.
Focus and simplicity…once you get there, you can move mountains.
Don’t just follow your passion but something larger than yourself.
If you define the problem correctly, you almost have the solution.
Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.
Let’s go invent tomorrow instead of worrying about what happened yesterday.
The only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work.
Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.
If you live each day as it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.
Quality is much better than quantity. One home run is much better than two doubles.
Listen to me. We’re here to make a dent in the universe. Otherwise why even be here?
Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking.
You cannot mandate productivity, you must provide the tools to let people become their best.
You’ve got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers.
Do you want to sell sugar water all your life, or do you want to come with me and change the world?
It comes from saying no to 1,000 things to make sure we don’t get on the wrong track or try to do too much.
If you are working on something exciting that you really care about, you don’t have to be pushed. The vision pulls you.
It’s technology married with liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields us the results that make our heart sing.
The greatest thing is when you do put your heart and soul into something over an extended period of time, and it is worth it.
Design is a funny word. Some people think design means how it looks. But of course, if you dig deeper, it’s really how it works.
What a computer is to me is the most remarkable tool that we have ever come up with. It’s the equivalent of a bicycle for our minds.
Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me … Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful … that’s what matters to me.
That’s been one of my mantras — focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex; you have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple.
You’ve got to start with the customer experience and work backwards to the technology. You can’t start with the technology and try to figure out where you’re going to sell it.
We don’t get a chance to do that many things, and every one should be really excellent. Because this is our life. Life is brief, and then you die, you know? So this is what we’ve chosen to do with our life.
Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.
You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.
Quotes on Wisdom Trove
Life lessons

July 29, 2026

Favourite photographers: Nan Goldin

I first encountered Nan Goldin's work at an exhibition in Amsterdam in 1997, long before I ever took up photography myself. I still remember the impact it had on me. Her photographs didn't just catch my attention—they went straight through to something much deeper.

What I admire most is the honesty of her work. Her photographs are raw, intimate and completely unguarded. She invited us into her life and the lives of the people around her, capturing moments of love, vulnerability, joy, pain and everyday existence without trying to make them look prettier or more comfortable than they were. Looking at her portraits feels less like viewing photographs and more like being trusted with someone's private world.

Goldin reminds me that photography isn't only about creating beautiful images. It can also be about truth, empathy and genuine human connection. Her work showed me that some of the most powerful photographs are those that reveal something deeply authentic about the people in front of the camera. That lesson has stayed with me ever since.

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Favourite quotes

I used to think that I could never lose anyone if I photographed them enough. In fact, my pictures show me how much I’ve lost.
For me it is not a detachment to take a picture. It’s a way of touching somebody—it’s a caress, I think that you can actually give people access to their own soul.
l do not take the pictures I have in my head; I experience things, and they become pictures.
Every time I go through something scary, traumatic, I survive by taking pictures.
Where is the line between life and photographing life?
The camera is as much a part of my everyday life as talking or eating or sex.
My desire is to preserve the sense of people’s lives, to endow them with the strength and beauty I see in them. I want the people in my pictures to stare back.
My work is mostly about memory. It is very important to me that everybody that I have been close to in my life I make photographs of them.
My photography has always been about trying to stave off loss: of people, places, experience, memory. Nowadays it’s also my form of safe sex. It’s a way for me to show people the admiration and love I feel for them.

Lighthouses

"I can think of no other edifice constructed by man as altruistic as a lighthouse. They were built only to serve." George Bernard Shaw

Lighthouse photos I've taken in Australia

Why I love lighthouses

There has always been something about lighthouses that draws me in. They carry the weight of history, standing through storms, wars, changing coastlines and countless human stories. Each one has watched generations come and go, quietly fulfilling the purpose for which it was built. They are monuments not to power or glory, but to service.

Perhaps that is why they feel so deeply symbolic. A lighthouse does not force its light on anyone; it simply shines, offering guidance to those who choose to navigate by it. There is something profoundly beautiful in that image. And then there is their sheer visual presence. Perched on rugged cliffs, lonely islands or windswept headlands, they are among the most photogenic structures ever created—where engineering, landscape, history and metaphor come together in a way that never fails to stir my imagination.