Posted on May 6, 2024 about
September 21 and 22, 2022
One thing we noticed while cruising through the Cumberland Islands was the stunning beauty of the sunsets. I did some research as to what makes sunsets in certain places extra special and found the key factor is good air quality. Essentially, all sunsets are amazing, but particles in the air can dull their vibrancy.
After pondering this, I realized there’s another contributing factor for the lovely sunsets here: the relatively flat landscape along the mainland coast. Aside from a few scattered low mountains further inland, the landscape is pretty flat, a vast desert that stretches from one end of the continent to the other. Combined with the longer evenings that accompany the approach of summer and Australia’s clean air, these conditions make a great recipe for painted-sky sunsets. Especially from the vantage point of an island just offshore!
The next morning, Rich was up at sunrise and decided to fly the drone. This flight beautifully captured the misty morning light so unique to these islands. I managed to whittle the resulting photos down to two, but can’t choose between them. So, here they both are:
Today we’d be saying good-bye to this part of the Cumberland Islands and heading for the actual Whitsundays (as opposed to all these islands to the south which are often mistakenly grouped under the broader label of ‘the Whitsundays’). –Cyndi
