Friday 27 December 2019

New Years Eve Ultra 2019




As 2019 drew to a close as per tradition my attention turned towards the final big outing of the year. Unfortunately due to my extensive work commits with the opening of the Lightrail, City of Sydney NYE and the new Sydney Metro Southwest project I had done very little training.

Several course options were discussed by Anton and myself and eventually we had settled on the Mount Solitary route. Unfortunately at the time of the run parts of Mount Solitary and the Jamison Valley were still ablaze which made this no longer an option. Several other ideas were then discussed and the general consensus was that due to Extreme and Catastrophic fire conditions remote trails should probably be avoided.

As it so happens the new Manly to Bondi walk had just been opened joining many existing trails together to form a 80km route taking in the best of what Sydney’s harbour has to offer. It seemed like the most logical choice. The date was set for December 27th.

December 27th was my 19th straight day of work and would be a 13 hour shift from 6:00am till 7:00pm. It was a tough day which unfortunately ran over meaning that I didn’t get back to the office until just after 7:30. I loaded the route onto my phone and had a quick shower to freshen up. The bag was hastily packed and water bladder filled before I was ready to go. With all of the food for 80km and all of my camera gear and tripod I wondered if I would regret the heavy pack later. I tried not to worry about it too much as I jumped in an Uber to Circular Quay to rendezvous with Anton.

We didn’t have to wait too long for the Manly Ferry which was nice. It was an enjoyable trip which got us into Manly wharf at 9:20pm. We started the walk with the intention of getting some fast food to go and eat on the run but surprisingly all of the shops in the mall were shut. We both had plenty of food so just decided to crack on with it.


At the start in Manly

The foreshore area is well lit which meant that torches weren’t required. We enjoyed the path around to Shelley Beach were we would hit the trail for the first time. Head torches were switched on and we plunged into the darkness. The breeze was picking up which made the temperature quite pleasant for walking. We had a funny moment at the entrance to the National Park where the trail goes through a small gap in an old stone fence. There is a gate with a “no dogs” sign that in the darkness looked like a fence. We walked back and forth past it 3 times before realising it was a gate! From here it was up towards North Head and the old army barracks. Many of the paths/roads here were quite open and wide which meant we could continue in the dark without the aid of the torches, it was a real treat! At the tip of the headland we were treated to some nice views of the city nightscape in the distance. The trail then loops back on itself through the barracks were we came across a guy washing his car, seemed a little odd for midnight but then again he probably thought the same thing about us! From here we descended down to the beach at Spring Cove for what would be one of the highlights of the walk. As we reached the sand music began playing from some boats out on the water, the Lane 8 Remix of Innerbloom. It was epically loud and was echoing all around the bay. It really fired us up and gave us a nice boost! Spirits were fairly high but I was a little worried about my right knee as it was starting to give me a little grief, it was fair too early to be dealing with that kinda pain.


The gate that had us confused for a while :) 
Sydney's Nightscape in the distance

After passing back past the Manly Wharf we started the “Manly to Spit” part of the course. By now we had decided that given the lack of training and the need to not be out all of the following day that a Bondi finish was not going to happen. Circular Quay was a very suitable alternative and would still mean that we crack the marathon distance. We stopped for our first proper 10 minute rest at North Harbour Reserve a bit after 1am. I spent most of the time stretching my right quad which made a massive difference and virtually eliminated the knee pain for the remainder of the hike. At Tania Park we stopped briefly as well to get a photo of North and South Heads. Through this section there was also a small section of bush that had been recently burnt (possibly a hazard reduction) and the smell of bushfire was strong. Once we reached Clontarf we enjoyed the walk along the sand and came across a few guys having a late night fish. From there it wasn’t too much further until we reached the Spit Bridge were again we found a number of people fishing. We crossed over the bridge and then sat down for a 10 minute rest. It was 3:00am and both our energy levels were pretty low. For me it was a real low patch, it felt like it was still such a long way to go!



North and South Heads from Tania Park

We continued on through silent streets past Chinaman’s Beach until eventually reaching Balmoral. I refilled the water bladder here. It was at this point I decided to make more of an effort to drink more water as we had been going for over 6 hours at this point and I definitely hadn’t been taking in enough fluids. At the southern end of Balmoral Beach you cross the oval and make your way up an enormous set of stairs to the ridge of Middle Head. After a considerable climb it seemed like the end was near until we came across a barbed wire fence and a locked gate. The bloody path was closed at night! It would have been nice if there were signs at the bottom to pre-warn you before the massive climb! It just made no sense either as we could hear cars on the road above so it’s not like there was even an area we were locked out of, just a fence and gate in the middle of the trail. It was a classic stitch up! We sure as hell didn’t want to back track so there was nothing for it but to attempt to climb through the barbed wire. It appeared that it had definitely been done before and in the end we managed to get through without too much trouble. It was only about 50 metres from the fence to Middle Head Road. We waited under the cover of the bushes for a car's headlights to pass and then raced over the road and back into the darkness of the trails without anyone being any the wiser.


Scaling the barbed wire fence

We passed by Chowder Bay wharf and Clifton Gardens and I reminisced about trips to the Gardens back in primary school. It was about this time that astronomical twilight begun. With the thought of sunrise around the corner and a few lolly snakes I was finally coming out of the low patch. Just goes to show that on these endurance efforts if you don’t give up and ride it out things will eventually get better. I was really keen to try and reach Bradley’s Head for sunrise so started cranking up the pace. With the lingering smoke from the bushfires the orange glow from the rising sun was awesome! Just as I was coming out of my low patch Anton was going into his. He went on ahead whilst I stopped to get a few photos of the glow and then of a massive cruise ship coming into the harbour. I knew it wouldn’t be long till sunrise so I jogged the final few hundred metres to the headland. Anton lay down for a short nap whilst I made the most of the sunrise getting some shots of the Bradley’s Head Lighthouse with the rising sun behind it. It was a spectacular site!


Glow from the rising sun 
The big cruise ship coming into Sydney Harbour




Glow from the rising sun


Glow from the rising sun


Sunrise behind Bradley's Head Lighthouse


Sunrise behind Bradley's Head Lighthouse


Sunrise behind Bradley's Head Lighthouse

Once we got moving again it was at a greatly reduced pace, Anton’s legs were giving him grief and he was beginning to limp. I could see that his energy levels were dropping but we tried to stay positive. We passed by Taronga zoo and continued onwards along the trail. By the time we reached Little Sirius Cove his stomach was starting to go as well. Leaving the reserve at the Cove you make your way up a set of stairs and the increased effort of the stairs was enough to put Anton over the edge and it wasn’t long before we was in the gutter saying goodbye to his most recent snacks and water. We rested here for a while and Anton was determined to continue. We continue onwards slowly but he was really suffering. He had donated blood the week prior and after a long week at work he hadn’t really recovered properly. It was clear that this hard effort and lack of sleep was a step too far and his body was starting to shut down. We only made it a few hundred metres to the Mosman Bay Wharf and by the time we got here he couldn’t stop throwing up. We stayed here for at least half and hour to see if some rest would help but it was to no avail. Anton would sadly throw in the towel here but insisted that I continue on without him. Selfishly I was glad of his encouragement as I would have been disappointed to have not reached the marathon distance. Anton waited for the next ferry to Circular Quay whilst I popped on the headphones and continued on alone.


Passing by Taronga Zoo

I found a rhythm quickly and with the trekking poles I was cranking out a really solid pace about 5.5km/h which is not bad after a 13 hour shift at work, being up all night and already 10 hours into the hike! I felt great with music cranking, the sun beating down and a nice breeze off the harbour. Cremorne Point was quickly conquered followed by Kurraba Point before I made my way through Kirribilli. Eventually I reached Mary Booth Reserve and was treated to an awesome view of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House! I stopped here for a few minutes to grab the camera out and take onboard a few snakes. Next it was the climb up the to Harbour Bridge deck and then across the harbour towards the finish. I was really happy to be finishing so strongly after quite a low patch through the night. Once over the bridge I made the final descent down the Argyle Steps and out onto the Circular Quay foreshore. We are lucky to have such a beautiful city and it was nice to finish in the heart of it. I passed the wharf and made my way up Loftus Street to finish in Macquarie Place putting my hands on the Obelisk and stopping the clock after 43.8km and 12 hours, 14 minutes & 21 seconds!


Huge staircase at Kirribilli


Finally the Harbour Bridge is within reach!


Sydney Harbour Panorama


The Opera House taken from the Harbour Bridge Deck


At the finish by the Obelisk in Macquarie Place!

It had been ages since I had done an all night effort like that and I am really pleased with the result. It was a shame the Anton couldn’t make it all the way but damn we had fun while it lasted! 2019 is now in the books and a new decade is now upon us. I look forward to the many adventures ahead!

Saturday 21 September 2019

Sunrise at Faulconbridge Point and the Grose River

What an Awesome day! It started with a 2:50am alarm, I quickly packed my bag with food, water and camera gear and then loaded the bike onto the car. I drove to Silverwater to meet Anton at 3:30am, we quickly popped his bike onto the rack and started the drive up to Faulconbridge. We hit the trail on the mountain bikes just on 5:00am. It was still extremely dark pre-dawn and we had an absolute blast heading out towards the Faulconbridge Point lookout. Unfortunately we missed the pinnacle of the red glow but were still treated to a pretty decent sunrise nonetheless. The Grose Gorge was shrouded with a thick fog, it was a pretty incredible site!

Capturing the sunrise
We missed the peak of the red glow but it was still a pretty awesome sunrise

Anton enjoying the view
From here we backtracked and stashed the bikes before plunging 350m down into the Grose Gorge. The walk down takes you through some amazing rainforested sections. The final part of the descent is extremely steep with a few fixed ropes, its a lot of fun! It was nice seeing the Grose River with plenty of water in it, its a pretty impressive site! We explored the gorge for a while boulder hopped our way to the rapids for a break and snack.

Making our way through the mist on the descent

Making our way through the mist on the descent

Descending into the Grose Gorge

There were some beautiful sections 

There were some beautiful sections



Entering the rainforest

Small fixed rope down climbs

Small fixed rope down climbs

Anton enjoying the might of the Grose River

Plenty of water flowing in the Grose River

Quick stop for a snack by the rapids
Sadly we only had a limited amount of time so after a few photos and a short break we started the long slog back up to the bikes. Its a bloody tough climb, 350m over just 1.5km! It was a relief to reach the summit and then enjoy the cruise back to the car on the bikes.

After finally cresting the climb we reunited with the bikes for the cruise back to the car

The ride back to the car was the perfect way to finish off the outing
This was our first experience with a multi discipline outing and we really enjoyed it! I am excited at the prospect of seeing what other adventures become possible combining MTBing and hiking :)

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Sunday 28 October 2018

Storming the Castle



In October of 2018 I was lucky enough to assemble a small team including my Dad and some of my closest mates Brendan and Anthony and together we made a successful bid at climbing The Castle. The Castle is one of the iconic peaks in the Morton National Park. It is an isolated plateau that stands at 836m and has incredible views in all directions. The wilderness is virtually untouched by humans as far as the eye can see. It was a trip I have had my eye on for several years and it was very satisfying to finally turn that dream into a reality.

We caught up for dinner and a beer a few weeks prior to discuss the route and importantly the logistics. We made sure first and foremost that we were taking everything that we needed but then also wanted to make sure that we weren't doubling up on many things so as to try and keep pack weight down. The night before the departure I got all of my gear out and lay it out to make sure that I hadn’t missed anything. I had all the bare essentials but when you added in the camera gear and a few luxuries the pack wasn’t quite as light as I would have liked. Once everything was packed it was off to bed as the alarm was set for an early start.


All of my gear prepped and ready

At 05:30 I was up and dressed. I loaded the last few items into the pack and enjoyed some toast. At 06:00 Dad arrived and Brendan a few minutes later. We loaded up his 4WD with the packs and set off for The Shire to collect Anthony. We picked him up and continued on our journey south. I had suggested we stop at The Cliffhanger Café just before the descent down to Wollongong for a coffee and bacon & egg roll which everyone was pretty pumped for. Sadly upon arrival we discovered that the café was closed for the day and had to continue the journey on an empty stomach. We passed Wollongong and then Nowra as well. We decided to wait until we reached Milton to stop which ended up being further than we thought so everyone was pretty ravenous by the time we arrived. As originally planned, we all tucked into a bacon and egg roll with a coffee and it really hit the spot!

Leaving Milton it was only about another 15km or so before we turned off the bitumen and hit the dirt roads. We were a little behind schedule and Brendan must have been keen to make up some time as it was a pretty rare occasion when his foot reached for the brakes. The corrugations gave his suspension a serious workout! I think its pretty fair to say that everyone other than Brendan was mildly uncomfortable with the speed in which we were hurtling along the track. After about 30 minutes we came around a corner and right in front of us through the trees you could see The Castle towering over the valley. It was an ominous site and gave a true sense of the scale of the climb that we were about to tackle. We parked up at the Long Gully Campground and did a final reshuffle of the packs before setting out.


Group shot before setting out onto the trail

As we were leaving the carpark we came across a huge Goanna, it was a pretty cool way to start the hike. After about the first 200 metres the trail comes to the Yadboro River. It was shoes off as I certainly wasn’t keen to get the feet wet right away. After the river crossing the next few hundred metres are through a lovely rainforest which has a real ancient feel to it. Its not long before the trail begins to climb up towards the Kalianna Ridge. It’s a steady climb on a relatively worn track. My legs felt rubbish with the weight of the pack but I tried not to let it worry me to much, I was just stoked to be out on an overnight hike after more than three years! Its way too long but having your first child certainly changes your priorities.


The big Goanna

Entering the wilderness!

Brendan on the Yadboro River crossing

Once you reach the Kalianna Ridge there is a small gradual downhill section for a few hundred metres which was a bit of a relief for the legs but as it turns out once you pass that bit every step of the track is uphill. You climb about 200 metres over the next kilometre which takes you right up to the lower clifflines. It was pretty hot and everyone was really feeling it. We didn’t know for sure if we would find water up higher so I was rationing my water and definitely not taking on as much as would have been ideal. The National Parks have done a fair bit of work recently to upgrade the track here with stairs and even a section with some chains to assist with the climb. Once you reach the lower clifflines the track traverses along the base of the cliff but it’s pretty technical footing. There are lots of roots and rocks all the while your always heading up woods, it was tough going for sure!


Very technical trail!

Very technical trail!

Very technical trail!

After a while we started to hear running water which was a really good sign. We rounded a boulder to see water falling down from the cliff above, it was a huge relief and without thinking I went straight over and started drinking it by the handful. It wasn’t until after woods that I thought about it and realised it probably wasn’t too smart to drink it without purifying but luckily I didn’t have any problems. We stopped under the waterfall for lunch, it was a nice shady spot and allowed us to drink plenty of water. Upon leaving we all topped up bottles and dropped in purification tablets.


A relief to find some water raining down from the cliffs above

A relief to find some water raining down from the cliffs above

Shortly after lunch we started to get some spectacular views of the clifflines of Mount Owen and Mount Nibelung. The formations of the cliffs were unlike anything I have seen before. After lunch my legs started coming around and I felt really solid on the climb. After you finish the traverse along the cliffline the track makes a beeline for Castle Saddle and its bloody steep, climbing 200 metres in just over 300 metres as the crow flies! It’s also in this section that you get your first glimpse of the summit plateau which towers above and looks pretty intimidating. From this viewpoint it looks unclimbable without proper rock-climbing gear (and far more rock-climbing skills than I currently possess).


On the climb

On the climb

On the climb

On the climb

Dad approaching a really cool camp cave


Camp cave 

Incredible views back down the valley! The walls of The Castle on the left and Mount Owen on the right

From above the plateau is shaped like a tadpole with the main “body” about 500 metres long and a “tail” that is made up of a series of towers that extends away from the body for about 400 metres. About 500 metres before you reach the Castle Saddle there is a track junction with a track that heads up towards The Tunnel. The tunnel is like the name suggests a thin slot that makes its way through the tail of the tadpole which gives you more direct access to Meakins Pass, the access route to the summit. We continued up to the saddle and it was a big relief to get there as everyone was pretty knackered by this point. From the saddle it is about 500 metres with a 120 metre descent down to the campground at Cooyoyo Creek. Wow did it feel good to take the packs off and take a look around. A short walk from the campsite there is a huge cliff with really nice views across to Byangee Walls and Pigeon House Mountain. We got the tents setup quickly and then Dad and Brendan said they would start the fire, I was really keen to head back up to the saddle to try and get some photos of the sunset.


Finally at the Castle Saddle, our high point for the day

Anton and I made our way back to the saddle and then proceeded back to the junction. We made out way up to “The Tunnel” and then I spotted an enormous boulder about 100 metres away and decided that was the spot. We slowly traversed over to it and then made out way around to the back side of it and I found a way to climb up to the top. It was an awesome spot with a full 180 panorama across the valley and over to the cliffs of Mount Owen & Mount Nibelung. It was nice to relax and watch the sunset, the rays of light coming down through the clouds were awesome!


Our sunset viewing boulder

The fading sunlight streaming through the clouds behind Mount Owen

Sunset panorama of the entire valley. The cliffs of The Castle on the left over to Mount Owen & Mount Nibelung in the centre of shot and finally the "Tail" of The Castle on the right 

The fading light streaming through the clouds behind Mount Owen

Once the sun dropped below the horizon we knew we only probably had about 45 minutes of light left so made a beeline for the tunnel. To get to the entrance of the slot you have to climb over a few boulders. Heading through the slot was a lot of fun. On the back side there is a fixed rope which helps to descend the 7-8 metre cliff to the ground below. From here it was a relatively easy walk back to the saddle. In almost all my camp trips over the last 10 or so years its always been tradition to have a “mother” log for the fire. We kept our eyes peeled and eventually discovered a pretty decent sized one that looked like it might be possible to drag back to the campsite. Over the next 25 minutes we slogged it out carrying the log back to camp much to the delight of Brendan. They had already got the fire up and also been down to stash our cans of beer in the creek to cool them down.


Climbing over the boulders to reach "The Tunnel"

Going through the slot

Going through the slot

The Tunnel

Descending the fixed ropes on the far side of The Tunnel

Dragging the "Mother" back to the campsite

I fired up my Trangia for its first proper use and between that and Dad’s MSR stove we got an epic spaghetti meal prepared. I must give a special shout out to my awesome wife Jemma here, she cooked up a big batch of Bolognese the week before and I froze a few bricks to bring on the hike. The meal was absolutely delicious and washing it down with a cold beer made for possibly the best dinner I have had to date on a hike! After dinner we popped down to creek for a wash and to grab everyone’s second beer. The rest of the evening was thoroughly enjoyable chatting around the campfire and enjoying the delights of chocolate, muscat and whiskey.


A nice creek chilled beer

Pasta on the boil

Epic Meal Time

Muscat by the fire

Good conversation

Dad stoking the fire

Anton and I awoke before dawn to head down to the cliffs and watch the sunrise. It was a spectacular sight seeing the rays of light first in the clouds and then coming up over the horizon and lighting up the cliffs an incredible shade of orange. Once the show was over we returned to the tents and got the fire going. Breakfast was fantastic with some honey porridge and coffee. All in all it was a pretty lazy start to the morning around the fire and we didn’t set out until about 09:00. This was what the whole trip was for, the summit bid.


Sunrise over Talaterang Mountain

Sunrise over Talaterang and Pigeon House Mountains

Sunrise over Talaterang and Pigeon House mountains

The early morning sun creates a silhouette of Talaterang Mountain

We traversed around the back side of the tadpoles tail and stashed our packs at the bottom of Meakins Pass. There are fixed ropes all along the route up Meakins Pass which assist with the climb, it would be pretty difficult without them. The first few sections aren’t too bad and kind of ease you into it with gradually increased exposure as you go. The track notes referred to a dodgy old frayed rope which was to be avoided by back tracking and traversing across a ledge to the adjacent gully. Eventually we came across a dodgy old frayed rope but not knowing if it was “the” dodgy old frayed rope we decided to give it a go. Brendan lead the way and climbed up the rope. It was pretty intimidating as it was very exposed and easily the most technical part of the climb so far. We were all relying on the rope and It would have been a long fall if it decided to give way. The adrenalin was definitely pumping!


Lower sections of Meakins Pass

Dad and Anton taking a look at the climb ahead

Climbing up towards the infamous frayed rope

Climbing up towards the infamous frayed rope

Climbing up towards the infamous frayed rope

Relived to have the frayed rope behind us as we reach what could be called the ridge of the tadpole tail

After the frayed rope section it was relatively straight forward to reach the crest of the tail. The views really start to open up here. After some boulder hopping you reach the next fixed rope which is probably the longest one of the climb at about 15 metres. Once you finish this 15 metre rope you reach the final section of two fixed ropes. The first one is a straight forward climb but its wildly exposed with a drop over to your right that’s hundreds of metres down to the valley floor below. It was exhilarating! The final rope takes you up into a thin slot and once crested it’s a short boulder hop and your on the summit plateau.


Brendan climbing through one of the slots

Panorama from the ridge of the Tadpole Tail

Making our way along the ridge of the Tadpole Tail

Making our way along the ridge of the Tadpole Tail

Climbing the fixed ropes 

Climbing the fixed ropes



Climbing the fixed ropes

Wildly exposed final section of fixed ropes. Just behind it drops hundreds of metres to the valley floor below!

Wildly exposed final section of fixed ropes. just behind it drops hundreds of metres to the valley floor below!

Brendan on the final difficult slot before the summit plateau

We were all stoked to have reached the summit and began soaking up the views in every direction. The plateau was covered in hundreds of tiny rock pools following the recent rain. Each pool was full of tiny tadpoles which was pretty cool. We slowly made our way through the thick scrub towards the southern tip of the plateau where the logbook is. After some looking we eventually found the logbook and settled down to enjoy the spectacular views. You can see all the way to the ocean but the highlight has to be looking down upon Byangee Mountain and over to Pigeon House Mountain. We signed the logbook, got some photos and then with time getting away from us we decided to make a move.


Panorama of the Clyde Gorge, Shrouded Gods Mountain on the far left, Talaterang Mountain in the centre, Byangee Mountain & Pigeon House Mountain on the right

One of the hundreds of small rock pools on the summit plateau

Byangee Mountain with Pigeon House Mountain in the distance

Making our way through the thick scrub on the summit plateau

Making our way through the thick scrub on the summit plateau

The Summit Logbook

Our logbook entry 



Getting a nice Panorama of the Valley

Panorama looking south from the Summit Logbook

Team photo on the summit

Retracing our steps through the thick scrub we made our way back towards the tail so we could start the descent. The descent was a lot of fun and we soaked up the views as we made our way down the fixed ropes and through the slots. As we approached the infamous frayed rope we kept an eye out for the alternate route and to my delight we located it. It involved a few easy downclimbs followed by an easy but exposed traverse across a ledge to re-join the route that we had ascended. From here we made our way easily down the last few fixed ropes to the base of the pass where we collected our packs. The time was now 12:30pm and we still had a huge descent back to the car so we needed to get moving.


Tiny orange Lady Beetle (Coccinella transversalis)

Heading back through the scrub

Looking back down "The Tail"

Starting the descent

Enjoying the sites before starting the descent of the fixed ropes

The cliffs of Mount Nibelung

Anton descending the slot at the top of the fixed ropes

Dad descending the slot at the top of the fixed ropes

Anton on the exposed fixed ropes

Descending the exposed fixed ropes

Dad descending the fixed ropes

Brendan descending the fixed ropes 
On the ridge of the tail



Climbing down through the boulders

Climbing down through the boulders

Climbing down through the boulders

At the bottom of Meakins Pass

It was fairly hot and we made slow and steady progress down the technical trail. Despite being almost entirely downhill its still a tough hike given the difficult footing. It was a bit of a relief to get the traverse section done as it meant we only had the one final steep descent down the new stairs until we reached the Kalianna Ridge. The ridgewalking was nice as the track opens up here and its a lot less techy so we were able to get a nice rhythm going. A couple of kilometres from the finish we came across a mountain biker pushing his bike up the trail, he was having a blast but I have no idea why he had decided to tackle this particular trail on an MTB. The final section through the rainforest was nice and shaded and the cool water of the Yadboro River was refreshing. I walked the last few hundred metres back to the car barefoot and then set the pack down for the final time.


Descending down to Castle Saddle

Descending down to Castle Saddle

On the descent

Plenty of wildflowers to be seen

Another cool camp cave

Climbing some rocks on the descent

On the descent

On the descent

Traversing along the base of the cliffs

At the top of the Kalianna Ridge

Ferns in the rainforest section near the Yadboro River

It was an awesome adventure and a great first taste of the Budawangs. I am stoked that I was able to share the experience with Dad and some of my closest mates. I think that there are many more incredible sights to be seen in the Budawangs as you explore deeper into the wilderness and I definitely look forward to returning one day.


Team photo after getting back to the car

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