On Saturday I spoke about how vandals had got to the Wanaka tree and taken off a couple of branches and I said I would talk about some other things that have happened here.
Today I want to talk about 3 iconic photography landmarks that you can no longer photograph here. I know that things can happen, and they are beyond our control, but sometimes stuff happens that is just vandalism.
Two of these are nature, and one is not.
The first one I want to talk about is the tree below at a place called Dog Rocks on the other side of Geelong. There is a tree there that most photographers around Melbourne and Geelong love to go and take photos, especially at sunset.
The tree is on public land so anyone can go there to take photos.
Here are some photos of it.
The tree is gone now.
I don’t know when it happened but apparently, some people went there and just chopped it down. No idea why, no one knows. Spite, who knows? It is just horrible that people would think it was okay to do that.
The next place is Tenby Point where we had our own Wanaka tree, well sort of. I did always find this a hard tree to photograph. You had to be there kind of mid tide, which I only managed to do once.
It is part of a mangrove and, again, public land so anyone could go there to take photos.
So apparently, this one is gone, too. From what I can find out online, it was lost during a storm. I can’t verify that, but it doesn’t matter, it is gone.
I have talked about the following one before. This jetty was destroyed not long after I took these images. I was lucky I went when I did. I only got there once.
I do love the photos I got, but it would have been nice to have been able to go back.
From what I heard a boat ran into it during a storm. I don’t know if that is what happened, but it is definitely gone now.
It is always so sad to hear stories like this. You can’t be angry when it is an accident or nature, but when an a*holes does it on purpose, that really makes me angry.
It’s sad when this happens, but a reminder of how important documentation is in photography. How lucky that you have such stunning images of these landmarks, Leanne. It’s infuriating when vandals destroy places! It’s another kind of sadness when Mother Nature takes control.
I agree Jane, it is good that we have our photos. Thank you so much. I agree, I hate vandals, they are the worse. Oh absolutely, not much we can do about Mother Nature sadly.
nice blog❤️
Thank you.
What a great example of how time changes everything through photography!
Thank you Jonny, it can be sad and maddening.
Nice
Thank you.
Many iconic photography landmarks, like New York’s old Penn Station and Malta’s Azure Window, have vanished over time due to natural events or development. These sites live on through photographs, preserving their legacy for future generations.
Discover more stories about lost landmarks at https://zopramagazine.pro/
Oh yes, New York’s Penn Station looked amazing, and what is there now certainly isn’t. I don’t know the other one. I agree that it is good that we have photos of these places. Thanks for the link.
It’s sad when I find places I photographed now gone!
I agree Cindy, it is very sad.
Change happens, especially to natural and manmade landmarks. When it happens naturally, you accept it. But when it happens via human hands, it’s just so hard to comprehend. We recently had a large fire started by someone pushing a car down a mountain. That destruction to forest and property shouldn’t have happened.
You do accept it when it is natural, but yeah, when idiots do it, it is hard to understand. OMG the stupidity of people never ceases to amaze.
If things are lost to a storm it can’t be helped, and it’s good you got to photograph them before they went. But to chop down a tree just from spite or for fun is awful! This reminds me of the famous Sycamore Gap tree by Hadrian’s Wall in the north of England as vandals did just that: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sycamore_Gap_tree
Yep, you can’t stop storms, but like you said it is so aawful. I have heard about that tree, Margaret and I have been discussing it too.
So sad and maddening for the first one. So much beauty, lost.
I totally agree Sofia, it really is. It is very sad.
#1 made me angry. Just so wrong.
I think that is the right way to feel really, it is very very wrong.
Such a shame but through the images they live on! You got there in time!!!
Yeah, they do Geoff, but it would be nice if others could enjoy them as well, I mean more so the first one.
I photographed the wreck of SS Dicky at Caloundra before they removed it for ‘safety’ reasons. Which I thought was tragic. People even used to get married next to the wreck it was that iconic.
Wow that would have been amazing. Safety reasons, really, there are wrecks along many beaches. You really do have to wonder sometimes.
Well chosen and well written — I respond especially to the loss of the tree at Dog Rocks, chopped down by someone who has never been caught. In the late 1990s, a 300-year old Sitka spruce on Haida Gwaii, iconic for the mutation that gave it golden needles rather than green, was chopped down by some deranged eco-maniac who seemed to think destroying a beloved work of nature would cause us to value nature more. He then disappeared. (There’s a book about it all — https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/182225/the-golden-spruce-by-john-vaillant/9780676976465 — and a trail named in the tree’s honour.) My partner and I saw the Golden Spruce, decades before it was chopped down. Like you, I accept losses caused through nature’s own dynamics, but rage at human stupidity and arrogance.
thank you Penny. I agree about the Dog Rocks tree, so pointless. OMG, how are people supposed to value nature more when he destroys it. That makes me really angry. How about sharing it with everyone so all can enjoy it. How lucky you were able to see it Penny, that must have been magical. I did check out the book, thanks for the link. I’m glad it is being remembered.
I am so glad that you have the documentation you do of such lovely spots. It is so hard when they’re gone, but at least now they won’t be forgotten.
Me too Melissa. I agree, never another opportunity to photograph them. Definitely not forgotten many of us have images of those places.
Beautiful documentation you got there. Fantastic photos! It’s sad that people destroy some of these sites.
Thank you Egidio, I was lucky in some respects. I know, what possesses them?
I strongly agree. Here in the Midwest, not far from where we live, are the Bridges of Madison County. You may have heard of them? A book, a movie…. A few years ago, some punk burned one of them down. For kicks? I don’t remember how he ‘justified’ it. No matter. As you say, it was gone. Or parts or most of it anyway. Badly charred. What possesses someone to want to destroy things of beauty and tradition, whether they be natural landmarks or human relics of past achievements? It is infuriating.
I have heard of the Bridges Julie. I can’t imagine the idiot could justify it. I have no idea, it is beyond my comprehension that people can do things like that. I couldn’t agree more.
That’s really sad Leanne. We have a flamingo who lives near here and he’s very popular. People take photos and post them online, but I never post them because I don’t want someone to kill him. I said that once, and whoever I was talking to was shocked. It’s like get a clue people and look around. People kill people’s children here for fun or to make a statement. You think the flamingo is safe? It just takes one a*hole to ruin something beautiful for others. I saw a photo once of a white rhino with two men standing guard over it with machine guns to protect it. That’s what is required to keep it from going extinct.
It is, isn’t it Nicci. I really hope you can help the flamingo stay safe. I know people will kill one another so why not a flamingo. Apparently there were a couple of Koalas in the park near me and they were trying to keep them a secret because they were worried that idiots would kill them. They aren’t there amymore, do I need to say anymore?
Here in the US, we have people putting graffiti on everything. That’s vandalism, too, and just as bad.
I think that is a world wide problem and yeah, I don’t get it either. Even when they put graffiti over other artists work. It is what you said, people are evil.
Beautiful photos as always, Leanne, but why the **** would anyone cut those trees down! So ridiculous!
Exactly John, why would they do that, it doesn’t make sense. Thank you.
We in the UK have an iconic tree that was cut down in the night about a year ago. Public outrage was intense. But the tree couldn’t be resurrected of course. How does anyone get a kick out of that?
I think I have heard about that tree, was in a valley or soemthing next to a stone wall/fence. It was a sycamore tree I think. I did just see that it is growing back, so hopefully one day. I have no idea, it just seems dumb. Some people are just destructive I guess. Like why do some poeple just randomly kill others. The world is full of sick people.
Indeed. Yep. Sycamore Gap. Best seen from the Roman wall known as Hadrian’s Wall.
Yeah, it was an amazing tree, I hope it grows back.
These are all so sad to see. I don’t want to try to get inside the head of those who do damage, but what in the heck is their purpose?! I am so glad you have photos of the beauty that was, Leanne.
I don’t want to either, I would never be able to understand. No purpose, I have no idea. Thank you Lois, I’m glad I got them too.
People suck
OMG they really do.
that’s heartbreaking
It really is Beth.
It’s anecdotal, but I read about a guy who shot a photo of some rocks then turned a bunch over and commented to the person relaying the anecdote: “there! now no one can get that photo!” or some such. I’m not sure I wouldn’t have punched him, personally.
It is so ridiculous that people think like that, so dumb. Who’s to say his photo would be that good anyway. I think I would have told him he was being dumb. Thank you Matt.