Newcastle, 5am

I thought I'd get up early this morning & do a pictorial on the last morning of 2009 in Newcastle. I'd envisioned sitting down on the coast & capturing a spectacular summer sunrise breaking over the horizon, slowly waking up the slumbering city. 


How wrong was I!


After getting myself out of bed at 4am, I checked the weather radar on the computer which showed some light showers off the coast, so I thought what the heck, I'm up now, so I may as well try my luck anyway. So arming myself with my old friend the Canon 400D & a cup of coffee, I headed into town, as sunrise wasn't due till 5.47am, I was confident.the weather would clear for me. 


I arrived at Nobbys Beach.at 5am & was greeted by persistent showers, not only that, but the ENE wind was blowing quite steady around 24kp/h. Not cold, but not pleasant either. What was even worse, the dawn was breaking flat & grey, there was going to be no spectacular sunrise today. Even the seagulls looked disappointed as they looked forlornly out to sea!


At this point I nearly threw in the towel, but I decided to travel back into the CBD & have a poke around the deserted city centre & Foreshore precinct.


I'm always amazed by the early morning activity you can find in any city these days & Newcastle is no exception, especially as we are a 24hr working harbour. While I was walking around the nearly deserted streets I watched as the city awoke & prepared itself for the the last day of 2009. Newsagents were collecting the morning editions, council workers were tidying the streets, the crew on the Stockton ferry Hunter, were busy preparing for the first of many runs that it will make today & the buses & trains were also commencing their first commuter runs.

Sometimes it is well worth getting out of your comfort zone, grabbing your camera & seeing what is happening in dawns early light. You may be surprised!

HAPPY NEW YEAR