The Pool of Siloam

There is this gorgeous little depression deep below the Leura escarpment where for thousands of years a mountain stream has plunged bringing with it tonnes of silt in the form of soil and rock particles. A great deposit of sand has formed a wonderful lagoon and beach, surrounded by lovely rainforest, ferneries and ultimately by soaring rockfaces on all sides. Such is the Pool of Siloam.

I set out with the intention of visiting this place a week or so ago but failing light, a lonely trail and the absence of a hiking buddy gave me pause lest I come to grief without phone communication. I did get as far as Golf Links Lookout though.

My good friend, Beckett offered to accompany me and so this morning we hiked all the way to the spot in question for a few photographs. Here is Beckett at Golf Links Lookout. The light is entirely foreign to last time, it being a different time of the day. At this juncture we both came to realise that we were probably carrying too much gear, as each of us fished around for bits and pieces that we thought must have been lost. Photographers the world round will no doubt understand how all that tends to work.

Anyway it was a truly beautiful morning even if the water flow was a trifle disappointing - it not having rained for a few weeks now. Thanks so much for being the safety buddy, Beckett. I hope you had a rewarding time.

I did originally post a colour version of this but I came to see it as terminally boring. My apologies to those who visited early on but I have run the chosen image through the mighty Silver Efex and re-posted it. I think I can say for certain that visitors have been adventuring to this spot for a century or more. I can well imagine that the legendary Harry Phillips once shot this waterfall and pool. The above might well be how an old print of his could look today.