Urunga/Bellingen Day Trip
20/09/25
Kelly and I are trying to make an active habit of getting out and exploring the world around us. We’ve lived in the Armidale region for over two years now, and there’s still so much we need to see and do. Out here in the country, we’re surrounded by national parks and bush trails we’ve yet to explore, and just a couple of hours away lies an endless coastline that’s still a mystery to us.
On this particular Saturday, we decided to take a day trip with the dogs to Urunga so they could go for a swim, before checking out the town of Bellingen, a place we’ve driven through many times but never actually taken the time to wander around.
As is usually the case when I’m on holidays, my camera of choice was the Canon 200D paired with a 24mm prime. I love this combination because of its compact size and surprisingly good battery life, despite the smaller LP-E10 batteries. The 24mm focal length is perfect for the big landscapes that travel often brings, and I like to think I’ve gotten better at photographing people with it over the last couple of years. It’s the perfect setup for slow-paced photography. What it’s not, however, is great for action, which makes photographing the dogs running around incredibly challenging. The 200D is just too slow to capture those moments as sharply as I’d like, but as with all art, there’s always a trade-off for convenience.
We did meet a couple of other dogs on the beach who were more than happy to model for the camera. The beach itself wasn’t the most scenic, but it was perfect for the dogs to run freely without a care in the world, and in the end, that’s what exploring the area was all about.
We also had the chance to catch up with Ricky Wirianto, a photographer who used to be based near Armidale and now lives in Coffs Harbour. It had been about a year since we last hung out, so it was great to see him again. He was eager to show off his new Fujifilm X-M5, a solid little camera he’s already taken some fantastic shots with, including a few from that very day after we parted ways, which you can check out [here]. Hopefully, we can find the time to do a proper shoot together sometime soon.
Urunga
What an interesting area. We were only there for a couple of hours and didn’t even get to explore the nearby town of Mylestom. Next time we make our way down, I think we’ll have to make a full day of it, there’s still so much more to see.
Our next stop was Bellingen, a town on the river that feels very familiar to the villages I grew up in back in the Northern Rivers. Bangalow in particular shares a similar look and vibe. I didn’t get many photos (though not for lack of trying), but we did enjoy some amazing food, browsed a few brilliant bookstores (even if I didn’t buy anything), and generally had a great time soaking up the atmosphere.
On the drive home, I couldn’t bring myself to put the camera away. I’m not sure if it was because I didn’t get many good shots in Bellingen, or because I just enjoy the challenge of shooting from the car, but when you’re on a road trip, it’s easy to forget that the drive itself is part of the adventure. You’ve got to document it, right? You never know when you might accidentally capture something special.
As always, we stopped at Ebor Falls on the way back to see how much water was flowing over, and there was plenty. Usually, when we pass through Ebor, it’s in the morning, so it was a nice change seeing it in the afternoon light. The sun’s glow doesn’t quite come across in black and white, but watching it set over the hills was a perfect way to end the day, even if the photos didn’t capture it perfectly.
