Gold Coast Winter Solstice Sunrise

Description

Sunrise on the Winter Solstice – Surfers Paradise

It was the 22nd of June, the winter solstice. The shortest day of the year. I woke early, well before the first hint of light touched the horizon, and headed down to Surfers Paradise beach with my camera slung over my shoulder. The air was crisp and clean, the kind of cool that wakes you up without a word, biting gently at your cheeks while the ocean murmured softly in the dark.

The beach was nearly empty. Just the sound of waves rolling in and a few early risers walking barefoot along the shore, their breath visible in the chilled air. I found my spot in the soft sand, tripod planted, and waited.

Then it happened.

A thin gold line  pierced the edge of the sea, spreading slowly across the water like someone striking a match in slow motion. Light climbed up the back of the skyline, hitting the tops of the high-rises first, soft amber turning to brilliant gold. The cityscape of Surfers Paradise came alive in reflection, windows glowing, glass turning to fire.

Behind me, the vast Pacific stretched out in shadowy blues and silvers. In front, the golden towers of the city reached toward the warming sky. And in between, the beach glowed with that soft, impossible light you only get for a few minutes each morning.

I raised the camera and took the shot. Not just of a sunrise, but of a moment: the meeting of sea, sand, and city; the stillness of a winter morning; the turning point of the year.

There was a quiet magic in it. No crowds, no noise, just the silent celebration of the sun returning to its long journey back. And as the warmth began to creep slowly into the air, I stood there smiling, thankful to have witnessed the golden heart of winter in Surfers Paradise.