Following a dream: my Australian Big Year

My Australian Big Year began on 1 January 2022 in Victoria’s Alpine National Park, with a Flame Robin. What followed was a year of travelling across Australia, trying to photograph as many bird species as possible.

A Big Year is a personal challenge to record birds within a defined area during a calendar year. I added a photographic requirement: for my photographic total, I needed an image of the bird.

More than a list

That requirement added a different kind of patience. Seeing a bird was not always enough. Light, distance, weather and a bird’s willingness to remain in view could all determine whether an encounter became a photograph.

The journey took me across states, into remote areas and to islands far from the mainland. Every destination brought new challenges, generous local knowledge and a reason to keep going.

Making time for a different life

I came to Australia as a 19-year-old student and went on to study information technology, work with major organisations and establish my own IT business. After almost two decades running that company, I stepped away on my 45th birthday to spend more time pursuing the experiences that mattered to me.

Wildlife photography became an important part of that life. The restrictions of the pandemic had encouraged me to look more closely at Australian birds. When travel became possible again, I was ready for a larger challenge.

What the journey revealed

Alongside the excitement of finding birds came a clearer understanding of the pressures they face. Habitat loss and introduced predators are real concerns in the places I visited. I also encountered people whose conservation work gave me reason for hope.

My aim is to share photographs that encourage people to notice wildlife, care about it and value the places it needs to survive.

The final result

By the end of 2022, I had seen 774 bird species and photographed 772. The numbers tell part of the story. The fuller story is about persistence, discovery and the experiences behind each photograph.

This article revisits the account previously published on this website as “Kenthurst Photographer Follows his Dream”, which credited the Galston community publication. The original was written while the journey was still underway; this version reflects the completed year.

Explore My Australian Big Year