Adrian Nathaniel

I remember one Spring evening, many years ago, as I lay in bed asleep in our Currumbin Valley home. I was rudely awakened by a loud, raucous sound, cutting through the gentle silence that had enveloped the valley. The sound had an urgent, heavy, and ancient ring to it. A sound that vibrated in the chest cavity and made the hair on my arms stand up even before my eyes snapped open. I bolted upright in bed, heart hammering against my ribs, and threw off my blanket to investigate. Outside...

Remember your first encounter with someone who is now very close to you. You probably had an impression of them. Perhaps you liked them immediately. Perhaps you didn't. Either way, that first impression probably bears little resemblance to how you know them now, after countless conversations, shared experiences, misunderstandings, laughter, difficult moments and all the ordinary time spent together. It takes time to really know someone. And even after many years, there is always more to...

I still remember the first time I encountered fireflies. It was about thirty years ago, climbing Wollumbin in the darkness of night. I had never seen them before, and there was something almost mystical about those tiny lights appearing and disappearing amongst the trees. Like little sparks of magic floating through the forest. These days, unfortunately, fireflies are becoming harder to find. Their numbers are believed to be declining in Australia and around the world, as the places they...