I recently found a new sleeping spot on the island. It has views from the south to the north, collects a sweet ocean breeze which keeps me cool and the mozzies away in the hot summer months. I don’t know why, but every time I sleep here, I seem to wake up just as the sun peeks its face above the horizon, allowing me to witness this daily event in the comfort and solitude of my own bed. The clouds looked like they were going to create a nice atmosphere, so I sat up and jumped out the truck.

Recent rains, high humidity and no winds had created the perfect environment for the  breeding of the dreaded march flies, which on this particular day were out in record numbers. I seemed to be the only blood producing part of nature any where on the coast and word in the fly community was well and truly out.  I was getting bitten as soon as my feet hit the sand, so I quickly retreated back in the truck to put on long pants and a shirt, which seemed to do little to curb their enthusiasm to suck me dry. I knew I didn’t have long to set for the shot but was seriously struggling to keep my calm whilst adjust my settings. I could handle it no longer and lost my cool, leaving my camera alone and running off down the beach, screaming profanities at the air. I thought I had escaped the onslaught only to turn my head mid stride to see a cloud of flies chasing me down the beach. Running out of puff I came to a halt and enjoyed the half a second of peace before receiving my next series of violations.

Nice start to the day from one of the best bedrooms in the world.

March fly madness. Taken moments before dumping the shoot and losing it.