Taking a break

/ Su Leslie
img_5126 Watching the sunset, Castlecliff Beach, Whanganui, NZ. Image: Su Leslie 2019

We tend to think of relaxation as a personal experience — the places and activities and moments that refresh and recharge us. Indeed, it’s not uncommon to find our attempts to relax utterly thwarted by the presence of too many other people with the same intent.

But sometimes it seems, relaxation can be collective. So many people arrived at Castlecliff Beach in Whanganui to watch this glorious mid-winter sunset, the little carpark ended up full. Families were picnicking on the beach, others in their cars, and a couple of groups lit driftwood fires. No-one played loud music or behaved badly; we were all too focused on enjoying nature’s theatre.

Posted to Lens-Artists’ Photo Challenge — Taking a Break

30 thoughts on “Taking a break”

    • I was so impressed by how everyone was respectful of others. It seems like quite a rare occurrence, but I suspect that going to that particular spot on a nice night may be a semi-regular thing for the locals.

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  5. How lovely that everyone was enjoying, relaxing, and not distracting others from doing the same. All too often that seems not to be the case. For instance, I don’t mine people using earbuds to listen to music while walking the park, but I’m not so happy when someone is playing music out loud as they go along. 😦

    janet

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  6. This made me smile for one reason: When I lived in the UK – South Devon, with many, many small parking lots overlooking the sea, often with fields underneath the parking and on it, just as on your photo, car after car after car lined up, windows towards the sea, people in it, and literally all not just sitting there and staring out to the beauty beyond their vehicule, but having their PICNIC, in the car, unmoving, content and not asking for more….. I still am not over this phenomena 😉

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    • I’ve been known to picnic in the car when the weather isn’t great. That evening was the close of a stunning, unseasonably warm day and the temperatures hadn’t dropped yet — so it wasn’t totally crazy to picnic on the beach.

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  13. That’s so wonderful that relaxation was possible even though it was crowded. I experienced the same about a week ago in my local park – for once all people were quietly enjoying a beautiful summer’s day by simply reading books or daydreaming. It’s really rare to get quiet moments like this here in the city.

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