Field Note: Gold Coast

On walking, cousins, and a camera that makes you think.

It’s Thursday afternoon on the Gold Coast (or at least, it was when i dictated the basis of the Field Note)

In a few moments, I’m meeting my wife, kids, niece, and nephews for a round of mini-golf. It sounds like simple fun, because it is.

This whole trip has been a fantastic thing. It’s the first time we’ve ever taken a family holiday like this—one that wasn’t purely about making the long trip to see family in the UK. We’ve planned for it, saved for it, and just decided to do it. One week.

We’re staying a couple of nights with family here, which has meant it’s also the first time all the cousins have met each other. Or at least, the first time since they were very little, back when some of them weren’t even around yet.

The trip started with a bit of turbulence. The weather was so rough on approach that our first landing attempt was aborted; the pilots had to go around and try again due to heavy rain and poor visibility. The first day was a washout, but since then it’s settled. Yesterday was windy, but today has been classic Gold Coast winter: a gentle breeze, blue skies, and a perfect 19°C.

I’m walking up the coast to meet them at the course. It’s about a 45-minute trek. With eight of us and only seven seats in the car, I volunteered.

The secret motivation? I’m close to busting my personal record for daily exercise minutes, and the walk there and back will do it.

It’s funny what can motivate you. It's been good to be out and about, moving a bit, even while on holiday.

This time away has also been good for thinking. Plans are coming together for my YouTube channel and a new podcast I’ll be co-publishing on YouTube and Spotify. I’ve been in touch with the Spotify Creators Program about it, which has been really encouraging.

I’ve also been playing with a little camera on loan to me from Fujifilm New Zealand (with gratitude). It’s an X Half, a niche device designed to simulate a film camera experience. It’s been genuinely fun to use and has me thinking about its design.

It feels like a very specific product for a very specific person. A beginner might find it frustrating; an expert might too.

The forced formats are interesting for stoking creativity, but the screen is tiny.

My innate bias tells me that if you’re nostalgic for the film cameras of old, you’re probably at an age where you might struggle with such a small screen.

It’s an interesting creative challenge. Personally, it makes me want to dust off my own little Fujifilm X-Q1 and program in some of the community-created "film recipes" you can find online.

I think I’ll take that with me on my upcoming trips to Shanghai, London, and Singapore.

A little photography project for afternoon reconnaissance.

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