During the Xmas/New Year holiday period  I was able  to do some large format (5x4) photography  in and around Petrel Cove at Victor Harbor on the southern Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia.  As this is my local area  it is easy for me to get to the location and set up the camera before sunrise, which is just after 6am. 

The conditions in this area changed over the holiday period.  The River Murray's flood waters have reached the southern ocean and, as a result,  the seawater around the coast of Victor Harbor has become quite brown and full of weed. The gusty, gale force,  south westerly winds in the first week of January  created a lot of foam along both the foreshore in  Petrel  Petrel Cove and along the western coast rocks to  Dep's Beach and beyond.   

at  Petrel Cove:  Sinar f1,  black and white film:

On a couple of  mornings  it was impossible to  walk along the coast rocks around  from Petrel Cove as the waist high foam covered the littoral zone  up to the base of the cliffs. The foam was very sandy.

On other occasions when the foam was not as extensive  or high I was able to take advantage of the overcast conditions to access a section of the coastal rocks west of  Petrel Cove. This  location  offered protection from the 40 km sou'westerly wind that blew for 5 days straight.  

west of Petrel Cove: Linhof Technika IV, colour negative film:  

It is  difficult to  scramble around the rocks carrying a monorail, tripod and camera gear. In some parts you need to use two hands to balance and the wet rocks can be quite slippery.  I am planning  to do that scramble  with the Cambo 5x7 on  the next overcast morning. The cloud  gives me more time to set the camera gear up since  the sun hits these rock a few minutes after sunrise  a clear morning.  The proviso is  an overcast without the foam blocking access, due to  it returning with the strong  south-westerly or south-easterly winds. 

Update: 10/1

The foam  returned this Tuesday morning. So there was  no access to location on Petrel Cove beach or to the rocks west of Petrel Cove. The Cambo 5x7 monorail stayed in the car. I need the wind to lessen so there is reduced foam. 

The following morning --11/1--was overcast with little wind and t there less foam on the rocks. However I still could not access the coast rocks west of Petrel Cove. But  I was able to use the Cambo 5x7 monorail at Petrel Cove. I forgot to do a behind the camera photo.