Step into the heartwarming story of Wandah and Andrew Maxwell’s intimate backyard wedding — a celebration of family, love, and togetherness that proves a wedding doesn’t need extravagance to be extraordinary.

The final stop on my European adventure - Naxos! This island, located in the Cyclades of Greece, turned out to be my favourite destination among all the places I've visited (I know I've probably said that about all my stops). There was something extraordinarily beautiful and laid-back about Naxos. Everyone appeared to be in a state of relaxation, the locals were abundant, and the island itself was a natural marvel.

I've been on the road for a month now, and Santorini welcomed me with open arms as the place where I decided to indulge myself. As you might have seen in my previous blog post, this marks my thirtieth country, and I'm going all out to celebrate. Just like others celebrate the birth of a baby or their wedding day, I'm celebrating my journey around the globe - specifically, visiting thirty countries. What a bloody achievement!

I won’t bore you with a checklist of thirty things to do before turning thirty. Although I, myself, have that exact list tucked away in my notes app. Instead, I’m here to share a reflective celebration of my journey, one that’s taken me to incredible destinations around the world. I set a goal for myself — to experience thirty countries before my thirtieth birthday. As I landed in Santorini, Greece just over a week ago, I realised that I had achieved this dream.

Zagreb, in many ways, resembled a miniature Prague, boasting a compact, pedestrian-friendly layout, expansive main squares, and architectural similarities. If I'm being entirely honest, as this European adventure unfolds, the cities are beginning to blur into one another. Each place even seems to host the same types of stores, and all they seem to eat in Europe is meat, potatoes, and desserts. I’m certainly not complaining about the latter…

The journey from Budapest, Hungary to Ljubljana, Slovenia was the longest, an 8-hour train ride to be precise. Amongst all my 2, 3, and 4-hour train rides, this one seemed daunting. Once aboard, it became even more daunting as I quickly realised that this train didn't have any of the facilities that all my previous trains had, such as a cafeteria to grab lunch. So, I had eight whole hours to endure with just a small bottle of water, a packet of cheese sticks (like pretzels), and a mini block of hazelnut chocolate…

If you read my last blog post, you know that I've been battling an illness lately. It hit me in Bratislava, Slovakia and has persisted, casting a shadow over my stay in Budapest, Hungary. However, fear not, for I managed to summon enough strength to explore some sights and engage in a few low-key activities. I attribute this resilience to a pivotal life decision: opting for a private room (rather than a bed in a dorm) for the three nights I spent in Budapest. It provided the peace and space I needed to rest and recuperate.

Here I am, lying in a bed somewhere in the vicinity of Hungary, Slovakia, or Slovenia. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure where I am at the moment because, well, I'm sick, once again. For those who know me well—my closest friends, family, and even my colleagues at work—this isn't an unusual sight. But for those of you who don't know me as intimately, I've been grappling with illness for quite some time, although it tends to come and go.

The train journey from Amsterdam to Berlin kicked off with a bit of a hiccup, as my train had a late start, causing me to miss my connecting ride. Fortunately, I found myself on a train bound directly for Berlin and decided to stay aboard in the hopes that no one else had reserved my seat. I struck luck, and made it to Berlin without any further hassles. Berlin marked the first city on my European adventure that I hadn't explored before, and I can't emphasize enough how eagerly I anticipated this leg of my journey.

On Monday, I embarked on a short train journey from Paris to Amsterdam. Seated next to a Parisian businesswoman, the trip was a breeze. As the train doors swung open, a flood of memories from 12 years ago rushed through my mind. But first thing was first, I needed to get my luggage to my accommodation. I decided to take a leisurely stroll, taking in the city's sights along the way. Little did I know that navigating a suitcase over cobblestones for a three-kilometer stretch would be such a workout.

A proper Royles wedding occurred on the 12th of November earlier this year. When I say proper, I mean that the bride and groom wore country boots and they greeted each other with a handshake at the altar. True Nat and David style if I’m being honest.

Just over a year ago, an old friend of mine called me to tell me the news of her recent engagement. Much to my surprise, Madi asked me to be her photographer for the intimate, farm wedding she and her fiancé had in mind. A photographer for an interstate wedding, in the middle of a farm amongst cows and plenty of rolling hills. To say that I was gobsmacked is an understatement.

Want to know the beautiful thing about photography? I get to know some of the most supportive, creative, magnificent people in my corner of the Earth. Jen is one of those people. I met her over a year ago on the set of her own branding film where she began birthing the newest section of her company (Blūm Mama).

Imagine meeting the love of your life half way across the world and realising he’s the polar opposite of you. Well, that’s what happened to Shay and Scott. It was a blossoming love story from the beginning really. With a stroke of luck, the one thing they had in common was travelling and so Shay and Scott met on a tour in Vietnam.

Entangled in sand, love and your best friend… what more could you want from an engagement session? As the sun set in the Gold Coast, these two love children danced and played on the beachside. Nat and David, I cannot WAIT to capture you both at your wedding next year.

This was not only my first ever wedding to shoot but also my first ever cultural wedding! What a beautiful mix it was. Still buzzing months later from the joy that May & Sisa brought to their wedding day.

Being a nature photographer, people are WAY out of my comfort zone. So far out of my comfort zone that it seems odd to even give it a go. But with all things art, we must learn and grow by doing the opposite of what is familiar and comfortable to us. So here I am, on a location shoot with four other women. What could go so wrong? Trust me, everything did…

Armed with padded hiking boots, headlights and not enough warm clothes on our legs and bums, my friend and I ascended Niamboyoo at 4am on a Saturday morning. With short stops along the way, a moment of desperate need in the bushes and mysterious noises coming from the distant trees we slowly hiked onwards and upwards to the peak.