Western Australia
Home, and where the account starts. Perth, Dunsborough, Geraldton, Yallingup, Exmouth, Margaret River and the coast south of the city. The first posts in December 2016 are here, before the move to the islands, and he keeps coming back to it across the whole decade.
Part of Jai's journey
50 moments in this segment.
- - A new account for the travels. The first post on the account. "Made a new insta for my travels." He was still in Western Australia; the move to the islands was two months away.
- - Touristy things. Captioned only "Touristy things", posted two days after the account opened.
- - Tropical vibes. A two-word caption from the first week of the account, December 2016.
- - Fifty shades of green. "50 shades of green." Posted in December 2016, before the family left for the islands.
- - Summer ready. A two-word caption from the Western Australian summer of 2016.
- - Normal is boring. "Its funny how afraid people are to be different. Normal is boring, i dont want to be bored all my life." He posted a near-identical line again in April 2018.
- - A breath of fresh air down Augusta way. "Catching a breath of fresh air down Augusta way." Augusta is at the south-western tip of Western Australia.
- - Stepping out into the real world. "For so long i've dreamt of the moment i would step out into the real world, and simply live. I yearn for adventure, and honestly just wish to follow the seasons around the world and capture freaking insane moments to share with you all. This is just the start."
- - Perth sunset in soft pastels. "New places, people and memories call for new inspiration. I've been frothing soft pastel tones recently and Perth's sunset turned out to be the perfect time to experiment." Three days off the island.
- - Back with the family in West Aus. "Back with the crazy family in West Aus for a bit. No plan after Christmas (as per usual), so if you're around and keen to take some photos or just grab a coffee let me know. I don't actually drink coffee though."
- - Dream chasing. 2018?" Posted just before Christmas 2017.
- - New inspiration in places seen countless times. "Finding new inspiration in places i've been to countless times before. It's amazing how oblivious I used to be without a camera in my hand. Keen to re-visit all those gems down South that I never appreciated enough." Binningup Beach.
- - Wanting to share more than the picture perfect shots. "I'm still pretty new in the photography world but ever since I started I found myself only capturing and sharing the picture perfect shots, and overlooking the real, raw moments. I want to start sharing more of me, Jai. The kid who grew up quietly observing everything around him, always curious, always learning." Augusta, Western Australia.
- - Golden hour. " January 2018, back in Western Australia.
- - The van search continues. "Manifesting dreams into reality over the coming weeks." He tags it as the van search continuing. Black Diamond Lake, Western Australia.
- - A vertical panorama after the camera went flat. "This solo sunset mission started with a last minute decision to jump in the car and drive down completely random streets, trusting I would end up in the right place at the right time." The image is a grainy vertical panorama shot on his phone after the camera battery died. Sugarloaf Rock.
- - A tent for the next week. "My bedroom for the next week. Looking forward to getting back into early morning wake-ups and productive days, with a touch of surf and op-shopping in between." Geraldton.
- - A couple of groms running away from real life. "Just a couple of groms running away from real life." Geraldton, January 2018.
- - Crashing in Fremantle for a few days. "Vibey place you have here. Thanks for letting me crash for a few days." Fremantle, February 2018.
- - Moved into the van, parked at his sister's. A list-style catch-up: "Moved into the van full-time on the weekend. Currently parked at my Sisters place in Dunsborough so I guess I'm not really full time in the van after all. I finally bought a new tripod after losing the last one in Cambodia. I ordered a fridge for the van so as soon as that gets here ya boy is heading south."
- - A week in Dunsborough makes you a local. "I've been in Dunsborough for over a week now so it's safe to say I'm pretty much a local, guiding these island tourists around." Injidup Natural Spa.
- - Chasing the light at the end of the tunnel. " Lancelin, Western Australia.
- - Dare to dream. " Shot at the Lancelin sand dunes, March 2018.
- - Praying for a wave or three. "Just a blonde Mowgli praying for a wave or three." Yallingup Beach, photo by a friend.
- - Do what you feel to be right. "Do what you feel in your heart to be right, for you'll be criticized anyway." Australind, Western Australia.
- - Enjoying the little things. "Currently enjoying the little things, because biiig things are coming over these next few months." Perth, March 2018.
- - Publicly accountable for exercising. "This is one of those classic moments where you do something once and upload it as if it's something you do on the daily. Also a good time to keep myself publicly accountable as I get stuck into more regular exercise and work on a healthy body as well as a healthy mind." Busselton.
- - Normal is boring, again. "Normal is boring, I don't want to be bored all my life." The same line he posted in December 2016, now beside the van. Dunsborough.
- - Driving the WA coastline. "Ever had a moment where time stands still, and the worries of life just seem to float away? Chyeah, every time I drive along the WA coastline actually."
- - Two minute noodles and a box of Shapes. "Here's a photo my sister accidently took, featuring me looking like a dag clutching a box of bbq shapes." He goes on: "my life isn't always as dreamy as I like to imagine. I still have 2 minute noodles for dinner to save money, and stay at my sisters place for a month while I'm waiting for a few things in my life to align properly. Don't get too caught up in the perfect world that is Instagram."
- - More fk yeah, less fk that. " Dunsborough, April 2018.
- - Eleven days up the coast in a school bus. "Getting frothy for this Exmouth trip in a couple days. 11 days cruising up the coast in a big ole school bus, yes please."
- - A tourist in his own country. "Becoming a tourist in my own country while my Finnish friend is down for a couple weeks. Who knew this place was just outside of Perth?" Bells Rapids, before the Exmouth trip.
- - Appreciating the finer details. " Coral Bay, on the Exmouth trip.
- - Sleeping on top of the van for the Sleepout. "Tonight I'll be sleeping on top of my van, to support Mission Australia and their 30 years of ongoing support for homeless people in Australia. Every night there are 116,000 Aussies with no safe place to sleep, so I'll be donating and spending the night out in the cold and weather, to experience what they do everyday."
- - Earth Day, a day late. "Late to the party as usual, but as tribute to Earth Day yesterday here's a photo to remind us all of how big and beautiful this earth really is." Kalbarri.
- - Live music around a beach campfire. 's moments like these that make you realise life doesn't have to be played by the rules." Lucky Bay.
- - His grandparents' place in Geraldton. "Always on the hunt for vibey places to hang out in for a while. Turns out Gran and Grandads place is the vibiest of them all. Funny how as kids we never seem to appreciate things enough, but years later you can visit the same place and see it from such a different perspective."
- - Dawn surf in Exmouth. "Getting back into flow, eating healthy(er) and waking up earlier. Surfing at dawn in water warm enough for just a pair of shorts." A frame from the Exmouth trip.
- - Leaving West Aus for Byron Bay. Posted at Perth Airport. "The start of a new chapter. Not because I didn't like what I was doing, or because I was ready to let go of experiences, things or people. But because opportunity calls and sometimes decisions need to be made in order to grow. Bye West Aus, see you soon Byron Bay."
- - Missing the simpler moments back in West Aus. "Feels weird being in a city for more than a few days. Makes you miss the simpler, easier moments back in West Aus. But hey, nothing life changing ever came from the comfort zone."
- - Light the fire in your belly. " City Beach, Western Australia.
- - A limitless 2019. "I feel like the last few years have each been the start of a year of opportunity, but there's something special about 2019. A word that has continued to show up over the last couple of weeks is limitless, which I feel is a reminder that upper limits are going to be pushed." Binningup, Western Australia.
- - A six month lease in Fremantle. "In the last 1.5 years I haven't spent more than a few months in one place. Yesterday I flew back to Australia and moved into a 6 month lease in a cosy little apartment in Fremantle. That's probably not a long time for most, but it sure is for someone who can barely plan a day in advance." He sums up the years so far: "2017 was a year of creative growth, 2018 was a year of personal growth, 2019 is a year of financial growth."
- - Change is good, especially uncomfortable change. "Change is good, especially if it's uncomfortable. Who's going somewhere new this year?" Rottnest Island.
- - A trip just for the fun of it. "Hitting the open road tomorrow to re-kindle that sense of adventure. It's been too long since I've been on a trip just for the fun of it (non business related) and it feels way too good." He mentions a Lightroom editing walkthrough on his story. Bells Rapids.
- - From wintery greens to red dirt. "From the wintery greens to the red dirt. Sometimes a change in scenery is all it takes to re-kindle the fire inside." On a campervan trip through Western Australia.
- - Setting intentions. " Ningaloo Station, Western Australia, August 2019.
- - Big Zu, and a history of cheap cars. "Meet Big Zu, the baddest company car you'll ever see." He lists what came before: a first car bought with money borrowed from his parents and paid back working at a fish and chip shop, an old Land Rover spray painted matte black bought from two backpackers, then the van that took his last three thousand dollars. "This is the first car I've genuinely wanted to own."
- - A studio in North Fremantle. "Welcome to the new studio. 2 years ago my office looked a little different. Just a boy, grinding in his bedroom. Thousands of hours with almost no monetary gain, just a burning belief that the work would pay off. There's still a looong way to go but this new space is a huge step in the right direction."