Oak Park Cronulla and it’s uniquely shaped Rock Pool

Name: Oak Park Rock Pool

Where: Oak Park, Cronulla NSW

Tips: as it’s a little south of the main beach in Cronulla, parking is pretty plentiful. Including the backstreets.

Built: Early 1900s

Pools of the Sea number: 9/100

Oak Park Rock Pool

Just south of Cronulla beach in Sydney’s southern suburbs lies the uniquely shaped pool of Oak Park.

Typical the rock pools that you see and the ones I’ve come across in my travels are a perfect rectangular shape.

But occasionally you come across ones like Oak Park that are a little different.

I really like the look of Oak Park pool as it definitely has its own personality and it fits into the landscape really well.

Built in the early 1900s and refurbished by the council in 1930, the pool in Oak Park is a popular spot with locals and visitors alike.

It’s also number 9 in my Pools of the Sea project and I look forward to adding the rest of the Sutherland Shire pools here too soon.

It’s also one of many rock pools in the Sutherland Shire including North Cronulla, Cronulla and Shelly beach Rock Pool and one of around 35 in Sydney.

There was definitely a boom in the early 1900s for ocean pools and the uniquely shaped Oak Park pool has a style unto its own.

Well worth checking out for either a swim or a photoshoot.

Til next time!

Chris Lane

UFC 175: Ronda Rousey v Alexis Davis, World Title and a Dream Come True

I remember this day well. It doesn’t feel like it was 7 years ago tho, 3 or 4 maybe.

But on a Saturday night on the 5th of June 2014 in the middle of the desert in Las Vegas. A young and undefeated Ronda Rousey took on Alexis Davis at Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino for the Women’s Bantamweight World Championship.


Up until this point I had already shot a few UFC fight nights back in Australia but nothing as huge as this. Growing up in the 80s and 90s like many of my generation I was a huge fan of the Rocky movies. It was hard not to be. And at the same time a young Mike Tyson was also making headlines around the world.


Both of those were about World Champion title fights and the bright lights of Vegas. So add in my profession as a photographer, and my biggest dream in life was to photograph a World title fight is Las Vegas.


This was that day.

Ronda Rousey was the sole reason that women were fighting in the UFC. And the President of the UFC Dana White said several times that no way would women compete in the UFC.
That was until a young superstar in the making Ronda Rousey came along. Already a two time Olympian and a World Champion in Strikeforce. She was now a World Champion in the UFC too.
And on a Saturday night in Vegas she was looking to defend her crown again against underdog Alexis Davis.

The buzz in the arena was just insane, it’s not often you get to experience a night like this with such a superstar like Ronda Rousey.

Rousey walks out with her trademark demeanour and the crowd goes nuts.

A true superstar at this point in time and only getting bigger. As a photographer you get used to being ready for anything during a fight, but once the opening bell rang, both Rousey and Davis rushed each other, a few punches from each girl were thrown, which then led to a clinch and finally a Judo takedown by Rousey.

Upon landing Davis was now trapped and a flurry of punches to the face landed from Rousey. Every punch was undefended and the ref had no choice but to call an end to the fight.

16 seconds of chaos. Insane.

The atmosphere was awesome and the adrenaline running through my veins while I was shooting was something you need to experience. It’s moments like that, that make you love the world of sports photography. The buzz is just unreal.

A lifelong dream all over in 16 seconds.


Vegas, a World Championship fight and some cool pictures of a future legend.


A dream come true and a night I’ll never forget. Not that long after that night in Vegas. Ronda Rousey made it all the way to Melbourne to take on another contender in Holly Holm. A packed house and another huge night of UFC that I was grateful for here https://chasinglight.photo.blog/2019/11/16/ronda-rousey-v-holly-holm/

Til next time!

Chris Lane

Boxing: George Kambosos v Rodynie Rafol, Sydney 2015

On the last day of January in 2015, a young and undefeated 6-0 George Kambosos fought on the Sonny Bill Williams and Paul Gallen Footy Show Fight Night card.

Taking on outsider Rodynie Rafol from the Philippines, at the then Allphones Arena, Homebush, NSW.

The night was shown live on free to air in Australia, due to the fact of the Rugby League big names of Williams and Gallen.

Both of which were building towards their own showndown one day and this fight night was to keep that hype train alive. Still to this day there is talk of a Sonny Bill Williams and Paul Gallen fight some 6 years later.

Even tho they have both since retired from Rugby League, there is still a chance a Sonny Bill v Paul Gallen event.

So this event here in 2015 was a great chance for the 6-0 Kambosos to be shown on live TV in-front of a huge TV audience.

And in typical George Kambosos fashion, he didn’t waste the opportunity to shine, take the win and continue his quest for a World Championship.

This was his second last time competing on Australian soil, as the climb to the top of the Championship mountain took him far from home.

Including fights in his family’s origins in Greece. As well as some time spent with boxing Royalty Manny Pacquiao.

You knew at the time Kambosos was building towards something special and it was a great night to be apart of because of that. The night in pictures shown below.

At the time a young George Kambosos was 6-0 and was also the Australian Lightweight Champion, with a sign of things to come. It was a dominant performance by the Sydneysider as Kambosos won by UD after 6 live on TV rounds. Growing his brand and moving on to much bigger things in the not so distant future.

Finishing off the night at now 7-0, he was only just getting started.

Only 6 years later and he’d go on to achieve the ultimate prize in sport. The undisputed Champion of the World. https://chasinglight.photo.blog/2021/11/28/george-kambosos-jr-is-the-champion-of-the-world/

Til next time

Chris Lane