Welcome to The Spore Trail

Welcome — this is my personal space on the web.

I’m Samuel Lison, based in Melbourne, Australia. I created this site as a place to gather my thoughts, photography, writing, and projects into one self-owned and self-hosted home online.

This isn’t a portfolio or a feed designed for algorithms. It’s simply a space where I can share ideas, observations, and creative work at my own pace — without pressure to perform or produce.

You’ll find a mix of photography, notes, reflections, and occasional updates on things I’m building or exploring, including SL Colonies and time spent outdoors with a camera. I also share field recordings captured while hiking.

Thanks for stopping by. If something here sparks a thoughtful conversation, that’s always welcome.

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  • There’s something humbling about walking through 140-year-old fortifications. Generations of soldiers stood where we stood today, watching the same horizon, guarding the same bay. Time layers.

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  • Mornington Peninsula day trip: Portsea Hotel lunch, Fort Nepean history, echidna encounter, Greek doughnuts in Rye. The perfect family adventure doesn’t need a filter.

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    When traffic stops for an echidna, you realize the best moments aren’t the ones you planned. 🦔

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  • Weekly Recap — Week 08

    February 16 — February 22, 2026


    Where I Went

    The week started in the workshop but ended at the edge of the continent. Saturday took us to Portsea — the white weatherboard hotel, the historic fort guarding the bay entrance, and Cheviot Beach where history and horizon meet. Sunday returned me to quiet experimentation and system tending.

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    Golden hour at Portsea 🌊

    This Sooty Oystercatcher paused just long enough — one leg lifted, that impossible red beak catching the last light.

    Sometimes you wait for the moment. Sometimes it gifts itself to you.

    📍 Portsea, Victoria 📷 Print available on Ko-fi — link in comments!

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    Shorebird at the water’s edge. Sometimes you don’t need words. 🐦

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    1245

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    Walking through coastal scrub and spotting the resources an herbalist would gather. The real world is full of crafting ingredients if you know how to look.

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    Exploring Fort Nepean’s layered defenses and thinking about SL Colonies base-building. Coastal batteries, supply tunnels, strategic positioning — the principles haven’t changed in 140 years. 🏰

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  • @manton did you end up playing more with it since? I can’t stop tinkering :D