Jamie: fair cop, but not going to throw out 18-135 and next, hypothetical, cash surplus would go on macro well before WA

Gordon & Duncan: sure, if one needs to stitch 2 to overcome available lens limitation, absolutely no problem

Adey: kind of right only as a test I slashed the attached, one of the few occasions I have gone to FL 18 (actually to get the sky). As a panorama, it had to be unskewed as well as distortion corrected and yes, the detail is now poor. Less sure about perspective as I am usually at the other end using FL 80-180 region and tele lens definitely forshortens distances and I like that as it mirrors what eye+brain does; comparing with Gordon's beach shot just posted, this at least does invite into the water (especially with blue par of sky back in), whereas Gordon't makes it look like one of those low-tiders where you have to run about a mile to get to the water and paddle another to get waist deep

Of Gordon's pair, I think the first convinces me that there is a time and place, would love a bigger version to pick out the peaks. 2nd rather highlights hazards of getting too near the sun at one end

Thank you all for contributing