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14 October 2006

Journey's End Revisited
(page 2)

The conservation area is conserving as far as I can see, kanuka (Kunzea ericoides) and Coprosma rhamnoides, with the rest exotic weeds.

photo by dan hawthorn

However, I think it probably serves its function more as a buffer between the birdlife in the area and the nearest human habitation.

If it wasn't dead low tide before it surely looks like it now.

photo by dan hawthorn

Back to the van for lunch. It had been bloody cold and bloody windy and we were pleased for a bit to get out of it and shelter with hot mugs of tea, and cheese and salami and tomatoes. However, as we ate, the weather changed, the wind dropped and the sun came out, and we headed right from the van to take a closer look at the sculpture garden (Geratic Park, according to the hand painted notice) and see what was beyond it.

Dan's attention was caught by the flowers which are a feature of this end of the beach, planted all along the bank, and despite the salt wind and the sand, apparently thriving.

photo by dan hawthorn

Dan's macro takes us right in close

photo by dan hawthorn

We head along to the sculptures and I spot a rusty and somewhat frail looking swing and it's too much to resist. I gently lower myself into it and relax.

photo by dan hawthorn

Alice looks as though she'd like to join me, but I'm not sure it'll handle both of us.

photo by dan hawthorn

There was much that Miranda missed on her foray through here last time. It's got just about everything that never made it as far as a garage sale.

photo by dan hawthorn

I can remember seeing these in the pottery shops.

photo by dan hawthorn

A tree stump witch keeps a wary eye on us.

photo by dan hawthorn

Dan's attention is grabbed by a patch of iceplant

photo by dan hawthorn

and out comes the macro again. There are just so many great closeups of these it hurts to discard any of them.

photo by dan hawthorn

Right out on the edge of the water we can make out some dark objects, and we head out for a look. Swans.

photo by dan hawthorn

What at first had resembled a large bed of eelgrass right out near the water, on closer inspection through the telephoto lens turned out to be hundred and hundreds of godwits and knots.

photo by dan hawthorn

I move away from them, taking Alice with me. A quad bike passes a little way off, towing a boat back in from the edge of the channel, and the birds rise as one and settle again about a hundred metres away.

photo by dan hawthorn

The tide is beginning to turn and make its way back in.

photo by dan hawthorn

There's something oddly familiar about that old gentleman

photo by dan hawthorn

We head back into shore where the foreshore is composed of a kind of peaty organic matter.

photo by dan hawthorn

and the driftwood takes on a kind of strange fantasy life of its own.

photo by dan hawthorn

We could continue in this direction for some time yet, but a glance at our watches has us turning in the direction of the van. Dan has another go at capturing the quintessential iceplant

photo by dan hawthorn