Boatshed Beach, 12 April 2007

Another good day at the beach.

Archie's Rock sometimes sticks out prominently at the northern end of Boatshed, but this time there had been quite a lot of sand build up.

Magpies

These magpies, with young ones, came to pay a visit on 28 December 2006
I wonder if they were the same birds who visited at Easter? :

Rosedale Beach 11 April

Just a perfect day on Boatshed Beach.

Around the house 11 April 2007

Bikes and sarong

Rosedale dune

Coastal dune systems are really important environmental features. The stabilised dune at Rosedale is a beautiful example. Find out more about coastal dunes.

Casuarinas

This stand of Australian native casuarinas - Casuarina equisetifolia - (sometimes called she-oaks) between the car park and the dune at Rosedale Beach is a treasure. In many beach places, such vegetation has disappeared under the relentless creep of development. It's one of the things which makes Rosedale VERY special. Casuarinas are superb native-bird attracters.

Apparently, the name Casuarina is derived from the Malay Kasuari and alludes to the similarity between the drooping foliage of the genus and that of the feathers of the cassowary bird. More here.

Below: taken 16 April 2009:

Drought turns off the water

Lots of people with houses around Rosedale have outdoor showers for washign off after the beach. For visitors, and those of us without such amenities, the shower at the beach has been a great facility.

However, drought and water restrictions have seen the council cap of the taps.

Easter, 2007

Saltwater Creek from footbridge to beach part 1

Saltwater Creek is another very special feature of the Rosedale environment. To read a study of this (and other similar brackish creeks in the area), see here. The study looked at water levels and openings to the sea.

Let's take a trip along Saltwater Creek, starting at the footbridge which joins South and North Rosedale, and heading to the beach.

The footbridge serves a very important social function by uniting the two parts of the Rosedale community, without having to either go out on to the road, or down to the beach.

It's also been the venue of various games of "Poohsticks" , and we usually refer to it as "Poohsticks Bridge" in our family. You can find out all about Poohsticks at this site.

Looking from south to north across the bridge:

Looking east, downstream, along the creek from the bridge:
Reflection, taken from the bridge:
Lookign west, upstream, from the bridge:
Reflections:
I even captured myself taking pics from the bridge:

Saltwater Creek - from footbridge to beach Part 2

Continuing our look at Saltwater Creek

I've now crossed the bridge to North Rosedale, and am following the track along the northern bank. Looking towards the beach:

Lookign across the creek, and upstream:
The plank placed across a swampy section:
From near the plank, looking upstream:
Across the creek towards Jimmie's:
Upstream from close to the beach end:
Looking south across the creek, with a good view of the stabilised dune behind Rosedale Beach:
This shows a panorama of the beach and the berm through which the creek occasionally is open to the sea (see the study linked in the previous post):

From the beach to, in the distance, the end of the creek, not open to the sea at this time:
The end of the creek - water level quite low. Occasionally it is quite deep here, and kids can be found playing in it (see pics here) :
The creek open to the sea, 2 August 2001:

Late afternoon, Rosedale Beach 10 April 2007

A beautiful soft and still late afternoon (4.18 - 4.20 pm). No afternoon breeze.

Kookaburra

Kookaburra sits on the old clothes li-ine
Merry Merry King of the yard is he--ee
Laugh! Kookaburra, laugh!
Kookaburra gay your life must be.

He let me get closer and closer, checked me out, and stayed stock still.

Far nicer to know than the rats in the roof we have been battling this week. They come out to play in the evening, and party all night. Hopefully the poison has got them.