Category Archives: sand

Derby mud flats

4X4, Artesian Range, Australia, AWC, camera, Charnley River, Charnley River - Artesian Range, coastal, Derby, Kimberley, Kimberley, Landscape, landscape, sand, Textures, Uncategorised, WA, WA, , , ,

The massive tidal changes in King Sound reveals extensive mud flats across the southern part of the Sound, around Derby.

Derby township itself is surrounded by mud flats which The Doc drove on several times (being careful not to break through the dried surface). These mud flats are not fully tidal every day, probably only on King tides. However, anytime The Doc felt the surface get soft he headed back to drier parts.

After taking off, in the helicopter, the first place we see is the big house, the Derby Prison. The Prison inmates look after the graves at the nearby Leper Colony, aka the old Bungarun Leprosarium, just north of Derby (Blog report here). The Doc drove up to Bungarun using the mud flats, not the road.

The mud flats reveal one of nature’s fractals, the repeating patterns you see when water is draining away on the mud flats (what The Doc calls the recurring tree pattern). To be precise “Fractals are infinitely complex patterns that are self-similar across different scales.” If you look carefully, you will see the same pattern repeating itself. Admittedly it is more obvious in the helicopter where you better appreciate the scale of these fractals.

There is endless variety in the mud flats, including their shapes, colour and textures. While they are many images, the total was culled hard to give a good cross section.

The Doc finds the mud flats fascinating. Enjoy.

The Buccaneer Archipelago, with a little of Yampi Sound thrown in

4X4, Australia, Broome, camera, Kimberley, Landscape, Plant, rock, sand, seascape, Textures, trees, Uncategorised, WA, WA, , , ,

Below is a satellite image of Derby, King Sound (that great big “harbour”) and on its northern edge a group of Islands known as the Buccaneer Archipelago. The Derby mud flats are obvious on the southern edge of King Sound, near the Derby township. Towards the top right is the Walcott Inlet, which leads into Charnley River and its gorge, yesterdays spectacular post.

The helicopter trip continues. Here is small selection of images from the Buccaneer Archipelago. Wikipedia states “The archipelago, covering over 50 square kilometres (19 sq mi) is located at the head of King Sound and is composed of about 800 islands found between King Sound and Collier Bay near Yampi Sound.”

Yampi Sound also has a major Army training base inland from the Sound itself. The images towards the middle with a burn off taking place, from memory, is part of Yampi training grounds. Often Yampi is boring open grasslands. The Australian Wildlife Conservancy helps the Army conserve part of the training grounds set aside for conservation along the coast.

The massive tidal flows are obvious in several images, with the disturbed water during a tidal change.

To see a larger image click on a thumbnail.

West MacDonnell Ranges – The Red Centre

Alice Springs, Australia, bark, clouds, desert, Landscape, NT, reptiles, sand, States, Textures, The Red Centre

It took some time but The Doc has finished his Guide on the West MacDonnell Ranges. The Guide starts and finishes at Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. The Guide is here.

You can then do the East MacDonnell Ranges, that Guide is here.

The Guide on the West MacDonnell Ranges has detailed maps, location notes and images. The number of images meant The Doc had to use high compression and so there are some artefacts in some images. It is a very detailed Guide. You could easily spend 2 or 3 weeks doing the West MacDonnell Ranges and another week doing the East MacDonnell Ranges.

Textures of the Australian Bush: Northern Territory

Alice Springs, Arnhem Land, Australia, bark, desert, Gregory National Park, Landscape, landscape, Northern Territory, NT, other, Plant, rock, sand, States, Textures, The Red Centre, trees

New report of the textures of the Northern Territory has been posted, here.

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Putty Beach, Bouddi National Park, Central Coast of NSW

Australia, Bouddi NP, coastal, Landscape, landscape, NSW, ocean, rock, sand, seascape, Textures

The Doc has wanted to visit and photograph the sandstone here for some time, with no success (one or two failed attempts). So he booked 2 nights at Copcabana this week to visit and take photographs.

Here, the sandstone made up of tessellated pavement and Liesegang rings. They do not fully understand how these rings occur, but they do occur in sedimentary rock with a cross cut pattern. Iron and other minerals must be present creating the patterns. The is a heavy iron layer in this rock, you can see iron oxide or rust layers when the iron is exposed to water and oxygen.

Technically “there is a precipitation process that is thought to be the catalyst for Liesegang ring formation referred to as the Ostwald-Liesegang supersaturation-nucleation-depletion cycle.” OK?

A small selection of the spectacular sandstone.

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Putty Beach also has a nice rock platform with some large waves. This place must be spectacle in heavy surf, as it was great with minimal waves. Enjoy.

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Newhaven Sanctuary, Central Australia

Australia, AWC, bark, desert, lakes, Landscape, landscape, Newhaven, NT, salt, sand, sand dunes, Textures

On the trip home from the Kimberley The Doc visited AWC’s Newhaven Sanctuary (jointly managed with Birdlife Australia). Newhaven is 350 kilometres north west of Alice Springs and borders the Great Sandy Desert. Report is here.

Newhaven 2015 - 0052

Textures of the Australian Bush – Sands of Angels Beach

Australia, Ballina, coastal, Landscape, NSW, ocean, sand, Textures

The Doc’ parents house overlooks Angels Beach, East Ballina. Here is a selection of sands from the beach, intermixed with algae, wind and wave action, rutile, footprints and even some surf scum. Take more notice next time you walk along a beach.