tiabunna's photos

Best viewed on black. Small groups of Rockhopper penguins (think "Happy Feet") inhabit rocky outcrops around Macquarie Island. Unfortunately the stringent movement controls imposed on tourists by Parks Tasmania mean that they cannot be reached by land: but those controls do not extend offshore, so it is possible to float by the Rockhoppers in a zodiac. :) I also should note that Macquarie Island was accorded World Heritage listing in 1997 for its unique geology. It is the only place where an active mid-ocean ridge is currently rising above the surface. To quote from the website of the Australian Environment Department: "Macquarie Island is the only island in the world composed entirely of oceanic crust and rocks from the mantle, deep below the earth's surface. Macquarie Island provides evidence of the rock types found at great depths in the earth's crust and of plate tectonics and continental drift, the geological processes that have dominated the earth's surface for many millions of years. It is an island of unique natural diversity, a site of major geoconservation significance and one of the truly remarkable places on earth."

Happy Fence Friday!

There have been some celebrations this week over the 40th anniversary of the opening of the Sydney Opera House. Which made it vaguely relevant to post this photo, taken from the Manly Ferry and with construction still having a long way to go in late 1965. The Opera House and the city both look a bit different these days! From an old Kodachrome II slide.

On the beach, watching the tourists visiting Macquarie Island. I'm fairly sure this is a young one.

Among the tussock grass near the station, Macquarie Island.

There were quite a few of these bugs, busily having 'group hugs'.

It took ages to find the name of these native Australian bugs. When I did track them down, the name seemed an anticlimax. :)

These Nissen huts dated from the very early days of the Macquarie Island station. They were well kept in my time there some years earlier, but clearly were neglected in 2005 and it seems from Google Earth that they now have been removed. To see how they were in 1968, click here Macquarie Island 1968: The main station area

Playing with my newly acquired SMC Pentax FA Macro 100/2.8 lens.