tiabunna's photos with the keyword: grass

Our cruise around the Bay of Islands finally stopped at Urupukapuka Island, where there is a cafe at Otehei Bay. It was becoming a little cool and not 'outside' weather at this stage, so you have your choice of outdoor benches. Best viewed large to choose. Wishing everyone a Happy Bench Monday and a good week to follow.

For "Macro Mondays" group, 3 July 2023. Topic #316, "Dried grass." Kikuyu grass was introduced to Australia by the dairying industry. It grows very vigourously and, in the right environment, is quite invasive - not what's needed in a lawn or garden!

One of what I now learn are called "Picnic Pods" installed by our local council in the riverside park. The area also has been updated with newly planted grass and gardens, so the benches are not accessible for a while. See the water sprinkler operating in the left background. I am heading away for a short trip and my online access is likely to be isolated at best. Happy Bench Monday, everyone, stay safe and enjoy yourselves.

I don't claim to be able to identify this grass type, but it's helping to stabilise the dunes on our local beach. With Covid restrictions largely off (for now at least), I'm heading away for a few days and expect to be largely offline. I hope you're all having a safe and enjoyable weekend.

For the Macro Mondays group, 7 June 2021, subject 208 "Grass". Kikuyu grass is a native of the highlands of eastern Africa. It grows well in warmer areas and sandy soil and was introduced to parts of Australia over a century ago, mainly as feed for the dairy industry (it also was introduced to other parts of the world). It is now "naturalised" in Australia, meaning it is here to stay, but it is very aggressive, climbs into vegetation and takes over everything if given the chance. Taken in my garden (unfortunately) with a 50mm lens and extension tubes.

Sunset view of the track leading from the beach. HFF and have a great weekend, everyone. Explored.

Out on the long flat road, somewhere west of Hay. Best viewed large.

Still there, despite mobile phones ... Best viewed on black. Explored.

East coast of New Zealand's south island.

Musical background suggested by Izydor (thank you): tinyurl.com/o7kpwkm . HFF! Explored

Gardening enterprise. :-) One of the "joys" of summer... I'd suggest viewing on black. www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Yrt9qkBQ2Q Explored.

From an old slide. The main plateau is over 30km long, so walking it requires a few breaks. This much younger version of me is doing just that. The plateau is frequently enshrouded in cloud (as is rolling in here), so marker pegs provide guidance on the main walking routes.

From an old slide. From a hundred or so metres up the side of the escarpment, on the climb out from Hurd Point at the south of Macquarie Island. Unfortunately it was winter, in the summer months those beaches are packed with one of the world's largest penguin colonies (nearly a million Royal Penguins). To give a scale, the tiny dots on the lower RHS near my ID are elephant seals, several metres long.

The Light-mantled Sooty Albatrosses nest on very steep (and dangerously unstable) slopes on the sides of the plateau. They have no natural land predators, so are very unconcerned by photographers (well, I guess within reason). From an old Kodachrome slide taken with Minolta SR1 and Auto Rokkor 135mm 2.8 lens.

From an old slide. This was taken on the plateau of Macquarie Island, somewhere about 300 metres above sea level. I was impressed by these rocks, looking so much like the sea stacks (see my earlier coastal shots). Years later, geological research showed that Macquarie Island is unique in being the only place in the world where an active mid-ocean ridge is actually rising above the ocean surface and exposing rocks from the earth's mantle. In geological terms the island is very new (8-10 million years) : no wonder I saw "sea stacks" on the plateau! Macquarie Island was added to the World Heritage List in 1997 because of its geological importance and uniqueness.

From an old slide. Macquarie has rainfall on most days, so it is unsurprising there are a number of small lakes on the plateau. I am fairly sure that insects are the largest life forms to be found in them.

From an old slide. Macquarie is treeless (not surprising as it rose from the ocean only recently) and grasses struggle to grow on many of the poor soils of the windswept plateau. (Suggest view on black)

Eastern Grey kangaroos and abandoned railway.