There is something about mangroves that stays with you.
Mostly it is the smell, I think, that pungent odour that permeates the air at
low tide. There are mangroves in New Zealand, but not nearly so many as you
tend to see here. Or as big.
They are a bit like icebergs when you see them at high
tide and cannot see what lies below the surface as their branches and leaves
bob on the water, almost appearing to float unattached. I always think they
look pretty mesmerising. Then I get another whiff at low tide from the exposed
mudflats and wonder how the two images in my mind can be so different.
They are part of a pretty intricate ecosystem though.
There are several mangrove walks around Brisbane being closer to the coast than
we have been in a while. We have been to one, twice.
The first visit was at low tide, where that familiar
smell greeted us. It did give us a chance though to observe the ordered yet
frenetic life of the mud dwellers making the most of their time above ground
and in the fresh air. We appreciated the shade; these mangroves are giants
compared to those I would always plot how I could photograph in the Waitemata
Harbour on my way home from work. These ones towered above us as we wandered
along the boardwalk.
We went home that day and studied the tides to find a day
when there were no commitments AND the tide would be more favourable. It took
awhile but we did make it back. Still not at full tide, but definitely not low.
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