Trees in the Sea

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.