Australian Bush

The Australian bush at sunset is such a captivating place. I love the way the sun burns the eucalyptus trees and the termite mounds orange as the searing heat of the day slowly starts to subside. It really is quite beautiful. This pic was taken up on the Atherton Tablelands in Far North Queensland.

Mangroves

Mangroves is the name given to a group of plants that can survive in salt water. This group of plants can be found in the intertidal zone which is the area between the land and the sea. Mangroves filter out pollutants improving the quality of water and the soil and they are also vital to protecting shorelines from erosion.

Mangroves are an important habitat for birds, mammals, crustaceans and fish. If you visit mangroves at dusk you can hear loud pop, popping noises. This is the all the mangrove crabs coming up out of the mud to start their evening foraging for food. It's quite something.

Crab Sand

I come across this quite a lot while I'm walking on the beach. Little holes surrounded by little globules of sand and it looks really cool. The little creature responsible for causing these pretty patterns is a Sand Bubbler (it even has a cool name!). It's a tiny crab who burrows in the sand and these little balls are a result of it's burrowing and feeding activities.