Some places we've been and some places we're going.

Posts tagged ‘nature’

Brighton to Seacliff

These are both lovely South Australian beaches and very close to home, we’ve been there hundreds of times so why bother blogging about them now? The reason is an algal bloom which started near Victor Harbor in March this year and has had a devastating impact on sea creatures all the way up the coast. On Sunday, 27th July my grandson and I decided to check out the state of the beaches for ourselves and the impact was immediately obvious. We started from the Brighton Surf Life Savers’ tower and walked south towards Seacliff, in no time at all we’d counted 100 Bluefin Leatherjackets. I’m not familiar with fish names so have used iNaturalist to help me identify them, I hope I have the right names.

Initially we didn’t any evidence of the algae but then we came across areas where the horrible murky foam had accumulated.

There were a lot of what we think were Puffer Fish.

I felt conflicted because the devastation was obvious but at the same time we were seeing creatures we had never seen before and it was exciting finding them. Fish with names like Weed Whiting, Tubefish and Pipefish.

We were also surprised to find seahorses or Weedy Seadragons, we would never have expected that they were swimming around just off Brighton beach.

We saw a lot of long fish minus their heads so something was making a meal of them. Although most people have been avoiding eating fish, even from the Fish and Chip shops, there is apparently no danger in eating freshly caught fish. I think it’s unlikely though that there would be many caught off Brighton jetty at the moment.

  • Half a Snook
  • Check out the teeth!

There were so many fish we’d never seen before as well as a few familiar looking ones.

  • Boarfish
  • Dusky Murwong
  • Leatherjacket
  • Leatherjacket
  • Little Gunard Perch
  • Rock Ling
  • Rock Ling
  • Rock Ling
  • Shaw’s Cowfish
  • Southern Roughie
  • Western Striped-Grunter

I would like to think a storm will come and blow all the algae away, creatures will move into the area and everything will return to the way it was but only time will tell.

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Perfect Public Holiday

With ideal weather the beach seemed a great place to be on the Adelaide Cup Day holiday …seems like everyone agreed which meant the closest beaches were very busy so we went to South Noarlunga. It was magic.

Click on the image for a larger version with caption.

The Onkaparinga River used to enter the sea where the gap is between the reef.
This is where the river mouth is now.

You could walk straight down the steps into a playground.

You could build sandcastles on an island, boogie board, paddle, surf or simply walk on the sand.

Further south along the beach are rocky sections of different types.

Looking for treasures.
What do you know? A golfball!
These rocks looked almost volcanic.
A cave to investigate.
Having second thoughts about the catch?
Interesting rocks and shells were everywhere.
Weird sponge.
Kids were having fun on their bikes along this section.

We heard the Shark Spotter plane coming south, it circled several times over an area where a surfer was trying to catch a little wave.

It circled a while then its wailing siren warned a shark was in the area.
Definitely time to leave the water.

It was difficult to tell what section of beach we were on but I think it was Seaford.

Reminds me of The Breakaways out of Coober Pedy.

Another reminder of the gorgeous places we can see close to home.

 

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Torrens Linear Park – Section 2

Only a serious walker would do the 30 kms of Linear Park in one go so I’m dividing it up, Section 1 was “The Breakout” and this next section starts where that finished.

Click on any image to see it full sized.

Maintenance work being carried out on the Henley Beach Rd bridge.
Looking upriver from the rock crossing

There are a variety of tracks along the northern side of the river.

Shared cycle/pedestrian bitumen track
Simple walking track
Kids’ alternative bike track

I grew up in this area but it looks very different since remediation work has been carried out.

As kids we used to swim in massive concrete pits here, now all covered over.
There were many irrigation pumps along the river, used to water the Market Gardens. The base of one, I think.
Observation platforms have been built.

There are plenty of places to simply stop and savour the environment.

Native trees have replaced the Willows which are invasive and their roots erode riverbanks.

Peaceful, soothing water – not to drink though.
Some Gum Trees are growing in more open areas.
Flowering Reeds
Bottlebrushes
Footbridge that led to our old street at Lockleys.
Pine Tree fruit
Grasses like Kikuyu are difficult to eradicate.
Foot bridge to Torrens Ave.

The bridge at Findon Rd was our turning point.

On the southern side of the river the path is closer to houses and it’s clear that there has been considerable redevelopment over the last 35 years.

Not one of the originals and not one of the newest.
Probably built in the 1950s, I love the grapevines, fruit trees and Wisteria.
Taking advantage of the river view
Ultra modern
The old Fulham Park Stud homestead, in the 1980s still had some horse yards beside it.

For more information on Fulham Park Stud check here.

Being a walk beside water there have to be birds.

Black Swan
Wood Duck
Mallards
Domestic duck
Magpie-lark
Noisy Miner
Little Pied Cormorant
Little Black Cormorants

We crossed the river using the big stones rather than trying to negotiate the trucks on the bridge then took the path with the mosaics back to the car.

People obviously feed the ducks at this spot.
Swan and cygnet mosaic

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