Hervey Bay & Fraser Island
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The very beautiful Lake McKenzie on Fraser Island in Queensland. Yes the sand is really that white and yes the water is really that blue and turquoise. Nothing can prepare you for its beauty, you truly have to see it for yourself. It is breathtaking and like heaven on earth. There are many different aspects to Fraser Island, but the awe-inspiring beauty of Lake McKenzie makes it probably the most visited natural site on the island. It is a ‘perched’ lake, which means it contains only rainwater, no groundwater, is not fed by streams and does not flow to the ocean. The sand and organic matter at the base of the lake form an impervious layer, preventing rainwater from draining away. " The sand here is pure, white silica and is not only beautiful to look at but feels beautifully soft to walk on. The sand acts as a filter, giving the water its clarity and helping to make the water so pure it can support very little life. The blues and greens of the lake are endlessly fascinating and it's well worth getting up early to look across it in the soft light of dawn." www.visitfrasercoast.com/Detail/ID/Lake-McKenzie
How beautiful is the coastline of Fraser Island. The coloured sand and the gorgeous blue of the ocean make this a spectacular spot. The colours are caused by the leaching of oxides and the decay of vegetation that coats each grain of sand, causing bands of colour. Underlying parts of the windblown sand masses of Fraser Island and Cooloola are coloured sands — the visible parts of older sand that have bound with clay into a weakly consolidated mass. The yellows, browns and reds (rusty colours) are colours created by iron-rich minerals in the dune sands which, over thousands of years, stain the sand a complex array of tones and hues. www.tourfraser.com.au/fraser-island/fraser-island-coloure...
Bad weather was on the way but it made for lovely muted light and colour
The very beautiful Lake McKenzie on Fraser Island in Queensland. Yes the sand is really that white and yes the water is really that blue and turquoise. Nothing can prepare you for its beauty, you truly have to see it for yourself. It is breathtaking and like heaven on earth. "There are many different aspects to Fraser Island, but the awe-inspiring beauty of Lake McKenzie makes it probably the most visited natural site on the island. It is a ‘perched’ lake, which means it contains only rainwater, no groundwater, is not fed by streams and does not flow to the ocean. The sand and organic matter at the base of the lake form an impervious layer, preventing rainwater from draining away. The sand here is pure, white silica and is not only beautiful to look at but feels beautifully soft to walk on. The sand acts as a filter, giving the water its clarity and helping to make the water so pure it can support very little life. The blues and greens of the lake are endlessly fascinating and it's well worth getting up early to look across it in the soft light of dawn." www.visitfrasercoast.com/Detail/ID/Lake-McKenzie
Not a cloud in the sky but still a very pretty sunrise and a very nice way to start my long weekend in the Hervey Bay and Fraser Island region. I love the wave movement in this shot, don't you? Right next to this picturesque jetty is a wonderful little cafe called Enzo's on the beach.... and it is actually right on the beach front. I can vouch for their very delicious breakfasts and they do wonderful coffee.
HB 30 Reflections on the Rocks
A stunning end to a fun filled day photographing Ospreys and Turtles in Hervey Bay.
The very beautiful Lake McKenzie on Fraser Island in Queensland. Yes the sand is really that white and yes the water is really that blue and turquoise. Nothing can prepare you for its beauty, you truly have to see it for yourself. It is breathtaking and like heaven on earth. "There are many different aspects to Fraser Island, but the awe-inspiring beauty of Lake McKenzie makes it probably the most visited natural site on the island. It is a ‘perched’ lake, which means it contains only rainwater, no groundwater, is not fed by streams and does not flow to the ocean. The sand and organic matter at the base of the lake form an impervious layer, preventing rainwater from draining away. The sand here is pure, white silica and is not only beautiful to look at but feels beautifully soft to walk on. The sand acts as a filter, giving the water its clarity and helping to make the water so pure it can support very little life. The blues and greens of the lake are endlessly fascinating and it's well worth getting up early to look across it in the soft light of dawn." www.visitfrasercoast.com/Detail/ID/Lake-McKenzie
Not a cloud in the sky but still a very pretty sunrise and a very nice way to start my long weekend in the Hervey Bay and Fraser Island region. I love the wave movement in this shot, don't you? Right next to this picturesque jetty is a wonderful little cafe called Enzo's on the beach.... and it is actually right on the beach front. I can vouch for their very delicious breakfasts and they do wonderful coffee.
My friends and I could not believe our luck when these 2 endangered green turtles (chelonian Mydas) began mating not 2 metres from us. It lasted approx.15 minutes but it not unusual for them to copulate for several hours. Needless to say that I have so many photographs to process. What a special experience and one I will never forget. All my images are for sale www.bethwodephotography.com.au Reproduction Green turtles are polygynandrous, meaning that females and males will have multiple mates. Copulation occurs in the shallow waters off the shore of nesting beaches. When females accept a mate, the male will mount her and grab onto her "mating notches" around her shoulders to assist in copulation (Hirth, 1971). Male green turtles also are known to join other mating pairs during copulation by latching onto other males for hours on end in attempts to dislodge the mating male. The reproduction process usually follows a system such as: male searches for a female mate, the male will visually examine and then approach the female, the female will either submit or reject the male,then possible copulation. Copulation can last several hours, with the longest mounting episode lasting 119 hours. Female green turtles average a total of 15 days between initial mounting by a male to the time they attempt to nest on their respective natal beaches. ("Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas)", Females are known to revisit their natal beaches in 2-4 year intervals to breed from June to September. If they don't return to their natal beach, they will select a beach with similar sand texture and color. Hirth (1971, as cited in Carr and Ogren 1960) describes predictable actions by females when they approach a nesting beach. Although they may not complete every action, the process usually begins with the turtles approaching the beach and selecting a suitable nest site. The females begin clearing the area of debris and digging a hole with their front legs. After laying eggs, the females fill the nest with sand as a way to camouflage and conceal the eggs. Then, the female turtles return to the sea. Female green turtles can lay 1- 9 clutches in a single nesting season, but tend to average around 3. Each of these clutches can include 75-200 eggs. After nesting, it usually takes 45-75 days for the eggs to hatch. The hatchings weigh approximately 26g on average. Once the eggs hatch, the hatchlings will begin their journey towards the ocean. From here the hatchlings will begin the juvenile portion of their life which can last 27-50 years before reaching full maturity. animaldiversity.org/accounts/Chelonia_mydas/
The Maheno wreck on Fraser Island is a popular tourist stop. I last visited here about 10 years ago and can't believe how much of her has been claimed by the sea. If you would like know more please click on the link below. https://nomadsfraserisland.com/blog/fraser-island-s-maheno-shipwreck-interesting-facts
Not a cloud in the sky but still a very pretty sunrise and a very nice way to start my long weekend in the Hervey Bay and Fraser Island region. Right next to this picturesque jetty is a wonderful little cafe called Enzo's on the beach.... and it is actually right on the beach front. I can vouch for their very delicious breakfasts and they do wonderful coffee.
My friends and I could not believe our luck when these 2 endangered green turtles (chelonian Mydas) began mating not 2 metres from us. It lasted approx.15 minutes but it not unusual for them to copulate for several hours. Needless to say that I have so many photographs to process. What a special experience and one I will never forget. All my images are for sale www.bethwodephotography.com.au Reproduction Green turtles are polygynandrous, meaning that females and males will have multiple mates. Copulation occurs in the shallow waters off the shore of nesting beaches. When females accept a mate, the male will mount her and grab onto her "mating notches" around her shoulders to assist in copulation (Hirth, 1971). Male green turtles also are known to join other mating pairs during copulation by latching onto other males for hours on end in attempts to dislodge the mating male. The reproduction process usually follows a system such as: male searches for a female mate, the male will visually examine and then approach the female, the female will either submit or reject the male,then possible copulation. Copulation can last several hours, with the longest mounting episode lasting 119 hours. Female green turtles average a total of 15 days between initial mounting by a male to the time they attempt to nest on their respective natal beaches. ("Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas)", Females are known to revisit their natal beaches in 2-4 year intervals to breed from June to September. If they don't return to their natal beach, they will select a beach with similar sand texture and color. Hirth (1971, as cited in Carr and Ogren 1960) describes predictable actions by females when they approach a nesting beach. Although they may not complete every action, the process usually begins with the turtles approaching the beach and selecting a suitable nest site. The females begin clearing the area of debris and digging a hole with their front legs. After laying eggs, the females fill the nest with sand as a way to camouflage and conceal the eggs. Then, the female turtles return to the sea. Female green turtles can lay 1- 9 clutches in a single nesting season, but tend to average around 3. Each of these clutches can include 75-200 eggs. After nesting, it usually takes 45-75 days for the eggs to hatch. The hatchings weigh approximately 26g on average. Once the eggs hatch, the hatchlings will begin their journey towards the ocean. From here the hatchlings will begin the juvenile portion of their life which can last 27-50 years before reaching full maturity. animaldiversity.org/accounts/Chelonia_mydas/