Monday, May 31, 2010

Bribie Island Pacific Stripes

The northern-most point of  Moreton Bay, between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, lies Bribie Island. It's a sand island about 34kms long. People live on the southern part but up in the north,  and a large section of it is national park. The beaches on the ocean side are gorgeous with fine, white sand and largely empty.

The guide I was with told me that the sand comes from the Blue Mountains in New South Wales, a thousand kilometres south. The mountains erode and make their way into the water systems eventually getting washed out to sea. The eroded material gets rolled around and ground into sand in the ocean and travels up the pacific, depositing on the coast as it goes. By the time it gets up here, it has been ground up so much that the sand is very fine - almost like flour.

6 comments:

Julie said...

I love the stripes ... the theory of sand deposition from the Blue Mountains I am a little sceptical about ...

Annie said...

Yes,, love the photo Cara. Love the ocean, wherever the sand comes from, it's always lovely to walk upon!

I would have thought that the sand comes from any number of rivers and creeks where silt has washed out into the ocean, wouldn't you? Perhaps he meant the Great Dividing Range, (which of course we all know, goes the full length of the Eastern Coast)?

cara said...

Yes I have to admit it sounds pretty far-fetched. I've had a check around on the internet and couldn't find anything to substantiate it - probably should have done that before I publshed my post, eh?!

Anonymous said...

Who cares where the sand is from, that scene is just wonderful and I could do with a few days on a beautiful sun-kissed beach like that. Brill shot!

Steve Capelin said...

Love this. I'm in Singapore. You make me homesick.

Anonymous said...

What a great photo Cara.
You have captured Bribie Island perfectly.

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