Cape Hillsborough :: Upon a Rocky Shore

            Beaches, rocky headlands covered in hoop pines, and diverse volcanic rock formations make for a scenic landscape backing this tropical Coral Sea at Cape Hillsborough National Park. Viewed from Casuarina Beach looking due north, the sight of hoop pine forests clothing the headlands delighted us. A Walk to Wedge Island (a tied island with tombolo) was full of surprises for the diverse collection of rock outcrops, boulders and rocks on the sandy beach representing different phases of volcanic eruptions made us ask many wondering questions. The Wedge Island coral reef visible in the water reminded us of the diversity of marine life of the marine park  in this tropical ocean.
And the wonderings kept flowing, as the kangaroos arrived on the beach, and as we walked into the coastal forest which transitioned to rainforest the further we walked. 
But our walks always brought us back to shore of an aquamarine sea beneath an azure sky. Behold the sunlit beauty of this coast.
Today: mid-winter Max 23C, sunny.

The GEOLOGY STORY: 
On arrival at Casuarina Beach in Cape Hillsborough National Park, the rocky hills, cliffs and sea stacks immediately announce that one is standing among the remnants of remnants of a volcano. It erupted explosively about 34 million years BP. "It was the first of a line of volcanoes that erupted down the eastern side of Australia from 34 to six million years ago, as the Australian crustal plate drifted northwards over a stationary ‘hot-spot’ in the Earth’s mantle below." [Qld Dept of Environment and Science]
The earliest lavas of this volcano were basalt, but later eruptions extruded rhyolite, which is very sticky and gas-rich, and commonly gives explosive eruptions. Fine ash, or tuff, and coarser cobble and boulder agglomerate from early eruptions can be seen in the area nearby, especially noticeable on the beach, are very large boulders that seem too contorted to be natural. Boulders of all these rock types have been thrown up on to the beaches by storm waves and are fascinating to explore and photograph.
By walking to the end of the beach, negotiating fantastic boulders on the way, it is possible at low tide and in fine weather to walk along the tombolo of boulders tying Wedge Island to the mainland. While hiking the tombolo one will come across some of the older pediment rocks - the base on which the volcanic extrusions were deposited. These old basal rocks are marine sedimentary rocks composed of shell fragments, coral and limestone. These rocks have been dated back another 30 million years before the volcanic eruptions occurred. Clambering on the rocky points and cliffs of Wedge Island it isn't hard to imagine the volcanic history of the area.
On returning to the beach, the expanse of sand one will notice the shimmering of the sunlight on the grains of mica sand contained in the beach. These sands have been derived from erosion of granite rocks in the Pioneer Valley and carried to see by the Pioneer River, then transported along the coast by the northward longshore movements of sand and sediments generated by the prevailing south-east winds and wave breaks along the coast. And so new rocks will form from these beach sediments.
   

Taken in: Australia / Queensland / Belmunda (show map)

Taken on: September 7, 2021

Tags:

breccia

volcanic legacy

shore

shoreline

North Queensland

Pioneer

Mackay

Cape Hillsborough

Araucaria

hoop pine

national park

In Explore

qld

Queensland

Australia « less

Sets appears in: • Explore & Special Awards • AU Q Coast more » • Changing Surface of the Earth • National Parks « less

Groups appears in: • Australian Natural • Trove: Australia in Pictures more » • Australian Landscape Photography • Awesome Nature • Australian Beach Scenery • Australian National Parks - No Invite required • Australian Landscapes • Australian Beaches (geotagged) • ! !^Make Me Wonder Level 1 • * TRAVEL * (Please COMMENT with the CODE !) • Australia All Over • Australian Beaches • Landscape Photography Magazine • THE LOOK level 1 RED • THE LOOK level 2 YELLOW • THE LOOK level 3 ORANGE • Volcanic Legacy • Australia's Gallery of Excellence • in explore • Landscapes geotagged on Flickr's map with both titles & caption • *Wonderful Water & Landscapes* • Australia, Our Great Southern Land • **L´eau - The water • The Map Group • 0 fave and more/ never mind the amount/ • Beautiful landscapes, Beaux paysages • - Landscapes, Landschaften, Paysages - All around the World - • WONDERS OF PHOTOGRAPHY IN GENERAL.MARAVILLAS DE LA FOTOGRAFIA EN « less

Camera: Canon EOS 80D, f/7.1, 1/320 sec, 135mm, ISO 100 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon EOS 80D
Lens:	EF-S18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM
Aperture:	f/7.1
Exposure Time:	0.003 sec (1/320)
Focal Length:	135mm
ISO:	100
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	No Flash
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop 24.4 (Windows)
Show full info

Stats: 6,832 views / 116 comments