On the very warm weekend just passed, we sought out the cooling sea breeze that fans the narrow peninsula of Wellington Point.
One view from the Wellington Point peninsula.
Jutting out into Moreton Bay, the tip of the peninsula that is the Wellington Point Recreation Reserve, is lapped by ocean on both sides. There are huge, old Moreton Bay Fig Trees that offer up wonderful tree-climbing opportunities as well as shady picnic spots. Most welcome on a hot day!
A younger Moreton Bay Fig
North Stradbroke Island in the distance.
Off its Eastern side, there's a distant view of our much-loved Straddie island, from which we have not long ago returned. We jokingly talked about heading for the barge!
A low-tide sand bridge.
At low tide, a very special walk emerges from under the Moreton Bay waves. A sandy "bridge" forms a path out to tiny King Island or Yerra-bin as it is called by its traditional owners. There are photos here of the sand bar at low tide.
View of Yerra-bin (King Island) from the Wellington Point shore.
Though not quite low tide, we were able to wade across the sand bridge and out to the island. It's about two kilometres there and back again. The water was so very warm, bath-like in places! I did not take a camera with me as I knew we were going to get wet (and, knowing me, I would also be likely to drop it in the sea) but you can see photos of this tiny island here.
People walking out along the sand bridge towards the island.
Now a conservation park, circled by mangroves and visited by seabirds, a plaque on the island tells how it was once home to a family who lived there for a couple of years in the very early 1900s. I wonder how often they walked back across the sand bridge?
A photo of the sand bar taken around 1895.
(Photo taken by H. Adler and held by State Library of Queensland.
Image now in public domain.)
It had been many years since we were last out at Wellington Point. It's nice to return to places after such a long time. The cooling sea breeze did not disappoint either!
Meg
Meg
It looks like a very special location, Meg. I get a real feel for it from your photos and description.
ReplyDeleteIt's a very popular place to swim and picnic and walk, Stephanie. It's amazing how you can walk right out to that little island and back again when the tide is low enough for the sand bar to emerge. Meg:)
DeleteIt looks like a beautiful place, Meg.
ReplyDeleteI hope your area is not affected by bush fires. I have been reading news from Australia and it's so sad to see the devastation.
Although we live very close to bushland here, Nil, we have luckily not had any bushfires in our area. It is the southern states of Australia where so much of the devastation has occurred. It is incredibly sad what is happening in our beautiful country. Thank you for your caring thoughts. MegXx
DeleteLovely for you to spend a hot day at "Wello", and good to see the Moreton Bay Figs still standing......I would've sat under them many times having an ice cream. A group of us kids used to catch the train up from Cleveland, and would walk out to King Island as well. Apparently a family whose daughter had polio lived there, the doctor told them it would help her if she was bathed in salt water every day. The father used to row to the mainland to work. It's such a beautiful area.
ReplyDeleteHow lovely that you have such happy memories of "Wello", Nanette. Sitting under those big old fig trees is the perfect place to enjoy an ice-cream! Thank you for sharing a bit more too of the history of King Island. Imagine rowing to work each morning! Meg:)
DeleteI've wanted to go there for years however as you say it has to be low tide, on a weekend, when the kids are with me...thanks for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely visit at low tide if you don't plan on getting wet walking across to King Island, Kathy.
DeleteMeg:)
What a beautiful place to go for a walk, thank you for sharing your photos. I am glad you found somewhere to cool down in the heat.
ReplyDeleteThe sea breeze was beautiful! It made for a very balmy afternoon outdoors. Meg:)
DeleteSounds a perfect day, and a lovely read on a very dull day here in UK.
ReplyDeleteIt was a lovely day, Marlene. Very nice to spend time outside without melting! I hope the weather improves for you. Meg:)
DeleteIt looks like the perfect place to spend a hot day.
ReplyDeleteThe sea breeze really cools things down, Jan. We had a most lovely time. Meg:)
DeleteBeautiful, refreshing photos! It must've felt so great to walk about there! Andrea
ReplyDeleteIt's a great walk to do, Andrea, out across the sand bar to the little island. Quite fun! Meg:)
DeleteWhat a lovely place to live
ReplyDeleteIt’s been hot here so see breezes would be very welcomed.
Thank you for your encouragement on my blog
Wow that is such a pretty place Meg, and the weather looked to be perfect.
ReplyDeletexTania