tiabunna's photos with the keyword: rolling

Macquarie Island 1968: Taking a break on the plat…

06 Feb 2013 1 626
From an old slide. The main plateau is over 30km long, so walking it requires a few breaks. This much younger version of me is doing just that. The plateau is frequently enshrouded in cloud (as is rolling in here), so marker pegs provide guidance on the main walking routes.

Macquarie Island 1968: Plateau seastacks

30 Jan 2013 4 6 716
From an old slide. This was taken on the plateau of Macquarie Island, somewhere about 300 metres above sea level. I was impressed by these rocks, looking so much like the sea stacks (see my earlier coastal shots). Years later, geological research showed that Macquarie Island is unique in being the only place in the world where an active mid-ocean ridge is actually rising above the ocean surface and exposing rocks from the earth's mantle. In geological terms the island is very new (8-10 million years) : no wonder I saw "sea stacks" on the plateau! Macquarie Island was added to the World Heritage List in 1997 because of its geological importance and uniqueness.

Macquarie Island 1968: Plateau Lakes

01 Feb 2013 606
From an old slide. Macquarie has rainfall on most days, so it is unsurprising there are a number of small lakes on the plateau. I am fairly sure that insects are the largest life forms to be found in them.

Macquarie Island 1968: Plateau

01 Feb 2013 396
From an old slide. Macquarie is treeless (not surprising as it rose from the ocean only recently) and grasses struggle to grow on many of the poor soils of the windswept plateau. (Suggest view on black)