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Wandering Sands


Wandering Sands
Photo Information
Copyright: Janice Dunn (Janice) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3317 W: 148 N: 6136] (18716)
Genre: Landscapes
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-01-08
Categories: Seascape
Camera: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P8
Exposure: f/5.6, 1/800 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2005-04-14 5:05
Viewed: 2672
Points: 16
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Sand Dunes of New Zealand

"On many parts of the NZ coast, sand is continually being brought on to the shore by the advancing waves. In the neighbourhood of high-water mark the shore soon becomes dry, and the sand is then borne landwards by any wind coming from the sea. Where the sand accumulates faster than it is being blown away, a hill, or a dune as it is frequently called, is formed. Any obstacle in the path of the blown sand will also arrest its progress and cause it heaping up . . .
Seafriends NZ www.seafriends.org.nz

Different native grasses are used on these sand dunes to hold the sand there. These are two of them:

1: Pikao (or Pingao) the Golden Sand Sedge
Desmoschenus spiralis / Desmoschenus spiralis Pingao

Pingao is a sand binding plant that holds the shifting dunes together. This hardy grass has seedheads that are dispersed as ‘tumble weeds’ that are driven by the wind, and you can see them cartwheeling along the beach. It has rope-like horizontal stems that run through the sanddunes. Pikao stabilise the sandy coast by trapping wind blown sand between its leaves and around the base of the plant and the long rope like rhizomes it sends out

The Maori would sing about this tumbleweed:
Kia tipu tonu koutou, ake ake ake!
May you grow on forever and ever.

2: Spinifex sericeus - Silvery Sand Grass

Spinifex is a tough coastal plant - Silvery Sand Grass, that can cope with salt spray, drought, extreme temperatures, strong winds and shifting sand. Spinifex sericeus is a type of grass that puts out strong, creeping runners or stolons across sand dunes. The plant catches sand as it blows up from the beach. Although the sand falls on to the dune and partially buries the plant, the spinifex grows through it. This is how it helps to produce sand dunes. It also stabilises the dunes by holding the sand together with its roots and stolons.

Puffy / Sweety posted a terrific photo of a tumbleweed on the beach last month. It is worth looking at…
red45, Fisher, touristdidi, honza, marhowie, fungiman, dew77, carper, gerhardt has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To cafecrem: Hi JoannaJanice 2 04-15 03:07
To touristdidi: Ice plantsJanice 1 04-14 16:07
To red45: White sandJanice 1 04-14 06:16
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • red45 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2732 W: 74 N: 8956] (30561)
  • [2005-04-14 5:51]
  • [+]

I love Maori language! Like singing vibrant song! You remind me summer and beaches Jancie! In Poland we've got only sandy beaches with white/yellow sand. I would like to walk one of this, barefoot... Good shot, very interesting note. I like contrast between sands and plants ;-)

  • Great 
  • sAner Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1488 W: 72 N: 1428] (4748)
  • [2005-04-14 6:29]

This look fairytalish (is that even an English word) Janice. Very well composed and the frame is perfect. Nice colors and interesting note. TFS!

Well done on this presentation. Excelent capture and composition.

Mike

How nice. In California we have ice plants on the beach...

  • Great 
  • honza Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 537 W: 0 N: 716] (4191)
  • [2005-04-14 8:47]

Interesting shot Janice. Very good composition and colors. Perfect note.

halo Janice!
This sands look like salt!!! Very original photo. I have some photo from polish dunes but they isn't made by digital camera. So I think quality wouldn't goo to post it ;-(

  • Great 
  • puciu Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 519 W: 0 N: 16] (2603)
  • [2005-04-15 10:36]

Janice, very pleasant landscape. Excellent coloristic.

very nice one Janice,
It is like an art this photo, the composition is well chosen, the colours are realy super, I like it a lot, very good job.
gr. Jaap

  •      
  • gerhardt Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1976 W: 259 N: 4103] (11585)
  • [2005-04-19 7:28]

Its a nice supporting photograph for a very interesting note. I really enjoyed this post. Very well done.

PT.

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