Fremantlebiz - Paul's Letter from Australia 26/11/08 9:10 AM

fremantlebiz Log out You are viewing your journal Explore LJ: Life Entertainment Music Culture News & Politics Technology
Home Post Friends Page View Recent Comments Manage Entries Invite Friends Search... Interest Go

Fremantlebiz - Paul's Letter from Australia

[Most Recent Entries] [Calendar View] [Friends View]

Wednesday, November 26th, 2008

Time Event
8:50aRottnest Island - Lake Herschell

Lake Herschell is a place most people pass on the way to somewhere

else. The lake is part of a cluster of hypersaline lakes in the central-
eastern part of the island. In the 1830s they were known singularly as
Threefold Lake and there was a connection to Settlers' Lake, which is
now named Lake Baghdad. The latter is now isolated, possibly by
minor earthworks to protect a vehicle track.

The old connection between Lakes Herschell and Baghdad</font>

The eastern and northern shores of Lake Herschell have been graced
with a bitumen road which connects between the Thompson Bay and
Geordie Bay Settlements. Its southern extremity is demarked by an
artificial causway originally built by Aboriginal prisoners in the
nineteenth century to service a salt works. That route was eventually
extended to provide a direct route to Cape Vlamingh on the western end
of the island.

Facing west, the northern shoreline of Lake Herschell

Nowadays cycling tourists and occasional vehicles using both routes.

Even though we had bikes, we chose to walk both routes several times
in October because quite frankly we enjoy hiking and have a theory
that one sees more.

The western side of the lake has a limestone ridge named Mount
Herschell. I partially described it on 22 October 2008. It has a super-
duper wind turbine and and acres of obsolete sealed tarmac for water

http://fremantlebiz.livejournal.com/2008/11/26/ Page 1 of 3
Fremantlebiz - Paul's Letter from Australia 26/11/08 9:10 AM

catchment. On the shoreside of the ridge, adjacent to the roadway are

shallow undercuts (caves) in the limestone. There is a theory these
were caused by higher water levels in the ancient past, but we noticed
by another lake that the process is still happening, apparently from wind
and spray.

A Quokka poses by an undercut

I've placed two experimental panoramas on my Panoramio website of

Lake Herschell. They were taken on different days and show how
splendid the lake still is despite the environmental stress imposed on it
by human activities.

The first was taken on 1 October 2008. There was a strong sou'wester
blowing. The waves were being whipped up sufficiently to create a
frothy spume which was then blown ashore. You can see while blobs of
it along the shoreline. The road to Geordie Bay is often covered with it.
If you look closely you'll see my wife wearing a blue jacket.

The second panorama was taken two days later on 3 October 2008.
The wind had dropped and there was barely a ripple to be see. Some
might say it was picture perfect, but I like both conditions. On the far
side of the lake can be seen an old house. This is a home of peace for
island rangers.

The final picture shows the limestone ridge of Mount Herschell which
overlooks Lake Herschell. The pine trees to the right are on an awful
golf course which hardly anyone uses.

The ridge adjacent to Lake Herschell

© MMVIII Paul R. Weaver.

Click here to visit 'dogandcatwatcher', my YouTube website.

Original still photographs are stored online in a cache at my Panoramio

website or my Picasa site. Most of them have a brief description
and a link back to a relevant essay. Images on Panoramio can usually
be enlarged several times by clicking them.

About the writer

http://fremantlebiz.livejournal.com/2008/11/26/ Page 2 of 3
Fremantlebiz - Paul's Letter from Australia 26/11/08 9:10 AM

Click here to see our backyard.

Check out each month's subject index on the Calendar Page for my
"common-man" monologues about survival in 21st century Australia –
plus a little history occasionally. An original essay is added most days
as part of an undertaking to write at least couple of million words.
Zzzzzzzz!

(Comment on this)

2008/11/26
<< Previous Day
[Calendar]

About LiveJournal.com

http://fremantlebiz.livejournal.com/2008/11/26/ Page 3 of 3