Hello!
So – the other day. It was raining (a lot) and it wasn’t warm (really cold) but we decided to walk along Anniversary Bay and follow the coastline up to our favourite shell fossicking beach to see if we could find some cowries.
You know… because thats high on our ‘Must Do’ list (that I currently need a small bound book to keep them in haha.)
I just love the rocky shoreline. Its a real scramble picking your way across. We were at low tide, so plenty of the shore was exposed so we could walk over it.
I am pretty sure above is a sharks egg case. Cool huh?
The rain eased off so I was able to get the camera out for a few snaps.
It got put away when I had to use all hands and feet to get across some of the rocks though.
Along the way we could hear the black cockatoos calling out – and there they were! Chowing down on the seed pods in the bushes!
I didn’t have a suitable lens but nevertheless I was able to get reasonably close and they weren’t particularly fazed by our presence
They really are a beautiful bird – they have a distinctive cry – like a squeaky gate!!
If I get my act together, some time and enthusiasm, I’d like to return with the longer lens.
Ever changing rock colours
A small stream crossing. (Yes, by this point I have at least one wet foot)
You can tell its not just a normal hike or walk with the rocks to navigate over!
There is so much to look at too, whether you are looking at the big views or the small details.
This is an elephant snail!! I was so surprised to see one. It was a bit high up on the tide line too. The shell isn’t normally so visible as the soft parts of their body often cover most of it. Quite a fleshy creature and was a good addition to mealtimes for the Aboriginal people who used to live in the area.
Eventually we reached the sections where lots of shells had washed up and started having some fun searching through them
The cowries in this area on the beach are generally only small. That day we found the most we have ever found! I didn’t get a photo of our ‘loot’ but there were heaps!
Once we stopped, we got a bit chilled fairly quickly. Luckily the sun decided to put in an appearance at this point.
Jeff – in Overland Mode – had brought the gear to make us up some hot drinks!
That was very welcome indeed!
Is this living the high life or what?
Eventually we had to start the trek back as the tide was coming back in. Wasn’t keen to do any wading that day.
What a beauty! Even managed to get this back home in one piece!!
I left this one on the shore. I suspect it hadn’t finished decomposing the insides. Best left behind!
Oh and remember my ‘Not Ambergris’ story?
Well… there are more samples of that dreadfully smelly sponge on the beach at the moment too.
I’d forgotten how diabolically stinky it is!!
A much less stinky and more pretty sponge!!
All in all, it was a fabulous day out – just what we needed!
Hope everyone is having a great weekend!
Cheers!
This landlocked girl is pretty envious of your beach excursions. I’m drooling over all the shells!
😀 lol! Its a slog to get to those shells but well worth it! Its like the little kid inside of us never left as we get excited by finding the beach treasures! 🙂
I totally agree! You would probably have to drag me off there for the tides! Leaving now to google ‘elephant snail’!
I find it so hard to leave the beaches… head down, dragging feet just in case I find one last cool thing!! lol
I really like the elephant snails. They are rather soft and velvety I think. Pity that one didn’t have his little feelers poking out! Probably waiting for the tide to return.
I am envious of your shelling. The scenery was just gorgeous. I think cloudy days make the best pics.
Sunny days are lovely to walk in but the cloudy days are totally the best for photos – if the clouds are interesting lol – I totally agree!
My kids love shell hunting and I’m pretty sure they would be over the moon if they could come across a pile of shells like that (and want to take every single one of them back!) amazing!!
It is a lot of fun! Thats why we walk with packs… to bring them all back! haha – we are slightly selective but its like being a kid in a candy-shop!!
The shells are gorgeous. What is so special about the cowrie shell versus all of the others? More scarce? When we go to Ocracoke Island, Outer Banks North Carolina, I search for the illusion whole Scotch Bonnet Shell. I always find broken ones as the bonnet is more delicate and breaks, so you find the thicker lip area of the shell. This summer on my last day at the beach, I found two whole Scotch Bonnets! Jumped for joy… thought I’d won the lottery! Simple pleasures.
Yes – the cowries are usually the scarce ones. Maybe something too back in history about them being used as currency? I just looked up the Scotch Bonnet Shell! Lovely! We collect something similar down at Black River Beach… I’ll have to hunt up a photo and research to see if its the same or similar.
And I agree whole-heartedly. We find something rare or unusual and it gives such a thrill!! 🙂
My cousins grew up in Africa and when they would come to the states every fifth year, they would bring cowrie shells to hand out. They said the native Africans used them as currency. I had never seen or heard of a cowrie before that. I kept them all these years, so was surprised to see you mention them.
What a nice childhood memory! And you kept them too!! 🙂 I haven’t looked up who used them as currency, but I always assumed it would have been people growing up on little Pacific islands or something!! I should stroll past Google for a look!