Tag: Nature
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A roof of dense foliage
A roof of dense foliage Without the support posts, this living monument would soon collapse under its own weight. A tree on crutches – not to walk with, but to stay upright.Whether it’s a freak of nature or a labour of love – it’s certainly impressive. Photo of the week: Nagamachi samurai district, Kanazawa, Japan 2008
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The woman in the trees
The woman in the trees A sound echoed through the forest, but I couldn’t work out where it was coming from. Then, suddenly, I saw a nymph moving high up in the oak trees. Surprised, I called out: “What are you doing up there?” She gave me a broad smile and called back: “Je fais…
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Kerala revisited
Kerala revisited When I think of Kerala, images from the early years of my life as a filmmaker-anthropologist come to mind. In the 1970s and early 1980s, my connection with India centred on Kerala. Spread over numerous visits, I spent at least a year there, if not longer. And although I have been back to…
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White magic
White magic The deserted flatland near Mount Conner – visible in the distance on the far right – that we already saw in last week’s post gets here and there magically lit up by dry salt lakes. White magic from the ancestral beings! Photos of the week: Salt lakes in Central Australia near Mount Conner,…
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3 persons / km²
3 persons / km² Australia, the 6th largest country in the world, measures about 7.7 million km². With its 24 million people it is one of the least densely populated countries on earth, only 3 inhabitants per km². Quite a difference with my tiny home country The Netherlands which has more than 400 people per…
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Sand sand sand
Sand sand sand For once it’s me in the picture, and the credit for this photo has to go to my wife. Maybe she took it because I’m about to disappear and she’s afraid of seeing the last of me! We are not crossing a desert but a desolate sand beach on a day with…
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Rain forests
Rain forests When I hear the word ‘rain forest’ I usually think of a ‘luxuriant tropical forest with heavy rainfall’, in accordance with the definition given by my Oxford dictionary. But there are also rain forests in temperate climates. These forests are luxuriant too, be it not hot and damp as the tropical ones, but cool and…
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Fern trees
Fern trees For millions of years New Zealand has been isolated from the rest of the world. That’s why nature could develop on these islands without much interference from outside. The result is that about 80% of the plants and trees in New Zealand are only found there and nowhere else on Earth. Interestingly, certain species…
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Charming Creek
Charming Creek From 1928 onward, the Charming Creek Valley on the west coast of New Zealand’s South Island became the scene of industrious coal-mining activity. A small railway track was built through the valley along the creek to transport the coal from the mine, which was about 10 kilometer inland, to the coast. After 30…
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Battlefield after the battle
Battlefield after the battle Judging from the stumps that are left of them, the trees that once inhabited this little valley must have formed a nice and green copse. Something like the one nearby in the picture below. But alas, they were no match for the army of humans that came and felled each one of…
