Cooktown Trip (Group 27) - Environmental Disaster Near Finch Bay - Cooktown

I was astounded to see this. I went for a walk through a lot of the area but it is really extensive and I just saw a bit of it. All these dead trees like someone had killed them. I am doing this posting in three groups. This is the first.

 

I took lots of photos and recently I contacted the Cooktown Shire Council by email and phone and spoke to the man who handles the environment for the Shire. He explained that for the 2 years 2001 and 2002 there was very reduced rainfall and this whole wetlands area dried up with the water table rising allowing the salt water to rise and contact the roots of these magnificent paperbark trees. (melaluecas). These are the swamp tea trees that can be hundreds of years old and can be massive. As a result they died and that allowed the whole area to be infested by weeds (more on that later). I think this swamp must drain into the small creek that exits at Finch Bay

 

This is just one of the many views in this area. It makes it look stark and I was there in late afternoon but I can just imagine what full moon would look like.

Done