MY WORLD ~ Feet and Faces of Sacred Canyon

At the entrance of Sacred Canyon in the Flinders Ranges of

South Australia, sentinels of great age have grown faces to

protect this important dryland waterhole. The wonderful Roz

gives scale to the enormous feet of this Eucalyptus camaldulensis

with its roots dug deep into the earth to a depth of 60' and more.

Look up and a face looks toward the canyon . . .

you feel like checking your back when you have passed them

Sometimes there is just one, sometimes a group occupying

a limb of a tree.

Another tree with its feet gripping the stony earth.

Another face, old and wrinkled like a fearful soldier of Mordor.

Feet of great age need cooling . . . the common name of this

Eucalyptus is river red gum, because it grows in and along

watercourses and has the most beautiful red, termite proof

timber extensively used for railway sleepers that are still

intact when being replaced by concrete ones after lasting

more than 100 years.

More shadowy faces, if I had been alone, I would have turned

back at this point. They looked threatening and protective

of this Aboriginal water hole.

All being well, next week I'll show the canyon itself. It was a

truly magical place.

All photos enlarge.

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