Gooseneck Barnacles

[Update] – The source of the pumice is likely to be from the 2012 Havre Seamount eruption 800km NE of New Zealand. The eruption of this undersea volcano produced floating rafts of pumice estimated to be up 26,000 km²! Thanks for the info Matt!

These shelled creatures are known as Gooseneck barnacles. They were covering the recently washed up pumice on Elizabeth beach. Many of them were still alive, you could see them extending their fan like fronds.

Pumice forms in violent volcanic eruptions with explosive ejections of magma that cool so quickly that they solidify with fine bubbles of gas throughout. The resulting rock is of such low density that floats on water. The volcano that this pumice came from must have been a long way away, nothing like that near the east coast of Australia.

Gooseneck barnacles attached to pumice

 

Unusual Rock Formation

This is a collection of unusual structures on the underside of a small sandstone overhang. It’s made of different material than the surrounding sandstone, it’s a hard to the touch with no visible sand grains. Most of the surface is made of tiny nodules that almost look like condensation on a cold surface. In the center is a more prominent raised area that looks like a cast of an animal burrow.

Unusual formation in a sandstone overhang. Looks like a cast of an animal burrow. Camera cap for scale

It’s located at the base of a gully near a creek, it looks like it goes through wetting and drying cycles as rain runoff flows and drys. I wonder if it  could be the slow build up of minerals that are carried in the water then are deposited as it drys out.

 

Wider view of the same area. The surrounding nodules are visible. The wet overhanging sandstone can be seen at the top left.

 

King Parrot

Alisterus scapularis

The King Parrot is another common bird in the the area that I was oblivious to until recently. It was my next door neighbor that pointed them out to me. I reckon the name suits, they are a medium to large bird, 43cm in length, males have a striking red colouring  over their head, breast and underside and have deep green wings. Females are the same size with similar colouring but with green heads.

King Parrots are frequent visitors to our yard, I had one land on my hand to eat some birdseed last week.

King Parrot sitting on my bike handle bar grip