I am posting a bit early today because I have a couple of pretty busy days ahead. Out this evening out tomorrow and out Thursday too.
As a follow on to yesterday's photo, showing the Stockton sand dunes in the distance, I thought I would post this photo of one of the shacks at Tin City. Tin City is a small settlement of shacks hidden in the sand dunes.
In the late 19th century shipwrecks on Stockton Beach were so common that two tin sheds were constructed on a part of the beach to hold provisions for shipwrecked sailors. During the Great Depression of the 1930s a group of squatters constructed a series of tin shacks at the site which is approximately 11 km south west of Anna Bay. During World War II the shacks were torn down to make way for an Army camp. Today, eleven of the shacks, known collectively as Tin City, remain but no new shacks may be built, nor can existing shacks be rebuilt if they are destroyed by the elements. Tin City and the beach's sand dunes were used for several scenes in the movie Mad Max.
There is no road access to Tin City, but there are 4wd tours across the dunes from Birubi Beach at Anna Bay. I didn't go on one of the tours though, I took this photo last year when a group of us decided to walk to Tin City from the Boyces Trail through Worimi National Park and across the sand dunes. It was quite a hike I can tell you and pretty hard work climbing up and down the dunes. We each collected twigs from trees in the national park and stuck them in the sand at intervals over the dunes so that we could follow the trail back from Tin City across the dunes and then through the National Park back, to our cars. Wouldn't have fancied getting lost in the dunes as they go on for miles. It would be easy to go round in circles.
What an intrepid explorer/photographer you are Babs risking life and limb to get this wonderful image and then have to retrace your steps to get back to civilisation, has to be a Fav, thanks for the narrative very interesting:)
Fantastic photo and a really interesting story. Do people live in these tin shacks?
Many thanks for your comments/advice Babs on my uploading problem. You're absolutely right, I just didn't think of it as I don't usually have a problem. Most of my birds and insects are cropped so upload easily but the landscapes and garden shots usually aren't. I don't know how to resize them (I'm embarassed to admit!) but Mr C is going to show me how this evening.
Great shot & story, I so like that kind of info...That would have been some trek you all did & I certainly wouldn't want to be lost in those sane dunes.
@ethelperry@Cherrill Thanks. They do get buried sometimes when the storms occur and the sand shifts and have to be dug out, but apparently if any of the shacks get destroyed fully they can't be built again.
Nice capture Babs. I find it a little strange to see buildings like this in the sand but having read your explanation their construction makes sense. Very interesting info. I have never seen Mad Max, but will look out for it now purely to see the sand scenes! Thanks for sharing.
I know how tough walking on sand dunes is so I admire you for getting there and back, it must have been quite a challenge. This certainly looks just like a film set!
@golftragic The hike was interesting to say the least. Through the National Park wasn't too bad but once we came to the dunes it wasn't a pretty sight as we had to climb on all fours up some of the dunes as they were so high and then run hell for leather down the other side so we didn't sink in the soft sand. Once on the flat at the beach though it was easy.
@onewing I may be mistaken about the area... the area I saw may have been somewhere else.. it was a place out in the middle of nowhere, hike in, that writers and artists would go live out there. Sorry about that... it just looked so familiar.
@onewing Thanks for the link, very interesting stuff. For the life of me I can't understand the mentality of roaring around in a 4WD destroying the place in the process. I feel very strongly about this kind of environmental vandalism.
@onewing Very sensible of him. In my teens I once took my bike to the beach a few times on holiday. When I got home I had to take the bike apart down to the roller bearings in the wheels. Putting it back together again was an interesting challenge.
Many thanks for your comments/advice Babs on my uploading problem. You're absolutely right, I just didn't think of it as I don't usually have a problem. Most of my birds and insects are cropped so upload easily but the landscapes and garden shots usually aren't. I don't know how to resize them (I'm embarassed to admit!) but Mr C is going to show me how this evening.
It was a bit of a trek over the dunes, but very interesting. It was a good job that we put a trail of twigs to find our way back over the dunes because although the National Park is easy to find. (You can see some of the trees in the distance at the top right of this picture) we had to get back to Boyces Trail, because that is the only track through the national park to get back to our cars.
There is a video clip in the link which you may find interesting.