Down by the seaside...

Avicennia marina -the Grey mangrove. This tree is on the eastern shore of Macleay Island, about 100 metres from my sister's block of land. The tide is out, but the water is still close, blue and warm. The edge of the small bay is covered with these mangroves, with small gaps between trees from which it is possible to launch one's boat to do a spot of fishing, an activity about which my sister's family is very enthusiastic.

Another tree nearby, showing the tree structure, branching out from a short stump.

This is the stump of the tree.
Leaves.
The roots growing out of the mud are called pneumatophores. They filter much of the salt from the water.
Part of a tree, showing the bark. This reminds me of the curlew, which looks like this:

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The other side...

Eucalyptus bridgesiana, Swamp apple or Swamp box. These two trees grow on the south side of my sister's block on Macleay Island in Moreton Bay, Qld, near where their proposed house will be built. The right hand tree will be removed, it is an ugly tree anyway and shows signs of insect damage, but they will keep the tree on the left which will help screen the house from the neighbour's.
These leaves are young, showing signs of being ovate. You can see some caterpillar damage on the edge of one of the leaves.
Trunk, showing bark, which is similar to the neighbouring E. microcorys. The soil here is a sandy loam which appears to be quite good. Re-seeded clumps of Themeda triandra, kangaroo grasshave sprung up on the block which has been cleared and the soil surface disturbed by considerable levelling.

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Island life...

This is Tallowwood, Eucalyptus microcorys, an interesting specimen of which is on my sister's block of land on Macleay Island in Moreton Bay in Queensland. This tree will eventually be removed, logged in fact, and probably end up as floor boards or furniture in the house they intend to build on the block. The tree is about 30m high, the butt is not quite a metre in diameter. As can be seen above the tree has just finished flowering. The flowers are usually a creamy white.

This is the tree from the front of the black. It is surprisingly straight from the ground to about 15m, before it branches. The branches are heavy at the base, but are short. There is no sign the tree sheds branches.
The tree bark is described as "rough and persistent" to the branches, with long fibres.
This is a log from a Tallow wood which was on the neighbouring block. The tree was cut down and rolled over to form part of the boundary between two blocks. The timber is apparently somewhat slippery, and difficult to work because of it. Hence tallowwood. But it apparently is a good timber for flooring and furniture. There is no reason why these logs shouldn't be sliced and diced and walked and sat upon.
Here is the next generation, most of which are going to be weeded for any garden my sister can make.

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