Of Forests and Oceans, Lakes and Woodlands

Christmas Island and Lake Coogee: Reflections on the contrasts in Nature

Christmas Island is mainly three things: forests, cliffs, ocean.

I bring this up because 13 January 2021 was one of those days where I really noticed this interesting dichotomy of forest and ocean right next to each other. Everything I saw that day had me marvelling at the contrasts. I just couldn’t get away from it. Nor did I want to.

We’d gone to Lily Beach, a beach that’s pretty close to town, with our packed lunches, and the intention on a whim to check out some infinity pools we’d been told about. While there, we took a walk on the boardwalk that heads towards a lovely lookout point between Ethel and Lily beaches.

This boardwalk goes through some pandanus scrub (amongst other trees) and on the ocean side, you see the karst rock and pinnacles that often define Christmas Island’s landscapes until you get to the cliff.

From the ocean to where we were would’ve probably been about 300 metres at most. In that relatively tiny space, we came across some brown boobies, red-footed boobies, a red-footed booby juvenile, frigate birds and amongst the little bits of ‘forest’, thrush, the Christmas island white-eye (which Scott was finally able to get a photo of – huzzah!) and the Christmas Island Emerald Dove.

Fungi, Emerald Dove and Christmas Island White Eye on the left page, on the right, Brown Booby (one of my first sketches of it - proportions are off), and infinity pools.

When sitting down to sketch afterwards, I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to draw or paint. Going back over the photos though, the contrasts jumped out at me straightaway. I was feeling this sense of surreal, amused wonder at the contrasts of the island: blue and green, ocean and forest, sea birds and forest birds, pinnacles and fungi, all within a span of about a kilometre.

I ended up sketching a bit of all of it – the birds, the fungi, the infinity pools.

I definitely miss the ridiculous ease with which birds, especially seabirds can be observed and just be an everyday part of your day on Christmas Island.

Funnily enough, when reflecting on the contrasts on Christmas Island, I realised these contrasts are often part of my days at home in Perth too.

My family is very fortunate to live close to a Lake, which is only about a kilometre from the ocean. Pelicans, swans, cranes, egrets and a variety of ducks are regular visitors.

They are greeted by the ravens, black cockatoos, kookaburras, correlas, kestrels, magpies and willy wagtails that also grace the bushland surrounding the lake.

When you add the snakes, bandicoots, lizards, and once even a long-necked turtle, there really is a thriving landscape full of contrasts right on our doorstep.

I love what nature journalling has brought into my life: a deeper sense of appreciation and engagement with the world.

Above, one of the few pages I’ve done in Perth but it captures the mood of the day, and the colours of the lake and wooded area.

It took the stark contrasts of tropical Christmas Island for me to see that the contrasts and coexistence of the ocean, lakes and woods has been a part of my life for quite a while.

Another colour study of the area and the contrasts of the not only the lake with the woodlands are more visible in the morning.

The salt water seasonal Lake Coogee and the scrubland surrounding it provide a subtler juxtaposition, but a beautiful one nonetheless.