Roots

Once the Aparima and Pourakino rivers have met, mixed and passed under the road bridge at the south end of Riverton's main street, they carve their way between the rocks of one headland and the dunes of the other, to reach the salty waters of Taramea Bay. On the north side, the sand is being eaten away constantly and the roots of the large pine trees that were planted to prevent the erosion, exposed. This black and forked set has caught my eye for years whenever I've walked the stretch between the rugby grounds and where the huge whale-spotter's dune used to sit. It's not often you see the living roots of a tree on display like this.