Mangroves are trees & shrubs that grow on the intertidal
flats in bays and rivers. Similar to seagrass and saltmarshes,
mangroves play an important role in the healthy functioning of an
estuary. They are a habitat for fish & birds, act as a nursery
for juvenile fish, and help prevent erosion of the coastline.
Mangroves are also important as they produce large amounts of
organic matter used in the food web of the estuary. In NSW, there
are 107 square kilometres of mangroves with 6% being in Botany Bay
(the 3rd largest area in the state). More information on mangroves
can be found on the noticeboards along the boardwalk.
Once you reach the above co-ordinates, take time to enjoy the views
towards the city over Woolooware Bay at the mouth of the Georges
River. If the tide's not too high you should also be able to
clearly see the many derelict oyster leases that once thrived in
this area prior to a decline in production due to a series of food
poisoning events from the late 1960's until the early 1980's, and
then the outbreak of Qx disease in the 1990's. At it's peak, there
were 350 oyster farmers working in the Georges River.
Please note, the concept of this cache has been changed (as
of 28/06/10) due to the sign being unreadable. There is no puzzle
to work out. You are now looking for a set of co-ordinates that
will lead you to the final cache.
It's a nice and easy walk of less than a kilometre to the cache
(just watch out for the sharks!). Or for those that wish, you can
drive closer to it.