This cache is placed along a new section of walkway known as the Ermington Bay Nature Walk.
The 660 metre walk was built by the Parramatta City Council and opened in November 2011. It traces along the northern shoreline of the Parramatta River, which includes a patch of mangroves.
It wasn't that long ago that mangroves were thought of as wasteland. Full of mud, smelly water and strange unwanted sea life.
Today we know that they are a complete ecosystem, teeming with life, and essential to estuaries and other aquatic environments.
From the Australian Museum website:
Mangroves are among those very few land plants that can live in inter-tidal areas and can tolerate a constantly changing mixture of salt and fresh water. They survive in salty water by preventing their roots from absorbing too much salt and pumping out any excess salt through special glands in their leaves.
Unlike other trees, many mangroves can breathe through their roots. They do this by extending their underground roots through the surface of the mud to form aerial roots called 'pneumatophores'. Pneumatophores can often be seen sticking out above the water and mud under mangroves, especially during low tide.
The boardwalk over the mangroves features a perforated deck to allow light to penetrate the forest floor.
Geocaching NSW aims to enhance and improve the activity of geocaching in New South Wales. Visit the association website at www.geocachingnsw.asn.au.