YOU could easily get bogged down in a discussion about rock stacks – or are they cairns?
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The term 'cairn' traditionally refers to a stack of rocks built as a trail marker or monument. In recent times they have taken on a decorative (depending on your opinion of them) role.
The process of stacking rocks has also been described as a kind of zen-style therapy.
The ubiquitous structures certainly divide opinion but have been inspiring photographers across the Mid North Coast. They’re not just a beach thing either, with one Gloucester reader saying there are several on local riverbanks.
Recently we kicked of our daily breakfast blog with an image of them at Crescent Head, capturing the balance of the irregular shaped rocks placed in several stacks in contrast to the wild beauty of the cliffs and ocean in the background.
We asked our readers if they had noticed any in their local area and what they thought of them.
Kerryann Hayes from Forster said that outdoors types have a love hate relationship with them – building the stacks are at odds with the leave-no-trace ethos of those who seek unspoilt wilderness.
“Personally I like to make one in the places I have seen them: Nepal, New Zealand and Blue Mountains,” Kerryann added.
From a more scientific perspective moving rocks could increase erosion by exposing the soil underneath, allowing it to wash away and thin soil cover for native plants. Every time a rock is disturbed, an animal loses a potential home.
Some of the structures are much more elaborate, and more like sculptures. The Camden Haven Courier ran a story and photo, in August 2013, of a stone sculpture discovered on Bartletts Beach Bonny Hills.
The identity of the artist was revealed a few days after publishing. The sculpture was the work of former Camden Haven High School student, Matt Weller.
He is a graphic design graduate and said at the time that the sculpture was not his first. He fully appreciates the ephemeral nature of his efforts.
“Whether the tide gets them or people knock them down, they’re not built to last and they were never intended to be permanent,” Matt commented.
Matt admits he wasn’t looking for attention or to make a statement.
“I had the idea and decided to just go for it,” he said.
Another example of this sculptural form was photographed at The Tanks in Forster recently by Philip Bale (see photo in slideshow above).
If you have any photos of rock stacks in the Mid North Coast email them to janine.watson@fairfaxmedia.com.au