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‘Tree of life’: Aerial photos of Lake Cakora at Brooms Head reveal spectacular patterns

Derry Moroney's 'tree of life' image has been shared by thousands of people online.

Derry Moroney's 'tree of life' image has been shared by thousands of people online. Photo: Derry Moroney

An amateur photographer on the north coast of New South Wales has turned the ordinary into the extraordinary by capturing a series of mesmerising photographs of Lake Cakora at Brooms Head.

Derry Moroney’s recent aerial image has had a huge reaction on social media, with more than 2200 people sharing the image and creating over 230 comments.

Aerial view of a brown estuary that looks like a tree in the landscape.

Amateur photographer Derry Moroney has been taking regular photographs of the lake’s changing shapes for six months. Photo: Derry Moroney

“If you were to look at the image you wouldn’t think it was real at first,” he said.

“It’s sort of like a tree of life.

“At the very end of the lake the water runs out and it all spines out into a tree-of-life look.”

A fortnightly habit

An estuary that looks like aqua tree branches on sand with purple dots surrounding.

Mr Moroney said the lake was turquoise when he first starting taking the photographs. Photo: Derry Moroney

Lake Cakora is a lake and lagoon that is intermittently open to the ocean at Brooms Head Main Beach.

Mr Moroney said he was so amazed by the “spectacular” patterns that emerged that he made a habit of returning to the site each fortnight to photograph its transient forms.

An estuary with mountains and sunset in background.

Mr Moroney has been taking aerial photographs of Lake Cakora fortnightly. Photo: Derry Moroney

“What a total change it has made again,” he wrote of one of the images.

“Now it has the feel of a golden fire tree with heat waves all around it.”

Rain reshapes landscape

Mr Moroney said he began taking aerial photographs of the lake about six months ago after a big rain event.

An estuary that looks like a yellow/gold tree on a grey background.

Mr Moroney says the patterns at Lake Cakora look like a “tree of life”. Photo: Derry Moroney

His tree of life image was taken after several days of consecutive storms in the Clarence Valley.

“The water is soaked by tea tree oils, hence the brown colour, and the extra water flowing out of the lake has created this stunning natural masterpiece,” he wrote.

An estuary from the sea that spreads out on the sand like tree roots.

Lake Cakora is intermittently open to the ocean at Brooms Head. Photo: Derry Moroney

-ABC

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