Lumieres – images by Australian landscape photographer Simon Bayliss

Trees along the Darling

Outback NSW - Australia

There is no more magnificent a sight as a stretch of the Darling River lined with the majestic River Red Gums which tower high above the steep river banks perilously balanced with half their roots exposed with the other half firmly planted in the bank to prevent it from just toppling into the river.

Such is the nature of these grand old trees that prolonged drought or flood will kill them as they rely on the boom-bust cycle of the river to survive. With European interference with the natural balance of this cycle, many areas of the River Red Gums are under severe threat.

From the beautiful smooth bark of the juveniles to the gnarly bark of the mature ‘Old Dogs’ they are the characters of the river and portray nature at its best. Images of River Red Gums only tell half the story of their beauty as photography can never convey the smell of foliage or the sound of the wind through their branches. (Below is a selection of images, for more images of the Dalring River more images of The Darling River)