Spinifex is one of the most agressive pioneer species in the world and rhizomes have been recorded growing 20m in a three month period. Here it attacks an unsuspecting coastal geomorphologist.

Spinifex sericeus is the most common species in NZ and eastern Australia forming incipient and established foredunes.

Hesp, P.A., 1981; The formation of shadow dunes. J. Sedimentary Petrology 51 (1): 101-111.

Hesp, P.A., 1983; Morphodynamics of incipient foredunes in N.S.W., Australia. In: Brookfield, M. E. and T.S. Ahlbrandt (Ed's.) Eolian Sediments and Processes: 325-342. Elsevier.

Hesp, P.A., 1984; Foredune formation in Southeast Australia; In: B.G. Thom (Ed.) Coastal Geomorphology in Australia: 69-97. Academic Press.

Hesp, P.A., 1984; The formation of sand 'beach ridges' and foredunes. Search 15 (9-10): 289-291.

Hesp, P.A., 1988; Foredune morphology, dynamics and structures. J. Sedimentary Geology Special Issue: Aeolian Sediments 55: 17-41.

Hesp, P.A., 1990; A review of biological and geomorphological processes involved in the initiation and development of incipient foredunes. In: Gimingham, C.H., W. Ritchie, B.B. Willetts and A.J. Willis (Editors), Coastal Sand Dunes. Proc. Roy. Soc. Edinburgh Section B (Biol. Sci.) 96: 181-202.

Hesp, P.A., 1991; Ecological processes and plant adaptations on coastal dunes. J. Arid Environments 21: 165-191.

Parabolic dunes near Foxton Beach (~ 40 degrees South) on the lower west coast of the North Island, New Zealand in 2002. The dune on the left is in the last stages of stabilisation. The one on the right is still migrating and displays multiple, nested, depositional lobes.

Parabolic dunes at 3 Mile Creek between Himatangi Beach and Foxton Beach, lower west coast, North Island, NZ in 2001. The large parabolic in the middle distance is migrating around 5 m/year. Several geigenwalle ridges are visible on the deflation basin. The seaward parabolic is around 6 m high and migrating at ~ 25m/year. It evolved from a large blowout in the foredune in 1990.

Carter, R.W.G., P.A.Hesp and K. Nordstrom, 1990; Geomorphology of erosional dune landscapes. In: Nordstrom, K., N. Psuty and R.W.G. Carter (Editors), Coastal Dunes: Processes and Morphology: 217-250. J. Wiley and Sons.

Hesp, P.A. and R. Hyde, 1996; Flow dynamics and geomorphology of a trough blowout. Sedimentology 43: 505-525.

Hesp, P.A., 2000. Parabolic dunes. In: B. Saunders (Editor), South of the North: Manawatu and Its Neighbours: 40-41. Massey Univ. Press.

Hesp, P.A., 2000; Coastal Dunes. Forest Research (Rotorua) and NZ Coastal Dune Vegetation Network (CDVN): 28pp.

Hesp, P.A. and A. Pringle, 2001; Wind flow and topographic steering within a trough blowout. J. Coastal Research Special Issue 34: 597-601.

Hesp, P.A., 2001; The Manawatu dunefield: Environmental change and human impacts. NZ Geographer 57 (2): 41-47.

Shepherd, M.J. and P.A. Hesp, 2002 (in press). New Zealand coastal barriers and dunes. Chpt. 8 In: H. Rouse, J. Goff and S. Nichol (Editors), The New Zealand Coast: Te Tai O Aoteoroa. Lincoln Univ. Press in assoc. with Daphne Brasell Assoc., Lincoln.

Shadow dune (or linear dune) forming downwind of a yardang in the desert near Golmud (Ger-emu), Qaidam Pendi, Qinghai Province, China.

Linear dune in the desert near Golmud (Ger-emu), Qaidam Pendi, Qinghai Province, China. Such dunes form initially from shadow dunes (see above) and maintain the form even when migrating both left or right while extending downwind. The dunes have a significant proportion of clay content. Note the transverse dunes migrating down both sides of the dune slopes but at different elevations.

P.A. Hesp, R. Hyde, V.J. Hesp, and Qian Zhengyu, 1989; Longitudinal dunes can move sideways. Earth Surface Processes 14: 447-451.

Barcahoidal transverse dunes at Jericoacoara, NE Brasil. "Cuspate vegetation marks" (a type of geigenwalle ridge?) are formed during the wet season by plant growth up the margins of the dunes. They are left behind as the dunes migrate downwind.

See: Maia, L.P., Jimenez, J.A., Freire, G.S.S. and Morais, J.O., 1999. Dune migration and aeolian transport along Ceara (NE Brasil): Downscaling and upscaling aeolian induced processes. Coastal Sediments '99 ASCE: 1220-1232.

Claudino-Sales, V. and J.P. Peulvast, 2002. Dune generation and ponds on the coast of Ceara State (NE Brazil). In: R.J. Allison (Ed.) Applied Geomorphology: Theory and Practice.

A barchan engulfs my favourite field hut at Jericoacoara, NE Brasil with Luis Parente Maia.

En-echelon nebkha lining up with the dominant onshore wind at Guerrero Negro, Baja California Mexico.

Aklé (fish scale) dunes on a transgressive dunefield at Guerrero Negro, Baja California Mexico.

Barchanoidal transverse dunes at Guerrero Negro, Baja California Mexico. Interdune areas are flooded during spring tides.

Hesp, P.A., W. Illenberger, I. Rust, A. McLachlan and R. Hyde, 1989; Some aspects of transgressive dunefield and transverse dune geomorphology and dynamics, south coast, South Africa. Zeitschrift fur Geomorph. Suppl-Bd 73: 111-123.

Hesp, P.A. and B.G. Thom, 1990; Geomorphology and evolution of transgressive dunefields. In: Nordstrom, K., N. Psuty and W. Carter (Editors), Coastal Dunes: Processes and Morphology: 253-288. J. Wiley and Sons.

Hesp, P.A., 1994; Coastal Deserts. In: M. Seeley (Ed.) Illustrated Library of the Earth: Deserts. Weldon Owen (Pub).

Beach ridge plain (wind deflated) at Walvis Bay, Namibia

Linear dunes near Gobabeb, Namibia

Parabolic dunes on the Kuiseb Delta region, near Walvis Bay, Namibia.

The Namib desert golden mole which has no eyes and senses prey via vibrations.

Suri, a meercat, the Namib Desert Ecological Research Station's pet suricate.

Small (0.5 m high and less) barchans near Walvis Bay, Namibia.

Garnet sand dome dunes near Swakopmund, Namibia.

See: Hastings, K., 1994. The Dynamics of Barchans and Dome Dunes, Namib Desert, Namibia. MSc (Hons) Thesis, UNiv. of Wollongong, Australia.

Barchan near Walvis Bay, Namibia.

S.G. Fryberger, P.A. Hesp and K. Hastings, 1992; Eolian granule ripple deposits, Namibia. J. Sedimentology 39: 319-331.

Hesp, P.A. and S.M. Arens, 1997; Crescentic dunes at Schiermonnikooh, The Netherlands. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 22: 785-788.

Hesp, P.A. and K. Hastings,1998; Width, height and slope relationships and aerodynamic maintenance of barchans. J. Geomorphology Special Edition (Aeolian Environments) 22 (2): 193-204.

Rottnest Island 18km off the coast of Perth, Western Australia. So named because when De Vlamingh saw the quokka's (below) he thought they were rats and named the Island Rottenest or Rats Nest. The Island has one of the oldest Aboriginal occupation sites in Australia.

Hesp, P.A., M. Wells, B. Ward and J. Riches, 1984; Land Resource Survey of Rottnest Island: An aid to landuse planning. W.A. Dept. Agriculture Tech. Bull. No. 4086.

R.I.M.P.G., (P. Hesp, P. Frewer, S. Whitehouse and R. Humpries) 1985; Rottnest Island Management Plan. 180 pp. W.A. Premiers Dept.

Dortch, C.E. and P.A. Hesp, 1994; Artifacts and palaeosols on Rottnest Island and their context within greater Swan prehistory. J. Royal Soc. Western Australia 77: 23-32.

Hesp, P.A., C. Murray-Wallace and C. Dortch, 1999; Aboriginal occupation on Rottnest Island, Western Australia, provisionally dated by AA Racemisation assay of land snails to greater than 50 ka. Australian Archaeology 49: 7-12.

The Quokka (Setonix brachyurus) a few days old on the left and mature adult on the right. Rottnest Island is the last stronghold of the animal on earth.

An aerial photograph of part of Rottnest Island showing Narrow Neck and Rocky Bay (on the right). Boat moorings in the bays has led to significant damage to seagrass beds.

An aerial photograph of a portion of Rocky Bay (beach in the bottom left corner) showing extensive damage to seagrass beds due to boat mooring.

Hastings, K., P. A. Hesp, G. Kendrick, and P. Clash,1995; Impacts of boat moorings on seagrass habitats, Rottnest Island, Western Australia. J. Ocean and Coastal Management 26 (3): 225-246.

Hastings, K., P.Hesp and G. Kendrick, 1995; Using GIS to monitor seagrass change at Rocky Bay, Rottnest Island, Western Australia. GIS Asia Pacific 1 (2): 32-35.