David Tooby, Lake Cathie Coffee (LANDSCAPE 2024)

Coffee Rock is the common name for indurated sands that were formed from ancient river sediments of the Pleistocene age. It is prevalent along Rainbow Beach and Lighthouse Beach at Lake Cathie where in recent years it has been exposed by coastal erosion processes. The rock presents as a complex array of platforms, jutting ledges and breakaway rocks, and is characterised by significant variation in its depth and lateral extent and markedly variable strength qualities - and as such is readily sculpted by wave and surface water abrasion into a plethora of patterned ridges and valleys, pockmark basins and holes, and intertwined fissures, caves and tunnels. Coffee Rock also boasts a kaleidoscope of colours, from rust orange, to chocolate brown, to mauve, to blue-black - which can transform dramatically with changing light, weather and sea conditions.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.