Aurum
Fagus, Tanglefoot, Deciduous beech… there's many names Nothofagus gunnii goes by, but no matter the name, it has one way to describe it that no other species in Australia does – cold weather deciduous. Isolated to the rugged alpine marshes, the species goes through an annual boom-and-bust cycle, with waxy greens in the summer, and goldens and reds in autumn. Occasionally, the change happens during periods of heavy snowfall, even occasionally reaching blizzard conditions as in this day. Seeing the contrast of the blues and greens of the forest, the flaming golds of the tree, and the piercing white of the snow is a serenity that it is hard to forget.
Benjamin Alldridge
