Townsville city shaped by tropical giants

Townsville has many wonderful tropical trees that complement the city, such as this curtain fig tree on The Strand.

Whilst cities can be defined by their landmarks such as architecture, there is an often an overlooked aspect of what shapes and defines cities; that being the presence of trees.  The city has many interesting examples of tropical trees, often many are massive in size, whilst there are a wide variety of interesting tropical flora that happily grow throughout the city, it's parks and in peoples back yards.

This giant curtain fig tree is one of several such examples that exist in Townsville.  This one can be found on The Strand, the popular local and tourist beachfront area of the city.  It stands in the middle of the road, overlooking the beach, ocean and in the distance, Magnetic Island. The curtain effect displayed by these giants of trees is amazing and remind me of something that's evolved from the age of the dinosaurs.

Such trees play a central role in both the design aesthetic of Townsville, and aid in complementing public spaces and surrounding buildings. In Townsville such large trees also help to provide a relaxing environment, and a refuge from the harsh tropical sun.  Stay tuned for more interesting trees of Townsville in future posts.