Swell Lodge 4WD parked beside a banyan tree. [9906]![Swell Lodge 4WD parked beside a banyan tree. [9906]](aussiePlaces/christmasisWA/fulls/hotel/09-0F3A9906.jpg "Swell Lodge 4WD parked beside a banyan tree. [9906]")
On Christmas Island, Banyan trees often start life as a seed dropped by a bird into a tiny crevice high up on a limestone cliff such as this one on Greta Beach road. Unlike most trees that grow from the ground up, this one grew from the top down, sending those "curtain" roots down the face of the rock to find soil. The roots aren't just hanging; they are fused to the limestone. Because the island's soil is so thin, the Banyan has to use its roots to literally "grip" the cliff for stability against tropical cyclones. [9906]