Geoff Helisma|

It’s not unusual for Iluka resident Tony Belton and his partner, Annie, to take to the Clarence River in their kayaks and explore the islands close to village.

A keen photographer, over the years Mr Belton has captured images of the wildlife and flora that abound around and on the islands.

The 53 Islands festival provided the perfect opportunity to share those images with the wider public.

“I saw the media stuff around the festival and contacted founder, Claire Aman,” Mr Belton said.

“I said, ‘Iluka’s got some islands and would she mind if I got involved?’”

As a result, Mr Belton will give a visual presentation of ‘Iluka’s amazingly beautiful islands’ at the Iluka library on Friday October 11 from 10am to noon.

Ten years a resident in Iluka, Mr Belton said “the library has been very helpful” in assisting his preparation for the presentation.

“And the Iluka history group has been very helpful, too, with some historical information about the islands,” he said.

“We love the river and all of the activities around it – birds are very special around those islands, which are refuges for birds and wildlife.

“I’ll be talking about how magnificent the mangrove systems are and how they are so important for birds and sea life.”

Claire Aman will join Mt Belton as he presents images and clips, along with a bit of history.

The 53 Islands festival takes place from October 7 to 20.

‘It’s the question not the answer.’