Many of the wooden planks used on Atlantic City's famous boardwalk come from the Jarrah tree in western Australia, apparently because the timber is soft on the feet and doesn't retain heat. The boardwalk originated in 1870 from an idea by hotel owner Alexander Boardman as a means to prevent visitors from tracking beach sand into hotels (this was an era before vacuum cleaners). The boardwalk was originally laid out in the warm months and taken up in the winter, and only later became the permanent, year-round structure we recognized today. For a reference, see:
http://sierraactivist.org/article.php?sid=17759