Innholdsfortegnelse for March - April 2020 i Australian Geographic

AS WELCOME rain pelts down across many parts of southern and eastern Australia, many are left counting the cost of the 2019–20 record-busting bushfire season. And it may not be over yet. But good rains have eased the emergency in many of the worst-affected parts of the country, and in others there’s little left to catch fire again. Has it been Australia’s worst-ever bushfire season? How do we measure notions such as worst? Of course, it must start with loss of human life and this season we have lost 33 loved and valued individuals, among them nine brave firefighters contributing their time and expertise and ultimately their lives for the sake of others. Each one is a tragedy that radiates out – far beyond the name or face that we…

FISH FAN As a subscriber I really enjoyed reading your feature Underwater and underrated (AG 154). Like Professor Brown, I too have grown up with pet fish such as goldfish over the years and not only have I enjoyed observing them closely but I have also found these beautiful, magnificent creatures to be absolutely intelligent! I’m glad I’m not alone and thank you, Professor Brown, for reinforcing this belief that fish are clever and intelligent. OLGA GEORGOPOULOS, MALVERN, VIC BE PREPARED The bushfires in our state and especially over in the east have weighed heavily on our minds over the last few weeks. Constant images in the media of terrible fires have prompted me to put further thought into fire protection at home. I wondered if an article of hope…

“WE NEED MORE WATER!” cries out a member of the Girl Guides group as the last drops spill from her bucket. Her friend sets off to find more. Someone else calls, “Does anyone have the string?” “Yes, over here!” comes the reply. “Remember, the vines are fragile, so be gentle.” It’s a warm Sunday morning in bushland in Brisbane’s west, and these Girl Guides are working hard with the help of khaki-clad volunteers from Habitat Brisbane. We’re here because the local Kenmore Girl Guides have secured a mini-grant from the Roots & Shoots Program. Set up by famed conservationist Jane Goodall, it aims to support grass-roots and community environmental projects and these girls have decided they want to use their funds to help save the endangered Richmond birdwing butterfly. These…

MOST OF US think of Easter as something to do with chocolate Easter eggs. But after a few years of celebrating Easter we begin to realise that, unlike Christmas or Anzac Day, it doesn’t happen on the same date each year. In fact, Easter can happen anytime between 22 March and 25 April. Fortunately, there’s a simple thousand-year-old formula to work it out. Back in 725 AD, the Benedictine monk St Bede, or The Venerable Bede, defined Easter Sunday as: “The Sunday following the full Moon which falls on, or after, the equinox…” Let’s work backwards – equinox, full Moon, Sunday – and start with the equinox. Its Latin roots are equi meaning “equal”, and nox meaning “night”. And it describes when there are equal hours of daylight and night-time.…

Australian Geographic, $29.95 A great walk can be an exhilarating experience that remains with you forever. Perhaps you’re stirred by endless mountain views or soothed by stepping into a living green cathedral. Maybe the physical challenge drives you harder and farther than you thought possible. Australia has many extraordinary walks; this is AG’s collection of the best to be found in every corner of the country. Available at: australiangeographic.com.au/shop…

JERICHO IS A tiny rural service centre on the Capricorn Highway, midway between the outback towns of Emerald and Longreach. This region of Central Western Queensland is predominantly cattle country. Today, Jericho’s primary function is to service the surrounding large landholdings and entertain passing travellers with its remarkable ability to exploit its tenuous biblical connections, the most notable example being its Crystal Trumpeters display in the main street, which symbolises various moments in the Old Testament. These include the parting of the Red Sea, receiving the Ten Commandments, crossing the River Jordan and arriving in the Promised Land. VISITOR INFORMATION Jericho doesn’t have its own visitor centre, so try the Barcaldine Tourist Information Centre, 149 Oak Street, Barcaldine, about an hour’s drive to the west; open daily 8.15am–4.30pm. Call 07…

ANZAC DAY NATIONAL CEREMONY 25 April Australian War Memorial, Canberra, ACT AS PART OF nationwide commemorations, the Australian War Memorial will host the national ceremony, beginning at 10.30am. It will follow the traditional order of service, including the veterans’ march coordinated by the ACT branch of the Returned and Services League of Australia and will be broadcast live on the Memorial’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. For more info: email ceremony@awm.gov.au For commemorative events near you, check with your local council. AG PRESENTS 18 March, Ocean Lovers Festival, Bondi, NSW THIS FIRST of the AG Presents talks for 2020 will feature courageous, inspirational advocates for the sea. Hear from multi-award winning underwater filmmaker Valerie Taylor, as she inspires with tales of her adventures. Relive a wild journey with AG’s 2019…

TAS Experience our largest temperate rainforest: Tarkine Forest Reserve The International Day of Forests on 21 March will focus on woodlands and biodiversity. Australia’s biggest temperate rainforest, the Tarkine in north-western Tasmania, is a cool, lush wonderland, home to many bird species as well as Tassie devils, quolls and gliders. More info: call Stanley Visitor Information Centre on 03 6458 1330 or visit discoverthetarkine.com.au WA Swim with whale sharks, Ningaloo Marine Park Arriving in March and staying to August, majestic whale sharks congregate around Ningaloo Reef to take advantage of an abundance of plankton. You can take tours to swim and snorkel alongside them from both Exmouth and Coral Bay, led by a guide and following strict instructions from the WA Department of Environment and Conservation. More info: Call Ningaloo…

AFTER HOURS of travelling to the Barrington Tops, I became part of the 2019 AGS Aussie Ark Expedition. Within minutes, we were introduced to Tassie devils at feeding time – lots of growls, snarls, nips and chasing. Soon after we headed to one of the large, fenced paddocks where released devils were to be trapped for monitoring. My group was on trap-setting duty. Others set Elliot traps for small mammals. After a quick barbecue dinner, we set out for an evening of spotlighting. The cold was creeping in and those of us who hadn’t thought to grab a jumper before leaving started to get rather chilly. But what excitement! We spotted a bandy-bandy snake, baby diamond python, Davies’ tree frog, eastern stony creek frog and a forest dragon. We were…

Scientific name: Phascolarctos cinereus Common name: koala is an Indigenous word meaning “no water” Drinking: it used to be thought koalas don’t actively drink, getting enough moisture from the leaves they eat. It’s now known they do drink and can suffer severely from dehydration during drought and heatwaves if they don’t get enough water. Main threats: habitat destruction and fragmentation (an estimated 80 per cent of the species’ habitat has been lost since European colonisation); the sexually transmitted bacterial disease chlamydia; dog attacks; collisions with cars; climate change. Conservation status: listed since 2012 as vulnerable to extinction in Queensland, NSW and the ACT; NSW was thought, before the bushfires, to have lost 25 per cent of its koalas during the past two decades. Distribution: eucalypt forests and woodlands of mainland south…

INSIDER’S KNOWLEDGE Unlock the secrets of outback NSW with one of these tours. Mutawintji Heritage Tours: The only way to visit the park’s rock engravings and hand stencils is with a guide. mutawintjiheritage.wordpress.com White Cliffs Bus Tours: Uncover the hidden gems of this lunar landscape. visitnsw.com/things-to-do/tours/white-cliffs-bus-tours River Lady Tours: Explore Menindee Lakes on the water. Ideal for both bird lovers and history buff s. riverladytours.com.au Outback Astronomy: Discover how to identify some amazing objects in the vast outback sky. outbackastronomy.com.au THE ROUTE in this story follows roads between the towns of Broken Hill, Wilcannia, Menindee and White Cliffs, and Mutawintji National Park. Bindara Station is south of Menindee on the Darling River. 1 MAIDENS HOTEL: Burke and Wills visited this Menindee hotel on 14 October 1860 on their ill-fated journey…

Australia’s Best 100 Walks There are so many incredible walks in Australia but how do you know which are the best? For more than 30 years Australian Geographic has explored our nation’s amazing landscapes and know where all the most exciting and exhilarating walks are found. We reveal our top 100 with detailed descriptions and stunning photography to inspire avid walkers and armchair travellers. This book will have you itching to lace up your boots and explore the sheer beauty and diversity of our unique natural landscapes and wildlife. RRP $39.95. SUBSCRIBER PRICE $35.95. CODE AGR699 australiangeographic.com.au/100walks 1300 555 176 and quote M155WALKS…

ONLY 100 OF EACH PRINT, ALL PERSONALLY SIGNED AND NUMBERED BY THE ARTIST. AUSTRALIAN DELIVERY Size: 297 x 297mm – RRP: $170, Subscriber’s Price: $153 Size: 420 x 420mm – RRP: $240, Subscriber’s Price: $216 OVERSEAS DELIVERY Size: 297 x 297mm – RRP: $200, Subscriber’s Price: $180 Size: 420 x 420mm – RRP: $270, Subscriber’s Price: $243 GREETING CARD SET ALSO AVAILABLE IN THE SAME RANGE SUBSCRIBERS RECEIVE 10% OFF australiangeographic.com.au/prints155 1300 555 176 and quote MPRT155 Prints come unframed. For Australian Geographic Holdings Pty Ltd Privacy Notice and for full terms and conditions, visit australiangeographic.com.au/privacy. If you do not want your information provided to any organisation not associated with this promotion, please indicate this clearly at the time of purchase. Ten per cent discount is only available to current…

IF YOU ARE a subscriber to AUSTRALIAN GEOGRAPHIC you are automatically a member and supporter of the Australian Geographic Society. A portion of each subscription goes towards supporting scientific and environmental research, conservation, community projects and Australian adventurers. Benefits include: ✓ Substantial savings off the magazine’s retail price ✓ 10% discount off all product purchases on our online store ✓ Invitations to exclusive AG Society events ✓ Discounts on travel and accommodation through AG partners ✓ 25% off selected cruises with Coral Expeditions ✓ A complimentary Paddy Pallin membership, entitling you to 10% off their full-priced items in-store and online…

FINDING BILLY It was fascinating to see in Living memories (AG 153) the picture of a bread carter handing a loaf to a woman in 1935 during the Great Depression. We are reasonably sure it is my mother’s father, William Adnet Stonnill, who would have been about 32 at the time. He was of small stature, 5ft 4½in (about 1.64m) and was a sometimes successful jockey when young. We are in possession of a 1964 Buttercup Bakeries newsletter that features “Billy” when he was 70 and had clocked up 48 years of service! We also have a cutting from the Sunday Mirror of 8 March 1964 naming Buttercup Bakeries as employer of the year because Bill, having turned 70 and unable to get a car licence, was being kept on…

SHOWCASING STUNNING photos from AUSTRALIAN GEOGRAPHIC’s acclaimed 30-year anniversary book A Portrait of Australia, this travelling exhibition will be at Queensland’s Bribie Island early this year. Celebrating the bush, outback and coast and the people who live there, the exhibition takes you to some of the most rugged and remote parts of the country to tell remarkable stories of ordinary Australians. It was developed by the National Museum of Australia with AG. For venues: nma.gov.au/exhibitions/portrait-of-australia…

GIVEN THE dramatic bushfire season we’ve been having, now seems the right time to look at this distinctively Australian word. And it is distinctive. What we call a bushfire is called a “wildfire” everywhere else in the world. The name we’ve adopted comes from the Aussie habit of constructing expressions using the word “bush” or tacking on other words to “bush” (as in a “bush so-and-so”). There was a phenomenal explosion of “bush” words that now fills no fewer than 36 pages of the second edition of the Australian National Dictionary. As for bushfire itself, this was first recorded in 1832. It turns up in the Sydney Monitor that year, the following year in the Perth Gazette, in 1841 in the Launceston Courier, and so on through the decades and…

IN AUGUST 1948 the cover of Sydney’s pictorial magazine PIX featured a stylish young woman wearing an elegant suit and holding a Speed Graphic camera, as if she was a film star playing a ‘girl photographer’ (above). The girl in the picture, Adelie Hurley, however, was the real deal. Arguably Australia’s first female press photographer, colleagues called her ‘Front Page Hurley’ because her work regularly appeared on the front pages of Sydney’s newspapers. This wasn’t the first time Adelie (1919–2010) had appeared on the cover of PIX. As a model she’d already made several appearances in the magazine, but this was the first that celebrated her life behind the camera. Recently returned from San Francisco where she’d been living since 1945, Adelie was photographed for the feature in action on…

1 CRYSTAL TRUMPETERS In 1988, as a Bicentennial Project, the town constructed the Crystal Trumpeters to recall the biblical story in which the Israelites marched around the Palestinian city of Jericho before blowing their trumpets to collapse the fortifying walls. A sign on the monument, on the Capricorn Highway across the road from the Town Hall, explains that: “Because Jericho, Queensland, is built on the Jordan River south of the Lake Galilee, we decided to tell the story of the original Jericho (Joshua 6). The Israelites came. They marched once a day for six days and seven times the next day. Then they blew their trumpets and made a lot of noise so the walls would fall down and they could enter (Joshua 18–22). To understand why a bunch of…

MENTION THE New South Wales Southern Highlands and most people think of rolling hills, Devonshire teas and stores peddling antiques. But a large number of historical reports suggest that the quaint highlands’ village of Burrawang, 140km south-west of Sydney, should also conjure thoughts of bunyips. In the valley below is a large swamp that’s home to many unusual life forms including the rare giant dragonfly, part of an ancient group of insect fliers common during the age of the dinosaurs. Also supposedly lurking in the swamp’s murky depths is the Burrawang Bunyip, a mythical creature whose roar, according to multiple anecdotes, has sent shivers up many local spines. Unlike most bunyips, which have roots in Dreaming stories, this Burrawang specimen is a more modern marvel. During the early 1930s a…

Albert Wiggan This Indigenous ranger from the Kimberley in WA is a powerful advocate for the role that Indigenous knowledge can play in land management for conservation. He was AG’s 2019 Conservationist of the Year. John Rumney John, a true legend of the Great Barrier Reef, was at the forefront of introducing eco-tourism to the Reef and remains committed to saving one of Earth’s natural wonders. Sarah Davis Sarah discusses her training and meticulous prep to take on a seven-month journey full of peril: angry hippos, raging rapids, kidnapping threats and civil war to paddle the Nile River from source to sea. Corey Tutt Corey works tirelessly to raise funds and books for his initiative Deadly Science. So far, the program has distributed 5000 books and 70 telescopes to Australian…

Koalas face an unpredictable future (page 54). Populations continue to decline due to habitat loss, bushfire and disease, among other threats. More than 80 per cent of koala habitat has been lost, with remaining areas fragmented and vulnerable to bushfire, which can decimate populations within days, as witnessed this past summer. Aussie Ark is launching the first and largest koala sanctuary in the world. The project aims to alter the declining trajectory of koalas in NSW by protecting up to 7 per cent of the wild population through exclusion fencing. MAKE A DIFFERENCE. PLEASE DONATE TODAY Funds raised will help save and support our koala population Visit australiangeographic.com.au/fundraising or call 02 9316 7214.…

Because of Antarctica’s extreme conditions and remoteness, it’s vital to consult your doctor before you leave. Discuss the activities you’d like to undertake – off-ship activities bring with them an element of risk – especially if you have pre-existing conditions, and make sure you have enough of your regular medication to cover your time away and then some, in case of unexpected delays. SNORKELLING Duck your head under Antarctic waters and you’ll discover the speed and mobility of penguins in the water, marvel at sculpted icebergs below the surface and witness marine life including starfish and nudibranchs. Before you sign up, though, check with your polar snorkelling guides to cover off any concerns or limitations you may have, or help you may need. SEA KAYAKING Sea kayaking here will move…

KANGAROO ISLAND Almost half of Kangaroo Island – 211,255ha, mostly in the west – has been razed by bushfires this summer. Two people died, 65 homes and hundreds of other buildings have been destroyed. Among the endangered wildlife species further imperilled are the KI glossy black-cockatoo and KI dunnart, a small marsupial endemic to the island. VANTAGE POINTS were rare in Flinders Chase. The densely wooded tracks through Kangaroo Island’s beloved national park gave little away. Drive south, however, and the road curves to a lookout atop Bunker Hill. This ancient dune crest was once a favourite spot to pull over at. Here, locals could recount a miracle of rebirth, the resurgence of an entire woodland realm following the December 2007 bushfires that tore through 85 per cent of the…

In January, we highlighted the impact the recent extreme bushfires have had on Australia’s insect populations. Here’s what you had to say. PIP MORRISSEY So many of our native birds depend on insects as their main food source and breed when insects are plentiful…the flow-on effect of these fires is far-reaching. MICHAEL RHODES They may not be furry, cuddly or cute but are every bit as important in the great scheme of things. JAMES PACKMAN We regularly drive to Batemans Bay from Sydney… In summertime I need to put a bug screen on the front of the car. This summer? Not one noticeable bug splat. Nothing. ANGELA BENNETT Bugs are essential to our ecosystem – they play very important roles, pollinators, cultivators, composters – so we do need to worry…

AUSTRALIA HAS experienced bushfires for more than 60 million years. Fire is an integral part of Australia’s biodiversity and certain plants, such as banksias, are even dependent on it for the release and germination of their seeds. Many eucalypts and wattles have considerable resistance to fires, and birds are dependent on the resilience of such plants for food, shelter and nesting sites. However, while low-intensity fires and some fire regimes are beneficial, the increased frequency and intensity of bushfires in recent decades has been devastating. This season, of course, the impact of such fires has been the most extreme and widespread seen so far. But indiscriminate, unplanned or poorly managed fires, or the exclusion of fire from an area altogether, can also be very damaging. Indeed, inappropriate fire management is…

Naked eye Autumn evenings display the glorious southern Milky Way. If suburban skies rob your view of our galactic glow, its position can easily be determined. Start with the pointers and the Southern Cross. Move westward to the False Cross then on to the brilliant stars of Canopus followed by Sirius. Binoculars Within one field south of the False Cross in Carina lies the brilliant open-star cluster NGC 2516. Within the obvious round haze are a number of brighter stars, clearly visible, that form curved lines, with a red-coloured star offset from the centre. Small telescope The constellation of Musca is best known for two globular clusters, both within one degree of bright stars. These ‘cities of stars’ are quite different. Large NGC 4372 (near Gamma Muscae) has an even-surface…

AS AUSTRALIA PREPARES to mark 250 years since Cook and HMB Endeavour arrived in Botany Bay in April 1770, it’s important to look at this historic moment from fresh perspectives while also acknowledging the achievements of the man and his remarkable voyage of discovery. The arrival of Cook lies at the very core of Australia’s history as a modern nation and this year there are many activities and exhibitions that will attempt to shed new light on the event and examine its impact on the Indigenous people who witnessed Endeavour making its way up the continent’s east coast. Visit the National Museum of Australia’s exhibition Endeavour Voyage – The Untold Stories of Cook and the First Australians in Canberra, 8 April–11 October. Free entry. More info: nma.gov.au/exhibitions/endeavour-voyage-untold-storiescook-first-australians…

AS WE WENT to press, bushfires had ripped across a huge area of the country’s south-east, making it our worst-ever summer bushfire season. It was exceptional also for razing large parts of typically moist northern New South Wales and many Australian habitats that rarely experience fire and have little tolerance for it, such as rainforests, tall wet eucalypt forests, swamps and marshes. What link did climate change have to the scale and severity of this season’s fires? The short answer is that, according to Australian Bureau of Meteorology data released in January, 2019 was both the hottest and driest year this country has experienced in 120 years of records (see p44). Rainfall was 40 per cent lower than average and many environments were tinder-dry after three consecutive years of drought.…

OUR BEAUTIFUL country has been scorched by bushfires since spring last year, and, while the fires may have eased somewhat, the work goes on for wildlife carers and their charges and those communities trying to recover and rebuild. In early November we pledged $50,000 to the unfolding bushfire emergency, with the promise of the addition of a further $1 from every purchase from the Australian Geographic online store until 20 December 2019. Your generosity helped us to donate almost $60,000 to various bushfire-affected wildlife relief organisations. “The Society hopes these funds can help alleviate some of the heartache being suffered by the many Australians affected by these extreme bushfires and provide support to the many people working hard to help,” says our Chair, David Haslingden. Money from the fundraiser will…

EVERY SUBSCRIBER to this journal automatically becomes a member of the not-for-profit AG Society. Your subscription helps us fund Australia’s scientists, conservationists, adventurers and explorers. To subscribe, call 1300 555 176 Who are the Australian Geographic Society? Patron: Dick Smith AC Chair: David Haslingden Secretary: Adrian Goss/Page Henty Directors: Kerry Morrow, Jo Runciman Advisory Council: Chrissie Goldrick, John Leece AM, Tim Jarvis AM, Anna Rose, Todd Tai THE SOCIETY runs sponsorship rounds in April and November, during which it considers applications and disperses grants that are funded by the Australian Geographic business. The Society also awards the Nancy-Bird Walton sponsorship for female adventurers and hosts annual awards for conservation and adventure. Each year it gives in excess of $100,000 to worthy projects. Save the date The 2020 Australian Geographic Society…

IT’S A HOT FEBRUARY morning but I feel cool relief as I step into the darkness of a little fibro shed. Rickety stumps and overgrown mangroves signal this is one of many old oyster sheds dotted along the shores of Broken Bay, a large estuary about 50km north of Sydney’s CBD at the confluence of the Hawkesbury River, Pittwater and Brisbane Water. The handwritten letters “BBP” above the doorway are the only clue this one is not abandoned. Nestled on Brisbane Water, Broken Bay’s northern arm, it is the home of Broken Bay Pearls, a company at the heart of a new, multimillion-dollar pearl farming industry on Australia’s east coast. Two women sit just inside the door, focused on their mission. Rose Crisp, the elder of the pair, will seed…

WHEN PAUL WAS handed to Barbara Barrett in a washing basket to take home last November, he was given a slim chance of survival. He lay curled up in a ball on old towels, burnt, traumatised and barely moving. “We thought he might not make it,” Barb, a koala carer with two decades experience, recalls of the young male koala. But there was a chance, so he was patched up, made comfortable and entrusted to her to try to rehabilitate him. He’d been rescued by a man named Paul, hence his adopted name, from a still-smouldering fireground near Port Macquarie, on the New South Wales mid-north coast, after one of the first of the fires that went on to rage throughout summer across south-eastern Australia. His ears were singed and…

Battles and beaches of the South Pacific Join us on board expedition vessel Coral Discoverer on a 13-night expedition voyage through the autonomous regions of Bougainville, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the end of WWII in May 1945. This expedition explores the history of the period and will also offer guests an immersion into the idyllic island landscapes, strong cultural traditions of Pacific Islanders and the renowned warmth and hospitality of the peoples of the Pacific. WHO: Coral Expeditions DATES: 13 nights | 23 October 2020 hosted by Alasdair McGregor COST: From $10,340pp BOOKINGS: Call 1800 079 545, email explore@coralexpeditions.com or visit the website (see below) Outerknown adventures on the Great Barrier Reef A new era of Great Barrier Reef (GBR) expeditions has arrived with…