Innholdsfortegnelse for November - December 2021 i Australian Geographic

RENOWNED investigative reporter Ross Coulthart has been intrigued by UFOs since, as a teenager, he closely followed the 1978 New Zealand Kaikōura UFO sighting. Later, as a journalist, he found the public explanation by the Royal New Zealand Air Force didn’t fit the evidence and was intrigued about their assertions. Working with ABC TV’s Four Corners he met Royal Australian Air Force pilots who told him they’d seen numerous anomalous objects, sometimes flying right next to their planes. They agreed it was a real phenomenon but were frightened to report the sightings for fear of losing their wings. Combing Australian government archives, Ross uncovered rich lodes of well-verified sightings in Australia, NZ, Britain and the USA, many of which could not be explained by investigators. It led him to begin…

THE DESERT IS quiet for now, except for the sounds of our boots crunching over dry grass and padding across thick red dust as we approach a water-hole outside Alice Springs that only locals know about. It’s a cold early August morning and we’ve ventured here to see one of Central Australia’s most spectacular phenomena: a murmuration – an immense flock – of budgerigars. We settle by the water’s edge in the pre-dawn stillness and wait in silence for the birds’ first trills to emanate from somewhere unseen. Soon 20 budgies fly overhead, followed by group upon group swelling the flock. Their wingbeats pound as they sweep overhead, now in bands of hundreds, and their constant chirping creates a powerful wall of sound. Within minutes, thousands of budgies are twisting…

TASMANIAN ATLANTIC salmon has long been marketed as the nutritious and healthy food of a sustainable industry. Millions of the non-native fish are farmed in large circular pens dotted around the island state’s coastline and open to the ocean’s ebb and flow. Being in good supply and a seemingly virtuous food has made Tasmanian salmon hugely popular with Australians. From its beginnings in 1985–86, when 55 tonnes of fish were produced, the industry has grown into a behemoth that in 2019–20 generated 65,000t, worth about $1 billion – more than the state’s dairy and cattle industries combined. The Tasmanian government has hopes to further grow the industry to an annual worth of $2 billion by 2030. But scientists and conservationists claim Australian salmon farming damages the environment in myriad ways…

“IN COME THE DOLLARS, in come the cents,” sang the animated Dollar Bill to the tune of the traditional Aussie bush ballad “Click Go the Shears”. The year was 1966, and the jingle was part of an extensive advertising campaign preparing Australians for the introduction of decimal currency on 14 February – a date dubbed C-Day, or Conversion Day. Today’s version might be more like “out go the dollars, out go the cents”. Contactless payments by cards, phones or digital watches have largely replaced physical currency, so much so that Ross MacDiarmid, former CEO of the Royal Australian Mint, has predicted the “graceful death” of 5c and 10c pieces within the next 10 years. Although the global pandemic has hastened the decline of coins and accelerated the rise of contactless…

SET SAIL ABOARD state-of-the-art expedition ship Coral Geographer on this Australian Geographic partner voyage into the wild nature, rich history and unique food experiences of Australia’s southern coast. Here, sweeping beaches and idyllic seaside towns merge into remote national parks harbouring some of the world’s rarest species of flora and fauna. This immersive voyage will delight all your senses, as you embark on a once-in-a-lifetime crossing of the Great Australian Bight. Departures & fares 14 nights Melbourne to Fremantle – Departs 1 March 2022 From $8920pp twin share Expedition highlights • Shuck your own delicious oysters fresh from the waters of Coffin Bay. • Taste locally harvested wild abalone at Streaky Bay. • Visit Augusta’s Jewel Cave and learn about its formation over thousands of years. • Enjoy sunset drinks…

Australia’s tropical outback – the Top End – is a wild land where brolgas fly across the sunset, huge crocodiles laze on riverbanks and sandstone shimmers with the world’s oldest art. But even here wildlife faces threats. Shorebirds (waders) fly to Australia’s Top End from Siberia and the Arctic, encountering disappearing habitats and shrinking food resources. Our conservation mission on this 7-day wildlife tour of Kakadu and Mary River national parks is to help protect them while they are in the Top End. Departures & fares 7 days, 6 nights 30 August–5 September 2022 From $3500pp twin share From $600pp single Contact us today travel@australiangeographic.com Phone 0413 560 210…

A gem of the natural world, Lord Howe Island has dramatic scenery, lush subtopical forests, rare flora and fauna, pristine beaches and colourful marine life. Both breathtaking and unique, Lord Howe Island elicited this praise from Sir David Attenborough: “So extraordinary it is almost unbelievable”. Now you can join Australian Geographic on its 2022 citizen science expedition to work with experts to study populations of local and migratory birds, with additional surveys of marine life and invertebrates. Also includes opportunities to photograph wildlife. Departures & fares 6 nights September 2022 $4963pp twin share, excluding airfare The rate includes a $450 contribution to the Australian Geographic Society. Contact us today pinetrees.com.au Phone 02 9262 6585…

1 ROSS BRIDGE The 1836 convict-built stone bridge is a highlight of any visit to Ross. Designed by John Lee Archer and commissioned by George Arthur, lieutenant-governor of Van Diemen’s Land, it’s one of the country’s oldest bridges and demonstrates fine skill. Described by experts as “possibly the richest achievement of the earlier colonial period if not the most significant sculpture on any edifice in the Commonwealth”, its stonemasonry was by Daniel Herbert and James Colbeck. Herbert had been sentenced to death for highway robbery. His sentence commuted to transportation for life, and he arrived in Hobart Town in 1827. The bridge contains 186 keystones, many believed to be carved by him. Some are thought to be portraits of Herbert, his convict wife, Mary Witherington, fellow convict Jorgen Jorgenson, and…

SA Abundant waders, Coorong National Park About 200km from Adelaide, the Coorong and Lower Lakes play host to 100,000 wading birds in the spring months up to November. Species such as the common greenshank, red-necked avocet, sharp-tailed sandpiper and black-winged stilt stop here to refuel and rest during their long annual migrations. More info: Call Coorong National Park on 08 8575 1200 or visit parks.sa.gov.au/parks/coorong-national-park VIC Frolicking seal pups, Phillip Island Nature Parks Famous for little penguins, Phillip Island, two hours drive from Melbourne, is also home to one of Australia’s largest fur seal colonies. About 6000 bask here at Seal Rocks year-round, but the summer breeding season brings the added bonus of seal pups. The best way to enjoy them is from a wildlife cruise. More info: Call Phillip…

TO SEE A VIDEO of platypus in Lake Elizabeth go to: australiangeographic.com.au/great-ocean-road-platypus It’s early morning. An eerie mist hovers over the enchanting Lake Elizabeth and the first rays of sunlight begin to peep through the canopy of the surrounding eucalypts. The dead-calm water, dotted with skeletal trunks of lifeless trees, adds to the mystical setting. I’m sitting in the front of a canoe, scanning the surface for any ripples caused by one of Australia’s most elusive and ancient creatures – the notoriously shy platypus. This is nature at its best, I think to myself, fully immersed in this amazing natural experience. Lake Elizabeth is a hidden jewel in Great Otway National Park. Located just 15 minutes drive from the Victorian township of Forrest, this stunning body of water known as…

SCROLL THROUGH THE Instagram account of tennis great Roger Federer and among his snippets on great matches and life on the pro circuit you’ll find a photo of him taken in 2017 on Western Australia’s Rottnest Island with a quokka. Since that image went viral, a slew of celebrities – including actor Chris Hemsworth, singer Kylie Minogue and surfing legend Kelly Slater – have snapped their faces with the tiny, seemingly smiling, wallabies. So too have thousands of less-famous quokka enthusiasts. At least 66,000 quokka selfies now reside on Instagram. In 2019, before COVID hit travel worldwide, the island experienced an increased visitation rate of 15 per cent on the previous year, a rise the Rottnest Island Authority (RIA) attributed partly to the quokka selfie craze. Quokkas don’t, of course,…

Age: Early Cretaceous Region: QLD/NSW Length: Up to 9m Height: 2.5m Muttaburrasaurus (muta-burra-sore-rus), named in 1981, is our largest ornithopod. Known from a partial skeleton and a second skull from QLD and several teeth from NSW, this powerful 2.8 tonne herbivore could rear up on its back legs to reach high foliage and intimidate predators, though it sometimes also moved on four legs. It had an unusual bulge on its snout, which may have contained an inflatable air sac.…

1 ACCESS Travelling with Australian Geographic inspires people to care about the planet by providing meaningful opportunities to explore it. Our travel experiences are rich in nature and adventure, and our travel partners specialise in hard-to-reach places and small group experiences. You’ll join similarly inclined souls who share your taste for exploration and a burning desire to learn more about our phenomenal natural world. 2 EXPERTISE Imagine exploring the Great Barrier Reef with a scientist who has dedicated his life to conserving this incredible natural wonder, or visiting stunning Lord Howe Island to conduct vital bird research in the company of top bird experts. Australian Geographic’s adventurers, scientists, historians and photographers have brought the world to you for more than 36 years. Now, they invite you to join them in…

THIS TOUR IS a genuine cultural adventure and visits one of a selection of remote Yolŋu homelands. Suitable for all ages, we welcome families with children to share in this life-changing experience. There will often be Yolŋu children at the homelands, who love interacting with visitors of all ages. Not only will you participate in a variety of cultural programs and activities, you’ll also experience an incredible array of landscapes. This tour will give you an understanding of Yolŋu culture, and the Yolŋu peoples’ connection to land and sea. Departures & fares 5 days, 4 nights 2–6 June 2022 28 July–1 August 2022 From $2399pp twin share From $1999 per child (4–14 yrs) From $135 single supplement (only for the last night) Trip highlights • Three nights in basic lodge…

THE BEST OF K’GARI (Fraser Island) Great Walk showcases select stretches of the iconic, 90km walking track over three days. You’ll experience the unimaginable beauty of diverse landscapes, from the coastal bushland, through the heart of the rainforest, to pristine, white-sand freshwater lakes. This one-of-a-kind walk is not offered elsewhere on Fraser Island, a renowned UNESCO Heritage Site. Departures & fares 7–10 May 2022 29 July–1 Aug 2022 From $2700pp twin share Single supplement $800 Expedition highlights • Immerse yourself in the natural beauty of K’gari (Fraser Island) and discover unique flora and fauna, perched lakes and rainforests while you traverse the tracks in this world-renowned UNESCO World Heritage site, famed for its exceptional natural beauty, outstanding coastal dunes and evolutionary history. • Waiuta Retreat: Adjacent to Great Sandy Strait…

THIS COMPREHENSIVE TOUR of Bruny’s much-lauded highlights – flora, fauna and history – is also all-inclusive of Tassie’s fabulous food and beverages (and features lots of it!). Relaxed and informal, it makes use of Inala Private Reserve, a 600ha Land for Wildlife property that’s home to a variety of threatened species and all 12 of Tasmania’s endemic birds (see page 52). You’ll also be treated to night tours of a penguin rookery and search for other noctural animals, including Tasmanian pademelons and eastern quolls. The tour also includes transfers to and from Hobart. Departures & fares 11–13 January 2022 8–10 April 2022 27–29 November 2022 From $2360pp twin share $2440pp single (shared bathroom) Expedition highlights • Visit Bruny’s southern coastline to view the second-oldest lighthouse in Australia, and search for…

Explore well beyond the Antarctic Circle down to the historic heart of Antarctica and the world’s largest marine sanctuary, the Ross Sea, on pioneering expedition cruise company Heritage Expeditions ultimate bucket-list adventure, In the Wake of Scott & Shackleton. Zodiac cruise gigantic ice shelves, visit McMurdo Station and Scott Base, step inside the historic huts of Shackleton and Scott, experience unforgettable wildlife encounters while walking on the ice along-side emperor and Adélie penguins, and Weddell seals. Look for minke, orca and southern right whales as we discover rugged landscapes. Dates and prices 7 January–3 February 2 February–1 March 2023 From US$27,950pp Contact us today heritage-expeditions.com Phone 1800 143 585…

THE QUOKKA Quokka populations have declined hugely during the past 100 years due to introduced predators, habitat destruction and disease. The species is now listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of threatened species. Rottnest Island off the coast of Western Australia is home to Australia’s largest population with more than 10,000 individuals, although threats, such as climate change and disease, still pose a risk to the animals. The Rottnest Island environment team (see Behind the smile on page 72) monitors the island’s quokka population to help detect changes that may signal the need for management actions. However, the size of the island makes it challenging to monitor large parts of quokka habitat. Donations to this fund-raiser will help buy remote cameras to enable continuous monitoring of substantial areas…

DURING A THUNDERSTORM in Horsham, Victoria, in the late 1940s, Norah Collins got the shock of her life. Her son, Craig Collins, explains that Norah was at home knitting when “a bright ball of light floated in through the window”. It hovered over her head, “prompting Dad to yell ‘quick, get out’”. But before Norah could move, the light floated down the hallway where it “shorted the indoor meter box before vanishing into thin air”. Craig’s parents were baffled about the origins of the strange ball of light, but Craig, now an amateur astronomer in Canberra, has little doubt what it was. “It was the telltale sign of a case of ball lightning,” he says. “It’s not surprising they were puzzled. Back in the 1940s very little was known about…

IS IT TRUE that Big Ag has totally ruined our soil, using up almost all of its goodness, so there’s barely any nutrition left in our food? Well, no. But like all good myths, it carries a small grain of truth. Typical claims include that you would have to eat eight of today’s oranges to get the same amount of vitamin C our grandparents would have got from a single orange. Other claims are that during the past century, levels of calcium, magnesium and iron in cabbage, lettuce, tomatoes and spinach have dropped by up to 90 per cent. This claimed reduction comes from a 2018 paper in the journal Nutrients. This paper has many problems, including a small sample size (just seven!), with three of those unable to be…

MOST OF US are used to the idea that astronomers can look back in time by observing very distant celestial objects whose light has taken billions of years to reach us. It’s a useful tactic that allows us to probe the entire 13.8-billion-year history of the universe. But there’s another way of investigating the deep past that involves studying objects conveniently located on our cosmic door-step. And some unusual stars in our own Milky Way galaxy hold the key to unlocking cataclysmic events that happened in the universe’s infancy. Astronomers use the technique of spectroscopy to reveal the barcode of information embedded in the light of stars. It provides valuable data on their chemical content and, indirectly, their age. Stars are mostly hydrogen, but they also contain material created by…

IT’S AN EXTRAORDINARY conservation success story – particularly for a country with the worst rate of modern-day mammal extinctions. A three-decade battle to bring the eastern barred bandicoot back from beyond the brink in Victoria has been won, with the state’s official conservation status for the marsupial being reclassified from extinct in the wild to endangered. Once common across Victoria, populations of the rabbit-sized bandicoot have been decimated by foxes and feral cats. It’s a loss that’s been exacerbated by the destruction of bandicoot habitat due to urban sprawl and agriculture. In 1989, as the species’ number in the wild fell to below 150, efforts to rescue it from extinction were stepped up with the formation of the Eastern Barred Bandicoot Recovery Team. This multi-agency group, charged with rescuing the…

IT STARTED AS a seed of an idea. Wouldn’t it be cool to have a couple of plants from different parts of the world to show the Gondwanan connection, biologist Dr Tonia Cochran wondered as she began planting a garden of ancient plants on her Bruny Island property. A decade later, Tonia’s Jurassic Garden has flourished into an extraordinary repository of primeval plant genes – a botanic garden of global significance. It recently became the only Australian recipient of a prized US grant that supports the preservation of important plant genomes in living collections around the world. TONIA BOUGHT HER 600ha island property on Bruny Island, just off Tasmania’s east coast, while she was working for the Australian Antarctic Division during the 1980s and ’90s. The land supported a mix…

A variety of walking tracks head into forest areas and along the coast, taking in stunning scenery and fascinating heritage sites. They include: 1 Melba Gully–Madsens Track Nature Walk (1.2km return). Melba Gully is one of Victoria’s wettest places. It has rich plant growth, including a dense rainforest of myrtle beech, blackwood and tree ferns, with an understorey of low ferns and mosses. 2 Maits Rest Rainforest Walk (800m return). A boardwalk traverses gullies of tree ferns and moss-covered roots of ancient rainforest trees, protecting the delicate ecosystem while providing unique views. 3 Johanna Beach to Dinosaur Cove Walk (8km return). Featuring one of the area’s most beautiful beaches, this walk heads south-east along the sandy shore, crossing the mouths of the Johanna River and Brown Creek, to the west…

Scientific name: Setonix brachyurus Family: Macropodidae Subclass: Marsupialia Distribution: Restricted to the South West region of Western Australia. The species occurs on Rottnest and Bald islands and on the mainland in small groups near Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve, Torndirrup NP, Mount Manypeaks Nature Reserve and the Stirling Range NP. Conservation status (IUCN RED LIST): LC Least concern NT Near threatened VU Vulnerable EN Endangered CR Critically endangered EW Extinct in the wild EX Extinct Head and body length: 39–54cm Tail length: 25–31cm Weight: Males up to 4.5kg; females to 3.5kg Habitat: Dense vegetation near creeks and shrubland around swamps. On Rottnest Island they occupy a range of semi-arid zones. It’s thought that they prefer recently burnt habitat, although fires that are too intense or frequent can devastate populations. Diet: Quokkas…

TWELVE-YEAR-OLD schoolgirl Joy Clarke was in her science class at Westall High School on the morning of 6 April 1966 when another girl rushed into the classroom, shouting excitedly to Mr Greenwood the teacher, “Mr Greenwood, Mr Greenwood, there’s things in the sky. There’s flying saucers in the sky.” When Joy and hundreds of other schoolchildren at the Melbourne suburban school rushed out at recess to the school’s sports field, they saw what they all described as elliptical, discshaped, metallic, silvery “flying saucers” hovering above them. The Westall School incident remains not only Australia’s but one of the world’s most-witnessed unexplained UAP sightings. No official government explanation has ever been publicly offered for what it was that hundreds of schoolchildren, teachers and local residents saw that day. Private researchers have…

DAY 4: RICHMOND TO JULIA CREEK DRIVE: The journey is 149km (1hr 30mins) on Flinders Highway (A6) to Julia Creek. VISIT: Beneath the Creek at the Julia Creek Visitor Information Centre for dunnart feedings at 10am and 2pm, weekdays, or 10am weekends, from April to October. Centre is closed weekends November–March. Cost $5 per adult, $2 per child with proceeds going to dunnart conservation. atthecreek.com.au STAY: Julia Creek Caravan Park. Bookings can be made to visit bathhouses on site. Therapeutic waters are drawn from the Great Artesian Basin. jccaravanpark.com.au Fact: Hughenden is an artist’s haven with a trail of sculptures installed throughout the town. DAY 6: CLEM WALTON PARK TURN-OFF TO MOUNT ISA DRIVE: The journey is 67km (1hr) on Barkly Highway (83). VISIT: Outback at Isa, Mount Isa’s major tourism facility,…

AUSTRALIAN GEOGRAPHIC and Hurtigruten Expeditions have partnered to offer you this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Join us on a journey of ecological discovery as we go from Quito, Ecuador in Charles Darwin’s footsteps to experience the natural wonders of the incomparable Galápagos Islands. All Hurtigruten Expeditions cruises to the Galápagos are carbon neutral and guests will contribute directly to the protection of biodiverse forests in north-western Ecuador, a UNESCO biosphere reserve. Hosted by Chrissie Goldrick, Editor in Chief of Australian Geographic. Departures & fares Departs 31 August 2022 aboard small ship MS Santa Cruz II. From $9989pp twin share Expedition highlights • Hosted by Chrissie Goldrick, Editor in Chief of AUSTRALIAN GEOGRAPHIC and member of the Advisory Council of the Australian Geographic Society. • Additional inclusions and exclusives for Australian Geographic travellers.…

AUSTRALIAN GEOGRAPHIC and Hurtigruten Expeditions have partnered to offer you this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Explore Antarctica during its summer, touring icebergs and visiting penguin colonies ashore. You’ll also go to the Falkland Islands, visit its capital Stanley and see penguins and seals. Hosted by David Haslingden, owner of Australian Geographic and chair of the Australian Geographic Society, join us on this journey and enjoy exclusives only available to Australian Geographic and Hurtigruten Expeditions guests. Departures & fares Departs 21 November 2022 aboard state-of-the-art, world’s first hybrid-powered ship, MS Roald Amundsen. From $12,317pp twin share Expedition highlights • Hosted by David Haslingden, owner of Australian Geographic and chair of the Australian Geographic Society. • Additional inclusions and exclusives for Australian Geographic travellers. • Escorted landings with small expedition boats while in Antarctica.…

RESIDENTS OF the small community of Ardrossan on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula woke on the morning of Monday 8 December 2014 to a distressing sight. On Parara Beach, just outside the town, six huge sperm whales lay dead or dying on the muddy sandflats, with another near the jetty. After making their way up Gulf St Vincent, the sperm whales, largest of the toothed whales, had become stranded by low tide during the night. An eighth animal was found in distress and close to stranding in 1.5m of water 44km south, but an SA environment department-trained marine mammal rescue team was able to encourage it back into deeper water, where it appeared to survive the ordeal. Sightseers soon arrived at Parara Beach, prompting authorities to place a cordon around the…