Innholdsfortegnelse for November - December 2023 i Australian Geographic

SCIENTISTS FROM Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and the Western Australian Museum have discovered two new planigale species in the Pilbara region of north west WA. Planigales are Australia’s smallest carnivorous marsupials: the two newly identified species – the orange-headed Pilbara planigale (Planigale kendricki) and the cracking-clay Pilbara planigale (P. tealei) – have an average weight of 7g and 4g respectively. “Planigales are smaller than a mouse, with some weighing less than a teaspoon of water – but they punch above their weight,” says Dr Linette Umbrello, from the QUT School of Biology and Environmental Science. “They are fierce predators and often take on prey as big as themselves, or bigger.” The two species actively forage at night for grasshoppers, small lizards, and other invertebrates.…

This happy bunch of young men and women from the central desert region of SA, WA and the NT teamed up with AG’s Picture Editor, Nicky Catley, and photographer Nick Bowers, for a Canon photojournalism workshop in October. The 10 Anangu youths, from Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (NPY) Lands, were brought together by the NPY Women’s Council for a mini photo safari on Country to practise taking portraits, documenting the finding of bush food and medicine, and capturing still life and landscape. Each participant returned to their communities in Aputula (formerly Finke), Kaltukatjara (Docker River) and Irrunytju (Wingellina) with a Canon E05 R10 mirrorless camera, ready to create their own stories.…

SAVING BUNJI By Brinkley Davies In 2016, Brinkley Davies was in a car that collided with a kangaroo which had a joey in her pouch. Brinkley was determined to rear the surviving joey and named her ‘Bunji’. Although Brinkley didn’t know it at the time, Bunji would become a lifelong friend and spark a fire in her to do better for Australia’s wildlife, leading Brinkley to eventually set up her own conservation foundation and start campaigning for the rights of animals everywhere. Saving Bunji tells the inspiring story of one woman’s quest to do better for the planet, and to live a life in tune with nature. The book is full of stunning photographs taken by Brinkley, charting the growth of Bunji and their incredible bond, as well as the…

SPOTSARE PROBABLY best known as the bane of a teenage face, but you might be surprised to know that a propensity for spots is also a characteristic of other worlds. Our Solar System’s gas giants – Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune – all have spots in their atmospheres from time to time. Probably the best known (and most aptly named) is the Great Red Spot on Jupiter, which lies in one of the planet’s prominent cloud belts. This long-lived and well-studied feature is the largest storm in the Solar System, big enough to completely engulf our own planet. The cause of its reddish colouring remains a mystery. Likewise, Saturn has a spotty atmosphere, which has become the expert province of a Broken Hill amateur astronomer named Trevor Barry – an…

Presenting Partner Australian Geographic Society Lifetime of Adventure Category Sponsor GLENN SINGLEMAN AND HEATHER SWAN HEATHER’S SWAN’S JOURNEY INTO extreme sport was taken one step at a time. “As you grow your ability and your sense of self-efficacy, the answer to ‘What would you do if you weren’t afraid?’ becomes, ‘I’d like to climb up the highest cliff in the world and jump off it in a wingsuit!’” she says. Heather and her husband, Dr Glenn Singleman, are world record–holding extreme-sport athletes and two-time recipients of the Australian Geographic Spirit of Adventure medal. They’re best known for their gravity-defying stunts as wingsuit pilots. Glenn is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and physician specialising in remote, rural and expedition medicine. Heather is an inspirational speaker, farmer, photographer and author. Together, they use…

JOIN OUR GUIDES on a journey to discover the culture, incredible wildlife and ecology of the Murray River. You’ll be welcomed to Country by Erawirung Elder Eric Cook, who will take you on a cultural walk along an ancient river oxbow. Your guides will lead you through the forests, creeks, billabongs and outback lakes, sharing knowledge of vital conservation work. See the benefits of environmental flows to restore red gum forests and protect wetland species, including the vulnerable southern bell frog. Explore diverse landscapes in search of wildlife, including red kangaroos, emus, koalas, goannas and many of the 180 bird species found in this region. Departures & fares 4 days, 3 nights Departs 15 April 2024 21 October 2024 4 November 2024 From $3310pp twin share Group size Minimum six,…

THIS 10-NIGHT, hiking-themed itinerary takes you to Tasmania’s east coast and the iconic treks of the region. Guests will enjoy a variety of shore excursions, with both challenging and less strenuous walks on offer. The imposing cliffs, sandy beaches and sapphire waters of the rugged coast of Tasmania offer an experience of spectacular beauty. Led by experienced guides, you’ll explore breathtaking coastal hikes and gain insights into the region’s unique ecosystem. Some of the hikes include Mt Beattie, Mt Milner, Fluted Cape Walk, Cape Hauy, Hazards Loop, and Bishop and Clerk trail. After the day’s exertions, retire to Coral Discoverer’s panoramic Xplorer bar and recharge with a Tasmanian single malt or two. Departures & fares Partner Voyage: 18 January 2025, from $7920pp twin share Other departures: 18 January 2024 Highlights…

CANADA HAS AWE-INSPIRING landscapes, but did you know there’s also great Canadian cuisine to be paired with all of that incredible natural beauty? During our 12-day Sip and Savour itinerary, you’ll ferry from Vancouver to Victoria in a guided tour around these culinary capitals. Enjoy both rainforest and mountain views from a float plane, and journey aboard Rocky Mountaineer, a luxury scenic train where your menu is a story of local produce sourced along the route. You can even elevate your skills with a wilderness cooking lesson on a mountain peak. From Vancouver to Edmonton, this adventure will have you in awe of western Canada’s beauty and its flavours. Departures & fares Departs Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, early May to late September 2024 From $9676pp twin share Contact us today…

THE NATIONAL FILM and Sound Archives in Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory is housed in a building with stripped classical architecture and Art Deco elements. But look closer and you’ll see wombat faces peeping through roundels, goannas carved on the heads of columns, frill-necked lizards framing the front entrance and a skylight in the foyer featuring a stylised platypus. These details are a window into its past as the National Museum of Australian Zoology, later renamed the Australian Institute of Anatomy. The institute was founded in 1931 by Sir William Colin MacKenzie, an orthopaedist and anatomist with a passion for Australian fauna and comparative anatomy. He believed that native fauna was destined for extinction, so spent his career collecting animal specimens. Controversially, MacKenzie also believed studying animal anatomy could…

Melbourne-based photo artist Morganna Magee uses artificial intelligence (AI) to supplement what wildlife photographers are already doing to celebrate the wonder of the natural world. She manipulates images to heighten our emotional response, not intending for the viewer to think the work is real. In this image, for example, she purposely misplaces an eye and merges a human arm with that of a kangaroo. The background is imperfectly rendered to emphasise the fabrication. “I’ve always believed in the power of photography to change things, but it’s getting harder as we move along as a society,” Morganna says. “Maybe AI is a tool that can help with that. With the flood of citizen photography, wildlife tourism and the rapid way in which we consume imagery, we’ve become a bit sanitised to…

Cats in Australia kill an estimated six million native animals daily – two billion a year – and threaten the survival of more than 200 threatened species. In September, the federal government released its draft feral cat management plan for public feedback. The 10-year plan seeks to reduce the impact of feral cats on our ecosystems and support native populations in their recovery. Proposals include creating or expanding cat-free islands and fenced-off areas, trialling feral-cat shooting programs with recreational hunters, and implementing new baiting technology, such as the Felixer grooming traps (see Conservation meets machine learning, page 42). The draft plan will also strengthen the ability of local governments to impose regulations that will encourage responsible pet ownership, such as registering and desexing pets, imposing cat curfews, and placing a…

QLD Mini bee expo NINNEY RISE To celebrate Australian Pollinator Week, occurring 11–19 November, the Cassowary Coast branch of the Australian Native Bee Association is hosting a mini expo showcasing native bees. Drop by the historic Ninney Rise homestead at Bingil Bay, near Mission Beach, on 11 November, 2–4pm, to see a working hive, taste sugarbag honey, build bee hotels and social beehives, and get involved with the Australian Pollinator Week’s pollinator count. MORE INFO: australianpollinatorweek.org.au/event/mission-beach-mini-bee-expo SA Spot emu chicks COFFIN BAY NATIONAL PARK By December, emu chicks have hatched and can be found foraging through grasslands and open forests, following closely behind their dads. Coffin Bay National Park, on the Eyre Peninsula, is one of the best places to see them, sometimes in groups of 70 or more! MORE…

WHO SHOULD CARE for those unable to look after themselves? That became a hot issue after the economic depression of the early 1890s, when poverty became widespread. At that time, the elderly or infirm received no governnment financial support, so their care fell to family, religious and charitable institutions or government asylums. Australia had a history of innovation around social and political rights, which included compulsory primary schooling, emergence of a strong labour movement that helped to gain shorter working hours, and the extension of universal voting rights. So, although it was certainly welcomed, it wasn’t surprising when Australia’s new Commonwealth Parliament passed The Invalid and Old-age Pensions Act 1908 on 10 June of that year. “It is…gratifying to know that those who have grown old, and often helpless, in…

AVALANCHES ARE TERRIFYING things: they career down snow-covered mountains, smashing everything in their paths. In 1929, an ‘avalanche’ shifted more than twice the volume of Mt Everest – but nobody saw it! Why? Because it was entirely underwater. When there’s no snow involved, scientists call such an event a “turbidity current flow”. Back in 1929, an earthquake triggered one of these massive underwater flows at the Grand Banks, in Newfoundland in eastern Canada. The bottom of the ocean there was quite flat and hardly sloped at all – just one-quarter of a degree. Even so, this slope was enough to allow the sediment already sitting on the ocean floor to slide downhill at nearly 70km/h. By the time the underwater avalanche stopped, some 800km out to sea, it had shifted…

HABITAT SAVES KOALAS, and planting trees creates habitat, which is why Bangalow Koalas is striving to plant 500,000 trees by the end of 2025. We’d like to help them. The NSW community group has planted 338,000 trees in four years, an achievement that saw its president, Linda Sparrow, named our Conservationist of the Year in 2022. By creating a wildlife corridor across NSW’s Northern Rivers region, Bangalow Koalas is connecting vital koala habitat, allowing koalas to move safely as they feed, reducing the main risks of disease, dog attack and vehicle strike. It’s also about planting hope – for koalas, for the planet and, in the face of climate change, for the mental health and wellbeing of our younger generations. To reach the 500,000 target, there are still 162,000 ‘hope…

NEARING THE END of another year of environmental decline, extreme weather and an accelerating extinction crisis, we ask whether photography is succeeding in reaching our emotions enough for us to care. This year, Australian Geographic launched a new photography prize, the Head On Environmental Award, to recognise photographers who artfully investigate environmental issues and shine a light on solutions and conservation heroes, big and small. We were thrilled to receive a huge range of high-quality entries from around the globe, bringinging us potent new perspectives of a planet in crisis. The rich diversity of subjects explored was particularly exciting, ranging from melting permafrost to underwater farming. Here we present a preview of a selection of the finalists in this year’s inaugural competition. We were encouraged to see that many of…

WORMING ITS WAY between the polyps of a Galaxea coral, a miniature Braun’s pughead pipefish surveys its home as I look on. This incredible little fish, just two-thirds the length of a toothpick, has always been considered extremely rare. But I easily locate the pair I’m now watching as they navigate a newly pigmentless world. The usual healthy browns of the coral here have been replaced by stark white, contrasting dramatically with the chocolate colour of the pipefish. Because it’s so rarely observed, there’s never been a study on the biology of this pipefish species. But my background offers a devastating rush of knowledge that allows me to conclude this would have to be the last few weeks of life for this wonderful pair of fish. Their bleached coral home…

WATSONVILLE Hopeful miners descended on Watsonville after tin was discovered there in 1880. In its heyday, it had seven pubs, a post and telephone office, two stores, a state school with teacher’s residence, a courthouse, a police station and a school of arts with a library. Watsonville showed huge promise, Tim says. “But after the start of World War I, the price of tin fell; a lot of labour went to the war and never came home. A lot of these little mining towns just died.” Today, Watsonville is home to a population of barely 30 people, who drink from rainwater tanks because mining has polluted the local creeks with runoff tainted by heavy metals, including arsenic. STANNARY HILLS AND ROCKY BLUFFS Tin discoveries at Eureka Creek in 1884 birthed…

THIS EPIC TAILORED adventure, across World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park and Arnhem Land, winds through stunning floodplains and escarpments in search of the formidable saltwater crocodile, many of the region’s 280 bird species, adorable marsupials and mammals, and incredible flora. See spectacular landscapes, experience the world’s oldest-living continuous culture, and enjoy exclusive access to the Top End on this small group, safari-style four-wheel-drive tour, all while staying at Lord’s private tented camp. Departures & fares 5 days, 4 nights Departs 24 June; 22 July; 26 August 2024 From $5490pp twin share; single supplement available Group size Minimum four, maximum six Trip highlights • The richness and diversity of wildlife is extraordinary, with wallabies, wallaroos, quolls, dingoes, bats, goannas, frogs, pythons, waterbirds, cathedral termite mounds and the legendary saltwater crocodile, across…

JOIN US ON OUR inaugural Whales and Trails expedition as we explore the Jcoastline of southern Western Australia, with adventures on land and sea. Follow the migratory trail of the humpback, southern right and blue whales that frequent this confluence of the Indian and Southern oceans. Explore the renowned wine region of Margaret River, enjoying leisurely coastal walks along a section of the scenic Cape to Cape nature trail and discover wildflowers in full springtime bloom around Dunsborough and Esperance. Stroll silica-white sands in the company of native kangaroos at Lucky Bay – voted #1 beach in the world. Cruise the sheltered waters of Point Ann to witness whales and later, swim with stingrays in Hamelin Bay. Connect with Traditional Owners in coastal communities and learn their history and heritage.…

THIS 11-DAY INDEPENDENT Ontario road trip begins in Toronto and traverses the heart of Canada’s ‘Cottage Country’, through old-growth forests and pristine lakes. Explore this beautiful landscape and its crystal-clear lakes by boating, kayaking, swimming, canoeing, hiking and cycling. There are evenings beside the campfire and nights in extraordinary accommodation. Immerse yourself in the history of Kingston and discover Ottawa’s cultural treasures. Get your adrenaline pumping with a rafting expedition on the Ottawa River, before basking in Muskoka’s unparalleled beauty. With more than 250,000 freshwater lakes, Ontario is an outdoor lover’s dream. Departures & fares Departs daily, mid-May to mid-September 2024 From $3880pp twin share Contact us today adventureworld.com.au Phone 1300 363 055…

The Bureau of Meteorology has formally declared an El Niño event in the Pacific Ocean – and a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) to the west. El Niño typically delivers above-average heat and drier conditions (particularly in eastern Australia), while a positive IOD tends to drive rainfall that is lower than average for large swathes of the country. These two weather events will combine to deliver a hot and dry summer for much of the country, with extreme temperatures and an increased risk of fire danger.…

The name of the Sydney beachside suburb Dee Why has long been a puzzle. It seems to have sprung from 1815 when surveyor James Meehan wrote “Dy beach” in his field book. He never explained why, so guesses came thick and fast. Was “Dy” surveyor’s shorthand for his unfinished survey? Or was it the initials of Doña Ysabel, namesake of the Spanish galleon Santa Ysabel? Meehan’s biographer Tony Dawson thinks he’s solved it. The mark in the surveyor’s notebook was an attempt to capture the sound of the beach’s Aboriginal name. Transcribing Aboriginal placenames into our Latin alphabet has always been a bit haphazard – and this is another example of a European struggling with the local name. (Mind you, 75 per cent of Australian placenames are Indigenous words, so…

Palaeontologists from Flinders University (FU) have discovered the fossilised teeth (below right) of an ancient relative of the koala, believed to be about 25 million years old, at Pwerte Marnte Marnte fossil site south of Alice Springs. The new species, named Lumakoala blackae, was roughly the size of a modern-day brushtail possum and ate mostly soft leaves and insects. “Our computer analysis of its evolutionary relationships indicates that Lumakoala is a member of the koala family (Phascolarctidae) or a close relative,” says lead author and FU PhD student, Arthur Crichton. “But it also resembles several much older fossil marsupials, Thylacotinga and Chulpasia, from the 55-million-year-old Tingamarra site in north-eastern Australia…[suggesting] that Thylacotinga and Chulpasia could be early relatives of Australian herbivorous marsupials like koalas, wombats, kangaroos and possums.” If the…

JUST AS AUSTRALIA declares war on cats, with the release of the federal government’s draft feral-cat management program (see Geobits, page 15), a blockbuster exhibition venerating these mammals arrives in New South Wales. The much-anticipated Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs opens at the Australian Museum (AM) in Sydney in November, representing the largest cultural exhibition Australia has received in more than a decade. Among the 4500- to 2000-year-old ancient Egyptian artefacts are funerary masks and sacred amulets, a menagerie of mummified animals, collars and bracelets festooned with semiprecious gemstones, painted limestone reliefs and faience tiles, diadems, and a gold uraeus – the rearing cobra on a pharaoh’s headdress – inlaid with lapis lazuli and amazonite. The objects range from the Old Kingdom (2686BCE–2181BCE) through to Roman times, with…

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DONKEYS SWEAT. Snow’s coat is in a lather after the 7.5km walk through bush from Kalunga in far north Queensland to our campsite beside Cassowary Creek, off the unsealed Silver Valley Road. I stroke his muscular neck and tether him to a tree with a bowline knot I’ve only just learned to tie, and hope it holds. It’s sunset on day one of the week-long Packers’ Ghost Trek through rugged hinterland 75km south-west of Cairns. With us are eight other donkeys, and Tim Daniel, our guide, who served in the army for 42 years and for three of those ran a survival school. He’s in a work shirt, canvas trousers, and a fly-fishing vest labelled with everything he might need at a moment’s notice, from batteries to crepe bandages. From…

FROM THE 16TH CENTURY, Makassan trepangers began venturing from their homeland in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Travelling through the Flores and Savu seas, they arrived on the shores of the Kimberley and Arnhem Land. We invite you to embark on your own journey through the straits of the East Indies to Makassar on this 14-night voyage aboard Coral Geographer. Explore lesser-visited islands, home to seafaring traditions and rich cultural practices. At Tana Beru, witness ancient traditional Phinisi boatbuilding, and visit one of the last traditional subsistence-whaling villages at Lamalera. From encountering komodo dragons on a walking tour to exploring the colourful underwater realm of Takabonerate Marine Park, these voyages are a feast for the senses. Departures & fares Partner Voyage: 23 April 2024 (Makassar to Darwin) from $14,120pp twin share Other…

IF YOU WANT to immerse yourself in the world’s oldest continuous-living culture, you’ve come to the right place. From the spiritual heart of Australia to its cities, discover the country’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage through activities ranging from climbing bridges to creating paintings. You’ll also meet some of the First Nations people who are nurturing Country and keeping their culture alive for future generations. Departures Departs 10 October 2024 (13 days) Contact us today aatkings.com Phone 1300 228 546…

DISCOVER THE RICH history of the Great Pyramids, Sphinx, the Luxor Temple and more. Cruise the Nile, the world’s longest river, through picturesque landscapes and fly into Abu Simbel to discover the massive rock temples of Ramses the Great. Visit the soon-to-be-opened Grand Egyptian Museum, an architectural wonder presenting Egypt’s treasures in a new light. Along the way, our Egyptologist guides provide a unique local perspective on their own ancient history and culture. Our Authentic Egypt itinerary is designed for two and can be customised. Departures & fares Departs Fridays, Sundays, Wednesdays, subject to availability (cruise set departure days) From $6890pp twin share Contact us today adventureworld.com.au Phone 1300 363 055…

1 The Walls of Jerusalem National Park is located in which Australian state or territory? 2 What are the common and scientific names of this bird? 3 The River Cave is part of what cave system located in the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area of New South Wales? 4 Graphium macleayanum is more commonly known by what name? 5 Name this bridge, found in Brisbane, Queensland. 6 Name this historian and war correspondent? 7 What is Australia’s smallest nocturnal bird? 8 What is Tasmania’s third-largest city by population? 9 Who is credited as Australia’s longest-roaming bushranger? 10 In which national park will you find Australia’s longest lava tubes? 11 What type of fruit does the magenta lilly pilly (Syzygium paniculatum) produce? 12 Adelaide in South Australia was named after the queen consort of which British monarch? 13 Australia’s current national anthem…