September - October 2018

Australian Geographic

The journal of the Australian Geographic Society

Australian Geographic2 min read
Where Inspiration Lives
INSPIRATION has always been a large part of what AUSTRALIAN GEOGRAPHIC is about and it’s in abundance throughout this issue. You’ll be moved and motivated by the story of young Aussie aviator Ryan Campbell, who spoke exclusively to AG about his remar
Australian Geographic3 min readEarth Sciences
Notes From The Field
“I HAVE A FAIRLY decent set of sea legs,” record-breaking solo around-the-world sailor Jessica Watson said in a massive understatement when she returned from assignment to the Recherche Archipelago, located in the wild Southern Ocean (page 64). “But
Australian Geographic4 min read
Your Say
I was greatly encouraged to read the article on wool (AG 145). Agriculture is part of the geographical landscape, and in Australia it seems farmers are undervalued. They’re either seen as environmental vandals or peasants and it’s refreshing to see a
Australian Geographic4 min read
Mystery In The Desert
ON A REMOTE AND EMPTY desert plateau, on the banks of Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre, South Australia, is the world’s second-largest geoglyph. Unlike the 1000-year-old Nazca Lines in Peru that hold the title of the biggest geoglyph, the artwork that became kn
Australian Geographic1 min read
Earth Works
In southern Peru lie artworks that can only be understood from the air. Yet the Nazca Lines were created between 500BC and 500AD. Depicting animals and geometric shapes, the images cover 450sq.km and were found in the 1920s. They may have had astrono
Australian Geographic2 min readNature
Avian Arsonists
AUSTRALIA IS WELL-ADAPTED to fire – partly due to having been sculpted by it. Aboriginal people have long used fire to manage the land. Their controlled burns shaped the Australian landscape for foraging, agriculture and hunting. Now we’re learning –
Australian Geographic1 min readBiology
Ask An Expert
Q Why do we have five fingers and five toes, and why do so many creatures also have five fingers? William Forrest, Tamworth, NSW A Modern tetrapods (limbed vertebrates) generally have hands and feet with five digits. This was not the case for the fir
Australian Geographic2 min read
Propeller Fragment
THIS UNASSUMING SCRAP of wood has a storied past. It’s a propeller splinter from Southern Cross, the three-engined Fokker plane flown by pioneering aviator Sir Charles Kingsford Smith in 1928 on the first flight between the USA and Australia. While c
Australian Geographic3 min read
Australia: The Unpromised Land
“THERE ARE the vast uninhabited fertile stretches of the Northern Territory – Australia’s most vulnerable point of attack by a hostile nation – crying out for population. The Jew would make a sturdy and alert outpost.” This was the wild thesis of an
Australian Geographic2 min readAstronomy & Space Sciences
Could We Be Alone?
IN ASTROBIOLOGY, experts investigate the origins and evolution of life on Earth – and beyond. It’s not strictly focused on the search for extraterrestrial life, but that’s one exciting aspect. Astrobiologists are hopeful of success. Their optimism sp
Australian Geographic3 min read
Defining Moments In Australian History
ON 31 OCTOBER 1867, Prince Alfred, second son of Queen Victoria, arrived in Adelaide, South Australia. As the first member of the British royal family to visit Australia, he attracted huge crowds wherever he went. The tour was marred by rioting, farc
Australian Geographic2 min read
The List
Event FOUNDED IN 2014 by His Royal Highness The Duke of Sussex (above), the Invictus Games use the power of sport to inspire recovery, support rehabilitation and generate a wider understanding and respect for those who serve their country. The week-l
Australian Geographic2 min read
Rural Mural
THE VICTORIAN RURAL Art Trail began with one small country town and one large-scale street artist and has expanded to become a 200km outdoor gallery through some of north-western Victoria’s most deprived regional communities. In 2016 artist Guido Van
Australian Geographic3 min read
Your Society
Australian Geographic Society Awards 2018 THE NOMINATIONS HAVE rolled in thick and fast for this year’s Australian Geographic Society adventure awards. It’s an encouraging sign that more and more people are stepping out of their comfort zones and fol
Australian Geographic3 min read
Tui Timing
At the start of a sunset walk around Lake Matheson, on the west coast of New Zealand’s South Island, several tui birds were feeding among the flax plants in the late afternoon light. Luckily, they were more interested in their dinner than me, so I co
Australian Geographic3 min read
True Blue
YOU’VE probably experienced it yourself on a bushwalk – a startled bluetongue skink exposes its large blue tongue, often simultaneously hissing and inflating its body to look bigger and more threatening. Bluetongue skinks of a number of species are m
Australian Geographic5 min read
Urban Bandicoots
“BANDICOOT MENACE”, cried a heading on the letters page of Sydney’s The Sun back in 1951. Armed with a dictionary definition, the newspaper’s aggrieved correspondent declared that the so-called menace was more precisely a “large Indian rat”, and one
Australian Geographic6 min read
Reaching For The Sky
FOR RYAN CAMPBELL, every up and down in life is an opportunity, every bump in the road a chance to change direction and evolve for the better. It’s hard, in fact, not to think of every corny aphorism you’ve ever heard when you talk with him. ‘You get
Australian Geographic2 min read
Bandicoot Superhighway
AS SUBURBS ENCROACH on bushland, and as roads, agriculture and urban infrastructure bisect, fragment and disrupt the continuity of habitat, wildlife populations are always at risk of becoming isolated. When land is cleared of native vegetation, alrea
Australian Geographic7 min read
Wild Exposures
SHORTLISTED THREATENED SPECIES Numbat dreaming Numbat, Myrmecobius fasciatus Status: endangered Robert McLean, Western Australia THE STATE OF THE OCEANS has been in the news a lot recently. Hot topics such as coral bleaching and plastic pollution hav
Australian Geographic8 min readEarth Sciences
Chain of Isles
Aerial photos of the island’s most famous feature, a bright pink lake, are readily available online, but the island itself is far less accessible. Despite the frequent use of the images in tourist brochures, this destination is a long way off the ave
Australian Geographic2 min read
The Secrets Of Bat Echolocation
A BAT PRODUCES CALLS in the same way most mammals make sounds – by forcing air through vocal cords in the glottis, part of the larynx. “A vibrating signal is produced at a particular audio frequency. It has overtones or harmonics, so it’s rich in var
Australian Geographic9 min read
Seeing With Their Ears
DEEP IN THE ABANDONED mine shaft, bats were on the move. It was dusk – time for insect hunting. At the mine entrance, Kyle Armstrong knew they were coming because his bat detector device was picking up their ultrasonic echolocation calls, normally in
Australian Geographic2 min readPsychology
Humans Who Echolocate
DANIEL KISH, A 52-YEAR-OLD American, navigates by echolocation. Blind since losing his eyes to cancer at 13 months, he taught himself to use tongue clicks to find his way around as a toddler and now cycles on busy roads, hikes in forests and climbs m
Australian Geographic8 min read
Toxic Tides
ON A LONESOME, seemingly infinite stretch of shoreline more than 100km away from any significant outpost, two Aboriginal rangers trawl through a pile of marine debris. Other than their own footprints, the only obvious signs of life the Yirralka range
Australian Geographic9 min read
Outrigger Revival
WHEN THOR JENSEN VISITED the 2015 Kenu and Kundu Festival in Alotau, in southeastern Papua New Guinea, he was captivated. The annual event celebrates the traditional sailing canoes (kenu) and drums (kundu), which are of great cultural significance to
Australian Geographic1 min read
Discover Your Own PNG Adventure
EXPLORE THE exciting Frontier Lands of Papua New Guinea on a 12-night, small-ship expedition. Our special AG Society adventure begins in Cairns on 11 November 2019 with a special welcome function, before our early-morning charter flight leaves for Ma
Australian Geographic4 min readEarth Sciences
Desert brushstrokes
What had been dull pre-dawn outlines of weathered hills are now coming to glorious, vivid life. As the sun hits the peaks they turn pink and gold, seeming to catch fire as iron deposits react to the soft, creeping light. Quickly, we park our SUV in t
Australian Geographic2 min read
Driving Outback SA
IF YOU’RE GOING TO make the commitment to any outback trip of exploration, ‘be prepared’ must always be your mantra…unlike that of the couple we encountered on the rarely travelled Blinman–Arkaroola Road. They were driving on despite their Subaru For
Australian Geographic5 min read
Nature’s Realm
Behind us vegetation spills from shady pockets of remnant rainforest into the water. I dip a paddle and watch the whirlpools spin away from it, as the double canoe I’m sharing with my husband glides atop the water’s surface. It’s a late morning in Ju
Australian Geographic1 min readEarth Sciences
Shoalhaven/Kangaroo Valley
Kangaroo Valley is located in the rolling hinterland of the NSW Shoalhaven region, about 160km south of Sydney, accessed via Moss Vale Road. There are numerous campsites along both the Kangaroo and Shoalhaven rivers, as well as a range of accommodati
Australian Geographic5 min readEarth Sciences
Ag Society Hosted Experiences
AURORA EXPEDITIONS’ tough, Russian-built, ice-strengthened ship, Polar Pioneer (above), has been the base for countless frozen adventures. It’s even been the diving platform for many a polar plunge – yes, even for me! (Above right.) With only 54 pass
Australian Geographic2 min read
2019 Calendars and Diaries
These stunning wide-format panoramic images by photographer Mark Gray showcase the natural beauty of Australia. Code: PAN2019 Size: 400 x 510mm This beautifully illustrated large-format calendar features 12 works of art by some of Australia’s finest
Australian Geographic1 min read
AG Reader Benefits
SAVE $378 Encounter giant Galapagos tortoises, pelicans and frigate birds as well as land and marine iguanas, sea lions and fur seals on your 10-day, small-group Peregrine Adventure Cruise. Follow the footsteps of Charles Darwin, explore the islands
Australian Geographic2 min read
My Favourite Place
Kakadu National Park, NT THE ABUNDANCE OF wildlife at Yellow Water can be overwhelming. Known also by its Aboriginal name, Ngurrungurrudjba, it’s part of the South Alligator River floodplain located within the stunning Kakadu National Park, and is a

Australian Geographic

More Issues From Australian Geographic