Australia - The Great Southern Land

The vast majority of Australians huddle around the humid southern and eastern margins of the continent. The result is that the country is perceived by visitors to be a land of beaches, hills, barbecues and lawns with sprinklers. For the greatest part, Australia is in fact an arid zone with sandy or stony deserts. Rivers or creeks are mostly dry, save for brief floods from sporadic storms, and the inhabitants of most of Australia rely on groundwater, not that provided by river or rain. 

The northern part of tropical Australia is a back-packer’s heaven. During the southern winter, there is less rain in the north than the south experiences in summer. August in the Top End (Kakadu and Darwin) is a sunny 32oC, ideal to explore the World Heritage wetlands, the Kimberley or the Gulf of Carpentaria. Down the east coast the Great Dividing Range and the trade winds combine to bring some rain, but winter is still the best time to explore the tropical rainforests or the Great Barrier Reef. Summer in the top end brings humidity and rain - and lots of it. January to May in northern Australia often provides heavy afternoon thunderstorms and even a cyclone. The humidity and the heat can drive you ‘troppo!’

The winter is also the best time to visit the arid centre of Australia, as the summer heat can be unforgiving. The clear blue skies contrast against the vivid red MacDonnell Ranges and of course, Ayers Rock. The outback experience is rewarding. The Birdsville Track shows off the red dunes of the Simpson Desert and the gibbers of the Stony Desert. The playa salt Lake Eyre and the enduring character of the red scarps and old red gum trees of the Flinders Ranges are worth experiencing. 

Summer is the best time to explore the south. The beaches from Sydney to Perth are a haven for surfers and swimmers. Australians often have a favourite beach. They are all free to visitors and novices are wise to seek out those patrolled by Surf Life Saving Clubs. Inland the Murray River provides another water experience suited to active recreation but also in order to appreciate the river forests and floodplain wetlands. Given that the southern winter is wet and cold, summer is also the best time to explore the temperate rainforests of Tasmania and the World Heritage southwest wilderness. The once-glaciated mountains and lakes of Tasmania make it an outstanding hiking venue. 

Of course Australia is renowned for its curious flora and fauna. Much of what is evident today owes its origin to the splitting of the continent from Gondwana. Millions of years of rafting in isolation allowed for the evolution of some of Earth’s more peculiar beasts. Koala’s can be easily seen in the southeast of the continent and kangaroos are abundant in the Murraylands and the Flinders Ranges. Our biodiversity jewels are the Wet Tropics north of Cairns, the Great Barrier Reef, the tall Forests of the southeast and southwest, the desert reptiles and, for flora, and the rich wildflowers of the Kwongan heathlands inland of Perth. Snakes are throughout the country so keep a look out and read up on what to do. 

In and around Adelaide, the most accessible natural landscape is in the nearby Mt Lofty Ranges. Cleland Conservation Park is close to town and can provide for the obligatory koala cuddling experience! The long Heysen Trail can be picked up at any point and will provide excellent views. It extends north to the remarkable Flinders Ranges. Wilpena Pound is a good starting point to see ‘The Flinders’ but for more of a wilderness experience seek out Brachina and Chambers Gorges and the Gammon Ranges further north. Kangaroo Island provides an excellent beach experience combined with abundant flora and fauna. The River Murray and its limestone cliffs are an hour to the east and they invite campers or houseboat groups. At the River’s mouth are lakes and dune-bound lagoons collectively known as The Coorong. Over the dune is the Southern Ocean that extends south to the Antarctic. Those looking to catch a wave should head to the bottom end of the Yorke Peninsula, the coast around Robe to the southeast or, closer to Adelaide, the beaches towards Victor Harbour. 

Dr. Peter Gell, Geographical and Environmental Studies, University of Adelaide