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FROM pp twin share* Follow in the footsteps of the East Kimberley cattlemen on an extraordinary journey down the world’s longest historic stock route. Spanning four deserts, 1800kms and 51 wells, the Canning Stock Route between Halls Creek and Wiluna traverses spectacular country that few people ever get to see. Travel in unique 4WD and 6WD Mercedes Benz G Wagons, 1 Broome Lamboo with exceptional passenger 1 Canning’s 303 Marker comfort and unmatched Well 46 1 capability. Most 1 Well 42 importantly, 1 33 Well 1 Well 38 Lake enjoy hot 1 Disappointment showers Thring Rock 1 1 1 1 and proper Newman 2 Well 24 toilets for the 1 Durba Springs duration of the McConkey Hill expedition! Well 1 1
FROM pp twin share* Travel from Brisbane to Cairns via Outback QLD and the Gulf of Carpentaria. Highlights: Spend 2 nights at Carnarvon Gorge • light & sound show on the Thomson River • 2 nights Lawn Hill • sunset dinner cruise on the Gulf of Carpentaria • QANTAS Founders Museum and Stockman’s Hall of Fame • 2 nights in Mt Isa with mine tour • Winton & Lark • Karumba 1 Cairns Quarry Cobbold 1 • Guided Gorge 1 Undara 2 Adel’s tour of Undara Lava 1 Cobbold Grove Tubes • Riversleigh Gorge 2 Fossil Fields Mt Isa • Gulflander Winton 1 Longreach 2 Train and more! Carnarvon Gorge 2
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FROM pp twin share* Travel from Cairns to Darwin across the Savannah Way and retrace parts of Ludwig Leichhardt’s famous 1844 expedition. Highlights: Visit AWC’s Pungalina & Seven Emu sanctuaries and enjoy a helicopter flight to the Gulf • Half day helicopter tour to Burrunju (the ruined city) in Arnhem Land • 2 nights at Lorella Springs station on the Gulf • Swim in pristine thermal pools • Lawn Hill NP and Riversleigh Fossil Fields • Cobbold Gorge • Historic Gulflander Train • Darwin sightseeing tour & more!
FROM pp twin share* Travel up the wild Cape York Peninsula to the very tip of the Australian continent on this unique 4WD adventure. Highlights: Explore Mossman Gorge and the Daintree • Travel the Bloomfield Track • Visit Cooktown & Weipa • View ancient Quinkan rock art galleries • Spend 2 nights at Lotus Bird 1 Thursday Island 2 Punsand Bay Lodge and explore Rinyirru (Lakefield) by 4WD and helicopter Moreton • Discover Horn 1 Telegraph Station Weipa 1 QANTAS Island, Thursday return flight Island and Kazu Pearl farm on Friday Island • Also Lotus Bird Lodge 2 includes Fruit Bat Cooktown 1 Falls, Pajinka, Port Daintree Rainforest 1 Port Douglas 1 Douglas and more!
FROM pp twin share* Travel from Broome to Perth and explore the stunning Pilbara and West Coast. Highlights: Spend 3 nights at Novotel Ningaloo Resort and enjoy a half day reef discovery cruise • Explore the magnificent gorges of Karijini National Park • Tour BHP’s Mt. Whaleback Broome 1 mine • Port Hedland Port Hedland Harbour cruise • Visit 1 Karratha Karratha and see the Exmouth 1 3 petroglyphs of the 2 Karijini 1 Newman Burrup Peninsula Eco-Retreat • MillstreamChichester National 2 Monkey Mia Park • Monkey Mia and Shark Bay cruise 1 Geraldton • Visit the Pinnacles, Yardie Creek in Cape Range and more!
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Contents
Your Society
Australian Geographic January–February 2017
Find out where your donations went in 2016 and get the latest news. p125
Travellers wander along the white sands of Tasmania’s Wineglass Bay.
Features
42
Secrets of the orcas
48
Land of the giants
A stretch of ocean off Western Australia attracts the largest known aggregation of killer whales in the Southern Hemisphere.
AGS-supported researchers take the first full-length portrait of a Tasmanian swamp gum, the world’s tallest flowering plant.
54
The forgotten aviatrix Brisbane pilot Lores Bonney was lauded as the first woman to fly solo from Australia to England, but she remains little known today.
62
Outcast
76
Scenic and serene
Pest or endangered species? Environmental saviour or villain? The dingo, Australia’s ‘native’ dog, often finds itself in no-man’s land.
Convicts forged a road through Queensland’s Main Range. You can now walk that trail and enjoy part of the Scenic Rim yourself.
4 Australian Geographic
86
Island of bounties
98
Flight of fancy
Yachtswoman Jessica Watson discovers the treasures of Norfolk Island, an Australian territory and remote speck in the Pacific.
Kakadu National Park is home to more than one-third of Australia’s avian species – a delight for birders during Kakadu Bird Week.
Contents Nature watch p30
Biobank p20
Find all this issue’s related content at: www.australiangeographic.com.au/issue136 GALLERY: Winning images taken through microscopes (p16). DONATE: Help a keystone forest species, the spectacled flying-fox (p34). VIDEO: How to photograph a swamp gum, the world’s tallest flowering plant (p48). GALLERY: Dingoes across Australia (p62).
Trouble in paradise p19
Geobuzz & regulars 12 Your Say Mailbag and reader photos
28 Need to know Strawberry milk
14 Big Picture Unforgettable images
30 Nature Watch Feisty Aussie carnivores
16 Microphotography
32 Wild Australia Essential wildlife highlights
17 A whale-sized tale 22 Mega penguins 24 Top 10 Earthquakes
36 Space New birthday for the Big Bang 38 Snapshot Wax lyrical
26 Portrait Sam and Penguin Bloom
OPPOSITE: CHRISSIE GOLDRICK; THIS PAGE: EASTERN QUOLL: KEVIN STEAD / Dasyurus viverrinus; BIOBANK: BEN HEALLEY; PARADISE PARROT: NICK CUBBIN / Psephotus pulcherrimus; PRINCE LEONARD: THOMAS WIELECKI
Walkabout 108 The List Travel, visit, listen, view, read, download and more 110 Walking by water Sail and walk along Tassie’s spectacular east coast 120 Lat/Long Principality of Hutt River, WA 129 From the field Behind the scenes with AG Prince Leonard Casley, 91, the ruler of the so-called Principality of Hutt River. He declared his WA wheat property independent of Australia in 1970.
130 Parting shot Dr David Suzuki on how ordinary people can effect environmental change
VIDEO AND GALLERY: See more of the spectacular Scenic Rim region (p76). VIDEO AND GALLERY: Explore Norfolk Island with yatchswoman Jessica Watson (p86). VIDEO AND GALLERY: Watch as twitchers flock to Kakadu Bird Week (p98). WIN: Enter to win a copy of A History of the World in 500 Walks (p109).
Subscribe and save Subscribe to Australian Geographic for 1 year via automatic renewal for $69.99 and save 22%! See page 40 for more details
On the cover The illegal or inadvertent feeding of dingoes (Canis lupus dingo) on Fraser Island has led to deadly encounters with tourists. It can also alter the dogs’ natural hunting instincts. Today, they are tagged, and – controversially – aggressive dingoes are euthanised. Photographer Darren Tierney was approached by this dingo on Seventy Five Mile Beach and says that it strolled serenely by him, coming close enough that he could have touched it. January . February 5
DISCOVER SOUTHEAST ASIA With Chris Bray, Photographer & AG Society Host
Ever since I was a kid and watched Sir David Attenborough head there on a sailboat, I’ve dreamt of going to the Komodo Islands. In fact, much of South-East Asia – that fractured mass of islands to the west of New Guinea – has long been a tantalising blank spot on the map of my travels. So when I was offered it, I jumped at the chance to explore it aboard an AG Society voyage on an APT small-ship cruise from the Philippines all the way down to Darwin. A photographer’s paradise, the region is a colourful mosaic of culture, landscape and wildlife including orangutans, sun bears, monkeys and dragons. Islanders danced and sang as we arrived into various ports and a well-crafted itinerary and knowledgeable expedition team swept me and the 90-odd other guests through an intriguing diversity of experiences each day. We ventured inland to remote highland villages where they don’t bury their dead, cruised up rivers by Zodiac looking for wildlife and even anchored off isolated coral islands – rarely visited by tourists – to snorkel with turtles, clown fish and more.
THE SOCIETY SETS SAIL UNFORGETTABLE SMALL SHIP ADVENTURE SOUTHEAST ASIA For the second year running, APT joins with the Australian Geographic Society to create an East Indies voyage especially for members. What do you picture when you think of the East Indies? Unexplored archipelagos? Crystal waters lapping deserted beaches? Indigenous cultures and time-honoured traditions? Or exotic wildlife above and below the water?
The East Indies is a setting straight from the pages of Somerset Maugham and Joseph Conrad. And Society members can now see this enchanting corner of the globe with their own eyes aboard an all-inclusive cruise from Manila to Darwin. An expert Society host will lead you through the hidden corners of Asia that lie beyond the tourists’ reach. You’ll travel with fellow members who share your sense of adventure. And you’ll do it in style on board the MS Caledonian Sky.
Cruise in style aboard your intimate small ship, the MS Caledonian Sky.
This graceful vessel restores gentility to the art of travel. Its understated restaurants and atmospheric staterooms strike an effortless balance between modern comfort and timeless charm. Come face-to-face with a Komodo dragon at the Komodo National Park.
*Conditions apply. See: www.aptouring.com.au/specialdeals for full conditions. Prices are per person (pp), AUD, twin share and include port charges. Prices are correct as at 2 December 2016. Prices based on NOBCMD17: 24 June 2017 (Standard Suite Forward). ALL OFFERS: Limited suites on set departures are available and are subject to availability. DEPOSITS: A first non-refundable deposit of $3,000 pp is due within 7 days of booking. Australian Pacific Touring Pty Ltd. ABN 44 004 684 619. ATAS accreditation #A10825. APT5137
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Each evening you’ll take a briefing from your team of historians, naturalists and ecologists in preparation for the next day’s expedition on the ship’s Zodiacs. You’ll visit the fascinating graves of the Toraja ancestors in the Torajaland highlands, meet rescued orangutans, encounter the formidable Komodo dragons and snorkel with turtles amongst coral gardens. And because it’s an APT Small Ship Cruise, your captain has the freedom to decide where to next. So sit back with a cocktail on the Sun Deck – another adventure awaits. Manila to Darwin - 24 June 2017 Hosted by Chris Bray, Photographer and AG Society host 90th Celebration Sale is on now! Airfare credit of up to $500 per couple* 17 Days from $14,795* pp twin share
2014-2015
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Manila 1 PHILIPPINES Coron Puerto Princesa MALAYSIA
Sandakan Tawau Kakaban Birahbirahan
Balikpapan 1 Torajaland
Birahbirahan
Pare Pare
INDONESIA
Sabalana Islands Rinca Island Flores Island
APT is a proud supporter of the Society and delighted to host its expedition.
14
MS Caledonian Sky Dili
EAST TIMOR
Darwin AUSTRALIA
Visit aptouring.com.au/SoutheastAsia or call 1300 184 577 or see your local travel agent
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The content doesn’t end with this issue of the journal. You’ll find thousands more articles, images and videos online. Discover all the stories highlighted here at: australiangeographic.com.au/issue136 Sign up to the Australian Geographic email newsletter on our homepage and we’ll deliver fresh content to your inbox every week!
Talkb@ck
See all the winners in the Nikon Small World contest
FLOWER: SAMUEL SILBERMAN; MAN: DAVID MCLAIN/GETTY IMAGES; CAPE YORK FROG: JANNICO KELK / Litoria bella; GREEN TREE FROG: BIDGEE / WIKIMEDIA / Litoria caerulea; *In some australian states you are required to have a license to keep frogs.
The rarely seen, amazing microscopic world is celebrated with these winning images from Nikon’s 2016 Small World Photomicrography Competition.
In his Wild Journey blog, naturalist Tim Low looked at Australia’s green tree frog, also known as the ‘dumpy frog’, and why it’s such a popular pet in Europe and North America.* BEC HEATH
I’m appalled to hear that they are popular ‘pets’. Frogs require specialist knowledge and set-up, to remain healthy and happy…something few private homes could or would adequately provide.
Rock shelter is earliest evidence of people in outback
New frog discovered in remote north Queensland
Aboriginal people had arrived in the interior by 49,000 years ago, reveals a series of new archaeological finds.
The Cape York graceful tree frog from far north Queensland has previously evaded scientists.
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LUKE BEE
Strangely enough, people keeping them as pets helps secure populations. It provides the keepers of frogs with invaluable husbandry information. As a snake keeper there are quite a few instances of vulnerable snake species being kept and bred with the vision to reintroducing them back to areas decimated by the scourge of the cane toad. BETH BAISCH
I have two back home, being cared for by a friend while I’m in school. The male is particularly friendly and intelligent, to the point where I’m not always certain he knows he’s a frog! They both seem to enjoy being handled, and will seek it out. (Care is of course always taken.) January . February 9
2017/18 EXPEDITION GUIDE OUT NOW YEARS OF
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From the Editor-in-chief
Conflicting perspectives
A
FEW YEARS
ago, on an Australian Geographic scientific expedition to the Simpson Desert, I was, literally, stopped in my tracks by a dingo. The lithe, strawcoloured dog ran onto the red track I was barrelling along and proceeded to trot in front of the four-wheel-drive for a kilometre or so. After a while it stopped and turned its head, holding my gaze for a few moments, before bounding off into the spinifex. This encounter came back vividly when I saw the wonderful photograph by Jason Edwards that opens our major feature on dingoes (page 62). The eye contact I experienced that day thrilled and chilled me in equal measure, and my reaction goes right to the heart of the dingo conundrum
– intelligent wild animal, in need of our protection, or dangerous predator wreaking havoc on livestock, and occasionally posing a risk to humans? Amanda Burdon, former AG associate editor and one of our long-time contributors, sensitively examines the conflicting perspectives from which we view our iconic ‘native’ wild dog. In her debut feature for AG, round-the-world yachtswoman Jessica Watson travelled offshore to discover the delights of Norfolk Island at a historic moment while the tight-knit community deals with the end of years of self-determination. We are delighted to welcome Jessica to our team of regular writers and look forward to future contributions from this courageous young woman. It’s already a year since we refreshed the journal with a new cover design
and revamped content and sections. We’ve received positive feedback from you and enjoyed an increase in the number of readers during 2016. Just a few weeks ago, we were also honoured to be named Specialist Magazine Brand of the Year for 2016 at the Australian Magazine Awards. We’re looking forward to continuing to bring you the very best of Australia throughout 2017.
Specialist Magazine Brand of the Year
Follow me on Twitter at: twitter.com/chrissigoldrick
Contributors
FROM LEFT: KATHY MEXTED; DON FUCHS; STEVEN PEARCE
Kristen Alexander is passionate about aviation history and has been writing about pilots since 2002. Based in Canberra, she and husband David run a second-hand bookstore. Kristen is currently researching her PhD thesis on the experiences of Australians in Stalag Luft III, a German prisoner-of-war camp. Taking Flight, Kristen’s fifth book, details the life of Aussie aviatrix Lores Bonney (page 54).
Jessica Watson became a household name in 2010 when, at 16, she became the youngest person to sail around the world solo and unassisted. For her efforts she was awarded the AG Society’s Young Adventurer of the Year Award. Jess has since completed a Bachelor of Arts at Deakin University, Victoria, and a Masters of Business Administration. This assignment for the journal saw Jess visit Norfolk Island (page 86) for the first time.
Steven Pearce is a photographer with a deep love for the wilderness. An avid tree climber and naturalist, he has spent a decade investigating and photographing forests, and the scientists who study them. Steven considers Alice Springs, NT, to be his home, and is dedicated to promoting the wisdom of Australia’s Aboriginal peoples. The collaborative feature on Tasmania’s tallest trees (page 48) is Steven’s first for the journal.
More contributors: Athena Afianos, Fleur Bainger, Jacqui Barker, Amanda Burdon, Graeme Chapman, Andrew Claridge, Stephen Corby, Rodney Dekker, Jason Edwards, Don Fuchs, Ben Healley, Jannico Kelk, Bill Kuiper, Keith Lightbody, Amy Middleton, Kristian Palich, Luke Paterson, Gerry Pearce, Nick Rains, Mike Rossi, Josephine Sargent, Ben Saunders, Peter Soltys, Kevin Stead, Darren Tierney, Rebecca Wellard, Thomas Wielecki, Richard Woolveridge and the Tasmanian Tree Project team.
January . February 11
YOUR SAY
Jan . Feb 2017
MAILBAG WELCOMES FEEDBACK Send letters, including an address and phone number, to editorial@ ausgeo.com.au or to Australian Geographic, GPO Box 4088, Sydney, NSW 2001. Letters will be edited for length and clarity.
Featured Letter TRIPPING OUT
r Doug Miller. Foundation subscribe
DROP US A LINE! Send us a great letter about AG or a topic of interest to you for a chance to win an AG backpack and bumbag.
Firstly, I want to congratulate you on the standard of excellence maintained from AG 1. You’ve opened up Australia for all to see and your library of stories makes planning trips easy. The second thing I want to address are your fossil dig scientific expeditions to Mongolia. I’ve now been on three AG trips, including China Dinosaurs in 2013, and I am booked to join editor John Pickrell on the Dinosaurs of Argentina in 2017. I had the good fortune to be a member of the first group of volunteers to the Gobi in 2015 and the second in September 2016. Both were memorable for different reasons, not least of which being the great groups of participants. The digs co-run with the Mongolian Academy of Sciences were professionally run and very successful. This year we extracted six articulated skeletons in plaster jackets and much else besides. I highly recommend this program even if you have only a passing interest in dinosaurs. Many volunteers this year had not experienced anything like this before, but all were blown away. I will go to Mongolia in April to help prepare the fossils. It is a great place – the land of Chinggis Khaan – and is full of wonderful sights and people. Thanks AG for the opportunity! DOUG MILLER, BRISBANE, QUEENSLAND
ORNITHOLOGICAL FICTION Your report on the conservation of night parrots (AG 134) was very interesting.Your readers may be interested to know that in 1970, author Dal Stivens won the Miles Franklin award for A Horse of Air. The novel’s central character, Harry Craddock, spent the whole volume camped in the desert, setting mist nets to catch night parrots. He was trying to prove it still existed, but found only one dead bird. Craddock seemed to be suffering mental distress, maybe even schizophrenia, and impotence. Stivens himself is known to have been a keen ornithologist.
(above). Possums and birds love eating the unusual blooms – and a friend told me that government scientists are covering them with wire cages when flowering to prevent this.Your article has been passed around to many people! SANDRA TILL, REMUERA, AUCKLAND, NZ
MARY SCHRAMM, RINGAROOMA, TAS
PARCHED HELLISH BLOOMS I read John Pickrell’s interesting article on the ‘Hades flower’ some time ago (AG 128). My father was a farmer and born bushman. I remember him showing me Dactylanthus. Occasionally he would dig the bulb up and boil it; the result would be a beautiful wooden flower that made an interesting piece 12 Australian Geographic
I enjoyed your spotlight on outback pubs (AG 134) even though I’ve only visited half of them. An interesting outback pub I know is the Hotel Espagnol at Lappa Junction, south-west of Cairns. I came across it hitchhiking with a friend in 1960. We were travelling on the local train from Cairns to Einasleigh. When the train stopped for
20 minutes, we began to wonder what the hold-up was. We clambered onto the track and found a tin shed serving as a railway station. Inside we found it was a pub. There was a simple bar on which the driver and his mate were leaning, beers in hand, chatting to the guy on the other side. “Would you like one?” he asked – and, on receiving a positive reply, he reached down and pulled out some cans. Half the contents headed for the ceiling shortly after, but the remaining beer was much appreciated. Next time I was in the area, in 1997, my wife and I discovered that historians were in the process of restoring the old place as a tourist attraction. It had hardly changed. See attached picture (below). GRAHAM BENEKE, BANKSIA BEACH, QLD
READERS’ PHOTOS FOUNDER, AG SOCIETY PATRON Dick Smith EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Chrissie Goldrick EDITOR John Pickrell ART DIRECTOR Mike Ellott CHIEF SUB-EDITOR Amy Russell STAFF WRITER Natsumi Penberthy DESIGNER Katharine McKinnon PRODUCTION EDITOR Jess Teideman CARTOGRAPHY Will Pringle AG SOCIETY ADMINISTRATOR Rebecca Cotton EDUCATION EDITOR Lauren Smith ONLINE ASSOCIATE PRODUCER Gemma Chilton ASSISTANT DIGITAL PRODUCER Jared Richards COPY EDITOR Frank Povah PROOFREADER Susan McCreery EDITORIAL INTERNS James Cameron, Sofia Charalambous, Victoria Ticha AG SOCIETY EXPERT ADVISORY PANEL Chris Bray, Tim Flannery, Tim Jarvis AM, Anna Rose
Clare Valley, South Australia by Jacqui Barker I was working at Rawnsley Park station in the Flinders Ranges and I had a few days off so I decided to go for a drive through the Clare Valley. I had seen a beautiful image of Molly’s Chase, and wanted to see it for myself. Late one afternoon I turned the car around to start heading home and noticed the sunlight filtering through the trees.
ADVERTISING BRAND AND PARTNERSHIP MANAGER Isabella Severino 0459 999 715, iseverino@bauer-media.com.au QLD Judy Taylor 07 3101 6636 SA Nabula El Mourid 08 8267 5032 VIC Christine Lester 03 98236382 WA Chris Eyres 08 6160 8964 SUBSCRIPTIONS AND SALES SUBSCRIPTIONS CAMPAIGN MANAGER Thea Mahony SUBSCRIPTIONS MARKETING COORDINATOR Tessa Cassettari GPO Box 5252, Sydney NSW 2001, Phone: 1300 555 176 (in Australia), +61 2 8667 5295 (from overseas) Email: magshop@magshop.com.au EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE TO Australian Geographic, GPO Box 4088, Sydney NSW 2001, Australia Phone: 02 9263 9813 Fax: 02 9126 3731 Email: editorial@bauer-media.com.au CEO Nick Chan PUBLISHER Jo Runciman HEAD OF SPECIALIST ADVERTISING Julie Hancock DIRECTOR OF MEDIA SOLUTIONS Simon Davies GENERAL MANAGER, MARKETING Natalie Bettini CIRCULATION MANAGER Rebecca McLean RESEARCH DIRECTOR (MEN’S & SPECIALIST) Justin Stone
Blue dragon feeding on hydroids by Bill Kuiper I was diving at Bass Point near Shellharbour, NSW, when I came across this blue dragon nudibranch (Pteraeolidia ianthina). I was at a reef site called The Gutter, which is an entry point to a larger dive area. Bass Point is widely considered to be one of the best dive spots in NSW, partly because of the diversity of marine life that inhabits the area.
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Brown-blazed wedgesnout ctenotus by Peter Soltys I was fortunate enough to visit the inland of NSW just after some spring rains. It was a magical experience. A place where a few weeks ago you could only see rocks and sand was now suddenly full of life – life that was hidden and waiting, and surviving in the Australian harsh desert.
AUSTRALIAN GEOGRAPHIC , journal of the Australian Geographic Society, is published six times a year (cover dates Jan–Feb, Mar–Apr, May–Jun, July–Aug, Sep–Oct, Nov–Dec) by Bauer Media Limited (ACN 053 273 546), part of the Bauer Media Group, 54–58 Park Street, Sydney NSW 2000. The trademark Australian Geographic is the property of Bauer Consumer Media Limited and is used under licence. All material © 2016. All rights reserved. No part of the contents of this publication may be reproduced without the prior written consent of the editor. This issue went to press 6.12.16.
www.australiangeographic.com.au January . February 13
buzz
14 Australian Geographic
January . February 2017
Big picture
Mungadal station by Rodney Dekker “After three days of flying my drone over the rural NSW town of Hay in September, I was lucky to catch Mungadal station at shearing time. Mungadal is a large-scale breeding property, which specialises in the production of high-quality sheep and lambs. They were in the process of shearing 52,000 sheep – part of which I captured here. Recent rains combined with periods of mild, sunny weather had resulted in perfect growing conditions for pasture and the best season since 2012.”
WITH
FRANK POVAH
Bandicoot BANDICOOT HAS its
origins in India, from the Telugu word for a type of large rat. In Australia it is used in a number of ways, including ‘to bandicoot’ – to steal without leaving a trace, a reference to skilled thieves (who, like their namesake, could take spuds from a paddock without disturbing the plants). A ‘bandicoot gunyah’ is a makeshift shelter. Australians still love to coin a descriptive phrase and “miserable as a bandicoot on a burnt ridge” is among the best. January . February 15
Photography
Miniature I beauty
Find more of the winning images from the 2016 Nikon Small World Competition: www.australiangeographic. com.au/issue136. 16 Australian Geographic
NIKON SMALL WORLD PHOTOGRPAHY COMPETITION / IGOR SIWANOWICZ
Magnified 100 times and shot through a microscope, the foot of a diving beetle is curiously arresting.
this image, photographer Dr Igor Siwanowicz points to French philosopher Jules Henri Poincare, who said: “The scientist does not study nature because it is useful; he studies it because he delights in it, and he delights in it because it is beautiful.” The image was one of the winners in the 2016 Nikon Small World Competition – a photomicrography contest now in its 42nd year. Igor, who is a neuroscientist at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Virginia, USA, began taking photographs through a microscope six years ago. His image highlights the suction cups on the bottom of a front foot of an Acilius diving beetle. These cups, only found in this form on males of the species, are used to help grip on to the back of females during mating. N REFERENCE TO
buzz
Stranger than fiction
A whale of a tale Did a 19th-century sailor get swallowed by a sperm whale and survive? It depends what you believe when you read the papers.
COURTESY TROVE
I
N 1891 TWO small whaleboats from the British vessel the Star of the East were lowered into the frigid waters of the Falkland Islands, 500km east of Argentina, after sighting a huge sperm whale. Crew member James Bartley, 21, watched as the harpoon met its mark and the creature dived 250m, before the line went slack once more. Moments later the whale burst from the water, smashing one boat. All but two of its crew were rescued. One of the missing was Bartley. The whale resurfaced and was winched to the ship, where the whalers noticed movements in its stomach, so they cut open its gut. “Out came a boot on a trousered leg and there was James Bartley…still living after 15 hours in the belly of a whale. Its digestive juices had permanently bleached his skin a deathly white, he lost his hair and was nearly blind. For two weeks he was delirious, and it was a month before he could tell how he’d fallen into the whale’s mouth, felt the huge teeth grate over him as he slid down into its throat, then stomach. “This modern Jonah lived 18 more years, dying at 39,” continues an account at the Eden Killer Whale Museum on the south coast of NSW, which sources the story to “Records of British Admiralty”.The museum adds a note: “Before diving, sperm whales
inhale deeply and rapidly, storing oxygen in muscle fibres, tissues and blood... Could it be that James Bartley survived through the storing up of such oxygen?” The answer is clearly no. But if the museum swallowed the story, so did the media – for the next 100 years. Bartley was the subject of a cetacean-sized early example of churnalism (the pinching and recycling of one journalist’s story). The Great Yarmouth Mercury in the UK started this scoop rolling on 22 August 1891 and the Morning Bulletin in Rockhampton, Queensland, snapped up the bait on 11 September. Dozens more papers ran the story virtually word for sourceless word over two years. It wasn’t until 11 May 1907 that Adelaide’s Evening Journal declared “Champion Fish Story, A Hoax Exposed”.
But the tale refused to die and was rerun in many papers over the next two decades. It appeared again in various publications in 1928, 1929, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1938, 1942 (when Melbourne’s The Age gave it a run), 1944, 1947, 1948 and 1953. The yarn continued to be published right up until 1985, when the Sunday Mail even reported how Bartley had settled down as a cobbler in Gloucester, England. Historians have since concluded that the Star of the East was not a whaler, and there was no James Bartley on its crew manifest, while scientists confirm it is not possible to survive for 15 hours in the stomach of a sperm whale. For nearly 100 years the media largely swallowed this whale of a story without once trying to interview or find a picture of Bartley. It’s a great example of never letting the facts get in the way of a good story. RICHARD WOOLVERIDGE
Newspaper clippings repeating the fantastical tale. January . February 17
The Antarctic Peninsula receives the vast majority of Antarctic visitors:
99.5 % OF ALL TOURIST LANDINGS
Switzerland 1097
were made here in 2015–2016.
Japan 736 France 1142
UK 3223
China 4095
The Antarctic continent sees fewer visitors, with just
0.5 % OF TOURIST LANDINGS
T
HE NUMBER of visitors to Antarctica has increased more than 300 per cent in the past 15 years. Although nearly one-quarter of visitors in 2015–2016 never made it ashore, the increasing pressure on a near-pristine wilderness, home to 20 million breeding pairs of penguins, is raising questions. The International Association of Antarctic Tourism Operators says it makes every effort to ensure sustainable tourism that causes minimal damage to the environment.
18 Australian Geographic
(this doesn’t include ship crew, staff or scientists on Antarctic bases)
Germany 2856
Are visitors causing unwitting damage to one of Earth’s few true wild places?
Glenn Dawes is a co-author of the yearbook Astronomy 2017 Australia (Quasar Publishing).
Total number of visitors during the 2015–2016 season
made here in 2015–2016.
Australia 4237
RECORD NUMBER
46,069 visitors during 2007–2008 season
38,478 27,537
26,509
30,000 20,000
12,248 10,000 visitors 2000–2001
2003–2004
2007–2008
2011–2012
2015–2016
x1
x10
x100
Naked eye Seeing the Moon next to brilliant Venus is an impressive sight! It happens twice in January in the early evening. On the 2nd the planet is upper left of the thin crescent and on the 31st to the right. Mars joins in, with the three forming a straight line on 1 Feb.
Binoculars The faint constellation of Lepus is above Orion in the northern evening sky. Visible to the naked eye, Gamma Leporis appears as a double star through binoculars. The yellow colour of the brighter member contrasts well with its blue companion.
Small telescope To the right of Orion lies the constellation of Monoceros, containing the star cluster NGC 2244. About a dozen blue stars dominate, but the brightest, 12 Mon, is yellow. The famous Rosette Nebula surrounds the cluster with its brightest sections clearly visible.
ILLUSTRATION BY MIKE ROSSI / FIGURES FROM: INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF ANTARCTIC TOURISM OPERATORS / ANTARCTICA TOURISM FACT SHEET 2016–2017
Ever more Antarctic tourists
with Glenn Dawes
38,478
Canada 1833
Pole under pressure
looking up
USA 13,660
Other 5589
buzz Australian Geographic Society Preserved parrots remain bright at the Australian National Wildlife Collection (left); Tim Heupink is on the case (below).
TROUBLE IN PARADISE What really happened to this nowextinct Queensland parrot?
P
ILLO: W T GREENE; PARROTS: NICK CUBIN: PORTAIT: COURTESY TIM HEUPINK; CHIMP: GETTY
An 1884 painting by W. T. Greene.
ARADISE PARROTS, also known as beautiful parakeets, are today extinct, but a century ago males were prized for the feathers of their green-and-turquoise breasts and their bodies splashed with crimson, yellow and blue. European settlers in south-eastern Queensland captured them for aviaries and taxidermy displays, while land clearing and predation by cats and foxes further hastened their decline. In 1928 – 80 years after the parrot was first described by Europeans – the last-known birds were seen flying away from a nest. Using a preserved museum feather, researcher Dr Tim Heupink, at Griffith
University in Queensland, has now been able to extract the bird’s DNA. “This DNA indicates it is a genuine species – something that was previously contested,” he says. The result opens up many possibilities for further study. Tim will now use AGS funds to fill in knowledge gaps about the ultimate fate of the species. Using the DNA he’s recovered, he also hopes to characterise the parrot’s genome and uncover details about its relatedness to other Australian parrots. He will also study past population numbers and find DNA markers to identify eggs in museum collections.
Ask an expert Associate Professor Darren Curnoe, evolutionary biologist, University of New South Wales
Q A
Why does seeing other people yawn make me yawn too? Jennifer McCredie, Dee Why, NSW.
The contagious nature of yawning is remarkable. Just watching other people – even animals – can make us want to yawn too. But why do it? And why is the urge to do so irresistible? The function remains a mystery, but yawns seem to play a role in our social lives. Humans mirror behaviours and feelings of others because we feel empathy. Studies show that the stronger the bond between people, the more irresistible is the urge to yawn. Fascinatingly, even chimpanzees experience yawn-contagion.
100,000KM The approximate length of all your arteries, capillaries and veins if you laid them out end to end. This is long enough to circle the Earth about 2.5 times. January . February 19
Museum science
Biobank Preserving DNA and tissue samples of animals, rather than skins and bones, is the way of the future for museum research.
A
20 Australian Geographic
Joanna Sumner adds samples to the biobank at Melbourne Museum. DNA in the library includes that of the critically endangered alpine tree frog and the rufous bettong, now extinct over much of its original range.
Alpine tree frog.
Museum have been moved into the new facility. The museum owns one of the world’s largest collections of bird tissue, including samples from extinct populations from regions of Papua New Guinea that have since been logged. “We also have an extraordinary collection of cephalopod tissues – octopus and squid,” Joanna adds. The facility will support breeding programs for endangered species and the museum is working with zoos to preserve sperm, eggs and embryos until
Rufous bettong.
they are ready for artificial insemination. Dermot Henry, head of sciences, says the biobank is crucial for conservation, ensuring the long-term storage of critical genetic and reproductive samples for Australian wildlife. “The possibilities for future uses are vast, and are likely to occur incredibly fast. Technology is moving rapidly and we aim to ensure that we have the samples available for wherever it takes us,” Joanna says. AMY MIDDLETON
BEN HEALLEY / MUSEUM VICTORIA / FROG: Vitoria verreauxii alpina; BETTONG: Aepyprymnus rufescens
FROZEN LIBRARY of animal genetic material has opened in Melbourne, and is the first in Australia to preserve wildlife samples in tanks of liquid nitrogen. The Ian Potter Australian Wildlife BioBank at the Melbourne Museum will provide long-term storage for half a million samples, including embryos, eggs and sperm for captive-breeding programs. This kind of library is essential to preserve DNA from endangered and extinct animals with the hope of potentially reviving species in the future; museums can also store genetic material for studying the evolutionary relationships of animals and for helping to confirm the discovery of new species. “Comparing sequences among individuals can be used to determine how closely related they are,” says Dr Joanna Sumner, the museum’s manager of genetic resources. “This kind of sequence comparison is used when investigating evolutionary relationships …describing new species, and looking at differences within a species.” Traditionally ‘cryopreservation’ has involved storing samples in freezers at –80ºC. At this temperature, chemical processes that break down tissues are slowed, but can still cause degradation over time. The new method – also used by the Natural History Museum in London – stores samples at –185ºC and may halt degradation completely. “These tanks keep the tissues at a much lower temperature than electrical freezers, so our tissues will last indefinitely,” Joanna says. They also protect samples against black-outs, remaining at –185ºC for a week before requiring additional liquid nitrogen. Some 40,000 samples already housed at Museums Victoria at Melbourne
Peoples choice Winner 2016
ORPHANS
Western grey kangaroo MACROPUS FULIGINOSUS By Georgina Steytler
Open for entries 11 Jan-24 Feb More than $46,000 of prizes to be won A new name, new exhibition venue and new rules; a new era begins.
Top prize
T
HE AUSTRALIAN GEOGRAPHIC Nature Photographer of the Year will open for entries from 11 January– 24 February with some notable changes to its format. We have removed the acronym ANZANG but remain focused on the region of Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica and New Guinea. The rules will be broadened to reflect techniques now widely used like focus stacking and multiple exposures. The exhibition will run simultaneously at the South Australian Museum in Adelaide and the Australian Museum in Sydney during August/September. There are nine categories, each with a first prize of $1000 and a runner-up prize of $500, and also a portfolio prize of $1000. The overall winner will receive $10,000 in cash and a trip aboard Heritage Expedition’s Antarctic voyage to Mawson’s Hut in January 2018. The total first prize package is worth more than $33,000. To enter and for details of all categories, cost of entry and competition rules please visit the website below.
Enter online at
Win a trip to Antarctica East Antarctica: In the Wake of Mawson.
F
OLLOW IN Sir Douglas Mawson’s legendary wake and expedition cruise to Commonwealth Bay. Explore Macquarie Is. and the NZ subantarctic Islands before making your way to East Antarctica. Douglas Mawson’s Australasian Antarctic Expedition (AAE) sailed from Hobart in December 1911, making a brief stop at Macquarie Island to establish a radio base and then making landfall at Cape Denison in Commonwealth Bay; the windiest place on the planet – renowned as the ‘home of the blizzard’. Tragedy struck when Ninnis and Mertz, the other two members of
Mawson’s three-man Far Eastern Sledging Party, died. Mawson returned to base, blinded by snow and having cheated death more than once, but so late in the season that he had to overwinter in Antarctica as his relief ship had sailed. Mawson’s Hut at Cape Denison still stands; protected against the extreme weather for which the region is renowned. The overall winner will win a berth aboard Heritage Expeditions’ In the Wake of Mawson expedition to East Antarctica and the Subantarctic Islands, departing from Invercargill, New Zealand, on 8 January 2018, returning there on 2
Departs 8 January 2018 February. The prize includes a return flight to Invercargill from any Australian state capital, plus one main deck twin share berth, valued at US$16,880 (approx. A$22,600 at time of press). Prize is only valid for this expedition date, is not transferable and cannot be redeemed for cash. Please see the website below for terms and conditions.
www.naturephotographeroftheyear.com.au
buzz Natural history
Mega penguin Recent fossil discoveries suggest that the extinct colossus penguin Palaeeudyptes klekowskii was the tallest and heaviest penguin ever, weighing 115kg. How does it compare with penguins alive today? 2.0
E X T I N CT
LIVING
Height (metres)
1.5
1.0
0.5
0 Waimanu 0.9m New Zealand 62 million years ago
Perudyptes 0.9m Peru 42 mya
Palaeeudyptes 1.6m Antarctica 37–40 mya
Icadyptes 1.5m Peru 36 mya
Emperor 1.1m Antarctica Modern
King 0.9m Antarctica Modern
Humboldt 0.65m Antarctica Modern
Galapagos 0.5m Galapagos Modern
Fairy 0.35m Australia Modern
TRACING OCHRE Researchers are tracing ochre used in rock art and traditional ceremonies back to WA’s historic Wilgie Mia ochre mine.
A
G SOCIETY-supported scientists are improving techniques to identify ochre that came from central Western Australia’s Wilgie Mia mine, and nearby Little Wilgie mine. Wilgie Mia – one of the largest traditional ochre mines in Australia – provided ochre used by people across WA for ceremonial decoration and rock art for many thousands of years. Roughly 19,600 cubic metres of rock, weighing about 40,000t, was removed from the mine, including red, yellow and green ochre. Some of this decorative material has been documented as far as 1600km away at the Nullarbor Plain, South Australia. It
22 Australian Geographic
travelled via the most extensive precontact ochre trade network known. A team of geologists, archaeologists and chemists from the University of Western Australia (UWA), CSIRO and Griffith University are working with Wajarri people to develop non-destructive techniques, such as X-ray fluorescence, to test ochre in rock art along the routes it followed. Project coordinator Viviene Brown at UWA says these techniques have great potential for use at remote, culturally sensitive, sites and with fragile samples in museum collections. Despite Wilgie Mia’s significance, the mine has been poorly
Wilgie Mia & Little Wilgie
Wilgie Mia in use in 1905 (left). Wajarri man Carl Hamlett (above) explains the importance of Little Wilgie to his nephew Liam Bell.
documented, she says. “While previous visits by geologists and geochemical analyses have identified a unique chemical fingerprint for Wilgie Mia and Little Wilgie, previous studies required bags of material be removed for laboratory analysis.” With refined techniques the experts hope to answer questions about the distance ochre travelled and when it became a valuable trade commodity.
PENGUIN GRAPHIC: © 2014 REED BUSINESS INFORMATION, UK. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY; MINE: STATE LIBRARY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA; PEOPLE: VIVIENE BROWN
Australian Geographic Society
TOP 10
Earthquakes Down Under Australia has experienced few big earthquakes, but some of them have caused great devastation – here are 10 of the most significant in recent history.
E
ARTHQUAKES STRIKE when tectonic plates mash and grind against each other. You may think Australia is safe, being in the middle of a plate, but experts say we are rattled by about one small quake a day. The IndoAustralian plate, on which our continent lies, is colliding with the Pacific plate in the east and the Eurasian plate to the north. When these plates move and jostle around, they get pushed on one side and pulled on the other, so stresses build up inside the plate itself. When 24 Australian Geographic
these forces get big enough they actually break the rock, which causes vibrations in the Earth. About every five years the pent-up stresses cause a quake of magnitude 6 or greater. If the epicentre of the quake is at a shallow depth and is under a city, it can cause terrible damage. The regions where violent quakes occur most often are southwestern WA, the Flinders Ranges in SA, and across a wide area from Tasmania to northern NSW. TIFFANY HOY
The violent 1989 quake in Newcastle caused 13 deaths and $4 billion worth of damage.
buzz
NSW: 1 NEWCASTLE, 28 DECEMBER 1989
NSW: 4 ELLALONG, 6 AUGUST 1994 (5.3)
(MAGNITUDE 5.4) One of Australia’s worst natural disasters, this quake killed 13 people and hospitalised 160. It caused an estimated $4 billion worth of damage to 35,000 homes, 147 schools and 3000 buildings. Damage was reported over an area of 9000sq.km, with movement up to 800km away. The devastation was unusual for a relatively low magnitude quake. Experts say soft sediments may have intensified the shaking, the strength of which older buildings could not withstand.
2 BEACHPORT, SA: 10 MAY 1897 (6.5)
Fifty people were injured in this quake, which was centred off the coast between Beachport and Robe, but was felt throughout southern SA and south-western Victoria. Most of Beachport and Robe were destroyed, and Kingston and Mount Gambier also suffered damage. The Earth heaved in waves and ruptured to a depth of 4m. In Adelaide, crowds panicked and suffered injuries as they rushed to the exits of swaying buildings.
3 MECKERING, WA:
OPPOSITE: DARREN PATEMAN /SYDNEY MORNING HERALD; THIS PAGE: TOP: ATHENA AFIANOS, COURTESY TENNANT AND DISTRICT TIMES; BOTTOM: ALICE SNOOKE
14 OCTOBER 1968 (6.5)
This small town, 115km east of Perth, was destroyed by the second-strongest quake recorded in Australia. Twenty people were injured and many buildings damaged, with a cost of $1.5 million (about $18 million today). In Perth buildings swayed and tremors were felt up to 700km from the epicentre. Before the quake, Meckering had 51 dwellings, 12 businesses and 15 public buildings. Only 16 houses and three businesses survived.
Five people were injured and 1000 homes damaged in this earthquake, which hit the Hunter region of NSW to the tune of $37.2 million in insurance payouts (equivalent to $65 million today). Fifty hotels and other buildings suffered serious damage. The quake was the biggest in the region since the Newcastle quake in 1989.
SA: 5 ADELAIDE, 1 MARCH 1954 (5.4) Citizens of Adelaide woke at 3.45am to the first earthquake to hit the city in almost 100 years. It caused three serious injuries and damaged 3000 buildings, cracking walls, smashing windows and collapsing chimneys, mostly in the southern suburbs. The cost has been estimated at $8 million (about $50 million today), with 30,000 insurance claims filed – but many properties weren’t insured. Because Adelaide sits on heavy clay and rock, amplification of the tremors is thought to have been reduced, resulting in less damage than normally expected from a quake of this magnitude.
SA: 6 WAROOKA, 19 SEPTEMBER 1902 (6.0) The second-largest recorded SA earthquake, this disaster claimed two lives and damaged stone and masonry buildings. It was the first earthquake in Australia to have associated fatalities – with two people suffering heart attacks. Only one small building in the town escaped damage. A local newspaper, The Advertiser, reported: “Women and children rushed screaming into the street, cows bellowed, horses stampeded as if mad, and altogether the scene was one of indescribable noise and confusion.”
7 MEEBERRIE, WA: 29 APRIL 1941 (6.3) Australia’s fifth-largest quake caused little damage when it shook Meeberrie, a region that then had few residents. It did, however, crack all the walls of Meeberrie homestead, a heritage-listed station north of Mullewag; it also burst the rainwater tanks and ruptured the ground, creating huge cracks. Minor damage was also reported in Perth, about 550km away. Fortunately, no injuries were recorded.
CREEK, NT: 8 TENNANT 22 JANUARY 1988 (6.6) Three quakes of greater than magnitude 6 rattled Tennant Creek in one day, each about half an hour apart. At magnitude 6.6, the largest of these is considered Australia’s biggest quake. Considering the intensity, damage was small. Tremors warped the natural gas pipeline and opened a 35km-long fault scarp, with a step of 2m. Two buildings and three other structures – including the hospital – were damaged, with a total cost of $2.5 million. No injuries were reported.
9 KALGOORLIE-BOULDER, WA: 20 APRIL 2010 (5.0)
Felt up to 200km away from the epicentre, this quake caused major damage to the historic buildings in Kalgoorlie-Boulder and injured two people. The strongest quake in the goldfields region for more than 50 years, it temporarily shut down the local mines, including the Super Pit – the largest opencut mine in Australia. Some experts suggest the quake may have actually been a humanmade ‘rock-burst’, induced by deep mining.
WA: 10 CADOUX, 2 JUNE 1979 (6.1) The second-most damaging earthquake in WA’s recorded history injured one person and struck 25 buildings in the wheatbelt town of Cadoux, 165km north-east of Perth. Roads, railway lines, pipes and powerlines were damaged in an area of about 4ha, then estimated at a total cost of $3.8 million. A fault 15km long opened on the Earth’s surface – only about 12 earthquakes in Australia’s modern history have caused the ground to rupture. January . February 25
portrait
Sam and Penguin Bloom
The perfect pair It took the company of an orphaned bird to see Sam Bloom mend her broken spirit.
W
‘fledges the nest’, it is often an emotionally charged event. But for Sam Bloom, surrogate mother to a magpie named Penguin, watching the spirited little bird fly away was especially bittersweet. In 2013 Sam was on holiday in Thailand with her photographer husband, Cameron Bloom – and their children Noah, Rueben and Oli – when she fell from a rooftop deck after a railing collapsed. The accident left her paralysed below the chest and doctors said she wouldn’t walk again. As severe as her injuries were, the emotional damage was worse, says Sam. “The battle...inside your head is the hardest to overcome.” Although her family wasn’t especially religious, they prayed for HEN A CHILD
Sam every day. Nine months after the accident, an unexpected salvation of sorts arrived in the form of an orphaned bird. The magpie was ruffled and weak when Noah, then aged 9, found her after she’d fallen 20m from a nest. She was wrapped in a blanket and taken home. The kids named her Penguin in reference to her black-and-white plumage. Caring for Penguin was a huge commitment: she had to be fed every few hours; wasn’t house trained and would sneak inside the bedrooms “for cuddles”, Sam says. The bird bonded with everyone, but her connection with Sam was special. When Penguin was weak, Sam nursed her. “She gave me something to do, something to look
after,” she says. Likewise, Penguin seemed to listen to Sam, who vented her unspoken frustrations. Despite being free to fly away, Penguin chose to linger following her recovery. She would sing for hours as Sam worked to rebuild her strength. Sam eventually found freedom in the gliding motion of her kayak, and became a member of the Australian Paracanoe Team. The day Sam left to compete in the 2015 World Kayak Championships in Milan, Penguin took to the skies for good. The Blooms haven’t seen her since, but they’ve heard about sightings from neighbours. And Sam says she will always be part of the family. VICTORIA TICHA
CAMERON BLOOM
See more of Cameron’s images in Penguin Bloom: The Odd Little Bird Who Saved A Family (Harper Collins, 2016) and www.penguinbloom.com.
26 Australian Geographic
buzz
Museum Treasure
3D printed hermit crab shelter At the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences in Sydney
CRAB: COURTESY OF MAHO KUBOTA GALLERY; THEN AND NOW: STATE LIBRARY OF VICTORIA / ROBIN SMITH / GETTY
A
ROUND THE WORLD there are more than 1100 species of hermit crab. They have soft, curved abdomens, which they protect inside salvaged marine gastropod shells. As the crabs grow they require larger shells for protection. When they find an abandoned shell that fits, they tuck themselves inside and carry it around wherever they go. Sometimes, they are kicked out by stronger hermit crabs and forced to find new homes. The habit of living in borrowed shells inspired the name of these crustaceans. It also motivated Aki Inomata – a Japanese artist who explores human culture through architecture – to design special shelters for them, representing cities from around the world. Aki connected the idea of hermit crabs exchanging shells to migrants and refugees exchanging cities and crossing national borders. The first shells she made were simple spherical objects, but the hermit crabs ignored them. So using CT scans, she studied the natural shapes of sea snail shells and took advantage of 3D printing to create shelters the crabs approved of. The Out of Hand exhibit at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney explores some of Aki’s work from 2014/2015.
EARLY 2017
Event Out of Hand: Materialising the Digital On until 25 June at the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney. The exhibition displays the 3D printed shells, pictures of hermit crabs wearing them and also video footage of them scuttling along a beach. Tickets range from $8 to $15. More info: www.maas. museum/event/out-of-hand-materialising-the-digital/
THEN AND NOW Do you recognise this grand old building pictured here in 1887 and today? Clue: it’s in one of our capital cities. Turn to page 129 to find the answer!
January . February 27
buzz
with Dr Karl Kruszelnicki
NEED TO KNOW
Strawberry milk
WE KNOW THAT human breast milk can be flavoured by what the mother eats, and the same holds for cow’s milk. So can cows produce strawberryflavoured milk? One study involved 18 nursing human mothers eating capsules of concentrated flavour. Within hours, the babies were enjoying flavoured milk from their mother’s breasts. The time varied for the flavours to appear – one hour for banana, and two hours for caraway and liquorice, while menthol took 2–8 hours. In this study, after eight hours, most of the flavouring had disappeared from the breast milk. Similarly, farmers on Queensland’s Darling Downs have long known that turnip weed gives the milk an off flavour. But once the cows eat any cruciferous vegetables (e.g. cauliflower,
cabbage, broccoli), a different, sharp, radish-like flavour appears. In 1990 the CSIRO wanted to understand how different feeds changed the flavour of milk. When cows were fed a diet low in fats, they produced hints of blue cheese, coconut and peaches. But when they ate a synthetic diet free of protein, their milk was very low in stinky chemicals such as indole and skatole. The CSIRO scientists accidentally found how to get raspberry flavour into meat and the milk. They supplemented the feed of cows with both oats and sunflower seeds. A biochemical surprise arrived – via a two-step pathway. First, the oats stimulated the growth
Ask an expert
of certain bacteria. Second, these bacteria then started ‘eating’ the sunflower seeds. They converted the oil in the seeds into the chemical gamma-dodec-cis-6-enolactone – which tastes like raspberries. In fact, this chemical is so pervasive that it gave a raspberry hint to meat and milk! So can cows produce strawberry-flavoured milk? I don’t know. I couldn’t find a report in the literature where a farmer had spare strawberries to feed to cows.
DR KARL is a prolific broadcaster, author and Julius Sumner Miller fellow in the School of Physics at the University of Sydney. His latest book, The Doctor, is published by Pan Macmillan. You can follow him on Twitter: @DoctorKarl.
On this day
Q
How do Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people use astronomy? Tegan Smith, Padstow, NSW
INDIGENOUS ELDERS tell us that their astronomy often involves ‘reading the stars’. Euahlayi Aboriginal people of NSW navigate Also known asby memorising star sadasdasd maps. Each star corresponds to a landscape feature, which guides them long distances for trade and to attend ceremonies. Torres Strait Islanders watch the twinkling stars to understand changing trade winds. Fuzzy Moon haloes signal coming rain. When the emu constellation rises at dusk, it tells Aboriginal people when emus are laying eggs. In Dharawal traditions of southern Sydney, the Pleiades rising at dawn heralds the arrival of winter, the northerly migration of the orca, and the blooming of the golden wattle.
A
28 Australian Geographic
PRIOR TO Charles Kingsford Smith’s successful trans-Tasman flight, another had ended in disaster. On 10 January 1928 New Zealanders John Moncrieff and George Hood set off to fly across the water between Australia and NZ. By 6pm 10,000 people had gathered at Wellington’s Trentham Racecourse, where they were supposed to land. Laura Hood and Dorothy Moncrieff, the wives of the men, were among those waiting in vain. Some eyewitnesses claimed the plane crashed on land shortly before its destination, while others said it plummeted into the Marlborough Sounds. The wreckage has never been found. In September that year, Kingsford Smith (below, second from left) and Charles Ulm became the first to successfully fly across the Tasman, and they dropped a wreath into the ocean along the way.
DR KARL: CHRIS CLOR/GETTY; HISTORIC: WIKIMEDIA; NIGHT SKY: STOCKTREK IMAGES/LUIS ARGERICH/GETTY
Dr Duane Hamacher, astronomer, Monash University
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NATURE WATCH
Predatory instinct Quolls are some of Australasia’s feistiest carnivorous mammals. STORY BY JESS TEIDEMAN ILLUSTRATIONS BY KEVIN STEAD 2
1
3
EARLY SETTLERS referred to quolls as ‘native polecats’, because of their resemblance to the European relative of the weasel, and today they are still sometimes called native cats. Quolls are members of the Dasyuridae family, and are easily recognised by their pointed snout, long tail and ginger/brown or black fur with distinctive white spots. They have sharp teeth and strong jaws for tearing meat and crushing bones and invertebrates. Like the related Tasmanian devil, these fierce little marsupials communicate loudly with hisses and screams. Once widely distributed across Australia and New Guinea, populations have shrunk due to habitat loss, disease and competition from introduced foxes and cats. Each of the six quoll species inhabits a distinct range: the northern quoll prefers tropical regions with high rainfall, the western quoll has adapted to the arid regions across the inland south-west, and the tiger and eastern quoll live only in mesic zones. Quolls shelter in hollow logs or dens during the day, emerging mostly at night to hunt. The largest species, the tiger quoll, eats birds, reptiles and mammals such as bandicoots, possums and echidnas, while the smaller species eat mainly insects, birds, frogs, lizards, snakes, small mammals and fruit. Quolls are also known to eat carrion, and will scavenge around campsites and rubbish bins. Quolls are generally solitary, except during the breeding season and when they frequent unusual communal ‘latrines’ to mark territories and socialise. 30 Australian Geographic
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TIGER QUOLL
EASTERN QUOLL
Dasyurus maculatus
Dasyurus viverrinus
2.5–4kg 1.5–2.5kg IUCN status: Near threatened
900g–1.9kg Endangered
Also known as the spottedtailed quoll, the tiger quoll is the largest species. It can be distinguished by its reddishbrown fur, with white spots that continue down its bushy tail, differentiating it from other quolls. It is highly mobile – moving up to 3km in a night – and may also inhabit large territories.
The eastern quoll was once found across much of the south-eastern mainland, and as far as northern as NSW. The last members of the mainland population died out here in about 1963, but these quolls remain in Tasmania, where they inhabit rainforests and open grasslands, mainly in the eastern half of the state.
700g–1.1kg
nature watch 4
6
5
3
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NORTHERN QUOLL
WESTERN QUOLL
NEW GUINEA QUOLL
BRONZE QUOLL
Dasyurus hallucatus
Dasyurus geoffroii
Dasyurus albopunctatus
Dasyurus spartacus
400–900g Endangered
700g–2.2kg 700g–1.1kg Near threatened
580–710g N/A Near threatened
N/A N/A Near threatened
The western quoll, or ‘chuditch’, is WA’s largest marsupial carnivore. It once inhabited 70 per cent of the continent but remains only in the south-western corner of WA (and in an introduced population in SA’s Flinders Ranges). Easily confused with the eastern quoll, its first toe on the hind foot and a darker tail help to differentiate it.
The New Guinean quoll is widespread throughout much of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, but has a patchy distribution across its range. Smaller and darker than the bronze quoll, this species feeds on a large range of prey, including birds, rats, other marsupials, small reptiles and insects.
Endemic to New Guinea, the bronze quoll was first discovered in the early 1970s, and scientists thought it was an outlying population of the northern quoll. It wasn’t until 1987 that Dr Stephen Van Dyck recognised them as distinct. Little is known about this species and they may number just a few thousand.
300–500g
The northern quoll is the smallest, but the most aggressive of the four Australian species. Once common across northern Australia, this species could be found from the Pilbara, WA, to south-eastern Queensland. The northern quoll now occurs only in five regional populations across QLD, the NT and WA.
January . February 31
Wild Australia JANUARY . FEBRUARY 2017
Essential wildlife highlights that can’t be missed
In December–March, these up-to-10kg pinecones become ready for harvest. Historically, when the harvest was good, Aboriginal people gathered for bunya festivals, where they roasted and ate nuts, shared knowledge and had other ceremonies. More info: Call Bunya Mountains on 07 4668 3127 or visit www.nprsr.qld.gov.au/parks/bunya-mountains
Wild Australia with John Pickrell
Big picture
Love is in the air By Gerry Pearce “Getting a good shot of mating dragonflies became a goal several years ago. After studying these fiery skimmers, I saw the chance to go a step further and also capture females depositing eggs into the slowmoving water. The technical challenge was considerable, and I also needed patience and a lot of sunscreen. After three years and thousands of pictures, I had a series of images of these beautiful insects, which, to the best of my knowledge, has never been captured before.”
TAS
WALK THROUGH FIELDS OF LAVENDER, BRIDESTOWE LAVENDER ESTATE
Spread across more than 100ha, the Bridestowe Lavender Estate is one of the world’s largest lavender farms and it is visited by more than 50,000 tourists a year. Created in 1922, it has since been a leading producer of lavender oil for Australia. Enjoy the farm’s full aroma from December till late February when it is in full blossom and ready to be explored. More info: Call Bridestowe Lavender Estate on 03 6352 8182 or visit www.bridestowelavender.com.au
January . February 33
FIERY SKIMMER: Orthetrum migratum; LAVENDAR FIELD: COURTESY BRIDESTOWE LAVENDER ESTATE / OCKERT LE ROUX; BUNYA NUT HARVEST: DANIEL GIES
QLD
BUNYA NUT HARVEST, BUNYA MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK
Wild Australia JANUARY. FEBRUARY 2017
SA COLOUR-CHANGING LAKE, MOUNT GAMBIER
NSW, SATIN BOWERBIRD MATING SEASON, DORRIGO NATIONAL PARK
SPECTACLED FLYING-FOX DOWN TO JUST 100,000 individuals, the spectacled flying-fox population is estimated to have declined by up to 50 per cent over the past decade. Named for the straw-coloured fur that surrounds their eyes, like spectacles, these large mammalian fruit bats play an important role in the forest ecosystem. Threats to the spectacled flying fox include habitat loss, camp disturbance during breeding season, cyclones, tick paralysis, a condition known as cleft palate syndrome and human-made obstacles such as powerlines. Please consider
34 Australian Geographic
donating to help support the Cairns and Far North Environment Centre in their efforts to protect and secure a future for this keystone species. DONATE Visit www.australiangeographic. com.au/society or post a cheque to: AGS Administrator, Level 9, 54 Park St, Sydney NSW 2000.
VIC MOUNTAIN ASH IN BLOOM, DANDENONG RANGES The world’s second-tallest tree is in flower in January–March. Mountain ash, or swamp gums (see page 48), Eucalyptus regnans, can be many centuries old, growing up to about 100m, at a rate of about 1m a year. The white inflorescences appear early in the year across the tree’s range in Victoria and NSW, but the Dandenong Ranges is a popular place to spot them. More info: Call Parks Victoria on 13 19 63 or visit www.parkweb. vic.gov.au/explore/parks/dandenong-ranges-national-park
SATIN BOWERBIRD: MARTIN WILLIS / MINDEN PICTURES / GETTY / Ptilonorhynchus violaceus; SPECTACLED FLYING-FOX: MICHELE CASTLEY-WRIGHT/OXYGEN PICTURES / Pteropus conspicillatus; CRATER LAKE: IAN WOOLCOCK / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO; MOUNTAIN ASH: IMAGEBROKER / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO
NSW
In the Dorrigo rainforest the male satin bowerbird weaves a bower out of twigs, painting them with charcoal and saliva. He then starts his interior decoration with brightly coloured fruit, flowers, feathers and any vibrant human-made objects to place in front of or inside his bower. Once completed, he sings and chatters while strutting around, offering any berries to the females. The bowerbirds will continue their display in front of humans as long as they are still. More info: Call Dorrigo Rainforest Centre on 02 6657 2309 or visit www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au
A crater lake in a volcano that erupted as recently as 5000 years ago, the Blue Lake changes colour over the year, turning from grey and milky to a deep cobalt blue in February. Found near Mount Gambier, it is best viewed at dusk. A theory on how the change occurs suggests it’s linked to algae and calcite and the acidity of the water at different times of year. More info: Call the Lady Nelson Visitor Centre on 1800 087 187 or visit www. mountgambier.sa.gov.au
Wild Australia with John Pickrell
NATURE
Australia has a new sauropod dinosaur Twenty-tonne Savannasaurus from western Queensland brings the number of named Australian sauropods to five.
P
TRAVIS R TISCHLER / Savannasaurus elliottorum
ALAEONTOLOGISTS
have described a new titanosaur sauropod, from a specimen first excavated in 2005. From the same region near Winton, they also report the first-known sauropod skull fragments from Australia, which they believe belonged to a known species, Diamantinasaurus. The scientists, led by Dr Stephen Poropat of the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum (AAOD), studied the relationship of both Diamantinasaurus and new species Savannasaurus to similar dinosaurs from South America, and have made the first estimate of when titanosaurs migrated across the supercontinent of Gondwana to Australia. David Elliott, grazier and AAOD founder, stumbled across the bones of Savannasaurus elliottorum while mustering sheep a decade ago. Later that year, a dig involving scientists from the Queensland Museum resulted in the collection of 17 pallets of bones that were encased in hard siltstone concretions. Ten years of preparation and study finally revealed a new species, detailed in the journal Scientific Reports. The fossil – which includes parts of the backbone, legs, pelvis and tail – reveals a rotund, medium-sized sauropod that weighed 20 tonnes and was 12–15m long – half the length of a basketball court. “Unfortunately, we do not have teeth or complete skulls for either Diamantinasaurus or Savannasaurus. However, because they were living in the same place at the same time, we suspect that they preferred different foods,” Stephen says. “The bigger belly of Savannasaurus might have... [allowed] it to process tougher or less nutritious vegetation.” The scientists did discover a new
New kid on the block, Savannasaurus.
fossil including the braincase (partial skull) of a Diamantinasaurus, which they believe was a close relative of the new species. Both lived on the Australian part of Gondwana 95 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous. Diamantinasaurus would have been more slender than Savannasaurus, but slightly larger, at an estimated 23t and 15–16m in length. “This new Diamantinasaurus specimen has helped to fill several gaps in our knowledge,” Stephen says. “The braincase in particular has allowed us to refine Diamantinasaurus’s position on the sauropod family tree.” Working alongside sauropod experts Dr Philip Mannion and Professor Paul Upchurch, Stephen was able to study how these Australian dinosaurs were related to sauropods from other parts of the world. The palaeontologists noted that they were similar to kinds of titanosaur common in South America 125 million years ago during the Early Cretaceous. They hypothesise that titanosaurs evolved in South America,
but were unable to cross cold, highlatitude parts of the supercontinent until a warm spell. “We suspect that the ancestor of Savannasaurus was from South America, but that it could not and did not enter Australia until approximately 105 million years ago,” Paul says. “At this time, global average temperatures increased, allowing sauropods to traverse landmasses at polar latitudes.” These more primitive sauropods then persisted in an isolated Australia while other kinds of titanosaur came to dominate South America. Dr Phil Bell, at the University of New England in Armidale, says: “Every new specimen is potentially important. The description of these two specimens is exciting. Where Australia’s dinosaurs came from and when they arrived has long been a point of contention.”
JOHN PICKRELL is the editor of AUSTRALIAN GEOGRAPHIC. Follow him on Twitter: @john_pickrell.
January . February 35
buzz
SPACE
Time to revise the date of the Big Bang?
The spaceborne Gaia observatory will make the largest ever 3D map of our galaxy by surveying more than 1 billion stars.
A new orbiting space laboratory is providing more accurate data than ever to help pinpoint the birth date of the universe.
36 Australian Geographic
fashion as they expand and contract. Crucially, these pulsating stars are used as ‘standard candles’ in our measurement of the distances of remote galaxies, which are themselves used as a yardstick to gauge the expansion rate of the universe. That, in turn, provides us with the universe’s age, currently estimated to be nearly 14 billion years. This value comes not from measurements of stars, but of the faint microwave radiation that covers the entire sky, which we now recognise as a remnant of the flash of the Big Bang. But Gaia’s new data indicate that the universe is expanding a few per cent faster than we thought, suggesting its age is nearer to 13.5 billion years. Gerry’s take on this is that perhaps we just live in a low-density region of the universe, where the local gravitational pull of galaxies is less than the average, allowing our bit of the universe to expand a little faster. Sounds as if we might be bluffing for a bit longer.
FRED WATSON is an astronomer at the Australian Astronomical Observatory.
FRED ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS Why can’t you see the part of the Moon that isn’t directly illuminated by the Sun in the daytime? When you look at a daytime Moon, you can only see the illuminated part and not the rest, which just vanishes into the blue. Bev Pedder, Peakhurst, NSW
It’s usually when we see a crescent Moon in the evening sky after sunset that we notice the rest of its disc faintly illuminated. This lovely phenomenon is called ‘Earthshine’, because the Moon is actually being lit by sunlight reflected from Earth. But when you see the crescent Moon before sunset, the sky itself is much brighter than the faint disc of the Moon, rendering it invisible. That’s why it vanishes into the blue, leaving only the part that is directly illuminated by the Sun. If you have a space question for Fred, email it to editorial@ausgeo.com.au
ESA/ATG MEDIALAB; BACKGROUND: ESO/S. BRUNIER
F
OR AS LONG AS I’VE KNOWN
Gerry Gilmore – more than 30 years – he’s been a master of the pithy quote. But in this instance, the Kiwi-born, Cambridge University astronomer has excelled himself, hitting the nail on the head with his remarks about a new space mission that has released its first tranche of data. “It’s as if we as astronomers have been bluffing up until now,” he said. “We’re now going to see the truth.” There’s good reason to take note of his words. Gaia, the project in question, is a space-borne European observatory that has measured the precise positions, brightness, distances and trajectories of 2 million stars in our Milky Way galaxy, with partial data on 1140 million more. As Gaia maps progress over the next few years, it will produce the most accurate 3D picture of our galaxy ever made, yielding complete data for more than 1 billion stars. That’s about 1 per cent of all the stars in our galaxy. We’ll be seeing the truth, indeed – and can expect exciting findings. But Gaia has already sparked controversy. It has provided accurate distances for a special class of stars known as Cepheid variables, which are variable because their light changes in a regular
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A Portrait of Australia Since its launch in 1986, Australian Geographic has sought to understand, interpret and celebrate the wild and ancient land we call home through the filter of its people. In this special anniversary coffee table book, we have collected together extracts from 60 of the top stories from the past three decades of the Australian Geographic journal.
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38 Australian Geographic
OUR HISTORY
Wax lyrical Eight wax cylinders, recorded with Fanny Cochrane Smith in 1899 and 1903, contain the only audible link to Tasmania’s lost Aboriginal languages.
T
files online allow you to listen to the faint voice of Fanny Cochrane Smith talking and singing in her native language. The recordings, now more than a century old, are muffled and have the scratchy, tinny sound of 19th-century wax cylinder recordings, but their significance still resonates. Fanny – then in her late 60s – was the last fluent speaker of a Tasmanian Aboriginal language. The clips date back to two recording sessions done for ethnographic research in 1899 and 1903. In this image from 1903, Fanny leans towards the horn of the latest in recording technology: an Edison phonograph. Horace Watson, – an artefact collector, dentist and chemist, who married into Australia’s Keen’s Curry Powder empire – is carefully brushing the wax peeling off the recording stylus. The cylinders the pair produced are some of Australia’s earliest known recordings and the only known audio of indigenous Tasmanian words. These were also among the first recordings added to Canberra’s National Film and Sound Archives’ ‘Sounds of Australia’ register when it was founded a decade ago. Fanny was known for moving between two worlds – that of her indigenous community and of her settler life with white husband William Smith. In the clips she can be heard explaining her background and singing both a Corrobboree song and a ‘Spring Song’. In Tasmania, where Aboriginal languages were lost along with much of the original population, her voice is an incredible link to the past. To bolster the connection that today’s Tasmanian Aboriginals have to their heritage, the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre (TAC) in Hobart began a language revitalisation program in the 1990s. With the help of linguists, the project is using resources such as Fanny’s recordings and historic documents to build a composite language called ‘palawa kani’ from what is still known of nine original tongues. Today, Fanny’s living descendants, such as lawyer Rosie Smith, say they attempt to use this language as much as they can. In 2012 Tasmania was also finally able to put in place a dual naming policy for landmarks – the final state or territory to do so. NATSUMI PENBERTHY HESE DAYS AUDIO
FIND A recording of Fanny’s voice online at: www.australiangeographic.com.au/issue136 January . February 39
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Killer whales only spend a fraction of their time at the surface. “Watching their behaviour and listening to their acoustics under water opens up a whole new level of understanding,� says AG Society-supported orca scientist Rebecca Wellard. 42 Australian Geographic
AUSTRALIAN GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY SUPPORTED
Secrets of the
orcas
A stretch of ocean off Western Australia consistently attracts the largest known aggregation of killer whales in the Southern Hemisphere. But what lures them, and other large marine creatures, to the pinprick in the vastness remains a mystery. STORY BY FLEUR BAINGER PHOTOGRAPHY BY REBECCA WELLARD
January . February 43
T
ATTY, EL NOTCHO, A380, Isosceles. These
are the names given to the killer whales of Western Australia’s little-known Bremer Canyon. Found 65km out from a remote stretch of coastline 500km south-east of Perth, each year this deep-sea cleft becomes a temporary home to the largest known group of killer whales in the Southern Hemisphere. Exactly why, where they come from – and where they go to next – are as yet all unknowns. The comical monikers relate to their dorsal fin characteristics or body size, and reveal the attachment that visiting scientists, researchers and boat crew have developed for the ephemeral population of more than 100 orca, which appears seemingly from nowhere each January and lingers until mid-April. Daily expeditions by Naturaliste Charters, and David Riggs, the Esperance-raised documentary filmmaker they’ve teamed up with, have been set up to uncover these baffling unknowns. Numerous scientists, some of whom join the voyages for months at a time, have also been recruited to help. David began researching this biodiversity hotspot near the edge of the continental shelf in 2003. Two years later, he noticed an uncanny aggregation of killer whales in the same area, and began looking into marine activity in the Bremer Canyon for a documentary. Experts believe pressurised hydrocarbon systems beneath the sea floor are leaking methane gas, fuelling an ecosystem of bacteria that uses methane as an energy source. Other organisms, such as 44 Australian Geographic
Identified by their distinctive dorsal fins, Cookie (a female, at left) and El Notcho (a male) have been spotted here repeatedly since 2014. Orcas can travel at speeds of up to 40 knots, weigh up to 6t and grow to lengths of 10m. Their teeth alone can be 10cm long.
phytoplankton, crustaceans and squid, feed on the bacteria, and, in turn, attract larger marine life – from giant squid to sperm whales, blue sharks, great whites, sunfish and eagle rays – which make attractive prey for killer whales. Deep-sea life has been attributed to hydrocarbon sources at numerous sites around the world, but further research is needed to prove its occurrence at Bremer. With plans in place to send investigative equipment down to the sea floor, David is hopeful that it’s only a matter of time. What he can say with certainty is that, of 36 canyon systems along WA’s south coast, this is the only one known to have such intense activity. And most of it occurs within a tiny zone, only 8km across. But why isn’t it there all year round? David and Norwegian scientist Martin Hovland believe that the warm Leeuwin Current, which sweeps around the far south-western corner of Australia, seasonally suppresses or distributes rising nutrients. “Picture a tree waving in the breeze,” David says.“When summer comes around, you get a south-easterly change and that pulls the Leeuwin Current up, like a big bubble of water.” Although a 2013 documentary shone a light on the wonders of Bremer Canyon, David fears that deep-sea petroleum mining may eventually occur in the area, depressurising the hydrocarbon,
Local photographer Keith Lightbody says it was an amazing sight when a 7t male orca – dubbed Isosceles – (below) breached the surface of the water near their boat.
Rebecca Wellard (above, at left) and Zoe Gillam focus their lenses on orca fins. Rebecca looks at the dorsal fins, eye patches and saddle patches to identify each animal. Data is used to study group structure and size, as well as migration patterns; surfacing after a dive, a female (right) exhales, her blow catching the light in a rainbow effect.
We spot dolphins shooting through the surface of the water like skimming stones.
RIGHT: KEITH LIGHTBODY
causing the food source to evaporate and altering the ecosystem forever. For now, existing exploration permits have been cancelled and, in early 2016, both state and federal politicians met with David to assess the area’s attributes. For David, the creation of a marine park isn’t enough; he wants an oil and gas exclusion zone to be established.“There’s never been any suggestion of this place being afforded proper protection,” he says. One way David and his partners hope to gain support for the canyon is by taking visitors to see the killer whales, using part of their fares to fund research by onboard scientists, and asking spectators to contribute photos and videos to an online database.
A
BOARD THE CETACEAN EXPLORER, we journey away from
Bremer Bay’s sleepy harbour under a cloudless sky. We soon spot common dolphins shooting through the surface of the water like skimming stones. It’s a calm day, but a large swell still causes the boat to climb, rattle and slap its way through the sea. Most of the visitors are out on deck, inhaling sea air and staring at
WHALE EXPEDITIONS Join a Bremer Canyon killer whale expedition with Naturaliste Charters. When: Tours run daily, from late January through to April, and tickets cost $385 per person. Call: 08 9750 5500 or visit www.whales-australia.com.au/ bremer-killer-whales
the horizon. Many are queasy but no-one is ill; according to the crew, a common experience is raging waters, a 4m swell, stinging spray from high winds and across-the-board seasickness. Seated in the sunshine, we watch a black-browed albatross sweep over our wake like a slow-motion pendulum. It glides in wide arcs, the tip of its black-and-white wing all but kissing the water as it changes tack. We power out to the 5000m-deep canyon’s edge, losing sight of land save for a giant sand dune. The skipper lets the engines idle and all eyes search for ‘the blow’, a puff of vapour exhaled by a killer whale seconds before it surfaces, closely followed by that unmistakeable black fin. We’re also told to look for clusters of seabirds dog-fighting above the water. “The orcas are messy eaters,” says skipper Mal Bush. “It’s like when we eat a taco, only with no hands.” The birds eagerly scoop up the fishy debris. As we scan the silky ocean, Rebecca Wellard from the Centre for Marine Science and Technology at Curtin University tinkers with aquatic audio equipment. She’s doing her PhD on the bioacoustics of Australian killer whales, observing their underwater whistles, burst pulse sounds and echolocation clicks. She then compares them with pods in Ningaloo Marine Park, others in the Northern Hemisphere and south to Antarctica. “I’m trying to see if populations in Australia have their own dialect,” she says. After three years of field study, she’s noticed the whistles emitted in Bremer are similar to those elsewhere. But their burst pulse sounds seem to be more localised – something she January . February 45
THE BREMER CANYON AND MARINE RESERVE
T
Rebecca used her GoPro ‘Orca Cam’ to capture video footage. “Killer whales can be very playful and inquisitive around the boat, blowing bubbles and approaching belly up, leaving passengers in awe,” she says.
hopes to pinpoint.“There are acoustic clans within the Northern Hemisphere. They can tell these clans, these family groups, by their different dialects,” she says. “I also want to describe the Bremer population’s call repertoire. If we could understand what killer whales in Australia actually sound like, I can look at other noise loggers and see if these particular killer whales are moving in different parts of Australia. It’s a really non-invasive way of us tracking the animals.” Interestingly, Rebecca has observed that the killer whales that come to Bremer Canyon don’t appear at Ningaloo Marine Park. “We have no idea where they go,” she says. Rebecca, whose work has been supported by the AG Society, has a low-frequency noise logger to record sounds deep under water. Left for 12 months at a time, it reveals the Bremer Canyon’s soundscape: from pygmy blue whales (see AG 133) and 46 Australian Geographic
dolphins, to southern right and humpback whales, and boat traffic. During each expedition, Rebecca also deploys a handheld hydrophone over the side of the boat to listen in real time.When the boat is moving, a towed hydrophone array provides her with insights into what’s beneath.“On the back are three GoPro cameras, so I can get concurrent acoustic and visual behaviour,” she says.“It’s the first time it’s been done in Australia on killer whales.” In this instance, there’s no other existing data with which to compare her findings; she’s at the scientific frontier. It’s exactly this – the mystery of the killer whale – that keeps her enthused. “We don’t know anything about them in Australia and they’re the apex predator, the king of the ocean,” she says. The upside of rough days at sea is that the orcas tend to chase food more fiercely and breach more readily. By midday, we’re starting to worry that the biggest of the dolphin species is a no-show. Then, two triangular dorsal fins are spotted: bull killer whales.The boat turns, and a pod of six break the surface almost simultaneously, about 200m away. They trace an imaginary line, patrolling back and forth. “They move frightfully fast,” says Mal.“They can keep up with you when you’re travelling 60km an hour. They’re smart and emotional, too.” Over the next few hours, all within about 160ha, we come across numerous pods roving the sea. Most individuals keep their distance – about 50m away – but occasionally one or two inquisitive whales playfully approach, diving under the boat at the last second. Each instance delivers audible gasps from their human audience. As we turn to leave, a false killer whale pod joins us, leading the boat, hugging its sides and chasing its wake. Smaller and grey, they may mimic their fiercer cousins, but they’re no match for the power and presence of the Bremer Canyon’s killer whales. AG FOLLOW Rebecca Wellard’s scientific field work on her facebook page: www.facebook.com/orcatalkoz
ILLUSTRATION BY BRETT JARRETT
HE BREMER Commonwealth Marine Reserve stretches over 4472sq.km and extends far below the seabed. Within it is the Albany Canyons group, a cluster of 81 subsea canyons including Bremer. The orca hotspot is found west of the Bremer Canyon, in a vast, deep-sea frontier called the Bremer Sub-Basin. While the canyon lies within the Marine Reserve, the hotspot does not. Conservationists have called for extended protection that would prevent it ever being mined for resources – $100,000 of government funding has been approved to establish what research needs to be done to secure the region.
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AGS SUPPORTED
Land of the giants In the depths of Tasmania’s forests lurk living giants – swamp gums can grow to 100m tall and are the world’s tallest flowering plants. The AGS-supported Tasmanian Tree Project is raising the profile of these titans even further by capturing the first full-length photographic portrait. STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY THE TASMANIAN TREE PROJECT TEAM
48 Australian Geographic
The twisted tops of giant Styx Valley trees claw their way through the gathering fog to catch the ďŹ rst rays of the morning sun. January . February 49
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like birds in the crown of an ancient eucalypt, clinging on as we took in the vista across Tasmania’s Styx Valley. Here we began to plan our next move. It had taken many days of searching – crawling over logs and pushing past ferns – to find this perfect specimen of the world’s tallest flowering plant, a giant Eucalyptus regnans. Our aim was to create the first single photograph showing off one of these giants in all its wondrous botanical glory. On the hunt for this specimen, we’d lost all perspective over what could be considered a big tree, as larger and larger gums towered overhead. But not only did we need to find the right tree, we also had to find a matching ‘satellite’ tree beside it and then work out how to string a rope between them. From that, we could fix an elevator line to carry a pair of heavy cameras. Often we found a beautiful subject tree but no satellite tree, or – even more frustrating – a perfect pair, but with other trees blocking the view of the subject’s base. Eventually, and with much deliberation, the optimal tree revealed itself: it was named Gandalf ’s Staff. Soaring 84m into the sky from the emerald rainforest, it checked all the boxes – accessible by foot, climbable, visible from top to base, and photogenic, too. Gandalf ’s Staff is a very special tree. Not only is it a landmark on the popular Tolkien Track, but it was also home to a five-month-long tree-sit campaign in 2003. Tasmanian Tree Project photographer Steve Pearce and coordinator Jen Sanger had participated in environmental demonstrations in the area and had both seen Gandalf ’s Staff.“I recall one bitterly cold morning looking up and seeing the tremendous trunk disappearing into the silent mist,” says Steve, of a visit he made to the site in 2002. “It left a profoundly deep impression.To be very honest, during our initial search we had struck Gandalf ’s Staff from the list, because it had been an iconic tree of the Tasmanian forest protests – and I really wanted the project to be apolitical.” The matching satellite tree was 60m away. It was itself a spectacular specimen, but in a far more advanced state of decay. Splitting into two trunks at 40m, it had one relatively climbable vertical trunk, and one gnarled, dead shard. It wasn’t the first time we’d attempted to create such a special image. In 2015 we had made a high-resolution portrait of a 41m rimu tree within the last remnants of the North Island rainforests as part of the New Zealand Tree Project. Here in Tasmania, we had to double the scale to capture these 80m giants. It required more of everything: a bigger team, more equipment, more preparation, and more time in the field. It looked so simple on paper during planning, but it turned out to be so much more complicated in reality.
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E WERE PERCHED
MONG OUR TEAM of ecologists and filmmakers, climbing
trees is a familiar process, but the challenge of rigging the horizontal line was magnified by the sheer scale of the distances and the complexity of the forest habitat. We gathered together the ropes and equipment and hauled the gear 50 Australian Geographic
Using a narrow nylon parachute cord, Steve Pearce controls the custom-built camera assembly as it begins its vertical path.
Dan Haley prepares the ropes and climbing hardware that will take him safely up into the treetops and return him to the ground once more.
into the forest in several stages.We first set a thin cord in the lower branches, and then pulled up a long climbing rope.We then had a pathway into the crown of Gandalf ’s Staff, and once inside the tree itself, we could sequentially set lines on higher and, higher branches. For the first 10m of the climb, we were surrounded by the crown of a moss-covered myrtle.When we pushed our way past its uppermost twigs, emerging from the dark and cool lower forest into a clear, brilliant sky framed by towers of wood, we finally had a sense of the Staff ’s scale.The tree’s slight lean meant that as we climbed we hung in space, unable to control spinning from any twist in the rope. Inching past tumorous burls, sprouting fungi, and fragile, dead giant branches, we were utterly committed to the rope and our equipment. The main branches of the tree were healthy, but there were also many dead branches stouter than most backyard trees. The largest of the living branches were so old that their surfaces had rotted away, leaving troughs of compost far from the forest floor. Countless animals had sought shelter in the tree’s many small hollows and crevices.
At the forest oor, mosses and giant tree ferns thrive in the cool shadows of the huge rainforest trees.
Circumference of the tree base in metres
Vertical runs for MOE
85
Hours merging and editing photographs
168
0M
22M
We climbed to the uppermost branches.The ultra-tall eucalypts are inevitably declining at their summits, so climbers have to be both humble and cautious. From here, we could see the forests and clearfells along the Styx Valley, and up to the high mountain peaks of dolerite that dominate the landscape of the Tasmanian south-west. Closer at hand, but still out of reach, we could see the satellite tree. Setting the horizontal line over such a long span required a mirrored approach. We launched the line as far as we could from Gandalf ’s Staff and then descended, hauling over all the climbing gear to repeat the process in the satellite tree. On the ground, we tied the two lines together, and then faced the rather tricky puzzle of disentangling them from the branches between the two trees. Many curses and three hard days later, we had a horizontal line between the trees, but even then we were still a long way from completing the set-up. Because of the triangular angles, a taut horizontal line can generate massive forces on its anchor points. We were confident in the strength of the trees, but needed sturdy equipment. For the horizontal line, we used brute force to pull across a rope 20mm in diameter. It was twice the thickness and four times the weight of our climbing lines, and by far the heaviest and strongest rope we had ever handled.
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NSTALLING THE CAMERA SYSTEM further
tested the skills and patience of the team. The rig had been affectionately named MOE – margin of error – during the New Zealand Tree Project. On the horizontal line, a wooden beam was installed with attached pulleys through which ran more than 240m of fine 52 Australian Geographic
3mm cord. Running vertically from the stout horizontal line, this second, lighter line, carried the two cameras from the dark depths of the forest up to the sun-drenched canopy. As cheers of elation rang out from the climbing team, Steve noticed a major problem. Despite all the efforts and at least 1km of cordage in play, the cameras were more than 1m away from the optimal position.Two trees blocked the view of the base and somehow the system, all of it, needed to be adjusted. A week later, the set-up was complete, yet more needed to be done. Another week was spent climbing to the ends of the most delicate branches to attach yet another line to the wooden beam. This third line would be pulled over and through the forest about 70m south of the main horizontal line.There it was anchored to the ground, and as the entire system was put back under tension, it shifted the cameras into the perfect vertical line. From their final position, the thin lines of the system had to bring MOE through a vertical column of clear canopy just 5m across. To make matters more difficult, they were only 1m from catching on a dangerously hooked dead branch high in a nearby tree. Any wind greater than a breath would render the system useless. More than half of our field days would be lost to the winds – we just couldn’t risk entanglement. It took 14 days to construct the camera system: nine days longer than planned. Finally, the photography could begin.Twin cameras mounted side by side and each aimed 15º askew of centre would capture the tree. As they were raised, Steve would pause every 120cm, wait for MOE to stabilise, and then trigger the shutters via remote control. This process, with two slight adjustments to capture the very top and bottom of the tree, took 30 minutes
The MOE camera assembly at work in mid-air, imaging ‘Gandalf’s Staff’.
High in the treetops, Yoav Bar-Ness reaches a sturdy branch that will serve as a safe anchor for a lifeline.
It took 14 days to construct the camera system: nine days longer than planned. to complete, and was repeated every time the weather allowed. During the weeks we worked in Gandalf ’s Staff, we were constantly surprised by the activity and beauty of the forests. Completely exposed to the elements and gravity, we were in awe of the magic around us. Early mornings brought swirling mists and red-tinted sunshine. Midday, warm sunshine or chilling rain would alternate, and occasional gusts of bracing wind would strike in us a primal sense of terror. Late afternoons, cockatoos would swoop past, screeching at the novelty of a human in the treetops. The crown of the tree was dry – a sharp contrast to the mossy and soaked forest floor. We found familiar perches and reliable camera angles, and looked for the things that made Gandalf ’s Staff unique: the burls, the broken branch stubs, the troughs, the aerial plants, the immense fungi, the secret hollows, and the spectacular mega-branches as large as the understorey trees below.
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of shooting in the field, it was time to bring it all together. Producing the final image took three weeks of editing. In total, 87 carefully chosen image sets, shot on seven different mornings, were blended by hand to create the full portrait. The entire vertical height of the tree was broken down into 120cm increments, with a left and right image pair produced at each.These pairs were then blended into one row, and then each row blended with the ones above and below.With such a structurally complex subject and multi-perspective images traversing 75m, the final picture was beyond the scope of computerised stitching software – it required human ability and attention. Steve had to fine-tune the final image, spending weeks carefully matchFTER EIGHT WEEKS
ing up the tiniest of leaves while still keeping perspective of the greater structure of the gargantuan subject. “My goal was to be accurate, to get as close as possible to the tree’s true size,” he says.“If I had matched the branches closest to the camera, it would have warped the image with additional height because of the perspective and proximity of the cameras to the subject. I needed to only use the trunk as a reference to align the images to get the most accurate result.” These post-production challenges were nothing compared with the long intervals Steve spent waiting for the optimal weather conditions to shoot.“With such a sparse canopy, the tree allowed clear views of the forest behind,” Steve says.“I needed very thick fog to help isolate the tree from the background.” While there was often morning fog in the valley below, on only five of the 49 mornings did the fog billow up to Gandalf ’s Staff. The Tasmanian Tree Project’s ultimate aim is to elevate these giants into the cultural consciousness of all Australians.“We’d like these trees to be recognised as icons of our natural heritage, alongside Uluru and the Great Barrier Reef,” says Steve. During the eight weeks in these ancient forests, no visitor was unmoved – these trees are something exceptional indeed. “That morning 14 years ago when I stood there marvelling at the tree disappearing into the mist,” says Steve, “that’s the goosebumpinducing wonder I wanted to communicate.” The Tasmanian Tree Project thanks Eucalypt Australia and the AG Awesome Foundation for help with the project. Find a video at www.australiangeographic.com.au/issue136 and learn more by visiting www.thetreeprojects.com January . February 53
THIS PAGE: STATE LIBRARY OF QUEENSLAND; OPPOSITE: MUSEUM OF APPLIED ARTS AND SCIENCES
Lores poses for a picture during a brief stop at Charleville, QLD, on her solo Australia– England flight.
THE FORGOTTEN AVIATRIX Brisbane pilot Lores Bonney broke many records during the 1930s, narrowly cheating death several times. Despite being lauded as the first woman to fly solo from Australia to England, she remains little known today. STORY BY KRISTEN ALEXANDER AND JOSEPHINE SARGENT
Lores’ kit included maps, a small axe, goggles, a leather flying helmet and a whistle to attract attention in the event of a forced landing.
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HE PILOT SAT slumped on the beach, looking at
the half-submerged, upturned wreck of her Gipsy Moth. She reached for the revolver she kept tucked into her flying boot. It was gone, probably sunk in the crash. That was perhaps lucky. If it had been there, she may have used it on herself. Lores was devastated. It was 1933, and her dream of being the first woman to fly solo from Australia to England was in tatters. Lores Bonney (pronounced ‘Lor-ee’) is a name unfamiliar to many Australians, yet she was a pioneering aviatrix who dodged death on a number of record-breaking solo flights across the globe. Thankfully, for historians, Bonney kept meticulous notes of her trips – even recording entries at 10-minute intervals during flights. One of the authors of this article, Kristen Alexander, has been able to use these diaries and records to write a book about Bonney’s adventures, using the aviatrix’s own words to bring the tales to a wider audience. The diaries lay bare Bonney’s fears, terrors and uncertainties while underscoring her fortitude, airmanship and her insatiable desire for long-distance touring despite the risks. Importantly, they are an insight into Australia’s era of pioneering aviation and Bonney’s well-deserved place in the roll call of history.
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expensive luxury during the years of the Great Depression, but, thanks to her prosperous husband, Bonney could afford it. She began to take lessons and, at LYING WAS AN
56 Australian Geographic
33, enjoyed the thrill of flying solo. To her, it was as though “the world couldn’t hold me”. Within months, Harry bought Bonney her own Gipsy Moth biplane, which she named My Little Ship. She was on the hunt for records and wasted no time, and her first taste of long-distance flying came the following summer. Bonney wished to spend Christmas Day 1931 with her husband in Brisbane, and then be at the table with her father in Wangaratta, 1173km south, for Boxing Day lunch. Flying was the only way. But what appeared to be an aerial holiday was actually a record-breaking attempt – she was fully aware that if successful it would be the longest one-day solo flight by an Australian female pilot. It was a smooth trip and when she stepped onto the tarmac at the Wangaratta aerodrome, she also stepped into the history books – completing the longest flight by an Australian woman. The press started paying attention. Such interest would have been intimidating for Bonney, with her deep-seated, though well-hidden timidity, but she had bold plans – she needed sponsorship. She began to court the papers.
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a secret kept even from her husband. She wanted to be the first woman to fly solo from Australia to England. To prepare, she would first try to become the first woman to circumnavigate mainland Australia. She set off from Brisbane’s Archerfield Aerodrome on 15 August 1932, but the journey didn’t go to plan. Even before leaving Queensland, the aviatrix wrongly identified essential landmarks – easily done on the barren western route – and engine trouble forced her down. She battled fatigue; once, she fell asleep, and was jolted awake by her head lolling forward. Eleven days after taking off from Brisbane, she approached Perth. With rain limiting visibility, it was the worst flight she’d ONNEY HAD A SECRET,
ALL IMAGES: NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA (NLA)
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was born Maude Rose Rubens on 20 November 1897 in Pretoria, South Africa, the only child of a well-to-do family. Her father was a businessman during the Boer War and later he would trade stamps throughout the world. Having accompanied him on trips, Bonney, then just a toddler, was already well travelled when the family settled in Melbourne. The precocious girl was later sent to a German finishing school. As she tells it, her father decided she “needed some spit and polish” to rein in her unruly nature. It was while she was helping out with the World War I war effort in 1917, as a member of the Red Cross, that she fell in love with an older man, Harry Bonney – a successful leather goods manufacturer from Brisbane. “We looked at each other and that was it,” Bonney recalled. Despite the nine-year age difference, she was married at 19 and they soon moved to Queensland. A decade ticked by, but the children they wanted never arrived. Bonney was bored and lonely, but a soirée at their Brisbane home with intrepid Australian airman Bert Hinkler was to prove life-changing. Hinkler was Harry’s first cousin once removed (his father and Bert’s grandfather were brothers), and in 1928 the Australian pilot had just made the first solo England–Australia flight, cutting the record from 28 days to a little under 15 and a half. Bonney was impressed by Hinkler’s achievements and his celebrity. When he returned to Brisbane six months later, she was determined to see him again. The day after their next meeting, she was sitting in his Avro Avian, an aircraft that she said resembled “a great silver bird, perched awaiting flight”. It was a defining moment – that “first taste of the air was…the answer to my dreams”, Bonney wrote. Her passion ignited, from that moment she dreamt of being a solo, record-breaking pilot, as Hinkler had become. ORES BONNEY
Lores proudly shows off her new Klemm monoplane My Little Ship II. She piloted it in 1937 to become the first woman to fly solo from Australia to South Africa.
RECORD-BREAKING JOURNEYS Between 1931 and 1937 Lores Bonney would make four record-breaking journeys – two in Australia and two that spanned the globe.
Lores’ first flight was in 1928 with aviator Bert Hinkler, whose partner Nance Jarvis is pictured here with Lores (right). Later, Lores – described as ‘Mrs. Harry Bonny’ – featured on her very own cigarette card (left).
On long flights Lores had a daily checklist to make sure My Little Ship (left) was running smoothly, including to ‘check personally any work that may be done by others’. January . February 57
FEMALE FLYING ACES 5 December 1909 Architect Florence Taylor is the first Australian woman to fly, taking off on a beach at Narrabeen, NSW, in a glider.
23 March 1927
The golden age of aviation.
24 May 1930
Millicent Bryant, 49, gets Australian pilot’s licence #71, the first awarded to a woman.
British aviatrix Amy Johnson (left) lands in Darwin. She is the first woman to fly from England to Australia.
26 December 1931 Lores Bonney sets a new record for longest one-day flight by an aviatrix when she travels between Brisbane and Wangaratta.
21 May 1932 10 April 1933
27 September 1932
Bonney takes off from Brisbane to begin her Australia–England record attempt.
Bonney is the first woman to circumnavigate mainland Australia.
Amelia Earhart (left) becomes the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic, in 14 hrs 56 mins.
11 August 1933
21 June 1933
May 1934
Nancy Bird Walton (left) receives her first flying lesson from Charles Kingsford-Smith, then aged just 17.
Barring one section after her crash, Bonney is the first woman to fly solo between Australia and England.
Kiwi Jean Batten sets new England–Australia record, completing journey in 14 days, 22 hrs and 30 mins, beating Johnson’s record.
October 1936
May 1936
29 April 1935
Batten (below) is first to fly England–New Zealand solo. Her England– Australia solo flight also makes record time.
British aviatrix Amy Johnson sets a new record, flying solo from England to South Africa.
Batten flies back to England from Australia, becoming the first woman to complete this route and to make the round trip.
16 December 1936
5 January 1941 Amy Johnson crashes into the Thames estuary and drowns; her body is never recovered.
58 Australian Geographic
Bonney becomes the first man or woman to fly Australia–South Africa when she lands in Cape Town.
1934 Bird Walton becomes Australia’s youngest commercial licensed female pilot, aged 19.
24 October 1937
Aerobatic aviatrix Ivy Pearce, 22 (right), sets the woman’s speed record in the Brisbane–Adelaide air race.
17 August 1937
6 November 1934 Freda Thompson (below) becomes the first Aussie woman to fly solo from England to Australia.
Batten sets new Australia–England solo time, and is the first to hold both this and the solo return-trip records.
2 July 1937 Earhart disappears in the Pacific between Lae and Howland Island. Her fate remains unknown.
17 March 1937 Following the equator, Earhart leaves on her first attempt to fly around the world.
24 January 1937 May Bradford, an Aussie aerobatic pilot and the first woman to hold a ground engineering licence, dies in a crash.
9 April 1937 Bonney sets off from Brisbane to become the first to fly solo from Australia to South Africa.
OPPOSITE PAGE: AMY AND NANCY: FAIRFAX SYNDICATION; AMELIA: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS; BATTEN: STATE LIBRARY OF QUEENSLAND; THIS PAGE: LORES: MUSEUM OF APPLIED ARTS AND SCIENCES; OTHER IMAGES: NLA
Lores makes some final adjustments in Darwin in 1932. During her Australia–England record attempt she discovered a petrol leak while doing an overhaul of My Little Ship before crossing the Timor Sea.
experienced to date. It was cold in the open cockpit and “a strong, squally wind was blowing all the time”. It was a nightmare and she was “tempted to turn back”. Yet, if the airwoman wanted to fly halfway around the world, she would have to learn to cope. As it happened, Bonney was lucky to make Perth. Mechanics discovered that the starboard wing spar had split during a rough landing and was hanging only by threads. It was a miracle the wing hadn’t collapsed under the constant buffeting of wind and rain. Repairs made, Bonney set off again, finally touching down at Brisbane on 27 September, where she was greeted by her husband and a large crowd. Her death-defying journey had taken 43 days. Airborne for 95 hours and 27 minutes, and covering 13,000km, Bonney had chalked up her second record.
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Lores and her father inspect wing damage after a strike with another plane as she circumnavigated Australia in 1932.
Soon the gusts were so fierce “it became almost impossible”...
INCE HER VERY FIRST joy flight with Hinkler, Bonney made
sure she mingled with pilots as much as possible. She was there when Amy Johnson arrived from her 1930 England– Australia flight, and she once asked Charles Kingsford-Smith for his advice (and was unimpressed by his condescending response). She wanted sponsorship, so she tempted the press with two cherries: not only would she be the first woman to fly solo from Australia to England, but she would also beat Johnson’s time. She reckoned it would take her 17 days – two days faster than Johnson had achieved. At that point, the solo Australia–England route had been flown only by men, but women were vying to repeat their feats and it was only a matter of time before one did. Bonney was now 35 and a younger pilot, Jean Batten, had her eyes on the same prize. Amelia Earhart and Johnson were already collecting significant firsts and Bonney was keen to join their ranks. One important task was to develop her blind-flying competency, relying solely on instruments, rather than external cues such as the horizon, landscape or lights. This was unsettling, but it would help her to cross large bodies of water, especially the Timor Sea, and negotiate the violent tempests near the equator. A crowd of about 150 saw her off from Archerfield aerodrome on 10 April 1933, and a few would have thought she was at risk of never returning. Bonney was flying in the pioneering days of aviation – the planes were basic and hers was second-hand. My Little Ship had already had a service life in the UK before being
flown to Australia, on the way crashing on the island of Timor, then part of the Dutch East Indies, requiring extensive repairs. The wings were made of fabric and its wooden body was not well equipped for monsoon conditions and might collapse.
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on beating Johnson’s time, Bonney pushed herself hard. She took risks. When an ominous bank of cloud loomed three hours out of Alor Setar (today Malaysia), she flew straight into it instead of turning back or changing course. It was a near-fatal decision. Buffeted by strong winds, she struggled to maintain control. The sky darkened. Soon the gusts were so fierce “it became almost impossible to correct the bumps” and Bonney was terrified that the “wings would be ripped off”. It was becoming increasingly dark as My Little Ship blundered through the monsoon. Clinging to the controls, Bonney used all her strength and every skerrick of flying skill to maintain stability and remain airborne. She was only about 50km from Victoria Point, but, with a sky “black as ink” and lightning cracking around her, she decided to land on a beach. By the time she saw the buffalo on the beach it was already too late – one walked into her path, and, in trying to avoid it, she veered into the sea. Bonney was trapped under water. It was a terrifying moment. “I tried franticly [sic] to get the pin out of my harness but for several jerks it would not release,” she later wrote. The split pin had bent and wouldn’t budge. ITH HER HEART SET
January . February 59
After arriving in England following her record attempt, Lores was welcomed by the British aeronautical community. She was a guest of the Royal Aero Club at the 1933 King’s Cup Air Race in Hatfield.
“What an inglorious finish – to be drowned in my cockpit, upside down,” she noted. Her fingers continued to fumble. At last it came away and she scrambled out of the wreckage. Scrutinising the damage, Bonney later wrote: “Thought my heart would break… Sat on the beach, my clothes soaked, and looked at My Little Ship. I had failed, and my aeroplane was severely damaged and in fairly deep water up-side down. I was so distressed at my failure that I felt for my revolver.” Eventually, via a local dignitary who spoke English, she sent for help.Three days later a ferry arrived to transport her and her broken Gipsy Moth to Calcutta (now Kolkata) in India, where she got the devastating news about the full extent of the damage. My Little Ship was 60 per cent written-off and rebuilding would cost about £300 ($29,000 today). This was a substantial sum given that the price of a brand new DH60G Gipsy Moth was about £700. Bonney obtained the money to fix her plane, but her dream of beating Johnson’s time was almost certainly ruined. Dejected, she decided to push on anyway.
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WENTY-SEVEN DAYS AFTER leaving Calcutta and surviving
a series of other scrapes, it was nearly over. London was in sight. She arrived at Croydon at 5.20pm on 21 June 1933, 10 minutes earlier than anticipated. In the two months and six days 60 Australian Geographic
since she’d farewelled Darwin, Bonney had been airborne for 157 hours and 15 minutes, and had covered 20,000km. She had suffered delays through weather, bureaucratic holdups, her own errors of judgement and mechanical mishaps, and had lost all record-breaking potential. Bonney wrote: “I got the big thrill of my hop, for I had actually made it.” But when she climbed out of My Little Ship, she was quick to note the lack of cheering spectators. It was an anticlimactic end. Her crash meant she had failed to fly the whole way, but, by the time she returned to Brisbane on 18 October 1933, this technicality was overlooked and Bonney’s flight was described in the Australian press as the first female solo flight from Australia to England. She was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire by King George V (today, however, Jean Batten is regarded as the first woman to have completed the journey). Despite getting the credit she’d long craved, Bonney wasn’t satisfied and longed to set more records. She wanted to make another significant over-water flight. But there were few aviation firsts remaining, and records continued to be broken by faster aircraft. “What’s wrong with Africa?” Harry suggested. It did appeal. Not only would she be returning to her birthplace, she would also become the first person to fly solo from Australia to South Africa. On 9 April 1937, the now 39-year-old bid farewell to supporters, and blew a kiss to Harry, before taking off from Archerfield in a new craft – a more robust Klemm monoplane, My Little Ship II. Flying over Australia, she was faced with haze, bushfire smoke and repairs – including some to the plane’s tail after a souvenir hunter cut a chunk out of it – but it wasn’t until she got to India that she
LORES: NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY, CANBERRA; STAMP: NLA
On her 1937 Australia–South Africa solo flight, Lores crammed so much luggage into My Little Ship II that she couldn’t have fitted in a passenger even if she’d wanted to.
Lores confessed in the 1970s that “all I wanted to do was to hear that engine tick over” and take off “in just one last flight”. Lores (second from left) mentored fellow Queensland Aero Club members, many of whom were also busy breaking records in the 1920s and ’30s.
STAMP: STATE LIBRARY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA; OTHER IMAGES: NLA
“I’d like to think those flights of mine have a small corner in the history of achievement.” had her first serious brush with death. The extreme heat forced her to make an emergency landing at a military aerodrome at Agra. Bonney also discovered before she left that Earhart was hot on her heels. She later told the ABC: “Amelia Earhart was coming from America to Australia then to Africa. And I thought, if she gets there before I do, I’ll cancel... I’ll be the first one or not at all.” Because there was no pressure on this journey – the record was to be the first, not the fastest – Bonney enjoyed a leisurely sightseeing tour. She heard that Earhart had begun her flight around the world and was due to pass through Khartoum in early June. She lingered in the city, hoping to meet her, but, after hearing no progress reports, decided to take off on 10 June. Earhart arrived there the next day (and less than a month later, on 2 July 1937, would disappear over the Pacific). Three months after leaving Australia, Bonney reached Kenya. And on 17 August, Cape Town’s Wynberg aerodrome was in sight. Reached “my goal” at 5pm, Bonney noted. The aviatrix enjoyed the thrill of writing “Journey’s End” after 29,279km and more than 187 hours and 45 minutes of flying time.
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frightening experiences, Lores had no intention of giving up long-distance aviation. She considered other destinations – Japan among them – but, with Earhart’s disappearance in mind, Harry opposed them all. Any plans for another extended tour were scotched in 1939 when the Klemm and five other aircraft at Archerfield aerodrome were destroyed by fire. Age also began to take its toll on Bonney – she was losing her sight and going deaf. Nevertheless, she held her commercial licence until 1948, when she relinquished it voluntarily. Her A Class licence soon followed. Although she was awarded an Order of Australia Medal in 1991, Lores Bonney largely fell into obscurity. Unlike her female flying peers, she didn’t have a mysterious death or dramatic disappearance and, thanks to her shyness, she didn’t remain in the public eye. Aged 96, and 57 years after setting her last record, Bonney died in a nursing home on 24 February 1994. A great regret was that she had not been able to publish her own account of her exploits. After her aviation career ended, Bonney wrote a manuscript covering her life in the air, but it never made it into print. “I would like to think those flights of mine have a small corner in the history of achievement,” she once said. AG “I always liked to say I travelled the world with a Gipsy.” VEN AFTER SOME
READ the FULL story of Lores Bonney’s adventures in Taking Flight: Lores Bonney’s Extraordinary Flying Career by Kristen Alexander, National Library of Australia Publishing, $40. January . February 61
Outcast STORY BY AMANDA BURDON PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON EDWARDS
The dingo is well adapted to the Australian continent and roams widely, ever-watchful for potential prey and people. 62 Australian Geographic
Pest or endangered species? Villain or environmental saviour? The dingo, Australia’s ‘native’ dog, often finds itself in no-man’s land.
January . February 63
Maintaining his 321km stretch of the dingo fence in SA is a dream role for Allan Walton. “The dingoes would play holy hell down south without this fence,� he says.
64 Australian Geographic
The corrugated-iron shearing shed is all that’s left of the days when sheep grazed the stony plains of Mt Willoughby station, north of Coober Pedy, in South Australia. The last sheep were shorn here more than 30 years ago, and cattle are now king on the edge of the Great Victoria Desert. But 84-year-old Bill Lennon’s memory is long. He spent his childhood roaming this country, shepherding with his maternal grandparents, mother and siblings. “We lit little fires at night to keep the dingoes away,” says the Antikarinya Aboriginal elder. “But those old dingoes didn’t bother us. We live together; my grandmother and grandfather each had a dingo. In the night-time, if there was danger around, they would warn us and protect us. They are one of our totems. When an Aboriginal man goes through the law he might become a perentie man, an emu man, a kangaroo man or a dog man.Those dingoes watch over the dog men and make them spiritually strong.They do their job – they are part of our Dreaming.” It’s a very different story outside the East Gippsland town of Omeo, in north-easternVictoria. Beside the road to Benambra, a prominent gum tree drips with about 30 dog carcasses in various states of decay. Sun-bleached skeletons, matted pelts, bared teeth – slowly spinning in the breeze. Many, such as one of the newest trophies, closely resemble the archetypal dingo – lean, golden animals with broad heads. Others are brindle, black, and spotted – more like domestic pets. To the sheep and cattle producers around here there is no distinction. Any dog that poses a threat to stock is shot on sight. Most farmers bait extensively in autumn and spring with the poison 1080, yet still they suffer stock losses.
January . February 65
“In this undulating country, a dog could be attacking sheep in the next valley and you’d never know,” says one grazier. A single, persistent dog, or, worse, a roving pack, can cost a family their livelihood and sanity. Before installing electric fencing and carrying out concerted baiting, Penny and Fraser Barry, of Bindi station, just south of Omeo, were losing 1500 sheep a year and lambing in some mobs was down to just 10 per cent.The farm that Penny’s ancestors established in 1850 was besieged. “We went through 15 years of losses; we were fighting for survival,” says Fraser.“I was spending 100 per cent of my time on dogs, up all night trying to shoot them. I couldn’t sleep; I was physically and emotionally exhausted. It’s been described as a form of post-traumatic stress.We felt useless.”
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opinions quite like the dingo. Loved as a mysterious outback icon, or loathed as a marauding killer – it depends on which side of the fence you sit. In all but its most far-flung territories, the dingo is now near indistinguishable from feral dogs or hybrids of the two. In fact, cross-breeding probably poses the greatest threat to the purebred dingo. In land-management terms, however, the prevailing thinking is that the dingo is a wild dog and that some wild dogs are dingoes. Legislation deems the dingo (Canis lupus dingo – thought to be descended from domesticated dogs in Asia) a pest on private land in every mainland state and territory except the NT. Across the 60 per cent of SA outside the dog fence, dingoes are not even protected in national parks, but baiting is restricted to ensure its survival as a ‘wildlife species’. In Victoria, the dingo is listed as a threatened species and protected in national parks under the Wildlife Act 1975, but is fair game on private land or within a 3km buffer of public land boundaries to safeguard livestock. The same rule applies in NSW, Queensland, SA and WA, where land managers are legally required to cull them. “Not all dogs will, but any dog has the potential to kill livestock,” says Greg Mifsud from the Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre. The National Wild Dog Action Plan (NWDAP), introduced in 2015 with the backing of industry and government, advocates a landscape approach to controlling “wild-living dogs, including dingoes, feral dogs and their hybrids”. It supports aerial and ground baiting, trapping, fencing, the use of guardian dogs and shooting, where necessary. EW ANIMALS DIVIDE
“The annual cost to the Australian economy in sheep and cattle losses from wild dogs and control efforts is in the hundreds of millions of dollars,” says Greg, whose role and program is funded by Australian Wool Innovation. “It’s an emotionally charged issue, with strong economic impacts. It’s about individual landholders assessing the risk that dogs pose to them, and being cognisant of the risks to their neighbours. We are not about obliterating dingoes; we recognise their place in national parks.We want to provide long-term opportunities for production and dingo conservation.” Second-generation dingo scientist Dr Ben Allen has spent years investigating practical solutions to this complex problem. Although he contributed to the NWDAP, he says it has a relatively minor focus on the benefits of dingoes and he’s intent on developing a complementary national dingo conservation plan. An ecologist with the University of Southern Queensland in Toowoomba, he says there is little evidence to prove the widely touted theory that dingoes could help halt Australia’s biodiversity collapse by suppressing feral cats and foxes. However, there is good data to indicate that dingoes control kangaroo numbers, thereby benefiting cattle producers.
Amanda Burdon and Jason Edwards last collaborated to cover our feature on brumbies in AG 130. Amanda Burdon is based in the Northern Rivers of NSW, and has been writing for AG since 1999. Jason Edwards’ interest in wildlife and the environment has seen him embark on photography assignments across the world. 66 Australian Geographic
Custodians of Mt Willoughby station and surrounds, Antikarinya elder Bill Lennon (at left) and his son William worry that local landholders are killing too many dingoes.
BOTTOM LEFT: MITCH REARDON / AUSTRALIAN GEOGRAPHIC
On a road outside Omeo, VIC, farmers suspend wild dog scalps like trophies (top). The last tree snapped under the weight of dogs. Dingo numbers wax and wane according to the seasons and climate. A weak calf, such as the one pictured (left), makes easy food for a dominant pack member. In most states and territories wild dogs are declared a pest and land managers are required to control them, mostly by seasonal baiting (above).
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“Sometimes I have caught the dog in a week, but a cunning dog can take months.”
“I wouldn’t be baiting routinely in arid and semiarid cattle production areas; it often has no benefit and can sometimes make matters worse,” Ben says.“But nor would I inhibit landholders from controlling dogs if they needed to, such as during dry times. Depending on the place, they present opportunities or problems, and need to be managed accordingly. Dingoes can be benign one minute and your worst enemy the next.” Wild dogs are, unequivocally, public enemy number one for sheep producers. “Sheep and dogs will never get along and sheep graziers will need to fence, bait and have guardian dogs,” Ben says. “The greatest conflict comes when you have someone who baits next door to someone who doesn’t. Dingoes have evolved to exploit whatever humans do.”
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adaptable. Dr Guy Ballard, an ecologist with the NSW government’s Vertebrate Pest Research Unit and the University of New England, has studied them for a decade. “They are incredibly successful animals, which can live at high-altitude on high, bony ridges, in rainforests and in the harshest deserts,” he says. “We have tracked dogs in the desert in 50°C heat, walking 10km to get drips from a tap, and, on the coast, watched a mother swimming her pups across a canal. They roam towns, and live around airports, caravan parks and rubbish tips.The same species does totally different things in different environments.They do whatever they need to survive.”
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HE DINGO IS NOTHING IF NOT
Guy says he is astounded by the distances dingoes cover. “They can travel well over 100km and back in a week. This ability to colonise and recolonise is important. If we are trying to remove dogs from an environment, it might be at a scale of one-tenth of their ecological capacity. Similarly, conserving dingoes in small areas might be a waste of time. The size of territories may even be site specific. Modern dingoes are very much a product of the Australian landscape.” As Jim Benton well knows, his quarry is opportunistic, resourceful and highly intelligent. As one of 18 wild dog controllers employed by Victoria’s Department of Environment, Land,Water and Planning (DELWP), he spends his days setting and checking traps throughout East Gippsland. He and his kelpie, Reckless, are often first on the scene after a dog has attacked stock. “Sometimes I have caught the dog in a week, but a cunning dog can take months,” he says. “The longer they go, the smarter they get. I spend a lot of time trying to work out where they’re travelling. Dogs have been radio-tracked travelling 400km from here to Tumut and back, and I’ve seen 30 sheep killed in one night. If we cut back on our work, numbers explode.” Still, Jim accords dingoes respect. “They are only dogs, doing what’s natural,” he says. “And only the strongest survive. If they weren’t territorial, they would be impossible to catch. But even a cunning dog will come unstuck and they do die of old age eventually.” Victoria has one of the country’s most active baiting programs, says state manager of the DELWP’s wild
ILLUSTRATION BY AMELIA BAXTER, WITH THANKS TO LYNETTE WATSON
Wild dog controller Jim Benton lays a trap. “We don’t have to wipe them all out; we just need to keep farmers in business.”
Different types of dingo?
DINGO DISTRIBUTION
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YN WATSON, who runs the Dingo Discovery Sanctuary and Research Centre in Toolern Vale, Victoria, has come up with three dingo ecotypes based on 30 years of experience caring for dingoes from all over Australia. Geneticist Dr Kylie Cairns, who studied dingoes at the University of New South Wales, agrees that there are colour differences between different regional groups. “Certainly the conservation groups, and anecdotal evidence, suggest that this is plausible,” she says. “But I don’t think this has been scientifically tested yet.” In her genetic research Kylie routinely finds purebred dingoes that are coloured ginger, black and tan, or white and sable. It’s important for farmers to know there is diversity of colour, she says, so they don’t shoot dingoes thinking they are feral dogs. A study Kylie co-authored in 2016 points to at least two genetically distinct populations, one in the north-west and one in the south-east.
Tropical dingoes Although the dingoes in Australia all belong to the same subspecies, dingoes in different areas show some adaptations to their environments. In warm tropical areas they have thinner fur and less bushy tails than their counterparts in colder climates.
Alpine or eastern dingoes
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Dingoes in the south-eastern regions of Australia have thicker coats and a bushy tail to keep themselves and their puppies warm. The black-and-tan colouring that sometimes occurs in this population gives them camouflage in woodland areas.
Desert or inland dingoes Dingoes are found in many habitats across Australia but they are often associated with the deserts of the outback. The usual ginger-coloured dingoes have good camouflage against reddish soil, while the less common white coat is an advantage on salt flats such as Lake Eyre.
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The diet of dingoes – such as this one (top), pictured in NSW – comprises small mammals, rabbits, wallabies and kangaroos, but they will also eat insects and small reptiles.
Baiting has also been successful on Wintinna station, SA, where Frankie Lumb (right) and her partner, Jake Fennell, make it a monthly ritual from the comfort of the ute.
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TOP: KRISTIAN PALICH
Fraser Barry and his dog Max (above) keep an eye on a flock of ewes near Swifts Creek, where concerted baiting has kept wild dog numbers largely under control.
The lowdown on dingoes dog program Barry Davies, and it’s been very successful in reducing stock losses.“We’re not trying to remove all dogs, but we are determined to minimise their impact,” he says. Like elsewhere in the country, property owners are also increasingly using cluster fencing, electric fencing and guardian animals – including dogs, alpacas and donkeys – to protect their flocks. After losing 1000 lambs over 13 years on his farm in the Omeo Valley, Bob Lee had great success with his five Maremmas before they were mistaken for wild dogs and shot by deer hunters.“I had no sheep killed in four years, but within a week of me losing my last Maremma, dogs came in and mauled half a flock of 100 sheep,” Bob says. The losses convinced him to sell part of his farm and switch to cattle. “A lot of people in the district have gone out of sheep,” he says. “Omeo had five shearers and now we have one, and that’s not counting the rouseabouts and wool classers we’ve lost. I reckon the dogs have knocked 25 or 30 families out of our community.”
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about dingoes have not endeared him to all his neighbours around Longreach, Queensland. “Some, like me, are not baiting or shooting dingoes but wouldn’t be game to admit it,” says the cattleman, naturalist and keen photographer.“I’ve received hate mail on social media, but I have been working on this theory for 15 years and I’m certain we need to change the way we manage our ecosystems.We have this mindset that we have to kill dingoes, because that is what we have always done.” On 50,000ha Noonbah station, Angus refused to join the ‘war on dogs’. In his experience, when he leaves dingoes alone, they form settled packs that permit only senior females to breed and keep young dogs under control. “The dingoes rarely touch the calves, keep the roo numbers down and also take out feral cats, foxes and goats,” he says. “It’s in the interests of cattle production and has great biodiversity benefits. We have a horrific history of mammal extinctions in Australia and have lost the least mammals from places where dingoes have been left,” he adds (see AG 100). South Australian landholders Caroline Thomas and John Knight, whose property adjoins Mt Willoughby, are keeping a similarly open mind.They are opposed to baiting dingoes, both philosophically and in order to meet their organic beef certification requirements. “We are letting nature take its course,” Caroline says. “There will be some losses in dry years but we will try to manage stocking rates to ensure the cattle are strong enough to defend their calves from dingoes. Ours is what you would call predator-friendly production, but every property is different, with different country, watering points and grazing pressures.” John says that they have never killed a dingo on
5000 The number of years dingoes have been here after arriving from Asia with seafarers. DINGOES are integral to the culture of Aboriginal people who believe they live in both the physical and spiritual realms.
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The distance dingoes can cover in a day. In deserts, territories can cover 90,00ha; in forested country, it’s more like 2000ha.
DINGOES can live alone, in pairs or in family groups consisting of an alpha male and female and their offspring.
“A dingo’s breakfast” – a scratch, a drink of water and a good look around. This refers to their capacity to survive for some time without food. 2347sq.km Evelyn Downs and would only rethink that policy if dogs became a significant problem.“We believe that dingoes are important to maintaining long-term ecological stability,” he says.“On evidence, it is better for us to suffer cattle losses (about 30 a year in drought) than kill dingoes indiscriminately and cause chaos in the dog population. However, we are vigilant and watching all the time to see if this is the best approach.” Dr Arian Wallach, an ecologist with the Centre for Compassionate Conservation at the University of Technology in Sydney, is in no doubt. After five years exploring the relationships between dingoes and other wildlife on Evelyn Downs and Mt Willoughby, she says she firmly believes that killing causes an increase in dingo densities and predation, because their hierarchy is disrupted. “When pressures on dingoes stabilise, so does their population,” Arian says. She agrees that natural dingo function can improve native pasture and Continued page 74 January . February 71
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Dingo breeding season is in March–June, with an average litter containing ďŹ ve pups, such as these at the Australian Dingo Discovery and Research Centre.
January . February 73
Lyn Watson of the Australian Dingo Discovery and Research Centre demonstrates the dingo’s extraordinary joint flexibility, watched by centre volunteer Wei Weh Lee.
cattle growth, and, ultimately, a producer’s bottom line. Arian presents a strong argument for ceasing 1080 baiting and the broader “persecution” of dingoes. “It has become oddly easy to kill dingoes by calling them wild dogs,” she says.“If you take away the notion that they are native, then they lose their conservation value and you can do whatever you want to them. “If we can’t even protect dingoes from baiting in national parks, where they commonly die from baits said to have been laid for foxes, it’s a bit much to ask sheep farmers to protect them. But I am encouraged to see small pockets of predator-friendly production in Australia, where the focus is shifting from controlling dingoes to protecting livestock.” First-time property owners Jake Fennell and Frankie Lumb say that refraining from baiting is simply not an option on 3812sq.km Wintinnna. None of their immediate neighbours bait, due to organic beef production or spiritual beliefs (they border the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands, Evelyn Downs and Mt Willoughby). With Tallaringa Conservation Park to the west, they say they are exposed to hundreds of dingoes. “A lot of dogs are coming out of the APY Lands and the conservation park,” says Jake.“During drought, 74 Australian Geographic
you see more.When the dogs are thick, we could lose 25 per cent of our calves, but we bait all the time with factory baits and get a delivery of injected baits yearly to blanket the property.We would like more to create a chemical barrier around our place. “We have seen dingoes chewing on the back legs of calves, their tails and lips, and then had to put them down. When you have a few dogs hunting together, no cow is good enough to protect her calf. A lot of the studies have been done by people who like dingoes, who don’t look at what it takes to make the most out of a pastoral lease.”
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you had to travel to Fraser Island or into Central Australia to see a dingo.They remain elusive, that’s true, but cross-breeding, control measures and habitat fragmentation is bringing the dingo into closer contact and conflict with people. It saddens Lyn Watson, who has devoted 30 years to dingo conservation at the Australian Dingo Discovery and Research Centre on the outskirts of Melbourne. “We don’t recommend them as pets, but the wave of anti-dingo sentiment sweeping Australia makes me think that people are going to have to keep them as pets if the species is to survive,” Lyn says. “These are T USED TO BE THAT
The four dingo litters born each year at the Dingo Discovery and Research Centre are a lively attraction during open days (below). Highly intelligent, efficient and judicious in its energy use, the dingo is well suited to a range of Australian environments. However, conflict with stock owners is never far away.
“They are our top predator... and they are responsible for keeping our biodiversity intact.”
magic animals – and they are Australian and we are killing them.They are our top predator, the equivalent of Australia’s lion, and they are responsible for keeping our biodiversity intact. Dingoes are our only chance against feral cats and foxes. Once the dingo is gone, poisons are all that we will have left.” At the centre she established with her late husband, Peter, Lyn and her team of volunteers care for 40 purebred dingoes and their litters, and conduct community education. She wants to see dingoes taken off the pest list and protected nationally. “But here in Victoria they are reinstating the bounty on dingoes,” Lyn says.“This beautiful animal – engineered to perfection – is efficient and made for survival on the Australian continent.” Guy Ballard agrees there is something charismatic about the species he’s spent years tracking along the ranges and coasts of northern NSW. “They are a very engaging animal and culturally many Australians feel an ownership of dingoes, but nobody owns dingoes,” he says.“We still have much to learn and any conservation efforts need to take into account their wildness.” Despite 200 years of dingo control, many scientists believe that there are more dingoes now than ever. They are free to roam large parts of the continent
unhindered and in many cases the provision of rabbits, livestock and watering points (that attract macropods) has enabled this opportunistic species to expand its range. “Dingoes are still here and numbers are still increasing, even though we have eradicated them from about 15 per cent of the continent,” says Ben Allen. Antikarinya elder Bill Lennon was 13 when he was taken away from his family and his country, to a mission in Port Augusta. He spent 56 years working his way back home. Now, as owners of the Indigenous Protected Area that takes in the cattle station at Mt Willoughby, the Lennon family is determined to run a profitable enterprise in concert with nature. That means not baiting dingoes and tolerating stock losses. “When I was a kid there were dingoes everywhere,” he says.“You would hear them late at night, howling, answering one another. It was like music. Lovely. But because they killed a few sheep – sheep that were brought onto the dingo’s land – they were locked out of their country. Like us. But we are the people and these are the animals that have been treading this land AG for thousands of years.” SEE MORE images of dingoes online at: www.australiangeographic.com.au/issue136 January . February 75
Clouds cling to a section of the Scenic Rim that rises from a valley near Aratula, 75km southwest of Brisbane, QLD.
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Scenic and serene To provide a lifeline to early farmers on the Darling Downs, Brisbane convicts were put to work forging the first road through the Main Range. A new hike allows you to walk that trail and enjoy part of the Scenic Rim for yourself. STORY BY JOSEPHINE SARGENT PHOTOGRAPHY BY NICK RAINS
January . February 77
The night sky was ink black and a furious wind whipped branches above me as I climbed into my car, hours before dawn. Rain hammered the windscreen as I turned the key. The radio blared to life: “A severe weather warning has been issued by the Bureau of Meteorology, as wild winds and rain threaten to batter south-east Queensland. Emergency services encourage people to stay indoors and avoid driving…” Only the truly dedicated – or mad – would set off on a four-day guided hike after such a forecast.And so I drove west into the tempest, to meet the mad and truly dedicated to brave the Scenic Rim Trail, in the heart of Australia’s Green Cauldron.Twenty-six million years ago, the ground here frequently shook as volcanoes threatened to erupt, but today, all that remains are their remnants, all overgrown with forest. The ‘rim’ refers to a chain of mountains – which includes the Great Dividing Range, McPherson Range, Border Ranges and Darlington Range – that wrap around the fertile valleys below. Nestled in these protected enclaves are quaint towns, such as Boonah, Aratula and Canungra, and lakes brimming with fish surrounded by six main national parks. Some of these I would visit later, but for now I was focused on walking the trail itself.
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arrived on private property designated as nature reserve – it is one of a series of farms bought by Jude and Graham ‘Skroo’ Turner, the owners of the Spicers chain of boutique accommodation.The recently opened 36.5km trail covers ground both in the national park and this nature refuge. At our starting point, we were deposited from a warm mini-bus into the drenching rain at the trailhead, with raincoats zipped to the neck and hoods pulled well down. The gums held their limbs against the wind, their greyand-tan bark gleaming in the wet conditions. We slipped and slid along the remains of the first highway carved through the treacherous and wild Spicers Gap, once linking the original Moreton Bay Penal Settlement with the newly-discovered farming land of the Darling Downs. Back in the 1860s it was backbreaking work for the convicts, led by superintendent of convicts Peter Spicer. The task would take them almost a decade to complete.
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Our sophisticated Gore-Tex and merino layers kept us far more comfortable than those sorry souls had been, as they had dug away in their cotton coveralls, with “Felon” stencilled accusingly across their chests. We rock-hopped over the swelling Millar Vale Creek – some more graceful than others – and soon, after a tight swerve onto Oakey Creek, found ourselves sheltered from the downpour in the company of microbats. Our guide, Chris Loxley, followed the guano to detect the tiny, winged, mouse-like creatures, all huddled together in a warm, protective roiling ball of fur. “Because of the size of their bodies, they have to rely on each other for warmth,” Chris whispered, shining a torch on the snoozing bundle. “They’re always moving, from the centre out, to regulate their body temperature.” Reluctantly, we left the cosy bat haven and pulled our hoods down once more against the rain. Ahead was the Spicers Canopy camp, with its promise of hot showers, a crackling fire and a warm meal.
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IND CRASHED LIKE waves
in the leaves above us. At the 1175m summit of Mt Mitchell (Cooyinnirra), it took on a mad roar, making talking impossible. Cold rain lashed our faces as, enveloped in a sea of cloud, we swayed in the gusts.Visibility was no more than 1m ahead, but Chris good-naturedly pointed out the landmarks for us to imagine: the Brisbane skyline, Lake Moogerah and Mt Greville (or Meebalboogan) to the east and Mt Cordeaux (Niamboyoo) and the Great Dividing Range stretching north.We just had to trust him that they were out there, somewhere. The hike up was on a gradual incline, as we moved away from the groans of trucks slogging their way up Cunninghams Gap and were swallowed by the forest. This was Gondwana, and stepping into its lush folds is almost to travel back to the time of dinosaurs. The species here are prehistoric and the individual trees ancient, including towering hoop pines thousands of years old and red cedars that survived the timber-getters’ insatiable axes. We noted the bushfire survival technique of the grass trees as we neared the summit – they form a perfectly hollow cylinder of leaves that have slowly compacted to form insulation against hungry flames. Continued page 82
Hikers from Brisbane, Martin and Elizabeth Riley, take a break on Spicers Peak to enjoy views over Cunninghams Gap and Mt Mitchell while walking the four-day Scenic Rim Trail.
Guide Chris Loxley prepares some much-needed tea after the push up from Oakey Creek.
The group ďŹ nds respite from the wind in the ancient Gondwana forest on Spicers Peak, home to the timid Albert’s lyrebird.
January . February 79
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The Scenic Rim caters for all budgets. Camping is popular at one of the three lakes. Unpowered sites at Lake Moogerah Caravan Park start from $26 per night (there are also cabins and a lake house). This area provides access to hikes up Mt Mitchell. O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat www.oreillys.com.au and Binna Burra Lodge have ties to some of the region’s earliest settlers www.binnaburralodge.com.au.
Where to stay
This four-day guided hike takes you through the beautiful scenery of the Scenic Rim, with gourmet dining and luxury accommodation along the way. Hikes depart each Saturday, March– November, and cost $2490 per person, including meals and accommodation. www.scenicrimtrail.com
Scenic Rim Trail
The Scenic Rim is just an hour’s drive south-west of Brisbane and the Gold Coast and about two from Byron Bay.
Getting there
HE SCENIC RIM MOUNTAINS – and the Mt Warning region of NSW – make up the Green Cauldron, which was a volcanic hotspot 26 million years ago. The temperate, climate and rich basalt soils provide fertile ground for the region’s forests. The Scenic Rim includes six main national parks. The Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area was declared in 1994 by UNESCO over sections of the Lamington, Springbrook, Mt Barney and Main Range national parks.
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THE SCENIC RIM REGION
A wild wallaby edges towards the dining room at Spicers Canopy, a site adjacent to Main Range NP.
Brendan Beasley (above) runs the Motorcycle Museum alongside his father Rod at Roadvale; a creation (right) by artist Christopher Trotter in his workshop near Boonah; inside the Templin Historical Village (below).
Visit Scenic Rim www.visitscenicrim.com.au Queensland National Parks www.nprsr.qld.gov.au/parks
More information
4 The Scenic Rim is beautiful – filmmaker Charles Chauvel grew up in Harrisville and was later inspired by the landscapes of the region. In his home town you’ll find a museum dedicated to Chauvel and his work.
3 Don’t miss the Panorama Motorcycles and Memorabilia Museum at Roadvale, 8km north of Boonah. Open Sundays and by appointment for groups. Entry is $10 and there is everything from vintage Harley-Davidsons to farm machinery, military memorabilia and the homewares of yesteryear.
2 Boonah boasts country stores, a great pub and the famous Blumbergville Clock. On the outskirts of town, visitors to Templin Historical Village can step back in time with lovingly restored buildings filled with relics.
1 Tamborine is an artists’ retreat – peppered with vineyards and wineries – and its main street boasts quirky stores selling craft, lavender, artwork, jewellery and even grandfather clocks.
Highlights
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Blumbergville Clock Cunninghams Gap Spicers Peak Lodge Queen Mary Falls Red Cedar Loop Track
Points of interest O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat Binna Burra Lodge 8 Natural Bridge 9 Casuarina Grove Circuit 10 Cedar Creek Falls Lookout 7
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Geologist and artist John Jackson.
Earth art
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HE BEAUTIFUL WORKS by artist John Jackson aren’t just colourful abstracts; they are, in fact, educational. Known as the ‘Rock Doctor’, the former oil and gas executive paints pictures of geological formations. The idea came to him when he was working in South Africa, Uganda and Mali and needed an easy and engaging way to explain what lies beneath. “To get [people’s] attention, I introduced them to colourful paintings I made on bedsheets and told them stories about the rocks that provided their jobs that supported their families,” John says. “It was very effective.” His paintings have been inspired by subjects such as the Pacific Super Plume (a billion-year-old plume that triggered the opening of the Tasman Sea), continental drift and the parting of Gondwana, and have been exhibited in universities around the world. John, who works from his studio at Aratula, a town in the Scenic Rim, hopes that his ‘GeoArt’ helps others – especially children – to understand how earth science works and realise the precious resource that we have. Find out more at www.therockdoctor.com.au
On a clear day, we would have been able to see as far as the Gold Coast, 100km to the east, as we climbed.That day, however, the constant squalls meant we were reduced to examining the flora and fauna right beside us. Chris showed us the near-invisible burrows of trapdoor spiders, gently lifting their carefully and expertly constructed flaps with the tip of a knife. No-one was home that we could see, but the engineering was admirable. Next were the basket spiders, their webs hovering just above the forest floor and decorated with glittering beads of rain.Their structures were tested by the weight of heavy, wet leaves falling from the canopy above. Half-chewed nuts of she-oak littered our path; glossy black cockatoos are fussy eaters and only choose seeds from two species of the one tree family. To add further difficulty, they build their nests in the hollows of trees, but they must be carefully excavated and aimed in the right direction, to prevent flooding. The Scenic Rim region is nirvana for birdwatchers. Mick Cubis, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service southeast regional director, says visitors will hear – and even see – regent and satin bowerbirds, eastern yellow robins, eastern rosellas, logrunners, Albert’s lyrebirds and noisy pittas. 82 Australian Geographic
We spotted the heart-shaped leaves of the great stinging tree, but it’s a tainted kind of love – the plant is covered with hooked, venomous thorns.“It’s nasty,” said Chris.“It’s said that the effects of being stung by this, unlike nettle, don’t last hours, or days, but weeks or even months.” At least our day’s lesson in flora and fauna equipped us with the basic knowledge to survive a night or two on the mountain if need be. Chris showed us the brightly coloured seeds of the lilli pilli and the edible wild ginger. “It’s a more docile version of the ginger root you’ll find in the supermarket, but it’d keep you going,” he said.
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sunlight of a crisp dawn, the grass bowed low under dewy crowns. Our feet left moist tracks as we set off to climb 1222m Spicers Peak, which loomed in shadow above us. We followed Oakey Creek under the watchful gaze of cattle lazily chewing cud, passing trees that reach for the sky with skeletal arms, stripped of their leaves and dying, thanks to growing numbers of bell miners.They aggressively defend their territory against other birds, preventing them from eating the leaf-ravaging grubs that produce the sugar-rich secretions on which birds feed. A short, sharp push up rough stairs hewn into the rock N THE WEAK
The sun rises over Spicers Peak – found on the Scenic Rim Trail leading away from the eco-tents at Spicers Canopy.
brought us, puffing, back into the sunlight – and the wind. As we mounted the narrow razorback, the views rendered us even more breathless.We had it all to ourselves.“No-one even knows that it’s here,” Chris said, as he fired up the Jetboil for morning tea. “It starts on private property and ends on private property.” Our 10km trek had taken us through the reserve mentioned earlier – the Spicers Peak Nature Refuge is a 2000ha block of land on a 3000ha working cattle property established in 2006. It borders Main Range National Park and protects 10 regional eco-systems as well as 27 at-risk fauna species. A rocky outcrop near the summit provided the perfect vantage point. We looked down upon Cunninghams Gap and across to Mt Mitchell, which had finally decided to show its face. Pushing on, we came across the tallest grass tree I’ve ever seen, waving frantically in the gusts. It must have been 6m high and more than 200 years old. Just after we entered the thick scrub we heard, as Mick had promised, the distinctive high-pitched, happy whistle of an Albert’s lyrebird. Creeping as best we could through crackling undergrowth in hiking boots, we managed to glimpse the soft spray of white feathers as the male called for his mate.
In the weak sunlight of a crisp dawn, the grass bowed low under dewy crowns.
Martin Riley smiles despite the wind and elevation as he climbs Spicers Peak.
January . February 83
The walk complete, I could now focus on exploring some of the other riches of the wider Scenic Rim region. It is thought there are just 3500 breeding pairs of this species, which are found in only a small region of south-eastern Queensland and north-eastern New South Wales. We were lucky to see this timid male, before he stalked off into the undergrowth. Soon we emerged from the thick forest and found ourselves on another narrow razorback for the final climb to the plateau. Being the only ones around we were able to enjoy the uninterrupted 360º views in peace. Our destination was Spicers Peak Lodge, which, at 1110m above sea level, is Australia’s highest non-alpine lodge. After a steep scramble up – our last, we were promised – we filed through a cattle gate and into a different world. A wide field of lush, green grass opened up before us and we wended along the thin twin lines of tyre tracks. It was on this plateau that in June 1827, six weeks after leaving Sydney, explorer and botanist Allan Cunningham took compass readings of prominent peaks to the east, including Mt Warning. We rambled on, and the lodge slowly came into view. As we approached on weary legs, two aproned staff members appeared to greet us, drinks balanced on silver trays. I couldn’t think of a better way to toast three days of stunning – and challenging – hiking. The walk complete, I could now focus on exploring some of the other riches of the wider Scenic Rim region.
“I
T’LL DO SOMETHING spectacular in seven minutes,”
a woman clutching car keys with one hand and a child with the other told me as she hurried past. “Well, kinda spectacular.You gotta wait for the hour too.” It was 4.38pm and she was talking about Boonah’s town clock, beneath which I stood, peering up into its workings. Boonah is an hour’s drive from Spicers Peak Lodge, and is a just one of the many charming tourist towns in the region, as are Tamborine Mountain, Canungra and Harrisville. Earlier, I’d met its maker, artist Christopher Trotter, at his workshop-cum-home on the outskirts of the village, a gateway to the Main Range NP I’d just descended from. A dressage arena has been transformed into a waiting room for pre-loved machines ready for a new life. A wingless aeroplane nestled into a hedge, rusty pipes sprouted from the ground and wheel-less tyres leaned against shelves. Christopher hand-picked each piece over 25 years, the cream of the wrecker’s crop.“It’s special stuff,” he said with a smile. His aim, when he first started using recycled scrap metal, was to “take objects that don’t go together and put them together in a way that looks like they did”. Christopher’s mob of kangaroos has lived in Brisbane’s George Street since 1999, with bike chains for backbones
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and hubcaps for hips. Now, he said, he’s moving into a darker place, inspired by Mad Max, Tim Burton and Dr Seuss – fantastic machines that might transport you to a fictitious parallel reality. He moved to the wide-open spaces of Boonah in 2010 and soon discovered the bane of the local’s everyday life – a town clock that didn’t keep time. Over a drink, he came up with the idea of creating something new – something that would be a talking point, a tourist destination, and would actually chime at the correct time.The Scenic Rim Regional Council agreed and, with an injection of money from the 2011 and 2013 flood funds agreed to build a monument marking the community’s resilience to natural disaster, the project was underway. The eagle-eyed Christopher began his hunt for the perfect pieces to build his clock – he toured the scrap heaps of local farmers and sourced items from businesses. He collected horseshoes, mower fingers and chaff-cutting blades – a steam engine’s firebox makes up the body and the locking mechanism came from an old printing press at the Fassifern Guardian. Finally, the Blumbergville Clock was ready for assembly, a process that took place for the first time on the main street, in front of a crowd of locals. A five-chime whistle fashioned from a Model T Ford sings happily on the hour, while a mechanical pobblebonk frog calls out at 15-minute intervals. “It’s been built using key components from the community,” Christopher said. “Kids and friends can look at the clock and say,‘That used to be on Granddad’s farm.’ It evokes memories and there’s a real sense of ownership.” The clock was built to last – the hands are aluminium, and won’t rust at the same rate as the steel body. The brass on one of the faces will eventually turn green. As you drive into Boonah you pass the delicately intertwined metal Clydesdale by British sculptor Andy Scott, leaning proudly forward on muscled legs. Each year, the region celebrates this strong breed with its Scenic Rim Clydesdale Spectacular, paying homage to the horses that helped the first white settlers clear the land and build.The festival has a distinct Scottish flavour – with plenty of plaid swirling in dance to traditional pipes and drums. The rolling hills, peace, and the pockets of forest have inspired many artists to work and live in and around Boonah and the Scenic Rim. “In Brisbane, the leaves created dappled light, which made it hard to picture the piece. In Boonah, I have space and it creates the perfect backdrop,” said Christopher.“Being here gives you a chance to stand back and look at things.” Something I’d learned myself while walking the trail. AG SEE MORE Scenic Rim images and a video online at: www.australiangeographic.com.au/issue136
ILLUSTRATION BY XXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Artist Christopher Trotter – whose metal kangaroos lounge in Brisbane’s CBD – moved from the city to the Scenic Rim town of Boonah.
Boonah’s old town clock didn’t keep time – artist Christopher Trotter created a new, reliable piece made from salvaged parts from the town and its farms.
Boonah pays tribute to its Scottish roots with the annual Clydesdale Spectacular. Held each June, the festival includes Highland dancing, music and traditional food. January . February 85
I S L A N D of BOUNTIES With ties to a colourful past, Norfolk Island is a remote speck in the Pacific where fresh produce, sea views and pine-studded pastures abound. Yachtswoman Jessica Watson discovers its homegrown treasures. STORY BY JESSICA WATSON PHOTOGRAPHY BY DON FUCHS
The Walls of the New Gaol from the island’s second penal settlement are among the many World Heritage-listed ruins that visitors are free to explore.
A lookout gives visitors a view of Anson Bay, one of Norfolk’s few beaches. Rocky cliffs dominate most of the island’s remaining coastline.
JESSICA WATSON After navigating some of the world’s most challenging oceans and surviving seven knockdowns in her small sailboat, then 16-year-old Jessica became the youngest person to sail solo, non-stop and unassisted around the world in 2010.
T
HICK CLOUD PREVENTS me from seeing Norfolk
Island until moments before my plane touches down, when green hills and the deeper green of thousands of tall pines are revealed. As we taxi down the runway, quickly covering a significant chunk of Norfolk’s 3500ha, we are greeted by waving locals – it’s a warm welcome that introduces me to the island’s friendly character and laid-back charm. The excitement distracts me from the fire station at the end of the runway, where fire crews display signs rating each pilot’s landing on a scale of one–10, adding cheeky comments for pilots they know personally. Despite having a lifelong fascination with remote islands, and having passed very close to Norfolk during my 2011 solo aroundthe-world sailing voyage, it is only on arrival that I realise how little I know about this small Australian territory. Located in the Pacific Ocean, 1470km east of Brisbane, Norfolk is home to one of Australia’s most geographically isolated communities. Surrounded in every direction by hundreds of kilometres of sea, it seems a world in itself, and is often referred to as ‘the rock’ – a description that seems appropriate for an island encircled by steep rocky cliffs that are broken only occasionally by stony beaches and stretches of golden sand. Like its ‘neighbour’ Lord Howe Island, 900km to the southwest (see AG 129), Norfolk is the eroded remnant of a volcano that was active some 2–3 million years ago. The landscape, predominately made up of rolling plains and dense pine forests, is dominated by Mt Bates, which, at 321m, is the highest point of the submerged Norfolk Ridge.
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Incoming pilots are given a rating for their landings by the watching fire crew who display their score and the occasional comment on the station window at the end of the runway.
U
Mother Nature isn’t as welcoming as the locals. During my first evening on Norfolk, the skies open up and release a South Pacific deluge that makes sunshine seem very far away. I’m left wondering whether my five-day stay will be a soggy one. But the next morning, I am pleasantly surprised; the rain has slowed and low, heavy clouds hang in the sky, producing a grey, moody light that instils the landscape with a sense of mystery. I am eager to explore the island, and so I drive out of Norfolk’s main settlement, the township of Burnt Pine, and head to a somewhat unconventional first stop: the graveyard. Perched on a grassy plain overlooking a sandy beach, the graveyard features recently laid headstones alongside those dating back to the original 1788 English settlement. Salt spray fills the air as the turbulent ocean crashes onto the sand, and rain falls in misty sheets. As I examine the older gravestones, I am intrigued by the island’s history. I notice the early inhabitants were lucky if they lived beyond their 30th birthday and I can’t help Continued page 92 NFORTUNATELY, I FIND THAT
Convict-era military barracks overlook the New Gaol ruins. Beyond the buildings historic Kingston Pier stretches into Slaughter Bay.
January . February 89
NORFOLK ISLAND
Phillip Island.
Norfolk Island pine.
Where to stay
Air New Zealand offers flights from Sydney on Mondays, Fridays and Sundays, and from Brisbane on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Australian residents are required to take photo identification, preferably passports.
Climate Norfolk enjoys a pleasant subtropical climate. Average summer temperatures range from 18째C to 25째C and average winter temperatures range from 13째C to 19째C. Most rainfall occurs during the colder months, from May to August, and the humidity remains relatively high year-round.
Point Howe.
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NORFOLK ISLAND PINE: Araucaria heterophylla
Getting there
There are plenty of accommodation options, including small hotels, self-contained units, cottages, and holiday houses. Visitors can choose between ocean views or the convenience of a central location at Burnt Pine. For more information, visit www.norfolkisland.com. au/accommodation.
Anson Bay volcanic rock. Places of interest 1 The Hilli Goat Farm This family-run farm provides visitors with an opportunity to experience Norfolk’s farm-to-table dining tradition. After meeting the goats and seeing the cheese-making process, visitors can enjoy freshly made goats’ cheese with a tasty spread of local food.
The Hilli Goat farm. St Barnabas Chapel.
Kingston.
2 Anson Bay A lookout on the island’s north-west corner offers a great view of the pine tree-lined cliffs and surf crashing onto the beach at Anson Bay. Walking down to the beach is well worth the climb back up. 3 Norfolk Island National Park and Botanical Garden This 655ha protected area features a discovery centre and 8km of walking tracks. Many of the island’s endemic plants are found here, and you might be lucky and spot a Norfolk green parrot. 4 Cockpit Waterfall On the eastern side of Norfolk Island, Broken Bridge Creek runs down a valley into the scenic Cascade Reserve, where it fallsnto the ocean at Cockpit Waterfall. 5 St Barnabas Chapel Built by a Melanesian Mission that was headquartered on the island between 1866 and 1920, the chapel is surprisingly grand for such a small, isolated location. It features a soaring roof with beams that resemble those of a ship’s hull, as well as a pipe organ and stunning stained glass windows. 6 Fletcher’s Mutiny Cyclorama This 360° panoramic painting, which was created by local artists, tells the story of
the Norfolk Island people, many of whom are descendants of the infamous Bounty mutineers. 7 Kingston and Arthurs Vale Historic Area Located on a grassy plain in the island’s south, this World Heritage-listed precinct is the site of Norfolk’s colonial and convict settlements. Visitors can explore the convict-era buildings and ruins, including the prison compound and hospital, and wander through the cemetery, which features headstones dating back to 1789. 8 Crystal Pool At low tide and on a calm day, a rock pool emerges on Point Ross, offering another great place for a swim or snorkel.
9 Kingston Pier The longer of the island’s two piers, it offers great views of the reef spanning Slaughter Bay and a chance to watch fishermen craning boats from the water. When supply ships visit, watch the cargo being unloaded onto Norfolk’s iconic lighters. Ask at the information centre for a schedule of visiting ships. 10 Emily Bay Emily Bay is a perfect crescent of yellow sand. Sheltered from the surf by reef, its clear waters are the perfect place to swim, snorkel, kayak, or paddle. Picnic and BBQ facilities overlook the bay. 11 Phillip Island Located 6km south of Norfolk, Phillip is a tiny, uninhabited, protected area. Once overrun by pigs, goats, and rabbits, the island is now free of feral predators. Accessible via boat, it is home to rare plants and is a sanctuary for seabirds. The red and orange hues of the island make it a dramatic sight to behold from Norfolk.
January . February 91
Of four endemic birds, the Norfolk green parrot is of particular note, because it is one of the world’s rarest.
but think how different their lives must have been to mine; I am in my early 20s and envisage many adventures to come. Norfolk’s history is well documented, which is understandable, given that the small island’s story is a colourful one. Inhabited first by Polynesian voyagers, who lived here between the 11th and 15th centuries, Norfolk was later added to the long list of places documented by Captain Cook. He sighted it in 1774, during his second voyage to the South Pacific aboard HMS Resolution. He named the island after Mary Howard, Duchess of Norfolk. Believing that the island’s pines might make good masts and that the local flax could be used for ships’ sails and rigging, governor Phillip ordered that HMS Supply – the armed tender of the First Fleet – set sail for Norfolk and establish a settlement, only days after landing in Botany Bay in 1788. Some settlers – a mix of convicts and free men and women who were dependent on outside provisions provided by the flagship of the First Fleet, HMS Sirius – later packed up and left. Sirius remained, wrecked on one of the island’s treacherous reefs. Today, the ship provides what Janelle Blucher, acting director of the Norfolk Island Museum, describes as “possibly the most significant array of First Fleet cultural material anywhere in the world”. The island remained empty for 11 years before a second British settlement, a penal colony, was established in 1825. The convicts were subjected to brutal treatment and the island quickly earned a reputation for being hellish.This changed with the arrival of inhabitants who weren’t banished to the island.These willing castaways were the Pitcairn Islanders, descendants of Fletcher Christian and his crew, infamous mutineers on HMS Bounty and Polynesian women. 92 Australian Geographic
Like many others on the island, Janelle is a descendant of the Bounty mutineers. “I have a direct, personal link to the Bounty/ Pitcairn/Norfolk story, but I really connect with the other stories emotionally,” she tells me as we stand in the HMS Sirius museum, her small frame dwarfed by one of the anchors that was recovered from the wreck site. Janelle considers her role in the museum as one of the best jobs on the island and she relishes being among the stories and relics that are part of Norfolk’s history.“There are so many interconnections to all the different layers of history as well as the characters that were involved,” she says. Despite the island’s interesting past, residents are also focused on the future. The island is the only non-mainland Australian territory to have gained self-governance, granted in 1979. However, a new chapter in Norfolk’s story is being written. In May 2015 the Norfolk Island Legislation Amendment Act 2015 was passed; it stipulated that, from 2016, the Australian government would resume control of Norfolk. Many residents are opposed to the change, which took effect on 1 July last year. A group of locals is petitioning the UN to help obtain the right to selfdetermination and it’s nearly impossible to hold a conversation on the island without the current upheaval being raised.
N
ORFOLK’S HISTORY IS NOT ONLY SHOWCASED in muse-
ums; it’s also etched into the landscape. Most of the island’s native vegetation was cleared during the early days of the European settlements, but the 655ha protected area encompassing Norfolk Island National Park and Norfolk Island Botanic Garden gives visitors a taste of what the area would once have been like. The national park, which encircles Mt Bates in
NORFOLK GREEN PARROT: FLPA/JOHN HOLMES/GETTY/ Cyanoramphus cookii
Park ranger Craig Doolan examines a nest site designed to protect the green parrot from predators. The predator-proof nests, along with a dedicated breeding program, have seen green parrot numbers climb from fewer than 80 birds to the current population of 160–200.
Strong winds have left their mark on a tree on Point Howe on the island’s northern tip.
Olea europaea cuspidata
the island’s north, is made up of subtropical rainforests, and dotted with palm forests and stands of towering pines. Bordered by impressive cliffs offering views over dramatic seascapes, the forests are filled with endemic species, including the Phillip Island hibiscus, which was once thought to be extinct, and the imposing Norfolk tree fern, one of the world’s largest tree ferns. Norfolk is also home to an array of native birds and insects.As we stand under the thick rainforest canopy, park manager Craig Doolan tells me that of the island’s four endemic bird species, the Norfolk green parrot is of particular note, because it is one of the world’s rarest parrots (along with Australia’s night parrot and New Zealand’s kakapo). “In 2012 there was a census that said there could be as few as 46 birds left,” says Craig, who is a devoted campaigner for the species. Craig and his team have established a dedicated breeding program to help safeguard the species and they are working to predator-proof a number of nesting sites. Craig proudly shows me one of the protected nests in a nearby tree, explaining that “the predator-proofing allows [the birds] to rest in peace without getting harassed by cats and rats”.Today, Craig estimates there are between 160 and 200 green parrots on the island. “Last year we had 80 chicks, and considering three years ago we had an entire population of less than that, it makes a really big difference,” he says.
B
EYOND THE NATIONAL PARK, much of Norfolk is grazing
land for cattle, or farmland. Fruit and vegetables are prohibited imports, so fresh produce is grown locally. The landscape, which features pastures, orchards, and farm plots, is also peppered with Indian banyan trees.The huge maze of roots
and branches that extend from these striking figs creates fantastic playgrounds for the island’s kids, who generally enjoy an incredible amount of freedom. For many young people, however, this sense of freedom disappears with adolescence, as it begins to dawn on them how remote their home is. Shay Wilson, a final-year student at the local high school, was born on the island. She says “it’s really cool” to be surrounded by water, but also describes the thousands of kilometres of ocean separating Norfolk from the mainland as “isolating”. This isolation is emphasised by the island’s lack of a safe harbour. Without a place for supply ships to safely dock, Norfolk relies on a time-honoured but precarious and finely honed procedure known as ‘lighterage’ to receive cargo. Every few weeks, the process sees cargo transferred from supply ships to wooden boats known as ‘lighters’.These are towed ashore by motor launches, and the cargo is winched onto one of the island’s two sturdy piers. If locals hadn’t shown me images of livestock, cars, and even trucks delicately perched on the lighters, and being manoeuvred through the surging swells, I wouldn’t have believed the process was possible. John Christian Bailey, a direct descendant of Bounty mutineer leader Fletcher Christian, is the man responsible for Norfolk’s boat building. In his large workshop, filled with the aromas of wood and epoxy, and the clamour of boat builders at work, the quietly spoken shipwright shows me his latest creation; propped up in the final stages of construction is a lighter known simply as No. 3. “An old Dutchman, Peter Swynenburg, used to build them years ago,” John explains.“He built them up to number 12, which is still in service today…then he retired and they got me to start building from then on.We didn’t want to name a Continued page 97 January . February 93
A traditional lighter, once used to bring supplies ashore, lays on the historic Kingston waterfront.
Janelle Blucher, acting director of the Norfolk Island Museum and a direct descendant of the Bounty mutineers, stands in the HMS Sirius exhibit surrounded by artefacts from the First Fleet.
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Tim Pearson guts fish while Lilah Good – visiting from Vancouver – looks on. After many days of heavy seas prevented boats from being launched, locals were happy to have fresh fish again.
WHITE TERN: Gygis alba
White terns lay their eggs on the branches of pine trees. Their fluffy chicks will remain there until they’re ready to fly.
Honesty boxes of fresh or homemade produce can be found at the front of just about every house, and locals acquire much of their food this way.
Cows are free to roam on public land and have right of way on the roads.
January . February 95
Araucaria heterophylla
Pine trees cover the headlands that border Cemetery Bay, a graveyard that dates back to the ďŹ rst colonial settlement on Norfolk in the 1780s.
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I hear the roar of the wind through the pines, and the distant sound of the ocean crashing against cliffs.
Boat builder John Christian Bailey (right), a descendant of mutineer Fletcher Christian, chats to Jess while standing in a near-finished lighter that will soon be used to bring the island’s cargo ashore. Goats trot along a road (above) lined with pine trees at Hilli Goat farm.
boat 13 so we started back at 1.” Built from local spotted gum and Norfolk pine, the lighters are similar in appearance to old whaling skiffs. “They’ve sorta got wider, longer and higher as the years go by to suit our cargo needs,” says John. One of the benefits of the traditional wooden construction is that the boats’ sides will flex on impact as they bump against supply ships in the turbulent waters.
T
HE LIGHTER TRADITION IS JUST ONE of the many elements
that make Norfolk so charming.There’s also its history, its friendly locals, and its unique topography and isolation. Alone, these things are not exceptional, but together they capture the essence of Norfolk and make the island a remarkable place. As I wander around World Heritage-listed Kingston, in the island’s south, I am struck by the old-world charm of the historic buildings and ruins that sit perched on a grassy plain overlooking Emily and Slaughter bays. During the evenings, local families make use of nearby barbecues and picnic tables, and the convict-era buildings are lit up, bringing the island’s ghosts to life. Rimmed by sea cliffs and assailed by the unruly ocean, Norfolk’s natural environment is just as striking. I won’t forget the sheer magnificence of afternoon light illuminating sea spray between cliff-edge pines, or the views of ocean and empty horizon that visitors can enjoy from park benches dotted along the coastline. Stopping for a moment on one of these, I hear the roar of wind through the pines, and the distant sound of ocean crashing against cliffs, mingled with clucking from the island’s many feral chooks. More than anything, it’s the local characters that give Norfolk its true charm.The island is home to a bustling community that has developed an idiosyncratic system of ‘hunting and gathering’,
as local guide Rick Kleiner describes it. Residents don’t buy fresh produce from shops; instead, just about everyone has a vegie garden and those who have excess or specialty produce leave it in an honesty box at the front of their property. The tight-knit nature of the local community is reflected in a special section of the phonebook that lists residents by their nicknames. But although the numbers for ‘Baldie’,‘Loppy’,‘Spud’, and ‘Wiggy’ are easy to find, I doubt many people open the phonebooks, because, in my experience, contacting ‘Foxy’,‘Goldie’, or ‘Goof ’ is as simple as asking the nearest person where they might be. After five days on the island, I feel I’ve been accepted into Norfolk’s fold.As I drive along the main street of Burnt Pine, I find it’s best to keep one hand raised from the steering wheel since every driver that passes greets me with a friendly wave.Their welcoming spirit seemingly extends beyond visitors, to the island’s livestock. Emily Ryves, a cheerful goat farmer who has lived on Norfolk for the better part of her life, treats her goats to ‘tea’ (warm water and molasses) after she milks them, and, on roads all over the island, priority is given to the free-roaming cows that frequent the public land and nature strips.Apparently, gravestones have been moved to accommodate the grazing preferences of these four-legged locals. As I head towards the airport, past pine-studded hills dotted with cattle, I am greeted with one last reminder of the island’s quirky charm; a member of the local fire crew is heading to the station with a surfboard strapped to the top of the emergency vehicle. I wonder how the crew will score today’s landing. AG SEE a film and find more images of Norfolk Island at: www.australiangeographic.com.au/issue136 January . February 97
Flight of fancy Home to more than one-third of Australia’s avian species, Kakadu National Park is a bird-lover’s paradise, and Kakadu Bird Week is now attracting an annual migration of these twitchers to this Top End treasure. STORY BY GEMMA CHILTON PHOTOGRAPHY BY DON FUCHS
Bird expert and tour guide Luke Paterson looks out over Kakadu’s Mamukala Wetlands from a bird hide.
I
a sudden break in eye contact – pupils dart up and to the right.Then, an index finger extends out and, as if responding to an invisible magnetism, hones in on a specific direction. I watch the process patiently. Around us the bush thrums with life – insects buzzing, reptiles rustling through leaf litter and a chorus of birds. I can pick out the calls of a few magpie geese in the distance, but not the specific melody that has caused this interruption to our conversation. I’m a newcomer to all this and my ear isn’t tuned in yet. In the immediate vicinity, a dozen pairs of binoculars are lifted to eager faces, pointed towards the direction now indicated by our guide, who has singled out the call of one sought-after species. It’ll be perched on a branch, a tiny spot against the landscape, and he’ll explain in detail where to find it – “See that tree, with the straight trunk that forks to the right?” – until our binoculars finally settle on their target. It feels almost voyeuristic to watch quietly from a distance, taking in every detail of the bird’s beauty against a perfect circle of mottled green backdrop: delicate bill, dazzling plumage and restless movements, before it flutters out of sight, as if exiting stage left. T STARTS WITH
L
OCATED ABOUT 200KM east of Darwin, Kakadu
National Park’s 20,000sq.km is home to 290 bird species. If you’re a keen birdwatcher, it’s probably already high on your list – but Kakadu Bird Week (held annually in October) offers an additional
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incentive: a specialised program of tours, free guided walks and evening presentations, aimed at attracting both enthusiasts and the simply bird-curious. People such as Peter Lloyd, a lawyer, kayaker and father of three from Sydney. Peter’s family noticed the enthusiasm with which he reported his bird sightings from Sydney’s waterways, so they bought him a field guide and issued him with a challenge – to spot 300 species before the year was out. “For someone who loves the outdoors, birdwatching was a completely new experience and one of the best things was seeing the kids get involved in the challenge,” he says. I met Peter on a birdwatching tour of Darwin’s East Point with guide Mike Jarvis, who turned his life-long love of birds into a career when he moved to the Top End a decade ago, and now runs tours through his organisation Experience the Wild. That day’s outing would offer a taste of the region’s birdlife, within cooee of the airport, before venturing into Kakadu. A priority sighting was the rainbow pitta – a colourful but elusive bird, endemic to northern Australia. Throughout the day we saw many delightful locals, from orange-footed scrubfowls to nesting lemon-bellied fly-robins, but alas no rainbow pitta.As luck would have it, Peter learnt his family had spotted three of the shy little birds on their separate outing that day. Birding, however, is as much about the experience as the results, and Peter remained stoic.“There’s never any guarantee you’ll see a particular bird, but I can guarantee I won’t see any if I don’t look,” he says.
IMAGES OVERLEAF: CHESTNUT-QUILLED ROCK PIGEON: LUKE PATERSON; GRASSWREN: GRAEME CHAPMAN; FALCON: HAL BERAL / VWPICS / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO; COCKATOO: BLICKWINKEL / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO; KOOKABURRA: IMAGEBROKER / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO; PIGEON: LUKE PATERSON; BUZZARD: AUSCAPE INTERNATIONAL PTY LTD / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO; PARROT: GREG C GRACE / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO; FINCH: JOANNE HARRIS AND DANIEL BUBNICH/SHUTTERSTOCK
Lake Jabiru, the centrepiece of Kakadu’s small township, attracts a rich offering of the park’s diverse bird life.
Drifting through a sea of water lilies on a sunrise birdwatching cruise on Yellow Water Billabong.
“Twitcher implies tick and flick. But birdwatching is about much more than that.” Besides, the missed rainbow pitta was compensated for when Peter spotted his first-ever red-headed honeyeater that same day among the mangroves of Darwin Harbour. It was an exciting find for him and equally pleasing for Mike.“I do love birdsong, but that sound [my clients] make, that ‘wow’ when they see a bird for the first time, is just as gratifying for me,” he says.
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took place on a sunset walk around Lake Jabiru, guided by one of Australia’s most acclaimed naturalists, Ian Morris. A biologist, educator, conservationist and author, Ian has worked with the traditional owners of Arnhem Land for decades, and was involved in the formation of Kakadu as a national park and World Heritage Area in the 1970s and ’80s. Ian’s involvement in Kakadu Bird Week was a coup for the organisers, and you could sense the pleasure of our small group, having found themselves in his knowledgeable hands. Leading us along the rough path around the man-made lake, Ian would first hear then
point out new species seemingly hiding in plain sight, bringing our surroundings to life before our eyes. Our group of birdwatchers was as diverse as a flock around the last waterhole at the end of the Dry – there was Peter and his family, an Israeli couple, a South African businessman. The old-hats were easy to spot by their sharp eyes and keen ears; among them was Margaret Flint from Fremantle,Western Australia, who has been watching birds for almost a decade. There was also Helen Phillips from Gippsland, Victoria, who has spent 40 years with her eyes to the skies and treetops. Both said they see birdwatching as a way to be immersed in nature, and to learn new things. It’s a simple sentiment that came up often – and it’s why Mike had said back in Darwin he doesn’t much like the term ‘twitcher’.“It implies tick and flick,” he says, “but birdwatching is about so much more than that.”
Y INTRODUCTION TO KAKADU
Y
OU’LL FIND MOST birdwatchers have their ‘con-
version’ story. Luke Paterson – another expert and tour guide participating in Kakadu Bird Week – says he inherited his fascination for birds from his grandmother, but the defining moment came when he first saw a lyrebird. (“Yep, that’ll do it!” was the general birders’ consensus when Luke shared his story.) Originally from Bendigo,Victoria, Luke has built a reputation as an authority on Top End birds over the past 15 years.Together with park ranger Sarah Burgess, he runs tour company NT Bird Specialists. I met Luke on a birdwatching sunrise cruise on January . February 101
DU’S DIVERSE HABITATS HOME FROM HOME: KAKA
k, which in part s within Kakadu National Par There are six distinct habitat ce home. bird species that call this pla accounts for the diversity of 1. STONE COUNTRY the Stone country encompasses m 300 to up e (som s cliff one sandst eau high) of the Arnhem Land Plat edge and escarpment at the eastern is eau plat the , top of the park. At the ges gor p dee le whi dry and harsh, lush along the escarpment house sts. fore on nso mo
2. SAVANNAH WOODLAND The savannah woodlands, or per lowlands, make up almost 80 s und mo cent of Kakadu. Termite e gsid alon ly feature prominent eucalypts and tall grasses. This e habitat may appear to have littl est high the has fact in but , ivity act adu’s number of animals of all of Kak life. bird of rsity habitats, and a dive
5 4
LOOK OUT FOR:
LOOK OUT FOR:
2
Chestnut-quilled rock pigeon Petrophassa rufipennis
Red-tailed black cockatoo Calyptorhynchus banksii
6 1
White-throated grasswren Amytornis woodwardi
Blue-winged kookaburra Dacelo leachii
3 Partridge pigeon Geophaps smithii
Peregrine falcon Falco peregrinus
3. SOUTHERN HILLS AND RIDGES This habitat is characterised by s. rugged ridges and alluvial flat by ed form is pe sca The land d ancient volcanic rocks expose d Lan by the retreating Arnhem plateau, and can be easily observed from the top of Gunlom Falls. LOOK OUT FOR:
Black-breasted buzzard Hamirostra melanosternon
Hooded parrot Psephotus dissimilis
Gouldian finch Erythrura gouldiae
4. FLOODPLAINS/ WETLANDS This landscape alters dramatically between the seasons. In the Wet it is a shallow freshwater sea, while in the Dry the water recedes into creeks, rivers and remote billabongs, where waterbirds and wildlife congregate and seek refuge. LOOK OUT FOR:
Comb-crested jacana Irediparra gallinacea
Eastern great egret Ardea alba modesta
Magpie goose Anseranas semipalmata
5. COASTAL/ TIDAL FLATS Kakadu has almost 500sq.km s, of coastal and estuarine area r rive and including tidal creeks to up g systems extendin s 100km inland. These habitat the to d pte ada life to e are hom oxygen-deficient, salty environment, such as mangrove swamps and samphire flats. LOOK OUT FOR:
Collared kingfisher Todiramphus chloris Broad-billed flycatcher Myiagra ruficollis Red-headed honeyeater Myzomela erythrocephala
6. MONSOONAL VINE FOREST This habitat depends on year-round water sources, , often alongside rivers, springs arp esc the or at the base of ment. Tall trees provide fruits for flying foxes and pigeons to spread from one isolated pocket of forest to another. LOOK OUT FOR:
Banded fruit-dove Ptilinopus cinctus
Rainbow pitta Pitta iris
Orangefooted scrubfowl Megapodius reinwardt
JACANA: RAY WILSON / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO; EGRET: MICHAEL STUBBLEFIELD / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO; MAGPIE GOOSE: ARCO IMAGES GMBH / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO; KINGFISHER: SARIN KUNTHONG/SHUTTERSTOCK; FLYCATCHER: WIKIMEDIA; HONEYEATER: GRAEME CHAPMAN; FRUIT-DOVE AND PITTA: LUKE PATERSON; SCRUBFOWL: MINDEN PICTURES / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: XXXXX XXXXX XXXXX
Striated and nankeen herons crept along the banks, and kingfishers posed in full view. Yellow Waters Billabong, at the end of Jim Jim Creek. Setting off in the pre-morning dark, drifting over the inky waters, the sky was soon awash with colour and an endless flock of magpie geese passed overhead – so numerous they sounded more like swarming bees. A carpet of lotus flowers and water lilies spread out before us, and the occasional saltwater crocodile surfaced before lazily disappearing into the dark waters. Striated and nankeen night herons crept along the banks, forest kingfishers posed in full view and honeyeaters and flycatchers darted through the trees, regularly stopping long enough to catch in the ‘bins’. If a lyrebird turned Luke into a birdwatcher, then that morning may have been the tipping point for this fledgling birdwatcher – but I still had a lot to learn. More accustomed to long-distance hikes, I had to adjust my expectations the following day when our car remained in sight after the first 20 minutes of our half-day tour. Setting off at sunrise again with Luke for a guided walk around Mamukala Wetlands, the group failed to gain much onward momentum as we captured in our sights bird after bird: willie wagtails, double-barred finches, crimson finches, and a juvenile white-bellied sea eagle overhead. It was a lesson in a more mindful way of experiencing the bush – slow down and let it come to life around you. And never rush a group of birdwatchers. A highlight was spotting an imposter channel-billed cuckoo being fed by a pair of crows, but it wasn’t just birds that seemed to materialise into existence when
Clockwise from top left: writer Gemma Chilton watches dancing brolgas at the Bamurru Plains resort with manager John Cooper; a guided birdwatching tour at Lake Jabiru with acclaimed naturalist Ian Morris; magpie geese, called ‘bamurru’ in the local Aboriginal language, are plentiful in the Top End and congregate in large flocks.
you slowed down – northern dwarf tree frogs hid beneath pandanus leaves and camouflaged northern water dragons were statuesque against tree trunks. We finished the tour at nearby Gungarre Walk through monsoonal rainforest. The place soon lived up to its name and the heavens opened, forcing the group to quicken its step back to the vehicle.We stood, steaming in our wet gear, while over the roar of the sudden downpour Luke talked through the birds we’d spotted. We could tick them off our lists: red-backed fairy wren, yellow oriole, comb-crested jacana… Of course, there’s much more to birding than list-ticking, but, in that moment, I couldn’t help but appreciate why this ritual is half the fun.
“Y
OU DON’T NEED to be a birdwatcher to appreciate this,” said John Cooper from the driver’s seat. It was my last day in the Top End, and I was perched on the back of an old modified Toyota LandCruiser watching brolgas leap and dance in the golden sunrise. John is the manager of Bamurru Plains, a luxury resort located on 30,000ha Swim Creek station just January . February 103
Clockwise from left: Sydney-based Peter Lloyd keeps his allimportant field guide close to his heart during Kakadu Bird Week; magpie geese flock over Yellow Water Billabong at sunrise; eight-year-old Sorell Diddams, daughter of local Kakadu Park Ranger Tracey Diddams, ticks off her latest bird sightings.
SEE a short video and more images from 2016’s Kakadu Bird Week at: www.australiangeographic.com.au/issue136 104 Australian Geographic
Birdwatching wetland cruises
Flock to Kakadu WHAT: Kakadu Bird Week is an annual event organised by Parks Australia and supported by local operators and Tourism NT. It offers a program of activities for birdwatchers, including free guided walks at key birdwatching sites with local and national bird experts, and free evening slideshow presentations, as well as paid activities such as birdwatching wetland cruises and photography tours. Mercure Crocodile Hotel WHEN: Kakadu Bird Week 2017 will take place on 1–7 October. GETTING THERE: All major domestic airlines fly to Darwin International Airport; from there it is about a three-hour drive into Kakadu’s Jabiru township. ACCOMMODATION: Find a room at the Mercure Kakadu Crocodile Hotel at Jabiru (08 8979 9000), the Cooinda Lodge (08 8979 1500) or the Cooinda Campground and Caravan Park. Find more information and book at: www.kakadutourism.com/accommodation MORE INFORMATION: Learn more at: www.parksaustralia.gov.au/kakadu/do/bird-week.html
HOTEL: DAVID HANCOCK
west of Kakadu. He’d taken us to see the brolgas on our way back from a visit to a male Australian bustard, right where he knew we’d find the bird in full mating display – throat sack inflated, tail feathers cocked. As manager of Bamurru, John lives on the remote station year-round – including three months alone during the Wet, which is when he’ll often enjoy sights such as these brolgas and the bustard – or, as he recalls, occasionally awake to enormous, deafening flocks of magpie geese passing overhead (bamurru is the local Aboriginal word for magpie goose). The previous day John had taken us on a boat ride down nearby Sampan Creek, where enormous salties slid on their bellies down the muddy banks – and where we managed, after much searching, to spot a great-billed heron in the shadow of the mangroves. As we watched the brolgas, I thought about what John had said about not having to be a birdwatcher to appreciate this. I understand what he meant – after all, we didn’t have a list to tick or a species name to report back on. But it occurred to me that we already were birdwatchers – anyone who can appreciate these diverse and beautiful, sometimes wise, sometimes cheeky, modern-day flying dinosaurs really is. AG And I think that’s probably all of us.
Kakadu
A Birder’s Paradise
Kakadu is home to a variety of endemics, migratory and specialist birds. Imagine spotting Rainbow Pitta, Chestnut - quilled Rock Pigeon, Banded Fruit Dove and Brolga all in a day!
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Save the date Kakadu Bird Week
Northern Territory - Australia’s Outback -Seats limited-
Book Today!
@ausoutbacknt
Join expert birding guide
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Birdwatching & Photography Tours
Birding and Photography Adventures
info@ntbirdspecialists.com.au
www.ntbirdspecialists.com.au
0421 651 122 / 0455 921 092
Rainbow Bee Eater. Image Tim Dolby
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Kakadu really is a birdwatchers paradise, and Kakadu Bird Week (1–7th October) is one of the best times to visit; Join park rangers, birding specialists and traditional owners from Kakadu National Park to celebrate the Top End’s birdlife during Kakadu Bird Week 2017. There will be free walks and talks, presentations, activities, and competitions to keep you busy, so save the date now and check out northernterritory.com/birding for more information.
Park ranger Peter Hill stands at the entrance to a lava tunnel in Mt Eccles NP, VIC.
Join us next issue
Volcanic Victoria SUBSCRIBE TO AUSTRALIAN GEOGRAPHIC at australiangeographic.com.au, or call 1300 555 176, or ask at Australian Geographic Stores.
PLUS: Bird migration flyways Life aboard colonial-era ships Movie special effects workshop Diving into our deepest cave system WA’s Stirling Ranges
While you’re waiting for your next issue, get your daily hit of fascinating AG stories and stunning photography at:
www.australiangeographic.com.au
DON FUCHS
Out late February
Stretched across Victoria’s Western District are the remains of 400 little-known volcanoes. The various craters, domes, lava flows and other geological features dominating the landscape are all features of the Newer Volcanics Province – and some of them erupted as recently as 5000 years ago.
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VIRTUAL REALITY EXPERIENCE Feel for yourself the terror and the awe of the 1942 bombing of Darwin Harbour.
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PRINCIPALITY OF HUTT RIVER Meet the wheat farmer who styles himself as HRH Prince Leonard of Hutt.
travel visit listen view read download
Walkabout
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Walk and sail at Wineglass Bay
CHRISSIE GOLDRICK
A ketch sailboat offers fantastic access to walking opportunities along the Tasmanian coast.
January . February 107
List
travel visit listen view read download
Visit
Australian Wooden Boat Festival
Visit
Permian Monsters: Life before the Dinosaurs
10–13 February, Hobart, TAS
Until 26 February, Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Launceston, TAS
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M
NJOY THIS CELEBRATION of maritime culture and history, which sees more than 500 wooden boats flock to Hobart’s waterfront. This free event is held every two years and returns in 2017 packed with entertainment, marketplaces and displays. See shipwrights exercise traditional skills with tools still used in Tasmania’s small boatyards, tour majestic tall ships and see intricate ship models. Families and maritime enthusiasts alike will delight in discovering an industry that has defined the Apple Isle. For more information visit: www.australianwoodenboatfestival.com.au or call 03 6223 3375.
Unknown Land: Mapping and Imagining Western Australia Until 30 January, Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth, WA
V
IEW THE EARLIEST
paintings and drawings of the Western Australian coast by European explorers and colonists. See how they illustrated iconic locations such as Fremantle, Perth and the Swan River, as well as detailed sketches of local flora and fauna. The Art Gallery of Western Australia’s entire collection of colonial watercolours will be on display for the first time since 1979. For more information visit: www.artgallery.wa.gov.au or call 08 94926600.
108 Australian Geographic
ARVEL AT A time 290 million years ago, before dinosaurs. See fossilised skeletons and full-sized models against new artwork by awardwinning palaeo illustrator Julius Csotonyi. He brings the Permian era to life with his depictions of the creatures that roamed Earth, from the giant sabre-toothed Gorgonopsid alongside the sail-backed Dimetrodon, to the intriguing salamander Diplocaulus, with its boomerang-shaped head. Learn how the Permian period ended when 90 per cent of Earth’s species were wiped out. For more information visit: www.qvmag.tas.gov.au or call 03 6323 3777.
Download
Wild food map Developer: WILDFOOD, FREE CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT kinds of plants are growing along the footpaths of Australian suburbs? Wild Food has created a helpful platform for those looking to find edible and medicinal plants in their local area. It features photos and background information on familiar-sounding foliage, such as wild garlic and amaranth, as well as Australian natives such as the brightly coloured lilli pili berries and the spiny bunya nut, traditionally used by Aborigional people to make bread. The map is community driven, and you can join a network of foragers by sharing your own edible ‘wild food’ discoveries. Available on Android; the iPhone app is still under development.
THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: ROBERT OATES | BALLANTYNE PHOTOGRAPHY; QUEEN VICTORIA MUSEUM; FREDERICK GARLING / MOUNT ELIZA, 15 MILES FROM THE ENTRANCE OF SWAN RIVER, WESTERN AUSTRALIA / STATE ART COLLECTION, ART GALLERY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA; OPPOSITE PAGE: DARWIN: ROYAL FLYING DOCTORS SERVICE
The
Reviews
Read
The Best Australian Science Writing 2016 Edited by Jo Chandler, NewSouth Books, $29.99 THIS DIVERSE COLLECTION of science-related essays – sourced from magazines, newspapers, blogs, books and more – is now in its sixth year. As usual it brings together rigorous yet highly entertaining articles from a wide selection of Australia’s most talented science writers. The 2016 edition features works by regular AG contributors Bianca Nogrady and Ashley Hay and covers topics ranging from Ice Age lizards and gravitational waves to the nature of reality and the hunt for Ned Kelly’s head.
Walkabout
Virtual reality experience – Bombing of Darwin Harbour Permanent exhibition, now showing, Stokes Hill Wharf, Darwin, NT Visit
Top Walks in Australia Melanie Ball, Hardie Grant Books, $36.99 MELANIE BALL’S JOURNEYS as a travel writer have taken her all over Australia. This book includes treks through many landscapes, from rainforests to craggy coastlines. In this book are tracks suitable for beginners and experienced bushwalkers alike, and each entry is accompanied by maps and tips to help you plan. It also contains comprehensive notes to help you spot local flora and fauna, all ensuring you will never be short of inspiration for your next trek.
Planting Dreams: Shaping Australian Gardens NewSouth Books, $49.99 TAKE A TOUR WITH GARDEN historian Richard Aitken as he leads you through the unique evolution of Australia’s gardens. This book documents our botanical history, from Aboriginal peoples’ relationship with the land and the first blueprints of what would become Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens, through to the events that shaped the modern garden. Beautifully curated illustrations and prints appear alongside detailed commentary, which reveals how the story of Australian plants has manifested itself in art, culture and scientific endeavour.
B
E TRANSPORTED TO 19 February 1942 during the bombing of Darwin, the largest single attack on Australia during World War II. Darwin’s military heritage is on display with virtual reality headsets re-creating the event. See the attack brought to life with holographic technology, through the eyes of witnesses, including the little-known story of Etheridge Grant, commanding officer of USS William B. Preston, who saw the attack from the water. For more information visit: www.rfdsdarwin.com.au or call 08 8983 5700.
Enter
Competition
WE’RE GIVING AWAY five copies of the new AG book A History of the World in 500 Walks. History is everywhere, and never as vivid as when you’re walking through it. With great commentary, illustrated maps and stunning photography, this book explores 500 historic treks – both human-made and natural. Whether you’re a seasoned hiker or an armchair historian, the breadth of information in this book will take you on a journey through time and place. It might even inspire you to set off on a walk of your own. Enter at: www.australiangeographic.com.au/issue136
January . February 109
Stunning vistas abound on the Freycinet Peninsula on Tasmania’s east coast – if you are prepared to exert a bit of effort to find them. 110 Australian Geographic 110
WALKING BY WATER Reach a variety of bushwalks from the water along Tasmania’s spectacular east coast, on this four-day walking and sailing experience.
ILLUSTRATION DANIEL TRAN BY
STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRISSIE GOLDRICK
January . February 111 111
The party from Lady Eugenie heads north along Wineglass Bay. A walk to a lookout takes an hour and leads you up a well-formed rocky track.
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the eastern horizon shot fingers of light across the water and into the broad gap that leads to Wineglass Bay.The rays inflamed the orange lichen-covered boulders that lined the shore and then chased up the pink granite flanks of The Hazards, imbuing them with a rosy glow before bathing that famed arc of white in a subtle shade of lilac. I was up early and watched this lightshow from the deck of Lady Eugenie, an elegant teak-and-fibreglass, 75ft (22.8m) ketch moored in the bay, and the only vessel there on that perfect autumn morning.Apart from the sound of water lapping the hull, the scene was silent and still, the abundant birdlife yet to stir. Fresh footprints on the beach betrayed the presence of a pair of Tassie devils. It was Wineglass Bay as few get to see it. Within a couple of hours the first flurry of day-trippers would start to file onto the beach – often named among the top 10 in the world and one of Tasmania’s biggest tourist drawcards. But most visitors don’t make it that far. The Wineglass Bay Lookout, a 45-minute climb from the car park, is as far as the majority get. For those who do make it on the three-hour undulating round trip to the beach, it’s close to a full day’s outing. The prospect of carrying in all your gear reduces the numbers intent on staying overnight in the campsite there even further, but the intrepid few get to enjoy the bay at its quietest, and bathed in all its morning glory. HE SUN PIERCING
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offers another way to experience the magic of waking up in Wineglass Bay. I was there aboard Lady Eugenie with six other passengers and four crew; we were on a Tasmanian Walking Company four-day bushwalking expedition across Maria and Schouten islands, and the southern end of Freycinet Peninsula. We stayed on the yacht at night and enjoyed guided treks by day – which enabled us to enjoy the best bushwalks in the area over the course of just a long weekend. Our adventure had begun three days earlier on Maria Island after a crossing from Orford on the mainland. You can also catch a daily ferry to the island’s main settlement, Darlington, from Triabunna. A quick shuttle in Lady Eugenie’s dinghy across clear, emerald waters to Darlington’s jetty and we were ready to explore this jewel in the Tasman Sea. We only had an afternoon, so we were keen to cover as much of the 19 x 13km island that we could. We passed some very excited children riding about on bikes and a few resident Cape Barren geese grazing on the grasslands that lead down to the Fossil Cliffs (it was here that 19th-century Maria Island entrepreneur Diego Bernacchi excavated marine fossils from the limestone cliffs to make lime for his cement works, the four concrete silos of which still dominate the Darlington skyline). We climbed back up a track onto a line of spectacular cliffs that led to the 620m dolerite peak, Bishop and Clerk, but – short of time – we detoured inland past skittish mobs of forester BOAT STAY
The patterns in the Triassic sandstones of Maria Island’s painted cliffs are traces of iron oxide caused by groundwater leaching through the stone.
FREYCINET PENINSULA
Cereopsis novaehollandiae
Darlington, founded in 1825 on Maria Island, was originally a convict settlement. Convict buildings sit beside signs of industry that began in the 1880s. The once endangered Cape Barren goose was introduced to Maria Island in 1968 as a conservation measure.
January . February 113
The walkers enjoy a rest and a view of Freycinet Peninsula from a smooth pink granite boulder during the ascent of Bear Hill on Schouten Island.
kangaroos and entered dense woodland where we found more remnants of Bernacchi’s enterprise: a ruined brickworks and the convict-built reservoir that still supplies drinking water to the Darlington settlement. I almost trod on a copperhead snake sunning itself on the track and spotted one of the common wombats that appeared in ever greater numbers as the day started to cool. The pace quickened as we aimed to reach Maria’s famous painted sandstone cliffs before the sun disappeared and along with it a must-have photo opportunity. We found a shortcut through a cluster of attractive penitentiary buildings that once housed convicts, but today provide affordable bunkhouse accommodation for visitors. Here was a lively crowd of young families enjoying a weekend getaway at this idyllic spot. Snapshots done, we rejoined Lady Eugenie, now anchored offshore from the cliffs, her two masts silhouetted sharply against a reddening sky.
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was up early the next morning to get us underway for the four-hour voyage to Schouten Island. Along the way he skilfully manoeuvred the ketch in close to a 7ha nature reserve, Ile des Phoques, home to a large and boisterous Australian fur seal colony, whose curious members slid and careered into the churning waters for a closer look at us. A pair of sea eagles observed our departure from a 50m granite spire, while a large pod of common dolphins rode the bow as we sped away towards Schouten and our next walk. My wildlife tick list was growing longer by the minute. APTAIN IAN SAUNDERS
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Like Maria Island, Schouten has seen its share of commercial ventures – from whaling and sheep farming to coal extraction and tin mining – but it was formally added to Freycinet National Park in 1977 and is an important nesting site for little penguins and short-tailed shearwaters. The 3440ha island can be reached from Coles Bay, 30 minutes away, by boat charter. On our visit we climbed 299m Bear Hill, the lower of three peaks. It looked a little daunting from the beach – it’s a vigorous 90-minute scramble and rock-hop up a succession of large, polished, pink-granite boulders – but the trusty grip of my Vibram soles, and the advice and encouragement of our knowledgeable guides Erik Hayward and Hania Watt, saw me reach the summit. Freycinet Peninsula stretched away to the east and north of this commanding vantage point in ever paler shades of blue-grey and Erik pointed out the distinctive outline of The Hazards to the north, which would be the next day’s bushwalking goal. Our island-hopping days were over as, on the third morning, our skipper piloted us towards Freycinet Peninsula’s southern tip.
This perfect curve of quartzite beach, lapped by impossibly clear water, didn’t disappoint.
Isle des Phoques (Island of seals) once had a sealing station. Today it’s a nature reserve and haven for these Australian fur seals.
COMMON WOMBAT: Vombatus ursinus; AUSTRALIAN FUR SEALS: Arctocephalus pusillus
Maria Island is one of the best places in Australia to observe wombats. Cooks Beach (far right) at the southern end of the Freycinet Peninsula.
We landed on pretty Cooks Beach on the western shore of the peninsula, ready to tackle the biggest walking day of the trip. At the northern end of the beach, we climbed up into the welcome shade of the heathland plateau and followed the Peninsula Track through stands of Tasmanian blue gum, coastal she-oak and Banksia marginata. Here the sound of lapping waves gradually faded, replaced by the rhythm of our muffled footfalls accompanied by a seemingly infinite variety of birdsong, among which the endangered swift parrot can be heard. The track eventually delivered us onto Hazards Beach. Evidence of Aboriginal occupation is woven into the topography of the coastal landscape here; it is visible in layer upon layer of shell middens, laid down over millennia of feasting by the Toorernomairremener people on the marine bounty of appropriately named Promise Bay. The middens underpin the sand cliffs that run along the entire 2km beach. It’s also a breeding site for small red-capped plovers, which busily scurried about on the sand, and we were warned to keep a sharp eye out for their vulnerable little nest scrapes as we tramped on in the direction of the Hazards, which loomed large ahead. We turned inland once more and followed the Isthmus Track towards Wineglass Bay. From here walkers increased as we were joined by those tackling the Hazards Beach Circuit Track, one of the day walks that started at the Wineglass Bay car park, and we wistfully relinquished the relative solitude of past days. The track led past Hazards Lagoon and onto our final destination. It was late afternoon and excitement mounted as glimpses of
shimmering white quartzite sand started to appear through the vegetation and we descended towards the famous bay. This perfect curve of quartzite beach, gently lapped by impossibly clear water, didn’t disappoint. Walking boots were quickly discarded and hot, tired feet plunged into soothing water. Lady Eugenie was anchored in a cove at the far end of the beach. It took us about an hour to reach her as we dawdled along, posing for photos and revelling in the end of the day’s exertions and the prospect of spending our final evening aboard in this iconic place.
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N THE LAST MORNING we disembarked onto the beach and headed up the track that takes us over The Hazards saddle, down to the car park and finally on to Hobart and home. After three days of brisk walking, we made light work of the steep path. It was a short detour to the busy Wineglass Bay Lookout from where I spied the graceful form of Lady Eugenie heading south, dwarfed by distance and a series of high cliffs. This classic view of the horseshoe of pure white sand usually provides the first encounter with Wineglass Bay. For me it was my last look, and as I jostled for position at the steel barrier, brandishing my camera, I knew I was privileged to have enjoyed a deeper connection with this special place that my happy snap AG couldn’t possibly hope to capture.
AUSTRALIAN GEOGRAPHIC would like to thank The Tasmanian Walking Company, Tourism Tasmania and Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife for their assistance with this article. January . February 115
Copyright Angela Scott
Maasai warriors jumping
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Official Languages Swahili and English
Important Information Where is Kenya? Kenya is located on the equator in the heart of East Africa with 500km of pristine Indian Ocean coast. The capital city is Nairobi. When to travel Kenya offers fantastic wildlife experiences year-round, however, the peak travel season is from July to November during the annual wildebeest migration. Seasons Dry Season – December to March and June to October Long Rains – March to June Short Rains – November Currency Kenyan Shillings 100 KSH = AUD $1.40 (approx) MAGICAL KENYA
Visa Info All citizens of Australia and New Zealand (adults and children) are required to hold a valid visa in order to enter Kenya. Short-term single entry visas are available online at www.evisa.go.ke or on arrival at Kenya’s international ports. Visa fees for children under 16 years of age are waived.
For more information on Kenya visit
magicalkenya.com
Cheetah and Lion copyright Angela Scott
Couples / Honeymooners Couples travelling to Kenya will find an array of romantic activities, including hot-air balloon rides over Kenya’s plains, private safaris and dining under the stars, as well as luxury tented camps and coastal resorts.
Health It’s important to check your immunisation status and gain advice from your doctor before travelling. Immunisation is recommended against yellow fever and malaria medication is usually required.
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LAT LONG: 28°4’S 114°28’E
The Principality of Hutt River Decades after wheat farmer Leonard Casley declared his patch of Western Australia a principality – and proclaimed himself a prince – his enclave remains a unique tourist attraction. STORY BY STEPHEN CORBY PHOTOGRAPHY BY THOMAS WIELECKI
E
VEN THE MOST DEDICATED of history enthusiasts could be excused for having missed this date: 2 December 1977 – the day a pugilistic principality declared war on Australia. This small but feisty fiefdom was not attacking from East Asia, nor the north, but from our own west. It was the enemy within. The Principality of Hutt River – a sprawl of scrub and wheat, dissected by a creek, is 460km north of Perth. In 1970, the privately owned farm sought independence from the country it had been part of since 1901. This unusual move was made by a highly unusual man – Leonard Casley, now 91 – and it turned him into a self-proclaimed prince. Leonard bought his Hutt River land, 80km north of Geraldton, in the late 1960s, and moved in to farm wheat. He quickly found himself in a furious battle with authorities after they imposed what he considered to be unreasonably low wheat quotas on his 7500ha property.The conflict escalated to the point where the government threatened to repossess his land. Prince Leonard was a self-taught legal battler who, aged 14, left school and devoured legal textbooks and acts of parliament. Despite having no formal legal training, he found a small and bizarre loophole that he felt enabled Hutt River’s secession. So he coordinated a series of legal manoeuvres that involved converting Hutt River into a monarchy so that he could invoke obscure international laws.‘His Royal Highness Prince Leonard of Hutt’ – the title he gave himself – declared his property independent of Australia on 21 April 1970. At first, the government’s lawyers failed to take Leonard’s declaration of independence seriously, but they took notice when Leonard threatened to close his 120 Australian Geographic
Signs leading to the Principality of Hutt River from the North West Coastal Highway take visitors to the border (top right) of the tiny 7500ha kingdom.
Hutt River’s royal family collects art. This stone bust of Prince Leonard (above) was carved with a tomahawk by French–Canadian artist Marc LeBuse.
borders, and demanded that Australia pay the cost of placing customs officers at his gates.“I’ve been fighting the government ever since; the pressure is there and it never goes away, but I can take it, because I’ve got the Commonwealth under pressure,” he says. Although the principality still hasn’t been legally recognised by the Australian government, its status
28°4ˇS 114°28ˇE LatLong
Prince Leonard (at centre) has seven children, many of whom are involved in running the principality. Among them are (L–R) Prince Graeme, Prince Ian and Prince Richard.
A cushion held in the Chapel of Nain (centre) and a sword that is sometimes on display (left) are used during investitures of knighthoods. Hutt River currency bears the silhouette of Prince Leonard’s head (below). Prince Leonard (bottom centre) explains the reasons behind the Hutt River secession to eager visitors as part of their tour.
January . February 121
LatLong 28°4ˇS 114°28ˇE
BEARINGS: THE PRINCIPALITY OF HUTT RIVER Where: 460km north of Perth Ruler: His Royal Highness Prince Leonard of Hutt Currency: The Hutt River dollar Population: Approximately 50 Established: Leonard Casley declared his property an independent state on 21 April 1970 Main attractions: The chapel, post office, caravan park and the official ‘Hutt history lesson’ A plethora of principalities: Of 400 micronations worldwide, four are Australian. The others are the Empire of Atlantium in the Lachlan Valley, NSW; the Principality of Dubeldeka near Mittagong, NSW; and the Principality of Wy in Sydney.
Although not recognised by Australia, Prince Leonard claims that Hutt River passports have been used for travel overseas.
remains somewhat murky; the Australian Taxation Office considers its inhabitants non-residents for tax purposes, and in Leonard’s eyes it is a sovereign state. Pay a visit to the Hutt River township of Nain, as thousands of tourists do each year (many go to collect a unique passport stamp or to purchase the local currency, the Hutt River dollar) and you’ll almost certainly be greeted by Prince Leonard, as he asks to be addressed...although ‘sire’ does crop up occasionally. He still works the crowds at Hutt River 364 days a year, and while his hearing is not quite as sharp as it once was, his voice and his fondness for a good argument are still as bright as the spark in his eyes. Theoretically, he takes Christmas Day off, but most years a few visitors ignore the signs and wander in, and he still gives them the official Hutt history lesson and guided tour – including the chapel, post office and caravan park. Ask the locals what they think of the principality, and you’ll generally get the same answer: most reckon it’s just a rort designed to avoid taxes. But while at home Australia’s only locally bred ‘royal’ family has its own stamps, money, honours list and national anthem (sung by the late Jon English), if they want to work outside their borders they have to pay tax as non-Australian residents. This means the Casleys don’t get Medicare benefits, or farm subsidies, or even cheap solar panels, although, after many years of wrangling, they do have a free-trade agreement with Australia that allows them to trade their wheat with the continent their land sits on.The 50 or so residents can also travel on Hutt River passports – Leonard claims these passports have been accepted for overseas travel on a case-by-case basis, despite not being recognised by the Australian government. 122 Australian Geographic
Officially, the Commonwealth still doesn’t recognise the principality, although Leonard says there has been talk of a ‘treaty’ in recent years. Things are a lot better than they were in 1977, when his relationship with then prime minister Malcolm Fraser became so bitter that war was the only option. “He’d instructed his taxation department to go after us.We had three court cases in a row, they went to war with us, and I said let’s make it a real war then…that set them back a bit,” Leonard says. Prince Leonard, who has clearly grown to love the royal role his legal gymnastics have bestowed on him, considers one of his greatest victories to be a letter he received from the Queen last year, congratulating him on the 46th anniversary of his secession. He’s had it framed, and brandishes it with pride and joy. “I reckon this overrides the prime minister. The Queen has recognised us now,” he says. It all sounds rather fanciful, but Prince Richard, one of Leonard’s sons, says his father never lets royalty get to his head. “The plan was to save the farm,” he says.“Then next thing, there’s a tourist bus pulling up. All we’ve got here is a farm house and a shearing shed, but they’d heard about Hutt River so the coaches started coming. And we were like: ‘Bloody hell. What are we going to do with all these people?’ We didn’t have much money, because for the first 10 years of secession we couldn’t sell our wheat. So the tourists were the only way we could go.Then Australia Post wouldn’t deliver our mail, so we had to get our own stamps. One step always led to another. It’s been like that for 46 years.” Leonard himself will tell you that his title doesn’t mean much – although he’s always enjoyed the treatment the honorific gets him on planes – and that for him the greatest victory is that he’s still there. He’s got big plans for the future too, such as an international airport and a series of posh hotels he says will be filled with tourists flying in from the Philippines – that’s “if that blasted treaty with Australia ever gets signed”. AG
Aboriginal Art Air Tour
I
N APRIL THE AG Society will partner with Bill Peach Journeys for a special adventure by small aircraft to some of Australia’s most remote Aboriginal communities and spectacular rock-art locations. Led by Aboriginal art enthusiast and longtime AG photographer Frances Mocnik, this journey uncovers the rich diversity of art being produced today and visits rock-art sites to which few outsiders have ever had access. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity also features incredible experiences such as aerial sightseeing over Arnhem Land and Purnululu National Park.
DATES: 28 April–8 May 2017 (11 nights) VESSEL: Various aircraft will be used due to the remoteness of some communities. COST: From $14,995pp (twin share) ROUTE: Begins and ends in Darwin via locations including Kakadu, the Gove Peninsula, Groote Eylandt, Kununurra and Berkeley River. BOOKINGS: Call Bill Peach Journeys on 1800 252 053 or 02 8336 2990, email info@billpeachjourneys. com.au or visit www.billpeachjourneys.com.au
HIGHLIGHTS
• Visit Aboriginal art communities in the Red Centre, NT, and the Kimberley.
• Maximum of 16 guests. • Stay at the 5-star Berkeley River Lodge and explore newfound Aboriginal rock-art locations.
• Experience rock art and remote communities in Gove Peninsula and Groote Eylandt.
• Fully inclusive of meals,
• Travel by private aircraft enabling more time on the ground.
accommodation, touring and a Bill Peach Journey Director in addition to our host.
FRANCES MOCNIK
TOUR LEADER Aboriginal art enthusiast Frances Mocnik is a photo artist/editorial photographer, and a recipient of the 2006 Australian Geographic Society Award for Excellence in Photography. She has a Master of Fine Arts, has displayed at the National Portrait Gallery, and lectured at the University of New South Wales in Sydney.
2016
TRAVELLERS’ CHOICE AWARD
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seven peaks walk The Seven Peaks Walk is Lord Howe Island’s premier 5 day guided adventure that takes you from pristine beaches and exposed coral reefs to the delicate mist forests on Mt Gower. After a memorable day, you’ll return to Pinetrees for a hot shower, cold beer, exceptional 4 course dinner, great wine and deluxe king bed. The walk is for experienced hikers who enjoy a challenge by day, and some luxury by night. Book our Seven Peaks Walk in 2017 and discover Australia’s best adventure experience. Please call (02) 9262 6585 and quote ‘Australian Geographic’.
lord howe island • another world • close to home
Contact Pinetrees Travel on (02) 9262 6585 or visit pinetrees.com.au
January . February 2017
Your Society Australian Geographic Society news & initiatives Tim Faulkner holds quolls Spot and Harry, bred through an AG Society-supported program.
Your subscription is essential to the work of the Australian Geographic Society.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: COURTESY DEVIL ARK QUOLL CENTRE / Dasyurus sp.; COURTESY PERTH ZOO / Myrmecobius fasciatus; DARREN JEW / Neophoca cinerea
EVERY SUBSCRIBER to this journal automatically becomes a member of the not-for-profit AG Society. Your subscription helps us fund the work of Australia’s scientists, conservationists, adventurers and explorers. The Society also raises money through six annual fundraisers in AG retail stores and is supported via your direct donations.
Your donations went to help Australian sea lions – and numbats, of which there are fewer than 1000 left in the wild.
How your $267,000 was spent THERE’S PLENTY OF promise already in the pipeline for 2017. But, first, let’s look back at a wonderful 2016. Last year we raised money for animals large and small – from blue whales and sea lions to potoroos and numbats. We also collected funds to conserve the night parrot, Australia’s rarest bird. We are only able to help these deserving species because you, our fantastic supporters, donated a grand total over the course of a year (Nov 2015–Oct 2016) of $207,468! Aside from the support for these six conservation campaigns, the AG Society also gave away another $60,000 in sponsorship money to adventure and scientific projects. These sponsorships are financed through your subscriptions to this journal, and through scientific expeditions and partnerships with organisations that share our passion for Australia. Every one of you helps us do important work through your subscriptions, donations and participation in our trips. So, thank you! We’re already looking forward to reading through the next round of sponsorship applications – and we’ll bring you updates about these exciting projects throughout 2017. Chair: Jo Runciman
To subscribe call 1300 555 176 Who are the Australian Geographic Society? Patron: Dick Smith AC Chair: Jo Runciman Secretary: Adrian Goss Directors: Kerry Morrow, Andrew Stedwell, Jo Runciman Advisory Council: Jo Runciman (chair), Chrissie Goldrick, Adrian Goss, Ian Connellan, John Leece OAM, Tim Jarvis AM, Anna Rose, Todd Tai Society administrator: Rebecca Cotton
THE SOCIETY runs two sponsorship rounds per year – in April and November – during which its specialised adventure, science and community committees consider applications and disperse grants. These grants are directly funded through the Australian Geographic business. The Society also awards the Nancy Bird Walton sponsorship for young female adventurers and hosts annual awards for excellence and achievement in conservation and adventure. It runs six wildlife fundraisers per year through AG retail stores and the AUSTRALIAN GEOGRAPHIC journal’s multiple platforms. Each year the Society gives in excess of $300,000 to Australian conservation and adventure.
January . February 125
Field notes We’re catching up with some of our sponsorship recipients so you can see how your contributions help conserve our natural history and keep the Aussie spirit of adventure alive.
W
E WERE VERY EXCITED to hear of the discovery of a new population
of night parrots in Diamantina National Park last October. After a successful fundraising campaign for the species in Sep/Oct, to help with conservation in western Queensland, we were thrilled at this game-changing news. Another great project from 2016 was an AGS-sponsored effort to film the first winter ascent of the sheer, 600m Blade Ridge on Federation Peak (1224m) in Tasmania’s Southwest Wilderness Simon Bischoff. (see www.winterontheblade.com). Look out for an upcoming feature in this journal about the climbing team, composed of Andy Szollosi, Simon Bischoff, Nick Grant, Mark Savage, Olivia Page, Mickolas Epstein and Dan Haley. We should also pause to congratulate Sandy Robson, who, in November, finally paddled into Sabai Island in AusThe night parrot. tralia’s Torres Strait – a whopping five and a half years and roughly 23,000km after she began on the Danube River in Germany in 2011. Not satisfied with trying to climb the highest mountain in every Australian state as part of his AGS-supported ‘Can’t Peak Tassie’s south-west. Too Young’ project, eight-year-old Charlie Roscic has also been trekking in Nepal and Bhutan. Charlie says Nepal was incredible and he now has his eyes set on the Mt Everest Base Camp. Charlie plans to climb the last of his Australian peaks at Sandy Robson in PNG. the end of February.
JULY 2017
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126 Australian Geographic
Society is by subscribing to this journal (see page 48) and purchasing our products sold through Magshop and the Australian Geographic retail stores. Participating in our scientific and travel-partner trips is also a great way to enjoy unique experiences while helping to raise funds for the Society. CONTACT AGS administrator Rebecca Cotton at society@ ausgeo.com.au or visit our website at: www.australiangeographic.com.au/society
NIGHT PARROT: THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO / Pezoporus occidentalis; COURTESY SANDY ROBSON; COURTESY WINTER ON THE BLADE
PHOTOGRAPHY TOURS AND WORKSHOPS
Discover Australia
Your Society January • February 2017
The AG Society’s expedition program and those of its selected travel partners provide informative, inspiring and unique experiences for readers. Your participation in these adventures supports the Society’s mission to foster the spirit of discovery and adventure and contributes funds to our work. AG SOCIETY SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL EXPEDITIONS ABORIGINAL ART AIR TOUR THE AGS IS partnering with Bill Peach Journeys for an adventure by small aircraft to remote Aboriginal communities and spectacular rock-art sites. Led by Aboriginal art enthusiast and longtime AG photographer Frances Mocnik, this journey will uncover the rich tapestry of contemporary Aboriginal
art and explore ancient rock-art sites that few outsiders have ever seen. This rare opportunity also features experiences such as aerial sightseeing over Arnhem Land and Purnululu. Starts in Alice Springs and ends in Darwin via Kakadu, Gove Peninsula, Groote Eylandt, Kununurra and Berkeley River.
KEN DUNCAN PHOTOGRAPHY SAFARI JOIN LEGENDARY panoramic photographer Ken Duncan on this Australian Geographic photo safari to the red centre of Australia in May 2017. Beginning at Uluru, Ken will lead you through Australia’s most iconic landscapes. He will be on hand to choose the very best vantage points. Ken will also offer guidance
and photography tips to help you capture that picture postcard shot. Price includes six nights accommodation with dinner in hotels and one night under canvas in the outback. Excludes flights. Look out for more details in the next edition of Australian Geographic.
LORD HOWE ISLAND SCIENTIFIC EXPEDITION COME WITH the Society to the South Pacific to survey biodiversity. Run in partnership with Pinetrees Lodge and the Lord Howe Island Board, this scientific expedition is a unique opportunity for 20 readers to enjoy bushwalks and nature experiences, while also helping scientists from the Australian Museum to survey endemic snails,
beetles and other insects that are thought to be close to extinction. Many species on the island remain undescribed or unrecorded, so the expedition stands to make a significant contribution to conservation. Opportunities for coral and bird surveys will be available and evening lectures will be provided.
DATES: 28 April–8 May 2017 (11 nights) COST: $14,995 pp BOOKINGS: Call Bill Peach Journeys on 02 8336 2990, email info@billpeachjourneys. com.au or visit www. billpeachjourneys.com.au
DATES: 21–27 May 2017 COST: From $4895pp BOOKINGS: Find more detailed information and book now on the AG website: www.australiangeographic. com.au/travel/travel-with-us
DATES: October 2017 COST: From $4250pp INCLUSIONS: Return airfares from Sydney; local transfers; seven nights accommodation and breakfasts, lunches and dinners at Pinetrees Lodge; sunset drinks and afternoon teas; bushwalking activities BOOKINGS: Call Pinetrees on 02 9262 6585 or email info@pinetrees.com.au
TRAVEL PARTNER EXPEDITIONS KIMBERLEY COAST – WITH MIKE CUSACK 2017 WILL MARK the 30th anniversary of AUSTRALIAN GEOGRAPHIC ’s first ‘Wilderness Couple’. To celebrate, Mike Cusack will lead four Aurora Kimberley Coast expeditions. In 1987 Dick Smith chose Mike and his wife, Susan, to spend 12 months living off the
land in the Kimberley, and Mike will share his knowledge and adventurous spirit on these trips. Coral Expeditions I will lead you to the waters of the Indian Ocean, where you will enter one of our most exotic regions. Using Zodiacs, you’ll also visit sites accessible only by sea.
WHO: Aurora Expeditions DATES: Darwin to Broome: 2–12 June or 23 June–3 July Broome to Darwin: 12–22 Jun or 3–13 Jul. COST: From $7990pp BOOKINGS: Call 1800 637 688 or visit www.auroraexpeditions.com.au
SOUTH-EAST ASIA ADVENTURE A ONCE-in-alifetime adventure awaits on this AG Society expedition cruise from Manila to Darwin, escorted by AG Society host and photographer, Chris Bray. Explore the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysian Borneo. Discover the unique
ecosystem of Puerto Princesa, encounter Borneo orangutans and be intrigued by a fascinating overnight stay in Torajaland. On board, enjoy an allinclusive lifestyle and the services of an expert expedition team.
WHO: APT Small Ship Expedition Cruise DATES: 24 June–10 July 2017 COST: From $14,795pp, twin share. Limited availability. BOOKINGS: Call 1300 278 278 or visit www.aptouring.com.au/southeastasia
January . February 127
Discover Australia
Your Society Jan • Feb 2017
TRAVEL PARTNER EXPEDITIONS (CONT.) WHO: Odyssey Travel DATES: 19 September– 5 October 2017 (17 days) COST: From $9995 (twin share) BOOKINGS: Call Odyssey on 1300 888 225, email info@ odysseytravel.com.au or visit www.odysseytraveller.com.au
DINOSAURS OF ARGENTINA A SMALL group tour led by the editor of AUSTRALIAN GEOGRAPHIC, John Pickrell, to a series of important dinosaur sites and museums. This trip includes three days of fossil-dig activity and a visit to a brand-new titanosaur (possibly the largest dinosaur
ever discovered) at Trelew in Patagonia. This 17-day adventure gives you the chance to meet some of the top guides to and experts on Argentina’s palaeontological treasures. You will visit key sites and dig at the Lago Barreales Paleontology Center (Proyecto Dino).
WHO: Aurora Expeditions DATES: 21 June–8 July 2017 COST: 18-day Arctic Circle package from $9900pp BOOKINGS: Call 1300 076 131 or visit www.auroraexpeditions. com.au
ARCTIC CIRCLE FLY AND SAIL PACKAGE DISCOVER THE BEST of Scotland, Norway and Spitsbergen with this exclusive Arctic Circle package. Sail from Scotland’s rugged north through to Norway’s picturesque coastline, before crossing the Arctic Circle
and to reach the wildlife oasis of Spitsbergen, home to the mighty polar bear! Includes a 14-day Arctic Circle cruise, international airfares, accommodation and more. Book by 28 February 2017. Conditions apply.
WHO: Coral Expeditions DATES: Departs from Cairns year-round COST: From $1596 pp BOOKINGS: Call 1800 079 545, email cruise@coralexpeditions.com or visit www. coralexpeditions.com
BEST OF THE GREAT BARRIER REEF THERE’S NO BETTER way to discover the splendour of the Great Barrier Reef than with an expert marine biologist aboard a small ship cruise from Cairns, Queensland. Book any Coral Expeditions 3-night,
4-night or 7-night cruise before 31 March 2017, for travel right through to 30 June 2017, and enjoy two free nights at the Reef House in the picturesque village of Palm Cove. Conditions apply.
SPECIAL DISCOUNTS FOR SUBSCRIBERS Turn to page 110 to learn more about this trip!
T 10% DISCOUN AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM GET 10 per cent off entry to Spiders Alive & Deadly at the Australian Museum, Sydney. See more than 400 spider specimens and see live spider milking at the Venom Lab. Use code AUSGEO10 when booking online at: www.australianmuseum.net.au. Offer expires 16 July 2017.
128 Australian Geographic
R $250 VOUCHE
T 10% DISCOUN
T 10% DISCOUN
WINEGLASS BAY SAIL WALK EXPERIENCE
SOUTH AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM, ADELAIDE
AUSTRALIA ZOO – AS WILD AS LIFE GETS!
THE TASMANIAN Walking Company is offering a $250 Macpac voucher to any reader who books on the Wineglass Bay Sail Walk before the end of March (must travel before the end of November 2017). Mention AG when you book at www.wineglassbaysailwalk.com.au.
AG MEMBERS get a 10 per cent discount on entry to paid exhibitions. Offer ends 31 December 2017. Simply identify yourself as an AG reader at the ticket office. Visit the museum’s website for exhibition news: www.samuseum.sa.gov.au
AUSTRALIA ZOO, one hour north of Brisbane, is the home of ‘The Crocodile Hunter’, Steve Irwin. AG members get 10 per cent off the entry price by using the code AUSGEO10 when booking online at: www.australiazoo.com.au. Offer expires 31 December 2017.
From the field
Answer to Then and Now: The building pictured on page 27 is Melbourne’s Princess Theatre, VIC, shown today and in 1887.
Handsome hounds 62
OUTBACK OUTCAST
BOTTOM: DON FUCHS; TOP: JASON EDWARDS / Canis lupus dingo
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RITER AMANDA BURDON’S
earliest encounter with a dingo was on her first assignment for AG in Karijini National Park in 1994. She and photographer David Dare Parker became lost one night travelling back to camp and swore a dingo was stalking them. She’d seen dingoes on assignments in intervening years, but this meeting at the Australian Dingo Discovery and Research Centre, near Melbourne, was Amanda’s first close encounter (above). Lyn Watson (at right) has made dingo conservation her life’s work, running this centre for 30 years. “She took me into an enclosure with a dog named Snapple, who understands 23 commands. She was rewarding him with treats, and it was soon apparent how intelligent he was,” Amanda says. “I was struck by how handsome he was – his coat was thick and golden to withstand the harsh Victorian winter. And every movement was fluid and economical, not an ounce of energy wasted.”
Bird loving convert 98
FLIGHT OF FANCY
A
USTRALIAN GEOGRAPHIC’s
online editor, Gemma Chilton, arrived at Kakadu Bird Week in the Northern Territory as something of a fledgling birdwatcher. “The only binoculars I had were a pair of antiques that belonged to my late grandfather, complete with a red velvet-lined case,” she says. Thankfully, the tour guides had sportier spares to loan, so she could enjoy the incredible diversity of birdlife in Kakadu National Park. This birders’
paradise supports one-third of Australia’s bird species, including many migrants that use it as a stopping-off point on long journeys. This photo was taken on a sunrise boat tour on Yellow Water Billabong. “That morning was the point at which I was converted to birdwatching,” Gemma says. “It wasn’t difficult – I’ve always loved nature and wildlife, so packing – or borrowing! – a pair of binoculars and learning a bit more about the species you’re seeing felt like a natural next step.” January . February 129
PARTING SHOT
People power
W
E CAN OFTEN feel totally powerless to act or make a difference in the face of huge environmental problems, such as climate change or the degradation of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. But you’d be surprised at the difference that grassroots movements can make and I want to give you an example. One project I’m involved in, through the David Suzuki Foundation, is called the Blue Dot movement. The blue dot is Earth, based on the beautiful essay Carl Sagan wrote about the “pale blue dot”. We’re trying to get a constitutional amendment in Canada, because we want our constitution to say it’s every Canadian’s right to live in a healthy environment. Sounds like a difficult goal to achieve – and it is, but it’s not impossible. What exactly is a healthy environment? It means an environment with clean air, water, soil and biodiversity. It’s exactly what indigenous people across Canada – and Australia – have been fighting for, for their entire existence. In Canada we have two methods of getting a constitutional amendment. The first is to elect the right party that will go and actually enact the change if they get into power – and that’s the way most of our constitutional amendments have happened. But there is another way that has been tried a number of times, and only succeeded once. And that method involves getting grassroots support for an idea, which then manifests itself at the municipal level and then at the provincial level. Eventually, if you can get seven provinces, with more than half the population of the country to support
130 Australian Geographic
the idea, it then goes to the parliament in Ottawa and can then be passed into the legislation. So, two years ago, we kicked off this campaign for a healthy environment. In a solar-panelled bus, we began on the east coast and then planned a sevenweek tour across Canada. And the indigenous communities were right there as full partners in every place we stopped. And in our big metaphorical campaign tent, this isn’t just a bunch of greens and indigenous people – this is about all the people who care about the kind of world we live in. So those groups interested in hunger and poverty, they’re included in our tent. A starving person, for example, who comes across an edible plant or animal, is not going to think “oh I better check and see whether it’s endangered”. They’re going to kill it and eat it. I would if I was starving. So if you don’t deal with hunger and poverty, forget about the environment. These people are in our tent. Similarly, if you don’t have social justice, than you have more important priorities then worrying about the environment. If you’re fighting genocide, or terror or war, you’ve got other priorities. So those are all our issues too, and we broadened our tent to include groups all across the spectrum to come on the bus tour with us. Lots of musicians joined us at every
DAVID SUZUKI is an awardwinning scientist, broadcaster and environmentalist. He won the 2016 AGS Honorary Lifetime of Conservation medal.
place, including Gordon Lightfoot and Neil Young. We had the eminent author Margaret Atwood, and the Canadian Royal Ballet composed a piece and danced for us in Winnipeg. At first I said if we could get one community to pass local legislation for a healthy environment, then six months later our movement would have begun. Three weeks into the tour, we got the first city – Richmond, British Columbia, passed the right to a healthy environment. By the time we got to Vancouver, six communities had passed environment rights. When I left Vancouver, 143 municipalities had done so too. More than one in three Canadians now lives in a community with the right to a healthy environment. Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, the three biggest cities, all passed them. We are now working with the two biggest provinces, Quebec and Ontario, to enact the law at a provincial level, and I believe we’ve got a shot at actually having a constitutional amendment within the next couple of years. It’s interesting that, while many countries have a right to a healthy environment in their constitutions, the English-speaking nations – Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United States and Britain – do not. More than 20 years ago, France passed a right to a healthy environment, with very great public support – and that was under the conservative president Jacques Chirac. So I’m urging you as Australians that you might try to emulate this idea as a way of beginning to shift the conversation and enact real environmental change. It’s fundamentally needed. The time to act is now.
ILLUSTRATION BY BEN SANDERS; IMAGE: DAVID SUZUKI FOUNDATION
At the 2016 AG Society Awards, environmentalist DR DAVID SUZUKI gave a rousing talk about how ordinary people can effect real environmental change. Here’s an edited excerpt of what he said.
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