Oz Travel-Bytes #8

 (Dec 2000)
Once again it is greetings from the Travel Haven of Western Australia. Things are heating up over here as we begin our oh so hot Summer and with Christmas just around the corner Perth is packed to its capacity with eager Travellers, itching to discover this amazing continent. Let me let you in on a technique I use to extract how much research people have taken on before they come over. I mean lets face it, if you don't do any research you are only going to see ½ of what is here to see in such an ancient land. I always ask people how many of the 14 World Heritage Areas that exist in Australia can you name and how many Aboriginal Languages can you name. Ask yourself that question and it will give you a good idea of where you are at with your "Getting Prepared" stage of visiting Australia. Did you know there are over 250 Aboriginal languages in Oz with over 700 dialects? WOW, right.

Over the next couple of newsletters I am going to discuss all of the 14 World Heritage areas in Australia in the hope that it will assist you in the planning of your trip. That is to say if you can see all of these areas you can say you have really seen all Australia has to offer. Mind you the beer and the beaches are right up there with the best in the world and should not be missed. 

The World Heritage Organisation (WHO) is designed to protect areas on our planet that should be saved and cherished for present and future generations. It is governed by a branch of the United Nations called UNESCO, based in Geneva. Countries are invited to submit applications for world heritage status in many different categories be it natural, cultural, physical, historical etc etc. Today there are over 520 such areas on our planet and it is every travellers responsibility to see as many as possible while visiting foreign nations, not to mention in your own country. (Can you name your local ones?)

In Oz the 14 are as follows:

1) Great Barrier Reef
2) Kakadu National Park
3) Willandra Lakes Region
4) The Tasmanian Wilderness
5) Lord Howe Island Group
6) Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park (Ayers Rock& the Olgas are the White mans names OK)
7) Central Eastern Rainforest reserves
8) Wet Tropics of Queensland
9) Shark Bay Western Australia (Monkey Mia is part of this)
10) Fraser Island
11) Australian Fossil Mammal Sites (Riversleigh/Naracoote)
12) Heard and McDonald Islands
13) Macquarie Island
14) Blue Mountains National Park

I have spoken in depth about #2, 6 and 9 in past editions so if you want more info check out the last couple of editions. In this edition I am going to go through #1, #3, #10 & #8 as these are commonly visited areas for most Travellers in Australia. First is our greatest aquatic masterpiece,

The Great Barrier Reef.

The Great Barrier Reef is right up there with the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Ayers Rock as the most identifiable Australian icons and became inscribed to the World Heritage in 1981, one of the 1st in Oz. Visited by 100's of thousands of tourists and Travellers alike, it offers everything from spectacular diving, to white beaches lined with Tropical rainforest, to Aboriginal secrets from ancient eons. The Reef stretches from the tip of the Cape York Peninsula to Fraser Island, almost 2000 kms away, covering over 35 million hectares it is the world's largest heritage area and is the same size as Italy. One of the largest varieties of aquatic life is found on the reef, with over 1500 species of fish, 300 species of reef building coral, 4000 species of mollusc and 400 species of sponge. Protected animals such as the Loggerhead turtle and the humpback whale use the reef as a breeding ground as well The area holds important cultural significance as well with different Aboriginal group using the region over many thousands of years. Still today a trip to Lizard and Hinchinbrook Islands is an eye opener to the keen observer as well as examples of rock paintings on Stanley and Cliff Islands. A lot of secrets are now underwater and many anthropological are discovered by dive teams exploring the area. 
There are over 30 shipwrecks in the area giving divers the option to wreck-dive as well as enjoy the reef. Dive courses are offered for the novice all the way down the Queensland coast but can be expensive, as you have to live aboard the boat during the course. (Better to learn in West. Oz before you go, then you can explore the reef). All up it is impossible to say you have seen Australia without a trip to the World Famous Great Barrier Reef. It is also a great gateway to the next area………………..

Wet Tropics of Queensland

On the far North East coast of Queensland between the towns of Townsville and Cooktown you will find one of the few surviving Rainforests in Oz. Covering an area of around 894 000 hectares it is one of the largest rainforest areas in Australia offering superb scenery, rugged topography, fast flowing rivers, deep gorges and waterfalls all within reach of the keen traveller. Some areas such as the Daintree Valley offer the opportunity to observe a rare combination of Tropical Rainforest in the mountain summits to coral reef on the coast. This area is a haven for over 390 species of plant found in the area which are classified as very restricted and of these 74 are threatened. It also supports 25 species of very rare animals such as the Brush Tailed Bettong, Spotted Quoll and the famous Southern Cassowary. This is one of the few areas on our planet where it is possible to find a complete record of all major stages in the evolution of plant life on Earth. Of the 19 primitive Angiosperms (non-flowering plants OK) 13 are found here, with 2 confined to this region only. With 30% of Oz's Marsupial species, 17% -Reptiles, 48% -Birds, 58%- Bats, 26% -Frogs and 58% -Butterflies,  this is another essential place to visit in order to understand this vastly unique land. 

Fraser Island

Fraser Island is situated near Hervey Bay north of Brisbane in Queensland. At 120kms long and 
184 000 hectares it is the largest sand island in the world. It is an island that combines stark white beaches, rainforest and stunning sand cliffs with a uniqueness that can only be Fraser Island. The sand deposits, with dunes up to 240 metres, are a continuous record of climatic and sea level variation over the last 700 000 years, and is still evolving in a complex myriad of nature. It is the only place in the world where rainforest is found 200mts above sea level, and the plants that grow in the dunes have their own evolutionary history. Something like 350 species of bird are found here, some migrating from as far as Siberia and most species are found in abundance. The most pure strain of Dingo is found on the island but the only other mammals are bats. The Aboriginal name for the Island is K'Gari and their presence dates back over 5000 years. The Island was first discovered by Mathew Flinders in 1802 but was not named until 1836 when the Stirling Castle was wrecked here. A clash between the survivors and the locals left the wife of the Captain, Eliza Fraser as the only survivor and hence the white mans name. The Island is very popular with Travellers and tours can be done as guided or self drive 4WD tours.

Willandra Lakes

Inscribed in 1981, this area is 240 000 hectares of semi arid landscape mosaic. Comprised of dried saline lake bed plains vegetated with saltbush communities, fringing sand dunes & woodlands with grassy understoreys it is located in the Murray Basin in far South West New South Wales. This area is listed for both Natural and Cultural significance. Basically it is a series of dry lake basins varying in size from 600 to 35 000 hectares. These lakes date back to the Pleistocene epoch and over the last 2 million years have dried up and become increasingly saline. One layer of sediments indicates the presence of fresh water between 50 & 19 000 years ago. It is within this period that many archaeological sites have been found giving weight to many different theories on aboriginal occupation as well as giving us a detailed insight to the evolutionary path of our mega flora and fauna. One of the most significant finds was the remains of a cremated female as old as 26 000 years ago at a place called Lake Mungo. The remains of 55 animals have been found, 40 of which are no longer in the region and 11 of them are completely extinct. Once again a land full of mammals (22), Reptiles (40), and birds (137 mainly parrots and finches). If you are really into the scientific history of Australia this place is a gold mine.

So there we go, a brief on a few of the great destinations found in Australia from a World Heritage perspective. I hope you find this interesting and will endeavour to see as many as possible on your travels.

I know I said I would be continuing with the early explorers and I had a write up on Mathew Flinders all ready. Flinders was the first man to circumnavigate the great southern continent and was an amazing explorer and man but you will have to wait until next issue for a detailed look at him as I think this is enough. Besides I have beaches to surf and cold beer to drink as I watch the Aussie cricketers make a joke of the West Indies in the cricket during our long hot summer. EXCELLENT.

See Ya

Pete, Kev, Paul & Scott