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George Burnett - is a proven High Quality Spice Merchant of 16 Years! "HERE"
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Your Pictorial Web Site containing 1,120 Pictures of; |
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| PICTORIAL AUSTRALIA | ||||||||||||
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| Designed and Constructed by George Burnett of Hervey Bay Queensland, 4655 Australia | ||||||||||||
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| Birds of Prey | Blue Mountains | Cape York | Eastern Forests | |||||||||
| Esperance | South West | Tropical Fish | Flinders Ranges | Flora | ||||||||
| Fraser Island | Gippsland | Gulf Country | Insects | Kakadu | ||||||||
| Kangaroo Island | Mount Gambier | Nocturnal | Open Country | Other Birds | ||||||||
| The Outback | Parrots | Philip Island | Pilbara | Pinnacles | ||||||||
| The Red Centre | Reptiles | Sea Animals | Sea Creatures | Snowy Mountains | ||||||||
| Tasmania | Water Birds | Wetlands | Wild Flowers | Wild Life | ||||||||
| Wilson Promontory | Whales | Backpacking | 4 Wheel Drive Hire | My Links | ||||||||
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| This web site is still under construction, please return. I will complete all names and details of pictures as soon as possible, thank you for visiting, George Burnett | |||
| The Red Centre Page 1 | |||
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| Introduction |
| The Red Centre features prominently in
the Aboriginal Dreamtime, the ancient landscape containing numerous sacred
sites. There are still areas that are virtually untouched and unknown,
along with others that are famous all over the world, like the giant
monolith Uluru (Ayers Rock). Iron particles in the desert sand have
produced a predominantly red coloured soil, the barren looking land being
transformed only when good rains fall, allowing tiny plants to shoot up
and streams to flow. This timeless countryside contrasts dramatically with
the fertile fringe of Australia. Aboriginal art and culture is vividly represented in the primitive rock carvings to be found here, along with beautiful paintings and other traditional artefacts. In 1976 the Aborigines commenced a complex battle to protect their traditional lands in Central Australia, as the pressure from pastoralism, mining and tourism increased. In 1985 a milestone was achieved when the Uluru/Kata Tjuta Land Trust accepted title to Uluru National Park on behalf of the traditional owners. There were many early attempts to explore the centre of the Australian continent, sparked by rumours of a vast inland sea. Famous explorers undertook mammoth treks of considerable hardship, only to be beaten by desert and drought, amongst them Captain Charles Sturt and Ludwig Leichhardt. On 22nd April 1860, John McDouall Stuart became the first European to reach and name the geographic centre of Australia Central Mt. Stuart. In the same year Burke and Wills set off on their epic and tragic journey from Melbourne to the far north and in 1873 William Gosse became the first white man to climb Uluru. Camels were the main mode of transport in those days, being far better suited to the harsh terrain than horses or bullocks, and the 1880s and '90s saw large shipments of the animals and their Afghan handlers arrive at Port Augusta, Fremantle and Port Hedland. Most of the camels brought to Australia were used as pack animals for carrying heavy loads over vast distances. For more than fifty years camel trains were the accepted method of transportation to the isolated pastoralists and mining ventures, returning to the coast with baled wool and mineral products. Today there are an estimated 25,000 feral camels in Australia, descendants of those beasts of burden who were released into the wild once they were no longer required. Feral camels also form the basis of a thriving trade to the Middle East. The climate is one of the Centre's best attractions, with clear blue skies and sunny days for most of the year. The hottest period is December to March when the temperatures remain in the '30s and '40s. But the way of life is geared to the heat and with less than 40 rainy days per year there is limitless opportunity for many outdoor sports, festivals and social events. From Uluru and the mysterious domes of Kata Tjuta, from the beautiful gorges and tranquil waterholes of the MacDonnell Ranges to the colourful desert plains, the Red Centre is a place where time appears to have stood still, an experience that will remain in your memory for a long time. |
| Alice Springs |
| The original Alice was a waterhole
discovered in 1871 by William Mills, while he was surveying for the
Overland Telegraph Line. Located halfway between Adelaide and Darwin,
Alice Springs now is the major town of the Red Centre. The name of the town became well known when Neville Shute wrote "A Town Like Alice" which, although a work of fiction, has helped give many people an insight into life in the Australian Outback. The nearby Pitchi Ritchi Sanctuary was developed by Leo Corbett to preserve the wildlife of Central Australia. The grounds also contain the work of artist William Ricketts, whose life-size sculptures interpret Aboriginal mythology and his reverence for life. On the road to Ross River is Corroboree Rock, a large isolated outcrop of dolomite, once an important storehouse for Aboriginal sacred objects. |
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| Along the way |
| Lying south of the road leading to
Uluru, Mount Conner is a flat-topped mountain some five kilometres long,
two kilometres wide and standing 244 metres above ground level. The
mountain is believed to be considerably older than Uluru and Kata Tjuta.
Dreamtime legends talk of the mountain as the former home of the Ninya or
Iceman. The ice creatures dropped ice from their bodies as they walked
along and this became ground frost, the deep cracks that form in the soles
of Aborigines' feet said to be caused by treading on this ice. It is
interesting to note that furrows in some coarse rocks indicate that they
were in fact embedded in ice during a glacial period. Discovered in the late 1920s the Henbury Meteorite Craters are of considerable interest since few meteors ever manage to penetrate the ionosphere, most burning up in the atmosphere as they meet increased air resistance. The craters at Henbury are thought to have been formed about 5,000 years ago when a single meteor split in the air and several of its fragments hit the ground. |
| Finke River |
| Believed to be around 250 million
years old, the Finke River rises in the MacDonnell Ranges and meanders 690
km south-east to the western fringe of the Simpson Desert. From 1860 until
1929 when the railway reached Alice, the Finke River was one of the main
routes from the south into the Centre. It usually only runs for two or
three months of the year following seasonal rains, and the rest of the
time is no more than a string of waterholes, the dry river bed being used
as a road at many places. Once every ten years or so, after particularly
heavy rain, the river floods - like at Easter 1988 when 40 centimetres of
rain poured down in 24 hours, the ensuing flood cutting Alice Springs off
from the south. Chambers Pillar is a distinctive natural landmark made of sandstone measuring 33 metres high and six metres wide. |
| Flora |
| Apart from the lush growth around
waterholes and permanent springs, plant life in the Centre has had to
adapt to the fact that there is very little rainfall. Surprisingly, there
are a number of fragile blooms - such as the delicate Sturt's desert rose,
the pink parakeelya and the white blennodia - that favour climatic
extremes. Stately ghost gums, desert oaks and mulga trees also break up the barren looking landscape, providing shade and protection for birds and animals. |
| Kata Tjuta |
| Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) are made up of
thirty-one individual domes or boulders. They cover an area of thirty
square kilometres and are fashioned in a semi-circle protectively
surrounding a central valley. Mount Olga is the tallest dome at 546 metres above the surrounding plain and 1072 metres above sea level. There are many narrow valleys between the domes and the well hidden waterholes provide a haven for desert wildlife. Only a few domes can be climbed easily as most walls are nearly vertical. Mount Olga can be climbed by experienced climbers, however their intention to do so must be registered with the Rangers' office beforehand. Spring is the most pleasant time to visit Kata Tjuta when one is likely to pass carpets of beautiful wildflowers. |
| Kings Canyon |
| One of the most interesting and scenic
areas of the Centre is found at the western end of the George Gill Range,
within the Watarrka National Park. Situated 325 km south-west of Alice
Springs, Watarrka is one of the most important botanical areas in Central
Australia. Almost 600 plant species have been identified, including rare
and relict plants from the lush gorges. Over thousands of years the tiny
Kings Creek has eaten away at massive sandstone beds to produce Kings
Canyon, with its tropical vegetation, waterholes, unusual rock formations
and sheer walls rising 100 metres. Permanent springs have created the luxuriant growth of the `Garden of Eden', the waterhole here being deep, crystal clear and cold. To reach the Garden one must climb to an eerie place at the top of the Canyon, aptly called "The Lost City" - an extensive area covered with rock domes, terraces and crevices. Arrows point the way to vantage points offering breathtaking views. Although the watercourse from Kings Canyon was discovered by Ernest Giles in 1872, there were very few visitors in the area until the early 1900s when graziers came, forcing Aborigines out of the sacred canyon they called Watarrka after the acacia trees growing there. The canyon itself remained deserted for another fifty years. |
| Palm Valley |
| The Finke Gorge National Park covers
an area of 46,000 hectares, including the famous Palm Valley, best known
for its population of the rare palm Livistona mariae. The lush plant
growth in the valley seems to point to the theory that the dry interior
was once, many, many years ago, a moist, subtropical land with a high
rainfall. Palm Valley was once a popular camping ground for the Aranda
tribes, where young Aborigines used to be involved in rituals at
Initiation Rock. Not far away is the Hermannsburg Mission built by Lutheran missionaries in 1877. These pioneers were a vital influence on local Aborigines for many years, including the artist Albert Namatjira, whose paintings so brilliantly captured the magnificence of Central Australia. |
| Ross River |
| Some 75 km east of Alice Springs is
the land of the Ross River region. Horse-riding, camel-treking or
bushwalking are all good ways to explore some of the surrounding
countryside. Nearby scenic spots include N'dhala Gorge, which has rock carvings thought to be very primitive in origin. Trephina Gorge is an ideal place for a picnic or camping with many excellent shady sites beneath the large river red gums. There is abundant wildlife to be found if you keep a sharp watch, including the colourful Port Lincoln parrots, mistletoe birds, the western thrush, as well as dingoes, wild donkeys, lizards and euros. The Emily and Jessie Gaps Nature Park covers an area of nearly 700 hectares and has two permanent waterholes and some good Aboriginal paintings on the eastern wall of Emily Gap, which you may have to swim to, depending on the season and the size of the waterhole. |
| Uluru |
| One of the most famous natural wonders
in Australia is Uluru (Ayers Rock), situated 350 kilometres west of Alice
Springs. The world's largest monolith, its massive proportions make a
stark contrast with the flat desert surrounds. Uluru is 348 metres high,
3.6 kilometres long, 2.4 kilometres wide, 8 kilometres in circumference,
and is thought to be 600 million years old. The colour of the rock appears
to change continuously according to the season, humidity, weather and the
angle of the sun. The most powerful reds and golds are captured at sunrise
and sunset. Steeped in ancient Aboriginal mythology, Uluru means Meeting Place and is the sacred home to the many dreamtime legends which are depicted in paintings and carvings around the rock. Various people came to Uluru National Park to study the Aborigines, wildlife and the geology of the area and, although these early visits were made up of long treks by horse and camel, between 1930 and 1946 twenty-four names had already been recorded on the summit of the rock. Sight-seeing flights began shortly after the Second World War. The diverse wildlife of the area includes kangaroos, euros, hopping mice, dingoes and perenties, but among the most remarkable are the tiny shield shrimps. These animals inhabit pools on top of the rock and have the capacity to lay eggs which remain dormant in dry sand until rain comes. They are believed to have existed on the rock for 150 million years. While gazing at the impressive size of Uluru, it is worth remembering that what we see above the ground is just a small fraction of what must be under the surface, some geologists believing that the roots go down more than 6000 metres. |
| Wildlife |
| Desert wildlife must cope with extreme
temperatures, unreliable rainfalls and the possibility of long periods of
drought. The native animals have adapted to these conditions, many having
in-built systems to help ensure their survival. Frogs, for instance, store water in their bodies, bury themselves underground and can wait long periods for rain. Hopping mice can survive without drinking at all and even kangaroos and euros can live through very hot summer months with very little water intake. The largest bird of the Centre is the emu, which measures up to two metres when fully grown, and one of the most intelligent animals is the dingo, a solitary hunter that rarely travels far from its home base. To see any of the desert animals one needs to keep a sharp look-out at dawn or dusk when they come out to feed in the cooler temperatures, as many species are shy, well camouflaged and therefore difficult to spot. Camels For fifty years camels were indispensable as a means of transport in the Centre until the Ghan railway and the motor vehicle arrived. Today Australia is the only country in the world where one-humped camels live in a wild state and they are a common sight in the National Parks. Camel safaris are a great way for the more adventurous visitor to get a taste of the romantic outback and varied treks are available, from a short ramble along a river bed to a longer trek lasting about fourteen days. Camels have a lifespan of fifty years or more. After a gestation period of nearly one year, a camel normally gives birth to one calf. A camel's hump consists of fibrous tissue and fat and is a built-in energy reserve for conversion when required; therefore a disappearing hump strongly suggests that the camel has been through lean times. |
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Business
Cards, Web Page Design & Hosting Internet Marketing; Computer Software Upgrades; Sales & Service; Computers; Monitors; Accessories; New or Used; DVD & CD Burning; Scanning; Secretarial Services; Digital Photography; Computer Tuition Working in Association with; Bay City Electronics, Shop 8, Focal Point, 19 Taylor Street, Pialba Qld 4655, near Corner of Torquay Road. Q4655 (Ph: (07) 4124 6015 By Appointment Only Ph: (07) 4124 8687 Mobile: 0422 297 925 E-mail: georgewhale@yahoo.com |
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| George Burnett, Webmaster, Unit 3, 327 The Esplanade | |
| Scarness, Hervey Bay, Queensland 4655, Australia | |
| Web Site Design, Marketing, Promotion, Scanning, | |
| Video Capture, CD Burning, Data, Music, Entertainment, Computer Backup, | |
| TV, Video Capture, Business Cards, Computer Upgrades, Repairs, Computer Tuition | |
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| Phone: (07) 4124 8687 - Mobile: 0422 297 925 |
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| R. G. Sprake & Co. Real Estate at it's Best! | ||
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| Hervey Bay Office: | Ph: 07 41246200 | Email Hervey Bay Office |
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