Australian Geographic

At precisely 1.05pm on 15 February, after working every day for the previous 2797 days, Bruce Elder finally finished his ambitious Aussie Towns web project. From this he creates AG’s Aussie Towns series (page 128). He began on 20 June 2013, and durin

I WAS 10 WEEKS into fieldwork driving from Adelaide to far north Queensland sampling sites for native Australian bees in February 2019, when I made a discovery that took my breath away. Like most mornings, I’d been up sampling early, this time along

Your magazine finds its way very promptly to your antipodes here on the other side of the world, and is always well received. AG 161 (March–April 2021) excelled: every item – from features to news snippets – was well written and illustrated. From ins

Peter on Twitter: @_peterrowland and Instagram: @_peterrowland EVEN FROM A distance most bird species are readily distinguished by bold markings, distinctive colours and overall size and shape. But some are very similar to others and key identifiers

THERE WAS NOTHING unusual about Irish peasants resisting forced evictions from their homes in Ireland in the 18th and 19th centuries. Such scenes were common during England’s protracted and bitter occupation of its island neighbour. That similar batt

ONE OF THE BEST regions in Australia for observing and photographing night skies is Central West New South Wales, where there are fewer clouds and less light pollution than at coastal and city destinations. The ideal time to experience these crystal-

AFTER FEDERATION IN 1901, Australian cities embraced the possibilities presented by a new century. Sydney in particular had outgrown many aspects of colonial settlement. Slums were demolished and streets reconfigured due to unsanitary conditions expo

Nautilus tentacles are not used for movement but have a sensory function to detect carrion and other food and to manipulate bits of food towards the central mouth. They can be fully retracted into sheaths. Lacking suckers, the tentacles don’t have a

The town of Laura is an important hub for people from Cape York Peninsula and home to one of Australia’s most significant collections of rock-art. It’s also the venue for a world famous celebration of Aboriginal culture – the Laura Quinkan Dance Fest

If your kids or grandchildren are nature lovers and obsessed by rescued bats, protected platypuses, meteor showers and survival stories, Australian Geographic Explorers is perfect for them. It’s made for 8-12 year olds who want to be inspired and lea

WHAT KIND of wingless creature can fly for more than 1000km nonstop, at an altitude higher than 4.5km? Amazingly, it’s a spider. This story begins on 31 October 1832, a hot and relatively calm and clear day on Charles Darwin’s voyage aboard HMS Beagl

WHAT DO astronomers see when they look beyond our Milky Way galaxy? More galaxies. Many more, in fact: the latest estimate of the total number we can observe is 200 billion. Many of these massive star systems are enormous distances away, correspondin

Spider crabs congregate, Port Phillip From late May to mid-June thousands of giant spider crabs gather to to moult, shedding their protective exoskeletons in the waters o. Melbourne. You can snorkel to see them from the piers at Rye or Blairgowrie on

x1 In recent years the media has made popular the word “supermoon”, when the Moon is full within about one day of its closest approach to Earth, so that it appears slightly larger than normal. This is neither particularly noticeable or rare, with fou

IN FEBRUARY THIS year, as part of the triennial arts festival of the National Gallery of Victoria, huge photographic portraits were carried across the dry plains of the Menindee Lakes area by members of the local community as a drone camera captured

The AG Society offers you a chance to hunt for rare opalised fossils. Guided by experts, you’ll discover new specimens for the Australian Opal Centre’s world-leading museum collection. Enrich your knowledge of opals and gems, opalised fossils and opa

WE ARE THRILLED to announce the return of the prestigious Australian Geographic Society Awards. We suspended the awards process and gala event last year due to COVID-19. As activities have resumed and people have been able to travel more freely we kn

Dugongs need clean seas and healthy seagrass beds, but are often forced to live with the impacts of human activities such as pollution from coastal developments. The health and habitats of these marine mammals face increasing threats. In the hope of

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT WAS abolished in Britain in 1965. However, as was common knowledge in 1980s schoolyards, one could still receive the death sentence for four particular offences: piracy, treason, espionage and one other that no-one could ever remem

THE SMALL WOODEN door slides slowly upwards. Snow pokes out her sleek head, takes two determined and graceful hops forward, then spreads her tawny wings, flashing a brilliant white chest, and with just a few powerful beats, is away. Free. Snow, a whi

As a subscriber you automatically become a member of our charitable foundation the Australian Geographic Society, which supports conservation, scientific and environmental research, community projects and Australian adventurers. In The Classic Austra

AMONG THE WILDFLOWERS OF the West Australian bush, wonders exist that baffle the mind and inspire the imagination. Hidden beneath native grasses, carnivorous flowers glue-trap their prey, liquefying hapless insects from which they absorb nutrients. O

“It was Christmas, and I was in alpine tundra,” recalls Dana, now head of Biodiversity Conservation with the Australian Antarctic Division’s Environmental Protection Program. “Everything should have been greening up. The cushion plants there go brown

THIS WILDERNESS route leads you through jarrah forests, karri thickets and tuart bushland ribboned with walking trails where the eagle-eyed will spot numerous species of graceful orchid. Wend through historic Jarrahdale and hike to Serpentine Falls,

Subantarctic tundra Antarctic desert These 19 Australian ecosystems are already collapsing, due to concurrent human pressures, overlaid by the impacts of climate change. It’s warned that taking no action is highly likely to lead to total and irrevers

“They’re little terns, and they’re endangered,” says Frances Bray, who has been advocating for birdlife on and around the lake for three decades. “We have 40–50 birds and about 14 breeding pairs this season so far. I can take you in for a closer look

EACH YEAR ALONG the Eyre Peninsula’s Spencer Gulf in South Australia, visitors usually arrive from around the globe to see one of the marine world’s greatest natural spectacles. Just a 38km drive from the industrial and shipping town of Whyalla, in a

Jervis Bay Territory was created in 1915 so the ACT would have access to the sea. Archaeological evidence of Aboriginal occupation in the Shoalhaven dates to more than 20,000 years ago. ■

The Northern Territory’s Red Centre is the epitome of ‘outback’ in all the ways that term conjures up – vast desert country, sprawling and ancient mountain ranges, secluded waterholes, rich Indigenous culture. What some visitors may not know is that

You’ll need a 4WD with low-range gearing and high clearance. It’s also advisable to travel with more than one vehicle, in case you become bogged or suffer a mechanical breakdown. If travelling solo, be confident in your self-sufficiency and vehicle-r

PHOTO CREDIT: STEVE STRIKE; Photo by Steve Strike ■

MORE AUSSIES than ever will be hitting the road in search of adventure in this year of COVID-induced domestic travel. Sometimes that road may be a dirt or desert track such as the Finke River 4WD Route, and many drivers will be handling the condition

Travelling with Australian Geographic inspires people to care about the planet by providing meaningful opportunities to explore it. Our travel experiences are rich in nature and adventure, and our travel partners specialise in hard-to-reach places an

ON THIS TOUR you’ll help with wildlife surveys on rarely visited islands at Ningaloo Reef, swim with whale sharks (March) or humpback whales (September), count endangered rockwallabies, and cruise Exmouth Gulf searching for dugongs and dolphins. Part

JOIN state-of-the-art expedition ship Coral Geographer on this Australian Geographic partner voyage. Experience the region’s spectacular landscape, rich history and unique food experiences. Here, sweeping beaches and idyllic seaside towns meld into s

IMMERSE YOURSELF in the Wet Tropics’ rich bounty of birds on this unique tour. Stretching from Townsville to Cooktown, and encompassing approximately 9000sq.km of rainforest interspersed with farmland, rivers, tropical savannah, coastline and coral c

THIS NORTHERN AUSTRALIAN birdwatching tour covers iconic areas such as Uluru and Watarrka NP in central Australia, Darwin and Kakadu NP in the Top End, and the Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Area of far north Queensland, including a reef tr

Explore the lush farming district of Gloucester, the pristine wilderness of the magnificent World Heritage-listed Gondwana Rainforest region of Barrington Tops, and picturesque Nelson Bay. Quaint country towns, meandering rivers, fresh mountain air a

• Sea snakes • The Snowy Valleys • Cocos (Keeling) Islands • Rock lobster fishery • Diving the Reef SUBSCRIBE TO AUSTRALIAN GEOGRAPHIC at australiangeographic.com.au or call 1300 555 176 Out early July While waiting for your next issue, get your dail

WHILE EXPLORING AUSTRALIA by helicopter in the 1980s, Dick and Pip Smith spied some unusual rock patterns along the Trans-Australian Railway line. Further investigation (for a story in AG 14) led to speculation these may have been World War II prison

Join Tim Faulkner for a unique hands-on experience with this breeding program for the Tasmanian devil and eastern quoll in the beautiful Barrington Tops of NSW. You’ll see devils up close as you help with feeding and monitoring individuals. There’ll

Q6 1 To what famous surname do the first names Abel and Janszoon belong? 2 The black house, funnelweb and garden orb-weaving are species of what? 3 In which Australian language does “murr-ma” mean “to walk along in the water searching for something w

ONE OF THE first official tasks tackled by Prime Minister Scott Morrison this year was to change one word in our national anthem: “young and free” became “one and free”. Other prime ministers also made updates. Bob Hawke changed “Australia’s sons” to

WE SEEM TO take it in our stride that millions of wild kangaroos are harvested annually, mostly for meat for human consumption and pet food. But after the Black Summer bushfires killed or displaced billions of native animals, and the drought that con

CAIRNS IS THE GATEWAY to far north Queensland, a wildlife enthusiast’s paradise and the only place in the world where two World Heritage areas exist side by side. The Wet Tropics World Heritage Area is rich in biodiversity; it has 2800 plant species

RAVENSTHORPE IS A town where an affection for wildflowers is evident the moment you arrive. An enormous mural detailing different flowering stages of Baxter’s banksia (Banksia baxteri) – a species found only between Esperance and Albany – has been pa

NIGHT HAD FALLEN on the new penal settlement north of Sydney town. It was June 1812 and its name, Newcastle, had just been proclaimed – or rather, borrowed from the coal port in northeastern England – as the permanent replacement for the earlier titl