Desert Landscapes
Australias Deserts are usually dry, hot and arid due to low rainfall and water evaporating quickly. But there are also cold coastal deserts.
Most deserts are sandy and barren rock, 20 percent of the earths deserts are made up of sand dunes and sandplains, but other deserts for example the Australian Desert is full of Spenifix and Acacia Shrubs.
Other deserts are also made up of large rocks which is made by erosion of sand, wind and water.
All of the Deserts in Australia are said to be subtropical, this is caused by hot air rising above the equator, then over the tropics where the moisture falls as rain, which then falls throughout the subtropical ranges.
Most deserts are sandy and barren rock, 20 percent of the earths deserts are made up of sand dunes and sandplains, but other deserts for example the Australian Desert is full of Spenifix and Acacia Shrubs.
Other deserts are also made up of large rocks which is made by erosion of sand, wind and water.
All of the Deserts in Australia are said to be subtropical, this is caused by hot air rising above the equator, then over the tropics where the moisture falls as rain, which then falls throughout the subtropical ranges.
Ayers Rock (Uluru)
Uluru was named Ayers Rock when first sighted by European explorer Ernest Giles, at the time he named it after the South Australian premier, Sir Henry Ayers in 1892. The name Uluru is a sacred part of the Aboriginal creation Mythology or dreamtime. Uluru is now one of Australias most featured natural icon. Uluru also has ancient paintings found within the caves, which is why it is so significant to the indigeous people.
Ayers Rock is a large sandstone, rock formation in central Australia (Northern Territory) It is located in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, 350km Southwest of Alice Springs. Ayers Rock is the sencond largest Monolith in the world. Ayers Rock is 318metres high and 8km around, it also extends 2.5km underground.
Uluru or Ayers Rock is known for appearing to change colour at different times of the day and year, generally glowing red at dawn and sunset.
Around 550million years ago (when Ayers Rock was formed) the formation shrank a little due to the fact that Rainwater flowing down the rock eroded away the sand, which caused it to change shape. Later on the whole area became covered in sea water, sand and rock washed away and covered the seabed. The weight of the seabed and sand formation turned it all into rock which then formed Ayers Rock.
There are many types of caves featured on the inside of Ayers Rock, they all look and are shaped differently. Beliefs are that they were formed by uneven flaky weathering or perhaps chemicals and water ate them away millions of years ago.
Ayers Rock is a large sandstone, rock formation in central Australia (Northern Territory) It is located in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, 350km Southwest of Alice Springs. Ayers Rock is the sencond largest Monolith in the world. Ayers Rock is 318metres high and 8km around, it also extends 2.5km underground.
Uluru or Ayers Rock is known for appearing to change colour at different times of the day and year, generally glowing red at dawn and sunset.
Around 550million years ago (when Ayers Rock was formed) the formation shrank a little due to the fact that Rainwater flowing down the rock eroded away the sand, which caused it to change shape. Later on the whole area became covered in sea water, sand and rock washed away and covered the seabed. The weight of the seabed and sand formation turned it all into rock which then formed Ayers Rock.
There are many types of caves featured on the inside of Ayers Rock, they all look and are shaped differently. Beliefs are that they were formed by uneven flaky weathering or perhaps chemicals and water ate them away millions of years ago.
Great Dividing Range
The Great Dividing Range is Australias most significant mountain range, also being the third longest in the world, the highest being Mt Kosiusko in the Australian Alps which is 2.228metres high.
The Great Dividing Range extends along the east coast of Australia, it is hundreds of kilometres long. It travells through the coasts of Melbourne, New South Wales, Queensland and parts of Victoria, then extending through Tasmania. These mountains and ranges seperate the central Australia from the coast of Australia.
The Great Dividing Range formed around 80million years ago when the Tasman Sea formed.
The Range is stretched around 3,500kilometres from the Northeasten tip of Queensland, then travelling through New South Wales and Victoria before finishing in the central plain of the Grampians in Western Victoria. The width of the range is approximately 160km-300km.
The Great Dividing Range was onced formed some 3million years ago when Australia collided with parts of South America and New Zealand, ever since it has had significant amounts of erosion, mountain tops then turned into islands and many animal species became extinct, and led to many different features in the animals that still existed.
The Great Dividing Range was once owned by Australian Aboriginal tribes, they have left behind decorated caves, camp sites and many trails. In 1788 Europeans settlers came to Australia and British setters then took over the Great Dividing Range. The Great Dividing Range is also a home to many plants and animals that nolonger exist anywhere else on Earth. It also features Australias longest rivers and highest mountains,
The Great Dividing Range extends along the east coast of Australia, it is hundreds of kilometres long. It travells through the coasts of Melbourne, New South Wales, Queensland and parts of Victoria, then extending through Tasmania. These mountains and ranges seperate the central Australia from the coast of Australia.
The Great Dividing Range formed around 80million years ago when the Tasman Sea formed.
The Range is stretched around 3,500kilometres from the Northeasten tip of Queensland, then travelling through New South Wales and Victoria before finishing in the central plain of the Grampians in Western Victoria. The width of the range is approximately 160km-300km.
The Great Dividing Range was onced formed some 3million years ago when Australia collided with parts of South America and New Zealand, ever since it has had significant amounts of erosion, mountain tops then turned into islands and many animal species became extinct, and led to many different features in the animals that still existed.
The Great Dividing Range was once owned by Australian Aboriginal tribes, they have left behind decorated caves, camp sites and many trails. In 1788 Europeans settlers came to Australia and British setters then took over the Great Dividing Range. The Great Dividing Range is also a home to many plants and animals that nolonger exist anywhere else on Earth. It also features Australias longest rivers and highest mountains,
Nullarbor Plain
The Nullarbor Plain is the worlds largest limestone Karst covering an area of 270,000 square kilometres. Around two thirds of the Nullarbor is partially in Western Australia and another third in South Aaustralia.
The Bunder Cliffs and Great Australian Bight border the Nullarbor Plain to the south and the northern border is the Great Victoria Desert.
The Nullarbor environment is filled with bluebush and saltbush plants and shrubs.
The main uses of Nullarbor is a wildlife conservation, indigenous peoples hunting, cultral events and adventure tourism.
Thousands of years ago European settlers were determined to cross Nullarbor Plain. Edward John Eyre made this crossing safely and was the first to ever successfully cross the plain in 1841.
The name Nullarbor Plain comes from the latin meaning 'no trees'.
The Nullarbor plain was created approximately 25million years ago when it emerged from the sea, prior to that it had been the seabed. The seabed and large amounts of sand then eventually created the limestone. The Nullarbor plain is the longest straightest stretch of road in Australia.
The Nullarbor Plain is covered with many caves that feature Aboriginal paintings inside the caves.
The Bunder Cliffs and Great Australian Bight border the Nullarbor Plain to the south and the northern border is the Great Victoria Desert.
The Nullarbor environment is filled with bluebush and saltbush plants and shrubs.
The main uses of Nullarbor is a wildlife conservation, indigenous peoples hunting, cultral events and adventure tourism.
Thousands of years ago European settlers were determined to cross Nullarbor Plain. Edward John Eyre made this crossing safely and was the first to ever successfully cross the plain in 1841.
The name Nullarbor Plain comes from the latin meaning 'no trees'.
The Nullarbor plain was created approximately 25million years ago when it emerged from the sea, prior to that it had been the seabed. The seabed and large amounts of sand then eventually created the limestone. The Nullarbor plain is the longest straightest stretch of road in Australia.
The Nullarbor Plain is covered with many caves that feature Aboriginal paintings inside the caves.
