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The 100|Backtonature
SWIMWITHGIANT
There’ssomethingutterlycounterintuitiveabout
jumpingintotheoceanknowingthatyou’llbeatthe
mercyofnine-metrelong,seven-tonnebeasts.But
minkewhalesaregentlegiantsandwilltolerateyou
floatingintheirpresenceinaweattheirmassive
torpedo-like,streamlinedbodies.Severaloperators
includingSilverSeriesandSpiritofFreedomruntrips
outtotheGreatBarrierReeffromPortDouglasand
Cairnsrespectivelytoswimwiththewhales,
somethingthatisdoneinpartnershipwiththeGreat
BarrierReefMarineParkAuthorityandJamesCook
University’sTheMinkeWhaleProjecttolearnmore
abouttheirmigratorypaths,feedinghabitsandother
behaviours.Youdon’tneedanydivingqualificationsto
swimwiththewhales–justtheabilitytoholdyour
breathwithasnorkel;you’llbeholdingontoalineoff
thebackofaboatandit’stotallyuptothewhalesasto
howcloseanencounteryou’llberewardedwith.SEE ONE OF OUR MOST CAMOUFLAGED DENIZENS
There are some Australian icons of the animal kingdom you’d be forgiven for
accidentally stepping on, such is their ability to melt into the landscape with incredible
powers of camouflage. It’s for this reason that you’d also be forgiven for payinga
visit to the Alice Springs Desert Park, 10 minutes’ drive from Alice, to admire them
for yourself. Take the thorny devil, a curious reptile that looks like a prickly bit of
shrub slowly moving across the desert. Its ochre, brown and cream patterning isa
reflection of the surface of the sun-baked deserts it inhabits, making it very hardto
spot for a passing snake, or budding reptile photographer. Alice Springs Desert Park
also has some rare desert dwellers like the bilby and brushed-tailed bettong, but the
highlight is possibly the native desert garden, revealing all the surprising colour you
can find when the desert is in bloom. Take a tour with an Indigenous guide to learn
how the Arrernte people have been living here for thousands of years.
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DINO FOOTPRINTS
Australia has a wealth of incredible dinosaur footprints, their
strides lasting signatures from a lost world. Here the top three
sites in the country to let your imagination run wild picturing
the magnificent creatures they belonged to.- LARK QUARRY CONSERVATION PARK, QLD: Head to the
Dinosaur Stampede National Monument, 110 kilometres from
Winton, which preserves the footprints of a dinosoaur
stampede, the only such example you can see in the world. - MILANESIA BEACH, VIC: In aptly named Dinosaur Cove, you’ll
find small, three-toed tracks in a sandstone block, accessed via
the Great Ocean Walk en route to the 12 Apostles. - ROEBUCK BAY AND CABLE BEACH, WA: Take a tour with
Broome Hovercraft out to impressive prints belonging to huge,
diplodocus-like plant-eaters that become exposed at low tide;
plus marvel at the sets on Cable Beach (plaster cast pictured).