Australian_Geographic_-_October_2015_

6 Australian Geographic

FEATUR ES

THE FLYING PADR E

Take to the air with the Uniting Church

pastor whose Central Australian parish is

bigger than many countries.

RISE OF THE R ATTLEWING

From desert to rainforest, our pigeons and doves

inhabit almost every corner of the continent – find

out what makes them so special.

THE LIGHT ON THE HILL

For almost a century, lighthouses have stood as sentinels

along the perimeter of Australia, where they have sent

out warnings and also harboured fascinating histories.

ISL AND FANTASY

Down the coast from the Whitsundays are the South

Cumberland Islands – nine low peaks once connected

to the mainland but now set adrift in the Coral Sea.

34

40

48

62

12 BIG PICTUR E

Unforgettable images

17 TOPOGR APHICAL

The International Date Line

19 NATURE

The world’s weirdest flower

20 HERITAGE

A dinosaur museum is born

22 NATURE WATCH

Native wattles in bloom

24 SNAPSHOT

Taxidermy at its best

27 SPACE

The secret US space shuttle

28 CONSERVATION

Reviving yellow box woodlands

31 PROFILE

A tribute to artist Bill Cooper

33 COMMENTARY

An evidence-based world

UP FRONT

THE LAND OF THE ANANGU

Come on a privileged journey into a remote part of

Australia where few outsiders have ever stepped, and

meet the locals saving the black-footed rock-wallaby.

72

AUSTR ALIAN GEOGR APHIC

SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER 2015

CONTENTS

IK AR A WILPENA POUND

Marking the highest section of the Flinders Ranges,

SA’s natural icon is a geological wonder and should

be on every Aussie’s must-see list.

82

YOU R

SOCIET Y

Meet the new AG Society

expert advisory panel,

who will help to shape

our efforts in 2016. p

Middle ground. Follow

Bunyeroo Valley Scenic Drive

towards SA’s awe-inspiring

Wilpena Pound (page 82).

Illuminati. Lighthouse

technology has changed

radically in the past

century (page 48).