Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Aside from its dinosaur fossils, it is thought that the area is a playground for spinner
and snubfin dolphins, dugongs and breeding bilbies. Humpback whales breed and calve
along the coastline, and the rainforest backing the coast harbours a multitude of plant spe-
cies. Not least, this is traditional Aboriginal land. Negotiating a native title deed this size
would mark a historic achievement.
Keep your eyes peeled for the banded anteater, also known as the numbat. Tiny, light-footed and incred-
ibly shy, the numbat is a solitary creature who will venture outside its neatly delineated territory only to
find a mate. Singular dietary requirement: termites.
Elsewhere on the Land
But WA's environmental flashpoints are by no means limited to James Price Point. Aside
from climate change and greenhouse-gas emissions - issues not unique to WA, of course -
ground water has been utilised very freely for decades. Alternative water sources, using
desalination plants, have been in place for some time. Old-growth forests, with their thou-
sand- year-old karri trees, were logged until the 1990s. Today scientists cite lowered rain-
fall in the southwest as the result of deforestation. Other controversial sites slated for min-
ing include the Burrup Peninsula on the Dampier Archipelago, also the location of a mul-
titude of petroglyphs (rock art), archaeological wonders thought to date from the last ice
age. Although disruption to the works began in the 1960s, in 2007 Woodside had several
petroglyphs gingerly removed and fenced off in a separate area to better facilitate devel-
opment. Some argue that the works are not discrete: disruption of one petroglyph com-
promises the entire site. Elsewhere in the state, four uranium mines are under considera-
tion.
Head to Ningaloo Reef around April to June to swim alongside many-metres-long, remarkably docile
whale sharks.
Much like other major cities in Australia, Perth is subject to suburban sprawl. Because
the boom has driven much property development, the city now tails out across 100km,
densely studded with so-called affordable housing. The environmental effects of the life-
style out here are not immediately apparent but may nevertheless prove significant. Many
housing estates are divorced from public-transport routes, so people must always drive for
