Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Away from the wetlands, birdwatchers will need to put in more time and effort, as the
birds of the dry desert regions are generally more mobile, only visiting waterholes for a
quick drink before disappearing into the void. The waterholes of the MacDonnell Range
can teem with colourful and noisy zebra finches and budgerigars only to be abandoned a
few minutes later. Keep an eye out for emus near the road around Coober Pedy - even at
the hottest time of the day!
ABORIGINAL LAND MANAGEMENT
For more than 50,000 years Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have oc-
cupied the full range of environments within Australia. Indigenous people have suc-
cessfully utilised and renewed the country, using an accumulated intimate know-
ledge of the land, and have implemented innovative management regimes with tra-
ditional customs to keep the country healthy and productive.
Through this long-term use and occupation, indigenous people developed an in-
timate understanding of the environment including the flora and fauna, and the en-
vironmental conditions. This knowledge was crucial for long-term survival in a land
that can be harsh and uninviting at the best of times. The land has always nurtured
and provided for indigenous people, through meats like kangaroo and emu or ve-
getables like yams and sweet potatoes. However, the land means a great deal more
than that - it also provides spiritual strength. Through storyplaces (where special
Dreaming events occurred) and Dreaming tracks throughout the landscape, our at-
tachment to land provides us with our identity - where we come from as Aboriginal
people, who we are, where our land is, our languages and our social structure.
The land is all important. However, with invasion many Aboriginal people were
denied access to their land - they were killed, dispersed or taken away to Aborigin-
al missions. This has had a variety of effects on Aboriginal people, including separ-
ation from family, loss of identity and the myriad social problems that accompany
these things, such as alcohol abuse and unemployment.
Nevertheless, Aboriginal occupation and day-to-day use have been, and in many
places continue to be, significant factors in maintaining the landscape. Firestick
farming (burning off) is a well-documented technique Aboriginal people used to re-
new and manage the land. In most areas burning off the country with fire was, and
in some areas continues to be, an annual occurrence. In the north of Australia it is
carried out at the beginning of the cool Dry season. Firestick farming serves two
main purposes. One is to decrease the chance of a bushfire by reducing the veget-
ation build-up after a wet season. This vegetation could be fuel for a major fire. Se-
condly, fire is used to clear the country and encourage new growth. This new
growth attracts wildlife such as kangaroos and other species, which are drawn to
nibble on the soft, new shoots that sprout after the fire.
