Australia
"There is that Australia, a sort of parody, or rather a defiance of universal laws in the face of the rest of the world!" - Grimard, botanist.
In 1606 a Spanish navigator Quiros discovered another unknown land beyond Portuguese Great Java and named it „Australia de Espiritu Santo” – „Southern Land of the Saint Spirit”, which was already inhabited by natives of Indonesia for 48, 000 years. Many travellers, Dutch and Portuguese mostly, have visited Australia since this discovery, which they all considered an island. They gave its shores, sea gulfs and straits their own names and the names of their national heroes. That’s how Gulf of Carpentaria, Bass Strait, Torres Strait, Van Diemen Gulf, Ashmore and Cartier Islands and many other names were born. In 1779 the sadly known for his communication with cannibals James Cook attended Australia and produced an idea of turning this huge island into a British colony and to move here a part of overcrowded British prisons population. It seemed to be a good idea because of, first: no opportunity to run away from this natural prison and, second: a phenomenon of Australian climate, which, as British considered, affects human beings in especially positive way. A famous geographer character Paganel in the novel „In Search of the Castaways” tells that it is a special air structure full of oxygen and meagre of nitrogen, plus lack of moist winds which affects both body and personality this way. However, time showed that the magic air was not always doing its job. Later first volunteer immigrants began to fill Australia in hope of better lands and better luck in the new place: some of them succeed. In 1850 the gold beds were discovered here, and running for wealth, new and new colonists filled the continent, mistreating the natives and destroying their social structure and lifestyle forever. In the end Australian natives were evicted into the dry inland, where these who managed to survive dwelled in impoverishment and humiliation. Australia itself became a British agricultural and natural resources donor.
However, natural resources here are rather ambivalent: excellent mineral resources, good conditions in the valleys and plains in the Eastern and South-eastern parts of the country, and vast dry and deserted areas in the middle. Australia is the driest continent on the Earth, and every live being tries to avoid direct sun rays: even eucalypts turn their leaves with the edges towards the sun; this is why they often don’t cast any shadow. The largest Australian lake is Eyre saline that breaks in many smaller lakes during dry season. Most rivers don’t have bridges over them since there is no use: when it’s raining, water washes away everything, including any sort of constructions; in the dry period when also our expedition is going to be there, there is no need in a bridge to cross a river. Quite a weird system regarding vast groundwater resources; however, it is a difficult to reach them at the depth of almost two kilometres. Yet, it is the only opportunity to get at least a drop. These waters are often hot and mineralized. The biggest groundwater reserve Great Artesian Basin looks like a bowl in crosscut, a bowl where the waters are flowing down from the Eastern and Western walls and accumulates in the middle of the continent. Locals have their own water fun: since there is no water in the rivers, the teams are carrying the boats on their shoulders down by the dry river valleys - creeks.
Nowadays, Australia is divided in seven provinces, of which one is Tasmania Island, and the other six are strictly lined, as if someone has been using a liner and a pencil, not taking in regards either local climate or rivers onflow or borders of mountains and deserts or population habits. Division of Africa had the same style that obviously it has raised religious and ethnic conflicts.
It’s no surprise to anyone that summer and winter are timely antipodes to the ones in Europe, or with the most unique animals in the world, 75 percents of which dwell on this continent only; hence, it will be our team which is going to broadcast live about local flora and fauna they will meet on their free way through Australia. The trip will begin in Darwin, them our motorcyclists are going to cross the Barkly Tableland: main sheep-breeding centre of the country, a typical tableland covered with savannas, river head-waters or rather creeks during this time of the year. Later, the red Macdonnel Ranges will alter the scenery. This is where Alice Springs town, scrub embosomed, is located; it is the only inhabited place within thousand kilometres around and probably the last town our travellers are going to see before Melbourne. Alice Springs was established as a point, necessary for the telegraph installation. Lone location does not stop the life in town: for instance, air school”, based on TV and radio broadcasting is available to its kids. As the last test our team is going to cross the Simson Desert, where intraday temperature can vary from +57oC daytime to -5oC at night.
Yet, after having all the difficulties mastered, a fresh ocean breeze will flow and the tall towers of Melbourne, the happy ending point of our trip, will glance at our voyagers over the Great Dividing Range.