Australia - Hannah Robinson

Australia is the only country in the world where every major stage in the earth's evolution can be witnessed through 'living fossils'. You step through time by experiencing Australia's stunning arid lands, tropical rainforests, palm grottoes, heathlands, island havens, and marine sanctuaries. But Australia doesn't stop there: the wildlife is brimming with unusual ways to survive an unrelenting environment where rain comes about once per decade. Check out the Thorny Devil, a reptile that slurps dew from its feet into the corners of its mouth through a surface network of microscopic aqueducts. Or the beautiful flowering Banksia that provide their nectar with essential amino-acids so their pollinating Honeyeaters don't need to waste time hunting high-protein food elsewhere. This book shows eco-travellers what to look for and why, plus how to get the best experience at each destination. From the Great Barrier Reef to the Queensland Wet Tropics, Ayers Rock to Sydney and the Blue Mountains, Hannah Robinson helps you find human-sized birds, understand the local geology, and much more. Travel destinations include many World Heritage sites. Resources included in the book will help you make the most of any visit. There are lists of wildlife guides, safaris, nocturnal expeditions, and dive companies; descriptions of walks and hikes from a half-hour to nine days in length, plus rafting trips and more; wilderness lodges, cabins, and starlit accommodation information.