Australian Geographic

I’M NOT A dog owner and my friends would probably say I’m not a dog lover either, but I do enjoy the sight of a working dog. When every other hound I seem to meet these days is a variation of designer “oodle” (and often part of a matching set), I’m still drawn to those long-established farm breeds such as the border collie, cattle dog and, of course, that icon of the bush, the Australian kelpie. These dogs are tough, super smart, loyal and hardworking, and through these qualities they’re a good reflection of their owners – Australia’s farmers. This is the third time a kelpie has been on the AUSTRALIAN GEOGRAPHIC cover, which is usually a hallowed space kept for Australia’s native creatures. In this issue, we visit the…

The beautiful green and golden bell frog is listed globally and nationally as vulnerable, and endangered in New South Wales. Once common throughout NSW and Victoria, this stunning amphibian has been heavily impacted by coastal development. It’s estimated that just 40 locations now exist where the frog continues to live in the wild, but these sites are under constant threat of land-clearing and development. At Conservation Ark – a dedicated reptile and amphibian facility in the grounds of Aussie Ark’s sister organisation, the Australian Reptile Park – the species is thriving. You can help support this insurance population against extinction by donating today. Please donate today via our website, or scan the QR code to go directly to our GiveNow page. SCAN THE QR CODE MAKE A DIFFERENCE. PLEASE DONATE TODAY Visit: australiangeographic.com.au/fundraising PHOTO CREDIT: ESTHER BEATON/AUSTRALIAN…

WHEN NINA WHITE was first contacted by AG’s picture editor, Nicky Catley, about shooting the Stinson Walk (page 74), she didn’t think twice about saying yes. “Was I fit enough for a 35–40km off-trail hike carrying a pack full of gear? Probably not,” went her internal dialogue. “But my mentality going into this job was ‘this WAS the hill I’m willing to die on’. I was going to complete the walk come hell or high water – literally.” The Stinson walk, organised by O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat, that writer Denise Cullen and Nina were set to complete, devolved into 14-plus hours of sodden, freezing, leech-encrusted, slippery suffering. “And I loved every second of it!” Nina says. “There were moments on the trail where I think all of us realised how genuinely dangerous…

Learning environment I’m a Chinese student on the Gold Coast. I haven’t got a good education or earned a degree yet, and my chance of earning a good living at home is minimal. But here in Australia, with better wages, I have more spare time to think about life, explore nature, improve my English and learn about Australian culture. I started in Melbourne in 2018 as a factory worker but moved to north Queensland and spent three years there. I loved farm life and the opportunity to work with plants and animals. I travelled to Cape York Peninsula, the Daintree, Kuranda and Babinda. Those experiences fostered my interest in Australian nature. Then in 2022, with my holiday visa expiring, I pursued a student visa for a college in Southport, supporting myself financially…

Ice shelf IN LATE 2022, I travelled to Antarctica aboard Le Commandant Charcot. As we navigated through the rough waters of the Southern Ocean, we caught sight of a towering mass of ice on the horizon. Drawing closer, we could see it was a tabular iceberg, one of the largest and most majestic ice forms in Antarctica. With a flat top and near-vertical sides, tabular icebergs are created when they break away from larger ice shelves. Seeing this one was a humbling reminder of the fragility of our planet. As the storm raged on, I watched the iceberg slowly drift away, its stark white surface contrasting sharply with the dark, turbulent waters. The iceberg was eventually swallowed by the storm’s darkness, disappearing into Antarctica’s icy wilderness – a moment of pure…

Coquettish cuttlefish The breeding ground of the Australian giant cuttlefish off the South Australian coast has been added to the National Heritage List. Every year between May and August, hundreds of thousands of this species congregate in a stretch of water known as the Cuttlefish Coast Sanctuary Zone – located off the Eyre Peninsula’s Spencer Gulf, to the west of Stony Point (see Where cuttlefish clutter, AG 162). In a stunning display of strobing colours and twirling tentacles, males showcase their best colours – or resort to scuffles with rivals – in a bid to attract females. The Cuttlefish Coast Sanctuary Zone is famed worldwide. Tourists flock to the nearby town of Whyalla each year to watch the migration spectacle and swim alongside the cephalopods. Since the SA government introduced a…