A stand of Black Box trees marked the flood line, where an eternity before a rare flow had reached just far enough to unlock their seeds. The creekbed is the low point of the park. Ridges of sand rise away, typically reaching 15 meters. Viewed as a panorama, the landscape is a drab monotone. Yet over those few meters of altitude, an enormously complex environment illuminates itself in its details.
Eucalypts are everywhere.
The tall examples, the Red Gum and Black Box trees, never stretch beyond where the waters might some day return. But their brethren seek a toehold where never a drop of moisture will reach. The scubby mallee eucalypts look like poor relations. Tangles of sticks rise directly from the soil, slender leaves clinging in clumps. Slowly distinct personalities unveil themselves, revealing a fascinating diversity within this arid zone.