Great Victoria Desert, Australia - The Largest Desert In Australia Great Victoria Desert, Australia The Largest Desert In Australia Great Victoria Desert About the Great Victoria Desert Size and Location The Great Victoria is the largest Australian desert. Its size is 424,400 km2 (163,900 miles2) according to most sources (though I've seen anything between 348,750 km2/134,655 miles2 and 250,000 miles2). If the last number is correct then the Great Victoria Desert in Australia is the third largest desert in the world, after the Sahara and the Arabian Desert. If the first number is correct it would still make it to number eight on the list, followed by the Great Sandy Desert . Two Western Australian deserts in the top ten... I didn't go out and measure. Either way the Great Victoria Desert is the largest desert in Australia. It spans over 700 km/435 miles from west to east, with the western part of it belonging to Western Australia, and the eastern part extending into South Australia. It can take several days to cross this desert, but more about that later.

On the borders of the Great Victoria Desert you find... more deserts. The Gibson in the north, the Little Sandy Desert to the north-west, the Nullarbor Plain in the South, and the Tirary and the Sturt Stony Desert to the east. Australia is a dry country once you leave the coasts. No wonder people always talk about "the Outback desert" (which I guess sums up all the Australian deserts...). Return to top History The Great Victoria Desert in Australia was first crossed by the European explorer Ernest Giles in 1875 and named after Queen Victoria. David Lindsey's expedition crossed the area from north to south in 1891. Lime Juice Camp is named to remind us of one of their mishaps: it was there that the party decided to have a celebration and open their supply of lime juice. It was mixed with whiskey and water in a galvanized tin, with the result that everybody became rather sick with zinc poisoning. Ah well... The next explorer to leave his mark was Frank Hann, who was looking for pastoral lands and for gold in the area between 1903 and 1908. He named a few more places and features.

And last but not least there is the famous Len Beadell. He worked as a surveyor for the Australian army, and surveyed and build roads in the 1960s. If you read any of the many books he wrote about his time in the Great Victoria Desert then you can guess that the Anne Beadell Highway (named after his wife) is not exactly a highway... Return to top Climate The Great Victoria Desert receives only little rain, though not as little as one might suspect for a desert. The rainfall range is 200 - 250 mm a year, but the rain is unreliable. Southern parts receive some winter rainfall, further north the only water source are thunderstorms. And they are isolated and unpredictable. The days in summer are hot, anything between 30 and 40°C (90 - 105F), but the dry heat is not as uncomfortable as the humid swelter of tropical Australia. Winter temperatures range from a comfortable 20 to 25°C, but the nights can be freezing. And I do mean freezing, frosts are common. Return to top Environment Many people hear the word desert and expect endless sand dunes, or barren stony plains without vegetation.

The Great Victoria Desert looks nothing like that. It's called a desert because there is little rain, not because it is dead or boring. The amount of vegetation may surprise you. Australia has always been a dry continent, and the plants are well adapted to living with very little water. Not only marble gums, mulga and spinifex grass thrive here. You will find a huge variety of shrubs and smaller plants. When it does rain the transformation is total. The desert bursts into bloom seemingly over night. Fields of wildflowers, accentuated with flowering grevilleas and acacias, yellows, whites and mauves against the red sands... I was lucky enough to cross the Great Victoria Desert after a big rain. The sight of the blooming desert is something I will never forget. (And the fact that I didn't have a camera on the trip is something I will never forgive myself...) But even without any rain the Great Victoria Desert is a sight to behold. Rocks and ranges, caves and gorges, bluffs and breakaways... and wildlife, wildlife, wildlife. But there are concerns also. Increasing tourist traffic may lead to habitat degeneration. And introduced feral animals are already impacting negatively. Donkeys, camels, rabbits...

Chances are you'll see them, and they don't belong here. Travel in the Great Victoria Desert Individual Travel If you want to travel in a remote area like this you need to be thoroughly prepared. Have your four wheel drive vehicle checked over, make sure you carry adequate supplies of fuel, water, spare parts, recovery gear and tools, and a satellite phone or HF radio in case something goes very wrong. Get a very detailed map, and find out about the condition of the roads before you leave. Having said that, just crossing the Great Victoria Desert is not that difficult, provided you stick to the main road. If you are prepared and have some common sense you shouldn't have any problems. It can even be done in a two wheel drive. With great care! (But there are several alternative tracks, side tracks and round tracks that are well worth exploring, and they require a bit more experience and preparation...) The most common route simply follows the Great Central Road from Leonora via Laverton and Warburton to Ayers Rock ( map ). This road is sometimes referred to as the "new" Gunbarrel Highway. Len Beadell's original Gunbarrel Highway starts further north in Wiluna and most of it is no longer maintained.

It was realigned, and the new road renamed, in the seventies. (There are even plans to upgrade this road as a part of the "Outback Highway", an all weather road through the centre of Australia that connects the east coast with the west coast.) You will be passing through Aboriginal lands. If you want to leave the main route you need to organize the required permits in time. (Find more information and application forms at the WA Department of Aboriginal Affairs and the Central Land Council in the NT). Fuel and supplies are available in Leonora, Laverton, Warburton, Warrakurna, Docker River, and of course at Yulara/Ayers Rock. The longest stretch between supply points is between Laverton and Warburton: 560 km. Make sure you carry enough fuel to allow for whatever may happen. It's amazing how much more you use in deep sand, or when you try to get yourself out of a bog, or when you check out that little side track up that hill, to that cave someone mentioned... It doesn't hurt to have extra. That should be it.

Have a great trip :) Tour Travel I'm sure there are tour operators taking people into the Great Victoria Desert, along the Gunbarrel Highway etc. I'll find out more and let you know. Aboriginal people of the Great Victorian Desert - Australian Geographic BUY NOW CARLENE STILL HAS A young, round face and quick smile. In the cool pre-dawn light the small campfire beside her casts a welcome glow. It is one of a dozen or so family fires that dot this crest of red sand in the Great Victoria Desert. The scene is timeless. For at least 15,000 years, Carlene’s kin have been hunting and camping in this country. This has always been their land. This is the home of the Spinifex People. We’re 10km north-west of Tjuntjuntjara, Western Australia, arguably the most remote community in the nation. The nearest town of note is Kalgoorlie, 570km to the south-west. For the Spinifex People, or the Pila Nguru, this place is anything but remote. They sense every bristle and fold of the land as if it were their own skin.

In its fickle way the desert offers food, water and shelter. More importantly, it thrives with spiritual knowledge and ancestral law. These people haven’t endured in spite of their isolation but because of it. To find out more about the Spinifex People, grab a copy of issue 116 (Sep/Oct) of the Australian Geographic journal. RELATED ARTICLES Friends of the Great Victoria Desert - About the GVD About the GVD About the GVD The Great Victoria Desert (GVD) is not even near Victoria. It was, however, named after the same queen by the explorer Ernest Giles in 1875. The GVD is the largest dune desert in Australia, covering 350,000 square kilometres (35 million hectares). It straddles the South Australia / Western Australia border, stretching more than 700 kilometres from west to east. It experiences low rainfall which averages around 200 mm to 250 mm per year, but the rains vary greatly from year to year.

The desert is surrounded by arid areas - the Gibson Desert to the north, the Tirari and Sturt's Stony Desert to the east, the Nullarbor Plain to the south and Western Australian mallee scrub to the west. The GVD is very sparsely populated and it supports virtually no farming. It's central area has never been grazed and is infested by few weed plants. Some recent mining activity has taken place. Dry as it is, the GVD includes some remarkably diverse areas. Its Mamungari Conservation Park is one of twelve World Biosphere Reserves in Australia. This means that, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the Mamungari park has both high biodiversity and legal protection from exploitation. In 2007, UNESCO had identified 529 biosphere reserves in 107 countries. Travellers familiar with the Simpson and other sandy Australian deserts will find an almost bewildering variety of plant life in the GVD. The trees are particularly spectacular - see our Plants web page. For animals, the GVD acts as a corridor which connects the mallee areas of eastern and western Australia.

Aboriginal people have used the Great Victoria Desert area for at least 24,000 years. A number of Aboriginal groups in the GVD and surrounding central Australian areas form the 'Western Desert Cultural Bloc' which has a common base language and an agreed social structure of long standing. Extended usage of the GVD proper was generally restricted to post-rainfall periods and the groups moved frequently to take advantage of what the land had to offer. Highly specialised water finding, collecting and storage systems were developed. The development of tracks and the availability of vehicles and supplies have now allowed several permanent Aboriginal communities to be established in the desert. Fast Facts Area: 35,000,000 hectares. Rainfall: Erratic and unpredictable. Thought to average 150 mm in the south to 200 mm in the north per year, but there are no weather stations within the desert proper. The summer rains are generally heaviest as they come from the intrusion of tropical systems from the north. Evaporation Rates, on the other hand, vary from 3 metres in the south to 4 in the north!

Temperatures: Daily maxima are from 30 to 45 degrees Celsius in the summer (15 to 25 in the winter). At night, the winter temperature can drop below zero as any field trip participant will tell you. Winter is nevertheless highly recommended as the season to travel. Birds: 123 species have been recorded in the eastern GVD. See our Animals web page Visitors: Entries in the Visitors' Book at Voakes Hill Corner indicate that, between 1987 and 1993, visitor numbers trebled and vehicle numbers doubled. Mamungari Conservation Park: Most of the Friends' work to date has taken place in Mamungari. In 2004 the park, formerly known as the Unnamed Conservation Park, was handed back to the Maralinga Tjarutja people of Oak Valley. The Park was renamed Mamungari Conservation Park on November 30, 2006. The park is now managed by a co-management board. In general terms, the meaning of Mamungari is 'a place of harmful spirits'.

Atomic Bomb Tests: Between 1953 and 1957, the British exploded nine atomic bombs in the GVD - two at Emu and seven at Maralinga. The largest was the 26.6 kiloton Taranaki test at Maralinga on 9 October 1957. Up to 600 additional 'minor' tests involved the explosive scattering of highly toxic 'dirty' materials like plutonium, uranium and beryllium. Several local Aboriginal families were severely affected by the tests and the true extent of the health problems associated with contamination over a much wider area is difficult to quantify. Service personnel who were deliberately exposed to the tests have died. Massive cleaup operations have been undertaken with varying degrees of success. The Friends have travelled to some of the 'ground zero' test markers during field trips, but camping in the area is not recommended. More Information Mark Shephard's excellent book, The Great Victoria Desert, is a mine of information on the Desert's natural history, traditional Aboriginal usage, European exploration, atomic tests, tracks and more. Unfortunately, the book is now out of print, but you may be able to get it from your library.

Travel Information The Great Victoria Desert area, showing the South Australian parks in which we work. Please don't try to get there using this rough map. Travellers should buy good quality, up-to-date paper or digital maps. The Mamungari Conservation Park is shown here as the "Unnamed" Conservation Park, which indeed it was. A trip to the Great Victoria Desert is not to be undertaken lightly. Thorough vehicle preparation is essential. Several permits are required to cross the South Australian section of the desert. There are no services. Visitors and their vehicles must be properly prepared and carry sufficient equipment, and spares in case of emergencies. All food, water and fuel must be carried making allowance for high fuel usage, detours and delays. All vehicles should be fitted with a UHF radio. At least one vehicle within each group should be fitted with an HF radio or satellite telephone. Reduce tyre pressures and engage 4WD to prevent damage to both vehicles and desert tracks. Information on permits, vehicle preparation, roads, etc may be found on the Department of Environment Water and Natural Resources website pages. ExplorOz maintains a regularly updated website on road conditions Australia-wide. The Anne Beadell Highway and the Voakes Hill Track are included.

Numerous websites have information on vehicle preparation, 4WD skills, training, recovery gear and the like. You might like to start at ExplorOz . The Tracks - Click on an image to enlarge it The Corrugated Anne Beadell Highway. Near Serpentine Lakes. Detailed Map of Australia - Nations Online Project Map Index ___ Detailed Map of Australia Australia is all in one, a country, a big island, and the smallest continent. With an area of 7,617,930 km² it is slightly smaller than continental USA (without Alaska ), it is the sixth largest country in the world with only about 23.8 million inhabitants (in 2015). Map is showing mainland Australia and neighboring countries with international borders, state boundaries, the national capital Canberra, state capitals, major cities and towns, main roads, railroads and international airports . Australia's general geographical features. There are three distinctive physiographic regions, from east to west are the East Australian Highlands, the Interior Lowland Basins also known as Central Lowlands and the Western Plateau.

Two thirds of continental Australia consists of the Western Plateau, 2.7 million km² of arid or semi-arid land, about the size of Argentina , covers large parts of Western Australia, South Australia, and the Northern Territory. Much of the Great Western Plateau is almost uninhabited desert in diverse configurations, the spinifex dominated Great Sandy Desert, the rocky Tanami Desert, the gravel-covered Gibson Desert which has also red sand plains and some isolated salt-water lakes, and Australia's biggest desert, the Great Victoria Desert. East of the Gibson Desert lies Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park with Australia's most famous natural icon Uluru , also known as Ayers Rock. South of the Great Victoria Desert and north of the Great Australian Bight lies the Nullarbor Plain a semi-circular, flat and in large parts treeless arid region, nearly twice the size of Cuba . In the northern part of Western Australia located is Kimberley, a region with steep-sided mountain ranges and a tropical monsoon climate, the region was named after the Kimberley diamond fields in South Africa . You are free to use this map for educational purposes, please refer to the Nations Online Project.

Bookmark/share this page One World - Nations Online All Countries of the World East of the Western Plateau lie the Central Lowlands, the country's fertile basins with the Great Artesian Basin (GAB), one of the largest artesian groundwater basins in the world and the Murray-Darling Basin which is Australia's largest river systems. Lake Eyre in the Lake Eyre Basin is the terminal point of the great continental drainage system and the largest lake in Australia (on the rare occasions when it is filled). Even if Australia is the flattest continent, there are the Eastern Highlands, also known as the Great Dividing Range. The Eastern Highlands are a vast mountainous region featuring Australia's "Alps". The mountain range separates the narrow fertile eastern coastal plains from the rest of the continent, the Outback. The Eastern Highlands are running along the entire length of the country's eastern seaboard (length: 3,500 km (2,175 mi)). All major cities Australia's are located in this part of the country. Highest point is Mount Kosciuszko, located in the south eastern corner of the country.

With an elevation of 2,228 m (7,310 ft) it is Australia's highest mountain. The world's largest reef system the Great Barrier Reef is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The reef is composed of over 2,900 reefs and 900 islets and islands stretching for over 2,600 kilometers (1,600 mi) north-east of the continents eastern seaboard. The Great Barrier Reef covers an area of approximately 344,400 km² (133,000 sq mi).

Map of Australia Map shows the location of following Australian cities and towns: Adelaide, Albany, Alice Springs, Alyangula, Andamooka, Ararat, Armidale, Aurukun, AyrIngham, Bairnsdale, Balladonia, Ballarat, Ballina, Balranald, Bamaga, Barcaldine, Barkly Homestead, Barunga, Batchelor, Batemans Bay, Bathurst, Bega, Benalla, Bendigo, Biloela, Birdsville, Blackall, Blackwater, Bordertown, Borroloola, Boulia, Bourke, Bowen, Brewarrina, Brisbane, Broken Hill, Broome, Bunbury, Bundaberg, Burnie, Busselton, Cairns, Canberra, Carnarvon, Ceduna, Central Coast, Charleville, Charters Towers, Clare, Clermont, Cleve, Cloncurry, Cobar, Coffs Harbour, Collarenebri, Collie, Collinsville, Coober Pedy, Cooktown, Corfield, Corrigin, Cowra, Cunnamulla, Dalby, Dalwallinu, Daly River, Darwin, Denham, Denili

quin, Denmark, Derby, Devonport, Dirranbandi, Dongara, Doomadgee, Dubbo, Dysart, Echuca, Elliott, Emerald, Esperance, Exmouth, Fitzroy Crossing, Galiwinku, Gatton, Gayndah, Geelong, George Town, Georgetown, Geraldton, Gilgandra, Gladstone, Glen Innes, Gold Coast, Goondiwindi, Goulburn, Grafton, Greenvale, Griffith, Gunnedah, Gununa, Gympie, Halifax, Halls Creek, Hamilton, Hawker, Hay, Hermannsburg, Hervey Bay, Hobart, Horsham, Hughenden, Innamincka, Innisfail, Inverell, Ivanhoe, Jabiru, Jerramungup, Kadina, Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Kalkarindji, Kalumburu, Kambalda, Karratha, Katanning, Katherine, Katoomba, Kellerberrin, Kempsey, Kingaroy, Kingscote, Kingston SE, Kojonup, Kowanyama, Kulgera, Kununurra, La Grange, Lajamanu, Lake Grace

, Lancelin, Launceston, Laverton, Leigh Creek, Leinster, Leonora, Lightning Ridge, Lismore, Lockhart River, Lombadina, Longreach, Mackay, Malbon, Mandurah, Maningrida, Manjimup, Mareeba, Margaret River, Marree, Maryborough, Meekatharra, Melbourne, Merredin, Middlemount, Mildura, Miles, Millicent, Moe, Monto, Moora, Moranbah, Morawa, Moree, Mount Gambier, Mount Barker, Mount Isa, Mount Magnet, Mudgee, Murray Bridge, Naracoorte, Narooma, Narrabri, Narrandera, Narrogin, Newcastle, Newman, Nguiu, Ngukurr, Nhulunbuy, Normanton, Norseman, Northam, Northampton, Nowra, Numbulwar, Nyngan, Oenpelli, Onslow, Oodnadatta, Orange, Ouyen, Pannawonica, Papunya, Paraburdoo, Parkes, Perth, Peterborough, Pine Creek, Pingelly, Port Augusta, Port Douglas, Port Hedland, Port Lincoln, Port Macquarie

, Port Pirie, Portland, Proserpine, Queanbeyan, Queenstown, Quilpie, Ravensthorpe, Renmark, Rockhampton, Rockingham, Roebourne, Rollingstone, Roma, Sale, Scone, Shepparton, Singleton, Smithton, Southern Cross, Springsure, St George, St Marys, Stamford, Streaky Bay, Sunshine Coast, Surat, Swan Hill, Sydney, Tambo, Tamworth, Tara, Tarcoola, Taree, Taroom, Telfer, Tennant Creek, Thargomindah, Tom Price, Toowoomba, Townsville, Traralgon, Tumby Bay, Tumut, Tweed Heads, Ulladulla, Ulverstone, Victor Harbor, Wagga Wagga, Walgett, Warburton, Warrnambool, Warwick, Weipa, West Wyalong, White Cliffs, Whyalla, Wilcannia, Wiluna, Windorah, Winton, Wollongong, Wongan Hills, Wonthaggi, Woomera, Woorabinda, Wudinna, Wyndham, Yamba, Yaraka, Yarr

alin, Yarrie, York, Young, Yuendumu, Yulara.

Administrative Regions, the States of and Territories of Australia The Commonwealth of Australia is a union of six states and various territories (abbreviation in parenthesis). States and territories of mainland Australia: New South Wales (NSW), capital: Sydney Northern Territory (NT), capital: Darwin Queensland (QLD), capital: Brisbane South Australia (SA), capital: Adelaide Tasmania (TAS), capital: Hobart Victoria (VIC), capital: Melbourne Western Australia (WA) capital: Perth The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, capital: Canberra , is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia. (see also: Administrative Map of Australia ) Australia shares maritime borders with: Deserts of the World | The 7 Continents Deserts of the World Types of Pollution Deserts of the World Deserts cover about one-third of the Earth’s land surface area. But the deserts of the world are much more than just the sandy, lifeless dunes of storybooks. The deserts found on Earth are extremely diverse, each unique in their own way. The dunes of the Saharan Desert, the icy tundra of Antarctica, and the Pacific coastline of the Atacama Desert are all deserts.

That is right; they are all scientifically classified as deserts despite their differences. But it is quite simple, really, as they all share one common trait that qualifies them as a desert region: they all receive less than 10 inches (250 mm) of rainfall a year. Because of the diversity of deserts under this definition, they have been split into sub-regions: Sub-Tropical Deserts, Cool Coastal Deserts, Cold Winter Deserts, and Polar Deserts. Deserts of the World Map Deserts of the World Quick Jump Menu Gobi Subtropical Deserts of the World Sub-tropical desert regions are responsible for a significant portion of land on this planet. These regions are characterized by mostly warm to very hot temperatures with cooler winters. These areas tend to be landlocked and receive extremely low amounts of rainfall. The temperature usually fluctuates widely just during the course of a day, moving from extremely hot to cold in a matter of hours. These deserts tend to have very few plants and animals, and those that remain have adapted to the coarse, dry soil and the ever-present wind. Return to Top Sahara Desert Of the deserts of the world, the Sahara Desert is the largest desert that falls into a sub-tropical climate.

The Sahara covers most of northeastern Africa which is about 10% of the continent. It is nearly as large as the United States in terms of land area. It can take upwards of a week to cross this desert by car and more than 40 days walking! Though the Sahara is expansive, it is technically is the 3rd largest desert after Antarctica and the Arctic. The Sahara extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Mediterranean in the north to the Red Sea in the east. There are 10 countries in Africa that have some part of their nation in the Sahara desert. The Sahara has some of the largest sand dunes in the world. Some can reach nearly 600 feet (183 meters) tall. Though movie productions may have convinced us otherwise, only one-fourth of the Sahara terrain is actually comprised of sand dunes. The average temperature in the Sahara is a comfortable 86°F (29°C), but can reach as high as 120°F (49°C) in hottest months of the year. If that isn’t hot enough for you, the record temperature was reported at a steamy 136°F (58°C)!

Return to Top Arabian Desert The Arabian Desert is named after its location as it makes up nearly all of the Arabian Peninsula, which includes the countries of Qatar, Yemen, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. In the center of the Arabian Desert, you will find Earth’s largest area of unbroken sand called Rub’al-Khali. The rest of the desert is made up of gravel plains and rocky hills. It also includes natural occurrences of the notorious and lethal “quicksand.” The Arabian Desert borders the Nile River Valley on its west side and the Gulf of Suez on the eastern end, which makes it essentially surrounded by water on all sides with the exception of the northeast corner that connects it with the Asian continent . Return to Top Kalahari Desert The Kalahari Desert is unique among the subtropical deserts. It happens to get significantly more rainfall and support more diverse life than its counterparts. It receives nearly double the rainfall (5-9 inches annually) of the Arabian and Sahara desert, yet portions of the Kalahari still meet the definition of a desert in terms of rainfall. It covers most of the African nations of Namibia, Botswana, and portions of South Africa.

The Kalahari is approximately 600 miles (966 km) wide and 1,000 miles (1,609 km) north to south. Within the expanse of the Kalahari Desert, you will find the Central Kalahari Game Reserve – the second largest protected area for wildlife in the world. Return to Top Mojave Desert The Mojave Desert can be found in the southwestern United States covering portions of southern Nevada and southeastern California. The Mojave Desert contains the infamous Death Valley, known for being the lowest point, driest location, and hottest area on the North American continent . The weather there is characterized by extreme heat and cold. It can drop below freezing and exceed 75°F (23°C) in a single day. The record high for the Mojave is 134°F (57°C). The record cold temperature reached was 15°F (-10°C)! Return to Top Sonoran Desert The Sonoran Desert is located in the southwestern part of the United States reaching into northwestern Mexico. It is the hottest desert in the North American continent with air temperatures consistently rising above 118°F (48°C).

The Sonoran Desert is a vast expanse of over 100,000 square miles (259,000 square km) of area. It also happens to host an extremely diverse lineup of wildlife. There are over 65 mammals, 340 birds, 100 reptiles, and 2,500 species of plants across the region. The Sonoran Desert is the only place in the world you can find a naturally occurring Saguaro Cacti, which can live for over 200 years! Return to Top Chihuahuan Desert The Chihuahuan Desert is the largest desert in the North American continent. It has a land area of over 390,000 square miles (1,010,095 square km) across the southern United States (30%) and Northern Mexico (70%). The Chihuahuan Desert reaches into Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico in the US and Chihuahua, Durango, Coahuila, Zacatecas, and Nuevo Leon in Mexico, which accounts for approximately 1.5% of the land area on the North American continent.

It is considered a “rain shadow desert,” which means that mountains that lay on the outskirts of the desert block much of the precipitation from entering. This area is renowned for its high diversity of cacti with over 300 species found in within its boundaries. Return to Top Thar Desert The Thar Desert is also known as the Great Indian Desert and lies in the northwestern part of India – predominantly in the Royal Rajasthan states. It is the 7th largest sub-tropical desert and the most sparsely populated region in India. Even so, the Thar Desert is the most densely populated desert in the world. Because of the increase in population in the area, the Thar Desert is home to a series of festivals every year which are celebrated with music and dance. The desert is uniquely home to five salt water lakes that mark the landscape. Return to Top Australian Deserts Australia is home to a wide range of desert areas due to its unique geographical features and climate. Two-thirds of the Australian continent is considered arid or desert, which makes the continent the driest on Earth after Antarctica.

When you consider all the deserts of the world, Australia does not have the largest desert areas, but they do have the most desert areas of any continent when compared to the total continental surface area. There are 10 different deserts on the continent of Australia. Many are adjoining and some even overlap. They include the Great Victoria Desert, Great Sandy Desert, Tanami Desert, Simpson Desert, Gibson Desert, Little Sandy Desert, Strzelecki Desert, Sturt Stony Desert, Tirari Desert, and Pedirka Desert. Not all are covered in the following information due to their resounding similarities to each other. Gibson Desert The Gibson Desert can be found in the central part of Western Australia. It happens to be one of the smaller deserts in Australia, coming it as the 5th largest. It is highly regarded for its “untouched” state as a result of it being largely uninhabited even to this day. Most of the human population living in the Gibson Desert is part of the aboriginal tribes of Australia. The Gibson Desert currently is home to five different types of animals that are on the endangered species list. Return to Top Great Sandy Desert The Great Sandy Desert is the second largest desert of Australia.

It is located in the northern section of Western Australia, just south of the coastline. The Great Sandy Desert is home to the Kata Tjuta – Uluru, otherwise known as Ayers – a world heritage site. Ayers Rock is a huge sandstone formation that extends almost unexplainably from the flat desert to a mountain-plateau that reaches 1,150 feet (350 m) into the sky. There are also some very unique plants in the Great Sandy Desert, including the Desert Bloodwood – a mid-size tree that has blood-like sap and leathery leaves. But it has not always been great for wildlife in this desert. Invasive species have long been a problem. Nearly 100 years ago, the Australian government built a fence around the Great Sandy Desert to try to keep out invasive species such as rabbits, fox, and cats. At the time, it was the longest fence in the world and portions of the fence are still visible today. Return to Top Great Victoria Desert The Great Victoria Desert is the largest desert in Australia and the 3rd largest sub-tropical desert in the world after the Sahara and Arabian. It one of the least populated areas in the southwestern part of Australia.

The Great Victorian Desert is surrounded by the Gibson Desert to the North, the Little Sandy Desert to the northwest, the Simpson and Sturt Stony Desert to the east, and plains to the south. The Great Victorian Desert does not resemble what many think of as a desert. It qualifies due to a lack of rainfall, yet you will not find endless sand dunes or barren plains there. There is a significant amount of vegetation and wildlife present in the Great Victorian Desert which is what makes it such a visited location by tourists. Return to Top Tanami Desert Of the deserts in Australia, the Tanami Desert is the third largest. It is located in the northern territory in the central part of Australia. It is found just east of the Great Sandy Desert. There is a stretch of road that stretches over 600 mi. (1,000km) and attracts four wheel drive enthusiasts from across the globe called the Tanami Track. It is also heavily used by the mining industry as the Tanami Desert is rich in natural resources. Like many of the other deserts across Australia, this desert is home to many endangered plants and wildlife such as the Wallaby and Mulgara.

Return to Top Sturt Stony Desert The Sturt Stony Desert is located in the northeastern part of South Australia. It is surrounded by the Simpson Desert to its west, the Strzelecki Desert to the southeast, and the Tirari Desert to the southwest. The Sturt Stony Desert is characterized by its “gibber desert.” A gibber desert is one that is covered by a crowded surface of stones with shiny tops. The tops of these stones are glazed slowly over time by the constant movement of sand across the stone due to wind. Though gibber deserts are not unique to Sturt Stony Desert, the Sturt Stony is by far the most prominent area in the world in which the phenomenon occurs. Return to Top Simpson Desert The Simpson Desert is yet another sparsely populated area in central Australia in the eastern half of the continent. It happens to be one of the driest deserts in Australia. It receives just 5 inches (125 mm) of rain annually. Even so, the area benefits from its geography when it comes to water. Flooding in adjoining areas funnels the water into the Simpson Desert region giving it a significantly higher amount of water to support its wildlife.

It also happens to be one of the last places in Australia that certain endangered animals call home. The fat-tailed marsupial mouse is extremely rare and largely found in this area of Australia. The Simpson Desert also has a unique geological feature: It possesses the longest parallel sand dunes found anywhere on earth. Some can be up to 125 miles (201 km) long! Return to Top Coastal Deserts of the World Cool coastal deserts are found in more moderately cool to warm climates. These areas tend to have mild, cool winters and prolonged, moderate summers. They can usually be found near large bodies of water and/or mountainous regions. Cool coastal deserts do not have the stereotypical cues of a desert, but they are some of the most harsh and arid regions on Earth. Return to Top Namib Desert The Namib Desert is classified as a coastal desert and is located in the southern part of Africa. It occupies 1,200 miles (2,000 km) of coastline in the countries of South Africa, Namibia, and Angola.

It is widely accepted that the Namib Desert has had a similar arid climate for more than 50 million years, which would make it the oldest desert on Earth. The Namib features gravel plains, mountains, and sand dunes. The sand dunes can grow as high as 1,000 feet tall (302 m) and be more than 15 miles long (30 km). This area is almost entirely unsettled by humans. The Namib Desert gets less than 0.4 inches (10 mm) of rain a year, making it one of the most rain-starved areas in the world! Return to Top Atacama Desert The Atacama Desert is located on the continent of South America and is largely inside the country of Chile. It is a plateau stretching 600 miles (966 km) along the Pacific Ocean. The Atacama Desert is the driest desert on Earth after Antarctica and the Arctic. It receives just 0.04 inches (1 mm) of water per year! The Atacama is so arid and desolate that NASA uses this area to test equipment to be used on missions to Mars.

Its unique geographical profile creates this arid environment from the “rain shadow” effect. The Andes mountains block moisture on one side and the Chilean Coast range of mountains block it on the other. The result is a virtual shadow where no rainfall can be created, making it extremely difficult for any plants or animals to flourish here. Return to Top Cold Deserts of the World Cold winter deserts are also commonly referred to as semi-arid deserts. But don’t be fooled by the cold in the name; cold desert climates can still host the hot, dry summers of their hot desert counterparts. Cold winter desert summers are long and dry, and though not as hot as the subtropical deserts of the world, they are not cold year-round like the polar deserts. But these deserts do have cold, dry winters – sometimes with temperatures brutally below the freezing point! These cold winter deserts are generally found at higher altitudes and in temperate zones where they can be found in the rain shadows of high mountains. Return to Top Great Basin Desert The Great Basin Desert is the largest desert in the United States occupying approximately 190,000 square miles (490,000 square kilometers).

Covering much of the southwestern US, the Great Basin desert borders the Sierra Nevada Range on the west and the Rocky Mountains to the east. To the north lies the Columbia Plateau – an expansive flood basalt plateau that covers the US states of Washington, Oregon, and parts of Idaho. To the south, you will find other, smaller deserts of the southwestern US: the Mojave and Sonoran. The Great Basin exists primarily as a result of the great mountains that surround it, which cool the air and strip it of its moisture. It is a cold desert mainly as a result of its elevation and latitude. Its 7-12 inches of annual participation primarily fall as snow – even in the warm summers! The Great Basin is also home to the world’s oldest living organisms according to the National Park Service: 5,000-year-old trees called bristlecone pines. Return to Top Colorado Plateau Desert The Colorado Plateau is largely made up of desert, which covers 130,000 square miles (337,000 square kilometers) of the southwestern United States.

The Colorado Plateau, also referred to as the Colorado Plateau Province is roughly centered on what is known as the Four Corners region of the US: the point where the southwestern corner of Colorado, southeastern corner of Utah, northwestern corner of New Mexico, and the northeastern corner Utah meet. It is the only area of the United States where the boundaries of four states touch. The plateau is a geologic enigma, remaining intact while punctuated by high mountain ranges and cut by low river canyons. Though the Colorado Plateau contains desert climates with warm summers and frigid winters, it is also scattered with areas of forest. But the most famous feature of the plateau is the Grand Canyon, which has had a large hand in shaping the landscape of the “Red Rock Country” region. Return to Top Patagonian Desert The Patagonian Desert is the 7th largest desert in the world, covering 260,000 square miles (673,000 square kilometers) – the same size as the US state of Texas! It spans much of the country of Argentina with small parts residing in Chile. To the west of the great desert are the Andes, the longest continental mountain range in the world.

To the east lies the Atlantic Ocean. The Patagonia Desert is truly a cold winter desert experiencing about seven months of winter and with temperatures that rarely exceed 53.6°F (12°C) and average only 37°F (3°C). Nightly frosts are not uncommon year-round. As is the case for most cold winter deserts, the Patagonia Desert exists because of the Andes mountains, which prevent the flow of moisture from the Pacific Ocean to the west and cause the formation of the arid desert climate. In fact, before the Andes were formed, the desert was likely covered by temperate forests as evidenced by the petrified forests found in the desert’s center. Much of the desert’s landscape is continuously sculpted (and re-sculpted) by the force of the wind, which also makes it the largest source of dust over the south Atlantic Ocean! Return to Top Karakum Desert The Karakum desert is known by many names including the variation in spelling, Kara-Kum, and even Gara Gum in Turkmen and Karakumy in Russian. Its name means “black sand” in Turkic languages .

The desert inhabits about 70 percent, or 135,000 square miles (350,000 square kilometers), of present day Turkmenistan in Central Asia, east of the Caspian Sea. The shrinking Aral Sea lies to the north of the desert, expanding the desert’s size by what is called the Aral Karakum, a desert in Kazakhstan that has formed on the former seabed. The region is no stranger to desert climates, as just northeast of the Karakum desert is the Kyzyl Kum. But the desert climate is marked by long, hot, and dry summers and unpredictable, cold winters. The Karakum desert is also home to the Darvaza Gas Crater, affectionately known to the locals as the Door to Hell, which is a natural gas deposit that has been burning continuously since it was lit by Soviet petroleum engineers in 1971. Return to Top Kyzyl Kum Desert Located in Central Asia between the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers, the Kyzyl Kum desert covers approximately 115,000 square miles (298,000 square kilometers) of land.

Kyzyl Kum is divided between the countries of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, with a small portion making an appearance in Turkmenistan (the home to the slightly larger Karakum Desert). Kyzylkum is Turkic for “red sand,” describing the slightly reddish hue of the sand that comprises the desert’s expansive sand dunes and ridges. Though temperatures can be very high during the summer months, the annual precipitation is low and the winters are cold ranging from an average of 16°F to 32°F (-9°C to 0°C) in January. The Kyzyl Kum desert also hosts a number of isolated mountains rising to upwards of 3,025 feet (922 m). Return to Top Taklamakan Desert Also known as the Taklimakan or Teklimakan, the Taklamakan Desert covers northwest China and is the second largest shifting sand desert with about 85 percent of its area characterized by shifting sand dunes. Bordered by the Kunlun Mountains to the south and the Pamir Mountains and the Tian Shan to the west and north, the Taklamakan’s eastern border faces the much larger Gobi Desert.

The Taklamakan covers an area of 130,116 square miles (337,000 square kilometers). Its northern and southern borders are bound by two branches of the ancient Silk Road, which merchant caravans would travel to avoid the depths of the harsh desert conditions. Due to the rain shadow of the Himalayas, the Taklamakan possesses the quintessential cold desert climate. Extreme lows can be recorded in winter, at times well below -4°F (-2°C), which in part can be attributed to the frigid air masses in neighboring Siberia. The extreme inland location of the desert (it is located farther from an ocean than almost any point on Earth!) also accounts for the nightly chill even in the summer months. Return to Top Gobi Desert The deserts of the world list would not be complete without the largest desert region in Aisa, the Gobi desert , covering portions of northern and northwestern China and southern Mongolia. As part of the great ancient Mongol Empire (the largest contiguous empire in history) and home to several significant cities along the Silk Road, the Gobi has been one of the more prominent deserts of our history books.

The Gobi spans across 500,000 square miles (1,295,000 square kilometers), making it the fifth-largest desert in the world boasting five of its own ecoregions. And due to a process known as desertification, the Gobi continues to expand at an alarming rate. Though the Gobi is home to sand dunes that can be covered in frost or even snow, much of its landscape is actually comprised of exposed bare rock due to winds that whip across the plateau – a far cry from the shifting sands of neighboring Taklamakan desert. The climate of this desert is one of great extremes, characterized by rapid temperature changes – sometimes by as much as 63°F (35°C) in 24 hours! The wind of the Siberian Steppes further cause the desert to reach lows of -40°F (-40°C) in winter despite extreme highs of up to 122°F (50°C) in the summer. The Gobi has also been a noteworthy source of significant fossil finds, such as the first discovered dinosaur eggs.

Return to Top Polar Deserts of the World Polar deserts are characterized by annual precipitation of less than 250 millimeters (or approximately 9.84 inches) and a mean temperature during the warmest month of the year of less than 10°C (50°F). Earth’s polar deserts cover nearly 5 million square kilometers of surface. That may sound like a lot, but polar deserts even more common during the Ice Ages, mainly due to the unusually dry climate during these periods in history. Today, only two major polar deserts remain, but they account for a significant share of Earth’s total desert climates. Though polar deserts don’t seem to fit with the common perception of a desert, they are perhaps the most significant of all the deserts of the world. Return to Top Arctic The word itself, arctic, comes from the Greek artikos meaning “near the bear” or “northern,” referring to the constellations “Great Bear” and “Little Bear.” It is within these constellations that the North Star resides. And north it is. In fact, venture as far north as you can go and you will reach the Arctic Desert .

It is a polar region located in the northernmost part of Earth consisting of parts of United States (Alaska), Canada, Finland, Denmark (Greenland), Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Russia. More generally, it can be referred to as the region north of the Arctic Circle. The region is comprised of vast ocean, seasonal ice cover, and permafrost (soil that for two or more years is consistently at or below the freezing point of water). It is a place where the average temperature for the warmest month of the year is still below 50°F (10°C). Though annual precipitation is low (less than 20 inches or 50 centimeters), high winds often create the illusion of continuous snowfall by stirring up what snow is present. Average winter temperatures can fall as low as -40°F (-40°C), with record lows of up to -90°F (-68°C)! Despite the frigid climate, life exists among the various flora and fauna that have adapted to such a life from arctic vegetation and shrubs to caribou, arctic fox, and polar bears.

Return to Top Antarctic Conversely, the name Antarctica derives from a Greek word meaning “opposite to the arctic” or “opposite to the north,” which is a rather textbook description given that it is the southernmost continent on Earth. Not unsurprisingly, Antarctica contains the geographic South Pole. It lies almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and is surrounded by the Southern Ocean . It is the fifth largest continent in the world, covering more than 5,400,000 square miles (14,000,000 square kilometers). That’s 1.3 times the size of Europe! Almost 98 percent of Antarctica is covered in ice that averages 1.2 miles (1.9 kilometers) in thickness, which accounts for 90% of the world’s ice and 70% of the world’s fresh water. Considered a desert climate, Antarctica has an annual precipitation of only 8 inches (200 millimeters) near the coast and much less when venturing further inland. Antarctica is extremely cold – the coldest continent on Earth – with temperatures reaching as low as -129°F (-89°C)!

There is no evidence of an indigenous population in Antarctica, and to this day, there are no permanent human residents (though there are scientists who bravely face the cold in the name of science!). But life still endures from algae and bacteria to animals like penguins and seals. Return to Top It is highly recommended that you use a satellite mapping tool such as Google Earth to review each of the deserts of the world in more detail! Australian Desert Animals Australian Desert Animals "They need to be able to survive with very little water" It is surprising how many Australian desert animals there actually are given this area has so little water. Did you know that 18% of Australia is desert? Can you believe that 70% of the country is classed as arid. This makes it the driest inhabited continent in the world. The majority of deserts are in the middle and north west of the country. The biggest is the Great Victoria Desert and covers western Australia and south Australia.. The Great Sandy desert is perhaps the most well known as Ayers rock is located on the southwestern side of this desert. The desert is often referred to as the Australian outback, The Outback is more than just the desert.

It is really just a way of describing the interior of Australia where there is limited built up areas and where the temperatures are harsh with very little rainfall. It will surprise you that there are plants and shrubs in the desert and as such you will find some interesting Australian desert animals. It is also worth stating that these animals tend to look far more frightening than they actually are. Unfortunately the introduction of animals such as the camel, rabbits and feral cats have led to the extinction of some native Australian desert animals. This is because these animals have started to compete for the native Australian animal’s food source and have unfortunately won. The Lesser Bilby and Desert Bandicoot have already become extinct. One way of getting to know some of the smaller animals is to take part in a tour. We did the "Breakfast at sunrise" at Ayers Rock. As well as getting the views of Ayers Rock as the sun comes up, they also bring a few desert animals which you can hold if you want to. There were a few snakes, blue tongue lizard and a thorny devil. For more details go to Ayers Rock page .

Below are some of my favourite Australian desert animals and ones that you are likely to see if you venture into the outback or intend to cross one of the great Australian deserts. Here are some of the animals that you will be able to see: The Bandy Bandy Snake This is a very striking black and white snake. They live underground but do come out from time to time particularly at night. They are usually around 60cm in length and like to eat other snakes called blind snakes. They are very unlikely to attack humans. Whilst they do have venom glands, they don’t carry enough venom to do any serious harm. You are more likely to spot one of these Australian desert animals in central Australian deserts. Geckos There are a variety of Geckos each species having their own colourings. These Australian desert animals are essentially medium sized lizards. The marbled velvet Gecko is about 30cm in length where as the smooth knob tailed gecko is much smaller at just 10cm Geckos tend to eat spiders, cockroaches or smaller geckos. They usually come out at night to find food. During the day they rest under bark, amongst rocks and crevices.

The smooth knob tailed gecko tends to burrow itself underground. They don’t actually have any eyelids so they use their tongue to clear any dust from their eyes! The Perentie The Perentie is the biggest Goanna in Australia and are usually about 2.5 metres in length. You will see these creatures around gorges or rocky areas and they are a fairly common Australian desert animal. They tend to eat birds, mammals and other reptiles and particularly like rabbits. They eat like a snake would, eating their victim whole or in chunks as they are incapable of chewing. They are believed to be very intelligent but not the sort of thing you would want to cross. Their tail can give a nasty whip and they make a terrible hissing noise if they are threatened. Thorny Devil A very strange but oddly cute looking reptile! The thorny devil is about 15cm long and lives in shallow burrows. They live on only ants and can eat lots in one go as they have a short but very stick tongue. They manage to catch lots of water through their spikes. They brush up against dewy shrubs in the mornings and their spikes help to catch the water which then runs down little grooves right into their mouth.

They have an appearance that makes them blend in easily with their surroundings. They look like a rock! The Bilby This is a marsupial (it carries its babies in a pouch) and looks a bit like a mouse with very large rabbit ears. It also has a very lovely bushy black tail. These animals used to roam the deserts but now are an endangered species. The only area you are likely to see them is in the desert northwest of Alice Springs. The introduction of the fox has dramatically reduced the number of Bilbies. They like to eat insects, fruit and bulbs and are nocturnal creatures. During the day they prefer to stay in their burrows which can be up to 2m underground. Their back legs are similar to that of a Kangaroo but they don’t hop. Instead they can gallop their way out of trouble. The Camel This is the animal you will probably be able to spot easily as they seem to wander the deserts of Australia and there are lots of them. It is estimated that there are over a million in Australia probably making it the largest in terms of numbers, of all the Australian desert animals. They can double in population very 9 years.

They have become somewhat of a pest, stealing the food from other smaller native Australian desert animals The camel was first brought to Australia for transport through the centre of Australia. The first camel was brought over in 1822 with many more following throughout the 19th Century. They manly came from India and now due to cross breeding they are the only feral camels (returned to a wild state) in the world. These days they are seen as mild pests due to the potential damage they are doing to the ecology of Australia. They have even been known to damage water pumps and toilets in their search for water during drought. West Great Victoria Desert @ ExplorOz Treks Description This trek starting at Neale Junction takes you though varying countryside from Spinifex flats to rocky patches. Even the flora changes from marble gums to acacia and mulga trees. This trek is definitely not for the faint hearted and adequate experience and preparation for remote travel is a must. The route traverses around 48kms of the Anne Beadell Highway to the west from Neale Junction before turning south onto what is known as the Naries Point Road.

The condition of the Naries Point Road and the vegetation varies, with a mixture of windy and straight sections, with gravel, rock and sand patches. It has areas of spinifex and kangaroo grass and areas of mulga and marble gum. Speeds may vary between 20 to 30 km/hr. Allow a comfortable 5 hours along Naries Point Road to reach the Plumridge Lakes Road. Once on this road, you should be able to travel a little faster as the track is much straighter and wider than Naries Point Rd. The country is also much prettier, with breakaway country, many mounts and small salt lakes. The landscape soon turns to open country as you head towards Lake Rason and can be rather easy to drive along. At the western end of Lake Rason you will come to a turn off to the north where you will see a letter box and a slow down to 40kph school sign at the corner – some one has a good sense of humour. Following the track up, you will arrive at a tin shack with an earth floor. It has all the basic appointments including a table, pot belly stove, kero fridge, beds and lighting, and a wood fired oven outside.

From the front veranda, the views across Lake Rason to the east and north east are superb. Continuing on through some pretty breakaway country, you will eventually meet up with Tiger Trap Gully which is a set in a group of breakaways. Some of the interesting names of features in this breakaway system include Signal Point and Crow Cave Hill. Heading ever further west towards the next stop - Mallee Hen Rocks, which is another Frank Hann named feature and near the western side of the breakaways, there is the site of a rock hole. The trek then heads towards Burtville, which is an abandoned gold mining area with interesting ruins and abandoned mine shafts. From here, the final stretch into Laverton is on excellent, wide, graded road and is straightforward but just watch for trucks and other mining traffic. How to Use this Trek Note Click the "Map" tab below to see the route we've provided. Icons on the map are the POIs you'll need for navigation purposes. Be sure to check the list of Nearby Places on each POI page.

If you'd like to save this information there are a couple of ways to go about it, depending on what you're actually after:- Ideal solution - download the ExplorOz Traveller App from Google Play or the App Store . The app enables you to carry the ExplorOz Places , Treks, & Maps data offline in your mobile device ready for your adventures. It is a complete mapping, navigation and tracking app. For more details, read our ExplorOz Traveller page. You can print a paper copy of the text using the print icon button shown above, near the social media buttons. For the best output it is advised to open each tab/section to load all images and artwork. You will still need to click open each Place page (listed in Where to Stay, What to See) to print off all available information. If you have a Hema Navigator or use Mapping Software such as OziExplorer , or TrackRanger AND you are an ExplorOz Member, then you can click the Download Trek button at the top of this page to obtain the raw data files (eg. GPX) for this Trek.

If you're not a Member, or you'd like to batch download the entire Treks database you can obtain this by buying a product called EOTreks Route Files from our online shop . Environment Although called the Great Victoria Desert, don't think of sand dunes like the Sahara Desert, far from it. It's called a desert because the area attracts little rainfall, at times it may not rain for years. Terrain in the GVD varies from vast spinifex plains, spinifex covered dunes, belts of marble gum and mulga, bluffs, breakaways and buttes. In addition to marble gums, mulga and spinifex there are vast areas of shrubs and other small desert plants such as parakeelya. If rain has fallen in the winter months, the desert can blossom into a botanist dream when you may find vast fields of everlastings, flowering grevilleas, acacias and numerous other flowering plants and shrubs. The best months for travelling are April to October. Outside these months the desert can be a very hot, placing additional stresses on your vehicle, especially the cooling system. It is highly recommended that one sticks to the cooler months.

Wildlife variety in the GVD is also surprising; camels, dingoes, kangaroos, galahs, budgerigars, birds of prey and wild turkeys are not uncommon. History Noted explorer Frank Hann had his base in Laverton and frequently travelled in this area between 1903 and 1908, he was prospecting and looking for pastoral country. Hann discovered and named many of the features seen on this trek. In 1891 the Elder Expedition led by David Lindsay travelled through this area from north to south. Of particular note is his camp at a place now known as Lime Juice Camp. David Lindsay on the day of Camp 47 on 11th September 1891 suggested to Dr Elliot that they open the supply of limejuice and have a celebration. Dr Elliot agreed and mixed the concentrated juice with whisky and water in a galvanized canteen. The entire party became very ill with zinc poisoning. Len Beadell, as a surveyor for the Australian army, surveyed, and with his road construction party, made many bomb roads in the 1960's.

He named the Connie Sue Hwy after his daughter and the Anne Beadell Hwy after his wife. Len wrote a number of entertaining books about his time in the desert. The name Neale in Neale Junction comes from the Raster map for the area "Neale". That in turn came from Captain Frank Neale a WW1 flying ace, who carried out private aerial surveys in the area from 1930 to 1935 for a Donald McKay from Wallenbean NSW. The map was named in recognition of his aerial work. Preparation For detailed checklists & advice regarding remote area travel, you are strongly encouraged to read the following articles: 4WD Driving Skills & Rules ; What to Take ; Recovery Gear Needs ; Spare Parts and Tools ; Food & Water ; Water Tank ; Long Range Fuel Tanks ; Suspension ; EPIRB ; HF Radio ; UHF Radio ; Satphone ; Staying in Touch as well as Travel Etiquette ; Care for the Environment ; Snake Bite Treatment ; Outback Survival ; & Driver Fatigue . Travelling in remote areas is very exciting and challenging, but you must be thoroughly prepared and self-sufficient. You can't call for local roadside assistance out here.

Don't travel this area on your own - if you must, advise the Laverton Police before leaving and when you return. Have your vehicle fully serviced and checked over for remote area travel by an experienced 4WD service centre, have at least two spare tyres, have a spare tube and the appropriate puncture repair gear for your tyres and have the usual spares of belts, hoses, fuses, oils, etc. Ensure you have adequate recovery gear including at least a snatch strap, two rated shackles, a towrope and a long handled shovel. Have an HF Radio , Satellite Phone and Epirb for emergencies. The use of either 27MHz or UHF is only suitable for vehicle convoy work. They will not transmit to emergency services if you strike problems out in the desert. Ensure you have enough fuel to travel at least 1000 km. Then allow a sufficient margin of at least 20% on top of that for sand driving, detours and if you happen to be bogged. Also, ensure you carry sufficient food and water for the whole trek (i.e. minimum of 4 days). There are no fuel stations or supply points available en-route, except at the town of Laverton .

Warburton and Tjukayirla Roadhouse which is on the Great Central Road may be the closest supply points; however they are nowhere near this track and therefore not shown in this trek note. You may find water in water holes but this is not to be relied upon, you should also consider the risks of illness if you drink any of it. Useful Phone Contacts For further historical and inspirational reading see: "Do not yield to Despair" F Hann's exploration diaries - edited by Elliot and Donaldson "A lifetime in the Bush - biography of Len Beadell" - by M Shephard "Journal of the Elder Scientific Exploring Expedition 1891-92" by David Lindsay "The Great Victoria Desert" by M Shephard (now out of print and unlikely to ever be re-printed). Permits Permits may be required for some sections that enter aboriginal land. If you are uncertain, contact either the Ngaanyatjarra Council (08) 8950 1711, or contact them by email ngcouncil@ngaanyatjarra.org.au , or visit their website where you can obtain a permit online.

Fuel Supplies & Usage Warburton and Tjukayirla Roadhouse which is on the Great Central Road may be the closest supply points; however they are nowhere near this track and therefore not shown in this trek note. Diesel Best time to travel Ok time to travel Travel NOT recommended Services & Supplies Warburton and Tjukayirla Roadhouse which is on the Great Central Road may be the closest supply points; however they are nowhere near this track and therefore not shown in this trek note. Map Loading Resources... Embed Map Embed this trek map directly into your website or page. It is easy and free, click the button to retreive the embed code and copy and paste it to your website or page. <iframe src="" style="width:100%; height:450px;" width="100%" height="450" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen></iframe> What to See Download Trek Save time and download all digital map data for this trek (all places are included in the trek download). This is just a selection. We recommend also browsing the map for other Places nearby.

Pristine desert country, Waterfall Gorge , Sydney Yeo Chasm , Hann's Tabletop, Mallee Hen Rocks , caves, majestic marble gums, vast spinifex plains, bluffs and breakaways. Showing 11 Places Friends of the Great Victoria Desert - Animals Animals Animals Bird and animal observations are an important part of our field trips to the GVD. Some photos taken by our members appear below. Birds of the Mamungari Conservation Park is a comprehensive bird list compiled by Marlene and Terry Friebe using lists from Friends' visits to Mamungari from 2005 to 2007, the Friebes' nine crossings of the park and Birds Australia's The New Atlas of Australian Birds. The list is in brochure form - please print it to take with you if you are visiting the GVD. You might also wish to print the following list of birds which Mark Shephard's book (see Facts and Figures) identifies as 'common or widespread' in the GVD: Deserts in Australia - YouTube Deserts in Australia Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content.

Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Nov 4, 2013 Thanks for watching...... A desert is a type of terrain where little precipitation occurs and consequently living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to the processes of denudation. About one third of the land surface of the world is arid or semi-arid. This includes much of the polar regions where little precipitation occurs and which are sometimes called "cold deserts". There are a number of ways of classifying deserts including by the amount of precipitation that falls, by the temperature that prevails, by the causes of desertification or by the geographical location of the desert. Deserts are formed by weathering processes as large variations in temperature between day and night put strains on the rocks which consequently break in pieces. Although rain seldom occurs in deserts, there are occasional downpours that can result in flash floods. Rain falling on hot rocks can cause them to shatter and the resulting fragments and rubble strewn over the desert floor is further eroded by the wind.

This picks up particles of sand and dust and wafts them aloft in sand or dust storms. Wind-blown sand grains striking any solid object in their path can abrade the surface. Rocks are smoothed down and the sand grains break in pieces until they are a uniform size. The grains end up as level sheets of sand or are piled high in billowing sand dunes. Other deserts are flat, stony plains where all the fine material has been blown away and the surface consists of a mosaic of smooth stones. These areas are known as desert pavements and little further erosion takes place. Other desert features include rock outcrops, exposed bedrock and clays once deposited by flowing water. Temporary lakes may form and salt pans may be left when waters evaporate. There may be underground sources of water in the form of springs and seepages from aquifers. Where these are found, oases can occur. Source: I, Kaushik Biswas, hereby declare that all information regarding this video I collect from and all Images use to make this video is from Google Search . I use Google Advanced Search to collect those images, usage rights : "free to use, share or modify, even commercially" section.

Background Sound of this video I collect from Youtube Audio Library which are free to use. Thank you Category The Australian Deserts - Facts, Information, Outback Travel Advice The Outback Desert Of Australia Australian Deserts make up a big part of what is known as "the Australian Outback". You might have heard the term "the Outback Desert of Australia". That name is misleading in two ways. First, it sounds as if there was one big desert in Australia, the Outback Desert. Hmm, not exactly true, there is no desert called Outback Desert, as you can see on the Australian desert map below. ( Desert Sizes And Location ) And, it sounds as if the entire Outback in Australia is desert... Well, that's not exactly true either. Read more about this in my article What is the Australian Outback? Having said that, it is true that the interior of Australia is one big desert region ( Australian Desert Facts ). In the past these areas have been inhospitable and forbidding places that were hard to access, and of course dangerous. That has changed. Today our deserts are becoming increasingly popular with tourists looking for something different.

People come for the stunning scenery, magnificent rocks and gorges and coloured sands, the unique plants and animals in the desert . But also to experience the open spaces, quietness and solitude and to get away from the hustle and the crowds of the coastal cities. Australia's cities, coasts and beaches are beautiful, no doubt about that. But what you find there can be found in other parts of the world as well. The deserts of Australia are unique. Nothing compares. And nothing that's anything like them can be found anywhere else in the world. Australian Desert Facts The Australian deserts listed below make up about 18% of this continent, but a full 35% of Australia receives so little rainfall, it is classified as desert. 70% of the country is classified as arid or semi-arid, which means it gets less than 500 mm of rain a year. That makes Australia the driest inhabited continent on Earth. Only Antarctica is drier. Only 3% of the Australian population live in those dry 70% of the continent, the rest of our people is concentrated on the coasts. The main reason for the formation of the Australian deserts is their location.

Like most major deserts across the world the Australian deserts can be found around a certain latitude (roughly 30° north/south of the equator) where the weather phenomena create a dry climate: Hot moist air rises at the equator. It cools as it moves north or south, the moisture condenses and falls as abundant rain onto the tropical regions. Finally the now dry air sinks over the subtropical regions, warming as it sinks, which encourages evaporation, and voila: you get more evaporation than rain, perfect conditions for the formation of a desert. While climate change means most of Australia is experiencing the worst draught ever, it also means that rainfall in the Australian desert is increasing ! Australian Deserts - Size And Location Map of Australian Deserts

Question: I which country will you find the 'Great Victoria Desert'?
Answer: Australia