5 Australian desert landscapes you must experience
With around 35 per cent of the country being classified as desert, Australia has some incredible, yet stark, landscapes. These are the ones you don’t want to miss.
1. The Pinnacles Desert, Western Australia
Strange finger-like limestone rock formations just straight up from the sand, giving this desert an eerie, otherworldly quality. As the sun moves, the rocks cast ever-changing shadows along the sand. The Pinnacles is around 200 kilometres north of Perth and is at its most stunning in spring when the surrounding areas burst into bloom with fields of wildflowers.
2. Simpson Desert, South Australia & Northern Territory
Covering 170,000 square kilometres, the Simpson Desert is the fourth largest in the country. It’s made up of more than 1,000 parallel sand dunes, some of which are up to 200 kilometres long. Don’t miss Rainbow Valley, a spectacular sandstone bluff with bands of colour, or the ancient rock carvings of the Arrernte people at Ewaninga. Some of the country’s best four wheel drive tracks run through the desert’s red sand making for a challenging, yet thrilling, desert experience.
3. Tanami Desert, Northern Territory & Western Australia
Australia’s northernmost desert, the Tanami has a diverse landscape that even includes wetlands and a permanent lake, a rarity in such arid areas. Lake Gregory supports around 100,000 water birds and can be up to 10 metres deep. The Tanami is one of the easiest deserts to explore with the Tanami Track, a good quality dirt road, starting just 20 kilometres outside of Alice Springs. The famous Canning Stock Route also runs through the region and is popular with four wheel drivers.
4. Sturt Stony Desert, South Australia, New South Wales & Queensland
Covering the area where three states meet, the Sturt Stony Desert looks like the most inhospitable place on earth. It’s named for explorer Charles Sturt who came to the desert in 1845 expecting to find a vast inland sea. He was sorely disappointed. The only vegetation on the flat, stony plains are scrub plants like saltbush with a few hardy trees along the lines of dry creekbeds. Despite this, a surprising number of animals thrive here including kangaroos, wallabies and plenty of lizards.
5. Great Victoria Desert, Western Australia & South Australia
Australia’s largest desert covers an incredible 400,000 square kilometres and is the third largest desert in the world. It’s classified as a desert because it receives so little rain, but the landscape is actually surprisingly lush and varied. Plants like marble gums, mulga and spinifex are common, having adapted to survive with little water. You’ll drive through an ever-changing vista of plains, gorges, bluffs, dunes and mountain ranges, and be able to spot plenty of wildlife along the way. When the rain does fall, the whole area springs to life in a riot of wildflowers.
Have you ever been to these incredible deserts? What part of Australia do you think is the most beautiful?
Let us know in the comments!
Related links:
Crossing the spectacular Simpson Desert
8 incredible destinations in outback Australia
Crossing Australia in style aboard the Indian Pacific