Arid Regions

The Red Centre

Most of Australia's central and northern arid regions are regularly watered by the seasonal monsoon rains which dump water on Australia's 'top end' during the summer months from late September thru to as late as March.

However most of the year without good winter rains the greenery dries out and the temperatures climb.

With the rains comes greenery that creates a splendid floral contrast to the red earth of Australia's aptly called Red Centre. Yet the outback also provides wonderful widlflowers during even the driest seasons, along sheltered rocky waterways miles from anywhere, surrounded by the dusty dry earth of the Australian Central deserts.

Much of the monsoonal rainwater flows south thru the parched arid centre of Australia, bringing life to birds, animals and plants along the way. During the monsoonal rains of 2008/2009 there were spectacular photos and videos of the water flowing into Lake Eyre, the most it had seen for more than a decade, scenes that were repeated during the 2010/2011 monsoonal season.

On both occasions birds were seen coming hundreds of miles to descend on the new feeding grounds created, with fish being brought to life along the reaches of the Georgina, Diamantina and Cooper Rivers in western Queensland south towards their destination at one of the largest salt lakes in the world, to Lake Eyre.

READ MORE ABOUT LAKE EYRE