5 Amazing Facts About the Real Australian Outback

When people think of Australia, they usually think of koalas, Kangaroo Island, and penal colonies, but the world’s sixth-largest country has more to offer, especially if you’re feeling adventurous. For those who aren’t content to spend their vacation kicking back and working on their tans, Australia has vast, beautiful landscapes to discover and enjoy with the help of Australian Outback Tours. The Red Centre or Central Australia in the Northern Territory illustrates the Outback. Here are a few fun, interesting Australian outback facts.

Before we get into the facts, here is a brief video on what you should know about the Real Australian Outback.

Geography

Australia is made up of six states and three territories. And various outlying islands and settlements. No matter where you are on the continent, you are never more than 1000 kilometers away from the ocean or a beach. Over 90% of Australia’s population density is found along the continent’s coasts.

New South Wales and Victoria boast the largest concentrations of people in the country. The rest of the continent comprises subtropical rainforests and mountain ranges, with a broad expanse of desert at its center, known as the Outback. The Australian Outback makes up 70% of the Australian continent.

Although the Outback includes clay soil and range lands suitable for sheep and cattle grazing, most of the soil is infertile. Although it’s a harsh environment, it is not without its treasures. To this day, scientists continue to discover and develop mineral deposits there.

The Outback is also home to one of Australia’s most well-renowned fossil sites. It is located in Queensland. It is where the fossils of ancient mammals, birds, and reptiles from the Oligocene and Miocene periods have been uncovered.

In addition to the revenue that agriculture and Australian Outback tours provide, the main economic activity in the area comes from mining. The Outback is teeming with mining operations, which uncover valuable resources like metals, gemstones, oil, and gas.

Population

Australia’s population is counted by the number of square kilometers per person rather than the number of people per square kilometer. The majority of Australia’s population is concentrated along the east coast, where the infamous penal colonies were established. Despite covering thousands of kilometers of the continent, the Outback is unpopulated mainly due to the harsh climate and poor farming conditions.

In the Outback, nearly 17% of the total population comprises people from the indigenous Aboriginal tribes. As of 2006, the Outback has a total population of fewer than one million residents. So, if you’re looking for a quiet getaway location away from the noise and bustle of the big cities, then the Outback is an ideal choice.

Natural Wonders

Despite its unforgiving climate and sparse vegetation. The Australian Outback is home to many species of wildlife. Who has adapted to the harsh conditions? Red kangaroos and dingoes are two of the more familiar species to be found there.

But the Outback is also home to feral animals. You can see animals like camels, horses, and wild birds, including flocks of budgerigars and cockatoos.

Although the Outback is full of natural desert predators, such as snakes, spiders, and scorpions, you’re more likely to die from dehydration than a snake or spider bite. The Outback does have more legitimate dangers, including saltwater crocodiles, but those are easily avoided.

The blistering heat and minimal moisture in the Outback. It allows various reptile species to thrive, Including lizards of varying sizes and species and snakes. Australia has more lizard species than any other continent. Some lizards, like the Goanna or Monitor Lizard, have as many as 28 species.

And it can get up to two meters in length. There are also legless lizards, which can only be distinguished from Australia’s many snake species. It is by their ear openings, notched tongues, lengthwise striping, and tiny flaps where their hind legs used to be.

Weather

Although largely an arid region, the Outback spans several different climate zones, resulting in varying temperatures and weather patterns. Unlike places with cold winters and average temperatures, most of inland Australia is made up of arid desert. That means that although it might get up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit during the day, it can get down to well below zero at night.

Plant Life

Due to the minimal rainfall and hot temperatures of the Outback. The vegetation and plant life have adapted to suit these harsh conditions. So, the majority of the plant life in the Outback is made up of hardy trees. Like the Eucalyptus, shrubberies, Sandhill Wattle, Old Man Saltbush, and scrub grasses.

That’s not to say that the Outback lacks beauty, though. South Australia’s state flower, the red and black Sturt Pea, is native to the region, along with the Swamp Fuchsia and the Silky Cassia, which sport delicate, colorful flowers in pink and yellow, respectively. You can also find many species of ferns, palms, and succulents there.

Are you interested in learning more about the Australian outback? Read Tracks: A Woman’s Solo Trek Across 1700 Miles of Australian Outback.