Dolphin discovery centre western australia conservation education

A dolphin plays in the waves near Bunbury. (Credit: Dave and Fiona Harvey)

Australian Geographic

Aboriginal lifesavers take on the local kids

Northern Territory lifesavers who competed at Queenscliff (from left): Wunyangga Wanambi, Dhimurru Mununggurr, Gudalum Mununggurr, Banguyarri Wunungmurraa and Yirrmal Marika. BRADEN FASTIER

The Manly Daily

Kangaroo boom follows floods

This year's floods have led to a near 100 per cent increase in population numbers of some species of kangaroo.

Many species of kangaroo are benefitting from a bounty of post-flood vegetation. (Credit: Theo Allofs)

HEAVY RAIN IN QUEENSLAND this year has meant diseased fish in one harbour, but on land, it has sent the kangaroo population soaring.

The Department of Environment and Resources Management argues the plight of Gladstone Harbour's marine life is not due to dredging, but from problems associated with a massive influx of fresh water from this year's floods.

But aerial survey data indicate a significant increase in kangaroo numbers in Queensland, thanks to increased vegetation. "It is estimated the red kangaroo population is 5.8 million compared to 3.6 million for 2010," the department's environmental services regional manager Dr Chris Hill said. "This represents a 59 per cent increase."

"Equivalent figures for the eastern grey kangaroo are 10.8 million, compared to 6.6 million, or an increase of 62 per cent," he said. "Common wallaroo figures have risen from 1.9 million to 3.8 million representing a 97 per cent increase."

Chris added that these increases were not unexpected given the above average rainfall experienced over the last two years across much of Queensland.

Kangaroo Industry Association Australia executive John Kelly told reporters that another factor was that the demand for kangaroo meat had fallen by half of what is was before the Russian government suspended market access to 300 meat producers from 25 countries, including all kangaroo exporters.

Kangaroos have been harvested on a commercial scale for more than a century, predominantly in Queensland

Kangaroo boom follows floods - Australian Geographic

Skippy's home saved

Penny Edmonds

THE future of Waratah Park is a step closer to being secured after the rejection of a land claim and a possible inclusion of the site on the NSW Heritage register.

Last week the state government announced it had knocked back a land claim by the Metropolitan Aboriginal Land Council on the 12ha home of Skippy.

The claim was lodged in June 2010 after the termination of the park’s lease and the removal of the site’s remaining native animals.

Primary Industries Minister Katrina Hodgkinson rejected the claim because the land was being used “for the essential public purposes or recreation, tourism, education, preservation of cultural heritage and rural residential lands.”

Warringah Council has now moved to preserve the site recently lodging an official nomination for Skippy Park to be included on the NSW Heritage Register.

Waratah Park Nature Reserve Foundation welcomed the move and will now host a fundraising event on Sunday at Manly Vale Community Centre to help prevent the land from being privately acquired by developers.

WHAT THEY SAID
Waratah Park Nature Reserve Foundation president Penny Edmonds: ``It has always been our goal to preserve Waratah Park and create a sustainable future for the site so that future generations can enjoy it as past ones have. We are now a step closer to achieving that.’‘
Pittwater MP Rob Stokes: Waratah Park had enormous importance to the community.``While Waratah Park has faced a period of turbulence in recent years, our community remains united behind it.’’

Skippy's home saved - The Manly Daily

Australia and its magic

Ayers Rock in Uluru National Park

Photograph by Mark Laricchia/Corbis

Lightning flashes over Ayers Rock, a landmark red sandstone monolith that draws tourists to Australia's center. Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park houses the rock, called Uluru by Aborigines, the continent's original inhabitants.

Australia's Aborigines believe their ancestors formed massive Ayers Rock, or Uluru.



Boab Trees, Kimberley

Photograph by Theo Allofs/Corbis

The remote Kimberley region in Western Australia features dramatic landscapes filled with river gorges and sandstone formations that were featured in the 2008 film Australia. The Kimberley is also home to the massive boab tree, close relative of the African baobabs.

Aboriginal Dancers

Photograph by Penny Tweedie/Getty Images

Aborigines kick up dust in a dance at sunset. The original inhabitants of Australia, Aborigines were there for more than 40,000 years before white men arrived. European settlers brought disease and politics to the continent, severely endangering the Aborigines’ distinct culture, language, and lifestyle.

Koala

Photograph by Trevor Keyler.

A heavy-lidded koala keeps its cool nestled in an Adelaide tree. These eastern Australian residents spend most of their time dozing in eucalyptus trees, waking up at night to feed on the trees' tough leaves.

Baby Kangaroo

Photograph by Thorsten Milse/Photolibrary.com

A joey gets a ride from its mother in Victoria. A national symbol of Australia, the eastern grey kangaroo has been known to leap up to 29.5 feet (9 meters) in a single bound as it traverses eastern mainland Australia. The eastern grey is one of approximately 63 species that are native to Australia.

Twelve Apostles on Great Ocean Road

Photograph by James Wang.

Eight towering limestone monoliths make up the Twelve Apostles that sit on Great Ocean Road in southeastern Australia. The structures, once a part of the towering mainland cliffs, now sit about 80 feet (24 meters) high and 20 feet (6 meters) wide in the midst of crashing waves.

Crystal Shower Falls in Dorrigo National Park

Photograph from Radius Images/Corbis

Crystal Shower Falls is just one natural attraction in New South Wales's Dorrigo National Park. Boardwalks on the forest floor and the treetop level let visitors experience the rain forest up close.

Whitsunday Islands National Park

Photograph by Paul Chesley/National Geographic Stock

The smooth, sandy shorelines of Australia’s Whitsunday Islands and the natural wonder of the surrounding Great Barrier Reef draw tourists from around the world. Many of the 74 islands are designated national park land while others play host to luxurious island resorts.

Living fossil found in Grampians National Park

An ancient dragonfly species has been found in two wetland locations, dramatically increasing its known range. 

The ancient greenling damselfly in the Grampians NP (Credit: Reiner Richter).

THE DISCOVERY OF a tiny damselfly - which is the only living example of a prehistoric group of species - in two new Victorian locations, has lifted hopes that the insect is moving away from the brink of extinction.

The ancient greenling damselfly (Hemiphlebia mirabilis) measures just 2.4 cm long and was only previously known from nine sites in Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. Hard to spot, the metallic green species has now been detected in wetlands at Victoria's Grampians NP, much to the delight of scientists and dragonfly enthusiasts.

"The rarity of the ancient greenling and its small size mean the species is difficult to locate. The adults are only present from late spring to summer, while the aquatic larvae remain hidden in the water for the rest of the year," says lead researcher behind the finding Dr Di Crowther with Victoria's Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE).

Brilliantly camouflaged

"Not only are the adults brilliantly camouflaged in amongst the reeds of the wetlands they inhabit, they are tiny, with a wingspan of just 22 mm and length of only 24 mm," she says.

Damselflies are relatives of dragonflies in the order Odonata - while dragonflies have wings that stick out at right angles when they are resting, damselflies can be recognised by wings that lie flat against the body while resting (see image, above).

The ancient greenling is the only living relative of the Hemiphlebiidae family, whose predecessors are found only in 250- to 300-million-year-old fossil records from Brazil to Russia. This makes the species a "living fossil", says Di, who says that although the find is significant, the ancient greenling isn't out of the woods just yet.

It is highly sensitive to changes in its environment and was last sighted eight years ago in Yea and Alexandra, in Victoria's north. Other populations at Wilsons Promontory had been battered by fire and shrinking wetlands, which the species needs to survive. It is not known if the species can fly long distances which would allow it to find new breeding grounds.

Chance finding

"This find is really significant because that gives hope that maybe there are other populations out there that haven't been found yet," Di says. "Hopefully it points to the species being sound. But there are concerns that they are really sensitive to any impact and they will just drop out."

A genetically diverse population is needed to prevent inbreeding and save the species from extinction, she says: "Every new site found is another step away from extinction."

The adult ancient greenlings, which are only present from late spring to summer, were discovered at two Grampians wetlands in late 2010 by dragonfly enthusiast and photographer Reiner Richter.

The DSE will continue its research of the species at several of Victorian sites including Yea Wetlands, Wilsons Promontory National Park and the Long Swamp complex in the state's southwest, as well as the new Grampians sites.




Living fossil found in Grampians NP

ESSENTIAL: Saving the Richmond Birdwing Butterfly

Pararistolochia praevenosa 

(ARISTOLOCHIACEAE) 

Richmond Birdwing Vine

Photo: Robert Whyte

Large woody climber with a dense covering of brown hairs on petioles, young shoots and inflorescences.
Leaves alternate, ovate to elliptic, to 25 cm long, base cordate or rounded, upper surface dark green and dull, lower surface with scattered hairs on veins. Petiole to 30 mm long, thickened and twisted.
Flowers around 20 mm long, moderately hairy, purplish.
Fruit is a capsule, oblong to ovoid, to 4 cm long, ribbed.

Photo: Don Sands

Flower of Pararistolochia praevenosa - about 2cm in length.

Photo: Don Sands

Looking down throat of flower of Pararistolochia praevenosa.

Photo: Robert Whyte

Fruit of Pararistolochia praevenosa - about 3-4cm in length.

Photo: Don Sands

Host plant for the Richmond Birdwing Butterfly. The range of this butterfly is now very fragmented (essentially extinct in large parts its range) due to the loss of this food plant through the clearing of bushland.

Richmond Birdwing butterflies mistake the ornamental Dutchman's Pipe vine for a native Pararistolochia vine and lay their eggs on it.

Toxins in this introduced plant kill young caterpillars.

It is very important to remove all signs of Dutchman's Pipe to protect any remaining butterflies.

The Richmond Birdwing Recovery Network is attempting to encourage this butterfly to repopulate throughout its range, through a planting program in partnership with bushcare groups.

To find out more about this butterfly, follow the links below.

Photo: Don Sands

Larva of Richmond Birdwing butterfly feeding on Pararistolochia praevenosa.

Photo: Robert Whyte

Male Richmond Birdwing butterfly. Thanks to Don Sands for allowing us to photograph these butterflies in his collection.

Photo: Robert Whyte

Underside of male Richmond Birdwing butterfly. Thanks to Don Sands for allowing us to photograph these butterflies in his collection.

Photo: Robert Whyte

Female Richmond Birdwing butterfly. Thanks to Don Sands for allowing us to photograph these butterflies in his collection.

Photo: Robert Whyte

Underside of female Richmond Birdwing butterfly. Thanks to Don Sands for allowing us to photograph these butterflies in his collection.

Koalas' brutish bellows are all for love

The loud grunting of the usually sleepy male koala is not limited to alpha males attracting mates. 

A male koala's brutish bellow attracts females from far and wide. (Photo: Getty)

THERE MIGHT BE SOMETHING bear-like in the quiet koala after all. It's hard to imagine, but males of these usually quiet, sleepy marsupials bellow out a surprisingly brutish mating call that sounds something like a wild boar.

Listen to the sounds of a male koala:

Scientists previously thought the loud grunting was limited to a single alpha male, but new research from the University of Queensland shows that many male koalas in a given area belt out their snarls, hoping to attract females, sometimes from long distances.
"Females can travel up to 500 m out of their home range...We observed one female who got down on the ground and made a beeline toward the sound," says lead researcher Dr Bill Ellis.

It seems that can females detect physical clues within these bellows because the most successful males tend to be the bigger koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus), sometimes two kilograms heavier than their rivals.
"It's pretty clear that the bellow a big male makes has a different frequency, so it's possible the female can tell the size of the male or even detect the body condition of the male from it," says Bill.

Sound attraction
The researchers fitted satellite tracking collars on 12 koalas (six of each gender) and recorded their bellowing, which they then compared to the movements made by the koalas.

During the summer mating season, males amplified their bellowing and the females travelled in response, more so than males. The researchers concluded the primary motive of the bellow is to attract females, rather than to ward off rivals.

Koala expert Dr Stephen Phillips says that the innovative study confirmed what koala specialists had been aware of for some time. "We had collectively noticed there seemed to be preferential mate selection, driven by the female," he says. "We see females travelling some distance to mate with a particular male."

Stephen says there are usually one or two big males within a home range that are responsible for the majority of the offspring; some alpha males mate with up to four females, although occasionally others will be successful.

Male koalas also sometimes seek out bellowing males, or females which call out in distress, to aggressively confront the competing male.

Circular breathing
In animals, the length of the vocal tract is a good indicator of body size; however, male koalas are able to exaggerate their vocalisations to produce loud sounds which are incongruous with their size. Bill says it's possible the koalas employ a circular breathing pattern when they bellow.

"When we're talking it is pretty clear we're breathing out, but I'm not 100 per cent convinced which sounds are exhalation and which are inhalation when the koala bellows," he says.

Bill and his colleagues have been observing the koalas on St Bee's Island off the coast of Queensland for over ten years, and have been recording their bellows for three.

The research was published in Behavioural Ecology in February 2011.






Koalas'

Star photographer's images a matter of life and death

• 
  Wahroonga photographer Peter Blakeman. Picture: PETER KELLY
• 
  Dying of Thirst, by Peter Blakeman.
• 
  Tree of Life, by Peter Blakeman.

Star photographer's images a matter of life and death

Photographic Journey Arnhem Land: Kakadu: Northern Territory

The city lights of Darwin disappear into the background as five photographers from Sydney and Melbourne kissed civilisation goodbye and headed into Australia’s remote Top End.

Starting at Darwin and finishing at Nhulunbuy in far north-east Arnhem Land, the group drove more than 1500 kilometres and took more than 10, 000 images.

Join them, as they discover the warmth of the people that call this land home and a culture that thrives more than 50, 000 years on.

Find it / Plan it

• Podcast Arnhem Land - Part 1
• Podcast Arnhem Land - Part 2
• Facts for podcast - Arnhem Land
• Podcast Kakadu National Park
• Facts for podcast - Kakadu
• Podcast Outback Australia Driving
• Itinerary - The Journey
• Kakadu Accommodation
• Nature's Way Driving Itinerary
• Kakadu and Arnhem Land Map
• Driving Holiday Safety
• Getting here

More Experiences

• Kakadu Adventure Travel Map
  Plan where to trek, swim and sleep on your adventure through Kakadu.
• Seasons of Kakadu National park
  Visit Kakadu National Park more than once and get a different experience each time.
• Arnhem Land Aboriginal Art Trail
  See the stories of Arnhem Land through the eyes of the Yolgnu people.

Learn more about NT Nature Experiences

The Saltwater Crocodile
Crocodiles are undoubtedly the most fascinating animal in the Northern Territory.

Katherine Gorge
Join Ranger Greg Peckham on a journey down river and through one of the most majestic landscapes, the Katherine Gorge.

Larapinta Trail
Explore a dozen different landscapes on a trek across the West MacDonnell Ranges.

Northern Territory Birds
When you wake early to the sound of birds, it’s not too long before you learn to love them.

Bird watching - Tropics
The splash of colour from some of Australia’s most beautiful and rare bird species adds another dimension of vibrancy in the Northern tropics.

Bird watching - Deserts
Stretching from Tennant Creek to Alice Springs and Uluru in the south, this region is home to a diverse range of rare and interesting bird species.

Seasons of Kakadu
Kakadu National Park changes dramatically with the seasons and one visit just won’t be enough.

Photographic Journey Arnhem Land: Travel Kakadu: Northern Territory Official Travel Site

Essential Kakadu - - - Australia

Sunset at Ubirr

Egrets on Yellow Water Cruise

Base of Jim Jim Falls

Gagudju Crocodile Holiday Inn at Kakadu

Darwin Sunset Cruise

Essential Kakadu Driving Holiday

Duration: 5 Days

Unwind as you explore Kakadu thoroughly, from the comfort and convenience of your centrally located hotel. Discover ancient rock art, breathtaking vistas of pristine nature, plus explore creeks and billabongs teeming with endemic species of bird and wildlife.

Your holiday also includes an exhilarating jumping crocs cruise and a sunset eco-sail on Darwin Harbour.

Includes:

• 2 nights 4.5 star accommodation in Darwin at Holiday Inn Esplanade
• 3.5 hour Sunset Eco Sailing with Antipasto
• 5 days car hire (compact hatch with Avis) with limited km's. Pick up from Darwin city, return to Darwin city.
• 1 hour Spectacular Jumping Crocodile Cruise
• 2 nights 4 star accommodation in Kakadu at Gagudju Crocodile Holiday Inn
• 1 day Kakadu Gorge & Waterfall Tour
• 1.5 hour Yellow Water Cruise

Add Ons:

• Cultural Discovery of Darwin Tour for an additional $50* per person twin share

Essential Kakadu

Attractions - Northern Territory - Australia

Attraction Results - Northern Territory

18 of the best day walks in Australia - Australian Geographic Outdoor

Grab your boots, your day pack and a picnic lunch and hit the ground walking on these great Australian trails.

Grand Canyon, Blue Mountains, NSW. (Photo: Tourism New South Wales)

Launch Gallery

WHETHER YOU'RE A SEASONED hiker or a weekend warrior, there are plenty of amazing day walks around Australia. From casual ambling by coastal trails to scaling sea stacks or volcanic domes, there's something for everyone.

So grab your picnic blanket, day pack and walking shoes and get outside to these places:


1. Grand Canyon    Blue Mountains, New South Wales
    See photo and more info
2. Coomera Circuit
    Lamington National Park, Qld
    See photo and more info
3. The Canyon Walk    Kings Canyon, Northern Territory
    See photo and more info
4. Wineglass Bay to Hazards Beach
    Tasmania
    See photo and more info
5. Pinnacles Desert    Western Australia
    See photo and more info
6. Mt Anne and Eliza Plateau    Tasmania
    See photo and more info
7. Mt Warning    New South Wales
    See photo and more info
8. Barrk Sandstone Bushwalk    Northern Territory
    See photo and more info
9. Cape Hillsborough    Queensland
    See photo and more info
10. Mt Gower     Lorde Howe Island, New South Wales
     See photo and more info
11. Bluff Knoll     Western Australia
     See photo and more info
12. Sealers Cove Track     Wilson's Prom, Vic
     See photo and more info
13. Kata Tjuta     Northern Territory
     See photo and more info
14. Raoul View to Tunnel Bay     Tasmania
     See photo and more info
15. Carnarvon Gorge
     Queensland
     See photo and more info
16. Macushla to Cape Richards
     Queensland
     See photo and more info
17. Rosewood Creek Circuit     Dorrigo, New South Wales
     See photo and more info
18. Bouddi Coast Walk     New South Wales
     See photo and more info

18 of the best day walks in Australia - Australian Geographic Outdoor

10 best kayak day trips in Australia - Australian Geographic Outdoor

Planning a lazy paddle around a beautiful scene? Then check out our top 10 kayaking day trips.

Launch Gallery

WE'RE SPOILT FOR CHOICE when it comes to deciding which Aussie paddling destination to tackle. Grab your gear and take on summer's cream of the crop, picked out by AG's 2009 Spirit of Adventure award winner, Andrew Hughes.  
Whether you're finally trotting down to the water's edge to wet that old kayak you found in the garage or have smashed through more beach breaks than you've eaten summertime ice creams, the bubbling surf, smooth-as-silk lagoons and rambling rivers that make up Australia's waterways continue to serve up great classics and new surprises when it comes to paddling adventures. With more than 30,000 km of exhilarating possibilities, here are our top suggestions for launching into a liquid adventure.
LAUNCH FULL GALLERY

1. Sydney Harbour, NSW15-35 km
See photo and more info

2. Rottnest Island, WA
25-30 km
See photo and more info

3. Moreton Bay Islands, Qld5-25 km
See photo and more info

4. Point Nepean national park, Vic5–40 km
See photo and more info


5. Innes National Park, (Yorke Peninsula), SA6–40 km
See photo and more info

6. Hobart Waterfront, Tas5-10 km
See photo and more info

7. Lake Burley Griffin, ACT5-40 km
See photo and more info

8. Noosa River, Qld
20 km
See photo and more info

9. South of Eden, NSW
25–30 km
See photo and more info

10. King George Sound, Albany, WA
15-20 km
See photo and more info

LAUNCH FULL GALLERY 

10 best kayak day trips in Australia - Australian Geographic Outdoor

Sharing the beauty of Australia and our planet.: Warringah Mall 2011 Community Calendar photo entries - Photos - The Manly Daily

Sharing the beauty of Australia and our planet.: Warringah Mall 2011 Community Calendar photo entries - Photos - The Manly Daily

Frog hitches ride with snake to flee floods

The frog on the back of the snake. (Armin Gerlach)

Of all the startling images to have come out from the Queensland floods, this has to be the most unusual — a green frog hitching a ride on the back of a brown snake. 

Computer technician Armin Gerlach was visiting friends in the flood-hit town of Dalby, located in the state's south-east, last week when he spotted the unlikely pair.

"I felt amazement, I just couldn’t believe it," Mr Gerlach told ninemsn.

Mr Gelach said a friend who had been affected by many floods told him animals often helped each other out during disasters.

"It's quite common when you have animals in floods or fires or disasters, they actually get together and don't do anything," he said.

"[My friend] has seen foxes and rabbits forget their hunting instincts during natural disasters," he said.

Mr Gelach said he and his friends were inspecting flood damage on the property, where waters had risen to about 47cm.

Blood Moon On The Rise - Eastern Australia

The eclipse will best be seen in its full glory by people around Brisbane 

(Flickr: Darren Osborne)

Sky-watchers in eastern Australia should look up to the heavens this Tuesday evening, as a spectacular lunar eclipse rises above the north-eastern horizon.

The eclipse, which coincides with the summer solstice, will be in full swing by the time the Moon rises tomorrow night.
Geoffrey Wyatt, from Sydney Observatory, says a lunar eclipse happens when the Sun, Earth and Moon align.
"The Earth is going to move exactly between the Sun and the Moon," he said.
"The Moon will move into the Earth's shadow and we'll see the curved shadow of the Earth move across the Moon."
But Mr Wyatt added most of mainland Australia will only see a fraction of the 73-minute lunar event.
"Around Brisbane they should have about 13 minutes of totality after it rises, but Sydney just misses out," he said.
In Sydney, Mr Wyatt says the Moon will rise at 8:04pm (AEDT) and take approximately 20 minutes to become fully visible.
"By the time it clears the murk of the horizon you'll see most of the Moon eclipsed, but you'll [also] see a bright sliver on the lower portion of it," he said.
"Of course once you see that, you'll be able to focus in on the darker part. [Even if] you might actually be looking at it, you won't actually notice it up until about 8:20 pm (AEDT)," he said.
People in Brisbane will see the Moon rise while it is totally eclipsed, appearing a dark rusty-brown colour.
"You need a clear view to the east north-east. The lower down you can see the better. If you take a longer exposure photograph, it [will appear] as a blood red colour," he said.
"Being so close to the horizon is going to make it even redder. But that's only during totality, and in Sydney we miss out on that. So viewers in Sydney won't actually see the blood red moon at all."
He said the further inland the viewer, the less of the eclipse they will see, and by the time the moon rises over Perth the action will be over.
But if you miss this one, Mr Wyatt said a lunar eclipse on 15 June 2011 should be an "absolute cracker" for sky-watchers in Western Australia, while another will be visible across all of Australia on 10 December 2011.

New outback fish fossil on display

The first details have emerged about another significant fossil discovery in outback Queensland.
A large predatory fish fossil has been found in Queensland's central-west.
The fossil has been found at Isisford, south of Longreach, and is estimated to be between 95-million and 98-million-years-old.

Visit the Austrailian Outback from the Back of a Mail Truck

Like Route 66, the Australian outback has a certain, desolate appeal.   

Now you can visit it in a different way.

The Bush Mail Run is a mail and freight delivery service operating in the outback every Wednesday and Saturday.

The mail is delivered between 7am and 4pm with morning tea at one of the homesteads included.

BYO Lunch and drinks is at Bindara station on the banks of the Darling River with Bill and Barbra .

You will see how the mail and supplies are delivered in the bush to remote country homesteads, the same way for the past 100 years.

# Visit a outback homestead for morning tea at Budgeree Station.

# Travel over 550 km's of Aussie bush roads.

# Visit the grave yard of employees at one of the many stations owned by Sidney Kidman.

# Stop for lunch at Bindara station on the banks of the majestic Darling River.

# See and experience the beauty of the Woolcunda Lake which only fills twice a century.

# See the abuntant wildlife, both native and introduced: like kangaroos, emus, foxes, eagles, goats, occasional wild pigs and other bird life.

# Experience this trip in the comfort of a modern 4WD.

Ancient river courses found below Simpson Desert

Researchers have found ancient river systems in the 

Central Australian desert. (Michael Hutchinson)

Researchers have uncovered the courses of ancient river systems under the Simpson Desert in Central Australia.

Professor Mike Hutchinson from the Australian National University says the systems are approximately 50 million years old and about 35 metres below the surface.
He says the discovery of the ancient systems could be used to find mineral deposits and water sources.
"It helps you to understand the modern landscape and to see where you have remaining vegetation here and there.
"Because the place is not a total desert out there there's certain vegetation here and there.
"It lines up along these ancient drainage lines where there's a certain amount of moisture still down there."