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Ecliff ‚ª‚¯@Edepression
‚‚Ú’n@Evegetation@A•¨@Esignificance d—v«@Eabundant
–L•x‚È@Eacidity Ž_«@Enutrient ‰h—{•¨@Earchaeological
lŒÃŠw‚Ì@Eshipwreck@“ï”j‘D@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
Stretching over 120 kilometres
along the southern coast of Queensland, Fraser Island (184 000 hectares) is the
largest sand island in the world. ‡@The island is a place of exceptional beauty, with its
long uninterrupted white beaches flanked by strikingly coloured sand cliffs,
its majestic tall rainforests and numerous freshwater lakes of crystal clear
waters.
The massive sand deposits that
make up the island are a continuous record of climatic and sea level changes
over the past 700 000 years.
Fraser Island features complex
dune systems that are still evolving, and an array of dune lakes that is
exceptional in its number, diversity and age.
The highest dunes on the island
reach up to 240 metres above sea level. Forty perched dune lakes, half the
number of such lakes in the world, can be found on the island. These lakes are
formed when organic matter, such as leaves, bark and dead plants, gradually
build up and harden in depressions created by the wind.
The island also has
several barrage lakes, formed when moving sand dunes block a watercourse, and
'window' lakes, formed when a depression exposes part of the regional water
table.
‡AA surprising variety of
vegetation types grow on the island, ranging from coastal heath to subtropical
rainforests. It is the only place in the world where tall rainforests are found
growing on sand dunes at elevations of over 200 metres.
The low 'wallum' heaths
on the island are of particular evolutionary and ecological significance,
providing magnificent wildflower displays in spring and summer.
Birds are the most
abundant form of animal life on the island with over 350 species being
recorded. It is a particularly important site for migratory wading birds which
use the area as a resting place during their long flights between southern
Australia and their breeding grounds in Siberia.
Few mammal species are
present on the island. The most common are bats, particularly flying foxes. The
dingo population on the island is regarded as the most pure strain of dingoes
remaining in eastern Australia.
The lakes on Fraser
Island are poor habitats for fish and other aquatic species because of the
purity, acidity and low nutrient levels of the water. ‡BSome frog species are adapted
to survive in this difficult environment. Appropriately called 'acid frogs',
they tolerate the acidic condition characteristic of the Fraser Island lakes
and swamps.
Called K'gari by its
Aboriginal inhabitants, the island reveals Aboriginal occupation of at least 5
000 years, although it is possible that further archaeological work may
indicate earlier occupation. Early European reports suggested that Fraser
Island was heavily populated by Aboriginal people, but subsequent research
indicates that there was a small permanent population of 400-600 that swelled
seasonally to perhaps 2000-3000 in the winter months when seafood resources
were particularly abundant. Fraser Island contains many sites of archaeological,
social and spiritual significance. Middens, artefact scatters, fish traps,
scarred trees and campsites bear witness to the lives of the original
inhabitants.
European contact, initiated by
Matthew Flinders in 1802, was sporadic and limited to explorers, escaped
convicts and shipwreck survivors.
In 1836 a number of survivors
of the wrecked ship 'Stirling Castle' lived for about six weeks on the island
before being rescued. During these six weeks, hostility and aggression
developed between the Europeans and the Aborigines. One of the survivors was
the wife of the captain of the Stirling Castle, Eliza Fraser, after whom
Europeans named the island. Day-to-day management of the island is primarily
the responsibility of the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service.
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http://seefraserisland.com/about/index.html
@@@@@@@ http://www.deh.gov.au/heritage/worldheritage/sites/fraser/index.html
http://www.promarkj.com/eco_australia/
@@@@@@@@http://www.ecotourism.org.au/ecoguide.asp
http://www.australia.com/places_to_go/Islands/Islands_Queensland/Prod_Map_JP.aust?L=en&C=JP
by Nobuhiro Terasaki, Aoyama Gakuin College of
Economics
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