Main Page | See live article | Alphabetical index

Bushland

The term 'bushland' usually refers to an area that has only a sparse flora and fauna. This term was first used to describe the harsh Australian Outback, the red semi-desert that covers a significant part of the inner continent. The soil is usually very salty and therefore only specialized plants and animals can survive. Human survival in the bushlands has a whole mythology evolving around it, with the legendary stories of trackers and bushrangers deeply entrenched in Australian folklore. (See Burke, Flinders, Ned Kelly...) Probably the best survivers out there are the Aboriginals, who have learned how to blend in with nature and become a part of it.