Australia is massive, and very
sparsely peopled: in size it rivals
the USA, yet its population is just
over eighteen million - little more
than that of the Netherlands. This
is an ancient land, and often looks
it: in places, it's the most eroded,
denuded and driest of continents,
with much of central and western
Australia - the bulk of the country
- overwhelmingly arid and flat. In
contrast, its cities - most of which
were founded as recently as the
mid-nineteenth century - express a
youthful energy.
The most memorable scenery is in
the Outback, the vast desert in the
interior of the country west of the
Great Dividing Range. Here, vivid
blue skies, cinnamon-red earth,
deserted gorges and other striking
geological features as well as
bizarre wildlife comprise a unique
ecology - one that has played host
to the oldest surviving human
culture for at least fifty thousand
years.
The harshness of the interior has
forced modern Australia to become a
coastal country. Most of the
population lives within 20km of the
ocean, occupying a suburban,
southeastern arc extending from
southern Queensland to Adelaide.
These urban Australians celebrate
the typical New World values of
material self-improvement through
hard work and hard play, with an
easy-going vitality that visitors,
especially Europeans, often find
refreshingly hedonistic. A sunny
climate also contributes to this
exuberance, with an outdoor life in
which a thriving beach culture and
the congenial backyard "barbie"
are central.
While visitors might eventually
find this Home and Away
lifestyle rather prosaic, there are
opportunities - particularly in the
Northern Territory - to gain some
experience of Australia's indigenous
peoples and their culture, through
visiting ancient art sites, taking
tours and, less easily, making
personal contact. Many Aboriginal
people - especially in central
Australia - have managed to maintain
their traditional way of life
(albeit with some modern
accoutrements), speaking their own
languages and living according to
their law (the tjukurpa).
Conversely, most Aboriginal people
you'll come across in country towns
and cities are victims of what is
scathingly referred to as
"welfare colonialism" - a
disempowering system in which,
supported by dole cheques and other
subsidies, they often fall prey to a
destructive cycle of poverty,
ill-health and alcoholism. There's
still a long way to go before black
and white people in Australia can
exist on genuinely equal terms.
