The natural history of Australia's desert regions can now be easily understood due to the excellent work of Penny Van Oosterzee, a freelance science writer and Master of Environmental Studies who has combined with internationally renown nature photographer, Reg Morrison to produce this stunning nature book. It traces the geological history of central Australia along the World's oldest river, the Finke. The associated ecosystems of central Australia detailed in this book explode the myth of the 'dead heart'.

Frogs, lizards, birds, termites, wildflowers, spinifex, trees, bats and spiders are just a few of the subjects covered. A photograph of a barking spider will scare most readers as it appears to jump out of the page. This book is highly recommended as a reference for all travellers into any part of central Australia. Because of its easily understood text and graphic photographs it must also be recommended as a reference book for any library. Soft cover. 175 pages. Fully indexed.

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It’s true that most Australians live on the relatively thin strips of fertile land that follow parts of the coastline. The further inland you travel, the fewer people you meet. It’s also a fact that most of the inland region is usually hot and dry and covered with nothing more than low-lying scrub. Unrelenting droughts can last for years. A common perception is that the landscape has always been like this and that it will remain so forever. However, archaeologist Peter Thorley describes how this is not the case, that long ago the region had an abundance of plants and wildlife, with human inhabitants living on the shores of a vast freshwater sea. He further explains how this situation has continually changed, but that still today the Centre is periodically subject to massive flooding – a phenomenon that is bound to be further affected by global warming. 

John Mulvaney and Johan Kamminga. The discoveries and often controversial interpretations of six decades of archaeological research. 480pp.