Lake Mungo

Lake Mungo - Walls of China

As a student of archaeology, Mungo conjures up to me all sorts of images about the antiquity of human origins in Australia. It also bears testament to significant climate change in the time that humans have been in the area.
A drive out to Lake Mungo certainly exposes one to the sheer scale of the Australian landscape. Once you leave Mildura there is little but sky and flat land in all directions. The Arumpo Road that leads past Arumpo Station and on into the real Australia quickly turns to gravel and sand, and by the looks of the ruts, muddy quagmires in parts after rain.
Kilometre after relentless kilometre my car passes through monocultures of young grain interspersed with mallee mostly on the sandy rises along with saltbush plains on the flat. Every now and then the road is punctuated by a cattle grid, and occasionally small mobs of cattle can be seen grazing on saltbush and the emerging green grasses in evidence after recent rains. In spite of the harsh environment, the cattle look in good condition. Further on sheep make an appearance, again looking solid and healthy.

Occasionally a mob of emu can been seen foraging, mostly one or two adults (males?) with groups of well-grown young in tow. At one point a huge, very dark Wedge-tailed eagle stares down at me from one of the few taller trees in the area. As I get closer it takes to wing with slow, heavy wing beats but quickly begins to glide and soar with consummate ease. Small groups of Major Mitchell Cockatoos provide beautiful colours in whites and pinks as they fly up from their feasting on the large melons that grow in clumps out here. Galahs are also to be seen at these melons from time to time. Such beauty in the birds provides a welcome contrast to the subdued tones of mallee and saltbush that colour the whole area.

Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo