Wild Discovery Guide: Shark Bay - Ningaloo Coast and Outback Pathways, Western Australia

Abstract

The Shark Bay-Ningaloo Coast extends 600km from north to south and the Outback Pathways cover more than 3,000km of Outback roads, all exhibiting a stunning diversity of organisms and geological and human history. Habitats include oceanic, bay, sea floor, coral reef, seagrass meadows, mangroves, stromatolites, limestone caves, karst landforms, underground water masses, sand dunes, clay pans, mountain ranges, arid lands and desert. The Outback Pathways are an exciting series of three self-drive road trails being the Wool Wagon Pathway, Kingsford Smith Mail Run and Miner's Pathway. This book introduces these comprehensively as well as the 'icons' of the region, and the associated innovative animal recovery programs in Shark Bay. More than 380 photographs illustrate the text. A satellite image is used for regional orientation and an indication of the area of study. Eleven map sections from the WA Department of Land Information StreetSmart series are included covering the coast in sequence from north to south and the Outback Pathways. There is a photographic guide with captions for the most commonly-seen plants and animals. 'Boxed bits' of information covering important hints or explaining in detail more complicated or special items are throughout the book. Complementary to the text and photographs are a reading list, helpful web sites, contact lists for important local groups and agencies and an index.