With its vertical rock walls of up to 100 meters Kings Canyon, also known as Watarraka by the Aborigines, is one of the most spectacular gorges in Australia. Over millions of years, wind and water have carved a deep incision into the red sandstone of the landscape, forming a green oasis in the middle of the Outback. Deep at the bottom of the canyon, protected from drying out, water-filled basins have formed, which today provide the foundation for the rich flora and fauna of the Kings Canyon.

At the western edge of the West MacDonnell National Park lies Redbank Gorge, a deep and narrow gorge carved by water into an outcrop of Mount Sonder. From the mouth of the gorge, a path leads across the dry riverbed to the end of the canyon. Eucalyptus trees, which are only supplied with water during the rainy season, line the gradually narrowing river course. With every step, the sandy ground is replaced by rocks, until the path abruptly ends at a small lake that blocks the way. On the opposite side, one can still see how the continuation of the gorge disappears into a narrow ravine between the steep cliffs.

To the west of Australia lies Mount Augustus, an elongated inselberg that rises 800 meters above the surrounding landscape. The Aborigines call the mountain Burringurrah, after a figure from their Dreamtime. According to the story, Burringurrah was a young Aboriginal man who fled from his tribe out of fear of the initiation ritual. His enraged tribe members chased him down and killed him. At the spot where he fell, Mount Augustus now stands. On the western slopes of the mountain, the rock formations are still visible today, marking the place where he was once fatally injured.

About 200 km northwest of Perth lies the Nambung National Park, which is primarily famous for thousands of rugged limestone formations that seem to grow out of the ground. The Pinnacles, which rise up to 3 meters high, likely formed from the weathered remains of marine life such as shells and corals that accumulated here and were later exposed by wind and water. Another theory attributes their formation to petrified tree roots. Regardless of which theory is true, in the soft evening light of the setting sun, the Pinnacles begin to glow in various colours, transforming the landscape into a surreal painting.

To the west of Australia lies the small, sleepy town of Sandstone. Just a few kilometres south of here is the Devil‘s Arch, also known as London Bridge, a natural rock bridge in the heart of the Outback. Over thousands of years, wind and rain have carved a window into the rock and formed a sandstone bridge in the landscape. But erosion continues relentlessly. In the early 19th century, it was still possible to drive a horse-drawn carriage on the bridge and have your photo taken. Today, the bridge is only one meter wide and is now far too fragile to support even a single person. The days of the bridge are numbered and it is only a matter of time before the connection between the two sides will disappear.

To the north of Western Australia‘s Karijini National Park lies Kalamina Gorge, a small rock gorge carved into the red stone by erosion over millions of years. In summer the temperature above the rocks often rises above 40°C, while at the bottom of the gorge, protected from direct sunlight, a cool oasis has developed. Small ponds, which carry water year-round, form the foundation for the dense growth of eucalyptus trees, in whose canopies various birds nest. Reed beds thrive along the shores, where frogs bustle about hunting for insects. And as the evening sun sets, when the air has cooled even further, wallabies and kangaroos come to the shore to quench their thirst.

Although the Australian Outback, with its vast and barren bush landscape, may seem dead and dry, it experiences heavy rainfall throughout the year. From November to April, humid warm air masses originating over the Indian Ocean bring torrential downpours, powerful thunderstorms, and destructive cyclones to the Australian continent. The rain is often so intense that within a few hours, vast parts of the Outback are submerged under several centimetres of water, and large areas of the country become impassable. However, it is also the source of the landscape’s blooming in the weeks that follow. Where once there was only red, dusty earth, a voracious sea of colourful plants begins to grow.

The lost world of the Bungle Bungles, or Purnululu as it is called in the language of the local Aborigines, is a unique natural wonder in the midst of a remote wilderness. For 20 million years wind and rain have carved bee-hive-shaped domes with deep gorges into the sandstone plateau. Deposition processes, which took place long before the first domes formed, created the layering of the ground that is now responsible for the spectacular orange-black striped pattern of the Bungle Bungles. Especially in the light of the low-setting evening sun, the domes begin to shine in a deep orange like glowing embers.

It is perhaps the most famous natural landmark in Australia, Ayers Rock, or Uluru as the Aborigines call their sacred mountain. Deep in the heart of the Australian continent, visible from afar, the monadnock rises about 350 meters above the surrounding landscape. While from a distance it appears smooth and like a giant red pebble, a closer look reveals the significant impact that wind and weather have had on the surface of the mountain. Particularly on the north-eastern flank, erosion has deeply cracked the rock across a large area, carving fine structures into the mountain.

They are the true builders of the Outback: termites. Their fortresses can rise up to seven meters into the sky and house colonies of several million creatures. Often, the termites use the remains of a dead tree as the foundation for their mound. A mixture of earth and chewed plant matter forms the primary material of the construction, which achieves tremendous strength and durability. A complex structure of tunnels and battlements, with ventilation shafts, ensures a constant supply of fresh air and a stable temperature deep within the termite mound. Here, protected by many layers of termite cement, lies the most important place of the colony: the queen’s chamber.

About 30 kilometres west of Ayers Rock lies another rock formation in the heart of the Outback: Kata Tjuta, or the Olgas as they were named by white explorers. Rising up to 550 meters, the 36 rock domes tower over the surrounding landscape. During the day, when the sun is at its peak, temperatures in the gorges between the rocks soar well above 40°C and a hot wind sweeps through the valleys. Only with the setting sun do the temperatures drop to more bearable levels. But then, the low and warm evening light makes Kata Tjuta glow, with the domes radiating a deep orange, as if the rocks are still releasing the heat of the day.

About 120 km southeast of Coober Pedy, in the middle of the Painted Desert, stands Mount Arckaringa, an isolated mountain that rises about 180 meters above the surrounding Outback. This kaleidoscope of colours, ranging from white to yellow, brown, and deep red, originates from the iron-rich limestone that dominates the entire landscape. Still white when protected beneath the upper layers, the rock slowly begins to change colour as wind and rain break the soil and allow the iron to react with the oxygen. Layer by layer, the ever-changing colours of the slopes are eroded, until eventually, the entire mountain will disappear.

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