When I first thought of the Australian desert I pictured a lot of sand and rocks, with few plants and incredibly intense sun. This is the image that most people have of the desert. It is the image portrayed in movies, shows, magazines, pictures and postcards. However, I was surprised to find that this was not the environment I was surrounded by. Yes, there are a lot of rocks and a lot of sand. However, there was no shortage of plant life anywhere we went. Though this is not always true of the Central Australian desert. Last year was one of the highest years in history for rainfall and the vast range of flora found throughout the desert is proof of that.
Though there isn’t usually as much flora as there has been while we have been here, there is usually much more than depicted by the media. In addition, though it was hot and sunny the entire time we were in Central Australia, the sun was not unbearable. In fact, I forgot to wear sunscreen the entire time we were there and I didn’t once get a sunburn, a surprising fact to anyone who knows me or has seen me (I’m very fair skinned). This was just another instance that reminded me that everything isn’t always how you expect it to be, and in fact most of the time its not.
Mariah
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