Life in the Outback
The Outback refers to a huge, remote and dry region of Australia. Not many people live there. The original inhabitants of the Outback are the Aborigines
Outback plants and animals live under difficult conditions. ​Many plants are poisonous.
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The outback is not a desert but it is fertile because the weather is not always dry. In the north, for example there is a wet season, too. Then, there are heavy rains with amazing thunderstorms and even floods!
How do people live in the Outback ?
Only 800.000 people live in the Outback because the conditions are really hard. They live in small villages or stations very far away from each other. These stations can be really big. The biggest station in Australia is bigger than Israel, El Salvador or Slovenia! It takes five hours to drive from the northern boundary of Clifton Hills Station- the second largest cattle station in the world - to its southern boundary.
People usually live on large cattle and sheep but mining is also one of the largest industries there. All their need is carried by road trains to them.
Because of the long distances between villages and stations, children can't go to school.
Instead, they have the School of the Air.
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It is also very difficult for people to go to hospital when they have a medical emergency. They usually call the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
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When there is an emergency, you can't trust no-one. You depend on yourself.
Listen to this story of survival and retell it using these words:
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ISOLATED / DROUGHT / RAIN / WILDFIRE / FIREFIGHTERS / WATER TANK/ HOTTER / EXHAUSTED
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If you are a tourist and you want to visit the Outback, it is important to take some safety precautions.
The most important.... DON'T PANIC!
