Great Victoria Desert

　　The Great Victoria Desert is situated in the southwestern part of the Australian inland, spanning both South Australia and Western Australia. It borders the Gibson Desert to the north and the Nullarbor Plain to the northwest. Stretching over 1,000 kilometres from east to west and about 550 kilometres at its widest point, the desert covers an area of 424,400 square kilometres. With an average elevation of 150–300 metres, it consists mainly of sand dunes, sand plains, and salt marshes.

　　In 1875, adventurer Ernest Giles crossed the region from east to west and named it the Great Victoria Desert — it is the largest desert in Australia. The area receives very little rainfall and suffers from extreme aridity, with summer temperatures reaching up to 50 degrees Celsius. Without the shelter of tall trees, fierce winds howl across the desert sky all day, making wind the only sound. Most would assume this to be a lifeless wasteland, but in 1973, Australian botanist Flannery discovered while travelling by motorcycle that approximately 3,600 plant species thrive here in symbiosis. In terms of biodiversity per unit area, it far exceeds that of the tropical rainforests of South America, prompting the discoverer to call it a "desert garden." The plants here require astonishingly little water and nutrients — about one-tenth of what similar species elsewhere need. Moreover, none of the plants have green leaves; instead, their foliage displays a variety of vivid colours. Even more remarkably, these flowers secrete unusually large amounts of nectar.

　　Great Victoria Desert Reason to visit: The largest desert in Australia Continent: Oceania Country/Region: Australia State/Province: South Australia and Western Australia