The Gondwana Link

GONDWANA LINK follows a climate gradient that ranges from high rainfall to semi-arid. At its western end, majestic wet forests jostle with slightly dryer jarrah and marri forests. These merge eastwards into vast swathes of wildflower-rich heathland and mallee, such as those conserved in Stirling Range and Fitzgerald River national parks. Past the eastern end of Fitzgerald River NP, a major convergence zone of coastal and inland vegetation also broadly marks the transition where tall, semi-arid woodlands begin to dominate as Gondwana Link finds its way to the edge of the Nullarbor Plain. Apparently defiant of the maxim that big trees need good rainfall, the Great Western Woodlands seem dominated by iconic species such as salmon gum. These woodlands support more than 160 eucalypt species arrayed across 17 of the 23 major vegetation complexes recognised for

Australia.

The stunning royal hakea is the poster-child of Fitzgerald River NP. Quoin Head (above) is one of many picturesque headlands along the western limits of Fitzgerald River NP. Seeds (right) of the coastal wattle, a hardy endemic species that has been used to great effect in bush restoration work.