Nullarbor Plain, Australia

Travel Blog  •  Ben Keene  •  05.12.06 | 8:27 PM ET

Coordinates: 31 10 S 129 0 E
Approximate length: 1,243 miles (2,000 km)
imageA scenic ride with nothing much to look at. Well, nothing you’re likely to see from the window seat as you glide along the rails of Australia’s Transcontinental Line. A treeless expanse of limestone south of the Great Victoria Desert that once formed the bed of an ancient sea, the Nullarbor Plain is crossed by the single longest straight section of railroad track in the world. But for all its monotony, it’s not altogether lifeless. Lacking any surface water, the Nullarbor’s semi-arid terrain nonetheless supports well over 1,000 species of birds, mammals, reptiles and vascular plants.

—.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) is the editor of the Oxford Atlas of the World.

Tags: Australia & Pacific, Australia

Ben Keene has appeared on National Public Radio, Peter Greenberg Worldwide Radio as well as other nationally syndicated programs to discuss geographic literacy and his work updating a bestselling world atlas. Formerly a touring musician, he has written for Transitions Abroad and inTravel.


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