Colours of the Outback - Not Just Red

The colours of the outback change endlessly. Many people think it is painted only red, and although this is true for large portions of the outback, it has a variety of hues that change with the weather and season. The sky turns grey when it rains, the ghost gums are silver, and the dry riverbed is filled with pale white sand.

The red parts of the outback are clouded in explosions of black as cockatoos lift into the air. Flocks of bright budgerigars hover, wheeling and swooping. The sky is blue, and the long roads that cut across this country are dark tracks of bitumen, unless they’re unsealed, when they can be an earthy, pot-holed brown or tan.

Ellery Creek, Central Australia

After heavy rain, the landscape turns green. Sunlight glints off the waterholes, creating shades of brown. The wildflowers bloom purple and yellow. Sturt’s Desert Peas splash crimson amongst the grasses. The sunsets bleed gold, and daybreak brings pink.

The Western Bowerbird builds its nest with yellow objects. The snakes that slither often unseen through the foliage wear different patterns, and the insects glow with iridescent light. Spiders glitter in the bush under the moonlight night sky, and the people of the outback are painted with sunspots and laugh lines and the resilience that comes from facing whatever challenges are thrown at them.

These are the colours of the outback.