What is the Great Sandy Desert?
Q: What is the Great Sandy Desert?
A: The Great Sandy Desert is a desert in the northwest of Australia, mostly in Western Australia. It is the second-largest desert in Australia (after the Great Victoria Desert). It covers about 284,993 square kilometres (110,036 sq mi).
Q: Who are the main Aboriginal groups living in the area?
A: The main Aboriginal groups living in the area are the Martu and Pintupi. They both speak Western Desert languages.
Q: How much rain does this area get?
A: This area does not get much rain, but even in its driest parts rainfall rarely drops below 250 mm (9.8 in). Most of the rain comes from thunderstorms. On average for most of the area there are about 20-30 days where thunderstorms form.
Q: What kind of plants grow across this desert?
A: Most of the plants growing across this desert are spinifex grasses.
Q: What kind of animals live here?
A: Animals living in this desert include dingos, red kangaroo, monitor lizards, bilbies, marsupial mole, thorny devils, bearded dragons and many other species of lizard.
Q: Who was first European to cross this desert?
A: The first European to cross this desert was Peter Warburton who made his journey from Alice Springs leaving in April 1873 and arriving at De Grey Station January 1874.
Q: How did Warburton survive his journey throught he Great Sandy Desert?
A: Warburton credited his survival on his Aboriginal companion Charley when he arrived starving and blind in one eye after crossing throught he Great Sandy Desert
