Isiqhingi Sesihlabathi Esiyipharadesi

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! E-AUSTRALIA

NGO-1770, umhloli wamazwe waseBrithani uKaputen’ uJames Cook wakhuphuka ngomkhumbi egudla ugu olusempumalanga lwe-Australia. Ebangeni elingaphezudlwana kwamakhilomitha angu-150 enyakatho yedolobha namuhla eliyiBrisbane, wadlula isiqhingi esikhulu esiyisihlabathi esingasogwini, leso ngokuhamba kwesikhathi esasizodonsa izivakashi ezingu-300 000 ngonyaka. Nokho, uCook akazange asinake. Empeleni, yena nabanye bacabanga ukuthi sasiyinhlonhlo, hhayi isiqhingi. Eminyakeni embalwa kamuva, umhloli wamazwe uMatthew Flinders yena wehla kulesi siqhingi. Wabhala: “Ayikho indawo eyihlane njengale nhlonhlo.”

Ukube uCook noFlinders badlulela ngalé kogu namagquma esihlabathi esisagolide, babeyoba nombono ohluke ngokuphelele. Babeyothola indawo enamahlathi emvula angonakalisiwe, amachibi acwebile, amawa anesihlabathi esinemibala ekhangayo, kanye namakhulukhulu ezinhlobo zezilwane. Lesi siqhingi, manje esibizwa ngokuthi iFraser Island, siyisiqhingi sesihlabathi esikhulu kunazo zonke emhlabeni futhi sihle kangangokuba ngo-1992 safakwa ohlwini lwezindawo eziyiNgcebo Yomhlaba.a

Yavela Ezintabeni

IFraser Island ingamakhilomitha angu-120 ubude namakhilomitha angaba ngu-25 ububanzi. Ihlanganisa indawo engamahektare angu-160 000. Inamagquma aphakeme esihlabathi angamamitha angu-240 ngaphezu kogu lolwandle, okwenza lesi siqhingi siphakame kunazo zonke ezohlobo lwaso emhlabeni. Lesi siqhingi esiphawulekayo sakheka kanjani?

Ubufakazi bubonisa ukuthi amathani ngamathani esihlabathi esakha lesi siqhingi avela ezintabeni zokhahlamba zaseGreat Dividing Range, ezihlanganisa lonke ugu lwe-Australia olusempumalanga. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, izimvula ezinkulu zaqhephula amadwala kulezi zintaba futhi zawakhukhulela emifuleni, ehla aze ayongena olwandle. Amagagasi asolwandle ashaya la madwala aze aba yisihlabathi futhi awakhukhula kancane kancane ekujuleni kolwandle. Lesi sihlabathi, esasivinjwa yizinhlonhlo namagquma angamadwala angaphansi kolwandle, sanqwabelana saze saba iFraser Island.

Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi, iPacific Ocean iye yaqhubeka inqwabelanisa isihlabathi ogwini lwalesi siqhingi. Ukusuka lapho, imimoya iphephula lesi sihlabathi isifake ngaphakathi ezweni, sakhe amagquma. La magquma ahlanganisa indawo engangemitha ngonyaka, amboze yonke into esendleleni yawo.

Amachibi Aqhwakele Namahlathi Ayivelakancane

Kuyamangalisa ukuthi kuso sonke lesi siqhingi kunamachibi angu-40 anamanzi acwebile avaleleke phakathi kwamagquma esihlabathi. Amanye ala machibi aziwa ngokuthi amachibi aqhwakele ngoba aphezulu ezigodini ezinkulu eziqongweni eziphakeme zamagquma esihlabathi. La manzi avinjwa yini ukuba angakapaki? Umngcele wezinto ezibunile, ezihlanganisa amaqabunga, amagxolo namagatsha aseqala ukubola.

Lesi siqhingi sibuye sibe “namachibi angamafasitela,” akheka lapho izigodi ezisesihlabathini zizika zibe ngaphansi kwezinga lamanzi angaphansi komhlaba. Lezi zigodi zigcwala amanzi ahlanzekile, zibe amachibi acwebile anenzika yesihlabathi, lawo empeleni awumthombo wamanzi angaphansi komhlaba.

Amachibi alesi siqhingi agcwaliswa yimvula engamasentimitha angu-150 ngonyaka. Amanzi angangeni emachibini noma amuncwe yisihlabathi aba yimifudlana egelezela olwandle. Kunomfudlana okulinganiselwa ukuthi uchithela amanzi angaphezu kwamalitha ayizigidi ezinhlanu ngehora ePacific Ocean.

Ngenxa yokuthi iFraser Island inenala yamanzi, lokhu kuyenza ibe indawo eluhlaza. Ngokuvamile, amahlathi emvula awamili esihlabathini esingenazakhi. Kodwa iFraser Island ingenye yezindawo ezimbalwa emhlabeni lapho amahlathi emvula emila khona esihlabathini. Empeleni, leli hlathi lake laba likhulu kangangokuba kwaphela iminyaka engaphezu kweyikhulu kugawulwa imithi kulo. Imithi ye-kauri nogamthilini i-blackbutt ne-tallowwood yayigawulwa ngobuningi. Umgawuli othile wemithi washo lokhu ngo-1929: “Isihambi sizithela emithini ephakeme engaba amamitha angu-45 . . . Le mithi emikhulu yehlathi ingamamitha amabili kuya kwamathathu ubukhulu.” Eminye imithi, njenge-satinay kanye ne-turpentine, kwagcina kwakhiwe ngayo iSuez Canal. Nokho, namuhla imithi yaseFraser Island ikhula ngaphandle kokuphazanyiswa.

Ipharadesi Elinomlando Odabukisayo

Lesi siqhingi sathola igama laso ngemva kwenhlekelele. Ngo-1836, uKaputen’ uJames Fraser nomkakhe, u-Eliza, basinda lapho kuphahlazeka umkhumbi i-Stirling Castle futhi bakhukhulekela ogwini lwalesi siqhingi. Kubonakala sengathi isizwe esithile sabomdabu sambulala ukaputeni, kodwa u-Eliza yena wasindiswa kamuva. Ukuze kukhunjulwe le nhlekelele, igama lalesi siqhingi lashintshwa lisuka kwelithi Great Sandy Island kwathiwa iFraser Island.

Abomdabu nabo behlelwa yinhlekelele. Kunesikhathi lapho kwakunaboMdabu abangu-2 000 abahlala eFraser Island. Babechazwa njengezidlakela. Indawo yabo babeyibiza ngokuthi iK’gari, noma iPharadesi. Inganekwane yaboMdabu base-Australia elandisa ngomsuka walesi siqhingi isichaza njengendawo enhle kunazo zonke ezake zadalwa. Ngokudabukisayo, laba bantu babulawa yizifo ezafika nabeLungu. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ekuqaleni kwekhulu lama-20, iningi laboMdabu ababesele lase lithuthelwe ezwekazini.

Isiphephelo Esihle

Namuhla lesi siqhingi siyisiphephelo sezilwane zasendle. Phakathi kwezilwane ezaziwayo ezitholakala khona kunama-dingo—amankentshane ase-Australia. Njengoba engahlangani nezinja ezifuyiwe ezwekazini, la mankentshane aseFraser Island abhekwa njengohlobo olungaxubile neze olukhona empumalanga ye-Australia. Angase afane nezinja ezifuywayo, kodwa akunjalo, ngakho kufanele aphathwe ngokuqapha nangenhlonipho.

Kuye kwatholakala izinhlobo zezinyoni ezingaphezu kuka-300 kulesi siqhingi. Ogwini kutholakala onhloyile abangama-brahminy nezinkozi ezinesifuba esimhlophe, kanti izivuba eziluhlaza zintweza emachibini. Izivakashi ezidlulayo zihlanganisa ama-sand plover aseMongolia azalela eSiberia abese endiza elibangisa eningizimu ebusika. Aphumula isikhashana eFraser Island ngaphambi kokuba aqedele uhambo lwawo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, lesi siqhingi ngezinye izikhathi sivakashelwa ama-flying fox angu-30 000 noma ngaphezulu anamakhanda ampunga, empeleni angamalulwane angangegwababa, alambele umpe lwezimbali zikagamthilini.

Kunezinto eziningi eziphilayo nasemanzini azungeze iFraser Island, kuhlanganise nemikhomo engama-humpback esuka e-Antarctic ebandayo elibangise eGreat Barrier Reef, lapho ikhwelana khona ibuye izalele khona. Lapho isibuyela emuva, le mikhomo yenza umbukwane ngokuphakamisa imizimba yayo emikhulu bese iziphonsa emanzini, asabalala abonakale umuntu elé kude—indlela ewumbukwane ngempela yokuvalelisa lesi siqhingi esimangalisayo!

[Umbhalo waphansi]

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(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

PACIFIC OCEAN

Fraser Island

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Ngakwesokudla, kusuka phezulu wehle:

Isizalo soMfula iKurrnung

IFraser Island inamachibi acwebile angu-40, kuhlanganise namachibi aqhwakele kanye nasamafasitela

Into engavamile—amahlathi emvula amila esihlabathini

[Umthombo]

All photos: Courtesy of Tourism Queensland

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Inkentshane i-“dingo” ne-“koala”

[Umthombo]

Courtesy of Tourism Queensland

[Isithombe ekhasini 16, 17]

Ugu lweFraser Island olungamakhilomitha angu-120 lungolunye lwezingu ezinde kakhulu emhlabeni

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Ukhozi olunesifuba esimhlophe

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Izivuba ezingama-“kookaburra”

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Izivuba ezingama-“pelican”

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Umkhomo i-“humpback” usahlab’ ikhefu njengoba ulibangise e-Antarctica

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Eagle: ©GBRMPA; all other photos except pelicans: Courtesy of Tourism Queensland