Isiqithi Sentlabathi EsiyiParadesi
NGUMBHALI KAVUKANI! EOSTRELIYA
NGOWE-1770, umhloli wamazwe waseBritani uKaptein James Cook wenjenjeya ehamba ngenqanawa egudla unxweme olusempuma yeOstreliya. Kumgama ongaphezu nje kancinane kweekhilomitha ezili-150 ngentla kwendawo namhlanje esisixeko saseBrisbane, wadlula kwisiqithi esiselunxwemeni esinentlabathi eninzi, esasiza kuthi ekuhambeni kwexesha sityelelwe ngabantu abangama-300 000 ngonyaka. Noko ke, lo kaCook akazange anikel’ ingqalelo ingako kwesi siqithi. Enyanisweni, yena nabanye babecinga ukuba ngusingasiqithi nje lo. Kwiminyaka embalwa kamva, umhloli wamazwe uMatthew Flinders wema kule ndawo. Wabhala esithi: “Lo ngumqwebedu wokwenene.”
Ukuba lo kaCook nokaFlinders babehambe nje umganyana kolo nxweme luneenduli zentlabathi, ngekwakuthethwe eny’ into. Ngebothuswa kukubona ummandla omhle onamahlathi ashinyeneyo, amachibi angcwengileyo, iindunduma ezintle zentlabathi nenkitha yezilwanyana zasendle ezahlukahlukeneyo. Ngoku, le ndawo ibizwa ngokuba yiFraser Island yaye sesona siqithi sikhulu sentlabathi ehlabathini, ibe ngowe-1992 saqukwa kwezona Ndawo Zibalulekileyo Ehlabathini.a
Sabangelwa Ziintaba
IFraser Island iziikhilomitha ezili-120 ubude, neekhilomitha ezingama-25 ububanzi. Igubungela ummandla oziihektare ezingama-160 000. Esi siqithi sineenduli zentlabathi eziziimitha ezingaphezu kwama-240 ukuphakama ngaphezu kolwandle, nto leyo ebangela ukuba sibe sesona siqithi siphakamileyo ehlabathini. Yintoni eyabangela kubekho iinduli eziphakame kangaka?
Ubungqina bubonisa ukuba intlabathi eninzi ebumbe esi siqithi yayisuka kwiiGreat Dividing Range, udederhu lweentaba ezigubungele lonke unxweme olungasempuma kweOstreliya. Ekuhambeni kwexesha, kwana iimvula ezinkulu ezavumbulula amatye kwezi ntaba zaza zawadudulela emilanjeni de aya kufika elwandle. Imisinga yaselwandle yawacola la matye aba yintlabathi yaza ngokuthe ngcembe loo ntlabathi yatshayelelwa ngasemantla ngamanzi olwandle. Ithintelwa ziinduli nangamatye aphuma ngaphantsi elwandle, le ntlabathi yafumba de ekugqibeleni yavelisa isiqithi ekuthiwa yiFraser Island.
Ukususela ngelo xesha, uLwandlekazi lwePasifiki luye lwaqhubeka lutyekeza intlabathi kwiindawo ezininzi eziselunxwemeni. Kwezo ndawo, kuye kwavuthuza imimoya etyhalele le ntlabathi ngaphandle elwandle, nto leyo ebangele iinduli ezinkulu zentlabathi. Ezi nduli, zanda ngemitha enye ngonyaka, zigqumelela nantoni na esendleleni yazo.
Amachibi Amanzi Acwengileyo Namahlathi Angaqhelekanga
Okumangalisayo kukuba, kukho amachibi anamanzi angcwengileyo angama-40 kwimigongxo ekwiinduli zentlabathi kuso sonke esi siqithi. Wambi kula machibi akummandla ophakamileyo kwimigongxo emikhulu ekwiinduli eziphakamileyo zentlabathi. Yintoni ethintela la manzi ukuba angaphuphumi? Abanjwa yintlenge yamagqabi ezityalo, amaxolo kunye namasebe emithi aqalisa ukubola.
Kwakhona, kwesi siqithi kukho namachibi ayifestile, abakho xa le migongxo igqobhoza intlabathi de ifikelele kumanzi aphantsi komhlaba. Amanzi acwengileyo athontsiza emingxunyeni, nto leyo ebangela kubekho amaqula anamanzi acwengileyo nacocekileyo ngaloo ndlela ebangela ifestile yokubona umlinganiselo wamanzi aphantsi komhlaba.
La machibi esi siqithi afumana amanzi emvula aziisentimitha ezili-150 ngonyaka. Amanzi angangeniyo kula machibi okanye abanjwe yintlabathi enza imisele etyekezela amanzi elwandle. Kuqikelelwa ukuba omnye umsinga uchitha kuLwandlekazi lwePasifiki amanzi anokuba ziilitha ezizizigidi ezintlanu ngeyure.
La manzi maninzi kangaka enza iFraser Island ibe sisiqithi esinohlaza oluninzi. Ngokuqhelekileyo, amahlathi ashinyeneyo akamili kwintlabathi engenazondlo zomhlaba. Kodwa iFraser Island yenye yeendawo ezimbalwa emhlabeni enamahlathi ashinyeneyo amila entlabathini. Enyanisweni, ngesinye isihlandlo la mahlathi ayeshinyene kangangokuba kangangeminyaka engaphezu kwe-100, phakathi kula mahlathi kwakuvakala nje izembe labagawuli bemithi. Izazi ngemithi zagawula imithi emininzi yeBlackbutt, ikauri netallowwood. Enye ingcali ngemithi yathi ngowe-1929: “Apha umhambi ubona imithi emikhulu enokude ibe ziimitha ezingama-45 ubude . . . Le mithi mikhulu ineziqu ezinokuba ziimitha ezimbini okanye ezintathu ububanzi.” Eminye imithi njengesatinay neturpentine, yasetyenziswa ukwakha iindonga zeSuez Canal. Noko ke, ngoku imithi ekwiFraser Island ikhula de ibe midala.
IParadesi Enembali Elusizi
Esi siqithi sathiywa ngesiganeko esibuhlungu. Ngowe-1836, uKaptein James Fraser nomfazi wakhe uEliza, basinda emva kokuzika komkhumbi iStirling Castle yaye baya kufika elunxwemeni lwesi siqithi. Isizwe esasihlala apho sayibulala le kaptein, kodwa uEliza yena wasinda. Ngenxa yale ntlekele, igama lesi siqithi iGreat Sandy Island latshintshwa saza sabizwa ngokuba yiFraser Island.
Nabantu balapha bafikelwa yintlekele. EFraser Island kwakhe kwakho abantu Bomthonyama abanokuba ngama-2 000. Kuthiwa babondlekile, bomelele. Indawo ababehlala kuyo babeyibiza ngokuba yiK’gari, okanye iParadesi. Intsomi yalapha engokudalwa kwesi siqithi, ithi le yeyona ndawo yakhe yantle emhlabeni. Okulusizi kukuba, izifo zabemi baseYurophu zababulala aba bantu. Kwakhona, ekuqaleni kwenkulungwane yama-20, inkoliso yaba bantu Bomthonyama yafuduselwa kwiidolophana zeli lizwe.
Indawo Entle
Namhlanje kwesi siqithi kukho izilwanyana ezininzi zasendle. Phakathi kwezininzi ezihlala apha, ziidingo—izinja zasendle zaseOstreliya. Ekubeni zihlala kude nezinja zasekhaya kwiidolophu zaseOstreliya, iidingo ezikwiFraser Island kuthiwa azingawo amabhastile, zezona zinja zasendle zakwimpuma yeOstreliya. Zisenokubonakala ngathi zizinja zasekhaya, kodwa akunjalo yaye ubani ufanele azilumkele.
Kubonwe iindidi zeentaka ezingaphezu kwezingama-300 kwesi siqithi. Uya kubona iintaka ezinjengeeBrahminy kites nokhozi lwaselwandle olunesisu esimhlophe zindanda elunxwemeni kanti zona iizaxwila nooxomoyi bazalise onke amachibi alapha. Kubakho neendwendwe ezivela kwamanye amazwe njengamagxiya aseMongolia abeka amaqanda awo eSiberia aze afudukele ngasezantsi ebusika. Ezi ntaka ziphumla kancinane kwiFraser Island ngaphambi kokuba zigqibezele uhambo lwazo. Ukongezelela, ngamaxesha athile onyaka kubakho amalulwane anokuba ngama-30 000 nangaphezulu angangehlungulu, afun’ incindi yeentyatyambo zomgamtriya.
Kanti namanzi akufuphi neFraser Island anyakazel’ iintlanzi kuquka neminenga esendleleni eya kwiAntaktika enomkhenkce kunye neGreat Barrier Reef, apho izalela khona ize imazi nenkunzi zihlangane khona. Ukubuya kwayo, le minenga ixhumel’ emoyeni ize iye kuthi dyumpu emanzini itshiza amanzi amaninzi anokubonwa mgama ngokungathi ithi ndijongeni—umbono omhle gqitha kwesi siqithi sihle!
[Umbhalo osemazantsi]
a Kuluhlu lwezona Ndawo Zibalulekileyo Ehlabathini, iUnited Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization yongezelela iindawo ezinemvelaphi, izityalo, izimbiwa okanye iindawo ezibaluleke ngandlel’ ithile ngokwenzululwazi.
[Iimaphu ezikwiphepha 14]
(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)
ULWANDLEKAZI LWEPASIFIKI
IFraser Island
[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 15]
Ekunene, ukususela ngasentla ukwehla:
Apho uMfudlana iKurrnung ungena khona elwandle
Amachibi anamanzi acwengileyo angama-40, kuquka ichibi elikummandla ophakamileyo kunye nefestile kwiFraser Island
Into engaqhelekanga—amahlathi ashinyeneyo akhula entlabathini
[Inkcazelo]
Yonke imifanekiso: Courtesy of Tourism Queensland
[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 16, 17]
I-“dingo” ne-“koala”
[Inkcazelo]
Courtesy of Tourism Queensland
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 16, 17]
ISeventy-Five Mile Beach eFraser Island lelinye lawona manxweme made ehlabathini
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 17]
Ukhozi lwaselwandle olunesisu esimhlophe
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 17]
Ii-“kookaburra”
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 17]
iingcwangube
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 17]
Umnenga uphumle ngoxa useluhambeni olusingise kwiAntaktika
[Inkcazelo Ngemifanekiso ekwiphepha 17]
Ukhozi: ©GBRMPA; yonke eminye imifanekiso ngaphandle kweengcwangube: Courtesy of Tourism Queensland