billabongs
Australian oxbow lakes
Billabongs are stagnant pools or backwaters formed when a river changes course, leaving behind an isolated stretch of water.
The term comes from Australian English, where billabongs are distinctive features of the outback landscape: The cattle gathered at the billabong during the drought.
The word appears famously in "Waltzing Matilda," Australia's unofficial anthem.
Natural drinking pools
- oxbow lakesSevered river meander pools
- channelsPaths for transmission
- poolsBodies of still water
- backwatersIsolated, undeveloped areas
wetlands · floodplains · creeks · rivers · meanders · cutoffs · lagoons · ponds
Remote interior wilderness
- bushMulti-stemmed woody plant
- swagmanAustralian traveling worker
- Waltzing MatildaAustralian folk song about a swagman
- drovingLong-distance livestock walking
stockmen · campfire · squatter · shearers · station · pastoral · iconic · folklore
Birds inhabiting aquatic environments
- platypusEgg-laying Australian mammal
- yabbiesAustralian freshwater crustaceans
- reedsHollow-stemmed marsh plants
- paperbarksTrees with thin, shedding bark
red gums · eucalyptus · frogs · turtles · pelicans · egrets · cormorants · waterlilies
Locomotion through water
- fishingCatching aquatic creatures
- campingOutdoor recreational lodging
- canoeingWatercraft propulsion by paddle
- picnickingDining outdoors leisurely
birdwatching · photography · bushwalking · kayaking · boating · nature walks · ecotourism · conservation
Aboriginal sacred creation era
- songlinesAboriginal sung navigation routes
- sacred sitesReligiously significant locations
- traditional knowledgeCommunity wisdom across generations
- Aboriginal cultureAustralia's indigenous heritage
country · land management · fishing rights · ceremony · elders · custodians · language · storytelling
waterholes
Natural drinking pools
- oxbow lakesSevered river meander pools
- channelsPaths for transmission
- poolsBodies of still water
backwaters · wetlands · floodplains · creeks · rivers · meanders · cutoffs · lagoons · ponds · catchments
outback
Remote interior wilderness
- bushMulti-stemmed woody plant
- swagmanAustralian traveling worker
- Waltzing MatildaAustralian folk song about a swagman
droving · stockmen · campfire · squatter · shearers · station · pastoral · iconic · folklore · drovers
waterbirds
Birds inhabiting aquatic environments
- platypusEgg-laying Australian mammal
- yabbiesAustralian freshwater crustaceans
- reedsHollow-stemmed marsh plants
paperbarks · red gums · eucalyptus · frogs · turtles · pelicans · egrets · cormorants · waterlilies · dragonflies
swimming
Locomotion through water
- fishingCatching aquatic creatures
- campingOutdoor recreational lodging
- canoeingWatercraft propulsion by paddle
picnicking · birdwatching · photography · bushwalking · kayaking · boating · nature walks · ecotourism · conservation · national parks
Dreaming
Aboriginal sacred creation era
- songlinesAboriginal sung navigation routes
- sacred sitesReligiously significant locations
- traditional knowledgeCommunity wisdom across generations
Aboriginal culture · country · land management · fishing rights · ceremony · elders · custodians · language · storytelling · connection
- watersoceans, seas, Red Sea, lakes, Black Sea
- crocodile habitatsswamp, swamps, marsh, marshes, rivers
- wetlandsswamp, swamps, marsh, marshes, marshland
- Australian waterartesian wells, artesian water, bores, waterholes, inland waters
- Outback Australiawaterhole, waterholes, artesian water, spinifex, red sand
- water supplydrinking water, potable water, tap water, municipal water, water tanks
billabongsrivers
Flowing bodies of water
rapids · running water · streams · torrents · currents
billabongsoceans
Vast saltwater bodies
seas · reservoirs · open water · deep water