▁during ▁the ▁prolong ed ▁dry ▁season ▁common ▁to ▁North ▁Queensland , ▁but ▁others ▁are ▁permanent , ▁spring - f ed ▁l ago ons . ▁The ▁year - round ▁water ▁supply ▁maintain s ▁a ▁diverse ▁array ▁of ▁bird life , ▁k ang aro os ▁and ▁other ▁m amm als , ▁and ▁today , ▁be ef ▁cattle . ▁Cad et - James ▁et ▁al ▁( 2 0 1 7 , ▁p .   1 - 2 ) ▁describe ▁the ▁landscape : Al ong ▁the ▁water c ourses , ▁the ▁veget ation ▁is ▁thick ▁and ▁green , ▁but ▁away ▁from ▁the ▁water ▁it ▁changes ▁dram atically . ▁Here , ▁the ▁coun tr ys ide ▁is ▁pre domin antly ▁open ▁eu cal y pt ▁wood land , ▁domin ated ▁by ▁iron b arks ▁and ▁with ▁an ▁under story ▁of ▁grass . ▁While ▁not ▁ar id ▁country , ▁it ▁is ▁certainly ▁not ▁l ush . ▁Grey ▁k ang aro os ▁and ▁ag ile ▁wall ab ies ▁are ▁the ▁most ▁obvious ▁m amm als , ▁but ▁pos sum s , ▁e ch id na , ▁band ico ots ▁and ▁many ▁others ▁live ▁here ▁too . ▁Lar ge ▁birds ▁include ▁em u ▁and ▁b ust ards , ▁while ▁apost le - bird s , ▁h one ye aters ▁and ▁par ro ts ▁provide ▁a ▁no isy ▁background ▁to ▁this ▁arch et yp al ▁Australian ▁bush ▁setting . ▁In ▁places ▁where ▁the ▁bas alt ▁is ▁on ▁the ▁surface , ▁the ▁land ▁may ▁appear ▁bar ren , ▁but ▁beneath ▁the ▁surface ▁the