Gourmet Grey Nomads

Back home in Newcastle

2011-07-05T16:11:00.003+10:00

We are now back in Newcastle and have moved into our home again. The people who rented it while we were away took very good care of it so we were very grateful. You do hear some horror stories.
We have decided to set up an office from home as Mike is a Chiropractor and we have some unused space upstairs. So far the renovations are moving along very well and we should be opening the office towards the end of July. In the meantime we are seeing patients in the family room downstairs. It is very casual but is so much better than under the caravan awning that was our "office" while we were on our fantastic trip around Australia.
Our home/office is in Charlestown, Newcastle and the office number is 02 4943 1887. We hope to see you there.

Our total mileage for our trip was 72,000 kilometres. Not bad for two grey nomads having a casual "holiday".

Tas - Launceston and the Tamar

2011-03-18T14:24:00.007+11:00

Launceston is a city of contrasts, with modern marinas where there are many sleek restaurants and a wonderful collection of 19th century architecture everywhere.

Three rivers meet at Launceston, the major one is the Tamar where we went on a cruise up the river and then to the Cataract Gorge. The Tamar valley and the area from Launceston to Devonport has an abundance of wineries and extremely productive farmland. We ate our way through this area. We had lunch at the Rasberry Farm in Elizabeth Town where we decided to have desert.The fresh rasberries, grown on the property are to die for.
We then stopped in at the Ashgrove Cheese Factory, sampled cheeses and filled our fridge with many that we liked. Next stop was the House of Anvers which is the local chocolate factory. Oh My goodness! I am not much of a sweet tooth but I sampled everything in sight. The chocolate made here is melt in your melt divine. After this day of indulgence we should have walked back to our caravan park, not driven.
We have enjoyed every minute of our stay in Tasmania, enjoying the fresh and tasty produce, seeing the beautiful scenery and learning about the history of this island. I now have a real appreciation of the hardship that the convicts had to endure. The weather was not the best but we did have some sunny days in between the cold and the rain. One month was not long enough. Even though Tasmania is small, there is so much to see. We will look forward to a return visit in the future.

Our trip back to Melbourne on the Spirit was a little rougher than our trip over but I did not get sea - sick so that was a plus. I was bouncing from one side of the hallway to the other on my way to our cabin with the sway of the ship and once I got to bed went to sleep rather quickly so all was good.

We drove from Melbourne back to Newcastle on the coast road and enjoyed re visiting areas that we had not been to for years. It is now back to reality for us. We start work on March 2nd and move into our house on April 7th. I know that I will miss life in the caravan. I will miss the looking forward to of a new place every few days and reading about the area. I will miss the casual life and meeting new people from all over Australia. These last two years have been a gift to both Mike and I and we hope that in the future we can again travel around this fantastic country. Thank you Australia for giving us such a wonderful time.

Tas - Campbell Town

2011-03-18T12:15:00.003+11:00

Campbell Town is another small town on the Heritage Highway. This highway was Tasmania’s first main road and crosses the country from Hobart in the south to Launceston in the north. Tales of bushrangers, convict road gangs, stonemasons, woolgrowers and settlers colour the areas along this highway.
In the pathways on both sides of the road in the centre of town runs the Convict Brick Trail.
Each brick is placed end to end and cemented into the path. These bricks, hundreds of them, have the name, crime, sentence and the ship that they arrived to Tasmania on. It is unbelievable to see the harshness of the sentence to the smallness of the crime. I guess that is the way to build a new nation cheaply - convict labour.

Beside the river that runs through the town we found a couple more carved trees. One of these trees had some of the local animals and wildlife carved into the remaining base of the tree.

Tas - Evandale

2011-03-17T10:10:00.004+11:00

Evandale is a charming town, full of beautiful old buildings and only a few kilometres south of Launceston. We stayed at the local cricket and football ground which is within walking distance to the town centre and only cost $10.00 a night. While here, the annual Penny Farthing races were being run with competitors from all over Australia and overseas.
Unfortunately the races were cancelled on Saturday due to the rain but competitors were still riding around the streets. It is fascinating watching them get up on their bikes, it certainly takes good balance.
Sunday was the long distance race and Mike decided to follow them on his bike. He rode over 26klms and passed a few of the Penny Farthings so he was happy.

We attended the Sunday Evandale markets where we bought loads of delicious local grown fresh fruit and vegetables. One of the best things about Tasmania is the abundance of beautiful produce.

Tas - Bridport

2011-03-17T10:04:00.004+11:00

The north eastern farmland resembles a patchwork quilt as does many areas in Tasmania. A bountiful area of produce with crops, grazing pasture, vineyards, hops, rhubarb, lavender and many more.
Bridport is very popular with locals choosing this as a holiday destination with beaches, walks,fishing and water skiing. One of the most photographed scenes is the old jetty which points out towards Bass Strait.

Another draw card in the area is one of the world’s top Links golf courses. The Barnbougle Dunes and Lost Farm mirror the wild coastal Links courses of Scotland and Ireland. I can imagine that many balls are lost on this course as the natural scrub is extremely dense.

Tas - Legerwood

2011-03-17T09:59:00.003+11:00

In the centre of this very small town sits Legerwood Park which is the home of the memorial tree carvings.

Originally planted in 1918 the carved trees are now a lasting tribute to the regions war heroes.
To commemorate the locals who had fought and died in the two world wars, the locals planted a row of trees in town with an engraved plaque for each soldier. The trees grew large, but some time back, they caught a disease and all died.Rather than chop all the trees down, the top branches were lopped and locals carved figures in memory of their loved ones.

Tas - Bay of Fires

2011-03-10T16:09:00.004+11:00

Binalong Bay and the Bay of Fires were named the world’s top travel destination by Lonely Planet guide.
Similar to Bicheno, the sands are powder fine and white, several renowned snorkeling and fishing spots and surfing beaches are abundant here.
The red lichen- splashed rocky headlands are an eye catching contrast to the water and sand. You never tire of views like this. Mike and I went swimming but it was very cold. We camped on the beach at one of the many free camps in the area and only moved on because the weather turned cold and wet. We had a fire each night. Magic!
As you drive back into the township of St Helens you can pop in to the local oyster “man” and pick up a dozen un-shucked oysters for $8.00 a dozen.

From St Helens the road takes you inland and once again we are back in rich farmland and areas of think forests.

Tas - Bicheno

2011-03-10T16:06:00.002+11:00

Travelling north from the Freycinet Pennisula you drive through the charming fishing village of Bicheno which is many people’s favourite spot on the east coast.
The beaches have fine white sand, clear turquoise water, the cafes have great coffee and the atmosphere is one of relaxation - just sit back and admire the natural beauty of the area.
At dusk you can watch the penguins hurrying home as well as enjoying the many walks around town and along the beaches.

Tas - Freycinet Penninsula

2011-03-10T13:10:00.002+11:00

After leaving Port Arthur we drove up the coast road passing through several small towns along the way. The country side is dotted with cattle and sheep farms, vineyards, fruit and berry farms, very picturesque but much dryer than the green lushness of the west coast.

We spent two days at Coles Bay on the edge of the National Park where the famous Wineglass Bay is nestled. We walked one and a half kilometres to the top of the lookout on a beautiful sunny day only to find that my camera did not work. Frustrating as the view is stunning. There was no way that I would attempt this walk again so soon. It was a workout.

However the other bays in the area are quite beautiful.This is a kayakers, camping and bush walkers haven. As well as many B & B’s in the area there are also two five star resorts. We had a wonderful wine tasting afternoon at The Freycinet Lodge trying some of the local wines and produce.

Tas - Tasman Island Cruises

2011-02-21T21:48:00.005+11:00

We spent an exhilarating three hours with the Pennicott Wilderness cruises exploring the coast between Eaglehawk Neck and Port Arthur. The ocean was smooth, hardly a cloud in the sky, a near perfect day. The boats seat about 30 people, we had our long pants, jumpers, jackets and beanies on and we were still frozen. They handed out red weather- proof ponchos which helped keep out some of the chilling wind. Thank goodness it is "summer".
We went inside deep sea caves, cruised below some of the highest sea cliffs in the southern hemisphere, watched albatross soaring on the wind, and laughed at the seals playing in the water and relaxing on Tasman Island.
We passed a refurbished sail boat, the James Craig, and I was amazed at how much the boat rocked from side to side on a relatively flat sea. Several people on board were on the mast riggings enjoying the ride.

Mike and I had a fantastic time and would highly recommend either the Port Arthur or the Bruny Island cruises by the Pennicott cruises in their yellow boats.

Tas - Port Arthur

2011-02-20T21:17:00.008+11:00

I was a little apprehensive about going to Port Arthur, firstly because of all the suffering that the convicts endured and, secondly, of the murders that happened there several years ago.
We did, however, decide to visit the Historic site and enjoyed the afternoon immensely. When we arrived, we were placed in a group with a tour guide who lead us around the site, learning the history and hearing many stories about the Port and its’ people. By 1840 more than 2000 convicts, soldiers and civil staff lived here. A range of goods and materials were produce here, everything from stone and bricks to furniture, clothing, boats and ships. Our guide was very enthusiastic and entertaining which was a pleasant contrast to the horrors that the convicts were forced to endure.
Later in the afternoon, the second part of the tour was a 20 minute ferry cruise out to the Isle of the Dead cemetery where all those who died at Port Arthur were taken to be buried.
At one time when it was a thriving ship building and convict settlement there were over three hundred buildings and today is the best preserved convict site in Australia. Now, there are thirty historic buildings and ruins left and they are dispersed in the beautiful well kept gardens.

Tas - Hobart

2011-02-18T19:29:00.004+11:00

We stayed about 20 minutes outside of Hobart and drove in for the day. We took a tour of the city on a red double decker bus with a very entertaining driver and tour guide. We drove by many of the original old buildings, Casade brewery, crossed the Hobart bridge and viewed the city from across the harbour.

We had lunch at Salamanca Place which is full of fantastic restaurants, bars, specialty shops and galleries. The markets here on a Saturday are massive with local produce, crafts, food and almost anything else you can think about.
We walked around the harbour, viewed the cruisers, fishing boats and sail boats at Constitution Dock. The area has a great vibe and we visited more galleries and ate a wonderful seafood dinner on the docks. It doesn’t get much better than that!
The heritage here is rich and the Hobart people love showing off their city and we loved it.

Tas - Bruny Island

2011-02-17T21:22:00.006+11:00

Bruny Island is Tasmania’s fourth largest island. We drove to Kettering which is 40 klms south of Hobart and caught the vehicular ferry, the “Mirambeena”, for the short trip to the island. The men on board who direct the vehicles into their positions on the ferry do an amazing job, a bit like a jig saw puzzle, getting everything to fit in neatly.
We picked fresh strawberries and ate them over the next couple of days. They were delicious. All over Tasmania fresh produce is sold at road side stalls, we have bought cherries and stone fruit.
The southern tip of Bruny is very rugged and is the home of Australias’ second - oldest manned lighthouse, built by convict labour with spectacular views over the Southern Ocean.
One day while here, the weather was cold and wet. We stayed in one of the National Park camping grounds, collected wood and had a fire each night. We were thankful that we had bought our beanies along. One morning, it was 7 degrees inside the van. Mike got up, lit the gas burners on the stove and they heated the van up very well. An unusual way to get warm but it worked! This is Tasmania in the summer time. Every day that we have been here we have worn a jacket and I believe that the temperature has been in the high 30’s back home in the Hunter. Amazing! Such a contrast.
Captain Cook, William Bligh and Matthew Flinders have all stopped at Adventure Bay on the island. We visited the local museum which held many of the ships logs and artifacts.

NSW - Queenstown

2011-02-16T21:40:00.003+11:00

After leaving the lush area around Strahan we drove through the countryside for about forty five minutes when we rounded a bend in the road and suddenly the landscape in front of us looked like a desert.
The forest had all gone and you are left with bare hillsides that have either been mined for copper or the fumes from the furnaces have poisoned the vegetation. It is such a stark contrast to the lush forests that we had been driving through.
The road out of Queenstown is a challenge for anybody towing a caravan. It winds its way narrowly around, and up and down several mountainsides, is very steep with countless hairpin turns. Somebody had recommended that we travel south along the west coast as these hills would be a nightmare on our brakes if we had to go down them. As it was, our caravan and four wheel drive brakes were smelling when we finally left the area. I must say, I was rather nervous as we traveled this stretch of road and was so glad to reach our camp for the night. We spent the night beside a lake and it was wonderful to sit there, relax with a beer and watch a fly fisherman trying to catch his dinner.

Tas - Strahan

2011-02-11T09:06:00.006+11:00

One of the main reasons we came to the west coast was to visit Stahan and cruise up the Gordon River. We had always heard so much about the area and we were not disappointed.

The township is another small and charming one with only a few shops and restaurants but many places to stay. Our caravan park was within walking distance to town which was handy as we certainly needed the exercise.
The boat trip took us from Strahan onto Macquarie Harbour which is six times larger than Sydney Harbour, and out to Hell’s Gate, where the harbour meets the ocean. (Named by the convicts who were sent to Sarah Island). This is rather a narrow gap so I can imagine on a rough day at the change of tide this place could be extremely dangerous.
Back in the Harbour, we cruised by a large salmon farm where we watched the fish being fed pellets by adding them to water and then hosing them onto the feedlots. Each feedlot contains around 30,000 trout or salmon being fattened up for market. They take up to two years to grow to plate size. The seals occasionally break through the netting for an easy feed and then the freed salmon belong to anybody who may be lucky enough to catch one.

Further upstream we stop at Sarah Island which was Australia’s worst and cruelest penal colony in the early 1800’s. The prisoners here became specialist shipbuilders and for five years it was Australia’s biggest shipyard. We walked around half the island and it was hard to imagine the cruelty that took place on such a beautiful island.
This morning cruise was three hours long and included a buffet lunch. The scenery was stunning and the area very peaceful. The forests are so dense that it is hard to imagine how anybody could make there way through them. Fantastic area and when visiting Tasmania this area is a must see to appreciate these magnificent rain forests.

Tas - Stanley

2011-02-11T08:56:00.005+11:00

Stanley is a very pretty, restored Bass Strait fishing village with tiny, brightly-painted cottages neatly terraced on the lower slopes of an extinct volcano, called The Nut. We enjoyed walking around the town checking out the shops, the many B & B’s and then ate fish and chips for lunch overlooking the bay. As this is a major fishing port the seafood here is fantastic. I have never seen such huge crayfish. There were many in the tanks between four and six kilos each.
We left the area heading further west to the Tarkine Forest and the Dismal Swamp. The swamp is at the bottom of a sinkhole which has been formed over thousands of years of dissolving rock. One way to enter the swamp is to be propelled down a 110 metre curved tube lying flat on your back inside a bag with your helmeted head slightly elevated, in 5 seconds. I screamed the entire way down as I was flung from side to side on the “bullet train”. My poor neck, I needed my Chiropractor after that whip lashing ride. It was fun though, but scary.

As you wander along the four pathways there are works of art done by local artists disbursed in the forest. The smell of the forest is beautiful with blackwood, myrtle, sassafras and eucalyptus trees. It is special to see all of these magnificent trees close up.

Tas - The North West

2011-02-08T21:26:00.004+11:00

After two days in Devonport and the surrounding area we headed west. Our first stop was the small coastal town of Penguin. True to its’ name we found the “Big Penguin” on the main street and the rubbish bins in the main street were decorated with penguins. We had a coffee at the Groovy Penguin and the best carrot cake we have ever had. We almost ordered a second it was so good.

Dotted through the countryside are fields and fields of poppies. These poppies are pale pink with a dark pink centre and are farmed for the opiate used in the making of morphine.

Further west is Boat Harbour. It is a crescent shaped cove of white sand and clear blue water. As you descend the winding cliff road this bay almost takes your breath away. We parked the van on the grass beside the beach and free camped here for one night. The locals even came down to the van to welcome us. We thought that they had come to ask us to move on. We walked along the beach, Mike swam and I checked out the rock pools.
Lovely quiet beachside hamlet.

Tas - Devonport

2011-02-06T20:58:00.003+11:00

After disembarking from the Spirit of Tasmania we drove through town, found our caravan park, set up the van and then hit the road to start exploring the area. It was Australia Day so we were looking for somewhere to celebrate.

We drove east through the lush countryside to Port Sorell, saw cars parked along the roadside with people everywhere so decided this was our first stop. We followed the music, listened to the lady singer for a while and had a sausage sandwich with the locals. What else would you do on Australia Day!

Returning to Devonport we stopped at Ghost Rock Winery where there was an Australia Day concert. We bought tickets, a bottle of wine, unpacked the cheese and crackers, pulled out our chairs and spent the next couple of hours listening to several music groups and solo singers performing on the stage. It was a class operation and all the entertainers were excellent. We sat with a group of locals who shared their knowledge of the area with us recommending all the “must see and do’s” in the region making us feel extremely welcome.
When we arrived back at the caravan park they were having a sausage sizzle and a fund raising raffle for Queensland. We filled our glasses with wine, took our chairs over to the barbeque for more music and a meal. We won a gift voucher at a local restaurant for $100.00 so the following night we had a delicious meal at the Gingerbread Haus Restaurant in Devonport.

What a great first day in Tasmania.

Tasmania

2011-02-01T21:04:00.005+11:00

Here we are back on the road again after 12 weeks in Newcastle.
Heading south to Melbourne, we visited a friend in Orange for two days and enjoyed her guided tour around the area which was lush and green after some much welcomed rain. Grapes, fruit and vegetables farms patchwork the hillsides but unfortunately we couldn’t buy any of the delicious local produce as we would have to throw it away at quarantine in Melbourne. After leaving Orange we drove to Albury where we spent one night and then straight on to Melbourne and the ferry.
We had booked our passage on the Spirit of Tasmania which cost $1,600.00 return which included the car, caravan and a cabin each way. Not being a very good “sailor” I was a little nervous but found the trip enjoyable. During the night the ship was rolling around a lot but I kept telling myself that it was just like being in a car and by the time they woke us up at 5:45a.m for a 6:30a.m. debarkation I had not felt sick at all. Lets hope the return journey is as kind to me.
Driving the van on and off the ferry was a little challenging as there is certainly no extra room on either side of the ramps. Mike did a great job driving, as he has throughout the entire trip.

NSW - Newcastle

2011-02-01T15:20:00.003+11:00

Well, here we are home again after twenty one months on the road. We love our caravan and life on the road and could quite happily keep travelling around Australia to see more of this stunning country. However, the reality is that we need to get back to work and save some more money for our future.

It is wonderful to be home catching up with our beautiful family and friends. The hardest thing about being on the road was the fact that I missed my family. We flew home several times while away which helped.

While in Newcastle we parked our caravan on our eldest daughters’ property at Lochinvar and had a magnificent view over the valley. (One of the best views from our van on the trip.) We have seen so many beautiful towns and cities and feel very contented returning home to Newcastle. This city has everything we love - beaches, lakes, waterways, wonderful restaurants and much more.
Just a few statistcs from our trip:-
Total kilometres - 64,800
Total fuel - 8,165 litres
Total fuel cost - $12,044.00
Total caravan park accommodation - $13,567.00 which averaged out at $22.00 per day.

We are now off to Tasmania for a month before we start work again on March 2nd. Mike is going in to practice with Mary Bourke at Vitality Junction Chiropractic. We are looking forward to catching up with many of our former patients and meeting many more new ones.

NSW - Urunga

2011-02-01T15:12:00.003+11:00

This is one of our favourite camping spots on the northern NSW coast, just south of Coffs Harbour. We have been here several times in our camper trailer before we bought our caravan.
The caravan park is on the edge of the river, walking distance to the small township and golf course. It is also a short drive to Bellingen which is a delightful township in the hills with delicious local produce,“arty” shops and beautiful scenery.
The council at Urunga has built a walkway along the rivers edge beside the break wall, to the ocean. It is about 1 klm long and a great viewing spot to watch the rays and small fish in the calmer waters on the inland side of the break wall, and the dolphins are often splashing about in the river. Sitting here we watched the small boats crossing the bar heading out to the ocean to fish.

This is all very familiar territory and we realise that our trip around Australia is coming to an end. Very sad but grateful that we have been able to do this journey, seeing so many incredible places and meeting many wonderful people along the way.
Thank you to you all for making our journey so very special.

NSW-Brunswick Heads

2011-02-01T15:04:00.005+11:00

Well, here we are back in New South Wales, hoping to find the sunshine, but like Queensland, the skies are still cloudy with some rain.
Brunswick Heads is a lovely sea side village with great coffee shops, restaurants and a beautiful old pub beside the river. On Sunday night we went there for a glass of wine and enjoyed a live band while sitting in the outside beer garden. Great atmosphere.

The main beach is long and always has people walking along it enjoying its’ beauty.
If you feel like a quiet break this is the place to visit.

Qld - Scarbourough

2010-11-11T09:17:00.003+11:00

We have met several people on the road who had told us about the Redcliffe Penninsula just north of Brisbane, so we decided to stay a few days and check it out.
We stayed in a caravan park at Scarborough by the harbour. Unfortunately, while we were here the Queensland weather once again was storming and wet, but on the last day it was sunny so we checked out the area.
The bike and walking tracks are fantastic, running along the entire coastal areas with rest stops, work out areas, barbeques and parks. It was a Saturday morning and Redcliffe was humming with a market on the foreshore which was a “must do” for us, where we picked up some wonderful fresh fruit and produce. The restaurants were packed with people which is always good to see.
We spent a couple of hours watching the local kite surfing. As there are no surf beaches in the bay to jump the waves, they had built ramps, similar to skate board ramps, close to shore, where they would fly up to them and “sail” along them and jump off the end. Incredibly skillful and very entertaining to watch.

Qld - Noosa

2010-10-19T19:29:00.002+11:00

We stayed at Tewantin which is a five minute drive from the main tourist strip at Hastings St in Noosa. Last time we were here, about 18 months ago, the beach at Noosa had been totally washed away by storms but it is now beautiful again. Amazing! It must have taken thousands of tons of sand to build it back up.
We had a delightful trip on the Noosa ferry cruise which takes you on a round trip from Tewantin boat Harbour to Noosa. The captain is very informative and gives a running commentary on the history of the area as well as a view of some of the beautiful homes and units on the waterways.
Staying at Tewantin was very relaxing and out of the hustle and bustle of Noosa. I guess because we have been on the road for so long now, we really enjoy the quieter places.
We stayed here for three days and then we parked our van in the driveway of friends in Mooloolaba for four days. We were hoping to take the kayak out on the waterways here but it stormed for the entire time which put an end to that idea.
Since being in Queensland the last three weeks, we have had rain, rain and more rain. So much for the slogan ‘ Beautiful one day, perfect the next!”

Qld - Hervey Bay

2010-10-09T11:22:00.002+11:00

When you think of Hervey Bay, the first thing that comes to mind is whales, and we were not disappointed. We decided on a morning boat trip out on the bay, as the weather had been deteriorating in the afternoons.
We were picked up by the bus at 7:00a.m in the caravan park and the boat left the dock at 7:30. On the way to the northern tip of Fraser Isalnd we were served a hot breakfast and coffee which is my sort of trip. (Not having to think about cooking!) We had only been out for about ten minutes when we saw our first few whales. During the early part of October the majority of the whales are mothers with their babies. Most of the males and teenagers have already left for their long journey back to the southern oceans. We were entertained all morning by the young whales jumping in the air with Mum close by. The mums were spending a lot of time on their sides or backs slapping the water with one of their massive pectoral fins. There were also quiet times while the babies were feeding which was beautiful to watch.
The beaches on Fraser Island have very white sand which was a beautiful contrast to the deep turquoise blue water in the bay. They looked very inviting and we were watching many campers fishing and swimming as we hugged the shore line on our trip home.
Hervey Bay is a growing area with new resorts being built along the foreshore and noticed that many of the older homes have been torn down and grand new ones built.
The harbour area is worth a visit with restaurants, the fishing fleet, whale tour boats, rental boats and pleasure craft.

Qld - Bundaberg

2010-10-02T20:23:00.003+10:00

This was our first trip to Bundaberg and we were very impressed with the beautiful old buildings especially in the main downtown area.
Sugar cane fields dominate the local landscape with most of this being used for the making of Bundaberg rum and ginger beer.
We went on a tour of the Bundaberg rum factory and at the end of the tour we were each given two sample drinks. I must say after Mike and I had our two drinks (It was 11:00 in the morning), I was ready for a nap.

The “Barrel”, another tourist stop, is the home of Bundaberg’s renowned ginger beer and several other flavours.

While in the area, we stayed at Bargara, which is on the coast, about a 10 minute drive from Bundaberg. We fell in love with this delightful beachside town where we found great coffee shops, beaches, a golf course and walking tracks along the coast line. Mon Repos, a Turtle Rookery, is about 5 klms from Bargara. The nesting season is from November to early March. We were a little early to see any turtles, but during the season you can purchase tickets to watch them laying which I think would be fantastic.

Qld - Gladstone

2010-10-02T19:15:00.000+10:00

Gladstone, a city of 33,000 people has managed to balance a huge amount of industry with beautiful waterways and has one of the highest boat ownerships in Australia. This area lays claim to being the gateway to the Southern Great Barrier Reef with Lady Musgrove , Heron and Wilson Islands only a couple of hours boat trip from shore.

Gladstone is the world’s fifth largest coal exporting port and has the world’s largest Alumina refinery. While in Weipa, on the west coast of Cape York, last year, we watched ships being loaded with bauxite and it was fascinating to see where the journey ends here at the refinery. The final step is the making of aluminium at Boyne Smelters, near Gladstone, which is Australia’s largest smelter.

We stayed at Tannum Sands, a quiet town 20 klms south of Gladstone on the coast. Each morning we would take advantage of the fantastic trails, Mike on his bike and I would walk. Turtleway Bikeway, a 18klm trail hugs the coast and the river, which has great picnic areas along the way. Queensland really knows how to make the most of these areas - here the barbeques, picnic tables, covered areas, play grounds for the kids and toilets facilities are second to none and encourage the outdoor lifestyle.

We loved our stay here but we were glad to say goodbye to the sand flies which made sitting outside at our caravan park impossible.

Qld - Airlie Beach

2010-09-28T20:57:00.002+10:00

Well, here we are back on the east coast at Airlie Beach after traveling the longest distance we have covered over a few days on our entire trip. In the past eight days from Darwin to Mackay, we have travelled 2,350 kilometres with a fuel bill of $847.00, our most expensive week of fuel so far.
We stayed at Sapphire for two days on the way and spent the time fossicking for gems and found a few sapphires and zircons, only small ones but it is a lot of fun.

Our weather for the past few months has been sunny with barely a cloud in the sky. We spent two days enjoying the stunning Airlie Beach area and visiting with my cousin Jeff and his family. Then the weather changed. We had 300cm of rain in a few hours, cutting the roads north and south from Airlie Beach. The caravan park roads became water ways with kids floating down them on their boogie boards. The washers and dryers were running overtime as people were trying to dry their soaked clothes and bedding. Some of the families in tents were flooded out and moved into cabins, others just went home. Water was lying in the fields and the sugar cane farmers that were in the middle of harvesting will now have to wait for them to dry out.
Day four after the storm and still no blue sky.

So much for the Queensland slogan - “beautiful one day, perfect the next!”

Qld - Longreach

2010-09-21T21:31:00.005+10:00

The two major attractions in Longreach is the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame and the Qantas Founders museum. The Stockman’s Hall of Fame is a very modern building containing every thing related to the cattlemen and farmers in the area, past and present. They also have many “horsey” and cattle events on the grounds throughout the year.

Qantas (Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Service) began in this area in the 1920’s as a way of tying the outback together. If you are entering Longreach from the south, you see the tail section of a jumbo jet at the Qantas museum, which is something that you certainly don’t expect to see at a small country airport. The many planes and memorabilia here makes you appreciate how Qantas has grown so much over the years.

The area had flooding rains this past summer and the fields were green and lush with healthy sheep and cattle everywhere. Years ago this area was sheep country but now beef is predominant.

We spent a couple of hours at the Longreach school of the air. Children on cattle stations and remote communities no longer have to use the two-way transceivers. It is now done over the phone with computer support. Most children now have access to satellite internet. We watched a typical “classroom” in progress with a teacher in the glass walled studio and were fascinated with the interaction between the teacher and students over the phone and on the computer.

Qld - Winton

2010-09-18T15:15:00.003+10:00

Winton is a very typical western Queensland town with lots of pubs, beautiful old buildings, wide streets, the main one divided by a treed and grassed strip. The country side is very barren and I always wonder what the cattle eat. They all look very healthy so there is good “tucker” somewhere.

Winton is famous for being the town where Banjo Patterson’s “Waltzing Matilda” was written and first performed. In the main street is a “jolly swagman” statue and dinosaur footprint rubbish bins as Winton is part of the "dinosaur trail."

110 klm out of town at Lark Quarry is the world’s only record of a dinosaur stampede. Apparently a huge carnivorous dinosaur ran into a herd of smaller ones causing the panicked rush. In town there is a life-size diorama of these foot prints and many bones which was fascinating to view.

NT - Daly Waters

2010-09-18T14:59:00.005+10:00

We began our trip south from Darwin heading to Mackay on the Queensland coast. From there we would begin the final leg towards home in Newcastle. Weather in Darwin had been around 35 degrees each day and very humid so we were hoping to be in cooler weather soon. No such luck!
Each day south of Darwin the weather was between 35 and 40 degrees. As soon as we had settled into our campsites we turned on the air conditioning. We were planning on doing a few free camps by the side of the road on this leg but due to the heat we opted for caravan parks and a powered site.

We stopped at Mataranka and had a swim in the beautiful clear thermal pools. The air temperature was 40 and the water temperature was 34. Normally it would have been very pleasant but in 40 degrees the water needed to be a little cooler to make it more refreshing. I can imagine that in cooler weather traveling to each of the many springs would be a wonderful trip in itself.

Daly Waters was our second overnight stop after Darwin, and very entertaining. We stayed in the camping area at the back of the pub, had the renowned Barra and Beef barbeque dinner and enjoyed looking at all the memorabilia in the pub. This pub is 3 kilometres off the Stuart Hwy and well worth the stop. During the cooler months, there is live entertainment but we were a couple of weeks too late for this. Watching the locals was entertainment enough!

NT - Darwin

2010-09-13T20:31:00.004+10:00

Darwin, the multi cultural capital of the Northern Territory, is Australias’ most modern city due to the flattening by cyclone Tracy in 1974 and the subsequent rebuild. There are now many multi story buildings, mostly apartment blocks over- looking the beautiful blue waters of the harbour and local bays. Parliament House and adjoining library is an impressive pillared building which is down town and easily accessible to everybody. Inside the building is very open with wonderful local indigenous art gracing the walls.

Darwin, being close to Asia has a multi cultural feeling with every type of restaurant here to enjoy. Darwin is a city of markets, with six held over the weekends and during the week. They all have delicious foods, clothing, handmade crafts, jewellery, massages, and everything else imaginable.

Darwin was bombed by the Japanese in WW2. In 1942, 115 tonnes of bombs were dropped, more than at Pearl Harbour by the same Japanese planes just 10 weeks before. Over 250 people were killed and many more wounded. There are still many visible reminders and tours to see first hand how close we came to having the Japanese invade.

Darwin has something for everybody: crocodile and wildlife parks, fishing, shopping, dinning, fabulous museums and art galleries, bike and walking tracks, wonderful parks and great sunsets. There is no excuse to be board in this city.

NT - Litchfield National Park

2010-08-10T22:48:00.004+10:00

The beauty about this park is that it is small with most of the natural features easily accessible with a 2WD vehicle and it is only 129 klms south of Darwin.

The area is dominated by a huge sandstone plateau with numerous cascading waterfalls,
plunge pools, pockets of dense monsoon rainforest, termite mounds and interesting eroded outcrops.

We stayed here for three days. Each morning we would drive, and/ or walk to one of the many waterfalls, have a swim and then back to the caravan for lunch. After lunch we would spend the afternoon relaxing at Wangi Falls which has two spectacular waterfalls and a massive swimming hole ( crocodile free!) and only a five minute drive from our campsite. (We just found out that Wangi Falls has been closed for three days. . . . .they found a crocodile!!!)

Upon entering the park there is a valley with many gigantic termite mounds that stand up to two metres in height. The mounds’ thin edges point north-south, minimising their exposure to the sun and keeping the mounds cool for the termites. Fascinating! The area looks like a grave yard of large grey tomb stones.

I never get tired of seeing waterfalls. We saw six while we here and each has its own special beauty. We went on a couple of 4WD tracks and we crossed one stream that was about half a metre deep so that kept Mike happy as he drove us from waterfall to waterfall.

NT-Cahills Crossing

2010-08-10T22:18:00.003+10:00

The East Alligator River forms the north eastern boundary between Kakadu National Park and Arnhem Land. The river is very dirty and full of crocodiles, barramundi and catfish.
Cahill’s Crossing is the only way to drive into Arnhem land from Kakadu and watching people crossing this river can be entertaining, especially at high tide when the water is running very quickly.

On the incoming tide the salt water and the barramundihead upstream. Towards the top of the tide the water rushes across the crossing and the crocodiles patrol the waters with their mouths open waiting for the unsuspecting barra. Occasionally cars and crocodiles are trying to cross and the same time. The crocodiles usually turn around and wait for the cars to pass.
Mike fished here once but was so concerned with the prowling crocs that he couldn't relax enough to enjoy the fishing.

NT-Arnhem land

2010-08-04T21:19:00.006+10:00

Arnhem Land has restricted entry and the only two ways to get there is with a tour or by obtaining a permit. Its population is predominantly Aboriginal people, whose traditional culture remains largely intact. We spent one day on a guided tour and had a local take us to rock art sites and explain the paintings which were incredibly detailed, some dating back many thousands of years. We viewed a burial site which still had the bones intact but were not allowed to take photos in this sacred area.

Our guide Thomo is a lovely gentle man, as most of the Aborigines here seem to be. They are very shy and will only speak to you if you start the conversation. Thomo is also an artist and we were fortunate to be able to buy one of his paintings.

We enjoyed this visit to Arnhem land so much that we purchased a permit and drove in ourselves for a second visit. The permits are very strict, you must drive straight to your destination with no stopping on the way. We visited the art centre and watched some of the men painting, most of them sitting on the ground. In this region the men paint and each art work is a cultural story. The women weave baskets from grasses that they collect and colour with local dyes. They are so patient and their work is so detailed.

During the dry season the locals are busy burning off the scrub so the sky is usually a little hazy from the smoke. Arnhem land is a wonderful place, you can feel something special when you drive across the river and enter this area of wetlands, escarpments, lush green grasses and wildlife everywhere. The Aboriginees here still hunt and gather and are working at keeping their culture alive. The entire area is alcohol free as they know how destructive it is for their people. The closest place for them to buy alcohol is over two hundred kilometres away. We would love to visit more of Arnhem Land, maybe next time.

NT - Kakadu

2010-07-28T21:03:00.009+10:00

Kakadu covers an area of 20,000 very diverse square kilometres. Rainforests, wetlands, tidal flats, plunging waterfalls, huge tidal rivers, and massive vertical cliffs are all part of the magic of Kakadu.

Billabongs and wetlands at this time of year are full of bird life, water lilies and crocodiles. One morning we went on a boat tour to the Yellow Water Wetlands where we saw about ten crocodiles cruising the waterways for their favourite food, barramundi.

The Aboriginal culture here at Kakadu is very strong and many of the tours are with Aboriginal guides. Some of the rock art is dated at over 20,000 years old, is incredibly well preserved and very detailed. We climbed Ubirr rock, where much of this art work is painted.. From here you can see the huge escarpments in the distance which border Arnhem Land.

While staying in the National Park there is always something to do and see. Our car has been on many four wheel drive tracks while here and once again for Mike’s enjoyment, lots of water crossings. Our deepest one this time was 60cm which had me very nervous.

The weather has been hot every day between 30 and 35 degrees so we get our walks in early. Most of the walks into the gorges, waterfalls and swimming holes are only about 2 kilometres but clambering over huge boulders in the heat can really zap your energy. The camp grounds we stayed at had resort style swimming pools so we spent the afternoons lazing around them.

The two Uranium mines, Ranger and Jabiluka are located near the main township of Jabiru. We drove out to the Ranger mine one day and typical of all mines has huge trucks, piles of slag, and a deep hole. The only thing that we didn’t see is how they take the uranium out of here. There are no train lines so it must be moved by truck. Beside the mine is a beautiful billabong where we saw our first close up of a Jabiru. It is interesting that with all the ugliness of the mine, beauty is right next door.

NT-Katherine

2010-07-25T20:19:00.003+10:00

We spent three days in Katherine visiting local sites including the beautiful Edith Falls and swimming holes. We then moved out to the National Park camping area beside Nitmiluk Gorge (formerly Katherine Gorge) and spent four wonderful nights there.

Nitmiluk Gorge is a maze of waterways sculptured from the sandstone over countless millennia by the Katherine River. There is 13 gorges making up this stretch and we took a boat tour on three of them and swam in one of the pools between gorges one and two. As fresh water crocodiles are in the area you never feel relaxed while swimming.

There are many walks throughout the park so you can keep yourself very busy and fit during your stay.

WA-Lake Argyle

2010-07-15T10:10:00.002+10:00

This man made lake is Australia’s largest body of freshwater and is 91 times larger than Sydney Harbour. This inland sea was created by damming the Ord River, forming a storage reservoir to supply the huge irrigation schemes in the Kununurra area. The power produced by this dam supplies electricity to much of the Kimberley region.

What was once “Argyle Downs”, a million acre cattle station, originally owned by the famous Durak family, now lies at the bottom of this lake. The Durak family homestead, built by the family in 1895, was dismantled stone by stone, rebuilt and is now a museum not far from Lake Argyle Village.

Lake Argyle Village is the only place to stay on the lake. There are camping sites, cabins and a restaurant. The infinity swimming pool set on the cliff has a breathtaking view of the lake and the cliffs.

This area is a man made marvel. The lake is roughly 75klms x 45 klms and is home to almost 1/3 of Australia’s bird species and has a wetland area. We spent an afternoon cruising the lake seeing many of these birds and crocodiles. A very relaxing and beautiful place to stay only 70klm east of Kununurra and 7klm from the WA and NT border.

WA-Kununurra

2010-07-15T10:07:00.001+10:00

Kununurra was established as a town in 1960 to service the Ord River Scheme. The Ord River was dammed in 1971 to form a storage reservoir supplying water to the many farms by gravity fed irrigation channels. This area is now very lush with mangoes, sandalwood forests, cotton, sugar cane, melons and countless other fruits and vegetables.

Ivanhoe crossing is a delightful picnic and fishing spot on the Ord River. We watched people drive their vehicles back and forth just to see if they could manage the low lying crossing. The most entertaining was a ute with children in the back, watching the crocodile lying on the rocks in the middle of the river. This is apparently a good spot to catch barramundi but nobody had any luck the two days that we were here.

Another attraction is the local Argyle Diamond mine which produces approx. 38 million carots of diamonds a year - one third of the world’s production, making Argyle the largest diamond mine in the world. The diamonds are stunning with clear, champagne and pinks. I found one that I liked but we would have had to sell the car- not a good move! The mine will run out of diamonds in the near future so now would be a good time to buy one.

WA-El Questro

2010-07-15T09:54:00.007+10:00

While staying at Wyndham we decided to spend a couple of days exploring the eastern end of the Gibb River Road. We re packed the four wheel drive with all our camping gear ready for another adventure.
The road is gravel but was recently graded so the traveling was easy. We stayed at El Questo which is a one million acre Wilderness Park. Within the park there are numerous gorges, rivers to cross, challenging four wheel drive tracks and some fantastic watering holes to swim in. Our favourite was Zebedee Springs which is a permanent thermal spring surrounded by palms and sheer cliff faces. The temperature is 28-32 degrees celsius all year round. The walk in is an easy 750metres one way, crossing the creek several times. We would get up in the mornings, come here for a dip and then spend the rest of the days exploring the area. Mike was in his element with many water crossings, the largest being the Pentecost River which was about 50 metres. During one of the crossings I couldn’t see the running boards so I was a little scared to say the least but the car just keeps chugging over the river stones to the other side. What a gem.

We camped at our own private camping site called Willy Wagtail.
Along the Pentecost River are 25 private camp spots and we were lucky enough to get one. Mike would collect wood in the afternoons and each night we sat around the camp fire with a glass of wine. It is during moments like this that we talk about what a wonderful life we have, the incredible sites that we have seen and the experiences that we have had. The only thing missing on this trip is our family.

As Tom Hanks said in one of his movies “Thank you for my life, I forgot how BIG.”

WA-Wyndham

2010-07-14T20:31:00.004+10:00

Wyndham is Western Australia’s most northern town. It grew rapidly in the 1880’s as a port for the East Kimberely goldfields, and although the gold declined, Wyndham has remained a port for the pastoral industry in the region, mining companies and produce from the Kununurra area.

At the lookout you can see where five major rivers in the area flow into the Cambridge Gulf. These rivers, the Forrest, Pentecost, Durack, King and Ord are written about in many Australian novels. The area reminded us a lot of Derby especially with the large 8 metre tides and the muddy waters. We also had fresh barramundi for lunch at a local restaurant. It was melt in your mouth delicious.

About 15 klms east of town we drove to Parry’s Lagoon which is a bird watchers dream. Mike and I visited this waterhole a couple of times where they have a bird hide and you can watch the comings and goings of the wildlife. The lagoon is covered in waterlilies and I was fascinated by some of the birds who didn’t seem to want to get their feet wet and hopped from one lilypad to another.

WA-Purnululu National Park and the Bungle Bungles

2010-07-14T09:59:00.004+10:00

The very distinctive beehive-shaped domes soaring up to 250 metres above the planes and a network of deep gorges make this area a must see. The 54 klm four wheel drive track in from the highway winds its way across the Maple Downs cattle property before reaching the National Park. We had four water crossings which made the trip exciting for Mike but I always get a little nervous.

We camped in the park for two nights and lapped up the peaceful energy of the place. Each night we had a camp fire, met some other campers, swapped traveling stories and one night were lucky enough to watch a solar eclipse.
The best way to see places like this is to get out and walk through the gorges. While here, we went on four walks through the domes and gorges and by the time we left we felt that we knew the area well. The scenery is unique and the area is now World Heritage listed.

WA-Gorges of the West Kimberley

2010-07-10T22:17:00.005+10:00

We left our van at the caravan park at Derby and decided to camp in the Windjana National Park, 200 kilometres along the infamous Gibb River Rd. We had seen many cars around town covered in red dust so Mike was a little hesitant to head out on the track but it was much easier than we had imagined. The grader had recently been through and most of the road at the western end is more gravel than red dust . The drive in was beautiful with my new favourite tree, the boab, growing everywhere. We set our tent up at the camp ground and then drove to Tunnel Creek where we donned our bathers, our head lamps and walking shoes ready for our adventure in the underground creek.

This creek tunnel runs 750 metres under the Napier Range and you have to walk through several permanent pools of fresh water of varying depths and clammer and slide over boulders and river rock. Not long after entering the tunnel it is pitch black so our head lamps came in very handy. Even though they say there are no crocodiles, while walking through the water in the dark I was definitely a little apprehensive.

The tunnel is massive with stalagmites and stalagtites everywhere. Part way through, we could smell and hear the bats who make this area their home. During the flood months this massive tunnel is full of raging water which is hard to imagine.

After a wonderful night with our friends, Di and Steve, around the camp fire we headed out on our three hour walk through Windjana Gorge. The gorge has the typical high red cliffs with the Leonard River snaking its way through this ancient limestone reef. Many crocodiles were sunning themselves on the banks and didn’t blink an eye as we walked by.
It was an easy walk and we stopped frequently to marvel at the rock structure and as always appreciate how lucky we are to be seeing these amazing marvels of nature.

After our wonderful time here, we moved on to Fitzroy Crossing, where 90% of the population is Aboriginal. We spent an afternoon cruising Geike Gorge with a local guide informing us on the history of the area and the local wildlife.

WA-Derby

2010-07-05T10:08:00.004+10:00

We left the turquoise clear waters and white sandy beaches of Broome and arrived in Derby where the waterways are dirty brown, muddy shoreline and crocodiles. What has happened in such a short distance?

Derby has Australia’s highest tidal range of 11 metres and the highlight of the area is to view the jetty at both high and low tides to see the huge variance. You can drive out onto the jetty where people fish and watch the ships being loaded.

I loved the main street of town which has boab trees planted on the centre dividing strip. The trees are presently in varying stages of loosing their leaves. Just out of town is the “Boab Prison Tree” where years ago, the local Aborigines were captured, put in irons and held under this tree until they were taken to work as slaves on the pearling vessels. In the Kimberley’s there are several “prison trees” where the slaves were held until sent to work. This was a real eye opener to me as I had no idea that we took the Aborigines as slaves

Derby was also a stop off point to replenish our food as we were planning on camping out on the Gibb River road for the next few days.

WA-Cape Leveque

2010-06-29T12:31:00.007+10:00

We decided to head to Cape Leveque at the tip of the Dampier Peninsula, which is about a 440 klm round trip from Broome and half of it is unsealed. We camped at the beautiful Aboriginal community of Middle Lagoon. We pitched our tents on the edge of the cliff overlooking the bay. Mike and Steve fished off the rocks after wading out to them, and pulled in one of the favoured fish of the area- “bluebone”. We have had two of them while in the Broome area and they are the sweetest fish I have ever eaten. Delicious.!

Half way towards the cape is Beagle Bay, another Aboriginal community where the church was built by the missionaries and the locals in the 1800’s. Mother of Pearl shell has been used to decorate the inside of the church altars and the walls. The inside of this church was also in the movie “Bran Nue Day”

At the tip of the peninsula at One Arm Cove two of the local dogs spend the mornings playing with the sharks. A couple of lemon sharks swim into the bay and the dogs swim out to play. The sharks grab the dogs in their mouths, pull them under the water, drag them along and then let them go. While we were there the dogs were swimming and the sharks came in but they didn’t play with each other. Maybe they didn’t want to be watched.

The Aboriginal Communities on the Peninsula are well kept and the locals very happy and friendly and willing to share the local fishing spots. The dirt roads were rough but it was all worth the experience

WA-Broome

2010-06-24T23:44:00.007+10:00

This romantic town is often described as the southern gateway to the Kimberley. It oozes charm, has a rather checkered and interesting pearling history, is extremely picturesque and is where the red pindan cliffs meets the turquoise blue ocean, and we love it!!

Broome is a melting pot of cultures. The area was originally founded in the late 1800’s as a pearling port which attracted Koepangers, Malays, Chinese, Japanese, and Europeans along with the local aborigines, many who were taken as slaves for work on the boats. It is hard to imagine that over 1000 men died while diving for the mother of pearl shells which was used to make buttons until the discovery of plastics in the mid 1900’s. With the advent of cultured pearls about the same time Broome then became the world’s leading producer of large cultured pearls and they are stunning.

The town of Broome, as you would expect is full of pearl shops, art galleries, restaurants and many beautiful resorts. Mike and I had coffee at many of them enjoying the beauty of their surroundings and deciding which one we would stay at if we had the opportunity to come back without our caravan.

Camel rides along the 22klm Cable Beach are one of the “must do” things when here, and the most popular times are at sunset. Hundreds of people descend onto the beach with their chairs and beverage of choice to enjoy the sun setting over the ocean. We spent many evenings here enjoying this spectacle. A highlight for us was to watch the inaugural Polo match on the beach. Apparently it was such a success that it will now be an annual event.

Another” must do” is to watch a movie at the Sun Cinema. This indoor/ outdoor theatre was built in 1916 and has withstood the war time bombingof Broome, cyclones and king tides.The Australian movie Bran Nue Day was filmed in the Broome area and one of the scenes was filmed in this theatre, and we were very fortunate to see this movie here.

While in Broome Mike spent most mornings fishing of the town jetty and we have eaten some magnificent fish meals. Many times the local gropers or sharks would eat the catch before it could be pulled out of the water. While at the jetty we also saw large water snakes and turtles gliding by. Mike caught a “bluebone” here which is one of the best eating fish in the area but difficult to catch.

“Stairway to the Moon” is a natural phenomena that occurs 2-3 nights each month when the moon rises over the ocean and reflection on the water creates the stairway effect. Hundreds of people line the shores of Roebuck Bay to watch this event.

We loved Broome so much that we extended our 10day stay to a month. We needed a holiday from our holiday! It was beginning to get rather busy by the time we left so we were ready to move on.

WA-Barn Hill Station

2010-06-15T14:48:00.006+10:00

Barn Hill station is a working cattle station, about 130 klms south of Broome, which has a camping area near the beach. The 10klm drive down another dirt road was rather hairy as this stretch had puddles on the track as well as the cattle crossing every now and then.

The camping ground is very basic, right on the cliffs on the edge of the ocean, with lots of shade trees which is always nice on those hot days. The showers and toilet blocks didn’t have any roofs which made it interesting at night - sitting on the toilet checking out the stars! The hot water is heated by a very primitive system of wood burning and is hot for two hours in both the morning and in the afternoon. The power was generator run so we couldn’t use our air conditioners or any heating elements which meant that we had to switch our hot water to gas. It is handy that our van is so versatile.

Once we walked to the beach we were in for a treat. The red cliffs and rock formations were fascinating. The area also had a dramatic nine metre tide. At high tide there was a narrow strip of sand along the beach and then at low tide, there is a steep decent to the waters edge where masses of huge rocks have been uncovered by the retreating tide
and you would swear that you were on a different beach.

It was wonderul walking along the beaches viewing the cliffs but the shells were few and far between, we had been spoilt by the millions of them at Eighty Mile Beach.

WA-Eighty Mile Beach

2010-06-08T13:13:00.005+10:00

Eighty Mile Beach Caravan Park is located on the beachfront between Port Hedland and Broome. The park is off the main road, 10klms down a red dusty dirt track. The area had been hit by a cyclone last season which snapped many of the trees making the area very bare with parts of the tree trunks still left in the ground but with no branches or leaves.
The area is well known for its fishing, sunsets and shell collecting.

Mike hooked into a huge catch which we thought would be our dinner for a week. It took him one and a half hours to bring it close enough to shore to see that it was a huge sting ray just before it snapped the line and swam away, probably exhausted. Mike really enjoyed the fight but disappointed after all that effort to find out that it wasn’t something we could have eaten.

At low tide the water goes out between 500 metres and a kilometre, which leaves the mud and sand flats exposed. The beach is covered in shells and sponges, and in some spots the shells would be over a metre deep. A shell collectors heaven. While Mike went fishing my friend Di and I would fossick on the beach and we have collected some fantastic shells. There are piles of shells as far as you can see. Incredible.

WA-Karijini National Park

2010-05-20T23:25:00.008+10:00

Karijini National Park is the second largest park in Western Australia. The views of the gorges are breathtaking and we swam in many of the refreshing pools and relaxed under cascading waterfalls.

There are three main gorges to visit, some of the walks are very challenging as the paths descending in to the bottom of the gorges are more like goat tracks. We loved the area and were always amazed to find these waterfalls where you couldn’t see where the water came from or where it went to as there are no rivers in the area. The just seem to materialize out of nowhere.

Magic, magic spot. I think that the photographs speak for themselves.

WA-Tom Price

2010-05-20T23:09:00.003+10:00

We sadly left Exmouth and the Ningaloo Reef area and headed inland. We had been hugging the coast for most of the trip in WA but had heard magical stories of Karajini National Park so decided that a detour was in order.

Tom Price, on the way to Karijini, is 635 klms from Exmouth and is a town of about 5000 people, most of whom who work in mine related jobs. The Rio Tinto iron ore mine here is huge and most of the ore is railed to Karratha for shipping overseas. We drove to the top of Mt Nameless, 1128 metres above sea level, and is the highest accessible mountain by vehicle in Western Australia, where we looked down on part of the mine site. This mine has been in production for over 50 years and still going strong.

As much as we love the ocean, the drive through the various red coloured ranges made the trip visually appealing and we were appreciating the differences in the rock formations. We spent two nights in Tom Price preparing for Karajini where we would not have power or water. So, we filled the water tanks, checked all the batteries, shopped and we’re ready to go.

WA-Exmouth and Ningaloo Reef

2010-05-12T22:56:00.006+10:00

Exmouth offers a contrast of the rugged landscape of Cape Range National park with its many gorges, four wheel drive and walking tracks to the serenity and wonder of the pristine Ningaloo Reef and marine park.

We wanted to walk the gorges while we were here but the temperature most days was in the mid to high 30’s which for me, is not conducive to a lengthy bush walk. Instead, we spent every day at one of the many beaches enjoying the magic of the reef.

The Ningaloo marine park encompasses 260 kilometres of coastline and at its closest point is only metres off shore which makes it so accessible and appealing. There are well over 20 beaches along the reef in the Exmouth area and you can snorkel from most of them. At many areas you could get in the water with your snorkel gear and drift to the end of the beach, get out walk back along the beach and do it all over again. We saw brilliantly coloured reef fish, turtles, sharks, rays and many different types of coral.

As well as all the marine life, emus and kangaroos roam free in the area. The emus would wander through the caravan park and we were always alert driving as they would just wander on to the road.

I loved every minute of our week here. Mike had a wonderful time fishing with our friend Steve and his brother Rob and we shared many meals of freshly caught delicious sweet tasting fish. While Mike fished, I made more glass beads, my new hobby.

The crystal clear water, the white sandy beaches and the ruggedness of the area have given us many, many fond memories.

WA-Coral Bay

2010-05-12T17:09:00.003+10:00

Coral Bay is at the southern end of Ningaloo Reef and is a marine paradise. There are two caravan parks, a motel and a few shops and eating places. The water is undrinkable so you need to make sure to fill up your tanks. The water is artesian and very hot and salty. When I had a shower I had trouble getting it cool enough as even the cold water is hot. There is something very odd about brushing your teeth in hot salty water.

The bay is stunning and you walk right off the beach with your snorkel and view the coral and so many spectacular coloured fish. Each time we went out we would see different types. We would come down to the beach at least twice a day to be with the fish. Off shore is the edge of the reef where the waves break and this makes the inner reef very calm and perfect for snorkeling.

Every afternoon at 3:30 is fish feeding time when the huge snapper come in to be hand fed. It is such a buzz. You stand in the water and about 50 of these large fish swim around you eating the bread and pellets. I buried my toes in the sand as I was afraid that the fish might find my red toenails appetizing.

WA-Carnarvon

2010-05-12T16:41:00.004+10:00

Carnarvon is renowned for its fresh produce so we were looking forward to our stopover here to fill up the fridge and freezer. Unfortunately, we were about three weeks early for the framers markets but did manage to find a couple of farms that had some to sell. We bought beans, onions, watermelon, sweet corn, pumpkin and avocado.

A narrow strip along both sides of the Gascoyne River bed supports the plantations.. The diversity is amazing with tropical fruits such as mangoes and paw paws, citrus and stone fruit, grapes and many variety of melons. Vegetables include tomatoes, beans, capsicum, asparagus, sweet corn and pumpkin.

The fascinating fact is that there is no water in the river. All the plantations are watered from bores that are located along the dry river bed.

The coastal area just north of Carnarvon has some lovely beaches as well are spectacular rugged cliffs where we found an area called the "Blowholes". We spent ages here and were fascinated watching the water blow, the height depending on the size of the waves. Very impressive coastal scenery.

WA-Shark Bay and Monkey Mia

2010-05-11T22:48:00.006+10:00

Shark Bay became Western Australia’s first world heritage listed area in 1991. The area is renowned for its white beaches, turquoise waters, rust red sand and a multitude of marine life.

Heading towards Shark Bay you pass by Hamelin Pool which is one of only two places in the world where living marine stromatolites exist. These are the oldest living organisms on the planet and are very slow growing at a maximum of 0,3mm a year.
They dot this shoreline in rocky like clumps and these particular ones are estimated to be 3000 years old. A walking platform has been erected so that we could view them without damaging them.

We settled ourselves in the caravan park at Denham and headed for Monkey Mia. I have wanted to visit this place and see the dolphins since I was a teenager and I was not disappointed. Between 8 - 12noon every day the bottlenose dolphins come right into shore to be fed. They swim around and very gently take the fish out of your hands.

While here we had lunch at the restaurant and watched the emus wander around the grounds. We then spent three hours cruising Shark Bay on the sail boat, “Aristocat 2” where we saw dugongs, turtles, more dolphins and we even saw a shark. Out in the bay we stopped in on the pontoon “Sea Lab 1” where we saw demonstrations on how they seed the black lip pearl shells and then the end result of stunning coloured pearls.

WA - Kalbarri

2010-04-26T09:47:00.007+10:00

Kalbarri is a spectacular coastal town on the headwaters of the Murchison River. The area has many coastal as well as inland gorges. As you drive into town from the south you are greeted by the bay where the town sits. The surf in the area is world renowned and we spent time watching surfers, swimming, as well as walking some of the gorges. We biked the walk/bike track that winds its way along the coast and stopped along the way at the many perfectly positioned seats to admire the view.

Kalbarri is also home to a fishing fleet of lobster as well as ocean fish. You can buy lobster off the boat for as little as $15.00 each. We watched the boats unloading and were amazed at the number of lobsters caught from each boat. One boat had 42 crates with about 30kilos in each crate. Not a bad days work! Western Australia has strict fishing laws which will hopefully secure fish in these waters for the future.

For the first time in months we felt safe enough to take the kayak out. No sharks and no crocodiles. We spent the morning in the lower part of the river where a sea eagle sat in the trees watching our progress. We were also in the middle of a large group of mullet that were surface eating around us. It was great to be back on the water again.

One of the most photographed areas of Kalbarri is Nature’s Window which is a very pleasant 800 metre round trip walk from the car park. The gorges in the area are impressive but the Murhison riverbed this far upstream was mostly dry with a few waterholes here and there. It would be wonderful to see this river in flood rushing through these gorges after major rainfall.

We spent four days here enjoying the scenery and visiting with our friends Lesley and Gabrielle who we met on our travels last year at Coffs Harbour. It was great to catch up and share “travelling stories”.

WA - Geraldton

2010-04-21T22:47:00.004+10:00

Just before arriving in Geraldton you drive through Greenough flats. This area is buffeted by southerly winds and many of the trees have horizontal trunks which have become an icon for the region. (Photo 1 )

Geraldton is the regional hub and largest city on the Coral Coast. The area supports mines, grain, sheep and the sea breezes encourage windsurfers and kitesurfers from all across the globe.

On a hill overlooking Geraldton is the HMAS Sydney 11 Memorial. It pays tribute to the 645 crew lost in a WW2 battle against a German ship. The dome of the monument has 645 bronze birds heading skyward and a concrete wall lists the names of all lost. (Photo 2)The Sydney was found in March 2008 along with the German vessel the Kormoran about 150klms from Shark Bay.

Just over half way from Geraldton to Kalbarri is Port Gregory where we found the extraordinary Pink Lake. The lake is an intriguing site with areas of dark pink to pale pink and pieces of pink salt bordering the edges. The colour is due to a bacteria trapped in the sand granules. This is a provides a rich source of Beta Carotene which is harvested from small ponds. (Photo 3)

WA-The Pinnacles

2010-04-20T21:56:00.004+10:00

The Pinnacles Desert is 250 klms north of Perth and just south of the beach side town of Cervantes.

As you drive through the Nambung National Park towards the Pinnacle area there is scrub and bushes all around. Suddenly, they thin out, and rising mysteriously from the sand dunes are thousands of limestone pillars of all shapes and sizes. You are able to drive and walk through the area but you are not permitted to touch them.

These amazing structures were created from ancient shells eons ago when this area was covered by the oceans. As you make your way though the park you could almost be wandering through an ancient cemetery with these “tombstones” protruding out of the sand. It is an eerie feeling but a fascinating place to visit.

WA-Freemnatle - Perth

2010-04-19T23:34:00.007+10:00

The port of Freemantle is 20mins drive south west of Perth at the mouth of the Swan River. Many of the streets down town are full of wonderful heritage buildings, many housing businesses, coffee shops and restaurants. The old jail which was built by the convicts takes up a large portion of the area and is now a tourist attraction.

Freemantle has a large fishing fleet which supports the many sea food restaurants in the harbour. This area comes alive at night, brimming with people here for a meal. Mike and I had a fantastic sea food meal at one, and then enjoyed walking around looking at many of the fishing boats.(Photo 1 & 2).

While there, they were getting ready for the Freemantle boat show so we had a quick look at some of the boats for sale. Funny how I like all the ones that are about 1 million dollars upwards.

While in the area a “must do” is a boat ride on the Swan River from Perth to Freemantle. The trip takes about an hour and is very picturesque with beautiful homes and boats everywhere. One out of three families in Perth have a boat. The many multiple stacked boat storage facilities are seen in many of the bays along the river. Beaches with crystal clear water and stunning white sandy beaches are only 15 minutes from the city centre.

Perth is a very modern sprawling city which we found very easy to navigate around. The many stunning parks around the city give a feeling of relaxation and full of people enjoying them. The downtown area is walking distance to the rivers edge. (Photo 3).One of the city’s streets is a little England full of specialty shops. (Photo 4)Public buses are free within the city centre so it encourages people to leave their cars at home.

We visited the Perth mint where the gold that we saw mined at Kalgoorlie is melted into gold nuggets (Photo 5).

We encourage those of you who have not visited Perth to put this wonderful city on your travel list.

WA-Augusta to Bussleton

2010-04-04T10:08:00.006+10:00

We visited the lighthouse at Augusta which is where the Southern and Indian Oceans meet. Beside the beach at the foot of the lighthouse is an old water mill that was used to pump water to the people at the lighthouse in the 1800’s. It has now calcified but water is still running along it.(Photo 1) A little further west in the National Park is Hamelin Bay where we watched the large rays swimming up and down the waters edge waiting to be fed. The fishermen would hand the scraps to the rays and they would suck it up like a vacuum cleaner.(Photo 2). Mike fed them but I decided to be the wary photographer.

We enjoyed the entire Margaret River area with its’ many beautiful trees and of course the vineyards that go on for kilometres. The beaches along the coast are famous for their surf and while there, we watched part of the pro competition which was fantastic. We were interested to find where the Margaret River almost meets the sea. It flows to within about 100 metres from the ocean where a sand dune stops the progress. Maybe it then filters through the sand to the ocean. (Photo 3).

While in the area an art show was in progress. Artists from the area had painted over a hundred cows which were displayed at various business and parks throughout the area. We enjoyed following part of the “cow trail” to view the various designs. One in downtown Bussletown was named the KISS cow after the band and had many similarities to the band. (Photo 4)

The Bussellton and Dunsbourough area seem very affluent as the beautiful homes bordering the ocean go for kilometres. While at Bussleton Mike and I would ride the 5klms to town each morning on the bike tracks beside the ocean and have a coffee before the ride back to the van. What a great way to start the day. Then, back to the van to make more glass beads ( my new on the road hobby).

WA_Esperance to Denmark

2010-03-23T23:21:00.003+11:00

The coastal drive from Esperance to Denmark was fantastic. The large coastal town of Albany was a great place to stay for a few days and travel the surrounding countryside. The National parks in the area have beautiful walks to hidden beaches and Albany has done a wonderful job converting the old whaling station to a tourist centre explaining the whaling industry with a whaling boat as part of the museum. Thank fully no more whales are hunted in our waters. The butchering of them was criminal.
Denmark is the home of the Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk as well as having over one hundred kilometres of spectacular coastline and beautiful beaches, swimming holes and rock pools. The area has wineries, much local produce, art and craft galleries and to me the town itself has a very relaxed feel. A little hippyish maybe.
It is delightful driving through the area with the huge forests of Marri, Karri, Tingle and Jarrah trees. The smell radiating from the forest floor is so refreshing.
We walked above the trees on the tree top walk, at the highest part we are 40 metres above the ground and the tops of some of the trees were still towering above us. The walkway was swaying as we walked along it so I was very happy to get to the end. Back on the ground, there is boardwalk which meanders through a grove of tingle trees. Some of these are over four hundred years old and gigantic. Boy, if they could only talk.
Out to the coast we find the Elephant rocks and Greens Pool which are small sheltered coves, wonderful to swim in and stunning to look at. (Photo 3)
Next we are heading to the Margaret River area for a few days so we are looking forward to sampling a few wines.

WA-Esperance

2010-03-15T11:48:00.005+11:00

After our crossing of the Nullarbor and our visit to Kalgoorlie we headed south to Esperance, a beautiful coastal town. We have decided that the coast line of Western Australia just keeps better around every corner.
The squeaky white, fine sand beaches bordered by brilliant blue pristine bays just take your breath away. Mike and I keep saying to each other that we cannot get over the clearness and the colour of the water. Every bay is truly post card scenery. There are over 100 island in the coastal archipelago and this area is also known as The Bay of Isles. There are long beautiful beaches that you can four wheel drive on, great bike and walking tracks around town and along the foreshore, as well as many fishing spots.
At the Tanker jetty in the bay the local seal, Sammy, swims and lazes around the pylons waiting for the fishermen to discard the leftovers from filleting their fish. You can sit and watch him for hours he is such a character. When he’s had his fill, he lies on the beach and has a nap oblivious to all the on- lookers and doesn’t stir until it is feed time again.

The Cape le Grand National Park is close by and offers two good camp areas on the beach as well as more incredible scenery.
We stayed at Esperance for a week and loved every minute of it.
Visiting this area is a must. The scenery is magnificent.

WA-Kalgoorlie

2010-03-08T00:15:00.003+11:00

Our original plan did not include a visit to Kalgoorlie but as the final two holes of the golf course was there, we had no choice. We drove the 310 klm round trip from Norseman to Kalgoorlie to play two holes of golf on a dirt fairway to get a certificate to say that we had completed the Nullarbor Links. We must be mad!
We played the holes in the morning and then spent the rest of the day as tourists and found Kalgoorlie fascinating. Gold was discovered here in 1893 and it is now a thriving wealthy city of 30,000 people.
Mining is still the lifeblood of the community with many of the wonderful original buildings still standing. Today many of these house boutiques, restaurants, businesses and we walked up and down admiring them and had lunch in one of the magnificent old hotels. There are shops in town where you can sell your nuggets so there is obviously still gold for the small prospector.
Behind the town is “The Super Pit” which is a man made wonder that can be seen from space. It is a massive gouge carving into the red earth, where trucks the size of houses move hundreds of tons of rock in the hope of finding a few ounces of gold at a time. This is known as the richest square mile of gold bearing earth in the world. We stood and watched the trucks loading the recently blasted rock and then slowly driving up to the top of the pit which takes half an hour. These trucks are massive but from where we stood they looked like tonka toys. The vastness is hard to comprehend.
We then drove to the Miners Hall of fame where learnt more about the history of the area and watched them melting gold and pouring it into moulds.
We thoroughly enjoyed Kalgoorlie and the entire time we spent there. It would be fun to return to the area and do some prospecting.

SA-WA-Crossing The Nullarbor

2010-03-07T21:24:00.007+11:00

Years ago crossing the Nullabor meant several days on a dirt road with few facilities. Today crossing The Nullabor is a very civilized experience. Now, the road is completely sealed and well serviced with many roadhouses along the way and carries a vast amount of tourist and commercial traffic. The largest distance between roadhouses being 188klms. The trip took us three days and we stayed in roadside stops for two nights. I had always thought of the Nullarbor as being desert with sand hills everywhere and found it to be nothing like that at all.

The Eyre highway hugs the coast from Ceduna to the WA border where it begins heading inland. We stopped at the Head of the Bight where the spectacular Bunda cliffs drop into the turquoise ocean. Between May to October this area has up to 100 southern right whales. Some whales come here to give birth, others to mate and some come here to socialize. The viewing platform allows you to get close to the ocean and it would be magic to be here during those few months. (Photo 1 )

The countryside was continually changing from low lying scrub ,salt bush, larger shrubs and eucalyptus forests which kept us interested along the way. Occasionally there would be a tree beside the road covered in shoes, others in bottles, one in household items which were rather funny. (Photo 3 )

The longest straight stretch of road in Australia is towards the end of the crossing. It is 146.6 klms long so its time to put the ipod on and start singing to a few oldies to pass the time.

We were very lucky with the temperature as the highest was 27degrees and we had a tail wind most of the way so Mike was happy. We had heard horror stories of some people having a head wind all the way and chewing through the fuel.

All in all, the trip was good and the golf was the best thing to distract from the distance.

SA-WA-The Nullarbor Links

2010-02-26T00:13:00.005+11:00

When we signed up at the Information Centre in Ceduna to play the Nullarbor Links, we paid $50.00 each and received our score cards and a piece of wetsuit fabric about 12” x 12” with a small hole in the middle....wondering why we would need such a thing.

After seeing the first hole we knew why. There is no grass at all. The tee off area is a small platform covered in astroturf, as is the green. All the holes have the same tee off platform, different shaped greens but between is vastly different. Once you are on the fairway you place your green piece of wetsuit fabric on the ground, put your tee in the hole, ball on top, select your club, hit the ball and keep your fingers crossed that you will be able to find it.

Some of the fairways are all salt bush, some are trees and bushes, some are cleared red dirt fairway with a few tufts of something growing here and there. One has a sign warning of snakes and we saw a Red Belly Black, another has “tree traps” instead of sand traps- they have bulldozed a few trees and piled them together at a couple of places on the course. The funniest one was a large bulls-eye that we could see between the trees, which was showing us where the flag and green were.

The flies were so bad when we played at Norseman that I had to bring out the “fly veil.” It looks ridiculous but saves the flies from driving you crazy.
Your card is stamped at each hole which is usually beside a roadhouse and then you are presented with a certificate at the Information Centre at Kalgoorlie.
We have really enjoyed the last three days. It was a great laugh and gave us something to look forward to every 100 klms or so and made the trip go quickly. The total journey was 1641 klms. It truly is the longest golf course in the world.

SA-Eyre Peninsula-Ceduna

2010-02-24T21:44:00.004+11:00

Ceduna is the last major centre before heading across the Nullabor to Western Australia. I stayed here for five days while Mike travelled to Brisbane for a seminar.
I stayed at the down town caravan park so I could walk to the shops, out to the jetty to watch the people fishing. Around the foreshore they have built a wonderful 4klm walking and biking track which takes you to Thevenard. Here ships are loaded with gypsum, salt, and grain from across the west coast. These docks are also shared with a small fleet of fishing vessels.
I made a daily trip out here either on bike or walking enjoying the beauty of the bay.
Ceduna also has a rich Aboriginal community with many of their beautiful paintings and crafts on display.
Each night the sunsets were spectacular and no two were the same. I would sit outside the caravan with a champagne and watch the magic unfolding and feeling so grateful to have the opportunity to view these stunning colours dance across the sky.

Cactus Beach is about 90klms west of Ceduna and is an iconic surfing beach where surfers come from all over the world to test their skills. Just before you reach the beach you travel beside some massive sand dunes and a few salt lakes. The ocean was calm the day I visited which meant that unfortunately there were no surfers to watch.
Our next job is to fill our water tanks as we plan to free camp across the Nullabor. We will also sign up to play the Nullabor Links which is the worlds longest golf course, Ceduna to Kalgoorlie, a distance of 1365 klms. We were wondering if there would be any grass!

SA-Eyre Peninsula-Streaky Bay

2010-02-21T21:51:00.011+11:00

Streaky Bay is surrounded by wheat fields and is a major centre for grain, wool, fat lambs, oysters, abalone and scallops. Granite mining is also a significant local industry. The area is aptly named as the bands of colour in the water are obvious. Apparently they are due to the oils given of from certain types of sea weed.
This delightful coastal town is a great place to stock up on food and has two grocery stores to choose from which is a real treat. There is also a large array of other shops.
The jetty area has a swimming net beside it and as the shark alarm went off twice while we were here, you wouldn’t want to swim any where else. One afternoon we watched a shark cruise from one end of the beach to the other very close to shore. He was estimated at being about 12 foot long.
Mike and our friends, Steve and Ian went fishing at nearby Hallys beach and caught enough salmon for us all to have several meals. We made Thai fish cakes with our share and have another batch in the freezer. While we were out watching the men fishing, the dolphins blessed us with their presence and surfed the waves. I never tire of watching them. They are so graceful.
Back at the caravan park the pelicans and seagulls line up for dinner whenever anybody is cleaning fish. They jostle for the front row and get quite pushy with each other. Fun to watch.
We found a unique way to spend “cocktail hour” while here. We took our beach chairs out into the bay and spent some very pleasant time chatting in the calm warm water. As with most of these bays it is very shallow and clear quite a way from shore. Too shallow for the sharks to reach. We hope anyway!
We loved every moment of our week here and are now heading to Ceduna where I will be by myself for five days as Mike attends a seminar in Brisbane.

SA-Eyre Peninsula-Baird Bay

2010-02-20T22:20:00.008+11:00

Baird Bay is an isolated fishing village on the west coast, about 50klms south of where we were staying at Streaky. The Bay and its surrounds offer fishing, bush walking, bird watching, and the incredible opportunity to swim with dolphins and sea lions in their natural habitat.
We arrived at the modern rammed earth buildings that are the head quarters if the Ocean Eco Experience. We were fitted with wetsuits, walked out to the boat and headed with great excitement out to hopefully find the dolphins. Because we are out in the wild, seeing the dolphins is never gauranteed. But, it was our lucky day. As we were getting our snorkels on we watched Troy attach an electronic anklet which deters the sharks. The pulse is effective for eight metres. Wonder where I was when we were in the water? You guessed it. I was glued to Troy the entire time. Obviously sharks are attracted to seals and the dolphins and we were in their territory. There were about eight dolphins, including a mother and baby. One of the dolphins had a split dorsal fin and a nasty hollow on one side due to an old shark injury. They swam around us, upside down under us and coming in very close to check us out. When they decided to move on we headed to another area of the bay to see the seals.
When we arrived they were all lying on the rocks sunning themselves. Many of the babies were nursing while mum was fast asleep. Some of the young males were trying to wake up other seals to come and play. There is a large natural pool where the seals were swimming and we joined them. They come right up to you, wanting to play and I’m sure they are wondering why we are so sluggish in the water compared to them. They were swimming around us upside down and coming right up to our masks to have a “peek” inside. We ended up having about six swimming around us.
What an incredible experience. Thank you Trixie and Vic for telling us about this. I could certainly do it again, and again, and again.
We are so thankful to the dolphins and sea lions for allowing us to join them in their home under the waves and give us such a heart warming day.

Baird Bay Ocean Eco Experience
Ph: 08 8626 5017
website:www.bairdbay.com

SA-Eyre Peninsula-Venus Bay

2010-02-19T23:43:00.005+11:00

Venus Bay is a popular holiday destination for many of the Eyre Peninsula locals, especially the keen fishermen. When we drove in to the caravan park it seemed as though nearly every caravan had a tinny. Our camping spot was right on the bay and we enjoyed watching the pelicans come in to land when the tide was out. The birds stood on the small rocks on the shoreline instead of on the sand. I don’t think that they wanted to get their feet wet. It was hilarious.
Venus Bay has many inlets and waterways perfect for all of these fishermen. King George Whiting is the preferred fish and it has become our favourite. Nice mild fish.
During our stay here the ocean was calm but apparently this area is well known for its’ huge waves.
Years ago many paddocks in the area were edged with stonewalls that were built by the chinese and also prisoners. Because the ground here is so rocky this would seem like a useful way to clear the fields. This building method is called Dry Stone Walling and you can certainly appreciate their skill and how hard they had to work to build them. When you look closely at the ground it is amazing that wheat can grow in it at all. It seems there is more rock than dirt, very similar to what we noticed on the Yorke Peninsula.
Our weather is still glorious, every day is about 28-low 30’s. We haven’t seen rain in so long we have almost forgotten what it feels like.
Next stop Streaky Bay.

SA-Eyre Peninsula-Elliston

2010-02-19T21:57:00.007+11:00

Heading north from Coffin Bay we arrive at another charming seaside town, Elliston. The town is set on the shores of Waterloo Bay with spectacular surrounding ocean- side cliffs and crystal clear water which looks so inviting.
As many of the cliff tops have large overhangs, there are signs that warn you not to drive too close to the edge. Recently, just north of here, a young girl fell from a cliff edge while watching the sea lions so the warnings are obviously there for a reason. Dangerous territory!
The area has a biennial art festival which encourages local and national artists to create sculptures along Elliston’s Great Ocean Drive. It was interesting driving the 12klms and stopping to view and read about the art and artists along the way.
As well as wheat farming and sheep, the area is well known for fishing. Locks Well is a stunning surf fishing beach, renowned for salmon, and only keen fisherman or crazy tourists such as ourselves are keen enough to negotiate the man made stairway down to the beach. There are 283 steps that hug the 120 metre cliff, going down is fun, but the way up the hill needs a rest stop on the way. From the beach looking up, the stairway looks like a mini wall of China.
The Talia Caves, forty klms north of Elliston, are large caverns that have been carved into the granite cliff by the action of the waves. We spent a long time here exploring the many deep rock pools. At the end of this road is the magic 20 klm long Talia beach. The sand is white, the water turquoise and so inviting. It is a breathtaking sight driving around the corner and finding this gem. We went swimming here with friends Di and Steve and had to pinch ourselves that we weren’t dreaming. It was magic.

SA-Eyre Peninsula-Coffin Bay

2010-02-18T11:04:00.005+11:00

The west of the Eyre Peninsula is in contrast to the flatter coast and calmer waters of the eastern seaboard.
The spectacular rugged cliffs, stunning beaches with occasional wild surf makes you look forward to finding out what is around the next corner, and it is never disappointing. It just keeps getting better.
Coffin Bay is only 46 klms from Port Lincoln. It actually took us longer to pack up than it did to drive to this short distance.
This area has many waterways, bays, channels and inlets for fishing and a multitude of water sports. This area would have to be a fisherman's dream with rock, surf, jetty and boat fishing. Mike and Steve, who we recently met at Port Lincoln, fished off the rocks while his wife Di and myself laid on the beach enjoying the stunning weather and swimming. Great way to spend an afternoon for all of us. Unfortunately, no fish that day.
Coffin Bay oysters are well known on the Peninsula and we have spent many evenings enjoying them kilpatrick style with a margarita, or two.
Coffin Bay National Park is close to town and has huge sand dunes sculptured by the wind. There is a 40klm 4WD track but we had heard that is was very challenging in parts so decided to give it a miss. The gravel roads in the park gave us good access to the highlight spots.

SA-Eyre Peninsula, Cowell to Port Lincoln

2010-02-11T17:29:00.007+11:00

The eastern coast of the Eyre Peninsula is on the Spencer Gulf and has many beautiful bays and jetties, many of which were used in the early days to load grain and wool from the local farms to be taken to Adelaide. In turn, goods and fertilisers were unloaded for use in the area. Most of the jetties are now used for fishing by the locals and visitors. The towns we stayed at were Cowell, Arno Bay and Tumby Bay.
Today, local seafood is one of the Eyres’ many attractions. Bluefin tuna, oysters and murray cod are farmed and processed and there are a variety of tours available to view the farming and sample the products.
We stayed at Port Lincoln for five days as there was so much to see and do in the area.
When we first arrived the local Tunarama festival was in full swing. One of the highlights of the three days is the “world famous” Tuna tossing competition. There are male and female categorys and each contestant tosses the 8 kilo tuna as far as they can. The winners, with the longest toss, receive $1,000.00 first prize and a trophy of a tuna and second place is $500.00. The winning males toss was just over a very respectable 20 metres. So practice up, you too could enter the event.
We spent a wonderful couple of hours on a tour of the marina in an electric boat. The trip was very informative as we moved along the prawn and tuna boats as well as viewing the many beautiful homes on the waterways. The massive prawn trawlers are only in use about 55 days per year. It is amazing that they catch enough prawns in that short time to make such a good living.
The tuna industry along with the triple Melbourne Cup winner Makybe Diva have certainly put Port Lincoln on the map. There is a statue of the great horse on the foreshore and people from the area are very proud of her.
The tuna industry itself is very fascinating. The tuna are caught at sea in huge nets, towed back to the bays, transferred to a stationary floating farm where they are fed until harvest time. All along the eastern coast of the Eyre as well as in the bay areas of Port Lincoln you see many of these farms. We went out to one of these, set up as a tourist site, where we fed the tuna and then swam with them. Their teeth are small but razor sharp. One of them tried to eat my thumb as well as the fish I was holding and I had at least twenty paper thin cuts on my thumb. It looked like it had been through the mincer. But, being fine they healed in no time. Swimming with them was fascinating but we were a little fearful that they may turn into piranhas so we didn’t stay in very long. After the swim, we sampled some tuna sashimi with wasabi and soy and it was delicious. (That was pay back for my thumb.)
We drove around Lincoln National Park and were in awe of the endless bays and aqua blue waters. Every where was like post card scenery.

We can highly recommend:
Close Up Tuna Tours
Ph:0488 428 862
www.adventurebaycharters.com.au

Marina Boat Cruises
0427 826 853

Sa- Flinders Ranges

2010-02-05T22:04:00.007+11:00

We left Clare, heading west towards the Eyre Peninsula and as the next few days were to be in the low 30’s we decided to visit the Flinders Ranges as we had heard so much about their beauty.
Heading towards our destination, Wilpena Pound, we passed through the lovely old towns of Quorn and Hawker. Between Quorn and Port Augusta the Pichi Richi railway runs steam train journeys on the weekends between April and October. It would be a lovely trip through the many gorges and viewing the spectacular ranges.
The weather, however, did not go according to plan. The day we arrived it was in the mid 30’s so we spent the afternoon by the pool. The next day it was in the 40’s, so rather than the bush walks that we had planned, we drove around the area on some of the many four wheel drive tracks. We traveled over 160klms through gorges, over the hills and around Wilpena Pound which is probably the most well known part of the park. It is shaped like a giant crater, 17 klm x 8 klm which was formed by an ancient mountain eroding away over 600 million years.
There were many ruins throughout the park, made from local rock and stone,which shows how harsh living in this area would have been for the early settlers. Wherever you look, there is something interesting to see.
As well as four wheel drive tracks there are many walking and bicycle trails. One of these is a 200 klm loop around the National park for mountain bike enthusiasts.
The northern town of Parachilna, is known in the area for its’ pub which has a dish called the “feral plate”. This includes camel, kangaroo, emu and local produce. I have been told that it is delicious. The pub was closed the day that we were there so we didn’t have the opportunity to sample. Instead we went to the Blinman pub and had one of their delicious lamb burgers. This particular pubs’ claim to fame is the Camp Oven “cook off”. Competitors from all over the world arrive in October chasing the $5,000.00 prize to create a gourmet meal in the traditional Australian camp oven.
We have been told that the Flinders area is stunning in spring when the wild flowers are in bloom. That would be something to see. We’ll have to put that in diary for another year.

SA - Tour Down Under

2010-01-27T13:08:00.005+11:00

After having spent a wonderful couple of weeks at home in Newcastle for Christmas, we flew back to Adelaide, picked up our caravan and were ready to head west. We decided to spend the first night back on the road in Clare (one of our favourite places). We discovered that the Tour Down Under was beginning from Clare in a few days so we spent the next 4 days enjoying the festivities of the area waiting for the beginning of the race.
While here, we had several bike rides on the Riesling trail which is a walking and bike track that winds its way over thirty kilometres through this picturesque valley passing by many wineries on the way.
On Sunday there was a 60 kilometre road ride from Clare to Tarlee which would be the first part of the “Tour” beginning on Tuesday. Mike joined the group of over 100 riders and rode the hardest ride he has ever done. The wind was unforgiving but he hung in there and I picked up an exhausted but elated man three hours after he had left Clare. It certainly makes you appreciate the fitness of all the professionals on the tour. There was a street party in Clare the night before the race and the roads downtown had been closed and set up ready for the race start. There were several bands, food and wine stalls and we had a fun night celebrating with the locals.
Tuesday morning was buzzing with excitement. We rode our bikes into town, had breakfast and watched the riders and the “circus” arrive from Adelaide. We then rode the bikes back to the caravan park and watched the tour from beside the road.
The Tour brings a lot of excitement to the area and we enjoyed being part of it. We would definitely consider returning another year and following the Tour around the area.

SA - Victor Harbour

2010-01-27T12:55:00.005+11:00

The Fleurieu Peninsula has so much to offer. In the beautiful Adelaide Hills we spent a day in the very touristy German town of Hahndorf. There are loads of german style restaurants, shops and no shortage of places to purchase brautworst and bakeries filled with the most incredible Barvarian cakes, also some of the best wineries are in the Adelaide Hills-YES!! The main street is tree lined with beautiful old buildings with many dating back to the late 1800’s when the area was first settled by Germans.
Driving south through many picturesque valleys you arrive at Victor Harbour and beautiful Port Elliott, both of which in the past were vying to be the capital of South Australia.
Granite Rock is an island just off shore at Victor Harbour, which is connected to the mainland by a bridge which serves as both a carriage ride pulled by clydesdales and a walking track to the island . Mike and I spent a morning walking out to the island and then walking around it taking in the stunning granite formations. One of our favorite coffee stops was in Victor Harbour at the Cafe Bavaria-couldn’t resist the cakes at this place!!YUMMY!!
There is 9 kilometre walk/bike track from Victor Harbour to Port Elliot which hugs the foreshore and has wonderful coastal views along the way. We had found a great little restaurant on the beach at Port Elliot, the Flying Fish, so we biked this track a couple of times during our stay. Delicious Fish and Chips!!
Throughout the Peninsula many of the homes are made from local rock and boulders and have a charm all their own, many of the gardens are now full of drought resistant plants due to the very dry periods in this area. We stayed at Victor Harbour but found a great Caravan Park at Port Elliot, right on the beach, but due to school holidays it was booked out-maybe next trip? Definitely come back to this area again!!

SA - Kangaroo Island

2009-12-13T18:36:00.010+11:00

Kangaroo Island is a 45 minute ferry ride from the tip of the Fleriueux Penisunsula at Cape Jervis( which is 110 klms south of Adelaide), to Pennishaw on the northern end of the island. We had placed our caravan in storage and repacked our camping gear in the Pathfinder ready for our week on the island. Mike drove the car onto the ferry and I was fascinated watching the semi trailers full of sheep driving off the ferry and empty ones replacing them for the return journey.
KI as it is known to the locals, is an island of contrasts and stunning scenery.

The island is 45klms at its widest point and 150 klms long which makes it easy to explore. There is one sealed road which circles and crosses the island, all others are dirt but we found them well maintained.

There is a bit of everything here. You can go from calm bays to surf beaches within a very short distance and all with crystal clear water. From the majestic cliffs along the south coast and the many stunning white sandy beaches all around the island to the rolling hills of grain or grazing sheep and cattle, make it extremely picturesque.

While driving around the island we have seen a large amount of wild life - echidna’s, koalas, heath goannas, Kangaroo Island kangaroos, possums, Tammar wallabies, Australian Sea-lions and New Zealand fur seals and many beautiful birds. Unfortunately there was also a lot of road kill.

There were so many bays and inlets that we fell in love with. The first was Stokes Bay where you have to squeeze your way along a pathway through huge rocks that open up to a stunning hidden sheltered beach. We were often the only ones on the beaches which always makes it feel special. Hanson Bay was another favourite, where we rented a cabin overlooking this idilic beach. We stayed here for two nights as it was raining and cold. The cabin had a fireplace so we sat by the fire and watched the waves. Unreal. Mike went fishing off the cliffs, caught two cod which he threw back. From the top of the cliffs you can see to the ocean floor the water is so clear. Magic!
Vivonne Bay is noted as one of Australia’s most beautiful beaches and we would have to agree. It is a large bay with fine white sand, transparent water, and a jetty. We spent time watching one of the lobster trawlers unloading their catches, and then the captain gave us some freshly caught snapper which fed us for two meals. Nice guy. Most of these fishermen spend at least five days at a time out at sea. We bought one of these lobsters as a treat and savoured every delicious mouthful.
There are two areas here to watch seals. Seal Bay has the Australian Sea Lions where you can get quite close and watch them lying and “hanging out” on the beach. The second area is Admirals Arch where the New Zealand fur seals spend their time on the rocky coastline. We watched them getting on and off the rocks in pounding surf and playing in the water where they are so agile. While on land they seem to spend most of their time sleeping, unless of course you are a young male who has to fight and annoy the others all the time
The island runs on a very slow pace which is perfect for a holiday. There are bountiful amounts of local produce including honey, cheeses, jams, oils, wine, delicious meats, sea food, eucalyptus products and I’m sure much more that we didn’t see. We visited a sheep dairy farm where we watched the sheep being milked and then sampled the cheeses and yoghurts made from it. The haloumi was delicious.
Our time on the island was so enjoyable we would recommend it to anybody.

SA-Clare,the Barossa and McLaren Vale

2009-12-03T21:06:00.011+11:00

These three areas at this time of year provides a picturesque contrast between the golden fields of grain ready to be harvested and the lush green row upon row of grape vines.
The Jesuit priests planted the regions first grapes in 1851 in the Clare valley and today are still making wines at Sevenhill, which is one of the areas oldest wineries.
The Clare, Barossa and McLaren Vale have huge contrasts in the size and age of the wineries. You can visit a small family run winery producing beautiful limited quantity wines and right next door may be one of the larger castle like buildings with acre upon acre of vines.
We spent several days in these three areas and found each one beautiful. The Clare township is charming, has some wonderful old buildings, and for the bicycle enthusiast you can cycle the 30 klm riesling trail which takes you to a large number of the Clare’s 41 wineries. Both days that we were here it was very windy and rained which dampened our enthusiasm to ride it.
Unlike the Clare, the Barossa has several towns that make up this rather large area in which there are 60 or so wineries. This area was originally settled by many different Europeans so there is a great variety of foods and traditions. We stayed at Tanunda which has a population of 4000, with many of the dark ironstone cottages and barns that have been lovingly restored. While here we visited the very impressive, Wolf Blass and Chateau Tanunda wineries. Chateau Tanunda has a croquet green and a cricket ground.
Some of the original old homes in these three areas were built by wealthy families who had done well from the mining and farming.
McLaren Vale was our last wine stop heading south to Kangaroo Island. We were here about 10 years ago and the area had expanded noticeably. Many wineries had built new, stunning cellar doors and even one of my

favourite, Wirra Wirra had updated theirs.
The huge fence out front still remains, and after sampling a few wines one afternoon( giving myself a little extra dutch courage) climbed on it to see if it would still support me. It Did. Whew! It would have been a hard landing if it hadn’t.
As you drive through these areas you can’t help but fall in love with them. The wonderful old buildings, the vines, the surrounding countryside, the locals and the shops give them a feeling that makes you want to return.

SA - Yorke Peninsula

2009-11-27T20:17:00.004+11:00

On the map, the Yorke Peninsula looks very much like Italy except there is no heel on the boot. With ocean on three sides, it is only 2 1/2 hours drive from top to bottom and 25 minutes from coast to coast. Mike and I being the slow travelers that we are, spent two weeks in this beautiful area. When here, you feel that you have stepped back in time and life seems to move much slower. It is wonderful.
We started our travels on the western side of the peninsula, down to the southern tip and then up the east coast. We stayed at many beautiful little sea side villages on the way, each having a jetty as so many people come here to fish. Garfish is a popular local fish, so after watching the fishermen for a while Mike decided to give it a try. He visited the local store, purchased all the right “stuff” and found his spot on the jetty. His second cast produced a garfish and that was his one and only for the morning. What use is one garfish, especially when there are two of us, so Mike donated it to the people fishing next to him who were delighted.
Many of the beaches here have blue swimmer crab and we watched people walking up and down with their “rakes” digging the crabs out of the sand. Those with boats take crab nets out to sea.

Years ago the Peninsula supported limestone, copper and gypsum mining and with over 200 salt lakes in the area, salt mining was also popular. Now a days, you can visit some of the old mines and there are many museums to catch up on the local history.
Wheat and barley are now grown on almost every square inch of the land. While here, it was harvest time so there were golden fields everywhere and the farmers were working around the clock trying to beat the forecasted rain. There is also a windfarm which has 55 giant turbines spread amongst the wheat fields.
As there have never been big trees on the peninsula for building, the early settlers homes were made from limestone which is found everywhere. There are hundreds of these homes throughout the area, many were built in the mid 1800’s, and you never tire of their beauty. The owners take pride in their up keep and they certainly add a uniqueness to this part of the country.
The Yorke has something for everybody- fishing, snorkelling, surfing, scuba diving, sailing, walking and bike riding.

SA - South from Coober Pedy

2009-11-24T21:32:00.002+11:00

When we left Coober Pedy we were heading south in search of cooler weather. Unfortunately, that was not to be, as the next place we stopped at was Roxby Downs where the temperature was 43 degrees. This town was purpose built by BHP Biliton for the massive Olympic Dam mining plant which produces copper, uranium, silver and gold. The town is very well planned, neat and tidy with some lovely new homes and good infa structure. A small shopping centre, great swimming pool and recreation centre, walking and riding paths all around and through town, make it very peasant out here in the middle of nowhere. Grass is rare so those few homes that have lawns make you look twice as “green” out here is rare. This small area uses 10% of South Australia’s electricity.
We also stopped at Woomera and walked around the museum and saw some of the rockets that Australia and Great Britain had used on the rocket range. The range is flat, barren and takes up 127,000 square miles. Long range missiles and rockets were tested here during the cold war and the launch and tracking of spacecraft in the early days of the space age.
We then drove straight through to Port Augusta which took us about five hours. Port Augusta is at the top of the Spencer Gulf, on the water and we were sure that finally we would find a break in the heat. No such luck. Our two days there were in the low 40’s.
Down town Port Augusta has some beautiful old brick and stone homes.
The area has a power station and a very busy rail yards and is known as “the crossroads” as this is where the major north/south and east/west highway meet.

NT - Coober Pedy

2009-11-13T09:05:00.006+11:00

Coober Pedy is 685klms south of Alice Springs on the Stuart Highway. About 40klms out of town we started seeing mounds of white dirt dotting the landscape. As we got closer to town these mounds were everywhere and looking very much like a lunar landscape.
After taking a tour in Tom’s Opal mine we learnt that these mounds are called mullock heaps. They are formed by the ground up rock being sucked out of the shaft and blown up to the surface. The rock is ground up underground by “tunneling machines” with revolving cutting heads. The shafts are left open so you need to tread carefully when walking out in the fields. Many people have died over the years by falling down a shaft.
We spent quite a bit of time “noodling”. This is where you search through the piles of mullock for pieces of opal that the miners have missed. We spent a few hours in the heat noodling and found lots of potch which is opal without the fiery colours and worth very little. About 90% of the opal found is potch, but it is the other illusive 10% that keeps the miners digging.
About 50% of the towns people live in “dugouts”. These are mostly excavated into the side of the hills and have a constant 23 - 25 degree year round temperature. Some of these homes are up to 450 square metres. We visited a church, motel and a home which were all underground and it was definitely more comfortable than the 35 - 40 degrees above ground.
About 30klms east of town is The Breakaway Reserve. These are a group of hills that change colour during the day as the sun hits them at different angles. We were wishing that it was cooler as there were some beautiful places to walk. Somehow the air conditioning in the car was more inviting than the 40 degrees outside.
Beside this set of hills runs the dog fence. This is 2 metre high wire barrier structure that runs for 5,600 klms across three states. This fence was built to protect the sheep country in the south from the dingo.
We were fascinated by the area and can understand the passion that the locals hold for this place, its almost spiritual, we would have loved cooler weather to do more noodling. it certainly hooks you in.

NT - Alice Springs

2009-11-12T22:13:00.002+11:00

Alice Springs is a very modern city in the heart of Central Australia and sits between the East and West Macdonnell ranges. We enjoyed our stay here and one of my favourite pastimes was visiting the art galleries full of wonderful Aboriginal paintings. The main mall in town, Todd Mall, has many galleries and you will often see Aboriginals sitting on the grass selling their own art work.
The city has fantastic bike tracks and the roads are on a grid pattern so it is easy to find your way around.
We spent a day at the Desert Park which is a huge park on the outskirts of town and has a self guided audio walking tour through the various desert habitats: desert rivers, sand country and woodland. They have the type of animals, plants and birds that live in each of these areas. During the day there are presentations about finding water in creek beds, Aboriginal tools and artifacts and the most amazing show of free - flying birds of prey coming in to feed. It was a very educational day and we would highly recommend the Park to anybody coming to Alice.
I spent an afternoon at the Araluen Cultural Precinct where they were having an art exhibition of Aboriginal artists from the surrounding areas. Some of the paintings were stunning and so were the price tags. I wonder how much the artists get for their work?
We spent two evenings at Aboriginal concerts. One was children singing, dancing and playing their instruments and the second was bush bands from as far away as Darwin. It was wonderful sitting amongst them gaining more of an appreciation for their music.
We spent a month in and around Alice Springs and love the area a great deal. There is so much to see, so much history and we furthered our appreciation of how the Aboriginals had lived so well in this harsh environment for centuries.

NT-West Macdonnell Ranges

2009-11-08T21:46:00.006+11:00

Another glorious sight seeing adventure was awaiting us west of Alice Springs in the West Macdonnell Ranges.
We camped at Glen Helen Gorge with our caravan and used that as our base to visit the many gorges and watering holes in the area.
Only a few kilometres out of Alice is Stanley Chasm. This is a magnificent gorge which when you visit it around noon you get the sun streaming down both sides and lighting up the red cliffs. There were many of our favourite birds, the rainbow bee eater flying around. These birds are so stunning in colour that I have spent hours trying to photograph them but can never seem to get that perfect shot.
Further west is the Ocre Pits. For generations the aborigine people used this place as a mine for the ocre which they use for painting and body decoration. Ocre is still collected from here today for special occasions only to be used for body painting.
Ormiston Gorge is another great walking opportunity. We climbed one of the cliffs and then walked into the bottom of the Gorge and cooled of in one of the watering holes. As usual in this area the view from the top was spectacular.
We then spent a day at Palm Valley and Hermannsberg. Hermannsberg was one of the early towns in Central Australia and was the home of the famous Aboriginal artist Albert Namatjira. The original whitewashed buildings are still standing and their is now an art gallery, museum and tea house. There is still a large Aboriginal community living there today.
The final place we visited in our four days in this area was Redbank Gorge. They said that it is a 20 minute walk from the car park to the entrance of the gorge but after 20 minutes we had barely reached half way. For the first part, the path was well defined but we lost the path and ended up walking over and around boulders as we made our own way to the head of the gorge. It was a hard slog but so worth while. The large watering hole opens in to a series of caverns with cathedral like walls. The water is freezing and we were so glad that we had brought our blow up mattresses. Unfortunately Mikes’ sprung a leak not far into our paddle and he had to swim in the “ice water”. The sides of the walls have been worn smooth over the centuries from the flood waters. As you swim along there areas where you cannot see the sky and it feels rather eerie.

NT - Watarrka National Park ( Kings Canyon)

2009-10-09T17:01:00.003+11:00

Watarrka National Park is 300 klms north east of Uluru and is best known for Kings Canyon. This impressive canyon soars 270 metres from the base of the gorge and has three main walking tracks. The first day we did the short 2 klm Kings Creek walk with a park ranger so we learnt a lot about the history, plants and animals of the area.
The second day we tackled the rim walk which starts off with a steep climb to the top of the canyon ( I was ready to go home half way up). Three hours later after we had completed the 7 klm walk and I was really glad I had hung in there. The walk was spectacular. At times you are standing on the edge of this massive canyon looking down into the valley below. At these spots, my knees felt rather weak and I got that weird feeling in my stomach when looking down from this height is almost too much for comfort.
The camping area is positioned facing this mountain range. At sunset we grabbed a wine, our chairs and camera, and watched the sun setting on to these stunning red mountains. After dark the dingoes start prowling around the camp area scrounging for food. You don’t leave any shoes outside or else the dingoes will take them. I wonder what they do with them?
On route to this area we saw a group of about twelve wild camels. It was exciting seeing them but they are apparently a problem creating havoc with the native shrubs and trees.

NT-Kata Tjuta ( The Olgas)

2009-10-09T16:04:00.004+11:00

About 50klms west of Uluru is another unique rock mass, Kata Tjuta. This group is made up of 36 weathered rock domes which are estimated to be about 500 million years old. These domes are mixtures of gravel, pebbles and boulders cemented together by sand and mud called conglomerates. Apparently, Aboriginal people have lived in the area for at least 25,000 years. When you view the harshness of the land you really appreciate the Aborigines and their survival skills.
One morning we drove out to Kata Tjuta and spent three hours walking the “Valley of the Winds’ trail which is the hardest walk we have done to date. It was up and down some of the domes, through some valleys and I think we did more walking up than we did walking down. The temperature got up to the mid 30’s so by the time we had finished we were both beet red.
One afternoon we went on a helicopter ride over Uluru and Kata Tjuta. A storm was rolling in so we saw both rock structures with cloud around them which gives them a different perspective than all the sunny photos that you normally see. They are both majestic from the air.
Later that night the storm hit. We had red dust everywhere in our caravan and even though I have wiped everything several times there still seems to be a fine layer of dust arriving as quickly as I wiped up.
Our visit to the Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park has been a wonderful experience, Both of these places have a certain magic about them which makes you want to return.

NT - Uluru

2009-09-26T09:28:00.003+10:00

All the pictures that you see of this incredible Australian icon do not do its size and rock structure justice.
As you are drive or walk around the base the colours of the rock are constantly changing depending on where the sun is striking it.
Uluru is one of the great natural wonders of the world. This sandstone monolith stands 348 metres above ground and has a much larger mass hidden beneath the surface. Uluru is also considered by many to be the spiritual heart of Australia.
On our second day, we drove out to the rock at about 6:30a.m, and watched the sun move onto, and then up the rock. It is as if you are watching the rock wake up, the colour goes from brown to brilliant red in a matter of minutes and is spell binding.
We then decided to walk around the base. It is a 9.4klm walk and took us about three hours. There are times when you are walking beside the rock and other times, because of sacred aboriginal sites you are walking quite a distance away from it. There are many caves with aboriginal drawings, water holes and as it had rained recently, there was still a little bit of water running off the rock.
We enjoyed being out by the rock so we came back every day we were there to either do short walks, watch the sunset or just sit beside it. I felt like the rock was a friend and I couldn’t wait to get back out to be beside it. The drive from the camp area out to the rock is about 21 klms so you always get a good view each time you drive out there and back.
The Aboriginals ask they that you do not climb the rock as it is a sacred site and while you are in this amazing part of Australia you certainly want to respect the wishes of this incredible race of people.
I spent about an hour at the Cultural Centre watching three aboriginal ladies painting which was fascinating. I could have sat and watched them all day. One of the women has an exhibition coming up in Melbourne so she was busy finishing off a couple of her latest works.
Uluru is one of those special places that touches your heart.

NT - East Macdonnell Ranges

2009-09-16T22:26:00.005+10:00

We spent three days in the East Macdonnell ranges and were fascinated with the many different geological formations. We were driving around spellbound, appreciating the upheaval that had occurred in the earths crust eons ago to create these mountain ranges.

We drove on a 4 Wheel drive track to N’Dhala Gorge Nature Park which has over 6,000 aboriginal carvings. This park is unique in the fact that much of the art is not sign posted so when you find something yourself it is very exciting. It is hard to believe that some of the carvings are as much as 10,000 years old. While walking these mountain tracks Mike and I have seen many beautiful birds, try to photograph and then identify them in our now much used bird book. Many of them are very small and so colourful.

Another afternoon was spent at Trephina Gorge which has spectacular walking and hiking trails along the top of the Quartzite cliffs. After you are totally exhausted from walking up and down the cliff tops, you descend into the dry sandy river bed which you then have to walk along to get back to the car park. Along the way there are huge river red gums which give you shade from time to time. Needless to say, this was another 35 degree day so we were looking forward to getting back to the caravan and cooling off. (A beer is always very welcoming at the end of these hot energetic days).

Further into the ranges we drove to Artlunga Historical Reserve which was the site of an old gold mining town. We climbed down into an abandoned gold mine which makes you appreciate how hard these men worked. The gold from this area was attached to the quartz deposits so they had to grind the quartz down first and then extract the gold.

Qld - South from Mt Isa

2009-09-16T20:55:00.007+10:00

We had a wonderful trip south from Mt Isa with varying landscapes and many places of interest along the way.
One of the most fascinating was Devils Marbles. Out of the blue, these huge granite boulders appear and look as though they have been strategically placed there by super human strength. The balance of some of them is remarkable.
We walked along the many trails around the rocks knowing that for thousands of years this has been a very special area for the Aborigines. You can definitely feel that there is something magical about the area.
We camped about 20klms south of here and drove back the next night to watch the sunset from these rocks. Magical!

Further south we travelled to Gemtree, which is a camping area about the 140 klms NE of Alice Springs. We stayed here for two nights and had a delightful time. One of the major attractions of Gemtree is the Tag- a- long garnet fossicking tours. We spent six hours out in the heat with the flies and the wind to find some garnets. My fingers were nearly rubbed raw, I broke two finger nails, my hair was tinged red from the dust, our backs were aching from the pick and shoveling and of course that good old red dust covered our clothes and was in our shoes and socks. How much are these garnets worth? We had loads of fun, lots of laughter and we’ll eventually have some jewelry made so its’ all good.

Gemtree has a golf course which we perused but decided not to play. We thought that our golf balls and clubs would never be the same again.

Qld - Mt Isa

2009-09-08T21:50:00.005+10:00

Mt Isa is one of the largest cities in the world with an area of 41,000 square kilometres and a population of around 20,000.
The Mt Isa mine stacks are the first things that you see as you arrive. The mine is huge and the city is built on part of its’ eastern boundary. These massive open cut and underground mines obtain zinc, lead, copper, silver. The land lease takes in an area of approximately 55klms x 5 klms.
We went on a guided tour of the open cut mine and into some of the processing area and found it fascinating.
Lake Moondarra is a huge man- made lake about 15 klms out of town which caters for all the local water sports- skiing, kayaking, jet skis and fishing. They have done a beautiful job creating picnic areas with many shelters, barbeques and grass. Grass out here is rare, so when we see it we get rather excited.
During WW2 they built an underground hospital here in case of attack from the Japanese. The miners drilled out an area that could fit about 30 patient beds, a delivery corner, nursery and a small operating area. Volunteers over the last 15 years have restored the previously abandoned tunnels and re constructed the hospital to its former glory.
This tour was very interesting and lovely and cool compared to the 35 degrees outside. We decided to stay at Mt Isa for three nights as the swimming pool at the caravan park was heaven in this heat and we needed power to run the air conditioner.
We have found the roads in general very good. Sometimes when there is only a single lane, and a road train over fifty metres long is coming towards you, your heart jumps. We pull right off onto the shoulder and give them the entire road. At least by doing that we don’t get showered with red dust and rocks.
The area around Mt Isa has some intriguing rock formations which always keeps the drive interesting.

Qld - Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) National Park

2009-08-27T18:54:00.008+10:00

We have been recommended not to miss Lawn Hill by several people on our travels and we are so glad that we made the effort to go. We re- packed our car with our camping gear and kayak and travelled the 100klms of very average unsealed road from Gregory Downs to our camp area. Thank goodness that we had decided to leave our van in storage. I think we would have shaken everything out of the cupboards with all the corrugations on the road.
The drive to the park is very dry but once you set up camp and head for the water the scenery is breathtaking. The first day we took the kayak on a 6 klm round trip to the top of the gorge and back. We stopped three times along the way to swim in the emerald coloured tepid water. We were so glad that we had our own Kayak as the rental ones are $20.00 per hour. Over the four days we spent hours going up and down the waterways.The bird life is so colourfull, the pandanus and coconut palms that line the water make you feel like you are in a heavenly oasis.
The four days that we camped here the temperature reached 35 to 37 degrees each day so no sooner had we got out of the water we would be dry within a few minutes and then jump right back in. The camp ground was very barren with few trees but with our quick- shade and tent we made ourselves very comfortable in no time at all. Our camp site was only a stones throw from the water so it made our frequent trips down there very convenient. There are several wonderful bush walks around the area so we did those in the early morning and late afternoon.
The waters here are rich in lime and when the water evaporates porus rocks are formed, these are composed mainly of calcium carbonate and are called tufas. They look like they are huge solidifed bubbles and they can be seen mainly around the waterfalls and dried creek beds.
We also drove out to Riversleigh where the fossil deposits are among the richest and most extensive in the world. We went to D-site which is the only area open to the public and could see some of these fossils. Some dating back 15-25 million years ago. Fascinating.
Lawn Hill-a little bit of heaven!

Qld - Cairns to Normanton

2009-08-19T21:04:00.008+10:00

The drive up to the Atherton tablelands west of Cairns was very picturesque with farms along the way growing everything imaginable. Many had road side stalls selling some of their produce.
When we arrived at Ravenshoe, Queensland’s highest town, we were greeted by about 12 wind generators producing electricity with no negative effect on the environment. You have to ask why there aren’t more out there in the Australian countryside.
As we continued heading west the land became much dryer and flatter and the farms quickly became stations, some thousands of acres. We spent a wonderful morning at Undara Volcanic National Park where there is over sixty extinct volcanoes. We walked around the rim of one of these, Kalkani crater, which is about 1.5 klms around the rim. From here we could see many of the volcanic cones in the area.
The Undara lava tubes were created about 190,000 years ago. These tubes were formed when the outside of the crust of a lava flow cools very quickly due to a rapid drop in outside temperature as the core of the flow keeps moving. The inside of some of these tubes were used by the aborigines for hundreds of years as eating places.
We spent a couple of memorable nights on the way to Normanton at camp areas where we sat around the camp fire with a guitarist, having sing a-longs with people we had never met. There is something magical about the outback.
Normanton is about 75 klms from the Gulf of Carpentaria. The main street of town has a replica of Krys, the 8.63metre long crocodile who was shot by a woman Krystina Powlowski in 1957. He is so massive that it is hard to believe that he was real.
While in Normanton we took a three hour trip on the Gulflander, the local famous old train which took us on a twenty mile trip where they stopped for us to disembark and have morning tea by a pond with water lilies and bird life. We have become quite the bird watches and have our book out all the time identifying the bird life. We have found lots of Brolgas, cranes and kites here are being challenged trying to take photos of them.
We now head further west to the Lawn Hill National Park where we will put our van in storage and camp for four days.

Qld - Port Douglas and The Daintree

2009-08-12T19:54:00.003+10:00

While based at Cairns we spent some time up at Port Douglas and the Daintree. The drive along the coast to Port Douglas has to be one of the most picturesque I have driven. You wind your way north hugging the coast most of the way and pass along miles of palm lined beaches and hidden resorts.

Port Douglas is the home of many exclusive resorts, fabulous restaurants, day spas, art galleries and shopping. The area is unique in that it has two World Heritage listed natural attractions at its doorstep, the Reef and the Daintree.

Every Sunday morning, markets are held in Market Park which is at the inlet end of Macrossan St. The market has everything from fruit and vegs, arts, craft, pottery, clothing, lots of great jewelery, Australian souvenirs and loads more. The quality of everything is very high. My favourite stall was a man on a push bike squeezing the juice from the sugar cane. They added ice and a little fresh lime. It was delicious. It is probably just as well that we are short on space in the van because I could have done some serious damage to my credit card between the markets and the great shops in town.

North of here the Mossman river tumbles its way over the huge granite boulders that line the Mossman Gorge. There is a walking track that takes you through the Daintree stopping along the way to view the water and the swimming holes. We also spent two nights in the Daintree near Cape Tribulation. We even saw a cassowary as we were driving through the area. While we were at the Daintree it rained on and off for two days so we really felt part of the rain forest experience. We went on a crocodile cruise on Coopers Creek and saw four crocodiles on the shore relaxing and swimming.

The wind finally died down and we headed out to the reef on Shaolin which is a Chinese Junk. It was a very relaxing day and we got to swim with the turtles which was the trip highlight. Just to watch them glide through the water beside you is a surreal experience. They then rest at the turtle cleaning stations where the rass go to work getting unwanted creatures from underneath their shells. Fascinating.

All in all, our time here in Northern Queensland has been a magical experience.
We now head west to Normanton and Karumba and are looking forward to seeing what that area has to share with us.

Qld - Cairns

2009-08-12T09:32:00.002+10:00

We have now been in this city on and off for the last three weeks and it is starting to feel like home.
The streets down town are lovely and wide and many of them are tree lined. Along the waters edge runs the Esplanade and the boardwalk which are both about two kilometres long. At the harbour end of the boardwalk is a large pool. As you walk or ride your bike to the north, there are exercise stations, barbeques, play areas and water play grounds for the children. It is the perfect place to walk or bike and then choose one of the many restaurants to have a meal or cook your own.
On friday, saturday and sunday on Sheridan St, Rustys Markets are open and full of the most amazing array of local produce. The markets are huge and my mouth waters just thinking about the fresh fruit and veg that we bought. There are also night markets which have many touristy type stalls as well as great food. We have eaten down there several times and enjoy the price and variety. You can get anything from a roast meal to fresh japanese.
We spent a day at Barron Gorge National Park with our grand kids. We caught the Scenic Railway train up to Kuranda where we spent three hours wandering around this quaint little town, and came back in the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway. Both directions showed great views of the waterfalls and the rain forest and are both engineering marvels. Definitely worth a trip.
Another great day was at Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures. They do a wonderful job of walking around with many native animals so that you can pet them. The kids got to pet snakes, turtles, baby crocodiles, kangaroos, water dragons and birds. There are free talks and feeding sessions all day. The crocodile feeding from the boat was a hit as the crocodile jumps out of the water beside you to grab his food. Boy, are they scarry! It happened to be their 75th birthday the day that we were there so we had free sausage sizzle and crocodile cake.
Cairns is a great stopping off point to visit the reef, Atherton table lands and Port Douglas is only an hour away.

Qld - Cooktown

2009-08-05T08:42:00.003+10:00

Cooktown is a quiet, historic coastal town on the banks of the Endeavour River, surrounded by beautiful countryside. It is also the closest town to the Great Barrier Reef. It was here in 1770 that Captain Cook beached the “Endeavour” and named the river after his ship.
In the late 1880’s gold was discovered at Palmer River and Cooktown became the centre to service the mining camps of Queensland’s largest gold rush.
The streets are wide with beautiful old buildings and everything that is important to view historically is within walking distance of the down town.
We spent an enlightening day with Willie Gordon, a local aborigine, who took us on a tour of his clan’s ancestral rock art sites. We walked over their land, stopping along the way for Willy to show us some of the many survival techniques of his people. We made soap from leaves, special poultices for cuts, grasses to weave into baskets, seeds to eat and countless more. Some brave ones amongst us even tried some green ants. Willie explains the meaning behind the rock art, giving a unique insight into Aboriginal spirituality and survival. He helped us appreciate how amazing they were at living and utilizing what nature provides.
We also drove through Hope Vale, an Aboriginal community (well known in the area for local paintings and artifacts) on our way to the coloured sands.These were spectacular and very similar to the ones on Fraser Island.
As usual for us, we were going to spend one day here and ended up spending three. I loved all the history in the area.

Qld - Cape York - Weipa

2009-08-01T09:38:00.003+10:00

Weipa is on the eastern side of Cape York about 850 km north of Cairns. The population is about 3,500 and is the site of the world’s largest bauxite mine which is the main component for the manufacture of aluminium. There is some controversy at the moment over the strip mining in this area taking away too much land. We really enjoyed our stay here as the camp ground had lovely grass sites and on the banks of Albatross Bay. The sunsets here are spectacular as the sun sets over the ocean.
There are crocodiles in the many creeks but as up north there seem to be more sharks than crocodiles.
Fishing is a very popular sport here and fishermen seem to spend countless hours trying to catch the legendary barramundi. We talked to a few fishermen who had lost their catches to sharks just as they were pulling the fish on board.

The weather on this entire Cape York trip has been fantastic averaging 30 each day and sunny.
We treated ourselves to lunch at the Albatross resort where I had the best seafood chowder and a beautiful glass of chardonnay outside enjoying the view.

Qld - Thursday Island

2009-07-20T15:19:00.004+10:00

While staying at Seisea, the northern most town in Australia, about 40 km from the tip, we decided to take a day trip to Thursday Island.
Thursday Island is 30km off the Cape York Peninsula in the heart of the Torres Strait. The people are lovely and friendly and the island had a real Polynesian feel about it. I love the accents of the people and could listen to them talk all day. Years ago, the island had a huge pearl shell industry, mainly for making buttons, and unfortunately over 700 Japanese divers lost their lives due to the bends. They are buried in the local cemetery where there is now a memorial dedicated to their lives. Today, the main industries are cray fishing and tourism.
We hired a local taxi driver, Slim, who took us on an island tour and showed us all the interesting spots. The island is only about 3 kms around, so the tour was only about an hour long.
At the dock we watched the barges arriving. Everything on the island, including food, has to be brought in.
The island is very relaxing and you almost feel like you are in a time warp about 50 years ago. ((Nice feeling actually.)

Qld - Cape York

2009-07-17T09:33:00.004+10:00

During the last two weeks we have driven over 1,300 klms from Cairns to the tip of Cape York and down to Cooktown over some good roads, some shocking roads, water crossings and everything else in between. We have dust in every part of our car, inside and out and thank goodness for plastic containers or we would have dust in our clothes and food as well. For two days Mike had a tinge of red in his hair from all the dust, (Quite a look!) My feet have been covered in dirt all the time except for the three nights that we camped where there was grass. Every other night we camped on either sand or dust. But, the experience was worth all the discomfort. We have stood on the northern most tip of Australia and it felt mighty good.
There were some roads that we didn’t tackle as people were getting winched out of the water, and smashing the sides of their vehicles when they hit submerged rocks while crossing some of the creeks. We have a long way to go around Australia yet, so babysat our car a little. In the six weeks that the road has been open this season, they have shipped 100 damaged 4 wheel drives back to Cairns and we didn’t want to be anotherstatistic.
The most frustrating thing for us was that the beaches are beautiful with fine white sand but, because of the crocodiles you can’t swim. We did find some fabulous waterfalls to swim at - The Saucepan, Eliot falls and Fruit Bat Falls. We swam and camped at these places both on the way up to the tip and back down.
Mike and I would consider going again but next time we would hire a vehicle that we wouldn’t have to worry about damaging that was more suitable for the rough going. It will have to be a while off as we are still remembering the kilometre after kilometre of corrigation where it was so bad that we could only go about 20 klms per hour. But, I figure it is just like childbirth really, after a while you forget all the bad stuff and decide to have another go.

Qld- Mission Beach

2009-07-01T22:07:00.006+10:00

We have had a very entertaining few days since leaving Townsville. We have seen a loading ramp that stretches 6kms out to sea to load sugar onto the ships.
While at Tully we travelled to up the Tully river and were entertained by a group enjoying their white water rafting.
While staying at Mission Beach we decided to spend the day at Dunk Island. We travelled there and back by water taxi, lay by the pool, swam in the ocean and had a delicious meal at the Dunk Island jetty restaurant.
We spent two of the last four nights camping by the beach at great rest areas. One cost us $12.65 and the second was $16.00. What a bargain.
Tomorrow we head for the Cape so the next blog from us will be when we return, unless we find that we have computer connection up there.

Qld- Charters Towers

2009-07-01T21:19:00.006+10:00

Charters Towers is a charming country town about 130 kms west of Townsville and we popped out there for the afternoon.The gold boom between 1872 and 1899 brought people, activity and prosperity to the area. The buildings in the main street have the original facades and you could easily imagine this place in the 1900’s with the horses and carts in the streets. I wanted to see this place because many of the “Australiana” books that I have been reading lately mention Charters Towers as being very important while the state was being populated.
On the way we crossed the Burdekin River which is very wide and at the moment is more sand than water. On the river bank there is a flood marker which in the floods of 1946 was up to 21.7 metres. I can’t imagine where the water comes from as
this area seems quite flat.

Qld-Magnetic Island

2009-06-29T21:09:00.004+10:00

Magnetic Island is 8km and a twenty minute ferry ride from the Townsville harbour. The island has a residential population of 2,000 plus lots of tourists, and is all within World Heritage Marine Park.
The island has some of Queensland’s most picturesque bays and beaches and lots of walking tracks. The huge granite boulders all over the island adds to its’ rugged natural beauty. Mike and I went on two of the walking tracks and saw koalas and rock wallabies which always make it a little more exciting. One of the walks was a 2.8 km Forts Walk which shows the gun placements, amunition bunkers, and the command post from WW2. The other was a 2km walk down to Radical Bay which was absolutely stunning and by the time we got there we were hot, sweaty and the water was a heavenly welcome.
This is a lovely island for a quiet holiday. There are various resorts and apartments for rent. This island seems like a very well kept secret.

Qld-Townsville

2009-06-29T19:58:00.005+10:00

What a fantastic place! Castle Hill is a red rock monolith in the heart of the city with panoramic views to Magnetic Island in the east and great mountains to the west. We drove up to the top to see the area, but, for those keen fitness ones amongst us, there are walking tracks.
We stayed at Rowes Bay which is one of the northern coastal suburbs and we could ride our bikes everywhere. Each morning we rode to Palleranda which is a 13k round trip along the beach where you have a view of Magnetic Island the entire way.
Townsville has an area called “The Strand” which is a bike and walk path along the ocean. At one end, there is a huge salt water pool called “the rock pool” and it ends at the marina. Along the strand are restaurants, play areas for children, beach volley ball courts, fishing jetties, water parks, free barbeques and lots of tables and chairs. I wish that Newcastle could have done something similar on our harbour front. This area is magic!!
We played golf one morning and were entertained by the local airforce with their F18 fighters. Rather spectacular!
The old buildings are beautiful, the parks are stunning, the restaurants at Palmer St and Flinders St would satisfy anybody’s desire. We spent some great times with my cousin Steven and his partner, Tracey, which capped off a fun time in the area.
Thanks Townsville, you are one of our favorite destinations, we love you.

Qld-Bowen

2009-06-24T20:20:00.003+10:00

Bowen is a small coastal town about a 40 minute drive north of Airlie Beach. “Australia” was filmed here so we enjoyed seeing some of the buildings, like the Grand View Hotel, (which was in the movie), where we had a delicious roast meal.
Bowen is also well known for its beautiful murals and there are 24 displayed on buildings throughout the town. The murals depict the diverse history from the town’s early settlement to present day.
The information centre hosts the “Big Mango”. Bowen mangoes are renowned for their flavour. Unfortunately, they are not in season so we did not get to sample them. Tomatoes, sugar cane, sea salt flats and great sea food all contribute to the local economy.

We spent a morning at Horseshoe Beach, one of the many lovely beaches, where we swam, snorkeled and climbed to the top of the cliff to take in the view. The area is very flat so I enjoyed riding my bike around town. All the streets are extremely wide, lined with trees and the town still has many beautiful old buildings.