World Toilet Day was November 19, and I forgot.

Bummer!

Forgetting the biggest event on the loo lover’s calendar is a dunny detective’s disaster! A toilet tragic’s tragedy!! A convenience chaser’s catastrophe!!!

BUT …

… then I think about the 4.2 billion people without safely managed sanitation facilities and the 673 million people worldwide who practice open defecation. The 2 billion people whose drinking water is contaminated with faeces, the 432,000 diarrhoeal deaths per year, and the children in conflict zones 20 times more likely to die from sanitation-related illness than violence.

That makes my dunny disaster look like a s**t-storm in a teacup.

World Toilet Day

Check out the World Toilet Day official fact sheet HERE for some even more scary facts that’ll make you realise how lucky we are in Australia.

So while you’re admiring 10 All-Australian amenities, with the 10 amazing All-Australian adventure hot spots that go with them, spare a thought for those for whom doing their ‘business’ is SO not a pleasure. Then keep reading for ideas about how YOU can help!

1 Timber Creek, Northern Territory

Afloat on a small (and relatively unstable) structure surrounded by crocodiles on Australia’s wildest river is enough to make you want to – well, YOU know! Luckily, this croc-proof (we hope!) purpose-built pontoon has ALL the amenities to survive a Victoria River Crocodile Cruise – drinks and snacks while enjoying a Northern Territory sunset AND crazy-cool crocodile cruise conveniences if nature’s call gets a little bit too much.

That’s a relief in more ways than one!  Read more about cruising with crocodiles HERE!

2 Bruny Island, Tasmania

Bruny Island isn’t just the last stop off the Tassie coast before Antarctica! Dress up in some (REALLY unfashionable) heavy weather gear for a wet and wild ride over heaving seas, through keyhole rocks, past rugged islands adorned with seals and right under the second highest sea cliffs in the southern hemisphere before reaching the Great Southern Ocean!

En route to the cruise departure point, don’t miss this loo on the Neck (are you wondering why it’s called that?) far below Truganini’s Lookout!  Discover Beauty and the Beasts on Bruny Island Cruises HERE to see why it’s one of my favourite Australian adventure hot spots!

3 Mt Kosciuszko, New South Wales

Climbing Australia’s highest mountain is embarrassingly easy – you heard it here first!  It’s only 2228 metres (7310 feet) above sea-level, making it lower than the height above which lots of people live! BUT … ‘mountaineers’ like me who climb it can bag their first (and in my case only) ‘Seven Summits’ peak.

Although I don’t know from personal experience, I bet it’s the ONLY Seven Summits peak with a view over the highest Public Toilet in the land!!  But I’ll let the REAL mountaineers prove me wrong!  Go HERE for more about how I climbed Mount Kosciuszko!

4 Head of Bight, South Australia

Head of Bight – highest point of the distinctive bite-shaped coastal curve along the southern Australian coastline – isn’t easy to get to. But you’ll drive right past it on the 4100+ km (2500+ mile) road trip across the Nullarbor Plain between Sydney and Perth! At the 2300 km mark, just over half-way from Sydney, take a pit stop to watch whales cavorting with their calves under the longest line of sea cliffs in the world!

And visit the Head of Bight loo that overlooks it all!  Check out my story about seeing the Whales at Head of Bight HERE!

5 Point Quobba, Western Australia

Killer king waves, shipwreck stories, blowholes and extreme water sports make Point Quobba one of the wildest stretches of rugged, rocky coastline in Oz (above and top) – and one of the most picturesque!

If action adventure with a massive dose of danger isn’t quite your thing, just find a vantage point (away from the edge!) and you’ll probably see a whale.  When you’re not being distracted by the thrill-seekers getting a drenching at the blowholes, that is!

Alternatively, just take in all the action from the vantage point of this classic Aussie dunny overlooking the famous blow hole.  I promise that you won’t miss anything while you’re doing your business – because the door doesn’t close!

The famous Quobba Blowhole at Quobba Point is just one of the many superb Australian Coastal and Beach Holiday Destinations you can read about HERE!

6 Mt Hotham, Victoria

Whether it’s summer or winter, the view over this part of the Australian Alps is white.  Visible in summer, the white-bleached tree trunks killed by bushfires outline the many-layered mountain ranges surrounding Mount Hotham. In winter, they’re covered in snow.

It’s likely to be significantly cooler than the plains below at any time of year, so when you get there, admire the white view from the ski lift transit lounge loo AND appreciate the civilised conveniences plumber who installed just one tap – HOT!

Read all about the Mount Hotham loo (and surrounds!) HERE!

7 Richmond, Queensland

If you’re a keen prehistoric fossil-fossicker, the chances of striking it lucky on the Outback Queensland Dinosaur trail are better than average.  Especially at Richmond, where the soft Toolebuc formation on what was once an inland sea under 30-40 metres of water has given up world famous fossil relics like the Richmond Pliosaur, Minmi and Kronosaurus.

Even the dunny gets in on the act – but while you can make your ‘deposit’ at the future coprolite drop zone (aka the loo), chances are good you won’t be around when it’s unearthed as a fossil!

Discover more about Queensland’s famous Richmond fossil fields HERE!

8 Warraweena, South Australia

For a taste of what’s on offer in one of the top Australian adventure hot spots, the ancient wonderland us South Aussies call the Flinders Ranges, head out to the privately owned Warraweena Conservation Park.  In the less well known northern Flinders Ranges you’ll find rugged 4WD tracks, mountain climbing, wildlife, stunning scenery, historic sites and eco-tourism all in one handy location.

You’ll also find the only combination scenic public toilet/visitor information centre I’ve ever seen at the historic Sliding Rock Mine site!

But that’s not all!  Go HERE for a LOT more things to do throughout the amazing Flinders Ranges.

9 Lord Howe Island, New South Wales

This tiny sub-tropical paradise 600 km (370 miles) off the east coast of Australia has so many world exclusives it’s hard to know where to start. First up, there’s Balls Pyramid – highest volcanic rock stack in the world. Then there’s only golf course on earth on World Heritage turf and world’s southernmost tropical reef. Even the wildlife gets in on the act with the endemic Lord Howe Island Woodhen and Phasmid, a large stick-insect.

And then there’s this awesome view – clearly visible from what has to be one of the most scenic loos downunder! Australian adventure hot spots don’t get much better than this!  A Lord Howe Island Holiday can be awesome – read about mine HERE!

10 Tunnel Creek, Western Australia

Although the Gibb River Road has claimed countless tyres, axles, windscreens and suspensions over its 660 km (410 miles) length full of tyre-shredding rocks, perilous creek crossings, red dust and bone-jarring corrugations.  But it’s still a popular Aussie road trip, most likely because of the stunning Kimberley natural attractions scattered along its length!  Take a short detour to Tunnel Creek and go underground for a different perspective of the Kimberley Region.

And while you’re there, detour into the even more welcome attraction you’ll find under the rocky cliffs.  There’s more about the amazing Kimberley region HERE!

We’re very lucky down here to have so many Australian adventure hot spots with amazing attractions and awesome amenities in some of our most remote and adventure-filled locations.

So while it’s easier for us (read: me!) to forget World Toilet Day even though it’s been an official UN day since 2013, we can contribute to the impact it’s having around the world on any day!

How to get involved:

World Toilet Day is about working together to eliminate the life-threatening hazards caused by poor sanitation in places where the ‘adventures’ many people face in doing their business are a lot less welcome.

If you’re not sure how you can help, here’s a few ideas:

• Who Gives a Crap:  Buy your toilet paper (and/or tissues and kitchen paper) from this innovative company, and 50% of profits are donated to building toilets for those in need (the other 50% mostly goes to growing the company).  Get in quick and you could order the wicked Gift Edition Loo Paper to make Xmas REALLY fun!
• Toilet Twinning:  Your £60 donation (about $AUD114 on 20/11/19) funds a community loo project, and you’ll get a pic and the coordinates of your toilet ‘twin’ to hang in your own amenities! Can’t afford that?  Check out the website for other fundraising products and ideas.
• Sanitation First:  Send a Shitty Gift (their words, not mine) for any occasion – check out the graphic range of gift cards – and you’ll be helping this organisation tackle poverty one toilet at a time (again, their words, not mine)!!
• TEAR Australia:  Sanitation is just one of several initiatives this organisation has to reduce poverty.  Check out their collection of Really Useful Gifts!
• World Toilet Day official website: more information and ideas, don’t forget to mark the date on your calendar for next year.

Got more ideas?  Put them in the comments below!

The post TOP 10 All-Australian Adventure Hot Spots for World Toilet Day! appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

‘I’ll take TEN kilos off for your RED hair,’ the baggage handler announced as I stepped on to the scales clutching my hand luggage. Just as well, I thought, sneaking a peek at the reading. Boy, were those scales defective, or WHAT?!

Luckily, the scales faced away from the crowds at the airport – who was going to believe that my bags were full of Ununoctium – heaviest substance on earth?

I was about to leave Lord Howe Island – sub-tropical wonderland, nature-lovers nirvana and paradise on a stick. And where every holiday comes with a kilo-killing combination of walking, cycling, hiking, swimming and more walking!

There aren’t many other options on a mountainous sub-tropical island with only a few kilometres of road, hardly any cars, masses of walking tracks and hundreds of bicycles!

And the awesome, staggering view of THOSE mountains wherever you go …

Spending a week in paradise is easy! Finding things to do on Lord Howe Island is easy too!! What’s NOT so easy is fitting it all into 7 days that’ll pass WAY too quickly!!

So use my 7 days in paradise suggestions as a guide – then tell me what YOU did there in the comments below!

Day 1: Lord Howe Island Highlights

As we landed, the killer cross-winds, stormy weather and other climatic extremes that sometimes stop planes from landing* were thankfully absent.

Just as well – there’s not much room for error on the small airstrip bisecting the narrowest (and flattest) part of the island between the ocean and the main road!

After disembarking and taking the first of what would become several thousand LOTS of photos of THOSE mountains, our accommodation host Jim** took us on a quick tour of the island’s highlights, including stops to stock up at a) the general store; b) the liquor store; and c) the BAKERY!! YESSS!!

After settling in, we climbed Transit Hill to the lookout overlooking THOSE mountains, followed by the first of MANY sunset shots – LHI is the only place in NSW where the sun sets over the sea!

While there’s no obligation to follow our Day 1 itinerary, chances are your first day on LHI will closely resemble this one – although Transit Hill could easily be replaced by what’s close by and what interests you.

Day 2: A Day on the Beach!

Spending a day on the beach on Lord Howe Island is easy.  But deciding which beach on which to spend it could be tricky!

The rocky beaches down south near Little Island give way to the longer (and less visited) stretches of Salmon, Kings and Johnsons Beaches along Lagoon Road.  Further north, there’s a barbecue and picnic area at Cobbys Corner and the beach has an awesome view of THOSE mountains!

Lagoon Beach is protected by the reef – hire snorkelling gear; or a kayak to paddle across the bay to Blackburn island. There’s a picnic spot at the southern end of the protected Old Settlement beach, and it’s either a long walk or a boat ride around to North Beach (see Day 7 below)!

Combine surfing with plane-spotting at Blinky Beach near the airport, or take the steep climb down to Middle Beach, off the track to the Clear Place Lookout.

Popular Neds Beach at the north-eastern corner has picnic facilities, a shelter shed, snorkel and boogie board hire and spectacular views. Feed the fish, explore the rocks or check out the bird life – if you’re a twitcher***, you won’t be disappointed!

Day 3: Kims Lookout Circuit Hike

If you’re one of the several billion people on earth who are a) less acrophobic; b) fitter; and c) more masochistic than me, you’ll probably opt for the guided Mt Gower walk, a 14 km 8 hour marathon from sea level to the top of the 875 metre high peak.

But vertigo is my real enemy – and I’d seen the hiker grab rope high above the sea nailed to the towering cliffs, and the LOOOOOONG exposed ridge leading to the summit so I wasn’t going to inflict my fears on a group of total strangers.

Yes, the word you’re looking for is ‘magnanimous’! Which beats the hell out of ‘cowardly’, ‘gutless’ or ‘s**t-scared’!

The 7 km (4.3 mile) Kims Lookout circuit hike starts at Neds Beach. Climb to the top of Malabar Hill (look out for the Catalina Crash memorial) where cliffs plunge down, WAAAAAY down, to the sea and the view is fine over the Admiralty Islets, Neds Beach and on a clear day, Balls Pyramid (see Day 4 below)!

Follow those same plunging cliffs west – don’t lose your footing while watching the Red-tailed Tropicbirds – to Kims Lookout and the panoramic view overlooking most of the island.

Return via the Max Nicholls Memorial Track to Old Settlement Beach, then hike back to Neds Beach. Happily, the Anchorage Café en route might have been built for intrepid hikers in need of food and drink before completing the circuit!

Day 4: Balls Pyramid

Getting to the world’s highest volcanic rock stack means a boat ride around the island, followed by an 23 km run across a deep sea trench that makes the voyage REALLY rough. NOT suffering from seasickness is a bonus – on this tour, my iron gut well and truly made up for the crippling vertigo (see Kims Lookout above)!

I could go on and on about this awesome tour – and I did!! Read all about our Balls Pyramid Adventure right HERE!!

Day 5: World Exclusives Day

Balls Pyramid isn’t Lord Howe Island’s only world exclusive experience on offer – finding a few more is ridiculously easy!

One of 5 birds endemic to the island, the Lord Howe Island Woodhen is hard to miss with its strange, honking cry – once nearly extinct, it’s found around the island. Which also makes this the only place in the world with a road sign warning of their presence (see 2nd photo above).

The cliffs above Little Island, down the southern end at the start of the Mt Gower track, are the only known breeding colony of the Providence Petrel (March to October). And those same cliffs have the world’s largest natural rock cross – although it’s easier to see from Thompson Memorial Park further north.

Head that way and pass through the golf course – the only one anywhere in the world in a World Heritage area! Out in the lagoon there’s the world’s southernmost coral reef.

See the Lord Howe Island Phasmid – once thought extinct until re-discovered on Balls Pyramid in 2001 – there’s a couple of specimens on display in the Visitor Centre and Museum.

While Kentia Palms are now found in gardens and dwellings throughout the world, Lord Howe Island is the only place to see them growing wild in their natural habitat. There’s also more than 50 other endemic plants.

Then there’s the Scenic Public Loo … (see below)

Day 6 Boat Harbour and Mutton Bird Point

Walk through spectacular rainforest and mangroves to the rocky beach at Boat Harbour. If you’re up for a steep, rope assisted climb, take a detour from the top of Smoking Tree Ridge to Goat House Cave like I didn’t (see Day 3 where I also didn’t do Mt Gower).

From Boat Harbour, follow the coastal track around to Mutton Bird Lookout at Mutton Bird Point for spectacular views across to Mutton Bird Island! Bet you can’t guess what you’ll see there!!

Day 7 North Bay

Start the day with a Glass-Bottom Boat Tour over the reef and into North Bay. Take a picnic lunch and disembark at North Beach to explore the wild and spectacular north-western end of the island.

There’s a short walking track to Old Gulch, and a longer, MUCH steeper one to Mount Eliza’s 147 metre summit with amazing views along the north coast and down to THOSE mountains.

The Max Nicholls Memorial Track climbs steeply up to the Dawsons Point Ridge, then descends steeply down to Old Settlement Beach. Take a detour to the Catalina wreckage.

With any luck, tonight will be Pie night at the Bowling Club, or Pizza night at the Anchorage Cafe – the perfect ending to a week in paradise!

But remember – tomorrow you’ll be standing on those defective airport scales like I did. Why? Because a smallish plane on a smallish airstrip can only carry a certain amount of weight for a viable take-off. So if passengers + carry-on luggage + cargo weigh too much, some of the cargo gets left behind!

That’s when that 10 kg discount will REALLY come in handy!

Lord Howe Island Fast Facts:

• Where is it? 700 km (~420 miles) north-east of Sydney
• How big is it? 1455 hectares; about 11 km long, and 2.8 km across at its widest point.
• How do I get there? QantasLink flies direct from Sydney or Port Macquarie. Contact Lord Howe Island specialist travel agents for more details.
• When to go: Anytime! Temperatures average 19 – 25° C in summer, and 13 – 18° C in winter.
• Getting Around: The main method of transport is walking or cycling – bicycles and helmets are readily available for hire. There are a limited number of vehicles for hire.
• Things to Do: See above!
• Accommodation: All tourists must book accommodation with their flights. There are about 400 tourist beds available in a range of accommodation types including units, apartments and cottages.
• Food: Bring your own food by all means, but it’s part of your 14 kg checked +7 kg carry-on baggage allowance! Groceries are available, and there are a range of dining options including cafes and restaurants.
• Communication: No mobile phone coverage! But there ARE public phones and some internet access.

Want MORE?

• Lord Howe Island Official Website
• My 1st visit to Lord Howe Island
• My Lord Howe Island Triathlon
• MORE Lord Howe Island Photos on Flickr!

* At the end of our holiday, we kinda wished bad weather would stop our flight out from arriving

** We stayed at Waimarie Apartments in the middle of the island on both our visits to LHI

*** Actually, if you’re a twitcher, you won’t need this guide at all – you’ll end up visiting all the LHI hotspots anyway, although you might not actually see the scenery because those darned birds keep getting in the way!

Previous Post:  Dugouts, Dirt and Dunnies! 3 reasons to visit Andamooka!

NEXT Post:  Australia’s 10 BEST Camping HOT Spots!

The post How to Spend 7 Days in Paradise – Lord Howe Island, New South Wales appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

With the world’s biggest rock AND largest monolith*, Australia’s the land of the ultimate ROCK – or at least the coolest Australian rock formations! But where’s a keen rockhound to go once they’ve seen Mt Augustus (biggest rock) and Uluru (biggest monolith)??

Check out a few more Australian Rock Stars – otherwise known as distinctive and unusual Australian rock formations – with this handy guide to 12 HOTTEST Rock spots from all around OZ!

1 Bald Rock via Tenterfield, NSW

This 750m x 500m monolith around 25 north of Tenterfield in New South Wales’ Granite Belt isn’t Australia’s largest monolith. But it’s Australia’s largest GRANITE monolith!!

Thrill seekers and the time-poor can take the short, steep exposed route straight up the face to the summit – 200 metres above the surrounding plains. Those wanting a more relaxing experience (read: more cowardly) can take the longer, more scenic route through the bushland up the back. Either way, the exposed summit has spectacular views over two states – and a spectacular drop down to the bottom!

MORE about Bald Rock National Park

2 Remarkable Rocks, Kangaroo Island, SA

The remarkable shapes of these rocks sculptured by wind, water and weather at the southern end of Flinders Chase National Park on Kangaroo Island off the South Australian coast are a real clue to what their ultra-imaginative name actually means

Australia’s 3^rd largest island – an intriguing blend of superb natural attractions, wildlife, gourmet treats and beaches – is South Australia’s answer to the tropics.

But whatever their reasons for visiting Kangaroo Island, sooner or later, most visitors head for the all-natural Remarkable Rocks – where they’ll take a photo remarkably like the one above!

MORE about Flinders Chase National Park, Kangaroo Island

3 Balancing Rock & Caves – Chillagoe, QLD

I’ve still got the cool Serpentine (I think) egg I bought from a Chillagoe shop on my only visit 20+ years ago, but it’s Balancing Rock and the Chillagoe-Mungana Caves National Park tour I remember.

Outside, the dramatic jagged edges of the reef housing the caves tower above the classic outback landscape.

It’s just as dramatic inside – a separate, subterranean world of limestone in intriguing formations, weathered caverns and towering columns.

Back outside and the self-guided walks to the historic smelter sites, Aboriginal rock art are interesting, but it’s the amazing Balancing Rock that’ll get you snapping!

MORE about Chillagoe-Mungana Caves National Park

4 Tessellated Pavement, Tasmania

I’m such a sucker for names that when I heard about an attraction in a place called Pirates Bay near the township of Eaglehawk Neck on the Tasman Peninsula, it didn’t matter what it was. I just HAD to go see Tasmania’s Tessellated Pavement – one of the best known examples*** of this complex geological phenomenon involving rock fractures, polygonal blocks, erosion and sea salts. If you’re not a geologist, this is probably enough information. If you ARE a geologist, then you’ll already know WAY more than this!

At low tide, the tessellations (like mosaic tiles) make an interesting patchwork on the flat rock platform just above the water level. But make sure your cool pavement shot isn’t ruined by slipping on the wet rocks!

MORE about the Tessellated Pavement

5 Mirima National Park, Kununurra

Tiny Mirima National Park on the outskirts of Kimberley town Kununurra, with its wildlife, walks and wheelchair access, is a chance to experience the MUCH bigger West OZ attraction Purnululu (aka Bungle Bungles) in miniature.

Formed by the same process as its larger counterpart, Mirima’s sedimentary rock layers glow in the early morning and late evening light. And with the right angle of perspective and the right level of concentration, a more skilled photograper than I could ALMOST convince viewers that the shots were taken elsewhere!

But I had no time for photographic trickery – I was more interested in avoiding the 3 metre snake!

MORE about Mirima National Park

6 Devils Marbles, Northern Territory

Snapping a killer sunset or sunrise in what is arguably Australia’s most intriguing rock pile without other people in your shot can be a challenge!

But the complicated geological theory involving weathered layers of sandstone and granite that’s the standard scientific explanation for the almost perfectly spherical shapes doesn’t quite do justice to the magical setting and extraordinary light.

So forget the ‘facts’, settle back, and drink in the magic of Karlu Karlu with the story of the Rainbow Serpent. According to this Indigenous legend, those spherical shapes are the Rainbow Serpent’s fossilized eggs!

Now … isn’t that a FAR more satisfying explanation for this geological phenomenon?

MORE about Devils Marbles (Karlu Karlu)

7 Island Rock, via Kalbarri, WA

According to the tourist information brochure, Island Rock, one of the more spectacular of Kalbarri National Park’s Coastal Cliff attractions, ‘can be enjoyed from the safety of the lookout enclosures’!

But it doesn’t explain how safely walk the coastal trail atop the sandstone cliffs so high above the pounding sea below it’s almost impossible to fit them into a photo! Perhaps that’s why many tourists opt for a visit to the park’s best known rock formation, Natures Window!!

If you can tear your eyes away from Island Rock and the amazing sculpted cliff face, so treacherous to ships and bumblefooted tourists, you may be lucky enough to see whales far out to sea. But if the sheer drop gives you vertigo, turn and face inland – and you’ll see one of Australia’s most scenic loos**!

MORE about Kalbarri National Park

8 Sawn Rocks, via Narrabri, NSW

It’s an easy walk from the car park to the dramatic Sawn Rocks – Australia’s best example of the columnar jointing phenomenon more commonly called organ piping located a few kilometres from Narrabri in the shadow of Mt Kaputar National Park. Best viewed in the morning when the sun (if it’s out!) strikes the rock face, bringing out the amazing colours and shadows.

Standing underneath the soaring rock face can be awe-inspiring – until you realise that those enormous Greek temple ruinous rock columns all around can only have come from one place.

Yep, directly above!

MORE about Sawn Rocks, via Narrabri, NSW

9 Hollow Mountain, Victoria

You can’t swing a brush-tailed possum in Victoria’s Grampians National Park without hitting some kind of rock. So much so that walking through the park could give you a serious case of rock overload that only a fix from the awesome Halls Gap Bakery could cure

But I’m betting even the most jaded rockhound couldn’t fail to be impressed by Hollow Mountain, in the Northern Grampians. Exploring the wind-sculpted caves, caverns and crags can actually be more fun than reaching the summit!

And I’m not just saying that because I’m exercise-averse! No, REALLY!!

MORE about Hollow Mountain and Northern Grampians

10 Balls Pyramid – via Lord Howe Island, NSW

For pure rock star awesomeness, there’s not much to beat the 552m high spire of the world’s largest volcanic rock stack, out in the middle of the ocean and one of the only points of the mostly submerged continent of Zealandia still above sea level.

It’s an achievement to even get there. A 700+ km flight from Sydney to Lord Howe Island in a small plane that, depending on wind and weather conditions, may or may not be able to land. Then a 23 km boat journey that, depending on wind and weather conditions, may or may not actually depart as scheduled.

Once you’re on the boat, it’s easy. Unless you suffer from seasickness, in which case the hardest part of the trip is NOW!

MORE about Balls Pyramid, via Lord Howe Island

11 Bunda Cliffs, South Australia

Is it possible to have TOO much limestone??

If you’re not sure, head down south and drive the Nullarbor Plain skirting the Great Australian Bight. There’s nothing much between the road on the southern edge of Australia and Antarctica – except the majestic Bunda cliffs, ranging from 60 – 120 metres high and stretching for ~100 km.

That makes them the longest unbroken line of sea cliffs in the WORLD!

If that’s not quite enough limestone for you, then factor in the 270,000 km² of the Nullarbor Plain itself – World’s largest limestone karst formation!

MORE about the Bunda Cliffs and Nullarbor Plain

12 Mount Moffatt, Carnarvon National Park, Queensland

Mount Moffatt, 220 km north of Mitchell, part of the Carnarvon National Park and containing Queensland’s highest plateau (the Consuelo Tableland) is worth the long drive – and the flat tyre we got the instant we drove into the park many years ago!

Its remoteness made it the ideal hideout for the bushrangers, including the violent Kenniff brothers and notorious cattle duffer Harry Redford (sometimes known as Captain Starlight), who operated in the area. And the local Bidjara people, who refused to be ousted from their land, left a legacy of rock imagery throughout the park.

But it’s the sandstone formations we came to see – an awesome array of arches, ‘chimneys’ and monoliths scattered decoratively around the park. There’s no doubt about it – these rocks ROCK!

MORE about Mt Moffatt, Carnarvon National Park

That’s just a sample – and I bet I’ve missed YOUR favourite HOT Australian Rock Formations!  Tell me below!!

Want even MORE?

• My Aussie Alphabet so far: Aussie ABC A-Q

* According to www.answers.com HERE

** Yes, it’s in my book HERE

*** According to Wikipedia HERE

The post Aussie ABC: R is for Rocks appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

‘The current’s running like a cut cat round the island,’ Jack shouted. He fired up Noctiluca‘s powerful 200 horse power engines and guided the eight-metre vessel into the bay.

Boat Tour to Ball’s Pyramid

If not for the camera in one hand and a convenient strut for balance in another, I’d have high-fived Pilchard. On our first trip three years ago, our tour had been cancelled due to bad weather. Two days ago, bad weather struck again.

But the third time was the charm, and we were finally en route to Balls Pyramid.  At 552 metres (1811 feet) in altitude it’s the highest volcanic rock stack in the WORLD!

It was going to be a bumpy ride.

That’s because the 23 km (14.2 miles) trip to the distinctive hunk of rock that is Balls Pyramid crosses a deep water trench. But the rare combination of open ocean and land makes the Pyramid a unique crossover habitat.  And that made it perfect for bird-watching and diving!

But first we had to get round the island.

As we rounded the northern cape with sheer cliffs plunging into the tossing seas, my psychic powers told me we’d entered the less protected waters. That and the wild westerly wind, rough, choppy seas. And the current which was indeed running like a cut cat as we headed for the islands.

Lurching and heaving in the boiling blue waters swirling round the rocks, we edged closer and closer to the cliffs.  We spotted a cloud of Grey Ternlets,birding lifer #1 for the trip, with five more to come before the tour was over. As all cameras except mine clicked wildly around me, I was in serious danger of being knocked overboard by thousands of dollars worth of giant lenses swinging wildly in the heaving waters.

What a way to go!

But as the spray rained down on all that expensive camera equipment, I caught my first sea-level glimpse of Balls Pyramid, visible from only a few places on Lord Howe Island.

An Extraordinary Tour Guide

Tour guide and skipper Jack Shick, a 5^th generation Lord-Howe-Islander and co-owner of Sea to Summit Expeditions, has all the island’s bases covered. When he’s not running fishing charters and Balls Pyramid tours, he’s guiding climbers up the 875 metre (2871 feet) high Mt Gower. Round the more rugged, eastern side of the island the view of the long, exposed ridge, last leg of the strenuous14 km hike that led to its summit gave me the cold shivers. Jack’s climb with his father at 8 years of age was the first of 1700+, the most ascents made by anyone ever.

All that despite being around my age!

Bird Life on the Open Sea

I resolutely put the thousands of metres of water between me and the bottom of the trench out of my mind as we entered the open sea. I braced myself against the side of the boat and tried desperately to keep the horizon level for yet another shot of Balls Pyramid.

We’d entered the ocean-going bird zone and the Flesh-footed Shearwaters wheeled and dived in a feeding frenzy. Can you guess why they’re also called ‘Muttonbirds’?  A flock of White Bellied Storm Petrels, world’s smallest seabird, fluttered around us their long, trailing legs looking like they were dancing on the waves. And a lone South Polar Skua on a rare excursion this far north cast a giant shadow on the deck as all cameras but mine clicked furiously.

Ball’s Pyramid

Balls Pyramid is impressive from wherever you view it.

But nothing had prepared me for the reality of the Pyramid with its massive, bare basalt peaks rising straight up out of the ocean, the intriguingly coloured rock towering high above our tiny boat.

Wild, wet and windswept, the heavy seas crashed around the rocky reefs at the Pyramid’s inhospitable 1100 x 400 metre base as Masked Boobies soared around the peaks.

Climbing Ball’s Pyramid

The first successful ascent was by Bryden Allen and party in 1965.  This followed an unsuccessful attempt the year before by a party including legendary explorer and entrepreneur Dick Smith.  In 1979, Dick Smith returned to the pyramid. With fellow climber John Worrall completed the ascent where he then claimed Balls Pyramid for Australia!

Me? AAAAARRRRGGGGH! Not ever, no way!

A Rare Creature

Inhospitable though the Pyramid may be, a remnant population of the endemic Lord Howe Island Phasmid was discovered here many years after it had been given up as extinct on the island. It’s the only known colony in the world.

As we chugged around the Pyramid, I was awestruck by the ever-changing vistas of its stupendous bulk. Colours and patterns swirled through its jagged peaks and sheer cliff faces, with massive cracks criss-crossing the rocky layers and perpendicular walls. I finally started snapping away.  Pilchard was horrified when he realised I hadn’t been quite as busy snapping the wondrous array of birds he’d never seen before.

And would possibly never see again.

Tragically, a reduction in photographic activity wasn’t the only clue as to who wasn’t a very good sailor as we slapped through the swell, spray swirling in all directions. Bracing myself against the side of the boat and Pilchard, I snapped the retreating Pyramid in its ever-changing guises as the rain moved in from the west.

Leaving Balls Pyramid Behind

Rounding Lord Howe Island’s southern end, the monstrous bulk of Mt Gower soared above us. Providence Petrels whirled and spun against the cliffs in the world’s only known breeding grounds as Balls Pyramid disappeared from view.

The extreme upper body workout I’d had from hanging onto the Noctiluca railings to stay upright in the heaving seas and monstrous swell had been tiring.  But I furiously pedalled my bicycle homeward against the wind, in a successful attempt to outrun the rain. Happily, we’d had the foresight to lay in supplies.  As the night closed in and turned to rain and I collapsed, exhausted, onto the lounge.

But unlike skipper Jack, I hadn’t climbed Mt Gower the day before. I still had a LONG way to go!

Want MORE?

• Balls Pyramid, via Lord Howe Island
• Lord Howe Island, New South Wales
• Lord Howe Island Birds
• Sea to Summit Expeditions
• Red Nomad OZ on Lord Howe Island
• More Lord Howe Island Photos on Flickr
• First ascent of Balls Pyramid by Bryden Allen and party

The post Basalt, Birds and Balls Pyramid! appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

These conveniences could be ANYWHERE, right? Anywhere with tropical vegetation and killer blue skies, that is. But that doesn’t narrow it down much. Nor does its proximity to a beach and picnic and barbecue areas!

Unlike many of its tropical counterparts, however, this public loo at Neds Beach on gorgeous Lord Howe Island has no predators such as snakes; the barbecues are free and already stacked with wood; and it’s surrounded by many features worthy of much closer inspection.

Like the resident population of endemic and uncommon bird species – White Tern and Flesh-footed Shearwater (aka ‘Mutton’ bird) en route; Sooty Tern, Common Noddy and Black-winged Petrel at the other end of the beach below.

And its outlook under towering Malabar hill with a sheer 209 metre drop to the ocean – named for the Malabar native who fell from it to his death from it many years ago while collecting Red-tailed Tropicbird feathers. Now these amazing birds soar above – and acrophobics* like me don’t look down …

Also en route are two tempting local bakeries, as if I needed another reason to slow down given I’d already claimed the hotly contested ‘world’s slowest cyclist’ title.

What a shame the topographic map we studied before our arrival gave us the mistaken impression that all the roads were flat!

And what an even bigger shame – for the locals – I hadn’t ridden a bike in well over 20 years …

Swim amongst mullet chasing food scraps at fish feeding time; and the kingfish chasing the mullet!

Oh … and what’s that chasing the kingfish? Yep, a (small) shark! Those barbecues are starting to look mighty attractive – and stick around after dusk to see the Mutton birds return from a day of hunting at sea … what a shame Pilchard was too wary of their great hooked beaks to pick one up for a photo!

And if that doesn’t narrow it down enough, the fabulously picturesque Ned’s Beach is often overshadowed by the staggering – but instantly recognisable – view on the other side of magnificent Lord Howe Island.

AND Public Toilet #15, previously claimed (by me!) as Australia’s MOST scenic!

The best thing? It REALLY DOES look like this! Sigh … maybe this IS the best amenities block after all!

At virtually a year to the day since we last visited magical Lord Howe Island, it’s clearly been WAY too long …

Gotta go back.

If only to decide which is the better scenic public toilet.

Who’s coming with me?!

Want MORE?

• Lord Howe Island
• My Lord Howe Island Triathlon (spoiler – it’s not a real one!!)
• Flickr – more Lord Howe Island photos
• Australia’s Scenic Public Toilets

 

 

*Acrophobia= extreme or irrational fear of heights (although mine’s NOT irrational … and Pilchard doesn’t share it …)

The post Australia’s Scenic Public Toilets #24 – Ned’s Beach, Lord Howe Island, NSW appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

I’ve spent my entire life on Islands large and small. But only if you count Australia! Some say it’s the world’s biggest island, some the smallest continent, others don’t actually care …

But me? Of COURSE it’s an island! Anything to add more bragging rights another world class experience to my loud, proud Aussie portfolio!

So narrow the field even further and follow me around OZ for my Idiosyncratic Individualised 5-Island Introduction!

1.  For … ‘Idyllic‘, try Magnetic Island, Far North Queensland!

So much more than the twanging tourists and wandering wildlife I’ve previously described (see below), Magnetic Island perfectly combines natural attractions with niceties; charm with convenience; and laid back lifestyle with luxury.

Only 8 km offshore from Townsville, it’s easy to get to Magnetic Island by ferry, and even easier to stay … National parks, beaches and bays, a variety of accommodation and dining options (yes! a bakery!) and its own public transport system make this island an archetypal idyllic tropical paradise!

2.  For ‘Incomparable‘, try Lord Howe Island, New South Wales!

The high incidence of world class attractions ensures this small island 600 km off the New South Wales coast a steady stream of visitors and makes it one of my all time favourite Australian travel destinations. It’s also the scene of my one and only triathlon attempt … but that’s another story (see link below)!

Lord Howe Island’s well deserved world heritage status manifested in staggering scenery, numerous endemics and fascinating history is best experienced over as lengthy a period of time as you can afford. Add to that (arguably) the most scenic public toilet in Australia AND a bakery, and you’d be ill-advised to ignore this incomparable island!

3.  For ‘Incredible‘, try Griffiths Island, Victoria!

Migrating muttonbirds (Short-tailed Shearwater) manage the 15,000 km flight from their home in the Aleutian Islands and Kamchatka Peninsula so as to arrive at their nesting grounds on Griffiths Island within 3 days of 22^nd September every year!! Incredible!

As is the engineering feat that combined two islands into one at the mouth of Port Fairy’s Moyne River, and the island’s interesting history and glorious scenery. Every day at sundown, the muttonbirds return from the sea to roost and feed their chicks in their nesting burrows – an incredible sight which one day we’ll get to see!

4.  For ‘Intriguing‘, try Kangaroo Island, South Australia!

Australia’s 3^rd largest island, this eclectic mixture of unspoiled beaches, Remarkable Rocks (their actual name!), seal colonies, lighthouses, sand dunes, national parks and the purest strain of Ligurian bees in the world is one of South Australia’s premier attractions.

With a number of settlements, a strong eco-tourism presence and a plethora of natural attractions (a study once named Vivonne Bay the top beach in Australia) ‘KI’, as it is known downunder, is South Australia’s answer to the northern tropics!

5.  For ‘Infamous‘, try the Abrolhos Islands, Western Australia!

If mutiny and shipwreck, with theft, murder, rape, a psychopathic anti-hero and the general breakdown of civilisation in the 106 days before rescue sounds a little too much like ‘Extreme Survivor’, then you probably don’t want to read the sensational true story of the Batavia, wrecked off the Western Australian coast on the Albrohos islands in 1629!

This compelling tale of degeneration, dastardly deeds and despair on the islands has been the subject of many studies, novels, films and TV series, but it’s probably too melodramatic to say I’m dying to visit one day!!

Happily, Perth Daily Photo supplied these pictures from her friend and mentor Bill, whose excellent Bill’s Diving Blog has even more photos of these infamous islands, now home to much less sensational ecotourism pursuits!

Yes, I know.

It’s all too beautiful, isn’t it?

And you want to see it for yourself, right??

So what are you waiting for?

Enjoy!

The post Aussie ABC – I is for Islands! appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

You can blame the public amenities block at Kata Tjuta, near Uluru in the Northern Territory for my obsession with the odd juxtapositioning of Australia’s most spectacular scenery with the often mundane conveniences that service its admirers.  The view from this loo MUST be the best in Australia, I thought.

So I captured it on film.  And it remained my personal favourite until I saw the amenities at the Devil’s Marbles, also in the Northern Territory.

Then, I visited Rainbow Valley (yep – also Northern Territory) – but although nearly too close to call, it didn’t quite topple the Devil’s Marbles as top loo view in OZ.  Still, the top three Scenic Public Toilets were in the Northern Territory, despite a strong showing from South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula ( #5, #6, #11 and a scattering of other state representation.

But now the time has come.  The Northern Territory has been supplanted by New South Wales, with this outsider from its magnificent off-shore island, the Lord Howe Island loo!

SO … drumroll please … the Lord Howe Island loo is my NEW favourite!  Why?  For the absolute jaw-droppingly awesomely superbly magnificent panorama, of course!  So great, in fact, you could sit there all day!

But don’t take my word for it – check out the other contenders in the Aussie Loos with Views Hall of Fame.

Go on, check them out.  I’ll wait …

So am I right?

Still not sure?  Check out my book Aussie Loos with Views! then.

So what do you think?  Am I right??

Yeah, I’m right, aren’t I?!?!?!

PS  But if you’ve got a better one, I’d LOOOVE to see it!

The post Australia’s Scenic Public Toilets #15 – Lord Howe Island, New South Wales appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.



 

Lord Howe Island visitors seeking inertia are likely to be disappointed. Getting from A to B usually involves walking or cycling – and the best island activities are high-energy, hands-on and outdoors based. So after two days of reconnaissance on foot, we extended our range with bicycles – and that’s how I inadvertently became a triathlete!



  

Swimming at Old Settlement Beach, Lord Howe Island







Old Settlement Beach from Malabar Hill, Lord Howe Island



In another desperate act of triathletic rebellion, we replaced running with hiking. Which made this the most challenging leg so far, given a) the bakery lunch taken during the second cycling leg, b) wet swimmers and c) inappropriate sandals. Malabar Hill’s steep climb – from 0 to 209 metres above sea level – rewards triathletes (and regular climbers) who reach the narrow ridge without contracting vertigo with a 360° view taking in Old Settlement, the Admiralty Islands, Ned’s Beach and – best of all – the wondrous Ball’s Pyramid in the distance! And while looking down all 209 metres of sheer cliff to a turtle swimming in the sea below made me feel queasy, the Red-tailed Tropicbirds flying backwards (literally!) and forwards at eye level more than made up for it.

Looking South from Malabar Hill

For the record, here are my results:

Lord Howe Island Triathlon statistics:

She’ll be coming down the mountain …



• General handicaps: Planking injuries, twisted ankle, system weakened by flu, spectacular scenery, bakery temptation
• Cycling legs: ~6km total over 3 legs. Handicaps: 28 years between cycles
• Swimming leg: 20m (no, that’s not a misprint. ‘Swim’ is a euphemism for ‘dip and splash about’)
• Hiking leg: 1.4 km return, from 0-209 metres above sea level. Handicaps: Recent lunch, inappropriate sandals, wet clothing
• Time taken: All day!!
• Ranking: 2nd (of two, although the other participant didn’t have as many of the general handicaps!)





The post My Lord Howe Island Triathlon! appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Pterodactyls, Rocs and pieces of Skylab are regrettably long absent from our skies – as are the signs warning of their presence. And apart from the lovely Wycliffe Well, Aussie UFO sightings are rare.

And Superman is a myth. Isn’t he??

So … the danger of injury from large flying objects either in, or falling from the sky should therefore be negligible in this day and age, right?

Right!

Right, that is, unless you’re on Lord Howe Island where the signs warn of a new threat from the skies …

The 1 km (~1095 yard) long airstrip bisects the island at its narrowest point. The sea’s at its western end, and the road to the island’s southern parts squeezes between the eastern end of the airstrip and the sea.

There’s not much room to get past anything on the road, and the airstrip can be challenging to land on if the weather conditions aren’t perfect.

That’s why there are warning signs.

Which can mean only one thing if you’re on that road and there’s a plane taking off towards you or about to land behind you!

DUCK!!!

Want MORE funny Aussie travel signs?  Check out the signs I’ve found around OZ HERE!

The post Signs #14 – DUCK!!! appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

OK, I admit it. I’m shallow.

For a favourite place to make it onto my favourite places list, it’s got to be able to deliver experiences I can’t have anywhere else. In Australia, if not the world!

And a selection of good bakeries doesn’t hurt either …

Stepping onto the 1km airstrip bisecting Lord Howe Island and into a Bali Hai-esque panorama featuring the twin peaks of Mounts Lidgbird and Gower was a splendid start to our April 2011 stay.

And from there it just got better and better.

600km east of Port Macquarie, this unique island is a parallel universe – old favourites amongst birds, plants and insects coexist with endemic species, and it punches above its weight with with a disproportionately high number of state, Australian and world exclusives. Hardly surprising, then that the Lord Howe island group was World Heritage listed in 1982!

The lagoon surrounded by the world’s southernmost coral reef (and where new fish species are still being discovered) is the only place in NSW where the sun sets over the sea. And the 9 hole golf course, the only one anywhere on World Heritage turf, is in a setting so spectacular I could almost see the point of golf … hitting the ball into the sea in such a place would almost be an honour!

And when a Lord Howe Island woodhen pecks your toes? Well, it IS is a thrill to be had nowhere else in the world … and by not many others.

Down to the last 30 birds in the 70’s, the woodhen narrowly escaped extinction through a successful breeding program and its population is now stable at around 300.

If this is paradise, I don’t care if I never get to me* – but just to show I can be balanced about a place I really like, there ARE some things it DOESN’T have. Here’s a list:

Top 5 things Lord Howe Island doesn’t have:

1. Public Transport: Walk, cycle, or hire a car – but only if you can drive at 25 kph or less!

2. Cats: All cats, feral or domesticated, have now left the island. Some bird species are showing their gratitude by increasing their populations significantly!

3. Mobile Phones: Clearly not Telstra shareholders, an island referendum voted against them! My care factor? Zero!!

4. Crime: Although I could be wrong about this. We DID see a couple of cyclists without helmets – could this be the start of an unprecedented crime wave???

5. Snakes: WOO HOO! Yeah!! ALL Right!!! Walk without fear in that long grass!!!!

And don’t think for one tiny instant you’ve heard the last from me about this magical, wondrous island and my new favourite place – I’ll be boring you rigid showcasing its delights in future posts so be warned look out for them soon!!

If you can’t wait for more, check out the best flights right now!

Want MORE?

• My Lord Howe Island Triathlon
• Lord Howe Island Scenic Loos – Main Beach and Neds Beach
• Balls Pyramid Adventure
• More Lord Howe Island Photos on Flickr

# Pic by Pilchard
* Apologies to Charlene

The post Favourite Place #6 – Lord Howe Island, New South Wales appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.