STOP PRESS!  2020 Farina Bakery Update:  Due to COVID-19 the Farina Bakery South Australia will NOT be operating in 2020.  However, the Farina historic township and Farina campground will be open and can be visited in line with South Australian state government border closures and travel restrictions. 

The sign shimmered through the haze of dust and heat like a mirage. Or the product of too much wishful thinking. Or the BEST kind of fantasy …

Whichever it was, the Bakery Baking Today sign at the turn-off to the Farina Historic Township in the middle of the South Australian Outback just HAD to be too good to be true.

Where is Farina?

Because over 600 km (370+ miles) north of Adelaide, we were on the last stretch of continuous bitumen for several hundred kilometres.  Which kind of put us in the middle of nowhere!

We’d already passed Lyndhurst, a roadhouse and small settlement at the beginning of the tyre-shredding Strzelecki track.  That notorious stretch of dirt through the Strzelecki desert connects Lyndhurst with Innamincka, 469 km (291 miles) to the north east.  We’d driven a short distance along the track, but pulled out before all four tyres became punctured.

From Marree, there were only two ways out.  East along the Oodnadatta track, a 607 km (377 miles) dirt track through the remote Outback that joined the Stuart Highway at Marla.  Or the fabled Birdsville track to – you guessed it – Birdsville, 519 km (322 miles) further north.

Yes, we were on the outskirts of Australia’s Boys Own Adventureland.  A 4WD and/or motorcyclists’ paradise traversed by groups of three (WHY ALWAYS THREE???) blokes.  And on this day, we would, for the first time, visit the start of each of these iconic tracks.

Now, en route to Marree, we’d heard about Farina, a ghost town full of ruins.

Wasn’t it??

A Bakery in a Ghost Town

The white marquee rising incongruously above the partially restored stonework of the Farina ruins in the distance suggested otherwise.

As did the banner indicating South Aussie icon Laucke Flour’s personal interest in this little bakery in the middle of nowhere.

Clearly, further investigation was required, so I turned to Pilchard – but the car had already swerved towards the turn-off. No bakery-seeking-sensor required in THIS car!!

As we drew closer to the knot of vehicles gathered around the cluster of old buildings surrounding the marquee, the smell of freshly baking bread gave the game away.

Yes, there really WAS a fully functional bakery in this remote ruin. And judging by the roaring trade being done with the constant arrival of incredulous visitors from both north and south, a Back-of-Beyond Bakery was just what the doctor ordered.

A VERY Civilised Restoration!

In a masterstroke so civilised it should be made mandatory, the underground Bakery was the first building to be restored to full working order by the Farina Restoration Group Inc (FRG).

Ironic, given that Farina is, of course, the Latin word for flour. And the town was so named in expectation of it becoming the ‘Granary of the North’. Sadly, the unpredictable climate, remote location and lack of water ultimately meant its decline, despite its one-time position as the railway head for all northern lines.

But in one of those undeniably symmetric coincidences, Farina is finally living up to its name.  Now the Underground Bakery opens for a few weeks every year in the Australian winter months.  It’s become a focus for fund-raising, publicity and – of course – a completely unexpected opportunity for an excellent Back-of-Beyond Bakery pig-out.

This was one of those times that sacrificing myself for the sake of my blog became not just a duty, but a pleasure!

Farina Bakery Volunteers

Bron and Syd, volunteers from FRG that keeps the Bakery operational for a few weeks in May, June and July, expertly fielded queries, served customers and – in my case – mopped up the coffee I overturned in the excitement of finding this bizarre bakery.

All while posing for photos!

The FRG, now about five years old, was founded by Tom Harding.  Along with current station owners Kevin and Anne Dawes,he saw Farina’s potential as an historic site and set about restoring it as a tourist attraction.

Apart from partnerships with various organisations and professional stonemasonry, all work on site is done by volunteers – to volunteer in 2021, use the online registration form HERE.

Those who are planning a similar venture should not underestimate the effectiveness of having a Bakery drawcard!  Word of mouth has already worked its magic at Farina – as winter’s onset signals the start of the Outback Adventure season and all sensible travellers head north for warmth.

Judging by the number of vehicles out the front, most of them stop at the bakery, spending up big on baked goods and souvenirs.

Stay at Farina Station Campground

Of course it helps that Farina station has also set up the excellent Farina campground with barbecues, fire pits, toilets (look out for one of them in MY BOOK!) and hot showers.  All this luxury can be yours for just $AUD5 per person per night. It’s an excellent staging post en route to the rough stuff of the tracks further north. But it’s a destination in its own right with walks along the river and along the disused railway tracks.  The story boards along the way detail the history of the town’s rise, fall and restoration.

The Group’s volunteers stay on site in the campground for the annual restoration activities while the bakery is operating.  Some are reportedly the bakery’s best customers, and they work on a roster system to ensure the bakery stays open.

I almost joined up on the spot!

What’s on Offer?

Of course it also helps that the Bakery goods are absolutely top shelf.  The old Scotch oven in the underground kitchen turns out an astonishing array of sweet, savoury and plain breads and rolls; pies; sausage rolls; and pasties.  Oh, and the best cream buns I’ve ever had the privilege of tasting.

Martin, the baker du jour, dexterously whipped trays of superbly baked goods out of the oven while telling us he’d co-opted a few of his baker buddies to volunteer for a stint at Farina.

‘Well, they USED to be my friends,’ he laughed, while proving – at least to MY satisfaction – that 80 years of disuse didn’t seem to have affected the oven’s effectiveness.

The oven’s underground location probably also helped to preserve it.   One of the many storyboards around the ruins mentions the destruction of outside dunnies in violent storms.  And that, my friends, means no Scenic Public Toilet pic from the Farina ruins.

However, there IS an awesome dunny in the picnic area down in the campground to be found in my book Aussie Loos with Views!

But I digress …

One of the Driest Places on Earth!

This arid part of the South Australian Outback is the driest part of the driest state in the driest continent on earth.  As we drove to and from Farina, it was easy to see the hardships faced by the early settlers in these outback towns. After a long, hot and dry summer, today’s green and fertile pastoral country could be tomorrow’s dust bowl.

But the FRG’s hardy bunch of volunteers are putting Farina back on the map by offering their unique Bakery at the Back-of-Beyond experience!

And that puts it well and truly on the map for THIS Aussie traveller!

STOP PRESS:  The Farina Underground bakery will NOT be open in 2020 due to COVID-19.  However the historic township of Farina and the Farina campground will be open in line with South Australian border closures and travel restrictions.

Want MORE?

• Farina Restoration Group Official Website
• Copley things to see and do, Outback South Australia
• Lyndhurst things to see and do, Outback South Australia
• Strzelecki Track
• Oodnadatta Track
• Birdsville Track

* PLEASE NOTE:  The Bakery is only open for a few weeks in May/June/July.
** Oscar Wilde said it first, and best

The post The Bizarre Back-of-Beyond Bakery – Farina, South Australia appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

WARNING: Do NOT attempt the Pinnacle walk if you don’t like A) heights; B) snakes; C) wildflowers; or D) looking uncool!

Whether or not D) applies depends to a certain degree on physical fitness levels – and possibly hiking fashion sense! Although tragically that’s not a factor if you’re like me.  That red face, heaving chest and death-rattle puffing after ascending the 470 metre elevation (~1560 feet) of the Pinnacle hike are guaranteed to immediately counteract the effects of even the most fashionable hiking gear!

Sadly, the general store in Grampians town Halls Gap sells everything – except badges that state ‘Don’t Panic! I’m NOT having a heart attack!’

So wielding a camera as if you know what you’re doing is a far better antidote to D).  That’s because it’s possible to surreptitiously catch your breath under the guise of admiring and photographing the view.

Starting the Pinnacle hike

Thankfully, there are a lot of views to admire on the 3.6 km (2.23 mile) trek up the escarpment.  Leave from the trail-head behind the Halls Gap Caravan Park which will take you to the Pinnacle, one of the most popular vantage points in the Grampians National Park.

But admiring the staggering view from the truly impressive vantage point of the Pinnacle doesn’t come easily.

The jagged rocky outcrops forming the distinctive Halls Gap skyline appear impossibly high up and far away (see above). But the sharply pointed spur of rock with fuzzy edges – the safety rail – jutting out from the clifftop along the line of peaks above the town IS attainable!

Of course a ‘Hard’ grade hike requires preparation. So before you climb, take a trip to the Halls Gap Bakery, full of ready made sandwiches, rolls and apple shortbreads (me) and vanilla slices (Pilchard). Although these are readily interchangeable with the Lumberjack cake (me) and Hedgehog slice (Pilchard).

The first leg to Mackeys Peak

Stop at the grave of baby Agnes Ffoulkes, tragic victim of the hardships faced by pioneers in this once-remote spot.  The track immediately ascends to the first of many staircases that make the first leg to Mackeys Peak a pretty stiff climb. Stop to admire and photograph (yes, that’s a euphemism!) the fine views of Chatauqua Peak and across the valley to Boronia Peak.  They’re both fine walks for another day. At this point, you’ll be looking up at them.

BUT … you’ll soon be higher than both!

If you keep going, that is. There’s no shame in returning to Halls Gap at this point.  But why forgo the excitement of an uncountable number of steps; steep drop-offs and cliffs; wildflowers; and possibly even snakes?

Keep Climbing!

And if you’re already a victim of D), you’ve got nothing to lose by carrying on …

Finally the stairs even out and the heavily wooded track winds almost horizontally through a scattering of impressive rocky outcrops.  Some of them have scary looking rock-climbing paraphernalia attached at crazy heights (see below). Don’t underestimate (or under-utilise) the many opportunities available in this section to further reduce the impact of D) by stopping to photograph the numerous wildflowers along the trail.

That’s if you’ve been smart enough to take the hike in spring!

The Grampians wildflower season lasts for several months, and there are many species to see along the way. And snakes, so watch your step!

You’ll be grateful you took those D)-preventative photographic precautions as the track emerges from the forest and into the open. Now you’re right amongst the distinctive weathered granite peaks and crags that epitomise the jagged mountain ranges of Grampians.

Keep Climbing

The track winds steadily up along rocky spurs, through narrow ravines and along ridgetops towards the Pinnacle. A red face and shortness of breath just can’t be helped here – unless you’re one of those frightening fitness-fetishists largely responsible for the high rates of low self-esteem amongst the less young and agile.

But the scenic splendour now unfolding all around more than makes up for any residual effects of a life-long love affair with country bakeries. Staggering views across the valley emerge with Halls Gap nestled WAAAAAY below.  Lake Bellfield is also glinting in the sunlight – although neither lake waters nor sunlight are guaranteed!

The Summit of the Pinnacle

Tempting though it is to keep your finger on the shutter button as the panorama unfolds, take my advice and save yourself for the 360° vista from the Pinnacle.  That’s if your nerves are strong enough to negotiate the safety-fenced narrow neck of rock sticking out over– well – nothing!

Unless you count the Fyans valley just under half a kilometre below.

If there are any left, combine the bakery goods with a breather that’ll return your complexion to normal hues before taking the proof-I-made-it-to-the-top shots. But keep a wary eye on the marauding Australian Raven, inevitably at the summit.

The grab rail safety fence is sturdy enough to lean on for the obligatory photos.  However, the view from this vantage point is just WAAAAAY too big to effectively capture in one shot.

Although it’s virtually guaranteed you’ll have time to spare while you wait your turn on the Pinnacle.  Tedious ‘Titanic’ type photo shoots are becoming de rigueur!!!

The Descent

Descend the way you came, or make it a round trip by going down through a series of natural rock formations known as ‘Wonderland’.

Unless you’ve got the stamina for a further 9.5 km hike to Lake Bellfield, and another few kilometres back to Halls Gap, the shortest return option is to retrace your steps.

See the whole thing from the well known Boroka lookout high on the range behind Halls Gap. A shortish drive and a 50m stroll and this magnificent panorama will give you all the context you need for your Pinnacle assault!

But not the same sense of satisfaction!

Keep a close eye on those killer knee-wrecking stairs as you descend to prevent them becoming killer neck-breaking stairs!

And make way for the show-offs idiots really fit people who JOG down!!

If it seems a long way down, console yourself with the thought that you’ve SO earned more Bakery opportunities at the end of it.

And that D) will no longer be a problem …

Want MORE?

• Halls Gap, Grampians, Victoria
• Grampians National Park
• Red Nomad OZ Australian Walks
• Australian Lookouts

The post Walk the Pinnacle – Grampians National Park appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Approach south eastern Victoria’s magical Bright region Victoria from any direction, spot Mt Buffalo’s impossibly scenic bulk dominating the skyline and you’ll swear you’re not in Australia!

It’s difficult to believe the soaring granite cliffs and outcrops leading to the extensive plateau more than 1200 metres above sea level were once much higher. Right at the end of the Aussie Alps that cross three state borders, Mt Buffalo is both a microcosm of Alpine natural attractions; and a unique collection of scenery, flora and fauna found nowhere else on earth.

Its relative isolation and height means Mt Buffalo’s ecosystem has developed independently – and operates just like an island!!

And an island that seems to have become Melbourne’s personal pleasure dome. A short-ish 325 km drive mostly up the freeway from Melbourne, it’s easy to get to Mt Buffalo – and a taste of the marvellous Victorian Alpine high country.

But however you get there, its amazingly varied range of activities means your first visit to this marvellous mountain National Park will almost certainly not be your last!

So what makes the ‘island’ of Mt Buffalo so unique?

The History

Although proclaimed in 1898 as one of Victoria’s first National Parks after pressure from the Bright Alpine Club, Mt Buffalo has been on the tourist trail since the 1850’s, when Baron Ferdinand von Mueller promoted its unique environment and botany; and the Manfield family started conducting hiking tours from the Buffalo Falls Temperance Hotel at Mt Buffalo’s base.

Guide Alice, tourism pioneer, naturalist and poster girl for the delights of the region in her distinctive uniform lived and breathed Mt Buffalo.

One of the pioneering Manfields, she managed the family’s basic chalet on the plateau. Her daughter recalls spending the night in a hollow log so Alice could observe the lyrebirds at dawn while researching her book, The Lyre-birds of Mt Buffalo.

With the Chalet (see below) the first resort of its kind in the Alpine region, Mt Buffalo’s all year round appeal ensured it became a premier tourist destination for sightseeing, cross-country skiing (and the first ski-tow in Australia), hiking, rock-climbing – and, I dare say, languishing in the Chalet …

The Chalet

Although the Chalet, a temporary structure built in 1910, is of significant historic, architectural and cultural value, successive state governments have failed to ensure its preservation.

And while debate rages about why there aren’t enough funds for BOTH historic preservation and health care; despite the Mt Buffalo Community Enterprise proposal to restore and reopen it; and despite visitor and community support, the chalet remains closed to the public.

Unless there’s say, a mining magnate with a spare $50-odd million around somewhere??

Clive Palmer*, this is your big chance to buy my vote!!

Fortuitous timing during our April visit meant we got to tour the marvellous chalet, view the memorabilia and historic displays – and put me several steps further down the RSI-of-the-shutter-finger path … What a shame it would be to close it up forever. Clive? CLIVE?? Are you there????

The Scenery

From Bents Lookout at around 1300 metres above sea level and just below the Chalet, you can almost see Mt Kosciuszko – Australia’s highest mountain.

But only if other visitors GET OUT OF YOUR WAY!!!!

The staggering 360ºviews from several viewpoints show the Alps at their finest.

There’s also rocks like The Monolith, sadly no longer able to be climbed; waterfalls like Rollason’s and Eurobin falls; and many other scenic spots on the 90 km of walking trails in the park.

Zoom in on the plants to be one of the few people in the world to see the Mt Buffalo endemics.

And you might even spot an Alpine Silver Xenica – a butterfly only found on this plateau and rating a special mention here for no other reason than its ultra-cool name …

The Lakes

A symphony of muted colours, Lake Catani’s rocky surrounds, reeds and clear waters make it the perfect spot to eat the lunch you had the foresight to purchase from the magnificent Edelweiss Bakery in Bright. And those with even more foresight, and a carload of bakery sustenance, could stay in the campground! Those not obsessed with bakery food (if there are any such fools) could go canoeing – but it’d have to be quite a few degrees warmer with a bit less of the cold wind for swimming to be a viable option.

But take a day off from driving up Mt Buffalo’s winding access road and head past the fine Myrtleford bakery (if, like us, you can handle more than one bakery experience in a day) along the Buffalo River road to Lake Buffalo for stunning Alpine scenery from the excellent picnic grounds.

With their own scenic public amenities block.

Learn from the graffiti – I was surprised to learn that we are all apparently reptilians and aliens are stealing our souls …

The Adventure

Finding out you’re a reptilian isn’t the only adventure to be had at Mt Buffalo!

If you thought the scare factor of my previous post about Alpine sky diving was high, then look away now …

Still here?? At around 1300 metres above sea level, the Gorge lookout and picnic area shows the depths of insanity to which some thrillseekers will leap.

Yes, that flattish incline on the very edge of the right hand side rock stack above really IS another sky-diving ramp.

If leaping off the mountain isn’t your thing, walk to the bottom, rock-climb or abseil, hike or go caving.

There’s also 4WD touring, tobogganing, cross-country skiing, boating and just plain old sightseeing!

For me? I was all adventured out after climbing the Horn!!

Anyway, those cyclists pedalling up the 4.8% gradient on a 20+ km climb to the Chalet aren’t REALLY having fun, are they??

The Horn

At 1723 metres above sea level, Mt Buffalo’s Horn is its highest point.

If you can stand upright in the wind, you’ll be rewarded with staggering views in every direction – and photos to die for if your hands don’t seize up from the cold! Railings, steps and safety fences mean the 1.5 km track is suitable even for those like me who suffer from vertigo.

But you can probably make your photos look like it’s a LOT more dangerous …

Whatever the weather down below in Bright, nearest town to Mt Buffalo, it’s most likely different up here!!

The Surrounds

Down below and only 319 metres above sea level, the small town of Bright and its surrounds form an excellent backdrop from which to explore the Mt Buffalo ‘Island’. Of course the fact of its two bakeries is completely irrelevant …

A visit timed to coincide with the ‘Autumn Leaves’ festival as we had in April 2012 (read about it HERE!) will challenge organisational, time management, visual and gastronomic skills to the point of collapse. There’s so much to see and do, you could easily spend a week in Bright without even venturing up to the Mt Buffalo summit!

But don’t let Bright’s delights stop you from visiting the Landlocked Island of Mt Buffalo! All those Melbournians can’t be wrong, right?!?!?!

Want MORE?

• Mt Buffalo National Park
• Bright, Victoria
• 7 Random Alpine Adventures with Red Nomad OZ
• Flickr Photos

The post Afloat in the Sky – The Land Locked Island of Mt Buffalo appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Cairns is one of the best Australian travel destinations – and I’ve got the photos to prove it! This laid back city 2000 km north of Brisbane between World Heritage Listed Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef, has come a long way from its sugar-cane farming roots to become Far North Queensland’s tourist hub.

Cairns has just as much to offer travellers seeking cheap holidays as it does to those looking for luxury! In fact, the only problem will be limiting your visit to a week!!

Luckily, I’ve been travelling to Cairns for 20+ years – the time period over which these photos were taken – and Pilchard even longer!  So use our 7 Day Cairns sampler itinerary guide to get you started …

Day 1: Cairns Botanic Gardens

The pint-sized bag-snatcher at the Cairns Botanic Gardens Cafe was probably a one-off. No, really!! The toddler who picked up my handbag didn’t take kindly to Pilchard’s attempts to remove it from her grubby grasp.

Attracted by the shrieks, her rampaging mother berated Pilchard for making her darling cry, gave the child my bag to play with and turned back to her glass of wine table. With a) child clutching b) the handbag.

Now you tell me. Was it so unreasonable for Pilchard to insist on its return?

Sadly, this whole stultifying display of disturbed parenting could have been avoided if only I’d taken my handbag with me to the ladies room …

Happily, in addition to the Scenic Public Toilet, the large Cairns Botanic Gardens complex is full of distractions, with wonderful displays of tropical plants; several interpretive trails, magnificent butterflies and brightly coloured birds!

Although ‘wild boar’ sounds so much more exotic than ‘feral pig’, they’re both equally destructive when crashing through the undergrowth on the mangrove boardwalk through to the Centenary Lakes picnic area. Although I’d rather meet a wild pig than an unsupervised homo-sapiens (juv) allowed to run amok by overindulgent parents …

Spending the whole day in the gardens is easy – the 6.6 km Mt Whitfield trail loop gives splendid views over the busy international airport and Cairns itself. But I’m not sure if the group of school kids led by two young and ever so perky teachers we dodged on the track were a fair replacement for the cassowaries once common in the area.

Day 2: North to Port Douglas

The block of land for sale a few metres below the Port Douglas Lookout platform has the same staggering view. But would that be enough to counteract the 24/7 comings and goings above? Maybe the local residents were on to something when they tried to get the lookout closed …

The Lady Douglas probably isn’t the ritziest craft to cruise Dixon Inlet – but I’ll bet she’s the classiest! And if you want to take a look behind the scenes of what once was a small fishing village but is now amongst Australia’s most expensive real estate, the inlet is awash with wildlife – including crocodiles!

Time it right and attend – or miss, depending on your point of view – the Port Douglas markets, but whatever you do, DON’T miss Mocka’s Pies! This FAAAAABULOUS Bakery (come back for the cheese pasty, potato & pea pie, apple, lemon meringue – hell, come back for ANYTHING) has the well-deserved distinction of being our ALL TIME favourite!!!!

Day 3: Northern Beaches

Although the artificial lagoon, sandy beach and infinity pool are a good substitute for lack of foreshore beach, nothing beats the real thing! And heading north, the real thing is abundant starting about 20 km from the CBD.

Spend a day exploring all the beaches; or stay on one beach all day; or take an extra day and do both!! From the unspoiled excellence of Wangetti Beach (below the hang glider launch spot I’ll always be too gutless to try) to the ritz of Palm Cove; Ellis Beach between the highway and sea to the fabulous curve of Trinity Beach; Yorkeys Knob cliff and marina to the vast sand flats and rock wall at Machans – eateries, picnic and BBQ areas, walks, birdlife … there’s something for everyone!

Take your pick – and if you got it wrong, try again tomorrow!!

Day 4: Esplanade … and Cairns itself

Want a perfect day on the Cairns Esplanade?

WELL … my guest post on 52 Perfect Days will tell all!!

But because I’m a tease nice person, here’s a glimpse!!

Of course Cairns is much more than its foreshore! There’s shopping and eating precincts – yes, a bakery or two – the Visitor Information Centre, galleries, restaurants, museums … do I need to spell it out??

Day 5: Outdoors in the Rainforest …

Snakes, goannas, birds, butterflies, hungover backpackers – I’ve yet to visit Crystal Cascades without finding something interesting to watch!

This popular series of swimming holes on – you guessed it – Crystal Creek buried deep in the rainforest is a water supply access point but walkers can take the track for 1.2 km to the barrier for a taste of REAL rainforest and wildlife. Near the start of the trail, a track – classified as ‘strenuous’ and ‘rough’ – heads almost vertically upwards to Copperlode Dam in the ranges far above …

… and as if to prove it’s not all sunshine and serenity in the tropics, the temperature dropped 8ºC in the 25 km drive from Cairns CBD up the ranges to Copperlode Dam aka Lake Morris, 365 metres above sea level. And the hot soup that sounded so ridiculous in the balmy, high 20’s temperature on the coast was more than welcome in our efforts to counteract the chill wind!

It’s best to be sober when attempting this steep, twisting track with several one-way sections, and breathtaking (aka ‘hyperventilating’) dropaways, often being repaired after heavy rain at which time they become ‘washaways’ … But the stupendous views on each side of the range show just how much unexplored rainforest remains.

Ambitious walkers undaunted by the steep gradient can attempt further exploration on the 3km track dropping straight down from the dam to Crystal Cascades below …

Day 6: Islands

‘Tropical paradise’ is such a cliché – there’s only so much blue sky/clear water/white sand/palm trees you can take, right?

Perhaps. But a trip to the Frankland Islands or Green Island will leave you begging for more, cliché or no!

Trust me.

Day 7: Skyrail and Kuranda Scenic Railway

Despite the jaw-dropping views above the unspoiled World Heritage listed rainforest canopy to the spectacular Cairns coastline, acrophobics* may find the 7.5 km Skyrail cable-car journey from Cairns to Kuranda (or vice versa) ‘challenging’.

But luckily, a couple of stops for the rainforest interpretive centre and Barron Falls lookout break the journey and allow equilibrium to be regained before another 6 person gondola – and the next leg!

But is going up the Kuranda Range by Skyrail any worse for acrophobics than dropping nearly 300 metres through 15 tunnels and across 40 rickety bridges crossing drop-away chasms down the super-steep Barron Gorge if returning via the 34 km Kuranda Scenic Railway?

As a recovering acrophobic I unreservedly recommend both trips – just breathe normally into that paper bag while taking photos all the way. And don’t look down …

Well, how quickly 7 Days can pass!

And I haven’t even started on heading south to the other side of Trinity Inlet, the Goldsborough Valley, and Gordonvale’s Cane Toad World!

Or west to the Atherton Tablelands …

That’s another 7 Days all by itself!!

I developed this 7 day guide based on visits to Cairns totalling MANY weeks over 20+ years!  Photos all taken 2009-2011, except the Kuranda train (1998) as that pic was better than the ones I have from later trips.

*Acrophobia= fear of heights

Want MORE?

• Not quite enough photos here, right? There’s plenty more on Flickr !!
• Cairns and Tropical North Queensland
• Cairns and Tropical North Visitor Information Centre
• What I’ve done in and around Cairns
• My other 7 Days in … Guides

The post 7 Days in … Cairns! appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Scenic Public Toilet, Port Fairy, Victoria

Pilchard defends our lunch to the death …

View to Griffiths Island from Port Fairy Conveniences, Victoria

Griffiths Island lighthouse, Port Fairy, Great Ocean Road, Victoria

• Griffiths Island
• Port Fairy
• Great Ocean Road

The post Australia’s Scenic Public Toilets #23 – Port Fairy, Victoria appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

I’ve yet to meet a Calcareous Concretion I didn’t like.

Although there’s some confusion about exactly where that magical Moon Rock meeting is likely to be. My first sighting in Outback Queensland’s Richmond was supposed to be ‘unique to the Richmond Shire’ according to the town guide.

BUT … I’d clocked up several hundred Moon Rock sightings before heading a few hundred kilometres south-west, where a data sheet from Boulia’s Stone House Museum outlines the geological forces that formed – yes, you guessed it – the BOULIA Calcareous Concretions!

Richmond’s dubious claims of Moon Rock uniqueness are weakened further by calcareous concretion presence in the Gogo formation of the Kimberley, Western Australia. Happily, my razor-sharp mind immediately resolved this discrepancy!

Calcareous Concretions are a feature of the Toolebuc formation, left when Australia’s vast inland sea dried up after covering much of what is now Outback Queensland – including both Richmond and Boulia!! QED …

Of course the most common form of calcareous concretion is the pearl – I therefore stand by my opening sentence – but other than formation method, the pearl and the Moon Rock are completely dissimilar …

However, although Moon Rocks can be seen in Boulia and the Kimberley, the fossil fossicking grounds of the Richmond shire, where FOSSILHUNTER once roamed (and shall roam again!), is their heartland.

Ranging in size from tiny to immoveable, you can’t throw a fossil-bearing rock without hitting some evidence of Richmond’s widespread exploitation of the Moon Rock’s decorative qualities.

The commemorative cairn, a grim or happy reminder (depending on your politics and point of view) of ex-Queensland premier Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen who opened the Flinders Highway that bisects the town, is made of various smaller sized Moon Rocks.

But there’s no evidence that they in any way resemble the pumpkin scones made famous by Sir Joh’s wife, Lady Flo Bjelke-Petersen …*

A scattering of larger Moon Rocks lurk in the gardens below the Lakeview Caravan Park around the wonderful Fred Tritton Lake (above), a feature of Richmond’s ingenuity and an understandably popular local gathering spot.

But if you want to see Moon Rocks in their natural habitat, drive out to Cambridge Crossing on the Stawell River, 40 km from Richmond.

The riverbed, mostly dry on our June, 2011 visit gave no clue to the forces that pushed these Moon Rocks up against the crossing bed when the river flowed.

Luckily, the temptation to crack open a Moon Rock’s hard casing and cut through the limestone layer to discover the fossil or crytal that formed its nuclei was thwarted by the absence of a rock pick. Well, actually a jackhammer …

So here’s one someone prepared earlier!

A pile of Moon Rocks cleared from the riverbed and crossing didn’t look THAT big – until I stood next to them!

And remember I’m not a small person … although I’m still wondering how Pilchard’s photo of me and the Moon Rocks (below) was mysteriously photo-shopped to make me look fat …

While I salivate at the memory of top notch Bakery goods from the mysteriously named Moon Rock café at world class dinosaur fossil museum Kronosaurus Korner … they’ve really got nothing to do with the rest of this post  Just put it down to Moon Rocks in my head …

Richmond residents clearly come by THEIR Moon-Rocks-on-the-brain obsession honestly because it’s here, during the biennial Richmond Fossil Festival that the World Champion Moon Rock-throwing competition is held!

SO … if you’ve got the $AUD5.00 entry fee, and can throw a 23 kg (50 lb) Moon Rock more than 5.04 metres, you just MIGHT topple 2011 World Champ David Ievers in May 2012 and grab yourself a world championship title!!

Me, I think I’ll take my chances with the pearls …

Want more information?

• FOSSILHUNTER
• Moon Rocks
• World Champion Moon Rock-throwing Competition, 2018
• Kronosaurus Korner and Richmond

* Forgive me the indulgence of this gratuitous history lesson – Although Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen and his wife, Lady Flo Bjelke-Petersen were Queensland’s first couple 1968-87, these controversial and colourful figures were well known throughout Australia. He for his policies that allowed controversial development unsullied by such considerations as standard approval processes, and allegations of corruption; she for the fabulous pumpkin scones for which she will always be remembered despite later becoming a senator in her own right.

The post Only in OZ #19 – Moon Rock-Throwing World Championships, Richmond, Queensland appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Lake Bellfield – AND Scenic Public Toilet – from Dam Wall, Grampians, Victoria

Lake Bellfield from the Amenities!

On the bottom of Lake Bellfied, mid-2000’s

Below the dam wall, Lake Bellfield, Grampians, Victoria

Echidna at Lake Bellfield, Grampians, Victoria

• Halls Gap
• Grampians National Park
• Pomonal/Lake Bellfield Tunnel track

Lake Bellfield Amenities Block – AND view!

If 78,500+ Megalitres isn’t quite enough water for you, get your fill over at Watery Wednesday!!  Enjoy!

The post Australia’s Scenic Public Toilets #21 – Lake Bellfield, Grampian NP, Victoria appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

‘What goes up must come down,’ she twanged, immediately identifying a) her astonishing originality and b) her country of origin.

Suitably dressed for a dusty, rocky climb through clinging vines, a charred mountainside and tropical humidity in a white ‘resort’ dress and gold sandals, this gem fell from her pinkly glossed lips and dropped like pearls of wisdom before swine. The artfully abstracted way her be-ringed hand floated through the air, its great stone winking and flashing in the hot midday sun, immediately telegraphed a recent wedding.

How much longer they’d be together was less evident. His well worn hiker kit – ‘real’ hiking boots with thick socks, water backpack, old T-shirt, hat and pink zinc clearly spelled out more than one significant difference between them.

Several thousand kilometres into a winter road trip – and bailed up in Townsville with car trouble – we’d escaped to nearby Magnetic Island for a day of tropical R&R. But that’s the benefit of an Australian road trip – heading off the tourist trail for new experiences is so often the most rewarding part of the journey! As it proved for us on this fabulously perfect July day – winter, Tropical North Queensland style!!

On the steepest part of the Nelly Bay to Arcadia Walk track, Pilchard and I were now feeling the effects of setting out on a 6 km hike without food or water, our towel-laden backpacks weighing us down in the tropical humidity. It was all just a simple misunderstanding! Arriving on Magnetic Island, 8 km and 20 minutes by ferry from Townsville, we planned an action-packed schedule over morning tea at the terrific Nelly Bay bakery. As you do.

The first leg of the Nelly Bay to Arcadia walk reached a lookout from which great views were promised. A 45 minute return trip, according to the brochure – and we’d see a new (to us) part of the island before returning for lunch then still have ample time for several other Magnetic Island activities before the evening ferry.

BUT … wandering along the road from the bakery to the trail head, then winding up more steeply through the rainforest to the vantage point took longer than anticipated. Every few steps was a new bird, flower or vista to admire and/or photograph. By the time we reached the overgrown lookout, we’d already been going the best part of an hour, so it was a cinch to continue up the track in quest of a better view.

We could always turn back, couldn’t we??

Winding ever upwards, the track grade quickly moved from ‘easy’ to – well, that depends on your point of view! And whether or not you’re a masochistic young fit person. Cue the flash of gold sandals as the honeymooners gained on us – nothing for it but to stop and admire the view move over and let them pass. Pausing only to ask how far to the nearest latte the bride trilled her words of ‘wisdom’ before disappearing behind her hiker husband with a swirl of white skirts.

Well, they WERE 20 years younger than us. At least. Probably.

But the honeymoon couple’s passing heralded a wildlife bonanza as a passing flock of Red-tailed Black Cockatoo (above) distracted me from uncharitable thoughts on maintaining white frock cleanliness. And as I neatly captured them – the ‘black dots’ cleverly shown in this rare ‘wildlife action’ shot – we reached the point of no return. The food and drink of Arcadia beckoned and we reluctantly abandoned fantasies of lunching at the Nelly Bay bakery.

A little further and the panorama over Magnetic Island’s magnificent Horseshoe Bay (first picture above) stretched out in front of us through the heat haze.

Staggering.

The track headed downhill from here, but several kilometres of walking remained and I started to fantasize about bottles of cold water. Actually, make that flagons. And plunging into the sea to sluice off the dirt and sweat after flinging off my non-white (but still grubby) clothing …

That’s the only explanation I have for missing the droppings on the ground. Because if, like Pilchard, I’d seen them, I would have looked above to identify who or what was responsible. Naturally. BUT happily, wanting to gloat over share his find with me, Pilchard pointed out the culprit.

Much easier to capture that elusive ‘wildlife action’ shot on this little critter.  I take no responsibility for the angle of this photo – take comfort that not many have looked up a wild koala’s bum at THIS close range!!

Apart from a further wildlife sighting – this time ‘overseas-tourist-hunting-for-the-hiking-track’ – the southern descent into the suburbs of Arcadia was uneventful. Except to say if this is suburbia, bring it on!!

Oh! And also the staggering views across the strait to the mainland – and Townsville!

I didn’t notice my audience until I’d come up for air – after lining up two drinks and inhaling one of the best fishburgers I’ve had the pleasure of from Arcadia’s Butler’s Pantry.

Once common as pets, Bush Stone-curlew is better known to Pilchard and I as ‘Shrieking (insert expletive here)’ for the astonishing cry it lets loose at unexpected moments. Usually in the middle of the night in what has become its 21^st century natural habitat, the caravan park. Right under our bed end. But I digress … this one was just foraging for snacks. Tough luck, matey. Nothing heading your way today!

And that swim was on the cards after all with a bus ride down to Horseshoe Bay – the perfect finale to our Nelly Bay to Arcadia walk!

I got to do this while on an Aussie Road Trip.  But if you’re pressed for time, why not visit Townsville and Magnetic Island the FAST way with the best flights you can get?

Go on! You KNOW you want to!

Want MORE?

• Magnetic Island
• Townsville
• Tropical North Queensland
• MORE Magnetic Island Photos on Flickr!

The post Walk Nelly Bay to Arcadia! Magnetic Island via Townsville, Queensland appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Hollow Mountain and Mt Stapylton from the Mt Zero Summit, Northern Grampians, Victoria

Hauling myself up the rocky drop-off towering above my head, I desperately clung to the cold hand rail, slippery with drizzle, hoping like hell my arms wouldn’t give way. Vertigo kicked in as I scrabbled for a foothold. Looking neither to the right (dizzying drop off) or the left (dizzying drop off), I focused on wedging the toe of my trusty Aussie T-boot into the cleft in the rock.

Looking down the track

Looking North from Mt Zero summit, Grampians, Victoria

No wonder it’s not visible from the summit!

Coming down the mountain – wildflowers on Mt Zero track!

• Mt Zero and Northern Grampians walks
• Grampians National Park, Victoria
• Halls Gap, Grampians
• The Big Koala, Dadswells Bridge

One other thing … are the other bloggers participating in Our World Tuesday younger, fitter and more active than I?  Find out by clicking HERE!

The post Walk Mount Zero! appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Apart from the snake on the beach, our island circumnavigation stroll was pleasant, albeit uneventful.

But a frisson of danger changes everything – and an element of uncertainty elevates the ordinary, or even just plain old pleasant, into something more remarkable, doesn’t it?

Or is that just me?

Whether Griffiths Island, at the mouth of Port Fairy’s Moyne River on Victoria’s Great Ocean Road, is a miracle of engineering or a fine example of ecological vandalism depends on whether you’re a colonialist or an environmentalist.

But the amalgamation of Griffiths and Rabbit islands in the mid-1800s via a breakwater, causeways, retaining walls and riverbed silt today provides a breeding haven for Short-tailed Shearwater (Puffinus tenuirostris), commonly known as mutton birds – an imaginative name bestowed by early settlers in honour of the main use to which they were put.

The mutton bird bodies littering the roadside aren’t due to hunters and gatherers these days, however. After flying 15,000 km from their Aleutian Islands/Kamchatka Peninsula winter home, the central Pacific’s buffeting south east winds claim many victims. But despite the huge distances, locals advise that the birds arrive in Port Fairy within three days of 22^ndSeptember EVERY YEAR!

A ‘lifer’* for keen twitcher** Pilchard, our October 2011 visit was ideal timing – the birds had arrived, but had not yet returned to the sea for their post-mating two week ‘honeymoon’!   According to the Natural Resources and Environment pamphlet ‘Griffiths Island Shearwater Colony’ to which I’m indebted for much of the information in this post, anyway!

And to a dedicated twitcher, sighting a dead bird doesn’t count …

But Griffiths Island isn’t just about birds. While no evidence remains of the whaling station, unsuccessful mission and lighthouse keepers’ cottages of yesteryear, the 3km interpretive walking trail passes the shearwater viewing platform and lighthouse before detouring onto the beach.

And the snake.

I would have taken a photo if the uncharacteristically balletic wings of ‘flight’ hadn’t somehow shifted me several metres away, shrieking like a girl, within a split second!

And Pilchard would have identified the snake if only it had uncoiled while he was standing right beside it … despite my reassurance that ‘snake’ was specific enough for me!!

Enough to send us scuttling back to one of Port Fairy’s two bakeries for a restorative snack!  Although you’re right … it wouldn’t take much!!

On the cusp of the Kanawinka Global Geopark area of volcanic diversity, largest of its kind in the world, and the Bonney Upwelling*** where nutrient-rich water from Antarctica flows onto the continental shelf in certain conditions, Griffiths Island, Port Fairy and surrounds form a unique region of amazing natural phenomena well worth another visit.

And with any luck next time the snakes will stay away!

* Lifer = bird never sighted before

** Twitcher = birdwatcher – yes, the feathered variety …

*** Cool names, huh?!

Want MORE?

• Griffiths Island and Shearwater Colony
• Port Fairy
• Great Ocean Road
• Short-tailed Shearwater
• Kanawinka Global Geopark
• Bonney Upwelling
• Brave Andrew Highriser’s Snake Pic!!!

The post OZ Top Spot #11 – Griffiths Island, Port Fairy, Victoria appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.