Are you ready to return to that magical land of mountains awash with rocks and rainforest; steep passes, plunging waterfalls and patch-worked plains; green and glowing with magnificent sunsets?

What land is this?

It’s Australia’s amazing Scenic Rim Region that I introduced in Part One HERE! Don’t recall? Check it out NOW! I’ll wait …

… OK! You’re back!

So I don’t have to tell you again that the semi-circular Scenic Rim runs along the rugged ranges of the border between Queensland and New South Wales about an hour west of Australia’s far better known east coast hotspots like Byron Bay, the Gold Coast and Surfers Paradise. It’s not that far from Brisbane, either.

And I certainly wouldn’t dream of repeating myself to say it’s quite different to ANY of these – and most other places in Australia as well! SO … if you haven’t already put the Scenic Rim on your ‘MUST SEE’ list, do it NOW!

I’ll wait …

… Oh! You want MORE random adventures?

OK! Read ON!

The Lady of the Lake

Don’t hate me!

I’d spent SO much time using Lake Moogerah as a mere backdrop to (all modesty aside) stunning sunrise (see Part One), lovely landscape (see Flickr) and superb sunset (see below) photos, I hadn’t seen it as an attraction in its own right.

Despite its 8.27 km² surface area!

So on our last day in the Scenic Rim Region, we hired a boat – the same one shamelessly used as a sunset shot prop – from the Lake Moogerah Caravan Park and spent four fun-filled hours exploring the lake.

Reversing the usual vista of the lake from the shore was a master-stroke of staggering genius for both the birdo (Pilchard) and wannabe-photographer (Red) AND a cheap half-day out at only $60! If possible, the landscape – perfect but for the pall of smoke from yet another controlled burn-off – was even MORE sensational than from the shore.

Signs on the shoreline show the height reached by the dam during the rain events and flooding of January, 2011 which also flooded Brisbane. Cruising past the mass concrete double curvature arch dam wall with an ungated spillway that would have been several metres below us during those floods made what we’d seen on TV more real.

As we cruised Lake Moogerah’s long and varied shoreline, the four hours we’d hired the tinnie for disappeared in a flash!  Imagine how much MORE time we’d have needed if we’d actually gone fishing instead of indulging in a birding/photographic frenzy?!?

That’s why this lady sees a lot more of THAT lake in her future …

Mt Barney’s Lower Portals

Warnings about unmarked tracks, rockfalls and fitness requirements deterred us from scaling Mt Barney’s 1300+ metre high twin summits. Even the ‘safer’ walks around Mt Barney’s base were still riddled with hazards.

That’s if we could even get there without a 4WD!

But the imposing magnificence of the Mt Barney Peaks dominating the landscape en route from NSW town Woodenbong to Queensland town Rathdowney had cast their spell. And who knew when – or whether – we’d pass this way again?

So although a burn-off on one of the mountain’s flanks was scheduled on the day of our Mt Barney hike, the forecast suggested the prevailing winds would blow the smoke away. And heavy hiking boots would make short work of the washaways and moderate to steep gradients of the 7.4 km return Lower Portals trail.

We weren’t in any hurry!

A couple of kilometres, some magnificent forest and a kookaburra later, the wind changed direction and the valleys filled with a blue, smoky haze. Not just ‘smoky’, but ACTUAL SMOKE! I could see a long session at the Lake Moogerah campground laundry in my future – but in the meantime, it enhanced my photos superbly!

The campground at the track’s junction with Mt Barney Creek was the first I’d ever been to accessible only by foot, but its location beside the rocky gorges of the Lower Portals almost made me wish I’d carried my body weight in camping gear in so I could stay there.

ALMOST!

The most hazardous part of the hike, however, wasn’t the road in; thickening smoke; rocks in the creek; or challenging track conditions – but passing a group of what seemed like dozens of teenage boys addressing each other in the incomprehensible teen-speak of youth, pungent from the sweat and smoke of a 3-day camping trek around Mt Barney’s highlights as they headed back to the trailhead with the mindless dedication of a mass lemming migration.

Where’s the hazard, you ask?

Well … YOU try maintaining a steady pace – NO puffing or panting! – while climbing an astonishingly steep staircase as you respond (in a normal voice) to the polite greetings of the group and their minders! ALL with a smile on your non-red face!

I dare YOU to try it!

The Condamine River Valley

Our first visit to the Scenic Rim and we didn’t even know the Condamine River Valley existed.

A week later we’d seen this part of Australia’s longest river system twice!

From the New South Wales side, we drove the Lindesay Road, arguably Australia’s worst, from Woodenbong to Queen Mary Falls, then up the range to Carr’s lookout, and (arguably) one of Australia’s finest views across the Condamine Valley.

On that trip, we didn’t take the Head Road down into the valley.

But from Lake Moogerah, it’s a stunning drive through the valley then up an impossibly steep road to the scenic splendour of Carrs Lookout. There’s nowhere to hide on this narrow, steep and winding road, so hope like hell everyone else has seen the ‘not suitable for caravans’ warning signs!!

Tragically, the limitations of our vehicle meant we didn’t experience the 4WD-only Condamine River Road’s 14 creek crossings on the Cambanoora Gorge Circuit. So we took a superb morning tea at the Spring Creek Mountain Café just below Carrs Lookout as partial compensation for our disappointment.

It worked!

Cracking the Rocks at Mt French

At 468 metres above sea level, Mt French isn’t very high by either Australian OR Scenic Rim standards – and it’s SO off the radar by world standards! It’s the lowest of the four peaks that make up the Moogerah Peaks National Park. And it’s only a short drive to the top from Central Scenic Rim town Boonah!

But Mt French’s Logan’s Lookout is one of the highest points in the Fassifern Valley, thus giving great view over the much higher ranges to the south-west on the NSW/Queensland border. But the REAL attraction is the vertical fissuring which apparently makes this an internationally renowned ‘crack climbing crag’ – or so I am reliably informed.

On our late afternoon visit, there weren’t any climbers visible on Frog Buttress, the rocky outcrop at Mt French’s northern end where the crack rock climbers congregate. I guess once you’ve cracked the rock stacks, there’s nothing for it but to retreat to the Frog Buttress Campground.

And with a name like that AND a dose of cool Scenic Public Toilet, who wouldn’t want to stay there? Along with the crack-rock-climber-campers communing with nature via the enticing blend of electro-hip-hop-funky-c-rap spewing at a million decibels (give or take) from their appalling car sound system??

Perhaps crack-rock-climbing wasn’t the only ‘crack’ on offer!

Dang! Where DID I put those ear plugs??!!

Lake Moogerah Sunset

Amongst the detritus of the camera-battery-flattening array of Lake Moogerah shots my snap-happy shutter button finger (and I) took hour after punishing hour, there are a few sunset shots worth keeping.

Weirdly, all the good ones have props!

Taking a sunset stroll along Lake Moogerah’s shoreline became a habit on the nights with no rain, with one added bonus over the sunrise strolls – no one saw me in my pyjamas*!

Want MORE?

• Where is the Scenic Rim?
• Scenic Rim Region Activities and Attractions
• Lake Moogerah
• Mount Barney National Park
• Carrs Lookout and Condamine River Valley
• Mount French and Moogerah Peaks National Park
• Random Adventures in the Scenic Rim Part ONE
• MORE photos on Flickr HERE!

* See Lake Moogerah Sunrise in Part One

Previous Post: Adelaide, Autumn, and the Mt Lofty Botanic Garden 

NEXT Post: Tour the Yorke Peninsula via its BEST Scenic Loos! 

The post Random Adventures in the Scenic Rim Part TWO appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

There’s a magical, mystical land where ancient, dense rainforests cloak majestic mountains, their serrated silhouettes marching across a dramatically sensational skyline. Where vertically columned cliffs fall into fertile valleys patch-worked with produce and criss-crossed by rocky streams.

Picturesque hamlets dot the landscape providing shelter, food and a base from which to explore their impossibly scenic surroundings. Numerous National parks showcase amazing natural attractions, wilderness and World Heritage forests which soften the harsh edges of the ring of ranges – once volcanoes – that define the Scenic Rim.

It’s a land where every journey is an adventure; every spot has a new surprise; and round every corner is an intriguing vista inviting the traveller to explore.

Water, mist and cloud; green and verdant jungle; high mountains and cold nights – is this REALLY Australia?

I succumbed to its splendour on arrival; I left a little piece of my heart behind when I left. But that means my return to the Scenic Rim is one day assured.

Only an hour south-west of Brisbane or west of the Gold Coast in Queensland’s south east, ‘Scenic Rim’ describes ranges rising sharply above the valleys to form a semi-circle. It’s a wonderfully diverse region that’s WAY too big for just one visit.

And it’s WAY too big for just one post! So sit back, relax, and enjoy the first instalment of random Scenic Rim adventures – then take the link to Part Two HERE!

The Governor’s Chair

For a quiet Sunday morning at the end of a rough and rugged transport trail, once the main trade route across the ranges to Brisbane, the Spicers Gap carpark was jumping.

We squeezed into a spot between a massive 4WD vehicle and a rustic wooden fence. 300 metres down a narrow foot trail, it was standing room only at the Governor’s Chair Lookout. A large mixed-age group had commandeered the rocky ledges overlooking the valley below and it sounded like someone was giving a speech.

Crap. Maybe taking in the reportedly spectacular view from #7 on our Scenic Rim Lookout list wasn’t going to be as easy as we’d thought.

But there was no way we’d driven this challenging road to miss out on seeing The Governor’s Chair. The lookout was a public place. Perhaps it was time for my two good elbows to get a workout.

As we drew closer, I could hear what the speaker was saying.

Double Crap. Pushing my way to the vantage point at the edge for a look-see while ancestral ashes were being scattered during a memorial service was out of the question, even for me.

The Spicers Gap road, hand-built and maintained from rock and wood in extremely challenging terrain and weather conditions, was an amazing feat of engineering for its time Walking a stretch of the road – now preserved as a conservation park – made me realise how soft we’ve become since we stopped being pioneers.

Despite the dull day, back at the lookout (now thankfully family-free) I could see why George Bowen – Queensland’s first governor – referred to it as an ‘incomparable panorama’.

And why it makes a perfect last resting spot.

MORE about the Governor’s Chair and Spicers Gap

Cunninghams Gap

Tempting though it was to climb either Mt Mitchell (1162 m) or Mt Cordeaux (1144 m) towering above either side of Cunningham’s Gap, most memorable of our Scenic Rim range crossings, the warnings of sheer cliffs edges, serious injury and/or death were off-putting.

The level of fitness required for such hikes, did NOT of course, have ANYTHING to do with it

So we chose the more benign Rainforest and Palm Grove Circuits.

Tragically however, the sign at the Palm Grove trailhead also warned of steep cliffs – but apart from one scary drop-off into oblivion where I closed my eyes and scuttled across, hugging the side of the mountain worked for me.

Having the foresight to pick up a bakery lunch also worked for me.

And sitting in the picnic ground with that lunch got me a rare sighting of the Liz Taylor of the bird world – Satin Bowerbird with its incredible violet eyes!

MORE about Cunningham’s Gap and Main Range National Park

BIG 3 at the Bakery, Kalbar

In the unlikely event the Kalbar Bakery hasn’t got what you want, it’s a pretty safe bet that just a few kilometres away, outlet #2 at Aratula WILL. Impossible to pick a favourite, we gave both bakeries a workout – sometimes both on the same day – during a week in the Scenic Rim region.

Usually, a Bakery BIG 3 consists of a pie, a sweet and a drink – for me, the more exotic the better.

But very, Very, VERY occasionally, it’s not all about the food.

And on this sunny downunder winter day, we emerged from the Kalbar Bakery to find a very different BIG 3!

Can you guess which car is ours?

MORE about Kalbar Bakery

The Other Side … Koreelah National Park

With more National Parks within cooee than you can poke a stick at (if you’ll excuse my descent into the depths of Aussie slang), you’d think there’d be enough natural attractions on the Queensland side of the Scenic Rim to keep us busy.

But drive south along Carney’s Creek road, then up the range and across the Queensland border into New South Wales for a masterclass in natural attractions.

Beware – this intriguing blend of Gondwana Rainforest, Scenic Rim silhouettes and bizarrely shaped mountains is so spectacular you may find yourself considering a tree-change (aka mid-life crisis) move to the Rim.

Despite roads described by those more charitable than I as ‘pretty ordinary’ and ‘dirt’.

From the border crossing on top of the range, the road plunged down into the Koreelah Creek valley, skirting the park’s eastern boundary. Reports of the shady, spacious – and empty – campground’s attractions included a waterfall, rocky gorge and benign wildlife such as koala, wallaby and platypus.

But what I DON’T get is why the listed attractions DIDN’T include the bushland scenic public loo – OR the snake?

MORE about Koreelah National Park

Lake Moogerah Morning

I’m SO not a morning person. But for a Lake Moogerah morning with the sun rising through a layer of frosty mist over the water against the magnificently mountainous backdrop of the Scenic Rim, I’ll make an exception any time.

After escaping the freezing night temperatures between polar flannel sheets in our cozy camper-trailer set up in the Lake Moogerah Caravan Park, you’d think the last thing on earth I’d want to do was face the frigid dawn.

And you’d be right, except for one thing. The call of nature, right on cue around sunrise.

Once I was up, daybreak cast its spell and I wandered the foreshore as the sun touched the magical mountain tops, photographing the ever-changing landscape ’til my fingers went numb with cold.

I wonder could anyone tell I was still in my pyjamas?!

MORE about Lake Moogerah and Lake Moogerah Caravan Park 

Want MORE?

• Where is the Scenic Rim?
• Scenic Rim Region
• Random Adventures in the Scenic Rim PART TWO!
• Adventures across the Border in Woodenbong
• MORE photos on Flickr HERE!

Like it?  SHARE it!  Buttons below!!

The post Random Adventures in the Scenic Rim: Part One appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

By Northern Hemisphere standards, winter in many areas of Australia isn’t particularly cold. But that doesn’t stop a mass exodus from the ‘cold’ south during the Aussie winter (officially June/July/August), to the north where it’s actually hot!

But it’s not just the average daily maximum of around 30 °C that makes the Kimberley region stretching across the north of Western Australia attractive in winter.

There’s also the spectacular scenery. Unique land formations and oddities. An intriguing indigenous and colonial history. And a chance to experience the remote outback. It’s crocodile country – and wild Australia at its best!

But there’s a LOT of it. So where do you start?

With this sampler of 7 Random Kimberley Adventures, right here on RedzAustralia, of course!

1 Lake Argyle Morning Cruise

“Freakin’ HUGE” is the best technical term for Australia’s largest artificial lake formed when the Ord River was dammed. At nearly 11 million megalitres (18 times bigger than Sydney Harbour) of water spread over 1000 km², Lake Argyle is recognised as one of the world’s great engineering feats.

But the staggering Kimberley scenery was too distracting for statistics on our early morning cruise as we sped over the tranquil surface of this inland sea, for kilometre after punishing kilometre until the horizon was a world of water interrupted only by the islands we passed. Actually, they’re mountain tops from the ranges submerged by the waters of the lake.

But the lake’s 35,000 crocodiles are by far the most impressive mega-statistics in this larger-than-life landscape. And although they’re reportedly the less dangerous freshwater crocs, they breed unabated as natural predators are no longer a part of this artificial environment. BUT! Over the years, a few small saltwater crocodiles have been found. I guess 1.5 metres is small when you’re a saltie …

Given the relatively small sector of the lake we travelled, it’s hardly surprising that of the lake’s estimated 35,000 crocodiles – ie one to every 314 megalitres – we only saw two.

And while I could find no reports of whether or not their presence distracts swimmers in Lake Argyle’s annual 10 and 20 km swimming races, I KNOW they’ll never get the chance to distract me! Not when there’s a knockout infinity pool to swim in way above the crocs’ stamping ground!

MORE about Lake Argyle and Lake Argyle Cruises

2 Willie Creek Helicopter Flight

In retrospect, taking a helicopter flight above a crocodile infested creek probably wasn’t the best choice of tour for an Aviophobic. But as the chopper swung out above Willie Creek Pearl Farm and over the work of art along the coastline created as the almost-highest tides in the Southern Hemisphere shifted sandbanks against the greens and blues of the water, I forgot my fears. Maybe snapping about 300 photos was a successful distraction as well.

As was the thought of buying a souvenir from the pearl farm shop on our return. If we made it.

I didn’t want to be rude to the enthusiastic young pilot, but I didn’t care that we were flying over the exact spot where Miranda Kerr once modelled something or other. Couldn’t he see I wasn’t a Miranda-wannabee, even if her ex and I shared a star sign? Besides, the chances of the sandbanks being exactly as they were when Miranda languished upon them were fairly remote – with tonnes of sand and metres of water swirling about twice a day, finding the ‘same’ sandbank two days in a row had about the same probability as Miranda and I being mistaken for twins.

‘Is that big crocodile still down there on the sandbank?’ he asked as we circled back across the creek towards the Pearl Farm, as my white knuckles turned numb with the strain of keeping the helicopter in the air*.

It wasn’t. Sadly. Because that meant when the helicopter plunged into the creek, the croc was already there waiting for us. But I knew that at least in one thing I was WAAAAAY ahead of Miranda. And as I’d provide him with several more meals than Miranda would, I knew who he’d choose first. Who says supermodels have all the fun?

Strangely enough, despite my death wish, we landed without misadventure. And the $9 black seed pearl ring I selected from the childrens gift section suited me just fine.

What a shame it didn’t come in RED!

MORE about Willie Creek Helicopter Tours

3 Marlgu Billabong Croc-Spotting

The 15 km trek south from Wyndham to Marlgu Billabong passes through a dry-season Kimberley landscape with boab tree silhouettes against a low-lying mountain range against a bright blue sky – clear but for the dust haze – and a red, red road winding through grassy plains.

Yes, this classic Kimberley scenery is dry. VERY dry.

So you really can’t miss the unexpectedly long green and blue scar of Marlgu Billabong that slashes through the golden grass and dusty rocks of this arid landscape, sucking all the bird and animal life into its vortex!. It’s the go-to place for all sorts of wildlife viewing. Think bird watching. Crocodile hunting. And the most exciting activity of them all – people observation!

Although that tends to take a back seat when the crocodiles are smiling!

MORE about Marlgu Billabong

4 Gibb River Road Dynamic Duo

If your constitution, holiday time-frame or rig isn’t up for several days of the 600+ km of rough, rugged, rocky tyre-shredding ‘road’ that is Australia’s most iconic road trip, don’t panic. There’s still an opportunity to see more corrugations, bull dust and 4WD fanatics than you ever dreamed of on a one-day ~360 km round trip tour along the notorious road to Windjana Gorge and Tunnel Creek with a random selection of other passengers driven by a fearless Israeli on a RED 4WD bus.

It even doubles as a school bus in its spare time!

Before the Gibb River Road became a Boys Own Adventureland, Indigenous warrior and activist Tjandamarra conducted a campaign for the rights of his people against colonial settlers. With staggering scenery, crocodiles and other wildlife, and a strong cultural history, this tour from Derby guarantees the thrills of the Gibb River Road without damaging your own rig. Win-win, right?

But make no mistake. The road’s so rough I should’ve invested in a sports bra!

MORE about the Gibb River Road and Windjana Gorge/Tunnel Creek Day Tour

5 Australia’s Highest Tides

I’m a sucker for a World exclusive! But an Aussie one will do the trick – especially when it’s served up with a killer sunset so magnificent you forget that Australia’s highest tidal range is also served up with some killer hazards!

At low tide, signs on the Derby jetty warn of the 12 metre drop to the oozing mud below. And at high tide, it’s only a short drop into what have magically become crocodile infested waters. In between, the treacherous racing currents formed by the monster tides racing up and down King Sound form their own hazards.

But as the sun sinks into oblivion over the Sound, and the council worker with the unenviable task of clearing the fisherfolk, tourists and photographers from the jetty before dark starts his rounds, the hazards seem a long, long way away!

MORE about Australia’s Highest Tides

6 Geikie Gorge

I’ve never seen a real, live iceberg anywhere ever, but I certainly didn’t expect to see them in the middle of the Aussie Outback!

Just as well, because I didn’t!!

But the fantastically water-worn white surfaces of the ancient limestone reef as our boat drifted down Geikie Gorge are as close as I’ve ever been – so far! It’s also one of Australia’s largest rivers with a catchment area of 90,000 km² – and a flow rate of 30,000 m³ per second when it’s in flood, up to 26 metres above the old crossing. (Note to self: stay away during the wet season)

That’s WAY more than enough water to carve the limestone into the bizarre shapes and patterns towering high above us as the boat chugged its way up the gorge, although it’s hard to imagine the impact of 26 metres of water flowing above us.

I don’t know where the freshwater crocodiles go when the river’s in full flood, but they don’t go anywhere when it’s not. Seeing a crocodile – or several – is almost a sure thing on both the cruise AND the gorge walks that follow the river.

So I’m betting it’s the only place in the world that serves up crocodiles with its ‘icebergs’!

MORE about Geikie Gorge

7 Kununurra Campsite

There ARE some advantages to having a low-tech rig. Despite the crowds of grey nomads seeking caravan park sites, we scored a spacious, shaded campsite in a prime lakefront position at the Kununurra Lakeside Resort because, unlike many of the bigger rigs, we could live without power and mains pressure water.

It was worth it.

During the heat of the day we rested in the shade and watched the bird life on Lily Creek Lagoon, a few metres from our camper trailer. In the evening, we watched the killer Kimberley sunsets sinking behind the lake. And at night, the red glow from the eyes of the crocodiles in the lagoon reflected from the beams of our torch.

What’s NOT to love?

A few days into our stay, we noticed a commotion a few metres out from shore. A bird had mistaken the lily pads for firm ground while taking a bath and had fallen in. Now its feathers were soaking wet and it was unable to haul itself onto the relative safety of the lily pad.

Would YOU enter a croc-infested lagoon to save a bird from almost certain death by drowning? If you’re thinking ‘NO WAY’, then I’m with you. But luckily the freshies weren’t hungry that day because Pilchard and two nearby campers waded in to the shallows with a fishing rod and rescued the bird – and all survived unscathed without losing any limbs!

Perhaps they were just unappetising??

Want MORE?

• These random adventures (mostly) have crocodiles! For some of my (mostly) croc-free Kimberley adventures, try (in no particular order) these:
  • Black Rock Falls
  • Gantheaume Point
  • Sun Pictures
  • Broome Bird Observatory
  • Mirima National Park
  • Kununurra Cane Toad Racing
  • Five Rivers Lookout
  • The Grotto

• Visit the official Kimberley website HERE for help planning YOUR Kimberley adventure
• Check out more of my Kimberley photos on Flickr

* It’s a little known fact that those afflicted with fear of flying can keep a flying object (like a plane or helicopter) airborne through a combination of sheer willpower AND gripping the armrests tightly enough to stop them vibrating. Try it sometime!

The post 7 Random Kimberley Adventures appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Australian Opal

I didn’t understand all the fuss about SiO₂.nH₂O until 2004.

That’s when I first visited Coober Pedy.  It’s slap bang in the middle of absolutely freakin’ nowhere in the South Australian Outback.  And it’s where I first found a piece of SiO₂.nH₂O I wanted to take home with me.

You might know SiO₂.nH₂O better as Hydrous Silica. Or maybe Opal!  Down here, diamonds AREN’T a girl’s best friend. 95% of the world’s opal is sourced from downunder, so Australia comes by its national gemstone honestly!  Australian Opal Rules!

Back in Coober Pedy, there was only one thing standing between me and my Opal. A small matter of $AUD800+. A bit much for my wallet, even if it was already a tasteful ring that actually fitted me.

But then I had a scathingly brilliant idea!  Why not find my OWN piece of opal and make my OWN jewellery? It couldn’t be THAT hard, could it?

So over the next few years I disregarded the legendary BAD luck attached to precious opal. My quest took me to five Aussie opal towns, also slap bang in the middle of nowhere. That’s because the ideal climatic and geological factors in which cryptocrystalline hydrous silica (yep, that’s yet another way of saying OPAL!) forms seem to occur in the harshest, most desolate and inhospitable land on earth.

Where else but the Australian Outback!

Was my quest successful? Well … here’s a set of random adventures from each Australian Opal town!

1. Coober Pedy, SA – Australian Opal’s capital

I awoke in perfect pitch blackness and waited for my eyes to adjust to the light.

They didn’t.

That’s what happens in a windowless room hewn from the solid rock under Coober Pedy in the middle of the night. But for the absence of shackles we could have been in a dungeon. Although the locals who’d built underground to beat the heat were probably used to it.

Meanwhile, the noise from above that had woken me – a pinging sound like pebbles on an iron roof – continued.

I put aside thoughts of poison pills, ventilator shafts and being buried alive. If anyone wanted to do me in, it’d be simpler to dump me in a disused mine-shaft!

Most of South Australia’s 80% contribution to the world opal market is mined in Coober Pedy.  It’s a pock-marked paradise where the golf course (‘blacks’ instead of ‘greens’) enjoys reciprocal rights with St Andrews of Scotland.

This isolated town has what I believe to the world’s only underground campground.  The Big Winch also has the distinction of being first place in the world where we successfully demonstrated a complete lack of opal-finding expertise.

And the noise?? Rain, of course!

2. Yowah, QLD – Australian Opal Exclusive

From our vantage point high above on the Bluff, the small town was almost lost in an endless sprawl of vegetation.  It promised total disorientation if you left the main road in.

Below us was the only place in the world where Yowah Nuts – small rocky nuggets of opal – are found.

Stay in Yowah for a full-on Outback experience to go with your Yowah Nuts.  This town is SO remote it’s visited by the Royal Flying Doctor Service.  The only fuel in town at the caravan park is only available to their paying guests!

I didn’t expect to meet an ex-legionnaire, whose anecdotes about life in the Foreign Legion, including the true meaning of ‘decimate’, kept us entertained over lunch at the town’s only cafe!

After that, getting a fossickers license seemed a bit anti-climactic.

Luckily for inept unlucky opal-mining tragics like me, opal can be purchased locally.

SO … I was forced to descend into true tourist behaviour.  After passing up several fiendishly expensive cuts, I bought my first ever piece of opal.

A multi-coloured shard of Yowah Nut cunningly carved into a pendant.

Although I have to stand right for the sun to illuminate its colours, at only $AU25, it’s a reminder of what awaits our return to Yowah.

3. Lightning Ridge, NSW

As we left the Lightning Ridge Visitor Information Centre, I was asked the dumbest question in living memory.

‘D’ya reckon we’ll like it here, love?’ the the most inebriated of a clutch of beer-swigging Grey Nomads asked.  He drunkenly staggered against the door as he held it open for me.

Say what?

But Lightning Ridge is memorable for a whole lot of other reasons. We followed the ‘Car Door’ self drive tours to the Corcoran Opal fields – the richest stretch of black-opal-bearing soil on earth.  We also saw enough quirky attractions to make us wonder exactly what was in the super-heated bore water bubbling up from the Great Artesian Basin way below into the hot baths full of tourists exhausted after a day in the diggings.

Quirky Lightning Ridge

Think Flying Combi, the Chambers of the Black Hand, the Black Queen Experience and Amigo’s Castle! AND it’s home of the self-proclaimed ONLY black-opal-mining Cactus Farmers in the WORLD!! Black opal requires a tonne of equipment to reach the depths at which it is found.  So our short stay was spent exploring the place where legendary and prolific Aussie author, Ion Idriess worked and wrote ‘Lightning Ridge’ over 100 years ago.

Ironic, though, that any one of his books is now worth more than all the Australian opal Pilchard and I have EVER scavenged put together!!

4. White Cliffs, NSW

Call me a coward, but I can’t face the overhang of a LOOONG ladder tilting backwards into oblivion with nothing between me and the bottom of the mine shaft.  That’s why I did my ‘research’ on the surface while brave boy Pilchard went below for a mine tour.

The good news is there’s almost as much opal on the surface these days.  It’s hidden in the cast-offs surrounding the deserted mine-shafts scattered over the surface, if you don’t mind worthless smaller pieces! Tragically, the collection of ‘colour’ Pilchard and I found after a hard day digging won’t even make jewellery, let alone our fortune.  But I finally got the thrill of the quest and why people keep coming back for more.

Besides, White Cliffs is the only place on earth with unique Australian Opal Pineapples!

As a special treat, the owners of the Red Earth Opal Showroom and Cafe who’d shown Pilchard through their mine, threw in an above-ground mine-shaft tour for free for me.

A real bargain considering it normally costs 50c!

And what’s NOT to love about the place I spent 7½ minutes in paradise?

5. Quilpie, QLD

A bakery run by a gun shearer who still holds the world record for the most sheep shorn in one day is one of many distractions from Quilpie’s main business of mining boulder opal. Hell, with its own HOT Artesian Bore baths and in-season entertainment, you don’t even have to leave the Caravan Park to find yourself a good time!

It’s also not far from Eromanga – arguably furthest spot from the ocean in any direction in Australia.  With attractions like these, you could stay in Quilpie for a week without even thinking about Opal.

The ‘Deuces Wild’ Opal Mine is SO remote a rescue party is sent out (at your expense) if you’re not back by 5:00pm. The distraction of Bourkes Parrot, a lifer for twitcher Pilchard, was almost enough excitement without hunting for the elusive opal.

On the claim, our ever-growing opal-mining ‘expertise’ resulted in some seams of ‘colour’ running through the rock. But while they look nice in the sun, I’m not sure how they’ll become my Opal Ring …

The Quest for Australian Opal Continues

To date, the unkind could successfully argue my quest for my own piece of SiO₂.nH₂O jewelry has been a fools errand! But in the process, I’ve discovered an intriguing sub-culture out on the edge which I’m not yet done exploring.

SO … watch this space – and maybe next time I’ll hit the Australian Opal jackpot!

Want MORE?

• Opal according to Wikipedia
• Coober Pedy, South Australia
• Yowah, Queensland
• Lightning Ridge, New South Wales
• White Cliffs, New South Wales
• Quilpie, Queensland
• MORE Aussie ABC!

The post Aussie ABC: O is for Opal! appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

1 The Gun Birder*

Driving a bouncing 4WD with 4 passengers along a rough station track in search of Australia’s rarest bird wasn’t cramping the gun birder’s style one bit. All I could see were the vast, rolling plains of grass and samphire stretching to the horizon against an endless blue sky.

But our driver and guide on the Broome Bird Observatory Yellow Chat tour was unfazed by the spectacular scenery.  He could spot a bird at a hundred paces.

Calling birds to the left, right, in front and behind, he parked the 4WD at the massive lagoon, site of multiple Yellow Chat sightings.  He handed out the telescopes and set off at a brisk trot through the probably snake-ridden samphire towards the middle distance. The non-birdo Melbourne yuppie couple who’d joined us on the tour glanced at each other apprehensively. I guessed the tour wasn’t exactly what they’d thought.

Then I saw it. Over by the lagoon, a dark bird shape lurked on the shore! I pointed it out to Pilchard. And the yuppies. AND the GUN BIRDER! Who immediately trained a telescope in the general direction and invited me to step up and identify the bird. As if.

But I obligingly hoisted my camera out of the way and peered through the eye-piece, immediately diagnosing why the bird hadn’t moved.

Because even when they’re bird-shaped, pieces of driftwood rarely do.

At least the sudden and immediate loss of credibility left me free to take photos. And I DID see the elusive Yellow Chat – although YOU won’t! Not here, anyway. They were too far away to get a good shot.

But who’d doubt a gun birder??

*Gun Birder = Birding expert

2 The Massive Blush

The Broome Bird Observatory is one of the most significant migratory shore bird sites in the world. Thousands of waders, and more than 300 species congregate on the shores each year.

But it’s still apparently OK to drive along the pristine shores of Roebuck Bay.

Because negotiating the huge 9+ metre tide and treacherous rock, mangrove and soft sand hazards REALLY gives those driving skills a workout, wouldn’t it?!

Even if it is a bummer for the poor birds …

Having to phone a friend to pull you out when you’re bogged might be a little embarrassing.

But then who do you call when BOTH of you are hopelessly bogged and that massive tide’s rolling in??

However, the chances of the skipper getting massive all-body blush when explaining to the insurance company why two vehicles were trapped in the bay were actually very low.

Because from all accounts there WAS no insurance …

3 The Fog

In north-west western Australia’s Broome region, the Indigenous Yawuru people’s season of Barrgana has certain characteristics.   We could expect day after punishing day of endless blue sky, daytime maximum temperatures between 28°and 31° C, coolish nights and no rain.

That’s why the smart travellers head to Broome during the Aussie winter from June to August.

The smart birders head to the Broome Bird Observatory in August.  That’s because as the temperatures increase, the migrating wading birds start to arrive.

A change dropping the temperature by a few degrees was a welcome respite from the mini-heatwave in the depths of the moistureless and arid dry season.

But who knew an early morning fog would momentarily change the landscape into a magical wonderland??

4 The Birds, the BIRDS!

After my embarrassing sighting of the rare driftwood bird (see #1 above), I spent the rest of our BBO stay with my mouth firmly – and uncharacteristically – shut. I and my small camera with the non-detachable lens were decidedly outclassed by the big lens birding brigade.  So my photos from the Broome Bird Observatory show embarrassingly few actual birds.

Maybe my big bird photography lens envy was cramping my style.

I swung our borrowed ‘scope (that’s ‘telescope’ for you non-birders out there) along the length of ‘Wader Bay’.  Suddenly, the morass of what I thought to be pebbles and rocks at the waters edge jumped into focus and became hundreds and thousands of birds!!

We clocked up lifer after lifer (birds we’d never seen before) through the magical magnification of ‘scope and bins (binoculars!).  But although the huge mixed flocks moved ever closer with the tides, they remained resolutely rock-like in my photos.

Strangely enough, many birds failed to present in perfect photographic pose, with their best side conveniently facing my looming lens.

Is it so wrong to prefer mediocre landscape photography to mediocre wildlife photography?

5 And the Birders …

NOT possessing the birding gene can work against one at the Broome Bird Observatory, but it isn’t necessarily a character flaw! It’s actually an advantage to budding anthropologists wishing to observe the daily life of participants in the extreme sport of bird-watching.

Of course it’d be rude to point out the birder’s quirks, flaws and foibles.

Birds?  Or NON-birds??

So instead, I’ve listed a few observations to demonstrate SIX subtle differences between ME and the REAL birders:

1. Seeing ANY bird in the distance isn’t a signal to immediately stop what I’m doing and raise my binoculars.
2. ‘Eating’ and ‘Birdwatching’ are mutually exclusive activities. So are ‘Conversing’ and ‘Birdwatching’.
3. I’m a recovering non-birder with a photographic fixation. Don’t hate me because some of my photos don’t have birds in them.
4. Call me crazy, but I’ve been known to select holiday destinations without knowing what birds I’ll see there. And I collect brochures about attractions other than birding hotspots.
5. ‘Good Morning’ means ‘Good Morning’. NOT ‘How many birds have you seen already today, what were they and where were they?’
6. I don’t know how many birds are on my ‘lifer’ list. No, I don’t want – or need – any help with that.

6  Is the Sea Blue?  OR BROWN?!

Fresh from King Sound and the highest tides in the Southern Hemisphere, the school group from just up the coast in Derby descended on the Broome Bird Observatory viewing platform like a flock of rampaging emus.

Any self-respecting bird would run a mile.

But the famous Roebuck Bay tranquillity slowly worked its magic. Well … that and a few well-chosen witticisms from the long-suffering teachers.

‘Send me a postcard, mate,’ one teacher called out over the hubbub to a young student indulging his not-so-secret passion for telescope wrangling.

‘What, miss?’ He turned, puzzled.

‘Because if you keep that up, you’ll be WALKING home to Derby,’ she shot back at him.

Chastened, the group calmed and looked out over the famous blue, Blue, BLUE of the bay.

‘Where’s the mud, miss?’ another student ventured.

This time I was puzzled. Until I recalled that not so far up the coast at Derby, the tidal movement of the 9^th biggest tide in the world moves tonnes of mud up and down King Sound.

So for these students brought up on its shores, the sea is BROWN! Who says travel doesn’t broaden the mind?!?!

But hiding in the twisted branches of a tree just a few metres away from the fractured peace of this rollicking school excursion, Tawny Frogmouth slept on, safe in his daytime disguise …

Visit the Broome Bird Observatory

A few kilometres north of Broome and run by Birdlife Australia, the Broome Bird Observatory is a rare opportunity to explore a different side of Australia.  If you’re not afraid to rub shoulders with birdos, it offers accommodation, a camp-ground and tours to birding hotspots.

You don’t have to be a twitcher (ie birdwatcher) to explore the stunning coastline.  You can also discover amazing wildlife and wildflowers, walk the trails through woodland habitats or relax around the evening campfire.

But if you DO get the chance to experience this staggeringly scenic hideaway, I bet you’ll be back for more …

Have I talked you into it?  Get started on YOUR Broome adventure with cheap flights right here!

Want MORE?

• Broome Bird Observatory
• More about Broome, Western Australia
• Broome Flickr Photos
• MORE RedzAustralia Birding Adventures!

The post 6 Random Moments at the Broome Bird Observatory! appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

1. Happy Campers – Bright Big 4 Caravan Park

From the expletives, it appeared the rain-lashed grey nomads repeatedly jack-knifing their massive van into the bushes around their campsite as thunder rumbled thorough the night were NOT “Livin’ the Dream” their van proclaimed. Although their inadvertent behavioural benchmark reinforced the pact between Pilchard and I.

‘If I ever …’ Pilchard began, but I knew how this story ended. Unlike the hapless travellers cursing their way through the wanton destruction of several fine shrubs before they gave up and departed, we’d so far avoided setting up on an unfamiliar site in the rain and dark. BUT … I knew what to do if it ever happened. I tuned back in as Pilchard concluded with his usual instruction – ‘… just shoot me’!

The caravan park was an unlikely spot for our adventures in and around North-eastern Victoria’s Bright to begin. But strangely appropriate! Our wicked and unkind laugh over the night’s misadventures was accompanied by the spectacular colours of the ever present falling leaves – magically whisked away each day by the caravan park cleaning fairy!

But Bright and surrounds aren’t just about the annual Autumn Leaves festival. In between adventures, the two local bakeries are worth many several a visit – but be warned! If there are any country Victorian towns without at least one fine bakery, I’m yet to find them …

2. Altitude, Alps and an Aussie record – Falls Creek

If heights scare you rigid, try to avoid sitting on the drop-off side of the car on the steep and winding roads up into Victoria’s High Country – at the very least, don’t look down! That way you might even enjoy climbing the range – first through the ironbark forests where Superb Lyrebird could make an appearance; then into stands of endemic species Alpine Ash; followed by the stark and ghostly remains of the 2003 bushfire that burned out millions of high country hectares; and finally into the sparse Alpine vegetation above the tree line.

And there, above the tiny village of Falls Creek precariously perched on the side of the mountain range is Australia’s highest body of water – Rocky Valley Lake. As the snow began to fall – Yes, SNOW! – the signs about snow-chains and the orange road markers suddenly made sense … and the Outback seemed far, far away to this Aussie traveller who’d only ever seen snow twice before!

While I’ve experienced sub-zero temperatures before, 0º C is the coldest maximum temperature I’ve EVER lived through!

3. Going Nuts – Wandiligong

As we lurched from Bakery to Berry farm; Indian/Italian to Sri-Lankan/Aussie pub cuisine; hot chocolate to champagne, the whole trip seemed to be turning into a deliciously tragic over-eating marathon.

I couldn’t have squeezed in the local pub’s ‘Alpine Breakfast’ (whatever in hell that was) eaten under a ‘heated umbrella’ (whatever in hell that meant) for quids (whatever in hell they are).

So indulging in hot roasted chestnuts, hot chocolate and dutch pancakes smothered in maple syrup, lemon and icing sugar at the annual Wandiligong Nut Festival was true to type. The local April sun was so pleasantly warm I can’t imagine why the Dragon classic wasn’t titled ‘April Sun in Wandiligong’ – but it didn’t stop us singing along with the excellent cover band. Aussie classic anthem Downunder, sounding absolutely NOTHING like the Kookaburra song, had Melbourne Yuppies – all haircut and GQ country weekend – kicking back with grey nomads, locals and travellers.

And while I’m no singer, listening to that mixed crowd singing along to ‘Eagle Rock’ was one of the most tragic music experiences of my life …

4. Save Our Souls – Beechworth

Once we’d finished up at the Beechworth bakery, we were ready to give our full attention to yet another town with links to bushranger Ned Kelly. While I loathe the word ‘precinct’, it really is the easiest way to describe the section of the town set aside for such things as the gaol with its fabulous Crime Scene gift shop (Hey, D! I haven’t forgotten your birthday prez!), the courthouse and holding cells, early fire-fighting equipment displays, the inevitable statues of NK – and the self-proclaimed busiest Morse Code Telegraph station in the world!!

I’m not sure how many other contenders there are, if any, but surely the Morsecodians wouldn’t make this kind of claim lightly. Would they??

Starting at a mere AUD $5 (although it’s probably worth more than that in many other currencies at present) sending a message in Morse code to anyone in the world has never been so easy. You KNOW you want to!!

5. Undercover – Bogong Village

While I’m not afraid of lizards, I have no desire to prove it by picking them up and playing with them.

Just as well.

I thought the scaly reptilian head I spotted peering up at me through the grass at the side of the walking track round Lake Guy at Bogong Village was a lizard.

I called Pilchard over as it looked a little different to the usual skinks scuttling about in the sun. Then it moved backwards. Uh-oh. Lizards aren’t able to move backwards which meant it was – AAAARRRGGGHHHH! A snake!! Red-bellied black, according to Pilchard. I was miles away by then, so I can’t confirm his identification.

Don’t even think about looking for a photo …

Along with random and unexpected wildlife, the lake circumnavigation involves beautiful scenery, a magnificent lunch setting, Steve Parrish-like photographic opportunities – and a somewhat disconcerting walk through a tunnel under the dam wall. Just as well the snake didn’t appear in the tunnel – nowhere to run or hide down there!!

6. On top of the world – the Buffalo’s Horn

It’s a little known fact that altitude sickness can kick in from as low as 1700 metres above sea level.

That’s the only explanation I can find for the dizziness, shortness of breath and constant need to stop and rest as I climbed the track to the summit of the Horn – at 1723 metres, the highest point of the Mt Buffalo National Park, a monolith that looms behind Bright. Or in front of it, if you prefer.

Then again, the vertiginous sheer drops and cold buffeting winds could have caused it too. But I’m sticking with altitude sickness – because the Horn is the highest lookout to which I’ve actually climbed (from the carpark below, not from sea level).

And just as well we climbed it when we did – rolling mist was already obscuring the view when we reached the hiker’s hut of yesteryear. Tragically no St Bernards carrying restorative brandy casks appeared through the fog to offer assistance. But the bakery lunch we’d had the forethought to bring didn’t last long …

7. Lookout!!

After a couple of days in the Victorian high country, staggering views from unbelievably scenic lookouts became commonplace.

But no matter how commonplace, they never become ho-hum.

A few of my favourites:

And Australia’s highest mountain, Mt Kosciuszko obscured by cloud and this tenacious traveller who just WOULD NOT MOVE!!!!

The life-changing message – ‘We are all reptilians and the aliens are stealing our souls’ – was an incongruous addition to the spectacularly scenic landscape of Lake Buffalo. But perhaps it’s a cryptic message of courage – if we are indeed all reptilians, then there’s no reason to fear snakes, right? And if the aliens are stealing our souls, then it probably doesn’t really matter if I fall from a great height, does it?!

I had no idea our Victorian Alpine country adventure would be so much fun it’d make battling my twin fears of snakes and heights such a pleasure!  But now I DO know, I’ll be back for more!

Not quite enough photos here for you?

RELAX!  There are WAAAAAY more HERE on Flickr!!

Want MORE?

• Bright, Victoria
• Alpine National Park, Victoria
• Victorian Alps
• More Photos on Flickr

The post 7 Random Alpine Adventures – Bright, Victoria appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

1925 D17 Class Steam Locomotive ‘Capella’ in Tumoulin, Queensland

Crossing the trestle bridge, Tumoulin to Ravenshoe



Tumoulin Railway Station sign

Creatures en route to Tumoulin

Spot Paris!

No 268 – Capella

No, not a bushfire!  It’s a Steam train!





Emergency!

Centenary re-enactment – cutting the ribbon





Ravenshoe Station, Atherton Tablelands, Queensland



Harry’s Dunny … no, not a real person inside!!

• More photos on Flickr!
• Where is it?
• Ravenshoe Steam Railway
• Ravenshoe Railway Company
• Atherton Tablelands

The post Random Adventure #7 – Taking the Train to Tumoulin appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Think of ‘Australia’ and ‘Paradise’ in the same sentence and I’ll bet you’re thinking tropical. White sandy beaches, palms and and clear blue sea. Colourful fish, corals and lush rainforest. Balmy, moonlit nights and cocktails under the stars.

But that splendid vision – while undeniably fabulous – is only one of many versions of utopia in this country of diverse delights. We never know where we’ll find it next – so we keep our minds AND eyes wide open!!

Even so, to discover the ultimate paradise in remote Outback opal mining town White Cliffs was a surprise, even by our standards.

But to find it lasted for exactly 7-and-a-half minutes was completely unexpected!

In the depths of the remote New South Wales Outback, White Cliffs isn’t the sort of place you stumble across by accident, unless you’re lost or maybe on the run. But whoever you are, and however you arrive, there’s a paradise for everyone in this small (~200 population) community’s many attractions.

For a start there’s the scenery. The endless blue skies over the vast moonscape of the opal mines, pocked with slag heaps and scattered with genuine Aussie dunnies. The colours and light unique to this archetypal outback landscape have inspired more than one artist and photographer! But this lasts WAAAAAAY more than 7-and-a-half minutes!

Then there’s the opal. The first commercial opal field in Australia, and the only place in the world where ‘White Cliffs Pineapple’ opal is found, the unbelievable landscape left by thousands of abandoned mines still attracts opal hunters.

But we didn’t even have to leave the excellent Opal Pioneer Caravan Park to find it – a few questions about the town’s attractions and the manager was pressing bits of opal into my open and willing hands! Even our amateurish fossicking field foray was ‘successful’ – even though the few bits of ‘colour’ we found didn’t amount to a hill of beans in the REAL world of opal trading!! Paradise could be a chunk of high quality black opal – but I’d want a bit more than 7-and-a-half minutes worth for the kind of money I’d need to get me one!

But it’s almost worth NOT finding your own opal when the local dealers offer world class experiences. The 50,000 stubbies* from which Joe’s Opal Showroom is made house fabulous opal jewellery, gifts and artwork, for example. And (arguably) the cheapest above ground opal mine tour in the world is on offer at the Red Earth Opal Showroom and Cafe!

A fine substitute for those (all right, ME) too gutless to follow Pilchard’s lead down a 45 ft shaft on a shaky iron ladder into the depths of the owner’s mine …

And there’s more unique experiences up for grabs on the self-guided White Cliffs Heritage trail tour. The interpretive signs give fascinating snippets of local history and the tour takes you through all the town’s vantage points – and the colourful array of opal field dwellings. Ironically, despite being the first of its kind in Australia (and possibly the world), the innovative White Cliffs Solar Power station is no longer operational, with town power supplied from the grid.

But the golf course IS functional – and provides a unique challenge to those more accustomed to conventional courses. But enticing as these attractions are, do they comprise the ultimate paradise? No way! And even the most experienced golfer needs more than 7-and-a-half minutes to get round THIS course!!!

We didn’t need the helpful ranger at the eco-friendly Paroo-Darling National Park Visitor’s Centre to tell us we’d landed in bird watcher’s heaven! The Nankeen Kestrel on the ‘White Cliffs’ sign at the town entrance did that! As did Orange Chat, Stubble Quail and Horsfield’s Bushlark feeding in the gutters on the Tibooburra road, and Chestnut-crowned Babbler and Chirruping Wedgebill rampaging in the scrub around the fossicking pits.

The early morning splendour of this water-bird filled dam and sightings of dry country nomad White-fronted Honeyeater made up for the tyre-shreddingly rugged road to massive Lake Peery – full on our June 2011 visit.

Meaning we didn’t get to see the artesian mound springs on the lake bed that provide a habitat for the rare salt pipe wort (eriocaulon carsonii) when the lake is dry! Paradise, yes. Ultimate? Not quite …

So what DOES the ultimate 7-and-a-half minute paradise look like?

Before we got to White Cliffs, the magnificent setting of our campsite at Lake Pamamaroo made up for the nearest loo being 1 km and the nearest fresh water 16 km down the road. And after 6 nights of severely curtailed ablutions also due to a) low temperatures; b) the absence of a shower block; and c) minimal gas and water? Well … you figure it out!! The excitement of having possibly the only Milo-swigging, bird watching, pyromaniac, fisherman partner on the continent was starting to wear off …

So as darkness fell on our first night in White Cliffs and the temperature plummeted, Pilchard and I headed for the caravan park amenities. Where for the absolute bargain price of $1, a wondrous heart-stoppingly blissful geyser of HOT water poured through the shower. For exactly 7-and-a-half minutes!!

That’s what I’m talking about! Paradise!!

And not a palm tree in sight!

Want MORE?

• Where is White Cliffs?
• White Cliffs general information
• White Cliffs Scenic Public Toilet
• White Cliffs ‘Pineapple’ opal
• Paroo-Darling National Park and Lake Peery
• White Cliffs Solar Power Station
• Lake Pamamaroo, Menindee Lakes

* One stubby = one 375 ml beer bottle

The post 7-and-a-half Minutes in Paradise! White Cliffs, New South Wales appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Red and friends at Kambah

Travellers heading downunder don’t always consider the Australian Capital Territory’s Kambah as an alternative to more well known adventure destinations such as Uluru and the Great Barrier Reef.

M finds our accomodation!

The glorious Kambah Inn!

M finds fun at Kambah, Australian Capital Territory

Red and Lollipop – the good sheep!!

Sheep may safely graze …

M finds room at the inn … where are the windows??!!

The post Random Adventure #6 – Do Bureaucrats Dream of Eccentric Sheep?# Kambah, Australian Capital Territory appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Fogg Dam Conservation Reserve#

The muggy tropical night enclosed me in its warm fist, immediately bonding the long-sleeved light shirt I wore to my sweaty glowing skin. A squadron of mosquitoes lined me up and zoomed in for the kill – until they reached the tropical strength DEET forcefield surrounding me and fell back, choking on the blood they’d sucked from other, less wary souls.

Fogg Dam Waterlilies – by day!#

Black-necked Stork, Fogg Dam, Northern Territory#

Black-necked Stork – close up!#

And however bright and hot, a day time visit was successful from my perspective too. If there WAS anything lethal lurking under the lilies, at least I could see it coming. Just whose crazy idea was this park ranger-guided night time tour, anyway?!

Magpie Geese and White-necked Heron, Fogg Dam#

Water lilies, Fogg Dam, Northern Territory#

• Fogg Dam Conservation Reserve
• Darwin
• Northern Territory
• More of my Random Adventures!

The post Random Adventure #5 – Fogg Dam, via Darwin, Northern Territory appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.