World Toilet Day was November 19, and I forgot.

Bummer!

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

BUT …

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

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

World Toilet Day

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

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

1 Timber Creek, Northern Territory

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

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

2 Bruny Island, Tasmania

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

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

3 Mt Kosciuszko, New South Wales

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

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

4 Head of Bight, South Australia

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

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

5 Point Quobba, Western Australia

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

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

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

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

6 Mt Hotham, Victoria

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

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

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

7 Richmond, Queensland

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

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

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

8 Warraweena, South Australia

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

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

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

9 Lord Howe Island, New South Wales

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

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

10 Tunnel Creek, Western Australia

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

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

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

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

How to get involved:

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

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

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

Got more ideas?  Put them in the comments below!

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

He probably wasn’t an axe murderer.

I mean, skidding into the carpark in a cloud of dust, ‘Uptown Girl’ blaring from the stereo, and parking well away from the only other car in the car park?

Despite my lack of hands-on experience with axe murderers, I was pretty sure this wasn’t archetypal behaviour.

Was it?

But through the clouds of red dust partially obscuring our view of the intruder from our vantage point half way up Wild Dog Hill, I couldn’t help wondering.

Was it just a coincidence that he’d arrived here in the wilds of the otherwise deserted Whyalla Conservation Park car park right after we did??

And apart from listening to an outdated, albeit entertaining, 80’s play list (by now BJ had switched to ‘Call Me’), he wasn’t doing ANY of the things on the Whyalla Conservation Park attractions checklist.

The longer we watched the longer the list of things he WASN’T doing got. More specifically, as Blondie switched to ‘Funky Town’, he wasn’t:

• having a picnic OR

  

• drinking (alcohol or otherwise);
• hunting the elusive Western Grasswren, OR
• trying to spot any other (feathered) birds;
• taking photos;
• checking out the rock formations;
• walking the track around the base of Wild Dog Hill OR
• hiking the 1.5 km loop trail to the summit of Wild Dog Hill;
• reading the interpretive signs about arid land plant adaptation OR
• admiring the diversity of sometimes rare arid land plants in the park; OR
• just looking for wildflowers and rare lichens OR
• Western Myall and Bluebush spotting (Note: sightings of both these arid land plant species in the Whyalla Conservation Park is what’s known as a ‘sure thing’)

Which pretty much covered off on the Park’s ‘Main Attractions’ list!

He also wasn’t

• waiting for anyone.

Other than a possible imaginary friend. Because although he changed into a different T shirt shortly after arriving, no one else showed up.

Which, according to the axe-murderer avoidance manual, was probably a good thing.

Because being the only witnesses to a drug drop or illicit liaison mostly isn’t a story that ends well.

Especially so if you use the ‘I-didn’t-see-a-thing-I-really-only-used-these-binoculars-around-my-neck-for-bird-watching-not-to-watch-you-no-really’ defence.

Only 10 km north of – yes, you guessed right – Whyalla, on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula, the dirt track from the main road through the 2000 hectare Whyalla Conservation Park leads through a landscape lifted straight from the remote Outback.

That means the public loo in the picnic area, a few kilometres over a rough, rocky road from the main entrance, simulates a remote Outback dunny almost exactly.

So even though Iron Triangle town Whyalla isn’t that far away AND you can see the coast from the expansive 360° view at the top of Wild Dog Hill, the (mostly) trackless arid landscape makes an outstanding Outback outhouse setting.

Plonk an alien (or clueless tourist) down there and they’d think they’d landed on Mars.

But despite its impressive credentials, our carpark companion hadn’t driven all the way out here to visit the loo either.

Because by the time we reached Wild Dog Hill’s summit and Pseudo Echo had switched to (strangely appropriate) 500 Miles, I could see he also wasn’t:

• scenic-loo-spotting OR
• scenic-loo-using.

No, my psychic powers hadn’t turned hyperactive. The only track I could see leading through the scrub from the picnic area was the path to the dunny, and he wasn’t on it.

Besides, the Proclaimers had switched to ‘Reckless’ and if I could hear it from way up on Wild Dog Hill, then it must have been dynamite right next to the car. He sure wasn’t leaving THAT excitement just to take a pee! Or to do anything else other than wander aimlessly around in the scrub near the parking area.

But maybe.  Just maybe he’d seen the empty car and figured we’d return sooner or later. And that’s when he’d make his move!

Australian Crawl faded away behind us as the track led down the other side of Wild Dog Hill and around its base en route to the scenic loo.

And back to the car – tyres un-slashed, windscreen unbroken, locks intact. And ‘All Out of Love’ – possibly the most inoffensive, innocuous, insipid 80’s song EVER echoing through the car park.

It seems our conservation park comrade also wasn’t:

• otherwise indulging in axe-murderish behaviour OR
• interested in us AT ALL.

So OK.

If you’re thinking I’m showing the signs of early-onset (or perhaps advanced) paranoia, just remember that no one thought Wolf Creek was sinister either until the movie!

But as we drove the 65 km back to our campsite in Port Augusta I developed a working theory.

The Whyalla Conservation Park is no Wolf Creek (see link below) but if anything DID happen out there amidst the bluebush and western myall trees, there’d be no one to hear you scream.

Although listening to a few eighties hits might be pleasantly nostalgic, a prolonged overdose in a confined space could easily bring on a screaming fit.

Or worse.

So what’s a not-so-sinister-somebody hanging out for an eighties-music-hit who’s lives in a zero-tolerance household to do?

Yep, you got it.

Want MORE?

• Whyalla Conservation Park
• Things to do in Port Augusta
• MORE Australian Scenic Public Loos
• Wolf Creek

The post Amenities, Attractions and Axe Murderers at Whyalla Conservation Park, South Australia appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

I’m a Loo Lover.

A Dunny Detective. Amenities Aficionado. Conveniences Chaser AND Top Toilet Tragic.

Hell, with Scenic Loo blog series; a couple of Dunny Calendars and a book called ‘Aussie Loos With Views!’ under my belt, I reckon I’m the Poster Girl for Scenic Australian Public Toilets!

But I had NO IDEA about World Toilet Day!

When I took my first ever Scenic Aussie Public Toilet photo from the picnic area loo at Kata Tjuta – the Olgas – I had no idea if it was Australia’s MOST scenic dunny or not and I wanted to find out.

Finding Amazing Amenities and Designer Dunnies was easy – when I put my ‘Dunny Goggles’ on – so I snapped the Wonderful WCs and COOL Conveniences wherever I found them all around OZ!

Until I just couldn’t imagine a world without toilets.

Sadly, however, 2.4 billion of the world’s 7 billion people don’t have to imagine a world without proper toilets. And nearly 1 billion don’t have ANY toilet. That compromises their health, hygiene and basic human rights.

Yes, that’s nearly ONE-THIRD of the world’s population.

So while you enjoy my TOP TEN Aussie Scenic Loos retrospective in honour of World Toilet Day on November 19^th, imagine Australia without those awesome toilets.

Imagine life without proper toilets.

Imagine life with NO toilet.

HERE they are: Australia’s TOP TEN Aussie Loos with Views! (click the title links of each loo for more information)

10 Lake Bellfield, Grampians, Victoria

9 The Little Public Loo at the End of the Universe, Outback Queensland

8 Angorichina, Flinders Ranges, South Australia

7 Kata Tjuta (the Olgas), Central Australia

6 Australia’s Highest Public Loo, Rawsons Pass, Mt Kosciuszko

5 West Cape, Innes National Park, Yorke Peninsula, South Australia

4 Five Rivers Lookout, Wyndham, Western Australia

3 Rainbow Valley, Central Australia

2 Mount Wellington, Hobart, Tasmania

1 Lord Howe Island, New South Wales

They’re all REALLY worth holding on for, aren’t they? Have I included – or missed – YOUR favourite?

Yes, I’m a Loo Lover. And I’ve even got my dunny goggles on all the time! But if ABC radio hadn’t emailed me asking for a World Toilet Day interview on November 19^th, I wouldn’t have known anything about it.

I wouldn’t have shown off my TOP TEN Australian Scenic Toilets.

And I certainly wouldn’t have been part of World Toilet Day 2015!

I don’t yet know how I can help increase the proportion of people with access to a clean toilet, but raising awareness is the first step.

How can I get involved?

The official World Toilet Day website suggests:

• Be a Sharer: Clean, show and share our toilets on World Toilet Day
• Be an Artist: Use art to show the world what it’s like to have access to a toilet
• Be a Thinker: Think about the 1 in 3 people without proper loo access, strike the thinker pose, take a selfie and share your thoughts on social media

Spread the word – use hashtags: #wecantwait and #WorldToiletDay

Use Official 2018 World Toilet Day Tools (Click HERE) for Logos, Posters, Postcards, FaceBook Images etc

And SHARE this post (buttons below) to help spread the word about World Toilet Day!

Want MORE?

• About World Toilet Day
• How to GET INVOLVED in World Toilet Day 2018
• United Nations World Toilet Day Objectives

Previous Post:  The Ultimate Beginners Guide to Limestone Coast Attractions – Part Two!

The post World Toilet Day: Red’s TOP 10 Scenic Aussie Loos appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Maybe Salt Creek’s just off the radar.

Or perhaps someone just forgot about it.

Or possibly there’s a proposal still in the pipeline.

Whatever the reason, Salt Creek has NO public amenities!

Which is weird, because from whichever way you approach it, this small settlement on the coast road (aka Princes Highway) between Adelaide and Mount Gambier giving access to the Limestone Coast is the perfect place to stop for a break.

It’s about 2 ½ hours drive south of Adelaide.

It’s about 2 ½ hours drive north of Mount Gambier.

And it’s just about the only place to stop along the section of the ‘Highway’ (either an overgenerous description or blatantly false advertising) that passes through the Coorong, longest, thinnest National Park in Australia. Or maybe anywhere!

That means even travellers with no plans to STAY in Salt Creek often stop to have a look. And Salt Creek, first oil exploration site in Australia and home of world exclusive mineral Coorongite, has enough facilities to make your stay – however long that may be – worthwhile.

It’s also gateway to The Coorong, a 150 km long waterway between the coastal dune system of the Younghusband Peninsula and the mainland, is a wildlife wonderland, fisherfolk paradise and 4WD Adventureland.

So why isn’t there a public loo at Salt Creek?

Taking a break from driving every 2 hours or so is a commonly accepted road safety strategy. So it makes sense that a government committed to reducing the road toll would factor that into their action plan.

Right?

And ensuring there are actually rest stops along Australia’s vast road network inviting enough for traveller to actually want to take those breaks every couple of hours is a logical progression.

Right??

And where does the average person head first when they stop after two or more hours on the road?

Yep, the loo.

Right??? Or is that just me?!

But that’s where Salt Creek’s Heart of the Coorong Roadhouse comes in.

Along with fuel and food – including the famous Coorong Mullet – it’s got accommodation and a campground. There are walking trails and a self-drive loop track that takes you on a tour past some historic sites and right up close to the Coorong itself.

And there’s a loo.

But tragically, although it’s at the recommended distance for a break, and despite government commitment to reducing the road toll by (in part) reminding travellers to take rest breaks and make rest stops every couple of hours, this particular loo isn’t publicly funded by ANY level of government.

SO … the cost of providing a loo at the most logical rest stop on the Coorong has been picked up by the Heart of the Coorong Roadhouse where owner Dove and his staff clean the loos; provide (and replenish) loo paper and hand towels; and arrange and pay for septic pumping (we’re not in the city here, folks).

What’s wrong with this picture?

Maybe it’s just expected that a small business in an out of the way settlement picks up the tab for underfunded government policy. That’s a big ask – especially when many travellers who stop don’t want anything except a dunny break, which puts Dove and the Heart of the Coorong Roadhouse out of pocket.

I’d like to think there’s a government department somewhere that IS responsible for a coordinated approach to to developing a national network of roadside rest stops and loos. I’d also like to think that instead of pushing the costs of maintaining a loo down to small business, they just forget about Salt Creek.

Yes, this might just be the little loo the government forgot.

But until it ‘remembers’, if you stop in Salt Creek to use the dunny, make a small donation to loo maintenance, or buy something – like fuel, or a drink; a magazine, or a postcard. Or a Coorong Mullet Burger!

That way the little loo the government forgot will be there next time you want to use it!

Want MORE?

• Heart of the Coorong Roadhouse, Salt Creek 
• Coorong National Park, South Australia
• Limestone Coast, South Australia
• MORE Limestone Coast Photos on Flickr HERE

Previous Post:  11 Photos; 9 Bloggers; ONE Awesome Rock!

NEXT Post:  The Ultimate Beginners Guide to the Limestone Coast – Part ONE

The post The Little Loo the Government Forgot! Salt Creek, South Australia appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

I don’t know if anyone ever struck it rich in the old days – or even the new days – by hitting a seam of opal while sinking a dugout dunny shaft.

But if it’s going to happen anywhere, the chances of it happening in Andamooka are better than average.

As long as the hole is at least 3 metres deep. That’s when it’ll hit the ancient and now opal-ridden seabed* lying beneath the surface of one of the driest parts of the driest state of the driest continent on earth.

But maybe that’s what makes Andamooka opal – a variety found only here – the most stable matrix opal in the world. The Queen’s Opal was found in Andamooka – a large piece cut and polished to over 200 carats, then made into several pieces of jewellery presented to Queen Elizabeth II, now part of the Crown Jewels.

Although there’s no record of whether or not the stone was found in a dunny shaft!

Every photo of Andamooka I’d ever seen before shows an arid outback landscape. But as the state’s resident rainmakers** en route to the warm and sunny northern winter, we’d arrived in Woomera the evening before in the middle of a rainstorm and steady rain that continued throughout the night.

So I’m still wondering what it’s like to be dry in one of the driest parts of the driest state of the driest continent on earth. The rain continued on and off through the uninspiring terrain along the 85+ km (53 miles) stretch of sealed road from Woomera to Roxby Downs, and then the 30 km (18.6 miles) to Andamooka where the one sealed road carried enough mud to turn it into a virtual dirt (read: mud) road!

But that’s where the exploration gene paid off. BIG time.

I noticed a familiar shape through the raindrops. Hang on – was that REALLY a dunny I saw before me?

Andamooka’s Historical Reserve preserves a number of early dwellings built – or more accurately, compiled – after discovery in 1930 of some of the finest Aussie Opal in the world. Which anyone who’s ever studied Australian history won’t need ME to tell them was also the time of the Great Depression.

Lack of money and an almost tree-free landscape made early opal miners inventive with building materials; and the summer heat – clocked at 46 degrees C (~115 degrees F) – forced many buildings – dugouts – partially underground.

But however rough and ready the structures and difficult the conditions in this remote Outback outpost nearly 600km (373 miles) north of Adelaide, Andamooka’s dunnies gave the opal fields a touch of civilisation. One dwelling built on three levels even had an outside dunny clearly visible through the window from the inside dunny! Luxury!!

Perhaps more important, however, position and placement meant the miner could keep an eye on the action while answering nature’s call.

Although Andamooka Opal was first discovered after a rare thunderstorm, tragically history didn’t repeat itself on our visit – leaving me without another precious piece of Australia’s national gem. And while I didn’t look very hard, nor did I find anything worth keeping down the dunny!

The muddy roads also nixed a visit either the opal fossicking area or the nearby (normally) dry salt lake Lake Torrens.

BUT … it’s probably appropriate that my only real tourist experience in Andamooka involved Scenic Aussie Loos!!

Yes, it’s unknown (to me, at least) whether anyone ever got rich from finding opal in a dunny shaft.

But I’d like to think that somewhere out there, never recorded in the Andamooka annals, is an opal miner who struck it lucky while digging out a dunny.

Because that’d make Andamooka’s classic Aussie Outback loo view one of the most valuable in the world!

* Much of the information in this post came from a tourist brochure about the Andamooka Opal Fields, compiled by Anne Louise Potter and Trevor Peek in November 2009

** It rains so often when we visit a new place that Pilchard & I are considering hiring ourselves out as drought-breakers! Call me!!

Want MORE?

• More about Andamooka, South Australia 
• Opal Hotspots in Australia
• More Australian Scenic Public Toilets
• MY BOOK: ‘Aussie Loos with Views!’
• More Andamooka and South Australian Outback Photos on Flickr

Previous Post: Climb Bald Rock – Australia’s BIGGEST Granite Monolith!

NEXT Post:  How to Spend 7 Days in Paradise – Lord Howe Island Style!

The post Dugouts, Dirt and Dunnies! 3 reasons to visit Andamooka, South Australia appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Sooner or later, most travellers in Australia will reach the great cross-roads at the head of Spencer Gulf that is Port Augusta.

North is the Stuart Highway to the Northern Territory. West is the Eyre Highway across the Nullarbor to West OZ. East is the Barrier Highway to Broken Hill and New South Wales. And South is to Adelaide and beyond.

Many travellers stop overnight either going to or coming from their main destination.

But discerning visitors who stay an extra day (or two or three) will be rewarded by discovering some of the FAAAAABULOUS things to do in Port Augusta.

Like what? Like THESE! Here’s TEN of my favorites!

1 Time Tunnel Travel at Wadlata

Wadlata Outback Centre isn’t just about tourist information. There’s the excellent gift shop – try a Journey Jottings map or a piece of Indigenous artwork! There’s a cool cafe – try the quandong cheesecake or the quandong slice!

And then there’s the time tunnel!

Walk into the jaws of the giant ripper lizard and be transported into the prehistoric world of life before man on Gondwanaland. This ancient history lesson is never dull as it moves through aeons (via interactive displays, dreamtime stories and intriguing facts) from the beginning of time to the present day in Port Augusta NOW!

While THIS time travel won’t take millions of years, don’t underestimate the time you’ll need – it’s easy to spend several hours there, especially with breaks for lunch and/or morning and/or afternoon tea. Just watching ‘Back of Beyond’, a movie about Outback legend mailman Tom Kruse takes an hour!

The good news is if you run out of time on this visit, just pick up a pass-out from the Wadlata staff and come back to finish it off other time!

2 The Full 360º at the Water Tower Lookout

It’s a long way to the top if you want a shocking fall – and the see-through metal mesh staircase doesn’t help either.

Luckily for us acrophobics, the Water Tower Lookout’s horribly exposed four flights of stairs ends in a fully enclosed viewing platform complete with wire mesh criss-crossing the view in four directions.

Except for a thoughtfully placed hole in the middle just right for a camera lens.

A camera lens like MINE, that is. If size DOES matter; and you’ve brought a giant lens along for a big day out, you might be in trouble

But cameras aren’t required to enjoy the superb view of boats, bridges and birds on Spencer Gulf; the iconic silhouette of the power station; and the general landscape filled with parklands and houses that make up this town, named for Augusta Sophia Marryat, wife of South Australia’s first civilian Governor.

Is late afternoon leading up to sunset the best time to check it out? I haven’t been there at any other time, so I don’t know – but it sure worked for me!

3 Matthew Flinders Lookout and RED Cliff Walk

Even if you’re more immune to the promise of RED Cliffs, the Matthew Flinders Lookout – a short walk from the car park – is worth a visit for its staggering vista of Spencer Gulf against the magnificent backdrop of the Flinders Ranges.

A landscape so fine that even standing atop a high and crumbling cliff face to view it becomes a pleasure. Well … almost

But throw in a killer sunset and even a coward like me can forget the perils of standing on the edge!

For more than double the fun, take the 4.5 km RED Cliff Circuit Walk from the Arid Lands Botanic Gardens to the Matthew Flinders lookout via a bird hide, a bluebush plain and the railway bridge with fine views from the edge of Spencer Gulf over the RED Cliffs, claypans and mangroves! Follow the loop trail back through the gardens.

4 Arid Lands Botanic Gardens

If you’ve got lemons, make lemonade.

And if you’ve got a climate with extreme temperatures, lengthy periods of drought and low rainfall, showcase the plants that LOVE arid conditions in your garden!

That’s exactly what the Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden, established in 1993 as an initiative of the Port Augusta Council, has achieved with its arid zone plant habitats – like dunes, desert and saltbush plains – spread over 250 hectares.

But demonstrating water-wise gardening techniques isn’t the only attraction!

When you’re tired of the walks, bird hides (and over 100 bird species recorded), a nationally significant Eremophila garden, art works, lookouts and plant nursery outside, there’s the Bluebush Café and Gift Shop inside.

Entry to the gardens is free, and they’re open all year round (other than Christmas and New Years Day, and Good Friday).

5 Pichi Richi Railway

Take a trip on a small section of the old Great Northern Railway from Adelaide to Alice Springs, once dubbed the Afghan Express and now affectionately known as the Ghan, through the rocky Pichi Richi pass in fully restored heritage carriages.

The Ghan hasn’t passed this way since 1956, but from April to November, experience the magic of steam and take a return trip on the restored Afghan Express from Port Augusta to nearby Quorn (41 km to the north-east); or the Pichi Richi Explorer from Quorn through the pass to Woolshed Flat.

With railway memorabilia at both Port Augusta and Quorn, the railway is a great way to experience the magic of train travel.

6 Trainspotting

Railway enthusiasts need not fear having to adopt alternative pursuits like sightseeing, birding and wildflower watching when the Pichi Richi Railway isn’t operating.

SO … if your preferred lullaby is the soothing sounds of shunting, then find somewhere to stay within sight and sound of the railway because all passenger and freight trains heading north, south, east and west pass through Port Augusta.

Even Railway ambivalents may find a multi-coloured goods train tracking north along the eastern side of the gulf with the Flinders Ranges a resplendent backdrop an awesome sight.

I know I did!

7 Quorn and the Quandong Café

Even without the enticement of a Pichi Richi train ride, the short drive to Quorn is well worth it. And top of MY list of Quorn must-do’s is a visit (or two) to the Quandong Café.

Actually, it’s not the cafe. It’s the scones. AWESOME scones. They even beat my own faithfully copied secret recipe pumpkin scones AND give the discerning epicure the opportunity to experience the delights of the Quandong, Australia’s own arid land fruit at its best when turned into a marvellously piquant jam, the perfect accompaniment to THOSE SCONES!

When you’re done with that, explore the town’s Galleries, historic buildings, cafés, pubs, an Agricultural Museum and the Powell Gardens botanic garden.

If the Quorn scenery looks familiar, it MAY be because scenes from a number of films were shot in the area. Most recently, the region AND the Pichi Richi steam train featured in The Water Diviner with Russell Crowe! Other notable films include Wolf Creek 1 and 2 (2005 and 2013), Tracks (2013), The Shiralee (1986) and Gallipoli (also featuring the Pichi Richi in 1981).

I’m not sure if the Quandong Café featured in any of the films – but it should have!

8 The Flinders Ranges

If you want to explore the folds and peaks of the ragged range that makes such an awesome town backdrop, Port Augusta is an easy day trip from some of the Flinders Ranges hot spots.

Near Quorn there’s the Dutchmans Stern, Devils Peak and Warren Gorge. A little further north there’s Kanyaka Historic Site, Death Rock and the Jeff Morgan Gallery at Hawker, 107 km north-east. 67 km south is Melrose, gateway to the Mount Remarkable National Park.

Exploring the Flinders Ranges will take a LOT longer than a weekend – but a Port Augusta day trip makes a good teaser!

9 Wildflower Wonderland

Just in case you didn’t quite catch the beauty of the arid land vegetation, here’s a little taste of what you’re missing!

10 Blanche Harbour

Past the Port Augusta city limits heading south along the western side of Spencer Gulf, the sparsely vegetated dry hills of the outback to the right contrast nicely with the brilliant blue of the sea on the left, and the intriguing skyline of the Flinders Ranges beyond.

With a landscape like this, it’s no wonder the gulf is lined with holiday shacks.

23 km later, the gulf widens as the outback sweeps down to the sea at Blanche Harbour in a magnificent sweep of coastline. Atop a low hill above the car park, there’s a marvellous vantage point inside a picnic shelter that tells the story of this place while showing off its natural attractions.

But it didn’t always look this good. The ‘before’ photos show what the area looked like 15 years ago, when a group of concerned ‘shackies’ banded together to reverse the ravages of rubbish dumping and off-road vehicle driving.

Now, with revegetation well under way and stunning scenery, Blanche Harbour is a place of beauty and peace.

So take a look at my TOP TEN – and start planning YOUR stop-over – or weekend getaway – now! And if you can fit all TEN of my favourite things to do in Port Augusta into just ONE weekend, you’re doing well!

Want MORE?

• Port Augusta
• MORE Photos of Port Augusta on FLICKR!

PS  Did I mention the Scenic Public Loos??  Here’s a triple-toilet-teaser – see if you can find them all when YOU go to Port Augusta!

The post 10 TOP Things to Do in Port Augusta appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Swinging a feral cat ANYWHERE in the middle of South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula without hitting a stony peak, hill, bluff, outcrop, mountain, cliff, dome or rock-face is almost impossible.

Take the small town of Darke Peak – population 50 – for example.

We’d followed the 8-peak Darke Range to the west all the way into Darke Peak township named for – yes, you guessed right, the range’s highest point, Darke Peak.

To the east loomed the great domes of Carappee Hill, the Eyre Peninsula’s highest point at 495 metres above sea-level.

Behind us was Caralue Bluff – an impressive wedge of rock where only a short climb up the base gave even more impressive views of the Darke Range AND Carappee Hill.

Because of the mostly flat country around them, the rocks don’t look very big from afar, but the closer you get, the less likely a stroll to the top seems. Despite enticements like seeing the grave of first European explorer to the area Charles Darke, or standing atop the regions highest point, or finding yet another opportunity to prove I really AM an amateur when it comes to landscape photography!!

Luckily for us, the flat country means the great views don’t require great height.

BUT even more luckily, at the small township of Darke Peak there’s a killer view without climbing AT ALL!

Because THIS little town has a true-blue two-loo view!

It’s also got two pubs. First, there’s the Darke Peak Hotel, apparently first in South OZ to serve Queensland brew XXXX (that’s pronounced ‘Four-ex’ in case you didn’t already know).

Then there’s the Hellbent Hotel right across the road – originally constructed in the early hours of New Years Day 1980 so the locals could continue to commemorate the new decade after the Darke Peak Hotel closed for the night!

There’s no record of what happened to the original, but the Hellbent Hotel was upgraded and reopened for the Darke Peak Legends weekend, 2009.

Perhaps it’s unsurprising that at one time, Darke Peak held the record for the per capita highest beer consumption rate in South Australia.

And with a record like THAT, it’s perhaps also unsurprising that the town has TWO loos!

Right next to the Hellbent Hotel and with a fine view of the nether regions of Erica the Emu (see below), the Colman S**tter (just insert ‘hi’ if you’re having trouble with the asterisks) is a classic example of what happens to old dunnies when they die.

It’s unclear if the Colman is still operational – the tin walls and ‘dunny’ can; the wooden seat; and the ‘privacy’ screen are all classic Australiana of yesteryear – but I’m betting NOT!

Happily for visitors wanting to answer nature’s call, there’s a far more modern alternative a few steps away behind the Darke Peak information pavilion.

Built in the proud tradition of the two giant silos it faces at the Darke Peak railway station, this mini silo-shaped dunny is a masterclass in monastic minimalism, inside AND out. But there’s NO doubt THIS loo’s in use – or was that just me

Darke Peak Dunny #2 isn’t a one-trick pony when it comes to the view. From the prison cell-like comforts of the little silo loo, cunningly hidden under a giant pine tree just off the main road, I could see the silos, railway (complete with train), the Darke Range, the Hellbent Hotel, Erica the Emu, the Darke Peak Hotel and the Colman S**tter.

It just might be the only place in OZ where you get a tour of the town’s main attractions just by using the dunny!

And that trumps visiting a bunch of rocks any day, right??!!

Want MORE?

• Darke Peak
• Eyre Peninsula, South Australia
• MORE Scenic Australian Public Toilets
• My Book: Aussie Loos with Views!

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The post Darke Peak and the True Blue Two Loo View! appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Road-tripping around Australia isn’t always easy. Long distances with lots of nothing-much between attractions. Hazardous heat, dodgy roads and limited phone coverage. And – unless you’re an exhibitionist who loves squatting by the side of the road in full view – a LOT of leg-crossing between amenities!

But it’s almost impossible to swing a long-tailed lizard – or drive more than a few kilometres – without hitting a scenic loo OR stunning landscape when you tour the Yorke Peninsula!

And in MY opinion, South Australia’s distinctive boot-shaped leg of land with over 700 km (~420 miles) of stunning coastline scattered with towns, beaches and superb natural attractions also boasts the highest concentration of scenic loos in Australia!

Some scenic hotspots even have two. Or more! That’s why they’ve got their own special chapter in my book, Aussie Loos with Views!

You won’t need to be a dunny detective to tour the Yorke Peninsula and discover my favourite Scenic Loos AND the attractions that go with them.

Read on!

From Adelaide, it’s only an hour’s drive north to Port Wakefield, and from there, you’re not too far from loo-lover heaven!

1 Port Clinton

From Port Wakefield, it’s only a few more minutes down the Peninsula’s eastern side to Port Clinton and its superbly decorated loo next to the foreshore Caravan Park. Port Clinton’s also got unusual red cliffs at the end of the excellent crabbing beach, a longish cliff-top walk overlooking the mangrove flats to Price, and in summer, masses of migratory shorebirds who flew thousands of kilometres from Siberia to get here!

Well … that gives ME a thrill!

2 Ardrossan

Another 15 minutes, another scenic loo near the Ardrossan Jetty with its awesome RED cliffs! Other Peninsula towns may well dispute Ardrossan’s claim to be home of the Blue Swimmer Crab, plentiful in the tidal shallows below during months with an ‘R’ in their name. But no one’s disputing Ardrossan as home of the Stump-Jump plough, a natty little invention which made harvesting the world’s best barley much easier!

Enjoy a little something from the bakery at the vantage point above the jetty and loo – you might just see us there too!

3 Port Vincent

Half an hour further on and you’re spoilt for scenic-loo-choice in picturesque Port Vincent, its long, curved bay and beach, jetty and marina making it a favourite spot for fishing, boating, swimming and crabbing.

The loo nestled at the base of the cliff-top at the trail head isn’t visible from above, but it’s one of the most scenic on the Peninsula from the jetty.

And it’s hard to get a loo-free shot of the foreshore … so I didn’t even try (see top)!

4 Wool Bay

It’s only a few minutes further south to Wool Bay – you’ll never guess what was once its main export! Although it wasn’t all about the wool – the restored lime kiln nearby stretches to the top of the cliff where there’s a superb view to Port Giles long jetty from which grain is shipped all over the world.

Snorkel from the Wool Bay Jetty and you might just see South Australia’s Marine emblem – the Leafy Sea-Dragon – floating amongst the seaweed around the pylons.

This tiny town once made a liar of me when I featured its temporary loo, superbly situated by the jetty after the original was destroyed in a landslide. The day after I posted that story, I returned to Wool Bay to find a more permanent – but far less scenic – structure, and NO SIGN of the temporary loo!

5 Edithburgh

It’s only another 15 minutes from Wool Bay to the historic port of Edithburgh where the scenic loo above the tidal swimming pool gives great view over a classic Aussie seascape. Above on the cliff top, the golf course has a better than average selection of hazards!

It’s also part of Walk the Yorke, a combination of ~500 km (~300 miles) of walking trails, roads and beaches stretching right around the Peninsula. Walking the ~8 km (one way) section connecting Sultana Point, Edithburgh and Coobowie (site of another scenic loo) is a great way to experience the area’s natural attractions, and a visit to the historic museum a fascinating glimpse into the area’s history of salt mining and shipwrecks.

On a nice day, there’s a better than average chance we might run into one another!

6 Port Moorowie

The cliff-top loo with its lovely garden of local plants at the western end of Port Moorowie marks the access point to a cliff-top walk around the bay to McEachens Beach, and the series of superb beaches and reef (visible at low tide) along the way below.

7 West Cape, Innes National Park

Of all the loos in Innes National Park, West Cape is the most spectacular – and for my money, it’s one of Australia’s best. The vast panorama of (generally) deserted beach, off-shore islands and lonely lighthouse above the wild, rugged rocks of the cape makes an awesome amenities setting!

The rest of Innes National Park isn’t bad either. Magnificent coastal scenery, walking trails, seasonal wildflowers, fishing spots, beaches and sites of historic significance, this little gem has something for everyone.

And if you don’t see an emu or a kangaroo, DON’T buy a lottery ticket because you’re quite possibly the unluckiest person in the world!

8 Corny Point

There’s no loo near the lighthouse at Corny Point – the most north-westerly point of the spectacularly scenic drive north from Marion Bay, nearest town to Innes National Park.

Back in the small township, however, you can’t miss the sports ground loo with its brightly coloured wraparound mural.

It’s the perfect stopping off point before another dose of superb scenery – if you’re up for sandy beaches, dunes and coastal scrub – along the coast road to Point Turton!

9 Point Turton

Just before you get to this two-loo town from the west, there’s a new loo on the block at the Point Turton bathing area. At least it’s newly decorated! A stunning shower block/conveniences combo atop the cliffs it overlooks the swimming baths below – and further over the stunning colours of Hardwicke Bay.

You could take a walk along the foreshore, or go fishing from the jetty, but if you want my advice, RUN, don’t walk to the Point Turton Tavern where both food and views are superb.

And yes, on a fine day you might see me here as well!

10 Port Rickaby

You might have noticed by now that the towns on the westerb side of the Yorke Peninsula are smaller. But if anything, the loos and their settings are even more spectacular!

Take Port Rickaby, for example.

Water almost tropical in clarity and colour, Norfolk Island Pines lining the road to the beach, white sand and rocks make this a picture-perfect loo setting.

But that’s not all! There’s a walk down the coast to Barker Rocks AND a massive white-sand dune just down the road out of town.

And if my MIL could climb it at age 80+, then so can you!

11 Port Victoria

Half an hour north, and the setting of the loo at the last windjammer port vies for your attention with the superb mural showing the town’s history.

Offshore is Wardang Island, famous for the shipwrecks that make this a divers mecca – and infamous as a release point for the calicivirus to control a plague of rabbits!

It’s difficult for a little old public loo to successfully compete with the fascinating maritime history museum, geology trail, diving hotspot and magnificent scenery that makes Port Victoria an attractive destination.

But this one does quite well!

12 Moonta

The church actually has nothing to do with the public loo in Moonta apart from being visible from it. But it makes a nice change from the mile after punishing mile of staggering scenery I’ve subjected you to so far, yes?

Although Moonta Bay, a few kilometres away on the coast has more of the same if you’re having withdrawal symptoms.

But copper-mining town Moonta, full of influences from the Cornish miners who emigrated to work the mines, is an intriguing place to visit, especially the Moonta Mines Museum and the Kernewek Lowender, world’s largest Cornish festival held every two years.

And the bakery

It’s a relief (in more ways than one) to combine stunning scenery with a lovely loo, and no one does it better than the Yorke Peninsula! So if my previous posts haven’t yet convinced you to tour the awesome Yorke Peninsula, then perhaps this one will!

Want MORE?

• Yorke Peninsula, South Australia
• Innes National Park according to RED
• Red’s previous Yorke Peninsula Adventures
• MORE Australian Scenic Public Toilets
• MORE Yorke Peninsula Scenic Loos on Flickr!
• MORE Yorke Peninsula Photos on Flickr!

The post Tour the Yorke Peninsula via its BEST Scenic Loos! appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Spotting a scenic loo was a FAIL on my first Mount Wellington ascent 30 minutes up from Hobart’s docklands on the River Derwent 1271 metres below.

But I didn’t care.

After a LOOOOONG conference, I had a few hours to kill before heading back to the mainland. Hanging out at the airport with the same work buddies I’d been closeted with for the last four days wasn’t going to do it for me. But seeing something other than the inside of the conference room might.

The bus tour I found – so long ago that a house with a killer view on Battery Point could still be purchased for around $250,000 – promised Hobart highlights including a trip to the summit, then delivery to the airport. I signed up on the spot.

In my defence, my now carefully cultivated loo-lover credentials weren’t even embryonic back then. That’s the only reason I have for not noticing whether or not the summit even had a relief station*, let alone one with a view.

And there on the summit, just over 200 years since its first recorded ascent, with the staggering scenery and extraordinary panorama spread out before me, I vowed to return.

Fast forward to March 2014 and a 10-day teaser trip to Tasmania departing two days after we seized the day and decided to go.

(Aside: It IS possible to get jet-lag despite the relatively short distance from Adelaide to Hobart. At least it is if you get up at 3:00 am, stash the car in long-term parking and take two flights separated by a 3 hour wait, lug your baggage all over Hobart airport until you find the car hire terminal, drive through unfamiliar streets to your accomodation, then hit the tourist trail and Mount Wellington by mid-afternoon).

This time I’d done my research.

So the upmarket architect-designed loo perfectly placed to catch as much of that amazing Mount Wellington view as it possibly could wasn’t a complete surprise. The glass-fronted amenities block made multitasking on the mountain-top too easy with that killer view almost as good from inside as out.

Better if you’re a toilet tragic like me.

Even climbing the summit was anti-climactic after THAT!

And it just happened to tie in with the deadline for my first book Aussie Loos with Views! Coincidence? You decide!

MY BOOK!

Mount Wellington is one of over sixty dunnies of distinction from all around Australia featured in Aussie Loos with Views! illustrated with glorious colour photos! It’s the perfect answer to almost ANY gift giving dilemma – with the possible exception of your 90 year old granny. It’d even do her if she has a wicked sense of humour!

GIVE it!

Where to get it? Check out the RedzAustralia My Book page for all the information you need!

It’s the perfect accompaniment to my Dunnies of Distinction calendar, available from my RedBubble shop. Start the calendar from any month of the year and make it a birthday present.

WIN it!

And for a chance to win a copy of Aussie Loos with Views, register and verify your request to receive RedzAustralia updates via email by 31 December 2014 (12:00 pm AEST).

Registration is easy!  Just visit the RedzAustralia homepage sidebar OR CLICK HERE and Register to get RedzAustralia updates by Email

See below** for giveaway terms and conditions.

Want MORE?

• Mount Wellington

• Hobart, Tasmania

• Tasmania

• The other 39 (so far) Aussie Scenic Public Toilets

• My Book

* ‘Relief station’ = yet another euphemism for ‘Toilet’. Add it to the list along with amenities, bathroom, can, conveniences, dunny, john, lavatory, loo, potty, privy, thunderbox, toilet, water closet (although that one does have a mildly disturbing mental image).

Do you know any more? Let me know in the comments below! It’d be sick great to have the whole A-Z, yes?!

** For entry into the draw, you must have registered and verified your email address (verification will stop your email address being registered without your consent) by 12:00pm (AEDST) 31 December 2014. All those who are registered, including existing readers, will be entered into the draw. One winner will be selected by random.org in early 2015. The winner will be notified by email. The winner must reply to the email and supply a valid postal address (to which the book can be posted) within 5 days of the email notification date to claim the giveaway. Failure to do so means the prize will be offered to the 2^nd place holder on the random.org list.

The post OZ Scenic Public Toilet #40 – Mt Wellington, Tasmania appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

I’ve got Pilchard to thank for some of our more obscure travel destinations.

If not for him, I wouldn’t be out birding.

And if not for birding, I wouldn’t have been in this marvellously scenic spot near Werribee on the outskirts of Melbourne’s west!

As I photographed the sunlight glinting across the waters of Port Philip Bay to Portarlington, and the panoramic vista stretching way past Avalon airport over the plain to the You Yangs, I wondered why no one else was around.

Doesn’t EVERY visitor to Melbourne want to visit the sewage ponds??

Weirdly, it’s unlikely you’ll find the Western Treatment Plant facility on any ‘Top 10 Melbourne Attractions’ lists, despite its environmentally friendly waste treatment credentials. And while its 11,000+ hectares of filtration ponds and lakes give good photo opportunity, they’re not used to define Melbourne in the same way as, say, the Yarra. Or the Queen Vic Markets. Or even the Boathouses of nearby Campbells Cove***!

I guess the opportunity to be where 52% of Melbourne’s sewage is being processed just isn’t that enticing.

Unless you’re a twitcher*.

If so, you’ll know EXACTLY what a nice sewage pond is doing in a place like this, and call it ‘Werribee’ – the ‘in’ name for birders worldwide. Because among the levees and lakes that make up the extraordinary patchwork of poo-ponds that is the Western Treatment Plant, the 284 species of birds recorded at Werribee from all over the world draw serious twitchers like flies to … well, you know.

But … you don’t just ‘drop in’ to Werribee. Jumping through bureaucratic hoops to get a permit just for the privilege of visiting a massive set of poo-ponds may be incomprehensible to non-twitchers, but as Pilchard’s best chance to spot a few lifers**, he happily signed up, giving assurances we’d behave responsibly.

Yes, there IS a sewage pond etiquette protocol!

Dang! I guess that meant the spontaneous sewage swim I’d been looking forward to was out of the question …

If you’re looking for a comprehensive photographic catalogue of the birds we saw, then don’t buy a lottery ticket because today is not your lucky day. The ‘responsible behaviour’ expected from THIS passenger became an exhausting round of navigating through the complex maze of poo-ponds; opening and closing the locked gates that kept the riff-raff out (because EVERYONE wants to break into a sewage treatment plant, right?) and in my spare time, ‘helping’ spot the rarities Pilchard was convinced lay lurking behind every shrub eagerly awaiting his identification.

Who says birding isn’t an extreme sport?

Telling twitchers and non-twitchers apart is easy! Just apply this simple test when a twitcher tells you he didn’t spot an unusual bird seen by almost everyone else in the same spot: If you’re a twitcher, you’ll openly commiserate while secretly gloating because you’ve either trumped the other twitcher (ie the bird’s already on your list); or the other twitcher HASN’T trumped you!

If you’re NOT a twitcher, you won’t care.

In a perhaps unsurprising demonstration of the ‘camaraderie’ for which the birding world is sometimes known, an older couple (ie older than US), their necks hung about with several thousand dollars of optical equipment waved to us from across a pond. We drove around to muscle in pick their brains be sociable only to find they hadn’t been waving, they’d been waving us ON! We’d cramped their style by daring to slow down directly above a bird lurking in the grass below the levee bank!

Chastened, we slunk away before they could take us out with their giant lenses …

For a place surrounding one with 360° of sewage (albeit filtered and treated), there’s one surprising – and ironic – omission at Werribee.

Perhaps a Public Toilet in a sewage treatment plant is redundant?

So I didn’t think I’d be issued with a ‘responsible behaviour’ infringement notice just for doing a squat amongst the sewage ponds … I mean, how could you tell??

I’ll leave you to decide whether being surrounded by sewage counts as a public toilet; OR if Werribee is the BEST scenic spot NOT to have a loo!!

If this post leaves you suffering from Australian Scenic Public Toilet deprivation, the best antidote is to  see a LOT of them all in one place, right? RIGHT??

SO … put yourself out of your misery and check out the other loos I’ve featured right here on Australia by Red Nomad OZ HERE! And if that doesn’t do it for you, then check out my book – Aussie Loos with Views!

* Twitcher = Birdwatcher. Who knew?!

** Lifer = Bird never before seen by you.

***  Tourism Victoria: I guess you’ll be BEGGING to use my Werribee photos to help promote Melbourne now, right??

Want MORE?

• Western Treatment Plant, Werribee, Victoria
• Melbourne’s West
• My BOOK:  Aussie Loos With Views!

The post The Aussie Scenic Public Loo that WASN’T! appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.