Kangaroo Island Bushfires

Choking back tears, he told me “I looked out over the plain and howled. It’ll take a long time to recover, and it probably won’t be in my lifetime”.  

I was talking to David, a now-retired guide who had spent 15 years conducting eco-tours in Flinders Chase National Park and the adjoining Ravine des Casoars Wilderness Protection Area on South Australia’s Kangaroo Island. He was telling me about his reaction to the horrific bushfires, started by lightning strikes, that burnt more than 46% of the island’s 440,500 hectares (1,700 square miles) over several weeks of the 2019/2020 Australian summer.  Two lives and 50 houses were lost in the blaze, numerous farms and businesses ruined and thousands of animals—both livestock and wildlife—perished.

I knew what he meant.  I had just seen the devastation he was describing for myself from the Bunker Hill observation point that looks out over the coastal plain. Over 72,000 hectares (278 square miles), or about 96% of the bushland in the park was destroyed by the fires, and it was a confronting sight.  

Kangaroo Island Today

Once covered in lush eucalypt woodlands and dense coastal scrub, the rolling hills and plains were open and bare where the understory and low vegetation had been burnt away. In many places, only scorched tree trunks remained, very different to the verdant forests I remembered from my only other visit to Kangaroo Island 15 years earlier.

The bushfires have had devastating environmental, economic and personal consequences for Kangaroo Island’s 4,500-strong population, and have forever separated its history into “before” and “after” the blaze.  Recovery on all fronts has been long, slow and hindered even further by COVID-19 restrictions. 

Despite the extensive fire damage, it’s easy to see why the national park still attracts many of Kangaroo Island’s 140,000 annual visitors. Nearly ten months on, the bushland’s regeneration is well under way.  A mantle of green is starting to cover the blackened ground and new growth sprouts from the burnt tree trunks.  

The island has become a land of dramatic contrasts. In the forest and farmland, the fire’s trail of destruction can end abruptly, leaving bare, burnt ground and untouched greenery side by side. Rocks, dunes and land formations are now strikingly bare where ground cover and the understory once hid them. In places, where the flames reached the sea, there is now an eerily beautiful juxtaposition of blackened vegetation against the island’s signature aquamarine waters.

Visiting the island now is not only a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness its regeneration first hand, but  also to assist community recovery by providing much needed cash flow to affected businesses and tourism operators.

Kangaroo Island, or “KI” (pronounced “kay-eye”) as it is known to locals, is Australia’s third-largest island after Tasmania and Melville Island. 

Travelling KI’s 155 kilometre (96 mi) length is a journey through a stunning wilderness landscape with 540 kilometres (335 mi) of rugged coastline. Explore untouched beaches and dune systems, rivers and lakes, lush forests and oddly-shaped rocky outcrops. Diverse animal and plant life, fresh regional produce and friendly locals all add to the relaxed island vibe.  Despite the devastation of the fires, the attractions are all still here. A day or two will not be enough to experience everything the island has to offer.

How to get here

The fastest way to reach KI is a 30-minute flight from Adelaide, capital of the state of South Australia, to KI’s Kingscote Airport. Alternatively, take the ferry for a 45-minute ride across Backstairs Passage to KI’s Penneshaw, 22 kilometres (13.6 mi) from the closest mainland ferry terminal at Cape Jervis. 

From Adelaide, it’s a 90-minute drive through the Fleurieu Peninsula to cover the 100 kilometres (62 mi) to Cape Jervis at its south-western tip. Driving from Adelaide gives the option of taking your own vehicle on the ferry, recommended for those who wish to explore the entire island. Caravans, camper trailers and campers can also be taken on the ferry, although tours are available for those without transportation.

My travelling companions and I decided to drive from Adelaide and first explore parts of the Fleurieu Peninsula’s western coastline en route to the Cape Jervis wharf. As we only had a few hours before our ferry departed, a full exploration of the peninsula’s stunning coastline and picturesque inland region wouldn’t be possible. 

Instead, we chose a cross-section of attractions, including Port Noarlunga’s long jetty and red rocky walls above the Onkaparinga River mouth; the rolling vales and dramatic cliffs sweeping down to the sands of Sellicks Beach; the memorial to Australia’s only saint, Mary McKillop, in the Yankalilla township; the clear blue waters of Normanville beach; and Second Valley’s unusual coastal rock formations.

Backstairs Passage, the strait between Cape Jervis and Penneshaw, is known for its rough seas so choosing the best time to cross can be like picking a winning lottery ticket. According to ferry staff, our afternoon crossing was a rough one, but not as bad as the morning trip when most of a large school excursion group became violently sea-sick.  

A turbulent crossing isn’t always bad news though. For us birdwatchers, heavy seas can mean a greater chance of spotting ocean-going birds such as shearwaters, petrels and albatross, not usually seen this close to land.  The only trick is to stay upright on deck and hold the binoculars steady as the ferry heaves and rolls through the waves and cross-currents.

Kangaroo Island History

Discovery of stone tools, middens (ceremonial sites), campfire sites and cave shelters on KI are proof of Australian Indigenous occupation, thought to pre-date colonial settlement by up to 65,000 years. It is believed that a group of people remained on the island when rising waters separated it from the mainland 10,000 years ago during the last glacial period.  Evidence also indicates they left the island 2,000 – 4,000 years before European colonisation, although it is unclear how or why.

Indigenous people from the mainland knew the island as Karta Pintingga or “Island of the dead”. This is because during the Aboriginal Dreamtime, the period in which life was created, a Spirit Ancestor travelled to the island en route to the Milky Way and was followed here by spirits of the dead seeking the afterlife.

There is some doubt as to when colonial exploration of KI began. The generally accepted version starts in 1802 when Matthew Flinders landed here while on an expedition to map Australia’s southern coastline for the British Government aboard HMS Investigator.  He unimaginatively recorded it as “Kanguroo Island”, for its many kangaroos, a welcome source of fresh meat.

After leaving the island, the Investigator met French ship Le Geographe, captained by Nicolas Baudin. Although their countries were at war, the two captains exchanged information and later that year, Baudin mapped part of the KI coastline, giving many of its geographic features French names.

However, the discovery of an inscription on a tree in the Cygnet River locality dated 1800 and stating “The place for fat meat” indicates that the island was already known by then. To whom, and for how long is unknown.

Baudin’s crew later met some American sealers aboard the brig Union and passed on details of the island to them. The Americans had a quota of 12,000 seal skins, and so KI’s sealing industry began, closely followed by the arrival of whalers.

In 1836, the first free (non-convict) European settlement in Australia was established on KI by the British based South Australian Company.  Faced with many difficulties, most of the colony relocated to the mainland four years later, leaving behind a few settlers whose tenacity and ingenuity in surviving harsh conditions are characteristics still evident in the present-day KI community.  

Nowadays, KI produce is renowned for its quality and exported around the world. A variety of industries includes honey from the purest strain of Ligurian bees in the world; boutique wineries, breweries and a distillery; aquaculture and seafood; eucalyptus oil, lavender and olive products; oats and other cereal crops; along with livestock, sea salt, free range eggs and beauty products, all available from local outlets and shopfronts.

Penneshaw and the Dudley Peninsula

The ferry docks at the small town of Penneshaw, located at the island’s eastern end, a good base for exploring the Dudley Peninsula. Untouched by the fires, the peninsula’s natural attractions are a good introduction to life on KI. 

We spent a day exploring the three conservation parks along the Dudley Peninsula’s south-eastern coastline. From mid-May to late October, southern right whales and the occasional humpback whale can be seen from the cliff tops along this section of the coast. Blue whales, the world’s largest animal, can also be seen from the shores, although they are more likely to be found feeding in upwelling zones further offshore, where nutrient-rich cold water rises from the ocean depths.

Baudin Conservation Park, with its coastal hiking trails and historic sites, is only two kilometres (1.24 mi) south-east of Penneshaw, not to be confused with Baudin Beach to the south-west.

Lashmar Conservation Park, halfway between Penneshaw and Cape Willoughby, is noted for its fishing, swimming, birdwatching and canoeing.  There’s a popular camping area where the Chapman River, which flows through the park, enters the ocean at Antechamber Bay, with its beautiful sandy beach.

At KI’s easternmost point is the isolated Cape Willoughby lighthouse outpost, where South Australia’s first lighthouse was built in 1852. The lighthouse, attached museum and walking trails around the cape are now part of the Cape Willoughby conservation park.

Back in Penneshaw, watch the sunset over Christmas Cove.  Then take an evening tour to see little penguins (Eudyptula minor) coming ashore on the beaches and cliffs after a day feeding out at sea.

Hog Bay Road follows a string of beaches, including Baudin Beach, south-west from Penneshaw to Prospect Hill, right on the peninsula’s narrow neck where it adjoins the central and western parts of the island. Follow in Matthew Flinders’ footsteps and climb the large sand dune, KI’s highest point, for 360 degree views north across Pelican Lagoon to American River and south to Pennington Bay. These days, a 350-step staircase makes the steep climb easier while protecting the fragile dunes beneath.

American River

From Prospect Hill it’s a 10 kilometre (6 mi) drive north to the small settlement of American River.  After staying in Penneshaw overnight, we moved here for the remainder of our stay as it offers easier access to the rest of KI’s attractions.

The locality was named in true Aussie style for a group of American sealers who camped on the shores of Pelican Lagoon, an ocean inlet which they mistakenly thought was a river. Sunrise over the inlet can be spectacular, with black swans (Cygnus atratus) and other water birds plentiful.  

“Every morning I’d be given a koala to nurse for the day,” Kylie, an accommodation host based in American River, told me. “The next morning I’d be told that the koala I’d been looking after had died during the night. It was heartbreaking.”  She and her husband had only lived on the island a short time before the fires, and even though the American River community wasn’t directly under threat, the smoke was so thick they thought they’d have to leave. They and their neighbours spent some tense nights watching the glow in the sky and hearing horror stories about what was happening at the other end of the island.

Once the fires raged out of control and all visitors had returned to the mainland, Kylie volunteered to help out at the wildlife rescue centre, set up to care for the influx of injured animals rescued by locals and firefighters.

While exact pre- and post-bushfire numbers are unknown, it is believed that 80% of the estimated 50,000 koalas on KI perished.  About 40% of those treated in the centre were rehabilitated to be released back into the wild, thanks to the tireless work of volunteers and donations from around the world.

The Mercure Kangaroo Island Lodge where I was a guest, is located right across the road from the American River inlet.  With comfortable and well-appointed rooms, an excellent restaurant and friendly, helpful staff, it’s also a good base from which to explore other parts of the island. Don’t miss sunrise over the inlet—the colours, reflections and waterbird silhouettes can be stunning.  Afterwards, treat yourself to the wonderful breakfast buffet in the restaurant.

Famous for its seafood, American River’s most well known (and possibly most visited) attraction is the Oyster Farm Shop. It offers a daily selection of fresh seafood including local oysters, abalini (baby abalone), marron (freshwater crayfish), King George whiting and calamari. 

Just outside town a hiking trail leads to the remains of the town’s historic fish cannery, established around 1890, but abandoned two years later as there was no way to store and keep excess fish. A short drive north-west of town is Redbanks, where multi-coloured cliffs tower above the beach.

KI is home to an endemic subspecies of the critically endangered glossy black cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus lathami halmaturinus), and the American River flock can often be seen around the town and nearby bushland. 

Kingscote and North Coast

Kingscote, located 38 kilometres (24 mi) north-west of American River, is KI’s largest town and commercial centre. The first free Australian settlement was set up at nearby Reeves Point, now a reserve with walking trails and historic sites listed on the South Australian Heritage Register. The Nepean Bay jetty is a well known fishing spot, and great for sunrise or sunset shots. Look for sea lions and dolphins in the waters, and if you are lucky, you may see a koala wandering Kingscote’s main street.

Explore the north coast’s secluded beaches from here, including the white sands of Emu Bay; the rocky portal leading to Stokes Bay; and the superb swimming and fishing at Snelling Beach. Parts of this region were hit hard by the bushfires, but much of the north-coast, especially the eastern end, is now accessible.

Snellings View, where I was a guest, makes an excellent base from which to discover the delights of the North Coast’s stunning coastal scenery—or just hide away and relax. With magnificent views over Snellings beach and the surrounding farmland from the deck, the open-plan lounge/dining area and both double bedrooms, this luxurious getaway is fully self-contained. Photos from a book produced by the owners show that the bushfires burned right up to the deck.

“I was wearing my mother’s engagement ring and a ring belonging to my late sister that day.  My other jewellery and belongings were obliterated in the fire,” Priscilla, a north-coast local told me, describing the devastating losses the day that she and her partner lost their home.  

“A year later, I’m still discovering things I didn’t realise were gone, and I feel the loss all over again. Luckily I had uploaded a lot of photos to Facebook because my hard drive and backup were destroyed.” The displacement of living in temporary accommodation without a permanent home to which they can return isn’t easy either.

Priscilla and her partner are now rebuilding, but the process is hampered by the logistics of living on an island. Returning to normal life is still a long way off but the support of the KI community, all of whom have been affected in some way by the fires, has been invaluable.

The South Coast

The South Coast road is known for its nature- and adventure-based attractions.  Although the fire reached the sea here, the stunning colours, white sandy beaches and rock pools of Vivonne Bay make it easy to see why this beach was declared  best in the world in 2003, and is arguably KI’s best beach location.  Spend a day swimming, surfing, snorkelling, fishing, hiking or canoeing the Harriet River which meets the sea at the bay.

Nearby is Little Sahara, a coastal dune system popular for sandboarding and tobogganing. Sand buggies, quad bikes or fat bikes are also on offer by tour companies, with guided walking tours and kayaking also available.

Further east, the Seal Bay Conservation Park’s Australian sea lion colony can be observed from the Visitor Centre viewing platforms. Take a self-guided boardwalk tour, or get even closer on a guided tour.

Flinders Chase National Park

From American River, we took the 105 kilometre (66 mi) drive south-west to the Flinders Chase National Park entrance, taking about 75 minutes. En route, the fire damage became progressively worse until we reached the Bunker Hill lookout mentioned above, where the worst effects of the fire can be seen.

In the far south-west at Cape du Couedic, the low coastal vegetation is intact, a stark contrast with other coastal sections of the park now blackened and burnt.  The Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail, a five day trek passing through here, was badly damaged by the fires, but a modified version is now open. It is a rare opportunity to see bushland regeneration firsthand and view open landscapes not previously visible when covered by dense vegetation. Guided bushfire tours are also available.

Seals and other Wildlife

From the cape, a boardwalk descends into the cavernous Admirals Arch, a haven for the 7,000-strong long-nosed fur seal (Arctocephalus forsteri) colony living and breeding on the cape and Casuarina islets.  By the 1880s, fur seals had been hunted almost to extinction for their thick, water repellent pelts.  From 1900, various levels of protection have applied to the islets, and now the Western Kangaroo Island Marine Parks protect the waters these seals call home.

Wildlife is returning to the bushfire zone, although much of the habitat they relied on for food and shelter was destroyed. Rosenberg’s goanna (Varanus rosenbergi), a large monitor lizard, and the KI subspecies of short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus multiaculeatus) are able to bury themselves underground during bushfires in order to survive.

Weirs Cove

KI’s treacherous coastline and unpredictable waters have been responsible for over 80 shipwrecks. After lighthouses were built at Cape Willoughby and Cape Borda, the Cape du Couedic lighthouse was completed in 1909 after five ships and 79 lives were lost in the surrounding waters. Before road access to the cape, all lighthouse supplies—and visitors—were hoisted from the nearby Weirs Cove landing up a 92 metre (300 ft) high sheer cliff face to the settlement via a primitive “flying fox” winching system made of pulleys and ropes.

Remarkable Rocks

Ironically, no vegetation obscures the park’s most well known feature—the Remarkable Rocks—thanks to the bushfires. The tumbling pile of fractured granite blocks, weathered over millennia, sits on a large dome of exposed granite above a sheer cliff, clearly visible from Weirs Cove and the coast-hugging road. A coating of bright orange lichen renders some of the rocks even more bizarre. 

Featuring in films such as “Napoleon” (1995), and “The December Boys” (2007), the rocks have also starred in countless home movies and social media posts. Many visitors have their photo taken under the “Turtle Beak”, a piece of hollowed-out rock shaped like a hooked finger dangling above the rocky base.  Exploring the odd shapes and textures of the rocks can take a while if you’ve got a camera, and watching other people exploring the rocks can take even longer.

Although these were the only park attractions open to the public during our stay, I wasn’t disappointed.  Seeing the park’s recovery firsthand replaced the despair I had felt when watching the horrifying blaze on the news night after night.  I’m already looking forward to returning once more attractions have reopened.

Come to Kangaroo Island

Indisputably, the close-knit KI community is known for its resilience and courage, and for working together to preserve and protect the island they love.  After seeing the beauty that remains and regeneration in the bushfire zone, it is even more apparent that this island is a special place. 

While full recovery may take many more years, don’t leave it too long to experience its wonders.  Kangaroo Island’s attractions await!

Want MORE?

• More about Kangaroo Island HERE
• More about the Fleurieu Peninsula HERE
• The original version of this article first appeared in GlobeRovers Magazine July 2021. For more interesting travel stories check out GlobeRovers HERE.

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The post Beauty and Bushfires: Exploring Kangaroo Island, South Australia appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

A week on Norfolk Island should give you just enough time to realise that a week on Norfolk Island isn’t nearly long enough.

Whether or not you’re an amateur photographer/twitcher duo like us, on the prowl for amazing natural attractions, unusual birds (feathered) and scenic loos in exotic locations, chances are you won’t be able to fit it all in.

So instead of busting a gut trying to see and do absolutely everything, try a few of my 10 favourite things to do and leave yourself time for some R&R!

1 See the Island the Local way

I might not have been the youngest person on our island orientation tour – but my relative youth sure made it easy for me to a) hear what the driver was saying; b) identify and board the correct tour bus when more than one was parked at

the same location; and c) hit the lead in the race for the afternoon tea scones with Guava Jelly and cream.

Score!

The half-day tour came free with our booking, but I’d gladly have paid for what turned out to be an excellent introduction to the island’s history, points of interest, local characters and the challenges faced by a smallish group of people living on an isolated hunk of rock in the middle of nowhere.

More specifically 1770 km (1100 miles) north-east of Sydney, 1448 km (900 miles) east of Brisbane; 1126 km (700 miles) north-west of Auckland and 804 km (500 miles) south-east of Noumea.

Starting at the main settlement of Burnt Pine, we took in a superb cross-section of attractions – lookouts, convict ruins, jetties, rugged cliffs, a battleship, an old chapel, whaling station – all served up with spectacular scenery, and a teaser for things we wanted to see in more detail at our leisure.

How I got lucky!

But afternoon tea was where I REALLY got lucky. Because that’s where I found ‘Ask a Silly Question’, a booklet full of hilariously dumb questions tourists have asked local tour guide Max Hobbins.

Such as: ‘Is the Island surrounded by water?’ and ‘What colour is the native Green Parrot?’ and ‘If the Island has such a low crime rate, why do you have electric fences?’

Five minutes later I purchased it, eyes streaming with tears of laughter. And in another blinding piece of luck, the checkout operator introduced me to the author, there on another tour, and I asked him to sign my book.

Score!

I just hope none of the questions I asked him will make it into a future edition!

2 Norfolk’s TOP Spot

Getting to the top of Norfolk Island’s second-highest mountain isn’t too taxing. Just hop in the car and follow the signs to Mount Pitt – 318 metres above sea level, and with an almost 360° panorama from the lookout.

When the supply ship Sirius ran aground offshore many years ago depriving the islanders of food, the easy-to-catch petrels nesting on the Mt Pitt summit saved the colony from starvation with an estimated 170,000 killed and eaten. Unsurprisingly, despite being named ‘Providence Petrel’, the birds no longer return to their old nesting spot.

So the birds-eye view from Mt Pitt across to Phillip Island where the petrels have started to make a come-back in nesting season is likely to be the closest you’ll come to seeing one.

Getting to the island’s highest point takes a bit more effort. Follow the ups and downs of the Summit track through lush rainforest full of more endemic bird species like Pacific Robin, and past World War II memorabilia. After what I’m told is only 500 metres (although it seemed a lot more to me!) you’ll reach the Mount Bates summit, at 319 metres above sea level, the highest point on the island.

But only if you think it’s worth gaining a metre in altitude and losing a lot of the view!

3 Hit Bedrock

In an island full of extraordinary experiences, stunning scenery and fabulous food, the Bedrock Café enthusiastically serves up all three.

Perched on the edge of the Duncombe Bay cliffs with several hundred kilometres of ocean in front of you, the café setting is, for my money, one of Australia’s most spectacular dining locations.

And if you’re a keen birdo, it’s really the only place to be if you want to fit in a Great Frigate bird sighting or two between courses. Where even great food like the egg curry and coconut beef; followed by pear cake and passionfruit tart we had wasn’t distracting enough to prevent binocular and camera overuse syndrome …

4 Green Parrot: one of the World’s Rarest Birds

I SO get that birding isn’t for everyone.

But Norfolk Island’s prime position in the middle of freakin’ nowhere makes it a top birding site for sea birds not normally seen on the mainland AND birds not seen anywhere else on earth!

Even if you’re not a birder, the dense rainforest, scenic lookouts and ever-present Norfolk Island Pines are so spectacular it’s a pleasure just to hike one or more of the many trails in the Botanic Gardens and National Park, covering a third of the island.

Walk the park and you’re right in the rare Green Parrot’s habitat. In the early 1990’s only 4 breeding females remained until an intervention program increased the number to about 200-400 thus saving them from extinction AND ensuring a steady stream of twitchers* visit the island.

Camouflage!

If you think it’d be easy to spot a bright green bird with accents of vivid red and blue in the forest, then think again. Remember – there’s only a few hundred scattered throughout a pretty big park full of green vegetation studded with the red palm berries and cherry guavas the parrots like to eat so spotting one can be challenging.

After a couple of unsuccessful searches during the week, we gave it one last go on the day we departed, just before we had to leave for the airport.

Turns out all we had to do was drive up the road from our accommodation to the Palm Circuit Track trailhead, where we spotted one nonchalantly eating guavas. Too easy!!

5 Captain Cook’s Lookout

The surf thundered and crashed, boiling around the jagged rocks of the Northern Islets far below. Sea birds soared through the haze, thick with salt spray as the surf pounded the rocky shore at the base of the towering cliffs.

Call me a lily-livered acrophobic** landlubber, but you’d have to be mad to try to come ashore right here. Wouldn’t you??

So what does that make Captain James Cook? According to his ship’s log, he’s thought to have landed somewhere along the stretch of coastline below my vantage point when he ‘discovered’ the island back in 1774.

But mad or not, the Captain Cook Lookout (as it is now known) is now a fine place to have a picnic, or just hang out and admire the view (including a FINE scenic loo!), spot the sea birds and take a hike along the Bridle Track.

6 A Hundred Acres of Wood

It’s just as well I thought the ancient Moreton Bay Fig trees lining the road and entrance to the Hundred Acre Reserve deserved more than a quick drive-through. If I hadn’t walked back for yet another tedious photo session (by standards other than mine) I wouldn’t have seen the tiny White Tern chick perched at knee height on the buttress.

I can’t guarantee you’ll get lucky at the fig trees like I did. But stop there anyway to take the track through an almost endless forest of Norfolk Island Pines to Rocky Point, where there’s a better than average chance you WILL get lucky!

With killer coastal scenery, sunsets and sea bird sightings, of course.

7 DOWN to Anson Bay Beach

If not for the track zig-zagging down the sheer cliffs to the stunningly scenic sliver of sub-tropical sand below, Anson Bay Beach would likely have been totally deserted.

While the more popular Emily Bay with its easy-access road, swimming pontoon and scenic loo gets more people AND more press, Anson Bay Beach is a picturesque paradise.  Annd another fine opportunity to practice managing your photo overuse syndrome!

I already had a full blown case of it by Day 3.

Anywhere else, it’d be tempting to pack a picnic, a boogie board, swimmers and fishing gear for a big day out. But the thought of the LOOOOOOONG long climb back up the cliff road at the end of the day is an instant crash course in how to pare back those ‘necessities’ to just a swimsuit.

And a camera!

8 One Helluva History – the Museum Crawl

Unbelievably, the public amenities weren’t listed as items of interest in the 53 numbered museums, buildings, sites and artefacts in the Australian Convict Sites visitor guide to the Kingston and Arthur’s Vale area.

It must have been because of the area’s World Heritage status. Because it’d be just as unbelievable that I’d be the only one interested in potential Scenic Public loos***. Wouldn’t it?

But whether or not you include the facilities, the site represents all four very different periods of Norfolk settlement. It’s a fascinating journey starting with the Polynesians way, WAY back to 1150 CE followed by two separate periods of Convict habitation between 1788-1855. Then the present day community was formed when a group of Pitcairn Islanders, descendants of the Bounty mutineers, resettled here in 1856.

The loos are just a bonus!

9 360° of Art and History

Don’t get me wrong.

Nothing does it for me quite like travelling. BUT … every now and then, after a few days of relentless exploring and experiencing and excitement, it all gets a bit too exhausting.

But taking a day off to just do nothing doesn’t work for me either.

And that’s when I wish for a bite-sized package of cultural, natural and historic experiences to do me for the day. Kind of like a LITE version.

Norfolk LITE!

Luckily, Norfolk’s LITE version is an easy-access mixture of history, art and culture wrapped up in a stunning and remarkably detailed 360° painting – the Cyclorama – depicting key points in the island’s history.

Weirdly, the ‘no photos’ rule didn’t bother me a bit! I can’t recall the last time I wandered around without considering photo angles and lighting, or wishing my photographic skills were a bit more advanced!

So here’s a completely gratuitous photo of something else!

10 Selwyn Cottage

Booking a place to stay sight unseen can be risky when you haven’t even seen your destination, let alone the accommodation options. But it turns out we didn’t have to worry.

Because with Selwyn Cottage we REALLY lucked out!

With a private garden so fine we could have spent the whole week there, this standalone cottage in a quiet suburb close to the National Park and township was the perfect retreat after a hard day on the sightseeing trail.

Factor in the facilities, island hospitality and personal touches that made Selwyn Cottage a home away from home, and this family run haven will be where we stay when we return! Even if we have to plan our holiday around it

And here’s an extra one for nothing!  You’re welcome …

11 The one that got away – Philip Island

I really Really REALLY wanted to go to Philip Island.

The ‘Uluru of the South Pacific’, as it is described in a tourist brochure, is six kilometres south of Norfolk Island with a distinctive shape and colour visible from almost every vantage point.

Once stocked with feral animals for sport and food during penal settlement days, the degraded environment is now being rehabilitated after an eradication program. It’s a haven for rare plants, sea birds and at least five reptiles and invertebrates found nowhere else on earth. Visitors are warned about a hazardous landing and steep, rocky track complete with ropes! Who could resist?

But it’s not that easy to get there – adverse weather conditions and heavy seas during our stay meant the tour wasn’t running so we MISSED OUT!

And so the most important question of all remains unanswered. Is there, or is there not, a SUPER scenic public loo?

My TOP Ten Teaser isn’t the definitive guide to Norfolk Island.  There’s a LOT more to see and do and I can’t wait to go there again! See you there??

Want MORE?

• Norfolk Island Official Website
• More Norfolk Island Photos on Flickr

* Twitcher = bird watcher with a penchant for rare and/or unusual birds

** Acrophobia = fear of heights

*** If you’re wondering why the obsession with loos, then check out my book HERE!

The post My TOP 10 Favourite things to do on Norfolk Island appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

If you’re passing through Lyndhurst when nature calls, you can’t miss this little Outback Beauty – it’s right on the highway next to the Lyndhurst town sign. That’s how I knew it couldn’t possibly have been there back in 2013 when I first went to Lyndhurst.

So after crossing my legs for 25 km (15.5 miles) while driving back from my second trip to the awesome Farina bakery, I just HAD to stop.

And not just so I could check it and its classic outback setting out as a possible contender for my as yet unwritten second book of Aussie Loos with Views (read about the FIRST one HERE), either!

Aussie towns don’t come much smaller or more Outback than Lyndhurst. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to see – so if you’re stopping for a loo break, stay a bit longer and check out the other Lyndhurst attractions!

Like what? Like THESE!

Lyndhurst Personalities

Lyndhurst doesn’t need a Red Nomad OZ to put it on the map – it’s already got a pretty high per capita proportion of Aussie larrikins.

Like cattle duffer (read: bushranger) Harry Readford who drove 1000 head of stolen cattle from Longreach in Queensland through Lyndhurst to Marree in 1871, thus pioneering the modern day version of the Strzelecki Track. An amazing feat – not least to the jury at his trial who acquitted him, despite compelling evidence of his guilt. While he’s not from Lyndhurst, Harry certainly helped put it on the map, and his legend lives on in Captain Starlight – a character from classic Aussie novel ‘Robbery Under Arms’.

Modern day visitors won’t find Harry Readford, but they CAN find another legendary Aussie character at his talc sculpture gallery just out of town on the Innamincka Road.

Or not! For some unknown reason, Talc Alf wasn’t at his gallery the day we dropped by so you won’t hear from me whether or not his theories about the origins of the English alphabet are valid!

But as I’m possibly the only traveller to pass through Lyndhurst South Australia without meeting TA, you’ll find records of other encounters online. Click HERE for Dr Karl Kruszelnicki’s account of his encounter with Talc Alf!

And if TA’s nowhere in sight, meet a few locals at the Lyndhurst Hotel/Motel and Caravan Park or recently re-opened Roadhouse!

Railway History

Although the section of the Great Northern Railway aka ‘The Ghan’ that once made Lyndhurst an important freight centre no longer operates (a re-location 200 km (124 miles) to the west will do that!) some memorabilia remains.

And if you’re lucky enough to be travelling with a railway obsessive enthusiast, you’ll get to see it all!

If it’s not your lucky day, look out for the old siding and stock yards between the dunny and the pub, and the old track embankment and station sign out by Talc Alf’s gallery.

Once the town was established as the main railhead for stock transport, it soon expanded. But who needs a store and post office when summer temperatures regularly exceed 40° C (104° F)?

The pub is unlikely to have been built if not for the railway, but am I the only one to find the presence of the pub and absence of the railway ironic?

The Lake

A lake of this small size wouldn’t generally rate a mention anywhere else. But in a town with those killer temperatures – 46.3° C (115 F) on 6 Jan 2013 – I mentioned earlier? And an annual rainfall of around 232 mm (~9 inches)?

Down in a hollow behind near the old railway stock yards, the dam was a pleasant, albeit unexpected surprise. And all the more scenic for its dry and dusty setting!

The Strzelecki Track

To travel the Strzelecki Track, I’d need new tyres, spare parts, extra water, survival gear – actually, make that a whole new rig!

So even though driving this iconic Outback road-trip, once an Aboriginal trade trail, was off the agenda I still got a thrill from driving a little way (read: 1 km!) up the track.

The last fuel and facilities stop before Innamincka, nearly 500 km (310 miles) away, Lyndhurst’s position at the start (or is that the end?) of the Strzelecki Track makes it a scheduled stop for travellers from either up or down the track.

But with a surface like THIS (see above), just watch those tyres!

The Ochre Pits

The classic outback landscape around Lyndhurst can be stunning. But it’s at its most spectacular just 5 km (3 miles) north on the main highway at the Ochre Pits – especially in the late afternoon light.

Used for trade, ceremony, ornament, medicine, art and burial (according to the sign on site), ochre remains an important part of Aboriginal life and culture. Ochre from these pits was traded along what is now known as the Strzelecki Track – a route following the waterholes – meaning the site is protected under the Aboriginal Heritage Act.

I’d seen Ochre Pits before – but never one this big, or with so many colours.

And against that amazing blue South Australian winter sky?

Awesome! Take a break and experience Lyndhurst’s main attractions on your trip north to Marree and the Birdsville and Oodnadatta Tracks; South to the Flinders Ranges and Adelaide; or north-east along the Strzelecki Track to Innamincka!

FAST FACTS:

Where: 606 km (376 miles) north of Adelaide; 33 km (20.5 miles) north of nearest town Copley; and 80 km south of Marree.

When: Temperatures are very hot in summer (Dec-Feb) so travel is recommended for the cooler months

How to get there: Self-Drive. Lyndhurst South Australia has the last facilities before Innamincka, 500 km (310 miles) away up the Strzelecki Track.

Facilities: Food, Fuel, Accomodation, Camping facilities, Toilets, some supplies available from the Roadhouse and/or Lyndhurst Hotel. It’s also only 25 km north to the Farina ruins with its seasonal bakery!

Want MORE?

* Lyndhurst South Australia

* The Strzelecki Track

* Marree

* The Farina Bakery

* MORE Lyndhurst photos on Flickr

Oh! Nearly forgot. There’s one more thing to track down in Lyndhurst – its very own UFO!  Can YOU find it?

The post Larrikins, Landscapes and Loos! Lyndhurst South Australia appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Sand dunes and shipwrecks.  A wild and windswept heli-pad. Magnificent cliffs, an old wooden railway transport line and exotic lighthouses. Historic ruins and a sailor a long way from home.  None of these are visible from the entrance to Innes National Park.

And you can’t see them from the ~30 km of road winding through the park.

To discover the history, see the sights and uncover the mysteries you’ve got to go behind the scenes and take one or more of the 7 sensational walks in Innes National Park.

Although the superb view from almost any vantage point along that road is SO distracting you’ll be tempted to keep driving from lookout to lookout, take the walks for an even better chance of scenic overload!

AND as well as the attractions above, there’s wildlife, spring wildflowers, history and some of South Australia’s most spectacular coastal scenery – including Public Loos so scenic some of them are in MY BOOK!

SO … take the trails teaser tour TODAY!

1 Stenhouse Bay Lookout Walk (2 km circuit)

On a fine day the view over the Stenhouse Bay jetty takes some beating in the scenic stakes. That’s why it’s usually our first stopping off point after entering the park a few kilometres south-west of Marion Bay.

From the park entrance it’s only a short drive to the jetty – and the town that the Waratah Gypsum Company built in 1900, although there’s not much of it left.

It’s also the trailhead for the Lookout Walk – a 2 km circuit that shows off what IS left and the track passes rusting machinery; interpretive signs explaining the bay’s historic significance; and 9 lookouts showcasing the spectacular views to the islands in Investigator Strait and the Rhino’s Head (see above)!

Which has to be one of Australia’s most OBVIOUS place names!

But the most memorable thing for me on this walk isn’t the scenery, wildflowers or wildlife. It’s the grave of a sailor buried in this lonely outpost far from home.

Rest in peace, Dao Thanh.

2 Cape Spencer Lighthouse (600 m return)

This is the shortest of the walks in Innes National Park.

The track from the car park to the lighthouse on the Cape runs along a ridgetop with massive cliffs on one side and exposed slopes running down to the pounding seas below on the other. I didn’t need the signs warning walkers not to go too close to the edge – it’s a sheer drop off way Way WAY down to the water.

No photo is worth taking the fall!! Does that mean I’m not a REAL photographer??

Directly across the strait from the lighthouse are the Althorp Islands, site of several shipwrecks and another lighthouse – a stunning two-lighthouse view! And with a coastline THIS rugged in all directions, the lighthouse/shipwreck thing starts to make sense.

3 Inneston Historic Walk (2km circuit)

If you’ve already walked the previous two trails, the historic township of Inneston (you’ll NEVER guess the name of the bloke who founded it was William Innes!), provides a welcome break from the relentlessly staggering coastal scenery.

Although it’s got it’s own attractions …

Tragically, while the town that once supported the budding gypsum mining industry was at one stage big enough to support its own bakery, neither are operational today. But the walking track shows off the town’s highlights, including restored buildings, Inneston Lake, spectacular spring wildflowers – the freesias are particularly fabulous – and wildlife such as emus, malleefowl and kangaroos.

You’ve probably realised by now you won’t be able to complete all these walks in one day. So if you’re looking for a cool place to stay, try Inneston’s heritage accommodation – if you can live without TV or mobile access, that is!

4 Thomson-Pfitzner Plaster Trail (7.6 km)

Once upon a time, the walk from the trailhead at Inneston – an extension of the historic trail (above) – meant getting to Rhino’s Tavern at Stenhouse Bay 3.8 km away in time for lunch before returning along this old wooden railway line that once connected the two towns.

Sadly, the tavern has now closed so carry enough food, water and supplies for a 7.6 km return trek. But it’s an easy walk through the trees and along the embankment upon which the railway line was built, with fragments of the gypsum cargo lying among the leaf litter – and spring orchids – where they fell many years ago.

Not much of the railway track remains today, but there’s a sense of the past that lingers along the line where horses once drew heavy loads of gypsum from the mining sites to the Stenhouse Bay jetty.

Other than glimpses of the sea near Inneston and Stenhouse Bay, this walk is another opportunity to escape the superb coastal scenery – if you need to!!

5 West Cape Headland Hike (1 km circuit)

If you were still wondering about the lighthouse/shipwreck thing first encountered at Cape Spencer, West Cape will leave you in no doubt.

The stretch of (almost) deserted beach stretching out below the long, wooden stairway down to the sand many metres below is an impressive sight. But the view’s even better from the top of the Cape, where a trail to the lighthouse goes just a little closer to the cliffs than I’m comfortable with, especially when the wind is strong!

Hold on to your children – unless they happen to be particularly noisy, naughty or nasty – it’s sometimes hard to stay fully upright when the wind’s up. There probably won’t be many days when a helicopter could land on the heli-pad next to the unusual lighthouse atop this windswept spot (see first photo above), but it’s nice to know it’s sometimes possible.

But the sight (and site!) of one of Australia’s most scenic public loos, with beach views in one direction and the scenic splendour of Pondalowie Bay in the other make braving the wind worthwhile.

6 Royston Head (4km return)

If trails along the top of high cliffs with no barriers between you and the sea a LONG way below make you nervous, then the Royston Head walk isn’t likely to make you feel any better. But swallow that fear, if you can – this is one of the most spectacular spots in the park.

In my humble opinion.

The walk winds up from Dolphin Beach through the dunes before reaching the exposed cliff tops of the Head – an interesting range of habitats, vegetation and wildlife that you’ll promptly forget when faced with the awesome view at the end of the hike!

That’s why this is one of my favourite walks in Innes National Park!

7 Gym Beach (11 km return)

Although it’s part of Innes National Park, Gym Beach isn’t accessible via the main road through the park. The alternate route from Marion Bay gives access – but then there’s no direct road access to the rest of the park without returning to Marion Bay.

Luckily, the hike starting near Browns Beach along the back of the dunes is an introduction to the varied coastal vegetation habitats as well as providing access to Gym Beach. Although it’s a LONG way to go for a swim!

Strangely enough, the walk can be done without laying eyes on either beach – although doing that would deprive you of two of South Australia’s BEST beaches!

Walks in Innes National Park are suitable for most people – and if I can do them all, then so can you! Enjoy!!

FAST FACTS:

WHERE: Innes National Park is at the south-western tip of the Yorke Peninsula, and is around 300 km south-west of Adelaide

WHAT to do: Walking trails, Beaches, Surfing, Fishing, Wildflowers, Wildlife, Camping, Historic Ruins

WHEN: All year round

COST: Park entry fees ($10 per car/$8 concession as at April 2015) and Camping fees apply, and must be pre-booked and paid online HERE

STAY: The park has several camping areas. Heritage Accommodation is also available at Inneston. Nearby Marion Bay has a range of accommodation, including a caravan park.  Other Yorke Peninsula Towns also offer accommodation.

Want MORE?

• RedzAustralia does the rest of Innes National Park
• Innes National Park
• Yorke Peninsula
• MORE Innes National Park and Yorke Peninsula Photos on Flickr

The post 7 Wonderful Walks in Innes National Park appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

There’s a million dollar view over Mason Cove from the failed flour mill when the conditions are right. As they were for me on this fine and sunny autumn day.

I was outside.

It was warm.

And I was there by choice.

I was lucky. Those three factors aren’t always present on prison visits. They’re even less likely in a penal settlement as notorious as Port Arthur, Australia’s best known convict penitentiary on the Tasman peninsula, a 90 minute drive from Hobart.

Getting here at last had only taken … well, never mind how many years since I read about it. I was here now, so I slapped down the moral dilemma of whether or not it was ethical to spend money on being entertained by other people’s suffering and set off to enjoy myself.

Because that’s what you do in a World Heritage listed convict settlement, right??

A Room with a View

Despite being surrounded by evidence of suffering and death, Port Arthur is strangely serene. Although it’s unlikely the blissful serenity OR the staggering scenery would have been quite so noticeable to the 600+ convicts locked up in the flour mill – converted into the main penitentiary after a failed attempt to provide the colony with its own flour supply.

Perhaps the better outlook enjoyed by the well-behaved convicts from their bunks on the 3^rd and 4^th floors above the lower level cells containing the hardened criminals was a small consolation.

Maybe the only one.

As a secondary punishment site for repeat offenders from all over Australia, Port Arthur was modelled on the ideas of prison reformer Jeremy Bentham as ‘a machine for grinding rogues into honest men’*. That meant an unpalatable cocktail of discipline, religion, training and punishment by solitary confinement.

And all that grinding happened in an area with an annual rainfall of ~850 mm falling on ~190 days a year and maximum temperatures averaging below 15° C. That meant a LOT of cold, dismal days. No surprises about the high incidence of respiratory problems and rheumatic ailments.

Life at Port Arthur

Down here, with nothing much between the coast and Antarctica, a life sentence meant exactly that. At the narrow neck of land connecting the peninsula to the rest of Tasmania there’s a line of dogs. Around the peninsula are treacherous waters, massive cliffs and wild weather. Escape? I don’t think so.

So was ‘enjoying’ the ‘killer view’ during what I KNEW would be a short stay with a departure time chosen by ME profoundly disrespectful to the 1100 convicts and settlers buried on the Isle of the Dead out in the bay?

Because this view was the last one they’d seen??

Whether yes or no, I’m in good company. Renamed ‘Carnarvon’ when the prison closed in 1877 after nearly 50 years – and TEN commandants (yes, that’s what my post title means!) – the township soon became a tourist attraction and the name changed back to Port Arthur.

As tourist demand increased, it’s been re-developed and restored into a key site of the 11 that comprise the Australian Convict Sites World Heritage Property.

And the tourists who keep rolling in aren’t just here for the fine bakery food up in the Port Café!

There’s a fine line between having a keen and inquiring mind and just being plain nosey. So the fascination my glimpse into this other world so alien, yet so much a part of colonial Australian history, gave me could go either way. Right? RIGHT??

Discovering Port Arthur

Exploring the Port Arthur site makes those history lessons of (not so) long ago real.

There’s the contrast between the convicts and the officers spelled out in the rough stone cells vs the comforts of the commandants house.

The massive government gardens where officers and their families could escape the taint of the convicts under their charge.

The Dockyard employing up to 70, where 166 boats both large and small were built.

The first juvenile reformatory in the British Empire where boys from 9-17 were educated at Point Puer, just across Mason Cove.

The church where up to 1100 people attended compulsory services.

And questions I’d never before thought to ask were answered.

Questions like what happened when a convict ‘lifer’ became too old or ill work – and thus earn their keep? And what happened if the harsh conditions tipped a convict over the edge of sanity?

They were housed in the Pauper’s Depot (self explanatory) or Asylum – now a Museum and Study Centre – although I didn’t find out what happened to those still alive when the penal settlement was closed. Is this the forgotten tragedy of this era?

Modern Day Tragedy at Port Arthur

But the tragedies that define Port Arthur sadly didn’t end back in the late 1800s.

The Memorial Garden built around the remains of the Broad Arrow Café commemorates the 35 visitors and staff killed and 19 wounded by a gunman in 1996. It’s a place to honour the ordinary people like you and me whose lives were brutally and senselessly lost or changed forever.

And a place to re-affirm that life is to be enjoyed and savoured.

I’m still not sure if ‘enjoy’ is the right word to describe my day in Port Arthur. But I don’t think I’ll be taking my freedom, choices and life for granted any more.

Have YOU been to Port Arthur?  Do you have family connections from Port Arthur??  Let me know in the comments below!

Want MORE?

• Port Arthur Historic Site
• Australian Convict Sites World Heritage Property
• Discover Tasmania
• MORE Photos on Flickr

Don’t take my word for it – make your OWN date with history and see it for yourself!  These cheap flights will get you started!

* Quoted from the Port Arthur Historic Site Visitor Guide, also used extensively as a reference for this post.

The post The Ten Commandants, Port Arthur, Tasmania appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

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

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

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

Where is Farina?

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

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

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

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

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

Wasn’t it??

A Bakery in a Ghost Town

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

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

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

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

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

A VERY Civilised Restoration!

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

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

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

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

Farina Bakery Volunteers

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

All while posing for photos!

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

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

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

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

Stay at Farina Station Campground

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

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

I almost joined up on the spot!

What’s on Offer?

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

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

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

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

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

But I digress …

One of the Driest Places on Earth!

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

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

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

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

Want MORE?

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

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

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

When the 200-year-old Tree of Knowledge was poisoned shortly after being included on the National Heritage List on Australia Day 2006, I was appalled.

Yet another historic Aussie landmark fallen victim to the disregard sometimes shown for our heritage. But although the tree’s demise was disappointing, I was also resigned to its fate. Because when a tree dies, it’s gone for good, right? RIGHT??

Wrong!

Where else but Australia would a replacement tree be considered a viable option?  And we’re not talking simple replanting, either – that’d be too easy. We’re talking a total tree REBUILD!

So when news broke that the now dead Tree of Knowledge would be replaced by a virtual monument incorporating a section of the original in homage, I was skeptical.

How could a virtual tree memorial be built to at the very least equal the real thing?

Because if it DIDN’T match the drama and history of the original Tree of Knowledge, what would be the point??

You’ve probably figured by now that THIS Tree of Knowledge isn’t the Garden of Eden original. Even if the nearby Roses and Things garden and tea rooms closely approximates how I’d imagined the legendary garden, downtown Barcaldine,  known as ‘Garden City of the West’,  isn’t quite the same thing!

But why make such a fuss about a TREE?

Well … I’m glad you asked!

Barcaldine is WAAAY more than the Rose Garden and killer bakery! This classic Outback Queensland town is also (arguably) the only place in Australia – if not the world! – with a combination heritage walk/pub crawl based around the 5 historic pubs in the main street!!

But I digress …

Back to the tree!

In 1891, a dispute between shearers, their union and local pastoralists polarised political opinion, culminating in an historic strike and the rise of the Labour Union movement and Australian Labor Party. Events unfolded under a Ghost Gum (Eucalyptus papuana) in the town’s centre, subsequently dubbed the ‘Tree of Knowledge’.

That made the tree a local and national iconic symbol.

So THAT meant poisoning the tree wasn’t just vandalism – but political sabotage.

How could an appropriate replacement for this priceless icon EVER be found?

Pretty much impossible, you’d think.

Or was it?

In August 2011, a couple of years after the $AUD5 Million virtual tree was officially ‘opened’ I approached it with some apprehension.

Probably the best I could hope for was that I didn’t hate it.

But, standing in the shade covering the area of the original canopy, I experienced a rare moment of speechless admiration. Incorporating the preserved trunk and some branches of the original, but with a canopy of wooden cylinders (secured with lock nuts!) to replicate leaves and the musical sound of wind in the ‘foliage’, this awesome virtual tree ROCKS*!

This stunning tribute actually betters (in my opinion, and that’s the one that counts on this blog!) the original icon it commemorates.

But perhaps that’s partly because it provides a unique photographic experience in that it’s almost impossible to take a poor shot!!

A virtual Tree doesn’t require conventional gardening methods either!  Earlier in 2015 it was ‘closed’ for maintenance – those bolts and lock nuts stopping the wooden panels from falling don’t tighten themselves!

And there’s hope for the future too, with Barcaldine’s Australian Workers Heritage Centre, now home to the ‘Young-Un’ (or Son of the Tree of Know-ledge!) cloned from the original tree’s DNA planted in early 2011 by then Prime Minister, Julia Gillard.  And if that doesn’t work out, there’s another clone in Brisbane’s Ecosciences precinct!

So, maybe another icon will be unveiled on this historic spot at a ‘Tree of Knowledge’ festival in another 200 years or so!!

Watch this space …

* Well done, Brian Hooper and m3architecture!

The post Aussie Icons #5 – Tree of Knowledge Barcaldine Queensland appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

According to my train buddy* G, the longest ever recorded chicken flight lasted for 13 seconds.  Ironic then, that one of Australia’s most unsung aviators drew his early inspiration from experiments with measuring chook** wingspan relative to their flight!

A world exclusive wasn’t what I expected when I visited Minlaton on South Australia’s York Peninsula. But the Red Devil, a Bristol M.1C Military Monoplane from a limited 1918 run of only 125 fast fighter planes designed to assist the Allies during World War I is believed to be the only one left of its kind. In the WORLD!

Even more amazing, however, is that Henry ‘Harry’ John Butler, a Koolywurtie*** lad born in 1889, became a prominent Australian aviation pioneer in an environment where the chooks were virtually his only aviatory (? is that a word??) influence!

Until his 20’s, that is, when a regular 400km weekend round trip to Adelaide where he learned to fly with Carl William ‘Bill’ Wittber, another Aussie aviation pioneer. How? Well, after making the first Australian powered flight, Bill built his own plane from scratch. As you do. And this was the aircraft in which Harry first experienced the joys of flight!

Young Harry flew to England at his own expense to join the Royal Flying Corps following the outbreak of World War I, and was soon regularly flying air raids to France before becoming Captain, Flight Commander then instructor and decorated war hero****.

So I reckon Captain Harry’s reported 1919 statement that the Red Devil was one of the three fastest in the world is made on pretty good authority!

Captain Butler’s triumphant – and now legendary – return to Minlaton in the Red Devil on 6th August 1919 in a 110 kmh gale wearing an inflated tyre tube in lieu of life-jacket is also believed to be the first airmail delivery over water in the Southern Hemisphere.

Harry and the Red Devil, cornerstone of his Aviation company, continued to entertain, amuse and educate Australians over the next few years – aeronautical displays, joy flights, airmail deliveries (including a mail drop to his childhood school at Koolywurtie), promotional stunts and winning the inaugural Aerial Derby.

A complete change of pace for this little aircraft, whose logbook contains entries for ‘Fighting Practice’ – but the speed (209 kph/130 mph) that made it an invaluable addition to the Allied cause, also made it the perfect plane to showcase Captain Butler’s considerable aviation expertise.

Harry wasn’t in his beloved Red Devil on 11th January 1922 when engine failure at low altitude and the ensuing crash into a field just outside Minlaton left him critically injured and unable to continue to fly professionally. An undiagnosed cerebral abscess finally caused his death on 29 July 1924.

After languishing in an Adelaide shed for a number of years, the Red Devil was sold by Mrs Butler to Mr C Miller – who, after extensive restoration, attended a number of races and exhibitions. Only one other pilot – a Mr C Kleinig – ever flew the Red Devil, which was never involved in an accident.

The fully restored Red Devil is housed on Minlaton’s main street in a protective hangar – a must-see for those, who like me, find this forgotten chapter of Australia’s aviation history fascinating.

And just up the road, if you can tear yourself away from exhibits such as the Rocking Bath and Magic Flute (fit over the nose to play) a whole room at the Minlaton National Trust Museum is dedicated to Captain Harry Butler. A small booklet – ‘The Harry Butler Story’- to which I am indebted for much of the information in this story, is available for purchase.

But the Red Devil remains a tangible link to another time and place – a place where aviation was in its infancy, a war changed the world forever, and a boy from Koolywurtie became a hero.

*train buddy – best friend fellow commuter

**chook = chicken. Is it just us Aussies who call them chooks??

***Koolywurtie – a small Yorke Peninsula farming locality near Minlaton

****Captain Harry was awarded the Airforce Cross in 1918

The post Aussie Icons #3 – The Red Devil appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

As an antidote to the Atherton Tableland mist and drizzle, Irvinebank was working just fine. A few kilometres beyond Herberton, we’d crossed the range to clear skies, warmth, and a spectacular setting – another universe far, far away from yet another day of dampness. Just what Dr Pilchard ordered! Sadly, no bakery but the monster plate of chips accompanying the pub’s lunchtime fishburgers sure made up for it.

But that’s not what kept us there all day. This semi-ghost town was once so historically significant its influence was felt around Australia – if not the world!

Giving new meaning to ‘oral historian’, the Loudon House Museum volunteer gave vast historic knowledge ’til it hurt!  Having a low museum tolerance threshhold, I had planned to wander aimlessly, viewing an exhibit here, taking a photo there, pausing to read more about exhibits that caught my eye. Nothing doing. There were stories to be told, and by golly, we were going to hear them!!

Sparing nothing, the volunteer regaled us with historic snippets and fascinating anecdotes not just about Irvinebank, but also John Moffat, controller of up to 25% of Australia’s base metal trade in the late 1800’s, Irvinebanks founder – and its favourite son in whose home we now stood.  The two are inextricably intertwined, a phrase more commonly encountered in Mills & Boon than serious historical facts.

Owing more to Christopher Robin than the Book of Common Prayer, Irvinebank youngsters routinely asked for God’s blessing on John Moffat in their evening prayers. And well they might, given that most of the area’s population of 6000 relied on his wellbeing for their livelihood.

After establishing an extensive business empire, this reclusive mining entrpreneur married late in life – which MAY explain the master bedroom’s romantic outlook over the mine workings. But I’m betting his wife was unruffled by the continual noise and bustle of work that kept the mine, treatment works and tramway going a few metres from her bedroom window.  Previously employed as John Moffat’s housekeeper, she must already have become accustomed to these inconveniences!

But John Moffat’s – and hence Irvinebank’s – contributions to Australia’s fortunes weren’t just financial. Previous mine workers included Bill McCormack – former Queensland premier; and ‘Red’ (YESSSS!) Ted Theodore – former Queensland premier, Federal Treasurer and Deputy Prime Minister. And with John Moffatt’s business success – despite his reputation for honesty and integrity – this town was a player in the Australian business scene.   BUT … a range of factors contributed to the decline of John Moffat’s empire – and left the town with the buildings he had contributed.

Tragically, there is no record to definitively state whether the Irvinebank locals preferred the Gladys Moncrieff performance to a live X-ray demonstration at the School of Arts Hall – both are listed on bills of entertainment.  And, as regular readers already know, I’m well versed in the destructive habits of Sulphur-crested Cockatoo – while I can’t readily imagine a chain of events allowing them access to valuable books, they nonetheless have virtually destroyed a number of them, now on display at the museum!

Tales of Irvinebank’s most famous Swedenborgian are set against the backdrop of the town itself.  But despite heritage listing and the remarkable preservation of many key buildings and features, it’s the anecdotes that brought the town to life.   Did I say the volunteer gave til it  hurt?  Yeah, but it was ‘good’ hurt!

Inexplicably, the free camp area on the town common – complete with toilets and hot showers – was empty during our July 2010 visit. With so much to offer already, the fishing’s good too, if the pix at the pub are anything to go by. And as a further inducement, there’s an annual John Moffat festival – in 2011, it features the ‘Hillbillygoats’!

Now if that’s not a drawcard, I don’t know what is!

The post Off the Tourist Trail #6 – Irvinebank, Queensland appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

What happens in a world where resources are divided equally, with equal opportunity for developing and managing them through good times and bad, and with an equal chance of success or failure?

No, I’m not paraphrasing ‘Imagine’, writing the manifesto for a great big new mining tax or plotting a new version of ‘Monopoly’!

But visit the Kanyaka Station ruins in South Australia’s Flinders Ranges – and instead of a utopia of natural justice, you’ll see the tyranny of equality first hand!

On the sometimes dry, desolate wasteland of the Willochra Plain, the ruins are what’s left of a station that in its heyday covered 365 miles² and ran 41,000 sheep.

A popular rest stop between Quorn and Hawker on the Blinman mines route, the owners even built the ‘Black Jack’ hotel nearby to cater for the many travellers demanding hospitality.

So how did this large, magnificent station become a large, magnificent ruin?

You are the government. What do you do? Well, the solution is obvious, isn’t it?? You resume the Kanyaka pastoral leases for subdivision into much smaller wheat farms, of course!

No, seriously!

This ‘policy’ offered a ‘solution’ to a growing demand for farming land, allowing more settlers a slice of the pastoral action and satisfying critics of a leasehold system that favoured the ‘rich’. In short, a mighty victory for equality!

Well, you know the outcome – the ruins speak for themselves. Kanyaka’s cut-down acreage allowed both pastoralism AND wheat farming to fail in equal measure – as they also did on the remaining subdivisions, all now unable to benefit from economies of scale.

And thus was equality finally achieved!

Want MORE?

• Kanyaka Station Ruins, Flinders Ranges
• 7 Days in the Flinders Ranges
• More of Red’s Flinders Ranges Adventures 

The post OZ Top Spot #5 – Kanyaka Ruins, Flinders Ranges, SA appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.