Australia by Red Nomad OZ
View across the Bunbinyunna, Elder and Red Ranges from Bridle Gap, Wilpena Pound, South Australia

Walk the Bridle Gap Wilpena Pound Trail, Flinders Ranges

The last few kilometres were heavy going as I trudged back to camp. The bright daylight faded into twilight as the sun sank below the eroded peaks surrounding the amazing Wilpena Pound valley, centrepiece of South Australia’s Flinders Ranges National Park. The evening coolness rose as we entered the campground. While taking an 18.8 kilometre (11.7 mile) hike might not[…]

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Postcard from … Marree South Australia

Hi there! Tiny town Marree South Australia is the first major sign of civilisation in over 500 km (~310 miles) for travellers heading south down the iconic Oodnadatta or Birdsville tracks – both LOOOOONG stretches of dirt, rocks, gravel and bulldust. But we approached it over several days from the other direction – a straight run from Adelaide of nearly[…]

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Pondalowie Bay from West Cape Lighthouse

The Jewel in the Toe – Innes National Park, South Australia

Visit Innes National Park on a fine day and if you don’t end up with a photo that looks close to the one above, you’re just not trying! But joining the ‘Entrance to Innes National Park’ photo club isn’t the only reason to visit this smallish 9400+ hectare National Park.  It’s around 300 km from Adelaide on the toe of[…]

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90 Mile Straight, Nullarbor, Ten Budget Travel Tips

Aussie ABC: N is for Nullarbor

I was 4 – nearly 5! – the first time I crossed the Nullarbor. Christmas day, and we were on the Indian Pacific* heading for Adelaide. We’d spent Christmas eve in a pub somewhere in rough as guts Western Australian gold-mining town Kalgoorlie, but I don’t remember that.  Maybe I had blanked it out … Many years later, I made[…]

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Coulthard Lookout View, Arkaroola Ridge-top Tour

Ride the Arkaroola Ridgetop Tour!

‘Now we’ll see some REAL scenery!’ Doug announced, herding us away from the spectacular outlook from Coulthard’s Lookout towards our convoy of two vehicles.  The Arkaroola Ridgetop tour was well underway. But I was sceptical. The ragged mountain ranges (yes, I’m channelling Aussie poet Dorothea Mackellar*) glistened and glowed in a glorious 360° panorama in the perfection of a clear Outback[…]

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The Bizarre Back-of-Beyond Bakery – Farina, South Australia

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.[…]

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The Magnetic Hill Magnet, via Orroroo, South Australia

Magnetic Hill South Australia

A Taste of the Paranormal Magnetic Hill South Australia promised to be a little bit weird.  Up to now, my discovery of the Daleks of Khancoban in a remote Snowy Mountains hideaway had been the pinnacle of my paranormal participation in the world of real-life Australian sci-fi. Now, the sign in front of me detailed a strange and bizarre extrasensory[…]

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Horseshoe Range from Carrieton, South Australia

Life on the Edge … Carrieton South Australia

Live on the edge from just ten bucks a night. That’s all it cost us for a powered site at Carrieton’s Horseshoe View Caravan Park with the Stay-2-nights-Get-2-nights-FREE deal. While the special deal isn’t available now, the real cost is still a small price to pay for a chance to explore Carrieton South Australia. It’s perched on the edge of[…]

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Mindil Beach Sunset, Darwin (pic by Pilchard)

7 Days … from Adelaide to Darwin!

Does it REALLY take 7 days to drive the ~3000 km from Adelaide to Darwin? Only if you want to see a few sights along the way on a REAL adventure! Driving yourself is the best option (try Car hire if your vehicle isn’t up to scratch) to experience a cross-section of Australia’s unique countryside from the dry south, through the Red[…]

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Swimmers Beach, Yorke Peninsula, South Australia

On the Beach … Swimmers Beach, Yorke Peninsula

The sun rose as usual on this shining, sparkling pre-Xmas summer morning. A nice day for an apocalypse*. And where better to face the end of the world than on a (mostly) deserted Aussie beach, in an inadvertent echo of Australian classic On the Beach? A disturbing vision of post-apocalyptic dystopia, Australian author Nevil Shute’s masterpiece** was adapted for a[…]

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