Explore the world

Like Flinders and Freycinet, I have explored some of Australia now.

I hope you are able to do the same and venture beyond our shores to understand and enjoy our amazing diversity of landscape, life and culture that exists on this planet.....and beyond. Safe travels. 

Home

Our last day of our holiday has been spent at the mining town of Cobar in western NSW. It is a friendly outback town that provides a strong sense of community.  

As we leave the outback and travel towards more western and central locations in NSW, the earth is changing from red to brown. Earlier we had enjoyed the visual contrast of the red earth and the grey salt bush of the Nullarbor Plain. Now we marvel at the contrast of red earth and green crops and grasses of northern South Australia and western NSW. Nature provides the most wonderful examples of  combinations and contrasts of colour. None more familiar than the golden yellow wattles.

As we passed through Narromine we noticed the dry irrigation channels. Previously there were vegetables growing in the paddocks but now it is better known for it's crops of wheat and canola. 

At last we were beginning to see stock in the paddocks. There had been so few to see across the western areas because it is too dry to support large numbers per hectare and often cannot support any animals other than native kangaroos, lizards, wombats, birds and emus. Often, introduced animals such as camels, wild dogs, rabbits, foxes, goats and wild pigs were the only species to be seen. However, their damage to our natural environments and native animal habitats is, sadly, obvious. Closer to Orange, the pastures were rich and were stocked well with cattle (often black Angus) and  sheep.

Before we started our ascent to our familiar mountains,  we recharged our energy at a McDonalds. (Not our first choice, but parking a caravan in the city centre is difficult.) My iPad was very useful in planning our trip and daily activities. It was also handy when I needed the location of petrol, food etc. in towns that we weren't familiar with. It is such a versatile research and communication tool.

The last few kilometres from home were spent in quiet reflection. We had enjoyed our trip but we were glad to be heading home to the comforts of our house and the hugs of our family. We can now say we have travelled across the iconic Nullarbor and have traversed east to west across our vast country. I have now seen whales for the first time, travelled around the Great Australian Bight and visited Perth and Kalgoorlie. I have gathered memories and experiences that will enrich my life. 

We wonder where we should go on our next trip and what new adventures might lay ahead next time. 

Heading home

Sadly, our trip is nearly complete. 

We made our way across the borders into South Australia and New South Wales again. 

We went to a fascinating steamtrain museum during the day at Peterborough and returned at night to watch a light and sound show about the history of the town and rail. 

Our last nights are to be spent in Broken Hill, Cobar and Dubbo. 

I will have been through 4 states and many different environments but somehow home just seems the best! 

A land of diversity

From the mountains to the plains, from the dry to the wet weather, Australia has such diverse environments. We have been through harsh, isolated, dry country with sparse populations to bustling cities near the bluest of ocean waters beneath gigantic cliffs, to mining towns in the country, then  to shipping ports and smelters on the coast. 

This was the first ship built by BHP at Whyalla so it was called Whyalla. It served in World War 2 and then was decommissioned for other duties. Now it has become a proud museum. 

This is the port of Whyalla. It is still active, loading ore onto ships out of the port as the harbour is too shallow for them to come closer.

I loved the creativity and ingenuity that produced these horses pulling a plough that represents the wheat belts of South Australia. They are made of sheets of corrugated iron like paper tolle. Their heads are on a spring so they nod in the wind.

This was only one quarter of a model railway representing the transporting of ore from the mining areas on one side and the towns and ports on this side. 

I am sure there are many interesting things to see in each town but I will have to return to see them another day. I just can't fit it all in this trip.

Blue skies

Blue skies, ocean and our caravans at Elliston in South Australia. We have since driven on to Port Lincoln which has a large shipping port for exporting wheat and it is also a busy fishing port. 

This fellow is one of the sculptures on the scenic drive at Elliston. He reminds me of Humpty Dumpty so he had better be careful not to ride too close to the cliff edge and fall off! 

Goodbye WA

......and this is only part of the Nullarbour trip! 

I set the GPS for our next goal - Port Lincoln. As you can see, we are a long way from our destination and will not be turning off the straight road across the Nullarbor for a long time, 1,182kms in fact! 

Tonight we are camping by the side of the road along with 6 other caravaners. The sky is clear and I enjoyed dinner outside and watched the beautiful starry sky and full moon for a while. We like to hold a competition to see who will spot the first shooting star or satellite but nobody was able to see any tonight. I think the moon was too bright. Maybe we will see some tomorrow evening. 

Remember this?

For those of us who grew up in the 1940s and 1950s this will bring both fond and fearful memories: the smell, the flies, the cold weather walk at night time, the frogs and spiders, the possibility of a snake and the newspaper on a nail for toilet paper....oh, and let's not forget the fear of falling in! 

The funny thing is that sometimes on a trip to the outback, one of these would be a welcome sight for me today. 

Fun songs and bush yarns were written about toilets like "There was a red back on the toilet seat". 

Australian slang renamed them "dunnies" and other equally unpleasant names.

Lots of character and lots of memories. 

This one was at the museum at Kalgoorlie along with a Coolgardie safe. 

The Coolgardie safe was made for the gold prospectors to keep their food fresh for longer. It was made from a metal frame with hessian on the sides which was kept damp by pouring water, twice a day, into a container on top. There were strips of felt hanging from within the water container so that they were in contact with the hessian. Water was absorbed by the felt and transferred to the hessian and as the breeze blew past it would evaporate the water and would keep it cooled. I think I will keep my electric fridge!