Category: Places

Places, Vic8 Comments

Victoria’s Volcanic Western Plains

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Across Victoria’s western plains there are the remains of around 400 volcanoes. Stretching from Melbourne to Mt Gambier in South Australia the last was thought to have erupted 10,000 years ago. Nowadays they are little more than pimples on the landscape or rolling hills of wheat or grazing land.The most spectacular is Tower Hill situated just north of the historic seaside town of Port Fairy. Tower Hill is a nature reserve and home to emus. It is well worth taking the time to drive through the crater. Better still take a picnic and enjoy the lakes, the wildlife and surroundings. … Continue reading Victoria’s Volcanic Western Plains

Places, Qld2 Comments

Undara

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As we turn into the Undara National Park the bush is very sparse and dry and reminiscent of the Bendigo goldfields area way down south in Victoria. Undara Lodge is on the Savannah Way in northern Queensland. It borders the Undara Volcanic National Park and is owned by the Collins family, cattle farmers who first settled here in the 1800’s. They run a slickly professional operation and provide accommodation in restored historic railway carriages as well as cabins, on site tents, dongas and camping facilities. Dongas are like shipping containers with several individual air conditioned rooms, similar to those used … Continue reading Undara

Places, WA8 Comments

What’s Happening in the Rest of the World?

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Wyndham, WA is remote in fact it is about as far from Perth as it is from Singapore. It no longer gets newspapers. When the service was stopped they were told that they just don’t buy enough. Over dinner I hear a local declare “I watched the News tonight.” Another replied “Oh I gave up watching TV a long time ago.” I guess what happens in the rest of the world or even in Perth, bears little relevance to the folks out here. In Wyndham especially when you live in a tin bungalow in the tropics over 3000kms away and … Continue reading What’s Happening in the Rest of the World?

Places, WA10 Comments

Fitzroy Crossing

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Fitzroy Crossing, WA is quite small and a good way back from the river but we are later to learn that the town was moved when the bridge was built. We cross the river and stay at the Fitzroy River Lodge which is a charming resort style place offering glamour tents, a hotel and caravan park accommodation in vast expanses of shady lawn. Michael’s 3 Hour Tour The Lodge offers a town and gorge tour and though a little dearer than the Parks tour of the Geikie gorge we decide to take it and our lives are richer for it. … Continue reading Fitzroy Crossing

Places, WALeave a comment

Not Much to See Here

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“There’s not much to see” says the lass at the Info Centre in Kununurra, WA. We take her meagre advice and visit Kelly’s Knob lookout above the town to get the lie of the land. She couldn’t tell us where historic Ivanhoe Crossing was as she hadn’t heard of it. Not surprisingly we find it on Ivanhoe Road just as the sun is setting and there are folks fishing with disregard for crocodiles and the water is brimming across the spillway. Of course it is prohibited to drive on it these days and a huge boulder blocks the causeway. In … Continue reading Not Much to See Here

Places, Vic4 Comments

Wycheproof

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We stop to stretch our legs at Wycheproof, Vic. The old railway line still runs up the middle of the broad main street, but the town appears to be slowing and only one cafe is open when we visit. Yet on the site of an old petrol station there is an inspirational ironmongery, where someone very creative has turned mundane pieces of metal (railway lines, springs, plough shares and brake drums) into works of art. It does your heart good. Continue reading Wycheproof

NSW, Places, Point of Interest1 Comment

How Times Have Changed

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Eden is a commercial fishing hub on the New South Wales south coast. It sits high on a hill overlooking the deep water harbour of Twofold Bay. I tour the Whaling Museum and learn that land based whaling stopped here in 1930 when ‘Old Tom’ the Killer whale died. He used to herd the Right whales in close to shore so that the men could come out and harpoon them. The men would then put marker buoys on the carcasses and leave them for the Killer whales to have their fill (usually the tongues and lips, hmm tasty). The following … Continue reading How Times Have Changed

Places, Vic10 Comments

Talbot Farmer’s Market

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Up early and excited we bundle into El Prado’s 4WD for the short drive from Clunes to Talbot. It turns out to be the 12th anniversary of the Talbot Farmer’s Market and it is a beaut.  It is held on the 3rd Sunday of every month and has grown tremendously since we were last here. Yum Cha; magnificent pork buns, dim sims and spring rolls. Fresh vegetables; Black Russians, ears of corn and locally grown and freshly dug potatoes, still muddied. Rabbits and budgies. Chooks and piglets and Indian Runner ducks. Handcrafts and neck warmers. There’s even a lady who … Continue reading Talbot Farmer’s Market

Places, WA6 Comments

Well Salted

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      At Shark Bay in WA, we swim at Little Lagoon just out of the town of Denham. It is one and a half times more salty than normal sea water and it is impossible to stay on the bottom. On a warm afternoon, we and others are bobbing about like corks. Nearby Shell Beach is home to millions of tiny Fragum cockle shells. They say there are 4000 per square metre but how did they arrive at that figure did they weigh them or count them? The water here is twice as salty as normal sea water. Any … Continue reading Well Salted