Flight Paths over the Kimberley

The drive from Fitzroy Crossing to Halls Creek is colourful, we rise up the Ngumban Cliffs and get a view south that stretches for miles. There are lots of mesas and jump ups, red soil, cream grasses and small spindly white trunked gums. There are distant purple ranges and not a town in sight. Apart from the caravans there is a feeling of remoteness out here and now there are more vans heading south than there are heading north, Broome having been the destination of choice for so many. We’ve chosen the less popular clockwise route to WA, but more … Continue reading Flight Paths over the Kimberley

Bundy

The main street of Bundaberg is the oddly named Bourbong Street. It is a treat to the eye with grand historic buildings, wide footpaths and manicured gardens of tropical plants, palms, water features and even a sculpture representing cane cutting knives in the centre verge. We joined a tour of the Bundy (the locals call everything in Bundaberg, Bundy) Distillery. The famous Bundaberg Rum Distillery is beside the giant belching sugar mill and as we get out of the car the air is thick with the smell of sugar, you could get fat just breathing around here. Before commencing the … Continue reading Bundy

Sun Picture Gardens

We are in Broome, WA and when we notice that the Sun Picture Gardens has a screening tonight we race back into town to catch the 6:15 session. And what a show it is. It is like being a part of living history. The building is a three sided iron shed some of the canvas deck chair seating is under cover and some spills out into the open air. Palms and gardens line the fences and the screen is at the bottom of the garden. The toilets are located one on each side of the screen, so everyone knows when … Continue reading Sun Picture Gardens

Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend

Up in the Kimberley we take an early morning flight over Lake Argyle and out to the Bungle Bungles. With their unusual beehive domes they stand apart from the other ranges. On our return we circle the Argyle diamond mine. Originally an open cut mine they are now tunneling underneath the hillside and have now removed the whole volcano. The pilot tells us that the roads are paved with diamond dust, oh let me out here. Continue reading Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend

Dressing Termite Mounds

That great Northern Australian pastime of dressing termite mounds with your own clothes is alive and well on the Stuart Highway. Heaven knows what the ants must think when their house temperature goes haywire because someone has put a bikini around the mound. Let alone, pipes, fishing hats and rods, baseball caps, hi vis vests, t shirts and singlets. At least at Mataranka they respectfully have a termite mound museum. Continue reading Dressing Termite Mounds

Mirrored Wardrobe Doors

Don’t you just love the way caravan manufacturers put mirrors on the wardrobe doors on either side of the double (sorry ‘caravan queen’) bed? You can only ever approach them sideways, that is unless you are anorexic, so it’s hopeless to check out how you look or even put on a bit of last minute lippie. In our pop top van they were the only mirrors that we had so I used to have to comb my hair using my reflection in the glass of the microwave door. Perhaps that answers the question why so many couples choose single beds on … Continue reading Mirrored Wardrobe Doors

Gentle Annie

It is a delightful spring afternoon, blue sky, puffy clouds, miles of grapevines and lush cow pastures.  The drive down the narrow King Valley in Victoria is idyllic and complemented by classical music. The towns of Moyhu and Whitfield are little more than hamlets. Edi is even smaller. There is a good camping reserve at Edi cutting, it is quite a large area beside the King River with toilets. It is free and although we haven’t stayed there it looks to be popular with the big rigs. We decide on the Gentle Annie campground at Whitfield which is also on … Continue reading Gentle Annie