In the goldfields region of Victoria and on the banks of the Loddon River this pleasant spot has fire pits and there are amenities in the adjacent sporting complex. It’s only a hop, skip and a jump to the General … Continue reading Newbridge Recreation Reserve
Rutherglen in Victoria’s north east is Australia’s oldest wine growing region. They’ve been growing wine since the late 1850’s. The climate can best be described as warm and dry and that warmth can be tasted in the lusciousness of its dessert wines. Continue reading A Delicious Drop
We’ve just returned from a complete change of pace. Leaving the car and caravan in the backyard for a change, we flew to Beijing for a week of culinary delights and sightseeing before catching a cruise ship which zig- zagged its way slowly south to Australia. The ironic twist? Well, a few months ago whilst camping at Rollingstone in Queensland we caught the ferry from Townsville across to nearby Magnetic Island. On this short trip we shared our seat with three ambulance officers who were on their way to pick up an islander who needed medical attention in the Townsville … Continue reading An Ironic Twist
Dear readers after 396 posts and a year of blogging I think it is time for a short break. I fell into this world of blogging quite by accident and like Alice in Wonderland I have become quite captivated by all that it encapsulates. Blogging has forced me to write more, photograph even more and share my view of Australia through the eyes of a grey nomad. Being a traveller I feel that I’ve had an insight into your lives in many corners of this amazing planet. I feel that I have come to know some of you even though … Continue reading Time for a break
What an odd trip this recent one was. Racing like idiots to get north of unseasonal rains in the inland of Queensland and thankful that we were not being battered by the driving rain and damaging high tides that hit the coast. Then being stopped by record breaking rain in Mackay and having to abandon plans to visit two National Parks, Finch Hatton and Byfield. Fair weather turned to an icy cold blast at Jondaryan on the Darling Downs when the Mercury only reached nine degrees. Ha, the sub tropics! We had grand plans to zig zag across New South … Continue reading A winter foray to warmer climes
I’ve recently learned, thanks to you dear readers that Rockhampton in Queensland is the Home of Beef Cattle. How this knowledge had escaped me is anyone’s guess as the town has six life-sized statues of bulls and my favourite, this mural. Now that is a lot of bull. Continue reading Rockhampton and all that bull
I was writing a piece on the high incidence of gold discovery in Australian towns when friends invited us to visit the Tarnagulla Strictly Vintage Fair. I was keen to take part in the celebrations as this is such an interesting and lesser known town in the Victorian Goldfields. Our mate ‘R’ who was born and bred in Tarnagulla organised dinner at the only pub, The Golden Age, for a few mates who are Old Tarnagullans and who now all live in Melbourne, though some like ‘R’ have smallholdings in the goldfields. …The front bar is crowded and a guitarist … Continue reading A Dinner Worth its Weight in Gold
It’s breeding season for the Cape Barren Geese on Phillip Island and every paddock and park seems to have families of these beautiful grey birds.Native to Cape Barren Island in Bass Strait, Phillip Island is but a mere flap away … Continue reading Cape Barren Geese
In Australia we have a strange passion for building large objects beside highways that we tend to refer to as ‘Big Things’. The Big Banana at Coffs Harbour, that seems to get smaller as I get older. The Big Prawn in Exmouth. The Big Lobster in Kingston and so on. I think you get my drift now. This fellow is the Big Galah at Kimba in South Australia. He’s been guarding the highway for a long time and that pink paint is fading but we still can’t help but say “Ooh, there’s The Big Galah!” Continue reading The Big Galah
Now I’ve seen everything, I just passed a woman walking out of the amenities block wearing nothing but wet feet, a towel and clutching a bottle of shampoo. I didn’t dare say g’day for fear that she would drop the towel! Continue reading G’day?
itchingforhitching 