We are on an expedition across Australia’s Great Victoria Desert and through Australia’s Red Centre, travelling some of the most spectacular country that our Sunburnt Country has to offer.
Communications is somewhat limited in these areas, which has its own unique appeal. But you can follow our progress thanks to the wonders of satellite technology combined with the resources of “ExplorOz”, an Australian Travel Website…
“Click” The Landy to see where we are andhere to read about the expedition.
ExplorOz is Australia’s favourite website for travellers with a sense of adventure. Whether you are a caravanner, camper, into four wheel driving, a motorbike tourer, or fisherman, it has everything you need with loads of trip planning information in articles, trek notes, places, camps and caravan park finder, and updated information on road conditions.
We are on an expedition across Australia’s Great Victoria Desert and through Australia’s Red Centre, travelling some of the most spectacular country that our Sunburnt Country has to offer.
Communications is somewhat limited in these areas, which has its own unique appeal. But you can follow our progress thanks to the wonders of satellite technology combined with the resources of “ExplorOz”, an Australian Travel Website…
“Click” The Landy to see where we are andhere to read about the expedition.
ExplorOz is Australia’s favourite website for travellers with a sense of adventure. Whether you are a caravanner, camper, into four wheel driving, a motorbike tourer, or fisherman, it has everything you need with loads of trip planning information in articles, trek notes, places, camps and caravan park finder, and updated information on road conditions.
We are on an expedition across Australia’s Great Victoria Desert and through Australia’s Red Centre, travelling some of the most spectacular country that our Sunburnt Country has to offer.
Communications is somewhat limited in these areas, which has its own unique appeal. But you can follow our progress thanks to the wonders of satellite technology combined with the resources of “ExplorOz”, an Australian Travel Website…
“Click” The Landy to see where we are andhere to read about the expedition.
ExplorOz is Australia’s favourite website for travellers with a sense of adventure. Whether you are a caravanner, camper, into four wheel driving, a motorbike tourer, or fisherman, it has everything you need with loads of trip planning information in articles, trek notes, places, camps and caravan park finder, and updated information on road conditions.
We are on an expedition across Australia’s Great Victoria Desert and through Australia’s Red Centre, travelling some of the most spectacular country that our Sunburnt Country has to offer.
Communications is somewhat limited in these areas, which has its own unique appeal. But you can follow our progress thanks to the wonders of satellite technology combined with the resources of “ExplorOz”, an Australian Travel Website…
“Click” The Landy to see where we are andhere to read about the expedition.
ExplorOz is Australia’s favourite website for travellers with a sense of adventure. Whether you are a caravanner, camper, into four wheel driving, a motorbike tourer, or fisherman, it has everything you need with loads of trip planning information in articles, trek notes, places, camps and caravan park finder, and updated information on road conditions.
We are on an expedition across Australia’s Great Victoria Desert and through Australia’s Red Centre, travelling some of the most spectacular country that our Sunburnt Country has to offer.
Communications is somewhat limited in these areas, which has its own unique appeal. But you can follow our progress thanks to the wonders of satellite technology combined with the resources of “ExplorOz”, an Australian Travel Website…
“Click” The Landy to see where we are andhere to read about the expedition.
ExplorOz is Australia’s favourite website for travellers with a sense of adventure. Whether you are a caravanner, camper, into four wheel driving, a motorbike tourer, or fisherman, it has everything you need with loads of trip planning information in articles, trek notes, places, camps and caravan park finder, and updated information on road conditions.
We are on an expedition across Australia’s Great Victoria Desert and through Australia’s Red Centre, travelling some of the most spectacular country that our Sunburnt Country has to offer.
Communications is somewhat limited in these areas, which has its own unique appeal. But you can follow our progress thanks to the wonders of satellite technology combined with the resources of “ExplorOz”, an Australian Travel Website…
“Click” The Landy to see where we are andhere to read about the expedition.
ExplorOz is Australia’s favourite website for travellers with a sense of adventure. Whether you are a caravanner, camper, into four wheel driving, a motorbike tourer, or fisherman, it has everything you need with loads of trip planning information in articles, trek notes, places, camps and caravan park finder, and updated information on road conditions.
We are on an expedition across Australia’s Great Victoria Desert and through Australia’s Red Centre, travelling some of the most spectacular country that our Sunburnt Country has to offer.
Communications is somewhat limited in these areas, which has its own unique appeal. But you can follow our progress thanks to the wonders of satellite technology combined with the resources of “ExplorOz”, an Australian Travel Website…
“Click” The Landy to see where we are andhere to read about the expedition.
ExplorOz is Australia’s favourite website for travellers with a sense of adventure. Whether you are a caravanner, camper, into four wheel driving, a motorbike tourer, or fisherman, it has everything you need with loads of trip planning information in articles, trek notes, places, camps and caravan park finder, and updated information on road conditions.
We are on an expedition across Australia’s Great Victoria Desert and through Australia’s Red Centre, travelling some of the most spectacular country that our Sunburnt Country has to offer.
Communications is somewhat limited in these areas, which has its own unique appeal. But you can follow our progress thanks to the wonders of satellite technology combined with the resources of “ExplorOz”, an Australian Travel Website…
“Click” The Landy to see where we are andhere to read about the expedition.
ExplorOz is Australia’s favourite website for travellers with a sense of adventure. Whether you are a caravanner, camper, into four wheel driving, a motorbike tourer, or fisherman, it has everything you need with loads of trip planning information in articles, trek notes, places, camps and caravan park finder, and updated information on road conditions.
We are on an expedition across Australia’s Great Victoria Desert and through Australia’s Red Centre, travelling some of the most spectacular country that our Sunburnt Country has to offer.
Communications is somewhat limited in these areas, which has its own unique appeal. But you can follow our progress thanks to the wonders of satellite technology combined with the resources of “ExplorOz”, an Australian Travel Website…
“Click” The Landy to see where we are andhere to read about the expedition.
ExplorOz is Australia’s favourite website for travellers with a sense of adventure. Whether you are a caravanner, camper, into four wheel driving, a motorbike tourer, or fisherman, it has everything you need with loads of trip planning information in articles, trek notes, places, camps and caravan park finder, and updated information on road conditions.
We are on an expedition across Australia’s Great Victoria Desert and through Australia’s Red Centre, travelling some of the most spectacular country that our Sunburnt Country has to offer.
Communications is somewhat limited in these areas, which has its own unique appeal. But you can follow our progress thanks to the wonders of satellite technology combined with the resources of “ExplorOz”, an Australian Travel Website…
“Click” The Landy to see where we are andhere to read about the expedition.
ExplorOz is Australia’s favourite website for travellers with a sense of adventure. Whether you are a caravanner, camper, into four wheel driving, a motorbike tourer, or fisherman, it has everything you need with loads of trip planning information in articles, trek notes, places, camps and caravan park finder, and updated information on road conditions.
Australian Dingo in the desert (photo: Baz – The Landy)
We are off into the Australian Outback tomorrow, in fact it will be a journey of epic proportions through some of Australia’s most remote desert country.
You can read some more about our trip by clickinghere.
But hey, no need to fret if you don’t spot me around your blog for a couple of weeks or so I haven’t given you the flick or anything like that, after all what else would I do during the daily commute at 6:30am in the morning if it wasn’t for your blog?
Crikey, where else could you read abouta woman in a bikini or get a fill ofskinny piratesor hear some bent womanusing a very naughty word hell I love it when she talks like that as she was sweating it out.
Okay, and don’t go thinking you’re not a favourite either just ‘cause you didn’t get a mention, strewth you’re a fickle lot today, aren’t you!
I just won’t be in range for the normal communication devices to work! You know, those techo gadgets, iPhones and WiFi thingy’s…
Although, you will be able to keep tabs on me.
Yeah, that perked you back up a bit didn’t it, I can see you’re excited about that prospect… 😉
If you get a chance make sure you take a bloody look at the blog posts I have scheduled each day and by clicking “The Landy“ link in it you’ll see a map that shows just where we are “lost” in this Sunburnt Country of ours…
How cool is that!
Every so often I’m hoping to be able to share some of the magnificent landscapes I capture on my trusty Nikon 600 Camera, so keep an eye out for that!
I will actually be doing some running while I’m crossing the desert to prepare for the 100-kilometre running race I am lining up for this September. Yeah I’m hearing you– talk about dumb ideas spawned out the bottom of an empty beer bottle, but if you’re in need of a bit of a giggle just clickhere.
Rest assured the desert country will be as “dry as a dead-dingo’s donga” so you know what that means – a couple of beers a day to quench that thirst. Strewth, you wouldn’t be dead for quids!
Hey, take care, and I can see it is no use telling you to be good, and remember the motto I live by… if all else fails, just remain out of control and see what develops!
I have a couple of things to say about this photo.
Firstly, it is Heatons Gap in the Watagan Mountains to the north of Sydney. It starts off steep and then it really gets steep. This photograph of me was taken on a training run with a backpack loaded with a 20-kilo sand bag.
Yeah I know it seemed like a good idea down in the car park, hindsight is a marvellous thing…
Secondly, if you are wondering what I’m saying, I’ll give you the sanitized version – if I ever catch up to “The Kiwi” he’ll be plucked…
“The Kiwi” is my brother-in-law.
The Kiwi – I’ve often wondered how he arrived “Across the Ditch”Baz – Mountain Run, Coast to Coast Race, New Zealand
Yeah that’s right, the bloke that had me signed up for a run, cycle, and kayak, from the West Coast of New Zealand to the East Coast in less than 24 hours, a couple of years back…
Now I will admit there was beer involved in the lead-up to being “pressed ganged” by “The Kiwi” to the start line on that occasion. Come to think about it my skydiving career had its genesis in the bottom of a beer glass in the early 1980s during a session with Bluey and the boys at the Breakfast Creek hotel in Brisbane.
Skydiving at Picton, Australia
Yes, I heard you saying there’s a bit of a pattern developing here…
But hey, in my defence, I was young and stupid back then.
At least I can say that I have moved forward over the years, now I’m only stupid!
I didn’t know “The Kiwi” back then, he was too busy jumping off cliffs with a parachute on his back, paragliding around New Zealand’s north island.
Anyway, “The Kiwi” calls me up a little while back…
“Baz, I’m turning 50-years young on 13 September and I thought we could have a few beers”.
Now you’ve got to be very cautious of Kiwi’s offering to buy you a beer, especially if you’re an Aussie. It’s a long story, but there was an under-arm bowling incident in a cricket game way back in 1981 from which they cannot move on. So if they are being nice, there is bound to be a catch, if you’ll pardon the pun…
“What is the catch”, I asked…
“None”, he said, “but I thought we might walk to the pub”.
“That’s sounds sensible”
Alarm bells were ringing inside my head, after all this is months away, but his shout, so why not?
“Walk” I said,
“We’ll, walk and run, after all the quicker we get there the more time we get before the girls come looking for us”.
Um, that would be Leah and Janet.
Leah and Janet (You boy’s don’t know how lucky you are!)
Strewth, I’m thinking “The Kiwi” is actually talking sense for a change!
“Yep, sign me up” I said without further delay…
Well sign me up he did…
Today our entries for the Great North Walk 100, a 100-kilometre run through the Australian bush on September 13, up and down a mountain range that will take us around 18-20 hours to complete, was accepted.
Fortunately we are no strangers to the area and we’ll be doing a training run up Heatons Gap this weekend, the first of many…
Strewth, I’m starting to feel thirsty just thinking about it…
Wish us luck; we’ll need it that’s for sure!
Anyway, the moral of the story (if there needs to be one) is if you are going to drink beer with a Kiwi, The Kiwi, then accept all may not be what it seems – so just gulp it down and enjoy the experience!
Footnote (for the uninitiated):
“Kiwi” is the name given to a small flightless bird that is native to New Zealand, and New Zealander’s are usually referred to as Kiwi’s…
And where is New Zealand I hear you ask?
Well, it is not too far across “The Ditch” – The Tasman Sea; just think of it as an outpost of Sydney’s Bondi Beach! 😉
Today we are making our way home and will pass through the major townships of Dubbo, Orange, and Bathurst.
Travelling along the Great Western Highway to the town of Lithgow were we will head down the Bells Line of Road and through the tiny apple growing hamlet of Bilpin.
We’ve spent a couple of great weeks Out and About in this great country of ours, drank a toast to Brian, my father who passed away last year, and who always longed to drive along the Birdsville Track.
But he was with us in spirit.
And as the years pass by we will recall this trip like it was only yesterday that we packed ourselves in “The Landy” and made the journey west…into the Outback!
Click here to see where Baz, “The Landy” is today…
Yesterday we bid Liz and Gary farewell and headed to Narromine, passing through the townships of Cobar and Nyngan along the way.
Located in the Macquarie Valley, Narromine is often referred to as the town of Champions being the birthplace of Olympian Melinda Gainsford-Smith and cricketer Glenn McGrath.
Our camp was on the airfield at the Narromine Holiday Park.
The airfield was established after World War 1 and is home to the oldest rural aero club in Australia and was used as a training ground for RAAF pilots in World War 2. Over the years it has counted Charles Kingsford-Smith, Charles Ulm, Chuck Yeager, Nancy Bird Walton, and Baz, The Landy as visiting aviators.
Click here to see where Baz, “The Landy” is today…
A remarkable structure that stretches across Australia’s Southern Region is the Dingo Fence.
Built in the 1880s, the fence is designed to keep the dingo, Australia’s native dog, out of the south-eastern part of Australia, and protect sheep in Queensland.
Today you won’t find too many pure bred dingoes in Australia, but there are still plenty of wild dogs.
The fence is the longest in the world stretching a whopping 5,600 kilometres from the Darling Downs in Queensland to the Great Australian Bight in South Australia.
On our journey into the outback we have passed through the fence on a couple of occasions, and we have gate boy, TomO, to open and close the gate…
Click here to see where Baz, “The Landy” is today…
Once a part of the million acre Dunlop property, the first in the world to undertake sheep shearing by mechanical means in 1888, Trilby Station today comprises 320,000 acres and runs up to 24,000 merino sheep and has an extensive goat enterprise.
The Station is situated on the Darling River near the small locality of Louth and approximately 125 kilometres south-west of Bourke.
The area is rich in aboriginal history and more contemporary Australian history. They say that time spent atop Mt Oxley nearby to Bourke, looking across the great expanse to the west rekindles the experience of explorers’ Stuart and Hume in 1829 where they felt that “this would never be the haunt of civilised man”.
Our hosts are Liz and Gary and the Murray family can trace their settlement on the Darling River near Louth back six generations to 1860.
We have a camp looking down onto the mighty Darling River, which is still flowing strongly despite being much lower than in September last year.
And being ANZAC Day we are heading off to a memorial service to honour our fallen at the small township of Louth, and of course, a few beers in the pub afterwards.
Lest We Forget…
Click here to see where Baz, “The Landy” is today…
Our drive to Tibooburra was through some spectacular countryside, remote and vast, and we crossed through the “dog-proof” fence at Warri Gate, just to the north of the Sturt National Park.
Before arriving at the dog-fence we passed Epsilon Station a working organic cattle property set amongst the sand dunes of the Simpson Strzelecki Sand Dunes and not far from the country first explored by Captain Charles Sturt.
Numerous explorers’ have visited the Tibooburra region over the years, most notably Charles Sturt as he went in search of an inland sea.
And it has had its fair share of modern day visitors, including Clifton Pugh, a famous Australian artist, who actually painted a mural on the walls of he Family Hotel; in fact he even owned it at one time.
We are staying nearby to the hotel and will spend some time visiting the museum in town that has a wealth of information on Australia’s original inhabitants.
This is one of my favourite outback drives, a road that weaves its way down past Cordillo Downs and the Cordillo Downs Woolshed.
A pastoral lease was taken up for Cordillo Downs in 1878 and not too long after this the property was running up to 10,000 sheep. By the early 1900s it had amalgamated with Cadelga and Haddon Downs and was running 85,000 sheep on about 8,000 square kilometres of land.
Today, Cordillo Downs still runs around 7,000 head of cattle in a good season, although when you view the landscape it is hard to imagine.
We’ve set up camp by the Cooper Creek!
Click here to see where Baz, “The Landy” is today…
Birdsville is a town that needs little introduction and its appearance on the horizon signified that our journey along the Birdsville Track was coming to an end.
There is much to see and experience in this small outback town, and of course we gravitated to its epicentre, the pub after setting up camp.
The Birdsville Pub
After bidding farewell to Mungerannie we continued along the dusty road towards Clifton Hills Station, and Pandie Pandie. Not too far south of Birsdville we crossed the border into Queensland and made our way to the caravan park on the banks of the Diamantina River.
Until 1882, Birdsville was known as Diamantina Crossing and was set up to collect tariffs on goods passing between South Australia and Queensland. A man by the name of Burt opened a store and it was given the name Burtsville, which was subsequently changed to Birdsville.
Of course the town is most famous for its annual race day and the running of the Birdsville Cup in the first week of September, a race that was first run in 1882!
Click here to see where Baz, “The Landy” is today…
Remote communities in Outback Australia often rely on the goodwill of others to deliver mail and much needed goods and equipment.
Marree is the town at the start of the Birdsville Track from which the famous Outback Postman, Tom Kruse, headed off on his trip along the Track to deliver mail to the many Stations that dot the area.
And at the post office and refueling stop, we were asked to deliver some items along the Track.
So we had our own Tom, the Outback Mailman delivering mail to the Mungerannie Hotel.
Heading north along the Birdsville Track we passed a number of stations that up until now have only been places on a map. These included Dulkaninna and Etaduna.
We called into Etaduna and obtained permission and directions to visit the Killalpaninna Mission Ruins, a side trip that took us for a short distance to the north-west amongst the sand dunes.
The Bethesda Lutheran Mission was established at Lake Killalpaninna, although I suspect there are long periods of time between the Lake seeing any substantial water, but on this visit we were fortunate to see water in it!
Continuing our journey north we arrived at the Mungerannie Pub where one of the first things we did was to have a thirst quenching beer! The pub and store where established by Richard Sullivan and his wife in 1886 and they remained until 1889. We enjoyed another few beers before the night was out and and we drank a toast to those who have passed this way in days long gone, and a toast to those who are absent…
Here’s to you, Dad!
Click here to see where Baz, “The Landy” is today…
Brachina Gorge has an amazing array of flora and fauna and today we took a scenic drive through this stunningly beautiful and ancient landscape..
We travelled along what is often referred to as “Corridor Through Time” on a self-guided tour of the gorges.
Hans Heysen, later Sir Hans, the German-born Australian artist spent a great deal of his life in the Flinders Ranges, capturing the beauty of the area in water-colours. He summed up the Flinders Ranges landscape when he said it is “the bones of the earth laid bare”.
It was great to see first-hand the landscape that inspired so many of his paintings prior to his passing in 1968.
This evening we are going to take time to watch the lunar eclipse as the full moon rises over the rugged Flinders Ranges landscape.
Click here to see where Baz, “The Landy” is today…
Wilpena Pound, set in the Flinders Ranges is approximately 430-kilometres to the north of Adelaide.
The landscape is breathtaking and dated to be over 800 million years old. The Flinders Ranges National Park offers a wide range of activities that you can undertake, including bush-walking and four-wheel drive touring.
Shaped like an amphitheatre, Wilpena Pound has an abundant range of wildlife, including emus, kangaroos, plenty of birds, and the endangered yellow footed rock wallaby.
There are a number of aboriginal art sites within the region, and the country is home to the Adnyamathanha people of the Northern Flinders Ranges. Adnyamathanha meaning “hills” or “rock people” is a term now used to describe the Kuyani, Wailpi, Yadliaura, Pilatapa and Pangkala, the traditional groups in the Flinders Ranges.
Today many Adnyamathanha people live and work in the area. Nepabunna in the Vulkathunha-Gammon Ranges, Leigh Creek and Port Augusta are central settlements for the Adnyamathanha people. Rock art, stone arrangements, occupation sites, graves and ochre quarries are reminders of the area’s cultural heritage and are of significance to the Adnyamathanha peoples’ connection to country.
Our camp for the next three nights will be at the Wilpena Pound Campground.
For certain, we will find a vantage point that will afford us a view of the sun setting on Wilpena Pound, the colours should be spectacular!
Speaking of spectacular, the drive from Broken Hill was just that, and we passed many ruins of an era long gone gone, along the way.
Click here to see where Baz, “The Landy” is today…
Broken Hill is one Australian town that needs very little introduction. Growing from a small mining township in the 1880s it has developed into a large mining and tourism centre.
The town has been described as a living, breathing time-capsule – “an artifact that survives in the desert and waits to be rediscovered with its Art-deco shop fronts from a bygone age and many monuments throughout the town paying homage to the men and women who suffered and died so the town could survive.”
Our overnight stay has not provided us with much of an opportunity to truly explore the town or the nearby town of Silverton on this visit, but there are a couple of things worth knowing that puts some further perspective on the town.
The Great War visited Broken Hill on New Year’s Day, 1915, when two camel drivers loyal to the Ottoman Empire opened fire on a picnic train, killing five men, women, and children in what remains the only act of war to be committed on Australian soil. You can view where this occurred on a small lane not too far from the Broken Hill caravan park.
During the second-world war a large part of Australia’s gold reserves were transferred to the town and away from the coastal capital cities to protect it from the possibility of a Japanese invasion.
And surprisingly, in Sturt Park there stands a monument to the musicians of the ill-fated Titanic that was erected in 1913. It would seem extraordinary that an inland community in Australia has a monument to the tragedy that occurred in the icy-waters of the Atlantic Ocean on the other side of the world…
Standing on the urban boundary we looked westward as the sun drifted low onto the horizon, the town at our back and nothing but the red desert ahead of us, as far as the eye can see.
Click here to see where Baz, “The Landy” is today…
Today we pointed “The Landy” down the driveway and bid farewell to Sydney for a couple of weeks.
Making our way west over the Blue Mountains via the Bell’s Line in a modern four-wheel drive vehicle we did give some thought to the early explorers’ who headed this way, journeying on foot, horseback and bullock dray.
Our drive took us through the larger rural towns of Bathurst and Orange before diverting from the usual route west, the Great Western Highway, to travel through the township of Parkes and the smaller rural towns of Trundle and Tottenham.
Situated 55-kilometres north of Parkes, Trundle is at the centre of a wheat, sheep and cattle farming area. Of interest is the Trundle Hotel, a majestic building in the town’s main street, which is National Estate, listed and has the longest verandah in New South Wales, coming in at a long 87.6 metres. The town’s main street is also the widest in New South Wales measuring 60 metres.
Leaving Trundle behind we passed through the closest town to the geographical centre in New South Wales, Tottenham. We varied our route to visit the geographical centre, which is located 34 kilometres west of the town along the Cockies Road.
Tottenham is also at the centre of large scale agriculture cropping and sheep grazing and boosts a large hotel, The Tottenham Hotel, which overlooks the main street.
We arrived at Nyngan to a tranquil camp next to the Bogan River at the Riverside Van Park.
In 1835, explorer, Major Mitchell was the first European to document a journey along the Bogan River, describing the area around Nyngan as ‘a long pond, with many birds, ducks, and brolgas’. The local aboriginal word ‘Nyingan’ is said to mean ‘long pond of water’. In 1882 the town’s site was surveyed and buildings from an earlier settlement at Canonba 30- kilometres away were moved to the present Nyngan Township.
Click here to find out where Baz, “The Landy” is today…
We’re excited, ahead of us is two weeks of soaking up the beauty of a red-ochre coloured landscape, an ancient landscape that stretches to the horizon, where it kisses a never-ending blue sky…
Sometimes it is simply impossible to capture it in a photograph, but we will be trying, and of course part of the attraction of touring the Great Southern Land is the characters you meet along the way; they are the heart and soul of the Australian Outback…
The Landy is packed full of Janet’s wine, TomO has claimed a seat in the front, Janet and Fay (me mum!) are strapped into the back.
And don’t forget to check in over the next couple of weeks to see what we are up to.
Bearing in mind, one of the attractions of the Outback is the inability to communicate, at times. Shoosh, that is the story I run with my boss at work, so we might be out of range every so often 😉
The Birdsville Pub is synonymous with the Australian Outback and has been the watering hole for many a weary traveller, both in days gone by and still today.
And over many years of outback travel we have often gone out of our way to quench our thirst in the front bar of the hotel.
A bar where you can hear the different accents of the many foreign tourists who come to wonder at the splendour of Australia’s Outback mixed amongst the laughter and our unique Aussie Drawl.
TomO is very accustomed to the Birdsville Pub.
Oh, but don’t worry, he is yet to quench his thirst with a beer, perhaps that will come in time, but he has made many friends over the years in the front bar. Plotting adventures with a local boy, playing snooker with the many visiting pilots, and even fallen in love with the policeman’s daughter, at the tender age of three!
And he tells me he is looking forward to this visit…
Whilst it may seem I have disappeared from the face of the earth, rest assure, I am alive and kicking, still larger than life, head-down and exercising…
And I have been preparing the troops, and yes, that would be Janet and TomO, for an upcoming adventure into the Australian Outback.
In about one week’s time we will be pointing ourselves westward towards the Flinders Ranges and the Birdsville Track.
In fact, this will be a sentimental journey, of sorts, for us as Brian, my father, longed to take a trip along the “Track” in the footsteps of Tom Kruse, The Outback Mailman.
Many may recall that Brian passed away last year and so as a tribute to him we are making the journey accompanied by my mother, Fay, the love of Dad’s life for near on 60 years! But he’ll be with us….for sure!
Our trip along the Birdsville Track will take us in the footsteps of the famous Australian Outback Mailman, Tom Kruse.
Tom delivered mail to the many cattle stations along the track in a “Blitz Truck” arriving at Birdsville, in far Western Queensland, before loading up for the return trip to Marree. His story is one of human endurance, courage, and perseverance. Despite facing considerable challenges each and every day out on the Track, Tom got the mail through, a lifeline to those who lived and worked in the area…
Before arriving in Birdsville, we will pass through one our most well-known outback towns, Broken Hill, and visit Wilpena Pound in the Flinders Ranges.
Wilpena Pound is an ancient landscape over 800 million years old, a mountain range rising out of the landscape that has the appearance of being an old volcano. It is also home to the Adnyamathanha people.
After a couple of days resting in Birdsville following our trip up the “Track” we will head towards Innamincka, a small locality that is infamous for being the end of the ill-fated Burke and Wills Exploration.
Passing back down into New South Wales though Wari Gate, we will overnight in Tibooburra and visit the family hotel where the famous Australian artist Clifton Pugh, who once painted a mural on the hotel walls. In fact, he even owned it at one time.
A favourite place we like to visit is Trilby Station. Trilby is a working sheep and cattle property on the banks of the famous inland river, the Darling River, and as usual, we will camp by the Billabong. And whilst in the area we will take the time to revisit Toorale National Park to further our knowledge of Australia’s first people.
And as we make our way back to Sydney via Narromine, Orange, and Bathurst I’m sure there will be plenty of stories to recount from our couple of weeks “Out and About with – The Landy”.
As we tour I will put up some photographs of the Australian Outback, perhaps just to whet your appetite for a visit, Downunder!
Travelling and photographing the Australian Outback is a great privilege that I never take for granted.
As a family we visit it often and we have a couple of spectacular desert trips planned this year, the first one coming up in a couple of months time.
Recently we upgraded our touring vehicle to a Toyota 79 Series Dual Cab that we have modified to cope with the harsh environment it will be asked to operate in. It is also capable of pulling our off-road camper Trailer, a Track TVAN.
Plenty of Storage
The Landy + TVAN
Through its paces
We’re off – to the outback
The TVAN is the go anywhere camper trailer with suspension built to military specifications.
Depending on conditions, the vehicle has a range of approximately 1,700-kilometres and all electrical equipment we require is powered by two 120-watt solar panels on the roof charging a 150-amp battery.
It is also equipped with a High Frequency radio for long-range communications. For those not familiar a HF Radio is capable of transmitting over large distances and with the right atmospheric conditions we can speak with someone thousands of kilometres away.
Now I’m not going to “rabbit” on too much here and I’ll let the photographs do the talking, but a little while back I asked for you to submit some designs for a mural to go on the vehicle and I’m pleased to showcase the final product that was inspired by a design suggested by Sassy, who writes a blog titled Sasieology…
Toyota 79 Series Dual Cab
The mural reflects the travel the vehicle will do, across the Sydney Harbour Bridge from the Sydney Opera House and into the Australian Outback.
And I hear you ask what about the Crow?
Well Charlie, he travels with us everywhere!
We captured the photographs as we put the vehicle through its paces with the TVAN in tow in the Australian Bush last weekend.
It passed with flying colours, but I’m still trying to wrest the keys back from Janet who is a rev-head at heart, especially behind the big gutsy V8 engine!
TomO lead the way today heading off for his first scuba dive which he did at Clifton Gardens, on beautiful Sydney Harbour…
Despite Janet and I quite comfortably diving out of airplanes and loving water sports, we’ve never harboured the desire to scuba dive! So TomO has set a first for our family!
Another glorious start to the day on Australia’s eastern seaboard.
A 10,000 metre row on the C2 rowing machine in the pre-dawn darkness before heading to the beach for some fun with TomO, followed a breakfast of hot chips and tomato sauce; all before 8:00am…
Whoops sorry Janet, meant to say healthy muesli and yoghurt 😉
Temari is a Japanese art form that involves intricate weaving of fine threads and this wonderfully crafted example was offered for sale at Marion’s Artree.
Recently, I wrote about the work that Janet and her sister Leah were undertaking to raise money for a research and support group for Meniere’s Disease and it culminated last week with a stall they ran in Leah’s hometown, Newcastle, a beautiful city the north of Sydney, at the Hunter Valley’s Art Society summer markets.
Meniere’s disease led to the premature death of Marion, Janet and Leah’s sister a few years ago. She was much loved and had many friend’s in the art world…
Marion’s Artree Stall was the most popular of all the stalls on the day and they raised a substantial amount of money that will now be donated to the Research Foundation that is working towards a cure for this disease.
Janet, Leah, and Tim Owen
The local member of State Parliament, Tim Owen, spent time helping out the girl’s on the stall, and the local TV Station took an interest, which gave them some prominence to highlight what they are endeavouring to achieve with Marion’s Artree.
And there were some lovely pieces of artwork that was donated by artists’ from all over Australia in support of this project.
There are some wonderful things to see when Out and About in the Australian Bush.
There are landscapes that stretch from horizon to horizon under a never-ending blue sky, some unique animals, and some things you need to go searching for, or you just happen to come across.
A couple of weeks ago I was bush-walking up in Yengo National Park and the lovely contrast in this little seedpod caught my eye…
How good is this… just hanging out, a dope on a rope…
Sublime Point, Blue Mountains, Australia(Big Bad) Baz on Sweet Dream, Blue Mountains, AustraliaJust hanging out – On Sweet Dreams
Ever played Twister? It helps!
Strewth I’ve got to get back to some climbing, and what better place than a climb on Sweet Dreams in the Blue Mountains just to the west of Sydney…now there’s a thought!
And hey, remember, if all else fails, just take a running leap at life, see what develops and live to the motto…
“Those that don’t think it can be done shouldn’t bother the person doing it”…
If all else fails, just take a running leap at life…
A Fringed Lily – Minute and as Delicate as life itself…
Perhaps this will come as little surprise, but today we were Out and About in the Australian Bush…
TomO was having a sleep over at a friends place, although the term sleepover is used merely to highlight that he wasn’t at home with us, because if I know those boys there would have been little sleep happening.
Hell, come to think of it, the poor bloke was probably cleaning up the aftermath of the dinner party we enjoyed with the parents of TomO’s mate last night…
Now nothing ever seems to happen in our house before a cup of tea has been taken, which shouldn’t be that surprising as Janet’s father, Archie, was a tea importer, so after our mandatory cup of tea this morning we boarded The Landy, camera gear at the ready, and headed about 50-kilometres to the north of Sydney into Yengo National Park.
This park is a favourite of ours and we have spent many hours atop Devil’s Mountain watching the sun set on the the park’s western horizon, or Burragurra as it is known by Australia’s first inhabitants.
The mountain has many aboriginal rock engravings etched into its surface, including the spirit footprints of Wa-boo-ee, the creator of heaven and earth. In aboriginal legend he stepped from here to Mount Yengo in one stride and then ascended back into the sky.
Mt Yengo, Australia
All this, just to the north of Australia’s most populous city, strewth, how did we Aussies’s get so lucky?
And you know how I tend to rave on about the Australian Bush and Outback, well just take another look at the beautiful example of a Fringed Lily. They are so minute and in flower presently.
And as harsh as the Australian Bush can be it is such a fragile environment producing what can only be described as Living Works of Art…just like the Fringed Lily!
Crikey, all together now, say it!
(Big Bad) Baz, we wouldn’t wouldn’t be dead for quid’s!
We spent the past weekend touring through the Hill End region nearby to Sydney in our new Outback Touring vehicle, a Toyota 79 Series Dual Cab.
Dare I call it “The Landy”.
And it proved to be popular with the locals who mobbed it as we neared the historic gold mining town.
This was a Gold and Ghouls weekend, for it was in the early 1850s that the discovery of gold at Ophir, not too far from Hill End in the State’s Central West, that created Australia’s first gold rush.
It was almost over as quickly as it began and very few found the fortune that they came in search of, and of course those that prospered most were the people who ran the stores, supplying equipment and provisions to the miners, and the many hotels that quenched the thirst of those who were looking for the “big strike”.
Hill End, Australia
Hill End is a historic town administered by the New South Wales National Parks. There is a pub, a store, and plenty of old buildings that give a glimpse into how life might have been in those heady gold fever days. For the more energetic, there is a walk to Bald Hill where there was a lot of mining activity.
And the Royal Hotel is a great place to have a beer, or two, and a meal in the bistro.
Royal Hotel, Hill End, Australia
Leaving Sydney we travelled the Great Western Highway via Bathurst and the small township of Sofala.
We camped at Glendora campground, which is located about 1.5 kilometres from the pub and is well equipped to take caravans and camper trailers, with powered and unpowered sites available and self-registration. In fact this is a good spot for larger groups with full facilities including electric barbecues and hot showers.
There is also a campground in the centre of town, which was about half full…
Leaving Hill End on Sunday we travelled back to Bathurst via Dixon’s Long Point Road, a four-wheel drive track that winds its way down to a rocky creek crossing on the Macquarie River.
Macquarie River, AustraliaThe Landy + Tvan
“The Landy” had its first workout and performed admirably, although it was hardly taxing for the big V8-engine housed under a bonnet as big as a football field.
The views are spectacular and you can camp by the river and wile away the day under a deep blue sky…
The drive down to the river takes about one hour, depending on whether you stop along the way to visit the Cornish Roasting Pits, which we didn’t do on this particular occasion.
Travelling on you eventually come to Ophir Reserve which is located in a gorge where the Summer Hill and Lewis Creeks converge, and it was from here that the gold in the gold medals presented at 2000 Sydney Olympics was mined.
A great spot for a picnic, and it didn’t take long before TomO found a rope swing.
TomO – young and carefree…
Leaving Ophir it is less than an hour drive to Bathurst and another couple of hours back to Sydney.
And what about the Ghouls I hear you ask?
The National Park Rangers do a Ghost Tour that takes in a number of properties in Hill End and can be organised with about a week’s notice. It was uncertain whether “The Landy” would be finished in time for this trip so we thought we’d keep the ghost tour up our sleeve, giving us a reason to return again soon…
Hill End, Australia
For anyone visiting the central west of New South Wales, Hill End and a tour of the region is well worth the experience. And there is some good four-wheel driving to be done, if you are inclined. Otherwise the Dixon Long Point Road is easily traversable and will reward you with some stunning vistas of the Australian Bush…
I’ve had a little bit of hiatus from the keyboard over the past couple of weeks and perhaps you’ve may have been thinking where’s Baz, has he gone underground or something…
Well talking about going underground, I took this photo late in the afternoon at White Cliffs, Outback Australia on one of our recent trips…
And just below the surface is the Underground Motel where we stayed in rooms fashioned out of an old mine. White Cliffs is an opal mining town, whose day time temperatures in summer can be above a ‘hundred on the old Fahrenheit scale for weeks on end and below zero at night in the depths of winter.
White Cliffs, Underground Motel
Seemingly, there is little happening on the climbing front just at the moment, even though I have recovered sufficiently from the operations earlier in the year, I’ve just lost a bit of zest for it.
Baz, Southern Alps, New Zealand
Isn’t life funny sometimes, hey!
I wanted to be on those high mountains so badly earlier this year, in fact I was scheduled to be in Nepal climbing this month, and now I’m struggling to get motivated enough to get back out there – so fingers crossed for me!
And crikey, in the meantime, it is Janet’s scones cooked in a camp oven in the Outback and TomO’s antics whilst on tour– and there’s nothing wrong with that!
The enormity of losing a loved one, a friend, is only surpassed by the haplessness one feels that they did not hear or recognise those faint cries for help…
Five years have now passed since we lost a verydear friend, a sister, a daughter.
The Fawthrop Sisters…Marion, Janet, Mary and Leah
Marion, one of four Fawthrop girls and Janet’s sister, suffered greatly from a terrible affliction calledMeniere’s disease. Tragically, just ahead of her 50th birthday the pain of Meniere’s, which had come and gone throughout her life, became far too much to bear any longer and she sought the refuge, the comfort of another world where she could be freed from the bondage of the pain it caused her.
In those early times following Marion’s passing we all shed many tears, and a day never passes where Marion isn’t still a part of our lives, a casual smile here, your mind’s eye seeing her dressed up in all her finery.
Marion loved to dress up, to party.
Millie Marion
And still, there are those moments where the tears well in our eyes…
Marion was a great lover of the Arts and had many friends in the art world. And it is something that runs in the family, as Leah, the youngest of the girl’s is a wonderful artist, having studied artistic photography, among other things…
As a tribute to Marion, Leah came up with the idea of creating Marion’s Artree, where works of art with a Christmas theme, along with Christmas decorations are handmade by artists’, craft workers and designers.
Christmas Decorations
People whom Marion touched, and others whom she never knew generously donating their time and works for sale, with proceeds going to advance Meniere’s Research.
Please take the time to understand the suffering that people afflicted with Meniere’s experience, and if you are able, please support either the Australian Meniere’s Research Foundation, or perhaps locate one in the country you live in.
Leah and Janet’s Facebook Page, Marion’s Artree, provides more detail…
And bravo, Leah and Janet, and mother, Clare, you have all shown tremendous courage these past few years. We can’t bring Millie-Marion back, but she is always with us, and what a great way to bring an awareness of Meniere’s disease and to help and support others who also suffer…
Millie Marion
Personally, I take great comfort knowing that wherever Marion is, she will be dressed to the ‘nines, holding court, a small glass of champagne in one hand, and a packet of fags in the other. It wouldn’t be any other way – and crikey, ain’t that the truth…
Mutawintji Gorge is spectacular for its towering rusty red rock cliffs and overhangs, its magnificent rock pool, cool and soothing on a hot outback day…
We took the time to wile away the hours at the base of the cliffs, and later climbing them…an oasis in the desert, a timeless place, inhabited by an ancient people.
They say that diamonds are a girl’s best friend, and exquisite perfume is probably not too far behind in the “pecking order”.
This weekend past, Janet, my beautiful partner and mother to our equally beautiful son, TomO, celebrated a significant milestone by turning fifty-years young!
Anyone who knows Janet would be in disbelief, unless they were aware, and of course it gives weight to my view that “how old would you be, if you didn’t know how old you were”?
Never mind, she is not fazed by it, and nor should she be as every year she blossoms even more so than the last, like a rose, timeless, delicate…
Not that she is a wallflower, not by any measure, we’ve jumped out of planes together, chasing each other across the wild blue sky, we’ve leaped tall buildings in a single-bound in a race to the ground, she always wins…
Janet – An Incredible in full flight over Picton, AustraliaJanet, waving, down here Baz – Catch me if you can!Janet beats Baz down the AMP Tower, Sydney Australia (Again!)
We celebrated in style with a cocktail party, “glammed-up” with family and friends.
Yes, I did buy a brand new black Tee shirt for the event.
Family and Friends – At “Dinsmore” our home
And Janet loves a party, I wouldn’t call her a party girl, but she loves being around wonderful family and friends, all of whom adore her.
Crikey, didn’t I luck out by living next-door to Janet, yes, Janet was literally the “girl next door” and our coming together simply developed over time.
But how is this, Janet is a wonderful gardener and mows our lawn each week, strewth, if I was to go near the lawn mower I would incur her wrath, okay, a slap on the wrist…
Seriously, going down to see Bluey and the boy’s at the local footy club for a few beers is quite okay, but don’t you go touching that lawn mower Baz!
Anyway, in amongst the birthday celebrations, Janet and I held each other, and remembered that day thirty years ago, yes on her birthday, when I asked her to marry me!
Stunningly beautiful
Most people were surprised and didn’t actually know until I gave a small speech!
She said “yes”, phew!
I never buy lottery tickets, or gamble, after all my luck was all used up on that beautiful day…
I shared our story, of giving Janet a bottle of Chanel No. 5 perfume on that birthday, and there was a quip from the gathered that I must have flogged it, ‘cause there was no way I could have afforded it back then!
It was worth every cent I scratched together, and every birthday since that is what I have given Janet on her birthday.
But a couple of weeks ago, I asked here, “what do I buy you on this very special occasion”?
And that cheeky little grin
Janet looked at me, in her cheeky little way and said, “you know, it is traditional, I wouldn’t want anything else”!
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