Australia by Red Nomad OZ

Don’t Miss This! The Plane in the Paddock, Longreach QLD

Well OK, it’s not actually a ‘paddock’ as such. And it’s certainly NOT just a plane! It’s a fully operational Qantas 747 Jumbo Jet (aka 747-200 VH-EBQ for those who care about such things!), the centrepiece of the Qantas Founders Museum – today celebrating 90 years of Qantas. It’s parked on a fenced off section of of the Longreach Airport grounds,[…]

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Only in OZ #6 – The Flying Combi, Lightning Ridge, NSW

The combi van is generally accepted as a symbol of surfie/hippie culture, but a decorative, airborne one with the label ‘surfing art’ in the middle of the outback town of Lightning Ridge in north central New South Wales far, far from the ocean SURELY deserves its own classification! I just don’t know what that is. I DO know that Lightning Ridge, world[…]

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Only in OZ #3 – The World’s Largest Deckchair, Winton, Queensland

World’s Biggest Deckchair, Winton Outdoor Cinema, Queensland You don’t visit outback Queensland expecting to see the world’s largest deckchair do you?  Of course you don’t!  BUT whether you expect it or not, Winton, smack bang in the middle of Queensland is home to this record breaking construction! Yes, it really IS the world’s largest deckchair – apparently authenticated in the Guiness[…]

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Only in OZ #2 – A Point of Interest, Outback Queensland

Somewhere west of Windorah (Outback Queensland) en route to the little Public Toilet at the End of the Universe where the track heads south to Birdsville, a tantalising tale unfolds. The first hint of something weird afoot is a sign – ‘A Point of Interest – 5 km’.  What a tease!!  As it didn’t actually state what you’d see at the end of 5[…]

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Australia’s Scenic Public Toilets #4 – The Little Public Toilet at the end of the universe … Outback Queensland

Last year, my partner and I took a drive west of Windorah, near Cooper’s Creek in SW Queensland, to the start of the Birdsville road.  We’d never been on the Birdsville track, so thought we’d scope it out from the Queensland side for future reference! Imagine our surprise to find this little gem at the junction of the Windorah/Bedourie Rd[…]

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View from Baldy Top Lookout, Quilpie, Outback Queensland

Why Quilpie is a TOP Aussie Town

  Spending a fun filled week in Quilpie is easy.  In the photo above, this Outback Queensland opal mining town is visible way off in the distance from landmark lookout ‘Baldy Top’ just out of town.  But just because it (almost) disappears into the distance from any vantage point doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do there. About 955 km (593[…]

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