Australia by Red Nomad OZ
Causeway, Griffiths Island, Port Fairy

OZ Top Spot #11 – Griffiths Island, Port Fairy, Victoria

Apart from the snake on the beach, our island circumnavigation stroll was pleasant, albeit uneventful. But a frisson of danger changes everything – and an element of uncertainty elevates the ordinary, or even just plain old pleasant, into something more remarkable, doesn’t it? Or is that just me? Whether Griffiths Island, at the mouth of Port Fairy’s Moyne River on[…]

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Favourite Place #7 – Halls Gap, Grampians, Victoria

Halls Gap, Lake Bellfield and surrounds from Boroka Lookout What do you call a town set amidst a 360ºpanorama of staggering beauty? A town with not only a clutch of Australia’s most scenic public toilets in and around it, but (arguably) the most spectacular caravan park and bakery settings in OZ?? Not just ANY old bakery, but (arguably) the best in[…]

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Plesiosaur at the Stone House Museum, Boulia

Aussie ABC – F is for Fossils!

The ancient landscape of OZ, eroded by time, long disappeared sea beds and a harsh climate has given rise to weirdly unique and bizarre creatures. Well … their remains, anyway! I knew this. But I DIDN’T know the present day Outback fossil fields near northwest Queensland’s Richmond, would engender a creature more fantastic than any of them. And I was[…]

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View from Cawnpore Lookout, via Middleton, Queensland

OZ Top Spot #10 – Cawnpore Lookout, Middleton, Queensland

Watching people do things you just KNOW they’re going to regret is one of life’s guilty pleasures. Even more so when there’s a cruel laugh to be had at their expense – without their knowing! So the staggering 360° view from the top level of western Queensland’s Cawnpore Lookout didn’t completely distract us from the horrifying sight of a pair of Grey[…]

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Green Island from the Jetty, via Cairns, Far North Queensland

Return to Green Island – via Cairns, Far North Queensland

We Arrive on Green Island Although it was 20 LOOOONG years since our last Green Island National Park visit, Pilchard’s first action on our return just MAY have been a little bit extreme. I mean, propelling a perfectly good hat into the sea wasn’t some kind of superstitious ritual, was it? Did he perhaps think it meant we wouldn’t have[…]

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Karlu Karlu/Devils Marbles at Sunrise

Exploring Karlu Karlu/Devils Marbles, Northern Territory

It’s just a 20 minute drive from the Wycliffe Well roadhouse to the stunning natural attraction of Karlu Karlu/Devils Marbles.  But other than distance, these two places could not be further apart. Wycliffe Well, known as Australia’s UFO capital, is full bizarre extraterrestrial figurines, spaceships, mural-covered buildings and other oddities dotted throughout the campground.  On the other hand, the Devil’s[…]

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My Lord Howe Island Triathlon!

 *WARNING*: Real triathletes may find this post offensive! Please select another post!!    Lord Howe Island visitors seeking inertia are likely to be disappointed. Getting from A to B usually involves walking or cycling – and the best island activities are high-energy, hands-on and outdoors based. So after two days of reconnaissance on foot, we extended our range[…]

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Sand Dune Survivor, Windorah QLD

Aussie ABC – D is for Dune!

It’ll take massive advances in virtual reality to develop a lounge-room based version of ‘sand dune sports’ – if it ever can be! BUT for the moment, pretty much the only way to slide down, climb up, frolic in, pose on, admire, photograph or otherwise enjoy the dunes of Australia in their many guises, is to actually visit them. Luckily,[…]

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Mounts Lidgbird and Gower, Lord Howe Island

Favourite Place #6 – Lord Howe Island, New South Wales

OK, I admit it. I’m shallow. For a favourite place to make it onto my favourite places list, it’s got to be able to deliver experiences I can’t have anywhere else. In Australia, if not the world! And a selection of good bakeries doesn’t hurt either … Stepping onto the 1km airstrip bisecting Lord Howe Island and into a Bali[…]

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OZ Top Spot #7 – Bowra Sanctuary, South Western Queensland

With 200+ bird species over several diverse habitats in its 14000 hectares, Bowra Sanctuary puts out for all all elements of a truly excellent outback experience – spectacular scenery; wonderful wildlife – in this case birds; and eccentric characters – in this case human! But while these elements make it a perfect outback hideaway, Bowra is only 16km from South-western[…]

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