2014 - Australia by Red Nomad OZ

Bald Rock, via Tenterfield, New South Wales, Australia

Aussie ABC: R is for Rocks

December 22, 2014 Red Nomad OZ Aussie ABC, Australian Round Up, Balancing Rock, Bald Rock National Park, Ball's Pyramid, Bunda Cliffs, Chillagoe, Devil's Marbles, Hollow Mountain, Kalbarri, Kalbarri National Park, Kangaroo Island, Kununurra, Lord Howe Island, Mirima National Park, Mt Moffatt, Narrabri, Northern Territory, Nullarbor Plain, Remarkable Rocks, Sawn Rocks, Tasmania, Tenterfield, Tesselated Pavement, Things to do, Travel

With the world’s biggest rock AND largest monolith*, Australia’s the land of the ultimate ROCK – or at least the coolest Australian rock formations! But where’s a keen rockhound to go once they’ve seen Mt Augustus (biggest rock) and Uluru (biggest monolith)?? Check out a few more Australian Rock Stars – otherwise known as distinctive and unusual Australian rock formations – with[…]

Basalt, Birds and Balls Pyramid!

December 14, 2014 Red Nomad OZ Ball's Pyramid, Bird watching, Lord Howe Island, New South Wales, Things to do, Travel

‘The current’s running like a cut cat round the island,’ Jack shouted, firing up Noctiluca‘s powerful 200 horse power engines and guiding the eight-metre vessel into the bay. If not for the camera in one hand and a convenient strut for balance in another, I’d have high-fived Pilchard. On our first trip three years ago, our tour had been cancelled[…]

West Cape Lighthouse, Innes National Park

Reds TOP 10 Lovely Lighthouses from South Australia

December 6, 2014 Red Nomad OZ Lighthouse, South Australia, Things to do, TOP Ten

I’m a lighthouse lover from way back. In fact, I was a lighthouse lover WAY before I became a loo lover! There’s something about those clean lines with the RED and (all too often) the white against a dramatic coastline and sky that makes my shutter-button finger itch! It’s itched so much over the years that I’ve got too many[…]

OZ Scenic Public Toilet #40 – Mt Wellington, Tasmania

December 2, 2014 Red Nomad OZ Aussie Loo Book, Hobart, Mt Wellington, Scenic Public Toilets, Tasmania

Spotting a scenic loo was a FAIL on my first Mount Wellington ascent 30 minutes up from Hobart’s docklands on the River Derwent 1271 metres below. But I didn’t care. After a LOOOOONG conference, I had a few hours to kill before heading back to the mainland. Hanging out at the airport with the same work buddies I’d been closeted[…]

Two Twitchers, Two Nights and Two Thousand Clicks!

November 29, 2014 Red Nomad OZ Bird watching, Carpenters Rocks, Lake Tutchewop, Mount Gambier, South Australia, Swan Hill, Things to do, Victoria

If I hadn’t been twitching I would never have gone to Tittybong. And if that’s conjured up a disturbing mental image, keep reading! It’s not quite as perturbing as it sounds!! Or maybe it is … Most Northern Hemisphereans probably won’t understand why two otherwise sane, normal Australians (that’s a self-assessment, not an oxy-moron) would spend three days driving over[…]

7 Random Kimberley Adventures

November 23, 2014 Red Nomad OZ Derby, Geikie Gorge, Gibb River Road, Kimberley, Kununurra, Lake Argyle, Marlgu Billabong, Random Adventures, Things to do, Travel, Western Australia, Willie Creek

By Northern Hemisphere standards, winter in many areas of Australia isn’t particularly cold. But that doesn’t stop a mass exodus from the ‘cold’ south during the Aussie winter (officially June/July/August), to the north where it’s actually hot! But it’s not just the average daily maximum of around 30 °C that makes the Kimberley region stretching across the north of Western[…]

Queensland from Lions Road Border Crossing

7 Reasons to Road-trip the Lions Road NSW

November 17, 2014 Red Nomad OZ Border Loop, Kyogle, Lions Road, Lookout, New South Wales, Queensland, Rathdowney, Road Trips, Spiral Loop, Things to do, Travel, Walks

As Aussie road trips go, the Lions Road NSW isn’t the best known. Or the longest. Or even the most demanding! But this 50 km fully sealed stretch of road linking the Mt Lindesay Highway near Queensland town Beaudesert with the Summerland Way near New South Wales town Kyogle is one of the most scenic, unusual and intriguing stretches of[…]

Climb Mount Abrupt! Grampians, Victoria

November 12, 2014 Red Nomad OZ Dunkeld, Grampians, Grampians National Park, Halls Gap, Lookout, Mt Abrupt, National Parks, Things to do, Travel, Victoria, Walks

Climbing Mount Abrupt took us an awfully LOOOOOONG time. First, it took a long time to even get there. Over 20 years of regular trips to the Grampians National Park and its amazing natural attractions had passed by without fully exploring its wilder, more remote southern end. We’d always found plenty to do from more central Halls Gap 65 km[…]

RED Alert #12 – RED is for LIFE!

November 4, 2014 Red Nomad OZ Interview, Red Alert

I’m honoured to have travel writer, photographer and blogger extraordinaire – and loud, proud West Aussie – Jill Harrison as my twelfth RED Alert guest! Jill’s blog, Life Images by Jill is required reading for her wonderful Aussie travel adventures, amazing photos – food, flowers AND travel – along with her generous share of some of her secrets to success[…]

Arkaroola: Australia’s Wilderness Adventureland!

November 1, 2014 Red Nomad OZ Arkaroola, Outback, South Australia, Things to do, Travel

For a place explored, surveyed and ravaged by pastoralism, mining and smelting; overrun by sheep, camels, donkeys, rabbits and dingoes; and more recently under threat from an avaricious government looking to sell off uranium mining rights, Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary is looking mighty fine! That’s due to the extraordinary Sprigg family* – visionaries, eco-tourism pioneers and explorers – who bought this[…]