Red Nomad OZ

White Cliffs Waterhole, Outback New South Wales

7-and-a-half Minutes in Paradise! White Cliffs, New South Wales

February 10, 2012 Red Nomad OZ Bird watching, National Parks, New South Wales, Opal, Outback, Paroo-Darling National Park, Random Adventures, Things to do, White Cliffs

Think of ‘Australia’ and ‘Paradise’ in the same sentence and I’ll bet you’re thinking tropical. White sandy beaches, palms and and clear blue sea. Colourful fish, corals and lush rainforest. Balmy, moonlit nights and cocktails under the stars. But that splendid vision – while undeniably fabulous – is only one of many versions of utopia in this country of diverse[…]

Eromanga Distance Sign, Outback Queensland

Signs #19 – Where’s the Ocean? Eromanga, Queensland

February 2, 2012 Red Nomad OZ Australiana, Eromanga, Outback, Queensland, Signs

There’s only one town in Australia furthest from the sea – in EVERY direction! Surprisingly, to me at least, it’s NOT in Central Australia! Australia’s weird continental shape means the geographic centre is relatively close to the Great Australian Bight to the south, and the Gulf of Carpentaria to the north. No, the title of furthest from the sea currently[…]

My FavouRED OZ Things #3*!!

January 26, 2012 Red Nomad OZ Australia Day, Australiana, FavouRED Things, New South Wales, Outback, Queensland, South Australia

It’s amazing how easy – and fun – it is to compose doggerel a new stanza for my favourite RED Aussie things! AND what better way to celebrate this fabulous Australia Day with some new RED OZ stuff!! I’m a loud and proud Aussie – so of course I’m going to show off all the OZ good bits to inspire you[…]

Horseshoe Bay from the Nelly Bay to Arcadia Track, Magnetic Island, Queensland

Walk Nelly Bay to Arcadia! Magnetic Island via Townsville, Queensland

January 14, 2012 Red Nomad OZ Bakery, Bird watching, Far North Queensland, Magnetic Island, Nelly Bay, Queensland, Things to do, Townsville, Travel, Walks

‘What goes up must come down,’ she twanged, immediately identifying a) her astonishing originality and b) her country of origin. Suitably dressed for a dusty, rocky climb through clinging vines, a charred mountainside and tropical humidity in a white ‘resort’ dress and gold sandals, this gem fell from her pinkly glossed lips and dropped like pearls of wisdom before swine.[…]

Wycliffe Well Amenties Block, Northern Territory*

Wycliffe Well Roadhouse – The Best Alien Pit-Stop this side of the Galaxy!

December 23, 2011 Red Nomad OZ Central Australia, Loos with Views, Northern Territory, Scenic Public Toilets, Wycliffe Well

What’s a weary Aussie traveller to do after a few hours and a few hundred kilometres on the road? Stagger from the car – reeling from too much sitting and legs crossed from sipping water water – and head straight for the loo, of course! Or the nearest tree, rock or shrub. Finding a good place to do your business[…]

The 3-Car, 2-Beach, One Fine Day!

December 8, 2011 Red Nomad OZ Innes National Park, National Parks, South Australia, Things to do, Travel, Yorke Peninsula

Sometimes, not planning turns out best. And sometimes the planets align and fabulous weather, bizarre experiences, brilliant destination and perfect moments all come together on one fine day … Fine in every sense! And the sky! The glorious sky!! Yes, Innes National Park at the very southern end of South Australia’s York Peninsula was already one of my favourite places.[…]

Walk Mount Zero!

November 28, 2011 Red Nomad OZ Bakery, Grampians, Mt Zero, National Parks, Scenic Public Toilets, Travel, Victoria, Walks

Hollow Mountain and Mt Stapylton from the Mt Zero Summit, Northern Grampians, Victoria Hauling myself up the rocky drop-off towering above my head, I desperately clung to the cold hand rail, slippery with drizzle, hoping like hell my arms wouldn’t give way. Vertigo kicked in as I scrabbled for a foothold. Looking neither to the right (dizzying drop off) or[…]

Between Boulia and Bedourie, Western Queensland Outback

Aussie Icons #6 – Min Min light, Boulia, Queensland

November 10, 2011 Red Nomad OZ Aussie Icons, Australiana, Boulia, Min Min light, Outback, Queensland, Things to do, Travel, Weird Stuff

The benign, blue sky stretches away to infinity around western Queensland’s Boulia, mostly unrelieved by clouds, birds or planes. Unremarkable – at least by Outback standards – Boulia’s boundless blue backdrop is the ultimate Big Sky luring travellers to the Outback. But it’s not the splendidly panoramic sky of daylight hours that attracts visitors to this remote capital of the[…]

Favourite Place #7 – Halls Gap, Grampians, Victoria

November 2, 2011 Red Nomad OZ Bakery, Grampians, Halls Gap, National Parks, Travel, Victoria, Walks, Wildflowers, Wildlife

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[…]

A Day Trip to Toompine, Outback Queensland

October 7, 2011 Red Nomad OZ Eulo, Outback, Queensland, Quilpie, Random Adventures, Thargomindah, Things to do, Toompine

With an official population of two, tiny Toompine is barely a blip on the radar! And yet, all roads seem to lead there in the western Queensland Outback. A simple distance measurement between the outback towns of Eulo, Thargomindah and Quilpie yields Toompine’s coordinates almost exactly. Is that enough reason to visit? Of course not! But finding out why the[…]