Australia by Red Nomad OZ

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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Off the Tourist Trail #7 – Uralla, New England, New South Wales

Fred Ward Memorial Statue, Uralla Before Uralla, the thought of being tried by a jury of my peers gave me an attack of the screaming horrors. But in the spiritual home of bushranger Fred Ward I found an inarguable defence. Captain Thunderbolt, Uralla, NSW For here in Uralla, halfway along the Thunderbolt Way – shortest route from Sydney to the[…]

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Signs #10 – So there!

At first glance, this sign in Far North Queensland’s Atherton appears to be a fairly standard ‘No Parking’ notice.  But is it really?  A few deviations, slight, but immediately detectable by your sign-junkie-sleuth MAY show something more sinister… Generally, a no-parking area would be signed ‘No Parking Anytime’.  Note the difference!  Available times or other instructions are normally listed underneath – as[…]

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Fort Bourke Stockade - the Replica!

Only in OZ #10 – Fort Bourke Stockade, Bourke, NSW

Surprisingly little is known about Fort Bourke Stockade, the only defensive fort in Australia, but this has been no barrier to building a lifelike facsimile near Bourke, in outback New South Wales. Although its a) true dimensions; b) exact location; and c) the building materials used in its construction are not recorded, this tiny stockade is apparently a ‘real life’ replica! Built in[…]

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Australia’s Scenic Public Toilets #10 Evans Head, New South Wales

Strategically located at the Razorback Lookout Picnic Area in Evans Head in Northern New South Wales, the views from these amenities would HAVE to be among Australia’s most spectacular! From the outside, that is… Inside the facilities is a VERY different story!  Or at least it was during our November 2009 visit when they appeared to have been used as shelter during[…]

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Off the Tourist Trail #2 – Brentwood, Yorke Peninsula, SA

Blink, and you’ll miss the little town of Brentwood – so you’ve got almost NO chance of finding the Brentwood cemetery without local assistance! Don’t look at me – I’m not going to tell you exactly where it is! But I’m not exactly going to hide it either. After all, it IS mentioned in official Yorke Peninsula Tourist information brochures,[…]

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Sunset over the Richmond River, 10 Budget Travel Tips

7 Days in … Ballina, NSW

Thank goddess for Byron Bay! The Byron tourist magnet sucks a conglomerate of backpackers, yuppies, new age-ists, surfers, whale watchers and regular local and overseas tourists into its vortex, leaving the fabulous, diverse and bakery-filled Ballina region relatively uncrowded. This is good. This 7 day teaser is only an introduction – complete with ‘bakery alerts’ – as a week isn’t[…]

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