Australia by Red Nomad OZ
Sunrise at Lake Lascelles

Why Hopetoun Victoria is a TOP Aussie Town!

I don’t know why it is that travellers are routinely described as ‘weary’. If I’m describing myself, I just say I’m a traveller – not a weary one. But when travel publications refer to havens for the weary traveller; and weary traveller’s resting places; and recharging the weary travellers batteries and the like, you start to believe the hype. So after[…]

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Berries and Leaves

A Day in the Border Ranges National Park

Australia aggressively markets itself as all sunshine, surf and sand; red rocks, red dust and reefs.  But a visit to the Border Ranges National Park will show another side. Ancient sub-tropical rainforests of Gondwana clothe the sheer cliffs formed by the eroded caldera of what’s left of a massive shield volcano. They’re so unlike anything else you’ll see downunder they’ve[…]

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Queensland from Lions Road Border Crossing

7 Reasons to Road-trip the Lions Road NSW

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[…]

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Mt Abrupt from Dunkeld Arboretum

Climb Mount Abrupt! Grampians, Victoria

It took an awfully LOOOOOONG time to climb Mount Abrupt. 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 before we fully explored its wilder, more remote southern end. We’d always found plenty to do from Halls Gap, in the Central[…]

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View across the Bunbinyunna, Elder and Red Ranges from Bridle Gap, Wilpena Pound, South Australia

Walk the Bridle Gap Wilpena Pound Trail, Flinders Ranges

The last few kilometres were heavy going as I trudged back to camp. The bright daylight faded into twilight as the sun sank below the eroded peaks surrounding the amazing Wilpena Pound valley, centrepiece of South Australia’s Flinders Ranges National Park. The evening coolness rose as we entered the campground. While taking an 18.8 kilometre (11.7 mile) hike might not[…]

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Sunset at Dales Gorge, Karijini National Park, Western Australia

Walk Dales Gorge! Karijini National Park, Western Australia

The Evening Before … I gripped the railing and looked through the deep shadows down the deep RED gash of Dales Gorge. WAAAAAY down. Late afternoon at the lookout meant the sun was long gone from the gorge floor.  Even though it had lit up the eastern wall quite spectacularly. Ho Hum. Another day in the Pilbara, another killer landscape[…]

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Waterfall at Natural Bridge, Springbrook National Park, Queensland

Beauty at Natural Bridge!

It’s the bird du jour around almost any given sub-tropical picnic area and car park, so it should have been easy to get a good shot.  However, my shots of Australian Brush-turkey in the dark depths of Natural Bridge*, part of Springbrook National Park’s lushly magnificent rainforest, all had something missing. Clarity. We’d driven up the impossibly steep Border Ranges from[…]

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Late Afternoon from the Bushman's Rest Caravan Park at Lake Cullulleraine, Victoria

Lake Cullulleraine: So COOL it’s HOT!

I’m not sure why it’s never occurred to us to stop at Lake Cullulleraine, 58 km west of northern Mildura and deep in the heart of the Victorian Mallee. Until now. Only 3½ hours from Adelaide, Cullulleraine (as it is shown on more modern maps) is a perfect example of why it’s SO worth exploring places not so far from[…]

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The Pinnacle Lookout with Lake Bellfield below, Grampians National Park, Victoria

Walk the Pinnacle – Grampians National Park

WARNING: Do NOT attempt the Pinnacle walk if you don’t like A) heights; B) snakes; C) wildflowers; or D) looking uncool! Whether or not D) applies depends to a certain degree on physical fitness levels – and possibly hiking fashion sense! Although tragically that’s not a factor if you’re like me.  That red face, heaving chest and death-rattle puffing after[…]

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Victoria River Escarpment, Northern Territory

The 5-Experiences-in-24-hours Victoria River Roadhouse Action Plan!

I don’t know what made us decide to stay overnight at the Victoria River Roadhouse as we pulled in for fuel, late on a Northern Territory July morning. Perhaps we took the Grey Nomad’s experimental driving technique involving an inexpertly executed U-turn directly in front of us without warning as a sign to stay off the roads that day.  […]

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