Australia by Red Nomad OZ
Geikie Gorge, via Fitzroy Crossing, Western Australia

The Incredible “Icebergs” of Geikie Gorge!

‘Look out for the cat snakes on the rock ledges,’ our guide warned. ‘We saw one stalking a bird the other evening’. CAT Snakes? ‘But don’t take my word for it – I failed the snake identification exam!’ she laughed. Pilchard and I exchanged glances. The previous day a gaggle of grey nomads had shown us a photo of the[…]

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Cutta Cutta Caves, via Katherine, Northern Territory

The Ghoulish Guide of Cutta Cutta Caves!

I hadn’t suspected the otherworldly limestone Karst country we’d crossed en route from the Visitor Centre to the Cutta Cutta Caves entrance to be a portal to a parallel universe. But had we inadvertently stumbled into a casting call for a bad B-grade movie? For now, waiting for our guide at the stairs leading down to the locked entry gate[…]

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Hikers at Joffre Gorge, Karijini National Park, Western Australia

Mind over Madness … Joffre Falls, Karijini National Park

The edge of the gorge was no place for a recovering acrophobic*. Despite its well-made viewing platform with solid handrails, the lookout overhung the sheer drop to the Joffre River far below, many more metres than I wanted to count**. I don’t think I’ll EVER get used to being on an overhang … But weirdly, the scare-factor just added to[…]

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Eagle Bluff, via Denham, Shark Bay, Western Australia

What to see at Eagle Bluff, Shark Bay, Western Australia

‘Shark! Everyone out of the water!!’ he yelled, and I involuntarily jumped back from the guardrail high above Eagle Bluff, my movement triggered by that most primeval of Australian fears: Shark Attack!! The amphitheatre of crumbling white rock plunging down into the green shallows of the bay below from the tourist brochure HAD to be trick photography, I’d thought upon[…]

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White Crocodile, Victoria River, Northern Territory

7 Crocodile Hot Spots in Australia’s Top End

Crocodiles are a weird combination of Aussie ‘Big Thing’ and perilous prehistoric predator. Maybe our fascination with crocodiles in Australia is what makes this my most viewed post of all time*. Or maybe it’s because of the awesome photos and superlative writing … read on, and decide for yourself 😀 But before you do, PLEASE NOTE this WARNING: Crocodiles are VERY dangerous and[…]

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Yes, that's a Cane Toad in his mouth!  Thommo at Kununurra Agricultural Show

I was a Cane Toad Race Virgin! Kununurra, Western Australia

The pairing of Australians and Cane Toads works well. Almost as well the pairing of pavlova with pepperoni!  Although, come to think of it, while the Cane toad is an introduced species, so are its colonial counterparts … but I digress! 77 years after ‘experts’ deliberately introduced the Cane Toad (Bufo Marinus) into the wild, this alien animal has infested[…]

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The road to the Horn, from the Horn lookout, Mt Buffalo National Park

7 Random Alpine Adventures – Bright, Victoria

1. Happy Campers – Bright Big 4 Caravan Park From the expletives, it appeared the rain-lashed grey nomads repeatedly jack-knifing their massive van into the bushes around their campsite as thunder rumbled thorough the night were NOT “Livin’ the Dream” their van proclaimed. Although their inadvertent behavioural benchmark reinforced the pact between Pilchard and I. ‘If I ever …’ Pilchard[…]

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Random Adventure #7 – Taking the Train to Tumoulin

1925 D17 Class Steam Locomotive ‘Capella’ in Tumoulin, Queensland Over 100 years ago on 31 July 1911, regional Parliamentary representatives invited to the Herberton-Tumoulin railway line opening were too busyto attend according to a local historian. Exactly 100 years later – and how things have changed!! Crossing the trestle bridge, Tumoulin to Ravenshoe So, on 31 July 2011, during a[…]

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Random Adventure #6 – Do Bureaucrats Dream of Eccentric Sheep?# Kambah, Australian Capital Territory

Red and friends at Kambah Travellers heading downunder don’t always consider the Australian Capital Territory’s Kambah as an alternative to more well known adventure destinations such as Uluru and the Great Barrier Reef. Sure, overpaid bureaucratsgovernment workers and fat cats politicians form a disproportionately high percentage of OZ capital Canberra’s ~400,000 population, with champion drinkers students making up much of[…]

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

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.[…]

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