Wednesday, June 27, 2018

On the road again


In a few days I'm heading north again, out into the desert.


In the year I've had the van I've travelled more than 26,000 km and I'm about to do around 20,000 more in a big trip north through Central Australia, west across the top of Australia, down the west coast for a while and then across the middle of Western Australia, back east along the Great Australian Bite in the far south, and home. I figure I'll be gone three and a half months.

The aim is to see lots of desert, glorious sunsets,


lots of Australian wildlife


and of course, old buildings.



I'll post some pictures from time to time when I have internet - but many of the places I'm going don't have power or water, far less internet.

See you on the other side.


Have fun
Helen

Tuesday, April 10, 2018

Picturesque Portland



Portland is the oldest European settlement in Victoria. Old = historic buildings. Yay!



It is still a working port, so I rode the historic cable tram


along the foreshore


to the lighthouse.


Helen

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Not another old house/pub/church Mum!


Much to my family's dismay, I adore old towns. Tasmania has many historic towns, and since I'm travelling alone I can spend as long as I like looking at every old house/pub/church/bridge... I want. Bliss!!

Wonderful Westbury.



Spectacular Stanley



When I was refueling at St Helen's, a man asked, "Didn't I see you a couple of days ago in LaTrobe? Taking a picture of an old house?"
Yeah. That was probably me.
Lovely LaTrobe.


Have fun. I am.
Helen

Monday, January 29, 2018

Crossing Bass Strait and into Tasmania



Yes they did get me up to disembark at 0510. That's, like, ten past five in the morning. Here is the sunrise to prove it.


The surf was up at Coles Beach.


Several historic houses.



Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Devonport.


Helen

Monday, October 23, 2017

Helen has retired, yes, really retired this time.


For the past three years I've been telling people I'm retiring. I've cut down my commitments a lot, but until now, I could never completely let go.

I really love travelling. It's what I want to do. But it doesn't mesh with a job, even a part-time job, that requires me to be nearby to the internet every day.

Australia is a vast land with a lot of empty space in it. So there are far too many places nowhere near mobile (cell) phone reception or internet reception. And I want to see them all.

So this is it. I am really, truly, absolutely, definitely retired now.

Adiós, adieu, addio, adeus, aloha, arrivederci, ciao, auf Wiedersehen, au revoir, bon voyage, sayonara, totsiens, vale, zàijiàn, shalom.

And most importantly, Have Fun. I will.



Helen

Sunday, October 15, 2017

From Port Phillip Bay to the Gulf of Carpentaria...



I've driven from Port Phillip Bay (Victoria) to the Gulf of Carpentaria (Qld) and east up Cape York to Cooktown, from less than 100km from the Northern Territory Border to the eastern coast, and just about everywhere in between in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.

9847 km, 1386 photos, 44 days, 3 states, and one motorhome hauling my mobility scooter.

Yes, I had fun. Amazing, excellent, fun.

Ayr, Qld.

Cardwell Range Lookout, Qld.

Mount Isa, Qld.

Moree, NSW.

Mount Carbine, far north Qld.

Wandoan, Qld.

Sunday, October 8, 2017

Australian Wildlife

These are crocodiles, not alligators. This one, Krys, was over 6 meters long.


Little green tree frogs everywhere.


On the Jump Up (mesa) near Winton, the scientists have discovered 6 new "animals" including a parrot thought to be extinct, and a red-back spider the size of a saucer.


Cane toads.


Lots of things that bite, including hugely enormous flies at Mamu and meat ants at Augathella.


Kangaroos, wallabies, emus, koalas and even cows wandering on the roads in the Outback (no fences there).


And, of course, scrub (bush) turkeys.


I'm loving the heat (high 90sF, 36-37C) and the travel.

Helen