LONGREACH – THE HEART OF OUTBACK QUEENSLAND

On November 5, 2021 By alisonferryIn Australia, History, Travel1 Comment

PIONEERS, EXPLORING, GLAMPING AND HERITAGE

Each time we visit Longreach, we discover something new in this heritage area. It’s an easy town to get around, no crowds, no traffic and limitless horizons. The skies are always clear and the air is crisp in winter and warm in summer. There is a lot to experience and with limited time available to us, we planned ahead and made the most of every moment. The big excitement for the kids was the glamping experience!

Mitchell Grass retreat http://mitchellgrassretreat.com.au is a tented glamping resort close to town on the Muttaburra Highway. We have stayed in many African safari tents over the years and this one rates very highly and, in fact, is super luxurious! There are 15 canvas tents which are either King or twin size all with ensuites and a private deck. We loved the fire pit in front and at night the kids roasted marshmallows whilst watching the night sky. Breakfast baskets are delivered to your room each day and are delicious. Self catering is easy with a mini kitchenette fully equipped and a barbecue at each room.

The first night we chose to go to Smithy’s Outback Dinner and Show on the banks of the Thomson River. The dinner was delicious – camp oven themed with damper and billy tea or wine and beer – followed by a show on the river stage. The performer told stories and sang songs all with a country theme. His two border collie dogs, although not part of the show, sat quietly on the stage and captivated everyone!

The Stockman’s Hall of Fame and Outback Heritage Centre was originally opened by the Queen in 1988 and was recently refurbished and reopened in April of this year. It has been modernised and has interactive and immersive experiences and is wonderful for all ages. It brings to life the rugged landscape of the outback, revealing the incredible and sometimes unknown stories of the everyday people who lived and worked on the stock routes. Allow lots of time for this!

After wandering around the museum for a couple of hours, it was nice to sit down in the outdoor theatre and watch the Outback Stockman’s Show. The Showman, Lachie Cosser tells the story of real life stockmen and women who work on the land today as well as telling tales of what it was like in the past. He had working dogs, horses, sheep and a quiet bull to entertain us and his young son gave a whip cracking display. http://stockmanshalloffame.com.au

After a quick lunch in a very hip cafe serving both vegan and cafe style meals, we headed to the Qantas Founders Museum http://qfom.com.au. With so many different tours and experiences, it is important to book ahead. I was particularly interested in the main museum and the Catalina Display – these displays tell the story of Qantas from the outback days and what life was like in 1920’s outback Queensland to the present day. With so much to see – oral displays, video talks, artifacts and interactive exhibits you could easily spend a couple of hours here before going to the Aviation Park and walking through various aircraft.

Best time to visit this lovely outback town is probably in the winter months – at least for me – and we will definitely be back to check out some of the experiences we didn’t have time to do! I can honestly say that here there is something for everyone.

PRE-HISTORIC LIFE IN WESTERN QUEENSLAND

On October 6, 2021 By alisonferryIn Australia, History, TravelLeave a comment

Dinosaurs and more dinosaurs!

The Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum of Natural History is located 24 km south of Winton on the “Jump Up”. Locals know this term but I discovered that The Jump-Up is a large mesa plateau that is approximately 270m above sea level and stands 75m above the surrounding land and forms part of a mesa formation called the Vindex Range. Like much of the Winton Shire, the Jump-Up is part of the Winton Formation, which is dated around 95-98 million years old.

We decided to go early so we could maximise our time taking in the various displays, movies and self guided walks as well as enjoying the stunning scenery and native flora and fauna. This museum holds the largest collection of Australian dinosaur fossils in the world.

From the start we were amazed at the location – the museum complex sits on 1800 hectares of spectacular mesa plateau and the scenery is vast with lots of walking trails and wildlife.

This is also a working dinosaur museum with the most productive Fossil Preparation Laboratory in the Southern Hemisphere, so we headed to the lab first to gain a little insight into the life of these pre historic creatures and the area they lived in 1000 million years ago.

A short stroll later took us back to the award winning Reception area which opened in 2012 and contains a shop, cafe, staff facilities and a Holotype room, also known as the Collection Room. Designed to blend into the surrounding Jump-Up rock, the building takes on the earthy hues and textures of the surrounding landscape. The concrete walls of the building were coloured and stamped with latex mats that were moulded from the rock surface of the Jump-Up rock. A life sized, 5m long bronze statue of Australovenator (“Banjo”) stands at the entrance to the Reception Centre.

The Collection Room is fitted with audio visual equipment which complements the guided tours by showing animation footage of western Queensland’s dinosaurs. This was fascinating and the children were captivated especially as the footage consists of excerpts from the documentary Monsters in the Outback – the video of which the kids watched in the car prior to our visit.

Then we hopped on the Noble Express shuttle – a little bus which took us to the Dinosaur Canyon Outpost and the March of the Titanosaurs exhibition.

The Outpost is perched on the cliff overlooking Dinosaur Canyon and includes 300 metres of elevated concrete pathway throughout the gorge below. Five outdoor galleries are positioned along the pathway, which resembles a treetop walk as it winds throughout massive boulders and thick vegetation below the rim of a gorge. The Dinosaur Canyon exhibits recreate life as it would have appeared during the Cretaceous Period including: Dinosaur Stampede, Pterodactylus Family, Kunbarrasaurus ieversi, Death in the Billabong and Valley of the Cycads. Australia’s first International Dark-sky sanctuary is here and the building is currently under construction. When finished it will be called the Gondwana Stars Observatory and will enable visitors to see the quality of the dark night skies without any threats due to its remote location.

The March of the Titanosaurs exhibition is in a purpose built room which is temperature controlled and displays a 54 metre long Snake Creek tracksite which was discovered on a property near Winton.

The tracksite was made when herds of sauropods roamed western Queensland, when the landscape was covered in temperate rainforests and muddy billabongs. The tour guide showed examples of footprints and other animal prints of a diverse ecosystem that included lungfish, small mammals, turtles, crocodiles, ornithopods and tiny therapods.

Outside was a life sized dinosaur with its young – something else to impress young and old alike!

There is much to see and do hee so my advice is spend the day, take a picnic and try not to cram everything in at once. We were lucky to be there in August when the weather is beautiful – and loved this sign ….

I have no doubt that we will return to this fascinating part of Outback Queensland, after all it is right on our doorstep!

View of the Jump Up from the road into Winton.

THE DINOSAUR TRAIL

On September 23, 2021 By alisonferryIn History, TravelLeave a comment

DISCOVERIES IN NORTH WEST QUEENSLAND – Richmond and Winton

Children the world over have all loved or been fascinated by Dinosaurs at some point in their childhood. With current Covid restrictions, we are limited as to where we can go but fortunately we live in Queensland, Australia and so it was a no brainer to have a little road trip and discover some of Australia’s dinosaur history.

Our first stop was in Richmond, a small outback town some 490 km from Townsville and with a population of around 648 people. Once part of the vast inland sea in pre-historic times it is best known for its marine fossil discoveries and is a service centre for the surrounding pastoral industries. A small, privately owned museum named Kronosaurus Korner was our main focus and is well worth a visit. Here you can step back in time and watch prehistoric creatures come to life. Most of the collection in the museum were donated by local graziers, often discovered whilst mustering cattle and working the land. These marine fossils from the Early Cretaceous period include the 100-115 million year old (Aptian–Albian) remains of marine reptiles, dinosaurs, pterosaurs, birds, fishes, crustaceans, cephalopods, gastropods, bivalves, echinoderms, plants and trace fossils.

It is worth watching the short movie before self guiding through the museum as everything is well explained and the visit is really enjoyable – our little folk loved it all and took great delight in telling us all about what happened millions of years ago!

Life sized models are outside the museum and are a real drawcard.

Richmond takes pride in it’s “tidy town” title and it is certainly that. We loved the wide streets and colourful bougainvillea down the centre as well as the public rubbish bins cleverly disguised as dinosaurs!

After a comfortable night at the Ammonite Motel and breakfast in a small ‘at home’ restaurant located in an old Queenslander, we hit the road to Winton.

As part of the great inland sea millions of years ago, it is awe inspiring to drive along the endless straight road framed with colours of the outback. The blue sky, red gravel road, various hues of green and gold of the grasses make a beautiful picture and sometimes it is possible to see stock casually roaming the vast land. Winton is 278 kms from Richmond which made for an easy drive. A small outback town, it is known as the birthplace of “Waltzing Matilda” as well as the Dinosaur capital of Australia and the birthplace of Qantas. The main street of the town is wide and well kept with an attractive garden down the centre strip and iconic images throughout.

To give us a sense of history in this town, we decided to stay at the North Gregory Hotel which has been hosting visitors since 1899. However over the years the hotel was destroyed by two fires and was finally rebuilt in 1955. This hotel is a true Aussie battler, surviving fires, drought, and hardship, and was affectionately named Queen of the Outback. It was here at the Gregory on April 6, 1895, that Australia’s unofficial national anthem, Waltzing Matilda, was played in public for the first time. During the 1920s, secret meetings took place at the hotel, as Winton locals met to form a small airline called QANTAS. The 36th president of the United States, Lyndon B. Johnson, stayed here when his plane was forced to land in the Outback during World War 2.

It was an easy walk to the Waltzing Matilda Centre which is the world’s first museum dedicated to a single song! Banjo Patterson wrote the words to the song and here we learned about his life as well as much, much more about the music. The children were fascinated to see Long Playing records as well as various types of players.

In keeping with the musical theme, we next visited the Musical Fence. This is the first permanent musical fence in the world and was designed by percussionist and composer Graeme Leak. It is a wire fence installation that can be played as a musical instrument and visitors of all ages are welcome to “have a bash” and create some music – and fun!

A small museum dedicated to dinosaurs is also on the main street and is worth a visit especially if you don’t get time to visit the new Australian Age of the Dinosaurs museum located just out of town. Here at the small museum life sized models of these pre historic creatures gives you a sense of the enormity of the living beings of the era.

Next it was time to visit the wonderful new museum “The Australian Age of the Dinosaurs” which is the subject of the next post.

RAVENSWOOD – A GHOST TOWN

On July 15, 2020July 15, 2020 By alisonferryIn Australia, History, TravelLeave a comment

It has been a few months since the last blog thanks to Covid 19 and all the restrictions placed on us. At the start of the year I imagined the travel side of this blog would be all about Iceland. Our trip was booked, the wedding planned and all was in place – until the Pandemic struck! So, we are biding our time and hopefully will be able to get to Iceland in the future.

Meantime we are exploring our own backyard and last weekend we did a little road trip to Ravenswood. This charming heritage listed township is 89 kilometres west of Charters Towers and was once a thriving gold mining town. There are lots of stories and history is at every turn you make. Apparently in 1868 whilst mustering cattle, a local pastoralist by the name of Marmaduke Curr stopped to have a drink of water from Elphinstone Creek and saw specks of gold at the bottom of his pannikin. The area quickly became part of the gold rush. IN the boom era there were over 50 pubs and a population of over 5000. Today it is a virtual ghost town with a population of around 255.

We set off on the 130 km drive from Townsville on an all bitumen road. Recent rains had turned the country into a palette of greens and small farms with Brahmin cattle are interspersed along the route. An hour and a half later we drove into the historic town.

It was quiet and the first stop we made was at the Miner’s cottage – on the right in the above picture. This was a brief history lesson for Bea – age 9 – who has not spent a lot of time in the bush and who was fascinated in the lives of the children at that time.

The last time I was here was years ago with my daughter’s school class and we visited the school at the time. Bea was intrigued to know it was a one teacher school, with all students from years 1 – 7 in the same room and taught by the same teacher! Then there were about 17 students in total.

The old cottage is original and displays how the miner and his family would have lived in the late 1800’s.

The kitchen was an eye opener, as was the bedroom. Seeing this made young Bea thankful for what she has at home!

Outside was the laundry and the outhouse – I had to marvel at the fortitude of the pioneers, both male and female, who sacrificed so much to live the dream of finding that large gold nugget. For many it was hardship and disappointment and for others there was success in measured amounts. This is related as well at the local cemetery where gravestones tell of mining and horse accidents, illness and child influenza. Pioneers came from all over the world in search of a new life and many descendants are still in the area.

The old London Mine built between 1903 and 1915 consists of a headframe with mullock heaps to the north and south. Today we can walk to the entrance and stare down and imagine the miners toiling in impossible circumstances years ago. There are old chimneys, rusting machinery and old shafts throughout the town making the journey an informative one, especially for eager young minds.

The quaint shops – no longer trading – show some of the merchandise that would have been available at the time. A fun thing to do is to pose for a photograph outside and imagine you are out for a Sunday stroll in the early part of the century, dressed in your Sunday best and carrying a parasol for the sun. Note the bag of money held by the male!

We had lunch at the historic Railway hotel where little has changed. There are some original fittings and furniture, the ceilings are pressed metal and there are large french doors opening onto the verandas at the side. It is possible to stay here and during the winter season it becomes quite busy with passing travellers keen to experience a night in the old town – along with ghosts and wildlife!

We had a delicious home cooked lunch here and wallowed in the feeling of yesteryear.

On the way home we stopped at the White Blow Environmental park which is about 4km from town along the road to Ayr. The large quartz outcrop is a prominent feature of the park and is about 15 metres in height with a diameter of 45 meters and is the largest of several masses of quartz in the area. The quartz is estimated to be about 300 million years old.

We took the road to Ayr which gave us spectacular views of the Leichhardt ranges and was devoid of any traffic. We did see wildlife, including this curious little fellow out for a munch of newly grown grass.

Ravenswood Roo

An easy day trip and a little bit different. Now to explore some more although the island calls this weekend!

KOBE – and a step back in time

On January 12, 2020January 12, 2020 By alisonferryIn History, TravelLeave a comment

6th OCTOBER 2019: Our next destination was Kobe, a city which opened as an international port in 1868. It is a beautiful location that stretches between mountains and the ocean. For me this has a personal connection. My grandparents were married here in 1914. My grandfather worked for Lever Brothers – now Unilever – and was sent to Japan in 1912 to open a soap factory for the company. Foreigners began working and settling in Kobe only forty years beforehand and the settlement was in its infancy. The area known as Kitano was where the foreigners built their homes, it was close to the port and on the slopes of Mt. Rokko. I was keen to see where my family lived and worked, especially as I have done a considerable amount of research on life in Kobe at that time.

Our train journey from Oita took about two hours to Osaka which is very close to Kobe. We had booked a hotel right on the water and close to the old foreign settlement. As it happened this was where the Rugby Fanzone was situated and so we were able to wander down to the area and see a match on the big screen, have a few drinks and enjoy the atmosphere and try to win prizes!

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This area is relatively new and the port has grown in recent years. In 1945 during World War 2 the main area of Kobe was destroyed by bombs but the Kitano area was saved as it was a foreign settlement. However, years later earthquakes devastated the city and many areas were affected – although once again, somehow Kitano escaped relatively unscathed.

The Port area – known as Harborland – is full of restaurants, shops and bars and we had no trouble finding a great place to eat as well as watching entertainment.

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Many of the restaurants had plastic images of the food on their menu – including one for children complete with an Australian flag! This is quite useful when language is a problem – just point to the dish you fancy.

We took a taxi up to Kitano which has now been designated under the “Important Preservation Districts for Groups of Traditional Buildings” act by the government. Immediately we could see the attraction the early foreigners saw – on a hill with cool breezes and a view. Several houses have been restored and are open to the public either as museums or restaurants and it is a lovely area to stroll around.

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Some of the streets are very narrow and steep and in the past would have had rickshaws as transport or maybe just two feet! This is where my grandparents had a house, which is sadly no more but the block is there with a remains of a building.

Close to Kitano is the Shin-Kobe Ropeway which is a ten minute cable car ride up Mt. Rokko. At the top is the Kobe Nunobiki Herb Garden which is one of Japan’s largest herb gardens with about 75,000 herbs and flower gardens with around 200 varieties plus a series of Glasshouses, fragrance museum and cafe and restaurant.

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It was a beautiful day and we had stunning panoramic views on all sides of the cabin. We could also see the western part of Osaka and the Seto Inland Sea. Passing over waterfalls and cultivated gardens, the ride was a surprise to say the least.

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At the top we found a European style building which was the Fragrance Museum and cafe and a pleasant outdoor seating area.

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After a cold drink and a wander around the museum and shop, we were advised to walk down to the mid station and along the way admire the herbs and gardens and the Glasshouses mid way. It was fascinating; the herbs were all grouped in various categories – the Potager (kitchen herbs) was lush and sweet smelling, as were all the herbs which are tended daily and made me wish I could do even half as good a job at growing!

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Then we reached the Glasshouses and another surprise awaited. This was a tropical paradise with masses of flowers, potted plants and a mini waterfall and stream in several greenhouses. It was totally magical and in one we came across what was to be my favourite of the whole exhibition – a beautiful statue of a Mother and Child, presented in 1993 by the Italian city of Terni to Kobe. The sculpture embodies the desire for eternal friendship and for love to be nurtured throughout the world.

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The lushness of the tropical garden complete with butterflies and birds made it hard to to tear ourselves away, there is so much to savour and enjoy.

In another section is an area representing the interior of a home – with a dining setting and bunches of dried herbs. Outside is a gorgeous terrace where we had a glass of wine before taking the cable car back to the bottom.

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This Ropeway and Gardens is definitely something every visitor to Kobe should do, it is surely one of the best places to be in Kobe. At night the views are apparently amazing with the sunset and then twinkling night lights of the city. We didn’t do it this time but if we ever return, that is on the Must Do list.

Our time in Kobe was short but sweet and once again, we felt that it warranted another trip to Japan – next time to visit the onsen at Arima which is close by. For now though we have lovely memories of this “City of Love” with strong feelings of family.

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HIROSHIMA and a call for PEACE

On January 10, 2020January 10, 2020 By alisonferryIn History, Travel2 Comments

OCTOBER 3RD 2019 : We decided to spend a night in Hiroshima on our way to Oita for another rugby game. It was a good decision. Hiroshima is far from depressing – it has new buildings and wide, leafy boulevards. The public bus system is easy to navigate and our first destination to visit was obviously the Peace Park. On 6th August 1945 Hiroshima became the target of the world’s first atomic bomb attack. The Peace Park is a reminder of that day and has many moving messages of Peace. I personally found the museum a bit confronting and could only take in so much sadness, however the Park itself is wonderful with lots of statues, memorials and the central feature, which is a long tree lined Pond of Peace leading to the cenotaph. This is a curved concrete monument holding the names of all the known victims of the bomb. The Flame of Peace at the pond is set to burn until all the world’s nuclear weapons are destroyed.
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Hiroshima-03 Just beyond the cenotaph is the Atomic Bomb Dome which is a very sobering sight.

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This building was built in 1915 by a Czech architect and was the Industrial Promotion Hall until the bomb exploded almost directly above it. Everyone was killed but the building was left standing and a decision was made after the war to leave the shell standing as a permanent memorial.

I loved the Children’s Peace Monument which was inspired by a little girl who was 2 years old at the time. When she developed leukaemia at the age of 11 she decided to fold 1000 paper cranes. In Japan the crane is a symbol of longevity and happiness and she believed that if she achieved her target she would recover. Sadly she died before she reached her goal but her classmates folded the rest. The monument was built in 1958 and her story inspired a nationwide spate of paper cranes which continues to this day – we were given some on arrival in Sapporo for example. Surrounding this monument are strings of literally thousands of colourful paper cranes sent by children all over the world as well as Japan.

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We walked all over the park and enjoyed the serenity of it all as well as the monuments which are artistic in their own way and very meaningful.

Later we walked to Hiroshima Castle which was originally constructed in 1589 but was totally destroyed by the bomb. It was rebuilt in 1958 and is now a museum. The Castle is surrounded by a moat which is full of carp – and weeds – and is impressive. We climbed up to the 5th floor – looking at the historical artefacts on each floor which didn’t have much explanation in English, so again imagination came to play – and we had a wonderful view of the city and surrounding park.

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Strolling through the Park we came across a Shinto Temple and a wedding party had just arrived. It was a thrill to see the traditional dress. The bride in a Shinto gown and the groom in a dark coloured costume which involved a skirt. This prompted a google search on Shinto weddings!

We enjoyed this cosmopolitan city and the covered shopping malls but most of all we came away with a deeper understanding of the dreadful nuclear event of 1945 and the ramifications it has had for generations afterwards.

SHIRAKAWAGO AND TAKAYAMA

On October 27, 2019 By alisonferryIn TravelLeave a comment

If you would like to step back in time and experience life in rural Japan a century or more ago – then a visit to Shirakawago is the answer. We took a bus from Kanazawa to the World Heritage listed village which was a journey of about an hour and a half. The village is located in the Gifu Prefecture and has a population of just over a thousand people. It is a mountain village with steep forests which drop into the Sho River. A number of tunnels have been built in recent years which makes it easier to reach the village from Kanazawa, Takayama and Gifu.

The village is known primarily for its traditional houses built in the Gassho style. Some of these are more than 250 years old.

These houses are built to withstand heavy snow but are also susceptible to fire at any time of year due to the wooden structure and thatched roofing. They are characterised by the large, steep thatch roof which resembles hands folded in prayer. Today the residents are farmers and rice fields are throughout the village. During our village the farmers were harvesting the rice.

It was amusing to see traditional scarecrows in place – which obviously have some effect.

It is easy to stroll around the village which has a very peaceful air – unhurried and with very little traffic.

It seems to be a village of harmony which welcomes visitors yet maintains a traditional way of life.

From there we hopped onto a local bus to the city of Takayama – about 50 minutes away. The population here is around 88,000 but again it is easy to walk around, especially in the traditional area which is part of the Hida province.

Several streets with old houses which now house many restaurants and craft shops lie parallel to the Main Street of the town. Craft here is mainly carpentry, lacquerware, pottery and the charm dolls known as Sarubobos. These are traditionally passed from grandmothers to grandchildren and mothers to daughters and are now sold as souvenirs. The local foods are mountain vegetables, beef, soba, ramen and sake.The Sakurayama Hachimangu Shrine is right in the middle of the town and is a 5th century shrine which is visited by more than 1,500,000 people annually. In 1683 it was officially established for the protection of the town. It is truly an awesome place to visit and a tree in front of the shrine is said to be 1200 years old.

There are many other attractions to visit in Takayama including hikes, a Ropeway, back country skiing, Markets and visits to the Hida Folk Museum. Unfortunately we didn’t have time to do it all, so we will just have to return!

HONG KONG – AND A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE

On September 17, 2019September 17, 2019 By alisonferryIn History, TravelLeave a comment

Hong Kong isn’t just all about shopping and crowds. It is easy to get away from all of that and find some relatively quiet places whether by the beach or in the hills. This trip I wanted to do just that and revisit places I knew well as a child. Things have changed, of course, but some things remain the same and then the memories come flooding back.

Far from the madding crowd and mayhem in the city below is a beautiful walk around the top of the Peak. This is where we lived and today it is exactly as it was – quiet, peaceful and leafy. It is much cooler than in the city and the views are stunning – but different to our day as the construction of multi storey buildings has filled the landscape below and the vista to the islands beyond is now hazy due to pollution.

9F2B496F-4223-482C-A682-8389FE87EBBA — A view from above

The Star Ferry has been crossing the harbour for decades and is, to my mind, the best way to go from one side to the other. The trip takes no more than ten minutes and is a pleasant way to travel. We did this so often as children – there were no cross harbour tunnels or MTR trains in those days. A vehicular ferry was available to take cars and passengers and on weekends we would often “drive” to Castle Peak or the New Territories and part of the excitement of the day was taking the car ferry!

Kowloon today is so different from the island – it is a mixture of crowds, smells, hustle and bustle, jewellers, hawkers selling copy watches or handbags, tourists galore and shop after shop. In spite of all this it was lovely to see a couple of colonial buildings preserved and now used as hotels or for retail.

The Peninsula Hotel was another favourite and although the decor has changed, the lobby is still magnificent and the staircase – which featured in every Ball or formal event – is the same.

Towering skyscrapers dominate the waterfront and reclaimed land is making the harbour even smaller – however, I could still find the old Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club which seems to be dwarfed these days.

A bus ride to Stanley is always a great outing. This little village was a quiet residential area with a small beach and good swimming. There was also a market where we bought Christmas gifts and local wares. Today it is a really pleasant place to stroll along the waterfront, visit one of a number of cafes or restaurants and, of course, wander through the market. There is a lot of history here as a Prisoner of War Camp was located in the village during the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong during the Second World War.

Blake’s Pier, which used to be in the city and where we met to go out on launch picnics, has been relocated here and is used by many pleasure boats each weekend.

The beautiful little temple of Tin Hau, the Goddess of the Sea, features very much in the lives of local residents here. On entering the temple the smell of joss sticks and the smoke wallowing all around is almost overwhelming. There is a row of gods and goddesses on each side of Tin Hau and they seem to be watching you. To see the locals pay their respects and bow and pray is humbling and it is obvious that their beliefs are very strong.

And finally there is the food – a plethora of choices, any number of cuisines but always present are noodles – oodles of noodles and it is fascinating to watch them being made!

ON THE ROAD WITH MORE VINES AND OLIVES

On May 31, 2019 By alisonferryIn TravelLeave a comment

The Road Trip continues with over 14,000kms clocked up so far, we are feeling a little weary but still eager to discover and revisit places in South Australia. Heritage towns definitely appeal and so we stopped at Burra – a small pastoral town in the mid north. It began as a mining township in 1851 and at one time supplied 5% of the world’s copper for 15 years. People came from Cornwall, Wales, Scotland and Germany to work in the mines which closed in 1981. It is a beautifully preserved town and it is here that the Burra Charter was adopted – this outlines the best practice standard for cultural heritage in Australia.

Beautiful autumn colours are everywhere.

The parks and gardens are relaxing and well maintained and tiny old miners’ cottages surround the lake in the middle of town.

As we drove on the farming practices changed from wheat and sheep to vines and olives. Beautiful trees line the highway and it is hard to believe this is the main thoroughfare to the city of Adelaide.

Another pretty little town is Myponga – a very strange name and not easily forgotten! Here we have a friend who grows olives and makes the most delicious olive oil and it is always a treat to visit.

This time we had a picnic by the newly named Lake John – in memory of an old friend who loved this farm and is no longer with us.

Delicious fare of cold chicken, salads, cheeses and, of course, olives!

Not far from Myponga is the attractive little town of Victor Harbour which is on the coast and where, from the waterfront, horse drawn trams cross the causeway to Granite Island, home to a wild penguin colony.

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The beach is covered in seaweed at this time of year – perhaps another gourmet experience if it could be harvested and marketed for our palates!

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However, the parks and beaches are wonderful for recreation and relaxation.

It was time to start heading north again and this time we drove along the Murray River seeing the views from the cliffs rather than on the water as we had done in a houseboat three years ago.

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When it came time for a break we stopped at the river’s edge for a picnic and enjoyed the peace of the river and the birds.

As we came closer to the New South Wales border, once again vines appeared and there were acres and acres of them as well as orchards and fruit processing plants.

This area is home to the Murrumbidgee river, a major tributary of the Murray River and the second longest in Australia. We found another quiet spot for a break here.

Now we are on the last leg of our trip and home beckons – but we have more than 1,350kms to go!

THE OYSTER TRAIL AND PORT LINCOLN

On May 24, 2019May 24, 2019 By alisonferryIn TravelLeave a comment

Ceduna is the first major town at the end of the Nullarbor and its pristine waters produce excellent oysters and other quality seafood. It is also the start of the Oyster Drive which goes south to Port Lincoln and up the coast to Cowell. We endeavoured to taste the oysters – which all taste very different – at each place!

First stop was Thevenard -four kilometres from Ceduna – where we found a little shack shucking fresh oysters for $12 dozen – so with a couple of dozen in the car we headed for a spot by the ocean to indulge. They were good – very good!

Next it was off to Smoky Bay, a small settlement where the oysters are also excellent but of a different taste altogether.

Streaky Bay was our overnight stop and here we witnessed one of the most beautiful, calm sunsets we have seen yet. We walked along the jetty whee the locals were trying their luck fishing and the pelicans were ever hopeful!

As the sun set and the shadows deepened the reflections became more dramatic.

Of course, more oysters were on the menu along with King George Whiting and Blue Swimmer Crab.

Next morning more beautiful coastal scenery awaited us at Sceale Bay which is a tiny community and is known for fishing and holiday recreations. The permanent population is 40 and that can triple in holiday periods;

Coffin Bay is renowned for oysters and on the drive to our favourite restaurant there – 1802 Restaurant – we came across Murphy’s Haystacks which just appears out of nowhere on the landscape. This 1500 million year old geological wonder is one of the most visited locations on the Eyre Peninsula and is actually on private property. The unique form of pillars and boulders dates back 100,000 years and are ancient wind worn inselbergs.

They were buried by calcareous dunes about 30,000 years ago and subsequent erosion has revealed the pink granite forms standing on the hilltop today.

The local legend is that coach driver Charlie Mudge named Murphy’s Haystacks following a remark by a Scottish agricultural advisor who saw the landmark in the distance whilst travelling on the mail coach. Shimmering like haystacks in the hot afternoon sun, he was very impressed with the sight and remarked “that man must harrow, look at all the hay he has saved!”

At Venus Bay we went to the Needle Eye Lookout for amazing views of towering rugged cliffs and beautiful beaches as well as pounding, rolling surf.

Here we spotted a pod of dolphins frolicking and playing in the surf. An artist has carved his work on the granite rocks at the top of the cliff reminding everyone that this is tuna fishing territory.

More oysters awaited at Coffin Bay – and I have to admit that these are my favourite. Not too large and salty, they are delicious and can be prepared in a variety of ways.

Followed by raw tuna Asian style

This place is an absolute must for anyone travelling along the Eyre Peninsula. The town is sleepy but swells in holiday periods. Lots of pelicans keep you company!

Port Lincoln was our final stop for the day. This is a seafood lovers paradise with, it is said, the cleanest, freshest and most sought after seafood in the world. Prized for its superb quality in sushi and sashimi, the majority of the southern bluefin tuna is exported to Japan with some available locally. We decided to take a boat trip in Boston Bay to view the tuna and kingfish farms – now a multi million dollar business for the town. The Marina is busy with fishing boats coming and going, some to catch sardines to feed the tuna in the farms, others to catch prawns and other fish.

The farms are situated in the bay and the tuna are grown there before being caught and exported once they reach the required size.

Seabirds know when it is feeding time!

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Mussels are also grown out here and are serviced daily by the fishermen.

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We took a little detour to an island where there is an enormous number of seabirds living alongside seals lots of seals many of which were having a roll about in the water.