The Road is Straight – Mt. Isa to Katherine

On April 6, 2019April 6, 2019 By alisonferryIn History, TravelLeave a comment

Two days of roads like this – we are now in Katherine in the Northern Territory and I am more in awe than ever of the Road Train drivers. The distances are immense and the landscape from Mt. Isa to Katherine rarely changes. Just flat nothing and occasionally a few trees or scrub. Some of the roads are unfenced which means cattle wander across at night and often get hit by a vehicle so dead animals line the side of the road, particularly from Tennant Creek to Katherine.

The border is just after Camooweal where we stopped for a quick coffee at the roadhouse and I met Skippy…….

We decided to stay the night at Three Ways Roadhouse which meant we covered over 700km that day and this was a good choice. We had a comfortable motel style room with air conditioning – essential as it was stinking hot and the flies were unbearable! One plus was the sunset – it was simply amazing and became more vivid as the minutes ticked by.

Dinner at the Roadhouse Bar was interesting meeting locals and a couple of truck drivers. We were convinced we had made the right decision to stay here after numerous stories about Tennant Creek and the problems with crime which is rampant at the moment.

We set off bright and early and came across quite a few cattle grazing quietly. I just had to stop at a waterhole and capture a young calf having a drink.

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Then it was on to Katherine but not without a stop at the iconic Daly Waters Pub.

This has to be seen to be believed. The bar is draped with hundreds of bras in every size and colour. The legend is that a coach driver had a bet with his female passengers and they decided to leave their mark – and the tradition has apparently continued! The walls are lined with mementoes and outside the bark shed hang thousands of thongs!

This area is famous for locals with attitude and many stories to tell. Recently the country has been fascinated about the disappearance of a well liked local in Larrimah, just up the road from Daly Waters. No body has been found, neither has his dog and lots of theories abound but so far no one has been charged with anything. It seems this mystery will go on. A popular Podcast throws light on the story and it seems people are still talking about Paddy and are still looking for him. Of course, we had to stop and investigate for ourselves!

With that story firmly in our minds we drove on to Mataranka where the thermal Pool in the National Park is a constant 34C and flows from Rainbow Springs at an amazing 30.5million litres a day.

Mataranka is known as the “Capital of the Never Never” and was home to Aeneas and Jeannie Gunn at the turn of the century. Jeannie wrote the book “We of the Never Never” which has become a classic and a film was made in 1981. A replica of the homestead was made for the film and stands in the park today as a little museum. I was fascinated by the history and constantly wonder how women coped with the hardships of the day dressed in all the flowing skirts and long sleeves which were expected of “ladies” . I complained about the heat and flies today and I was wearing much lighter clothing. It kind of puts things into perspective somewhat!

So now we are here in Katherine and tomorrow will visit the famous Nitmiluk Gorge. There is a rich indigenous and pioneer history here so a visit to the cultural centre is planned as well as the art gallery. First of all tonight we will see what dinner awaits – crocodile steaks perhaps?

On The Road Again -Townsville to Mt Isa

On April 4, 2019April 4, 2019 By alisonferryIn History, TravelLeave a comment

It has been two days of discovery. The 904 km drive took us through the charming town of Charters Towers with its many historical buildings and on to Hughenden where we visited the Fossil and Dinosaur Museum and were introduced to the world of dinosaurs and palaeontologists. The huge reconstruction of the Muttaburrasaurus takes pride of place in the gallery along with smaller replicas of flying creatures, underwater dinosaurs and lots of ammonites.

Next stop was Richmond where we called into the Kronosaurus Korner which is reputed to be Australia’s premier marine fossil museum. This is an unforgettable prehistoric adventure and a very realistic movie showed us how the great inland sea which covered this area 100 million years ago has left behind an intriguing story of the creatures of the Earth’s Evolution. I have to say this was a surprise in this tiny outback town and whereas I am not overjoyed with looking at a large number of rocks, the whole story was presented in such a wonderful way that I left totally converted and feeling so intrigued about all this prehistoric history that I pondered about it for the rest of the day!

The drive to Julia Creek was uninteresting – flat, open country with few trees and very straight roads. Now I understand why – this was an inland sea!

We have come across a couple of hundred Road Trains over the past two days, all heading for Townsville and the port and carrying massive loads of copper and iron ore. I am in total awe of the drivers of these huge vehicles and spent quite some time chatting to a young man who spends his time driving from Townsville to Darwin and back. This is his truck – and the bullbar was taller than I am!

We spent the night in Julia Creek which is such a quiet little town totally inhabited by millions of bushflies. They are horrendous. We walked to the pub where we decided to have a meal. The place was buzzing, not with flies but mostly with workers all dressed in their Hi-Viz shirts and enjoying a beer after a hard day repairing both the roads and the railway lines after the floods.

Leaving Julia Creek and heading for Cloncurry the landscape changed – gently rolling hills and granite outcrops, massive gum trees overlooking creeks and riverbeds and lush feed for the cattle everywhere. More discoveries awaited us. The Mary Kathleen Uranium Mine was located near here and is now closed but a very well presented museum tells the story and there is a wonderful display of gemstones. Here we also found out a lot more about the ill fated Burke and Wills, found some fascinating history about the Pioneers of the area and learned that Cloncurry is the birthplace of the Royal Flying Doctor Service. This fabulous little museum tells about the history of outback aviation, medicine and radio as well as the School of the Air.

All this information was almost to overload level and so I decided to have a little break and wandered over to the garden where the Rest Rooms are located. Imagine my surprise to see this:

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Once inside I found this:

This is life in the Outback !

And now here we are in the mining town of Mt Isa – tomorrow we are crossing into the Northern Territory and I am sure more surprises await. Stay tuned!

A ROAD TRIP – THEN AND NOW

On March 30, 2019March 30, 2019 By alisonferryIn Travel1 Comment

It has been almost three years since I wrote a blog – time has intervened in lots of ways and in spite of all my good intentions, the blog suffered even though we have made several wonderful trips since then. Intentions have been renewed and as we are about to embark on a huge road trip, I started to reflect on a similar one I made way back in 1969 – dare I say it “50 years ago”.

We will leave next week to drive to Darwin via Mt. Isa and then to Kakadu and on to the Kimberleys and the North West staying in places such as Lake Argyle, Derby, El Questro, Karijini National Park and down the coast to Perth, on to Albany and Esperance in the south west and then across the 1200 kms of the Nullarbor to South Australia, Adelaide and finally homeward bound through the bush. All this is anticipated to take about 7 weeks and quite a lot of forward planning has taken place.

In 1969, newly arrived from the UK, I was invited to make a trip from Perth to Darwin and down to Alice Springs and Ayers Rock. Of course I jumped at the chance, little knowing the hazards or what to expect. I had never even been in the bush before! I set off with a friend in an old Holden Panel Van with a roof rack on top holding gerry cans of fuel as well as our suitcases and water, our mattresses in the back along with food supplies and a stove. The road to Geraldton – some 400km – was sealed but the rest – all 11,300 km (or 7000 miles) was gravel or just plain red dirt. There were no fuel stops along the way after Geraldton. I never paused to think about breakdowns or wrecked tyres……….

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The first time we needed to refuel I was told to get up on the roof, attach the hose to the gerry can and siphon the fuel down to the petrol tank. Of course, I had never done this before and the result was a mouthful of fuel at the first attempt!

We drove many kilometres and stayed in remote bush clearings or on the coast and from time to time stayed on stations such as Fossil Downs, Frazier Downs and others near Derby and in the Gulf. These were owned by friends of my friend and so I was lucky enough to experience life on huge stations – some larger than small countries in Europe. It was all mind boggling for a young 22 year old fresh from London and working for a film company.

Staying near Broome we visited the town often and got to know several locals. I was fascinated by the story of the Japanese pearl divers and the influx of Asians all of whom seemed familiar to me after growing up in the Far East. The children especially charmed me and we visited several schools and Missions all along the coast.

We had lots of adventures, staked a couple of tyres on lonely outback roads, met some fascinating people from the bush, learned a lot about Aboriginal folklore and The Dreamtime, appreciated the beauty of the rugged coastline and witnessed the birth of Kununurra and the Ord River project. All these memories are imprinted on my mind and I wonder what I will feel revisiting some of these places.

When we arrived in Darwin we decided to go on to Alice Springs and Ayers Rock. Tourists were not nearly as numerous then and at times we felt we had the place to ourselves. The Resort was yet to be built and roads were very basic. Back in Darwin we couldn’t face the long drive back so bought a couple of berths on the State Shipping Service ocean trader plying between Perth and Darwin

The ship was called the Koojarra and we spent ten days relaxing on the high seas with our trusty van in the hold! Calling in at various ports en route, we were able to go ashore and explore more of the coastal towns we had driven through just weeks before.

Koojarra

Now it is time to explore once again – but in a little more comfort this time and with many more facilities along the route including “glamping tents” and caravan parks.

HONG KONG REMEMBERED

On April 4, 2016January 9, 2018 By alisonferryIn Travel, UncategorizedLeave a comment

We were in Hong Kong for a trip down “Memory lane” – unfortunately there is little today to remind one of Colonial days. Beautiful old buildings have been torn down and replaced with monstrosities and the whole feeling of the city as changed. It is frenetic, very crowded and quite soulless. I am so sad and very disappointed – they say it is progress but I totally disagree.

To recap, we spent four days in Singapore first. I remember this place as a stopping off point en route to and from England during our leave. We had friends we stayed with and we have visited several times since. Although the city has been modernised, the beautiful old colonial buildings have been restored and put to good use – for example the old Post Office which is now the Fullerton Hotel. There is a sense of history and heritage everywhere and I find it charming and a relief. Everyone is friendly, English is widely spoken and public transport is clean, efficient and very frequent.

Museum of Singapore – a colonial building which is charming

Raffles Hotel is a prime example of heritage and we made our obligatory visit for curry tiffin and a Singapore Sling!

Then we arrived in Hong Kong. To say the place has changed since 1997 is an understatement and few places are recognisable now. For old time’s sake we decided to go up the Peak where we lived for several years. The Peak Tram was the favourite form of transport then – now it is just a tourist operation and I was appalled to see the queue for the tram was 2 1/2 hours long! Obviously we weren’t going to wait that long, so we took a taxi to the top and walked around Lugard Road – where one of our homes used to be. I remember the view was stunning. A myriad of fairy lights at night, boats criss crossing the harbour, lights twinkling in Kowloon and during the day the hills of Kowloon Peak and the sprawling area of Kowloon and the New Territories shimmered in the sunlight.

The view is still stunning, although much of it is marred by jungle growth these days (a good thing one would think looking at the urban jungle below).

Vieew from Lugard Road c.1959 — View in the late 1950’s

There had been so much reclamation lately that soon the harbour will scarcely exist! Where once we took a vehicular ferry, a sampan or a ‘walla walla’ to cross to the other side, now there are tunnels and the Star Ferry – thankfully it hasn’t changed – takes half the time!

Public transport is excellent. The MTR rail is clean, efficient, modern and very frequent – just try avoiding the rush hours! We made that mistake and were literally pushed into the train on one occasion. The trams and buses are also excellent and the taxis plentiful and cheap. One problem with taxis – it seems many drivers do not speak English, so if you go take a translation of where you want to go and where you have to return to.

A visit to Stanley Village was on the cards. This was a favourite weekend destination and it seems it still is. Now somewhat touristy, the markets are still there and there are heaps of waterfront restaurants now. Blake’s Pier, which used to be in Central and from where we would catch launches for picnics, has been relocated to Stanley to make way for more construction in Central. It looks somewhat lonely in the bay but I am glad it has not lost its character.

Something we never did in the past was go into China for the day. Now it is possible to go to Shenzhen for a shopping day and it is easy on the MTR. Visas are issued on arrival and the you are free to explore the Mall and the myriad of shops around the square. There is so much on offer that I became quite overwhelmed and came away with very little except experience!

We walked around a small part of the town, came across the station and wondered how one found one’s way without knowledge of Chinese characters.

The shopping mall is clean and bright and the shop keepers all tout for business. The day we were there was quiet – weekends and holidays are manic apparently. Nevertheless it was a tiring day both mentally and visually.

Finally the birthday treat – a wonderful high tea at the Peninsula Hotel – again unspoilt and very like the past. Fantastic service, beautiful presentation and an altogether fabulous afternoon.

I doubt we will visit Hong Kong again as I want to remember the place as it was – unhurried, fascinating, historical and beautiful. Happy, smiling people and a blend of all nations. These last two photos are a reminder of the past which will never be recovered.

21-03-2008 12-35-22 PM_0144 — In the New Territories, no longer farms but a concrete jungle

K20D3330 — The calm of junks in a bay on one of the many islands around Hong Kong – a favourite weekend retreat for us.

Reflections on Magnetic Island and Times Past

On February 20, 2015 By alisonferryIn Genealogy, History, TravelLeave a comment

Magnetic Island is a jewel in North Queensland’s crown and I look forward to each weekend when we can take the ferry across the bay and completely relax in our little paradise.

Last weekend I started to think more about the first white settlers who came to the island. We were walking along the shady path by the beach at Picnic Bay, which in itself is worth a visit. The old banyan fig trees that line the shore are fascinating with huge aerial roots and plenty of climbing opportunities for children who can let their imaginations run wild. There have been plenty of stories of goblins and fairies, dragons and monsters lurking deep in the twisted branches and all the while the cockatoos screech and play above looking for seed pods.

At the end of the walk there is a plaque remembering the life of the first known white settler. Harry Butler came to the island in 1876 after emigrating from Lancashire in northern England in 1867. My own family ancestors were also from Lancashire and at that time the county was important for it’s cotton mills and the industry arising from cotton. The countryside was beautiful and there were small villages and farms where people lived either from farming or spinning and weaving, which was done at home. They would send their bolts of cloth to the mill or factory via canal boat and canals criss-crossed the county with longboats providing much needed transport for coal and produce. The cities were grimy and crowded and living conditions harsh. I wondered about Harry Butler bringing his family across the oceans to the unknown and then choosing to settle on a small island off the mainland where there was nothing except opportunity.

Life would have been tough. A passenger, William Westacott, on a quarantined vessel Sir William Wallace noted in his diary on 3^rd October 1878 : ‘there is a hut and a man, his wife and six children and two brothers beside…..they have a fine garden….sweet potato, pineapples and corn …a lot of fowls, ducks and a dog.’ I tried to imagine Elizabeth Butler working in her garden in long skirts and heavy shoes in the heat and humidity of the tropical summer. Her English roses complexion would have suffered under the harsh sun in spite of large hats which were always worn. How different it must have seemed to them after Lancashire. Perhaps they thought it was their own little paradise.

The family planted an orchard and built another hut made from coral blocks and began to cater for people who came across from the mainland for picnics. Eventually they built thatched cottages so people could stay overnight and then, recognising the demand, they ran their own boat service to Picnic Bay from the mainland and built a temporary wooden jetty.

Thus began the first tourism venture on the island.

Everything Australian on Australia Day

On January 28, 2015January 28, 2015 By alisonferryIn Uncategorized4 Comments

Last weekend the whole country had a long weekend. Monday 26th January was Australia Day and that gave the population a signal to “celebrate” . There were sporting events and barbecues, welcoming and remembrance ceremonies, favourite Aussie icons and moments were recalled and music by Australian bands and singers was played throughout the day.

I have now come to look forward to this special day. We were on Magnetic island and invited to a BBQ lunch. Guests were obliged to wear something iconic such as thongs, board shorts, T shirts, Jacky Howe singlets, caps, hats, anything with a flag on it – and one guest even came in a bikini made from flag material!

Of course there were decorations everywhere including on the tables, where the good old crocodile provided a centrepiece accompanied by a snake!

Food plays an important part of the day and typical Aussie fare, such as pies, sausage rolls, cheese and vegemite rolls, prawns and barbecues with lamb, steak and/or sausages are on every menu. This is usually followed by desserts which include lamingtons, cup cakes, pavlovas and tropical fruit and trifles.

Having been well fed, we then launched into a Trivia Quiz game where all the questions were, of course, Australian. This stretched the mind a little with questions such as “Which former Prime Minister once managed a band called “The Ramrods”? How on earth was I was expected to know that? The answer – Paul Keating. For anyone interested in politics, this would be the most unlikely person to ever be involved in rock music. So, you live and learn!

Everyone knows Kylie Minogue but apart from her popularity in the music world, it was her Hotpants that brought such an impact to Australian culture. Favourite icons are Holden cars, Speedo swimsuits, Four XXXX Beer, Vegemite, Elle Macpherson and Miranda Kerr, Waltzing Matilda, Surfing, the Akubra Hat, Qantas, the Koala and the Kangaroo. The list goes on and on.

However, what puzzled me when I first arrived in this country was the language. I spent some time in the early years travelling through and living in the Outback. This would be the most difficult place to start to comprehend the locals. I remember one day driving along a bush road and stopping to talk to a Drover who was sitting on the biggest horse I had ever seen. He asked me a question and I had to turn to my companion and ask what language he was speaking. I did not understand one word. He then told me he was once “so hungry he could eat the arse out of a low flying duck”. I was totally perplexed. He then said he had to “hit the Frog and Toad” (road) and galloped off.

Gradually I began to learn many Aussie sayings: words such as “Joe Blake” for snake, “noah” for sharks, “lizards” for crocodiles and “Japanese riding boots” for thongs are casually mentioned in conversations on a daily basis. I even find myself calling a chicken “a chook” these days.

Rhyming slang is another Aussie favourite. Phrases such as “Pass me the dead horse” (Pass the sauce) or “I’ll go and have a Captain Cook” (I’ll go and have a look) “Give me the Jack and Jill” (Give me the bill) and “on the Al Capone” (on the phone) are often heard in the bush.

It doesn’t take long, eventually you become absorbed in this totally fascinating country and its culture. Then you can call yourself “An Australian’

Hooroo!

Random Thoughts on a Journey

On January 19, 2015January 19, 2015 By alisonferryIn Africa, Travel10 Comments

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Journey.”

One of my favourite quotes is by the well known travel writer, Paul Theroux – “Tourists don’t know where they’ve been, travellers don’t know where they are going” It’s all about the journey whether that be in the travel sense or in life. There are times when I sit and ponder on where life is taking me and I wonder at the turn of events. They say that everything happens for a reason but many times we don’t know why. I have had cause to seriously question fate and the lessons we have to learn.

Let me begin by saying I have been a traveller since a very young age. Travelling the world has been part of my life since the age of 2 years and travelling through the vagaries of life is always there, in all of us. Life is a journey.

Not long ago I embarked on another journey with my husband – to Africa. It is often said that Africa weaves its way into your soul like nowhere else on earth. It is certainly true for us and we have visited the continent several times in the past decade. We loved it. I use the past tense because now I am not sure if we will ever return.

Our wonderful holiday turned into a nightmare which grew worse day by day until fate decided that maybe we had endured enough and it was time to go home. Today I am sitting at my desk looking at a calm and sparkling sea. The sky is clear and blue. Everything is calm and serene and I know I am lucky to be living in this peaceful part of the world far from recent events which have terrorised Europe and the world. However, I cannot think of Africa in such light again and now know that we were meant to be on that particular journey for a reason – which I have yet to figure out.

Life, Music, Memories

On January 16, 2015 By alisonferryIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

It’s strange how music can bring alive so many long buried memories. The haunting music “Dream of Olwyn” fills my study as I am remembering just why this piece means so much to me. I was in my twenties and living in an idyllic village in the depths of the English countryside. You can picture it with thatched roofed cottages, winding lanes, quaint little shop fronts, a village pond where ducks, well fed by local children, float serenely, and an ancient village church dating from Norman times is the focal point of the community. In essence this is chocolate box scenery and it actually exists. The music reminds me of a very close friend who passed away several years later, in the prime of his life.

Likewise tracks from singer Kathleen Ferrier or pianist Charlie Kunz, recordings of popular musicals or jazz from the American Greats bring back vivid memories of my parents when they were young. Music was always playing on the LP record player, styluses had to be changed and records carefully cleaned to ensure no scratch marks would interfere with the quality of the recording. I grew up loving all genres and to this day music is a constant in my life.

During the Swinging Sixties, when I lived in London and was part of that hedonistic society; mini skirts were the height of fashion, Twiggy with her huge black eyes, short hair and even shorter skirts defined all that was modern, Mary Quant was a favourite designer, and model Jean Shrimpton was the “face of the sixties. Popular music came over Pirate radio stations such as Radio Caroline and the pop stars of the time were The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, Freddie and The Dreamers and The Who. Today I am transported back to those times whenever I hear a track from those artists and it reminds me of the carefree and unrestricted life that we all led.

That brings me to thoughts of my parents and the profound wish that they were alive today so I could tell them how much I loved them and share the joys and tribulations that life has brought me in the years since they have gone. Fortunately they loved to keep memorabilia and I have well documented photo albums, books, letters, cards, diaries and even cassette tapes which we used to send instead of writing letters at one point. This keeps many memories alive and I am attempting to document their lives so that my grandchildren will know more about their ancestors and about life before, during and after the Second World War.

I was inspired by the post Life Slips Away which expresses so well the feelings that I have on the subject of Death and Dying. I have realised that as I have reached different stages in my life, my priorities have changed and what was important then is no longer of any consequence now. It is a journey we all take and the realisation that life is precious and should be lived to the full without regrets is something we should hopefully all come to terms with in the end.

“It is good to have an end to journey towards, but it is the journey that matters in the end” Ursula E Guin