Images of Byron Bay

Queensland

We turned east at Three Way and headed for the civilisation of Queensland.  We were sad to cut short the Northern Territory section of our trip but the brewing rain and our desire to check out the east coast meant it best to return another time. 

Queensland has been great. The highlights of our first stint here have been:

• Getting to grips with mining in Mt Isa
• Catching up with family in Dalby
• Swimming and walking in perfect weather in Noosa
• A day trip to the Irwin's Australia Zoo
• A day trip in a 4wd through Fraser island.

Goodbye to the 50m roadtrains

Mt Isa - city on a mine

Walking in the Bunya mountains with Aunty Shirley

Noosa main beach

Sunshine beach Noosa

Australia Zoo

Rainbow beach

Lake Mackenzie, Fraser Island

Alice Springs

We spent a really good week in Alice.  Geographically, it sits in the middle of the country but it also plays a central role in much of the history of explorers, transport and communications. The main highlights of our trip were:

• The Desert Park showcasing different desert environments, reptiles, birds and mammals
• Sleeping under the southern cross in our swags in Ormiston gorge
• Checking out all the spectacular spots along the Macdonnell ranges
• Cycling to the Alice Springs Telegraph station
• Checking out the Cultural precinct including the Araleun gallery and the Aviation history of the town
• A great cafe in Todd mall

Royal Flying Doctors Service

Thorny devil!

Simpson's gap

Stanley's Chasm

Ellery Creek big hole

Kipping down in our swags - Ormiston gorge

Ormiston gorge

Ormiston gorge

Cooling off in Ormiston Gorge

Devil's Marbles

The Red Centre

We did three good day walks in three days in the red centre:

• The Uluru base walk around the circumfrence of the great rock.
• The Valley of the Winds walk in the Olgas.
• The Kings Canyon circuit walk. 

We had a fair bit of rain around which meant more pleasurable walking conditions and an unexpected set of pictures.  Well worth a 700km detour!

 

The Olgas

 

The view point on the Olgas

 

Uluru in the rain

 

Waterhole on the Uluru base walk

 

Walking on the rock - Uluru

 

Uluru base walk

 

Uluru base walk

 

Goulds goanna

Gabrielle - Kings Canyon



Kings Canyon



Coober Pedy

Strange place Coober Pedy - a bit of the wild west in it.  It's an opal mining town where a lot of people come for a short time but they find opals, grow beards and never leave.  If it wasn't for Coober Pedy there would be nothing here - except maybe an extension of one of the regions whopping cattle station.  Instead, the landscape is dotted with mounds like a whole lot of human sized rabbits have dug burrows here - and they have in the search to strike it big with a haul of opals.  The majority of the houses and hotels are built into mounds of sandstone - a nice way to avoid 40 degree days.

Night storm brewing

View of the town with everything built into the mounds of sandstone

Serbian church

"Blower" truck used to suck out waste from the mine

Mounts (tailings) from opal mining accross the plains



The Breakaways