The Gawler Ranges National Park

Today, I’d like to take you with me to the Gawler Ranges.
Not many Australians have been there, which is understandable, because the nearest city of substance (Adelaide) is a good 600 kilometres away..
The first time we came there was when we were on our way to Western Australia, to go to the Gunbarrel Highway. It was one of those (very rare) wet days there, and we were lucky not to get stuck for some days.. To give you an idea, just look at the first couple of photos of of our webpages that are dedicated to the Gawler Ranges..
Then, two years later, we decided, again, to go to WA, and again the Gawler Ranges were en route.. This time, the weather was more favourable for us.
The National Park has a lot to offer: aboriginal history, more recent history from the ‘early settlers’, scenery and wildlife.
There is the old Paney Homestead and there is the Pondanna Outstation, both well preserved.
Nature features inlclude the Kolay Mirica Falls and the Organ Pipes, and of course wildlife galore! Emus, kangaroos, birds, you name it.

(Please, click here or on the photo to see more photos of this location)

Today’s picture is one of abandoned machinery at Pondanna Outstation. The rusty apparatus (I don’t know what it is used for, so I’m not giving it a name) combines well with the red sand, the odd dusty tree and the ever present blue sky.
Typical Australian landscape indeed, and one of our favourites…

Australian Pelican

The Australian Pelican (Pelecanus Conspiccilatus) is a large water bird. It can be found in Australia, wherever there is water with fish in it. For instance, if there’s water in Lake Eyre, in Outback South Australia, they will somehow know it, and be there. Naturally, they’re quite common at the seaside as well.
The Australian Pelican is usually white, with some black in its wings. The eyes are yellow, and its bill is enormous. It always looks to me as if the bill is a little bit over-sized compared to the rest of the body. But it sure makes them look very special.

(Please, click here or on the photo to see more photos of this location)

This particular one was sitting on a branch over the Paroo river, at the Corni Paroo Waterhole, in Western Queensland, close to the border of New South Wales.

Corni Paroo Waterhole

Corni Paroo Water, on the Paroo River, is in Currawinya National Park near Hungerford in Outback Queensland just north of the border with New South Wales. It is one of our favourite camping spots.

The Paroo River is a tributary to the Darling River and the last free-flowing river system in the Murray-Darling Basin, although it only flows after heavy rain.

Currawinya National Park also features a two large lakes, Lake Wyara (saltwater) and Lake Numalla (freshwater). The last time we visited the lakes (June 2007) they were both low.

(Please, click here or on the photo to see more photos of this location)