Entries tagged as ‘Outback’
The Thorny Devil (Moloch horridus) is an intimidating looking Australian lizard.
Don’t worry … this dangerous look is only a disguise, this animal is very harmless (unless you are an ant).
The Thorny Devil inhabits the arid scrubs and deserts of Central Australia and early morning is the best time to come across them, when they are warming themselves in the sun on the road.
The fellow below we met on our trip over the Gunbarrel Highway in 2004.
Please, click here or on the photo to see more photos of this location)
Categories: Australia · Outback · Photos · Travel
Tagged: 2004, Animal, Animals, Australia, Bush, Dirt road, Gunbarrel Highway, Moloch Horridus, Natural, Nature, Outback, Remote, Reptile, Reptiles, Thorny Devil, WA, Western Australia, Wilderness
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…
Categories: Australia · Outback · Photos · Travel
Tagged: Abandoned, Australia, Derelict, Eyre Peninsula, Gawler Ranges National Park, Gawler Ranges NP, Historical, Landscape, Machinery, Outback, Plant, Pondanna Outstation, South Australia
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.
Categories: Australia · Corni Paroo · Gum Tree · Outback · Photos · Travel
Tagged: 2005, Animal, Animals, Australia, Australian Pelican, Bird, Birds, Corni Paroo Waterhole, Currawinya National Park, Currawinya NP, Landscape, Natural, Nature, Nobody, Outback, Pelecanus Conspiccilatus, QLD, Queensland, Remote, Scenic, Uninhabited, Wild life, Wilderness, Wildlife
The Wedge-tailed Eagle (Aquila Audax), in short called Wedgie, is Australia’s largest bird of prey and one of the largest eagles in the world. It has long, fairly broad wings, fully feathered legs, and an wedge-shaped tail. It measures 0.85-1.05 metres in length and has a wingspan of up to 2.3 metres.
The Wedge-tailed Eagle is found throughout Australia. Wedge-tailed Eagles eat both live prey (like rabbits, lizards and the occasional lamb) and carrion. You often see them in groups feeding on roadkill.
(Please, click here or on the photo to see more photos of this location)
The Wedge-tailed Eagle on the photo was shot at a waterhole in Glen Annie Gorge in Ruby Gap Nature Park in the East MacDonnell Ranges NorthernTerritory, Australia
Categories: Australia · Outback · Photos · Travel
Tagged: Aquila Audax, Arid, Australia, Bird, Bird of prey, East MacDonnell Ranges, Glen Annie Gorge, Hale River, Northern Territory, Outback, Red Center, Red Centre, Ruby Gap Nature Park, Travel, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Wildlife
The ruins of the Old Peake Telegraph Station are off the Oodnadatta Track in Outback South Australia. It is a rough drive, even for 4wd vehicles, but it is definitely worth it!
The Telegraph Station use to be a major centre on the Australian Overland Telegraph Line in the early 1900s, but is now as remote and deserted as can be. A small pocket of date palms and some white-washed ruined buildings are all that is left.
The Australian Overland Telegraph Line was a 3200 km telegraph line that connected Darwin with Adelaide (or rather Port Augusta) in South Australia. Completed in 1872 the Overland Telegraph Line allowed fast communication between Australia and England.
(Please, click here or on the photo to see more photos of this location)
The surroundings of the Old Peake Telegraph Station are very harsh and makes you wonder how people could survive …
Categories: Australia · Outback · Photos · Travel
Tagged: Abandoned, Arid, Australia, Blue Sky, Harsh Environment, Historic Reserve, Historical Reserve, Old Peake Telegraph Station, Oodnadatta Track, Outback, Overland Telegraph Line, Remains, Remote, Ruined building, Ruined buildings, Ruins, South Australia, Travel, Uninhabited, White-washed buildings
On that same trip though the Simpson Desert we were quite lucky with the wildflowers. Apparently there had been some rain lately and the red sand dunes were covered with wildflowers.
This photo was taken along the WAA-line and shows a field of Annual Yellowtops. Although by no means very special or scarce, their sheer numbers make them very pretty and their yellow colours go very well with the red sand and blue sky.
(Please, click here or on the photo to see more photos of this location)
The good thing about going so slow is that you have ample time to enjoy the wildflower!
Categories: Australia · Outback · Photos · Travel
Tagged: 2004, 4wd Adventure, 4wd Holiday, 4wd Travel, Annual Yellowtop, Australia, Bush, Dirt road, Flower, Flowers, Four Wheel Drive Adventure, Four Wheel Drive Holiday, Four Wheel Drive Travel, Natural, Nature, Outback, SA, Scenic, Senecio Gregorii, Simpson Desert Conservation Park, South Australia, WAA-line, Wild flower, Wild flowers, Wildflower, Wildflowers
A couple of years ago we made a trip from Wiluna to Birdsville, via the Gunbarrel Highway, then through the Red Centre and finishing off through the Simpson Desert.
The Simpson Desert consists of about 1100 parallel red sand dunes and you will have to cross them all!
The going on the narrow sandy track is very slow, if you make 20 km/h you are fast, and you need at least a couple of days to cross. Careful preparation is essential, because there is no food, water and fuel to be got along the track and, of course, there is no mobile phone reception. You are on your own!
(Please, click here or on the photo to see more photos of this location)
At the end of a day of driving you drive a few metres of the road and there you are … your camping!
Categories: Australia · Outback · Photos · Travel
Tagged: Australia, Camping, Outback, Simpson Desert Conservation Park, South Australia, Tent, WAA-line, Wildflower, Wildflowers
Trilby Station is located on the Darling River near Louth, south of Bourke, New South Wales.
It has always been a hard life trying to make a living of the land in this area, the more so in the last years with one of the the worst droughts ever experienced since white man came to Australia.
Trilby is still a working sheep station, but as an other source of income has opened its doors to travellers. It offers a range of accommodation, the best option (at least to us and by far) camping on the Darling River and watching the bird life.
If you are there at the right time you can pop in and see the School of the Air, operated from Broken Hill, life in action (if the kids haven’t grown too old by now and if Satellite Broadband hasn’t caught up with the whole thing).
There are interesting self-drive tours to do at Trilby and neighbouring Dunlop Stations. A lot of relics from the past can be found, such as abandoned homesteads, plant, cars and … the odd double-decker.
(Please, click here or on the photo to see more photos of this location)
The folks at Trilby call this the Old London Bus. It is supposed to have been the mobile residence of a sheep shearer that worked on the station some time ago, but it was left behind when its time had come. But … watch it … as was pointed out by specialists, it has never had a life in London. It is actually an old Sydney Bus, although it may also have driven the streets of Newcastle (NSW it is, not the UK).
Anyway, we hope it is happy now …
Categories: Australia · Outback · Photos · Travel
Tagged: Abandoned, Australia, Bus, Double decker, Louth, New South Wales, NSW, Old London Bus, Old Sydney Bus, Outback, Remote, Transport, Travel, Trilby Station
The Innamincka Regional Reserve, located around the tiny township of Innamincka on the banks of the Cooper Creek, is one of the greatest Outback places in Australia to visit.
It has beautiful River Red Gum lined permanent waterholes, abundant bird life and is rich in history.
The photo below is the waterhole in Cooper Creek of the Innamincka town common.
(Please, click here or on the photo to see more photos of this location)
The famous and ill-fated Burke and Wills expedition passed through this area on its way from Melbourne to the Gulf of Carpentaria.
The Dig Tree is located just outside the reserve, over the border in Queensland, was the location of the base camp, where Burke, Wills and King returned from the north to find that the search party for them had just left in the morning of the day of their arrival. All the search party had left for them, were some burried supplies near the tree and a carved message in the Dig Tree. The carved message told them, where they should dig to find the supplies, hence the name Dig Tree.
Categories: Australia · Gum Tree · Outback · Photos · Travel
Tagged: Australia, Australian Pelican, Bird, Burke and Wills, Cooper Creek, Coopers Creek, Eucalyptus Camaldulensis, Innamincka, Innamincka Regional Reserve, Innamincka Town Common, Outback, Pelecanus Conspiccilatus, River Red Gum Tree, South Australia, Tree, Trees
Kennedy Range National Park is located a few hours drive inland of Carnarvon, Western Australia.
The colours of the sandstone escarpment are terrific!
The National Park has a nice camping area and numerous short walks into its gorges, the most beautiful being Temple Gorge, near the camping are.
The photo below was taken between the sunrise viewing platform and the camping area, early in the morning.
(Please, click here or on the photo to see more photos of this location)
Categories: Australia · Photos · Travel
Tagged: Arid, Australia, Cliff, Cliffs, Colorful, Colors, Colourful, Colours, Dirt road, Kennedy Range National Park, Outback, Panorama, Sandstone, Western Australia
