Driving – Travels with Ali

My A to Z Travel Challenge D is for Da Nang, Dalwallinu and Denmark

Da Nang, Vietnam

Da Nang, a coastal city in Central Vietnam is a place we’ve visited a few times as it’s relatively easy to fly to from Perth. Also the airport is very near the coast, which means you can be on the beach by lunchtime! The coastline stretches for 30 kilometres and has many resorts lining the road. Our first stay here was in a hotel not on the beach but across a very busy road and it seemed that we had chosen a spot very popular with the locals. When we went over for our first swim there was hardly an empty spot in the sea!

Da Nang is halfway between Ho Chi Minh City in the South and Hanoi in the North. It’s a good place to spend a few days before heading off to either Hue a few hours North or Hoi An in the South. In fact most hotels in Da Nang offer a shuttle service to Hoi An.

We caught a taxi to the Novotel in the city and took some photos overlooking this busy city, in contrast to the stunning peaceful coastline.

Da Nang is definitely a place I will be visiting again.

🏖🏖🏖🏖🏖🏖🏖🏖🏖🏖

Dalwallinu, Western Australia

We visited Dalwallinu on a wildflower road trip in September a few years back. It is located in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, around 250 km from Perth. Dalwallinu is the first town on the wildflower tour. Every year the wildflowers start appearing anytime from June in the North and sweeping south to finish in November. We stayed one night in Dalwallinu and another in Moriwa. The flowers are incredible and appear all over the roadside and grow in the harshest of conditions.

Perth to Dalwallinu

Enjoying happy hour in the delightful surrounds of our accommodation with smoke billowing from a bonfire in an upturned oil barrel!

We had to keep stopping along our drive because there were so many beautiful views.

The circular flowers are known as Christmas wreaths and seem to flourish in these sandy conditions.

If you ever visit Australia during these months this is certainly a tour worth doing, but be sure to book accommodation early as there are very few motels or hotels along the way and they get booked up very quickly.

💐🌷🌸 🌺 🌻 🥀💐🌷🌸 🌺 🌻 🌼 🥀

Denmark, Western Australia

Finishing with another place in Western Australia, this time way down south. Denmark is over 400 km from Perth, too far for a day trip but great for a weekend or mid week break. We have travelled to Denmark a few times in the time we have lived in Australia. There are wonderful wineries to visit and it’s a good place to visit Walpole where the Valley of the Tree Tops walk is located.

It was named Denmark after a naval surgeon, Alexander Denmark in 1829. Before this it was called Leeuwin’s Land after the Dutch East Indiaman, Leeuwin. This was back in 1622. Any sailing ship in the 1600’s was called a Dutch East Indiaman.

There are so many rental properties in Denmark it’s hard to know what to choose. We booked a cute little house in the middle of the forest.

As you can see by the photos we went in the middle of winter, but we had a cosy fire in the house we rented.

Some of the birds that came to the balcony every morning waiting to be fed.

Some from our morning walk. Hubby contemplating another 25 years with me 😆
And that’s not our house, just a ramshackle shed in the middle of the woods.

Wrapped up warm against the chilly weather!

And D is done!

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Day Trips from Melbourne – Ballarat Wildlife Park

There are so many places to visit just outside of Melbourne, just an hour or two away, so it’s easy enough to fit in a side trip during a four day visit.

Our first day trip was spent at Ballarat Wildlife Park. It takes around 90 minutes to drive from Melbourne and it’s a beautiful park to spend an afternoon in, especially as they have koalas. You do have to register your names at the entrance and pay a bit extra for the koala experience, but as these cuddly creatures are becoming more extinct I thought it was worth it. The park is situated on 37 acres of bushland and has more than 100 free roaming kangaroos.

We spent a couple of hours here looking at all the different animals and it is a very hands on place, being able to feed the kangaroos. Judging by the amount of food on the ground I think the kangaroos are pretty bored with it and definitely not hungry.

Our encounter with the koalas

These are just a few of the photos I took of all the different animals there, and the ones I could get decent shots of! The other animals they have are penguins, birds, crocs, Tasmanian tigers, snakes, emus, wombats, quolls and aligators. There are also two Sumatran tigers there.

There is a licenced cafe there where we had lunch. In my opinion though it’s probably better to bring your own picnic.

PARK INFORMATION

Opening hours: 9-5 pm daily. Closed Christmas Day
Admission: $35 for adults – $19.50 for children. There are group discounts for families.
Animal Encounters: – $40 – $80, I believe for groups of four or less.

As you can see it makes a great family day out, admittedly not cheap but it’s good to see the animals well cared for in a natural habitat.

🦘🦘🦘🦘🦘🦘🦘

On our way back to Melbourne we had a quick pitstop at Lake Wendouree. A beautiful spot to have a picnic and a walk. Then it was back to the city for dinner. A very tasty Korean.

Until our next trip!

Lochs, Lakes,Waterfalls and Castles of Scotland

During our stay in Edinburgh we hired a car for two days to explore outside of the city.

Day 1 – Pittenweem, St. Andrew’s and Perth

We walked over to the Hertz Rental office and picked up a car after a very long wait! It seems in this office if they see you are foreign or speak with an accent they go over every minute detail at least four times, I found it insulting and time-wasting and it did not give a very good impression of Scotland being tourist friendly.

So we got off to a bit of a late start but finally got on our way. Our first step was going to be Anstruther, just over an hour’s drive from Edinburgh. By the time lunchtime came though we were passing through Pittenweem. It’s a tiny fishing village in Fife on the East coast of Scotland. We found a cosy restaurant for lunch right on the harbour.

Queen's Ferry Bridge - www.travelswithali.com — Crossing over the Queen’s Ferry Bridge

Pittenweem Harbour, Scotland — Pittenweem Harbour

A memorial dedicated to the men and women who made their living from the sea and also to those who lost it at sea

John Dory Bistro – where we had a delicious fish lunch

We ended up driving through Anstruther and went onto St. Andrew’s, the home of the famous golf course. It really was only a short stop here as the weather was becoming worse.

Back in the car and then it was off to our sister city Perth! Just to see if there were any similarities really. It sits on the River Tay and is a big university town. We saw many students that day walking around with gowns and mortar boards, obviously having just graduated. The architecture was impressive but could do with a good wash down with a power hose.

On our way we passed through Dundee and saw the RSS Discovery

End of Day One

Day Two – Loch Lomond and The Trossachs

After another hearty breakfast at the Apex we set off again this time in the other direction. The weather was not looking good but dressed appropriately we hoped for the best!

Our first stop was Doune Castle, now famous again for being Winterfell in Game of Thrones. Being a big fan I really wanted to take a look. It was also used for the castles in Outlander and Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
On the way we passed by these 30 metre high steel horses on our way to Doune Castle. They just appeared seemingly out of nowhere so I took the best photo I could in a moving car!

Queen of Winterfell

The magnificent Doune Castle

Back in the car it was off to Callander, a small town near the River Leith and on the edge of The Trossachs National Park.

Callander

Eas Gobhain – Gaelic for The Smith’s Cascade

Had to have a coffee here, being a big Peaky fan!

After a quick look on Google maps I saw there was a waterfall with an old bridge nearby. It was just a five minute drive away. When we got there I realised we would have to do a bit of a hike! But determined to see it we trudged on. It was called Bracklinn Falls and was actually a series of waterfalls with a wooden bridge crossing them.

Sunrays peeping through the clouds

Overlooking The Trossachs

Bracklinn Falls

On the Bracklinn Bridge

Bracklinn Bridge

Lunchtime

Lake Menteith was our next stop and we found a beautiful spot for lunch right on the shores of the lake.

Fishing on the Lake of Monteith

Monteith Parish Church

From Lake Menteith we drove onto Loch Lomond with a quick stop at Balloch Castle. This castle dates back to 1238 and was the home for hundreds of years to the Earls of Lennox. Now it is on the Buildings at Risk Register and the grounds officially became a national park in 1980.

Balloch Castle

Beautiful views over Loch Lomond

Sadly derelict and boarded up!

Loch Lomond

Maid of the Loch

Climbing out of the Loch!

After many attempts by my dear hubby at taking my photo, I settled for the above photo which looks as if I’m climbing out of the Loch fully clothed.

Stirling Castle

Much to my disappointment by the time we arrived at Stirling Castle it was closing. But the surrounding areas including the graveyard was full of interesting graves, monuments and statues.

The Royal Chapel

John Knox – Leader of the Scottish Reformation – 1513 – 1572

Robert the Bruce

The Star Pyramid commemorates all who were martyred while seeking religious freedom.

Mars Wark- a wall left from the original house built by John Erskine Earl of Mar , 1570. He was a regent for James I of Scotland

The Holy Rood

Views from the battlements

Views of the Trussochs

Margaret and Agnes Wilson’s monument – Scottish Martyrs

Margaret Wilson 1667 – 11 May 1685, along with her 15 year old sister Agnes were both drowned to death for refusing to swear an oath declaring James VII of Scotland and II of England head of the Church. They were tied to stakes in the sand to await the incoming tide to flow over them. They were certainly cruel times back then!

We certainly enjoyed our week in Scotland. It wasn’t long enough to get everywhere but I think we did our best!

Perth to Brisbane Road Trip – Part Six – Sydney to Brisbane via Coffs Harbour

Day 15 – Sydney to Coffs Harbour

On the last leg of our journey now and it’s northwards bound today. Travelling to Coffs Harbour for the night to break the journey which was six hours drive away. Our first stop was for lunch in a tiny place called Budgewoi, a little off the beaten track but I love finding these hidden places.

The drive up to Coffs is full of lush and tropical scenery so different from the west coast and it was getting more humid as the miles flew by. We arrived at 6.30 pm and were staying at Beach Haven Executive Apartments located on the Solitary Islands Highway just minutes from the beach. We had a beautiful room overlooking the ocean. They do have a restaurant on site but as it was empty we decided to drive into Coffs Harbour and have dinner at the fabulous Latitude 30.

Our dinner!

Duck with cranberry sauce

Grilled scallops with cauliflower puree

No-one else around so I had to take my own photo

Day 16 – Coffs to Brisbane

Our journey today was just a four hour drive so we had plenty of time to stop off for lunch. Currumbin, QLD was the next stop where we met up with an old friend at the RSL Club with fantastic views over the beach.

By the time we arrived in Brisbane it was 5.30. We were staying at Soda Apartments on the South Bank for two nights. Great fully furnished apartment but so noisy as there is so much construction work going on in Brisbane. I love Brisbane which is also so laid back like Melbourne. People are so friendly here. Our first night we walked down to the South Bank and wandered along the river. It’s a great place to be at night, so much to see and so many restaurants to eat in.

Ahmet’s Turkish restaurant where we ate dinner

Turkish salad

Mixed Souvlaki with Yoghurt dip

Day 17

Today I fancied a drive inland – the hinterland as it’s called in Queensland and just chose a spot on google maps which sounded interesting! Glasshouse Mountains is just over an hour’s drive away. A beautiful drive up high into the mountains with amazing views but so difficult to stop as the road is so narrow and windy in parts. One of the restaurants looked spectacular so we headed there for lunch, Clear Mountain Lodge. We were the only ones up there, it’s a place I would really like to go back to and spend the night sometime. The views around are of the Glasshouse Mountains, Moreton Bay and the islands.

Cajun chicken

Seafood pasta

Vegetable and herb garden at the restaurant

We also had friends in Brisbane so off we went there for dinner that night!

Day 18

Checked out today as we were spending the last night in the Novotel at the airport so Anthony could get an early start for the long drive home! I couldn’t face long hours in the car again so I took the easy way and was flying back.
So our last day was again spent visiting friends, near Southport.
That night we had an early night with dinner at a restaurant in the Skygate

Freshly cooked bream

Oysters and wine!

And so it ends, our epic road trip across five states! What a wonderful 19 days it’s been. We’ve seen so many interesting places and eaten in fabulous restaurants along the way. On the way we caught up with friends and family in different states, but I must say I am looking forward to going home to see my precious grandson and daughter and planning my next trip. Until then Sayonara!

Perth to Brisbane Road Trip – Part Five – Sydney

Day 13 to 16 – Sydney

After leaving Canberra we arrived in Sydney around 5pm. It’s not our first time in Sydney so we’ve done most of the tourist things Sydney has to offer. This time our visit was mainly to visit relatives and friends. Anthony decided he wanted to stay in Chatswood because it has a great shopping centre! We stayed in the wonderful Meriton Suites and had an apartment on the 26th floor with fantastic views. They also have their own carpark conveniently located in the basement. When you walk around Chatswood you can see why it’s called little Hong Kong, which was also why Anthony chose this place having lived most of his life in Hong Kong.

Views from the apartment

I’ve been having fun editing all my photos using Ribbet.com. It’s amazing the difference the editing has made. I thought I would add some frames too, it was too tempting not to. The photos above were taken with my Canon Powershot SX730.

Day 2 in Sydney

The apartment was very near the train and bus station around five minutes walk, and if there’s one thing Anthony likes as much as shopping it’s public transport. So after purchasing our Opal tickets – you need these to travel on public transport – we found the right bus stop to make our way to meet Anthony’s nephews in Crow’s Nest.

Two gorgeous boys – the one on the right is the lead singer with the upcoming band Johnny Hunter

Then it was back to the apartment on the train this time. Hubby a very happy boy using all this public transport.

Later we met my wonderful friend and her hubby in Manly, a favourite place of mine.

We drove to Manly but it’s very easy to reach by ferry from Sydney Harbour. Manly has a laid back holiday feel to it with a great beach. There are many restaurants, bars and cafes lining the Corso. The night we were there people were still swimming at 9pm and many were picnicking on the grass verge by the sea.

Day 3 in Sydney

After breakfast on the balcony again we headed over to Gordon to meet up with Anthony’s aunt and cousin for lunch. Time was soon marching on and we still hadn’t been to the city yet, so we hopped on the train to Wynyard which took us over the bridge and then walked down to The Rocks. We found a great bar in the cruise terminal overlooking the harbour where we had a few cocktails and thought about where to go for dinner.

Overlooking the Opera House with my usual Sauvignon Blanc in hand

A few more from our walk around

Something I’ve never done is climb the bridge. I would rather look at the view than be the view!

Dinner!

Tomato and Mozzarella Salad

Lamb shoulder with ratatouille

Seafood Pizza for Anthony

Well what did you think of my frames? To frame or not to frame? It was fun but very time consuming.

Our time in Sydney had come to an end but not our journey. And so onwards and upwards to Coffs Harbour and Brisbane in Part Six.

Perth to Brisbane Road Trip – Part Four – Melbourne to Sydney via Canberra

Day 11 – Melbourne to Canberra – 8 hours

We said our goodbyes to Laurence and Maddy early in the morning. It was sad to be leaving them after such a great ten days but hopefully it won’t be long before we see them again.

Today we would be heading to Canberra for a very short overnight stop to break our journey to Sydney. So once again I opened up Google maps to see where we could stop for lunch. That’s the good thing about driving you can stop where you like and often it’s pot luck as to whether you find a good place for lunch! Well lucky for us we found a great place in Wangaratta about three hours away.
By this time the heat was really climbing and when we arrived it was 44 degrees.
We only walked about two minutes from the car to the restaurant but I could feel my arms burning up already. We ate in a cafe called Rinaldo’s in Wangaratta, a very cute town.

Cooling off with a glass of cold white!

Seafood pasta for Anthony

Super quick walk back to the car as it was still burning hot outside and then straight through to Canberra. We drove through some beautiful countryside, quite hilly and very green. So different to the dry plains of Western Australia.

We arrived in Canberra at 7.30 and we would be leaving fairly the next day, so I don’t have much to say about Canberra! A bit of luxury for tonight though staying at the Crown Plaza. On hindsight we should have stayed there for dinner as we couldn’t find anything decent in town.

Day 12 – Canberra to Sydney – 3 hours

As the drive was only 3 hours today we would have plenty of time to stop at the places I thought would be interesting. So our first stop was Lake George (click on the link for the mysterious facts!). Anthony mentioned this place as he said he remembered it as a boy when it actually did have water in it. The temperature outside was a scorching 40 degrees, a tad cooler than yesterday but I still made him get out to take some photos. The Lake is believed to be over a million years old. When the lake is empty it is used by farmers for grazing sheep and cattle. It last filled up in 2006 but evaporates very quickly.

Next was the The Big Merino in Goulburn. Of course I had the obligatory photo and then said to Anthony let’s just have a quick look in the gift shop. He said there won’t be anything worth buying in there just touristy stuff. Well less than 20 minutes later he had seen a very nice Merino wool jacket, I knew it was too good to be true that he couldn’t buy anything.

Lunchtime was next and we decided to stop in the historic town of Berrima. This was a beautifully kept village with so much to see. After lunch we walked over to the Berrima District Museum to have a look around. It was run by a group of volunteers and we were given a small tour by the lovely gentleman on duty that day. I was amazed to find out that Berrima was once an internment camp to German merchant seamen. It was the only camp in Australia not to confine its prisoners within the camp perimeter. It held 300 German nationals from 1915 to 1919. These men were made up from naval captains, senior officers, executives from German shipping companies with offices in Australia and some sailors from a ship. Just before WWI broke out Germany were doing a booming trade in Australia.

These prisoners were permitted to leave the camp after roll call in the morning but had to return at 6.30pm.
After a year or so they realised they were in for the long haul and put their energies into making the camp a better place. They built boats, a bridge, houses and even had their own bakery as they did not like the bread from the village. There were vegetable gardens and the villagers used to buy from the prisoners. They performed plays or put on concerts in the theatre they had built.

Getting ready for the regatta to celebrate the Kaiser’s birthday in the boats they had built

A small house built by one of the internees called Villa Marcella named after his German fiancee

Leaving this gem of a museum we drove through the village to have a look at some of the lovely old buildings.

Back into the trusty and dusty Merc and onwards to Sydney.

And that is the end of Part Four – Melbourne to Sydney – Part Five – Sydney

Perth to Brisbane Road Trip – Part Three – Melbourne

Five nights in Melbourne

As I mentioned in my previous post we had an apartment on the 59th floor! I’ve never stayed in an apartment so high before. We had floor to ceiling windows in every room with fantastic views over Melbourne.

The next four days were going to be relaxing and taking it easy, with good food and plenty to drink! Lots of walking and definitely not much driving.

Although Melbourne is so busy and teeming with people, it still has a laid back feel to it. So many tourists going through all stopping to enjoy the beautiful sights Melbourne has to offer.

On the South Bank overlooking the Yarra River

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While we were in Melbourne The National Gallery of Victoria was exhibiting the works of M.C. Escher (a renowned Dutch artist) with the works of Nendo Design Studio from Japan, Escher X nendo. I took some photos of M.C. Escher‘s works while walking around with Maddy. I hadn’t heard of Escher before and it was something Maddy wanted to see. She was very knowledgeable so didn’t need the audio guide!

I would like to have posted some of the fabulous prints we saw but when I checked on the website you needed to fill out a copyright request form in great detail. If you do go to Melbourne before 7 April it’s really worth a visit to see his works.

Nendo

Great Mural just outside Flinders Station

Some other photos of around Melbourne

One of many art deco buildings – Manchester Unity Building

St Kilda’s

St. Kilda’s is a coastal suburb not too far from central Melbourne. It has a completely different vibe to it than the city. Over a hundred years ago it was a very ritzy resort for the rich. Many palatial mansions are still standing, now converted into hotels. It’s great for a day or night out with so many restaurants, from cafes to fine dining.

Enjoying a glass of sangria

Dinner at Rococo’s

We ate and drank at fabulous places over the last five days and enjoyed every one. Food and service are always exceptional in Melbourne.

Tsindos Greek Restaurant, Lonsdale Street

The amazing Lucy Lius’s, Oliver Lane

And that my friends was that! This was where we left them and carried on with our epic journey onwards and upwards towards Brisbane. Next stop Canberra then Sydney in Part Four.

Perth to Brisbane Road Trip – Part Two -Ceduna to Melbourne

Day 4 – Ceduna to Glenelg

A very long drive ahead of us today, 786 km and over 8 hours driving time. I know we wouldn’t have very much time to stop along the way if we were to get to Glenelg in time for dinner. Also we would be losing an hour during the drive. After breakfast at our hotel and a walk along the foreshore we managed to get away by 9 am, although not before Anthony had given the car a quick wash.

As I said before I wasn’t doing any of the driving just being the photographer, but Anthony’s not about the journey only the destination. I did manage to persuade him to stop sometimes but other than that I had to be quick to get photos from a speeding car. Being in a car that long makes you very sleepy and also can get a bit boring, I honestly don’t know how Anthony does it. Lucky I had my iPad for reading and in the trip from Perth to Melbourne managed to get through two books.

Our first stop was Kimba for lunch. We had a great curry at the local service station, very authentic and traditional. They were so busy though that they could only serve us on paper plates, never mind it still tasted good.

A lovely painting on the side of this grain barn

Trying to overtake a very slow moving hay truck.

After Kimba it was back in the car and straight onto Glen Elg. We arrived just after 7pm at the Glenelg Watermark Hotel
We were staying in Glenelg for two nights so we could have a good rest and actually explore. After checking in we sat and waited for Laurence and Maddy to catch up. We really like Glenelg having stayed here previously. Our hotel was just a few minutes walk from the beach and the marina.

Glenelg is a beach-side suburb of the South Australian capital of Adelaide. Located on the shore of Holdfast Bay in Gulf St Vincent
It’s a gorgeous place to spend a couple of nights with a beautiful coastline and fantastic restaurants located in the marina. Established in 1836, it is the oldest European settlement on mainland South Australia.

Day 5 – A trip to Hahndorf

It was nice today not to have to rush off early, so after a walk around town we drove to Hahndorf for lunch. Hahndorf is a very quaint village located in the Adelaide Hills and just 30 minutes from Glenelg. It is Australia’s oldest surviving German settlement, dating back to 1838. The beautiful tree-lined street offers many shops, galleries and studios, a cheese maker, leathersmith, jeweller, candle makers, a craft brewery, winery cellar doors, gin distillery, chocolatier, sweet shops, restaurants and cafés. It still has a very traditional German feel to it.
With so many restaurants and cafes it was a difficult choice to make for lunch. In the end we opted for the German Arms Restaurant. The meals were enormous, typically German portions!

The German Arms

Slow cooked crispy skin pork belly with apples

Slow roasted pork hock with German bread dumplings

Trio of German Wursts

We could barely move after this gastronomic feast but there were things to see and photos to take.

Anthony already looks like he’s wearing lederhosen

Driving back to Glenelg we had a quick photo stop over Mount Lofty lookout.

Our last night in Glenelg we had dinner at Sammy’s Seafood overlooking the beach and watching another specular sunset.

Day 6 – Glenelg to Melbourne

Onwards and Eastwards with an 8 hour drive ahead of us covering 730 km, there would be no long stops today.

Maddy eating a quick breakfast on the balcony

We had a lunch break in Bordertown and then full speed ahead to Melbourne. I managed to get some shots again through a moving car! There wasn’t much to look at just vast wheat fields and silos.

We arrived in Melbourne at 7.45 pm again losing an hour along the way.

I had to pay a $50 late check in fee would you believe and notify the service manager upon our arrival. We were only given one key and fob for the lift which was not that convenient, also we had to park two blocks away. Anyway upon entering the apartment on the 59th floor, the views made up for a lot, which will be featuring in Part Three!

Perth to Brisbane Road Trip – Four states in 19 days! – Part One – Perth to Ceduna

Deciding to go on a road trip was not a hard decision, as my dear hubby loves a drive! Also our son Laurence was driving back with his girlfriend, Maddy, to begin their new life in Melbourne, so why not accompany them and drive on a bit more. And so it begins!

Day 1 – Perth to Norseman

We started our journey on a Sunday morning and did not leave nearly early enough, as per usual. The great thing about road trips is the amount of luggage you can take, no weight restrictions here. So we loaded up the car with our stuff plus we also had some of Maddy’s and then the car was full.
The first stage was going to take us 722 km and around 8 hours with a couple of stops along the way.
Laurence and Maddy had already left two days before to spend some time in Albany and Esperance, and we were going to catch up with them in Madura.

Anthony was driving the very comfortable Mercedes which is great for reclining in the passenger seat! Sad to say I did not participate in any of the driving.
With just a quick stop in Coolgardie for a beer it was straight through to Norseman.
All the motels and roadhouses along the way tend to close at 8pm and we arrived just as the restaurant was closing. Lucky I had phoned ahead and was able to order steak and chips for two otherwise it would have been the BP station for dinner.

Coolgardie is a small town in Western Australia. It has a population of approximately 850 people. Although Coolgardie is now known to most Western Australians as a tourist town and a mining ghost town, it was once the third largest town in Western Australia.

Day 2 – Norseman to Madura

After a good night’s sleep at the Best Western we walked into town to get breakfast only to find we were way too early at 8 am. Everywhere was closed. So we walked back to have breakfast at the BP station. I wanted to have a look at some of the historic sites Norseman had to offer, so we drove up to Beacon’s Hill Lookout. On the way we passed by what was an old mining site. It looked like the workers had just downed tools in the middle of the day and never went back. So much machinery and piles of rubble everywhere. The view from the top was fabulous.

Some history about Norseman

The discovery of a rich gold reef by Laurie Sinclair in 1894 as a result of his horse ‘Norseman’ uncovering a piece of gold bearing quartz, caused a town to be established and named in honour of the horse.

A rich history of gold mining has developed with many mines operating over the years and many ounces of gold being extracted.

The early pioneers had a very tough life. Water was always a challenge with condensers being set up on the salt lakes to assist in addressing the issue and the towns people relied on camel trains to bring supplies. For the women, raising their children with very little or no medical services, providing meals with basic cooking facilities and scant fresh food, it was very hard work and often heartbreaking. Source: Norseman Info.

The photos below are some I took at the top of Beacon’s Hill.

With a brief stop in Caiguna to fill up and then again at Balladonia, we reached Madura around 5.30 pm.

The only animals we saw were hundreds of dead kangaroos. It was absolute carnage and they were just strewn all over the road in various poses. A few times we saw vultures or eagles feasting on them. Apparently the vultures gorge so heavily that they can’t fly high enough after and end up crashing through a road train’s windscreen.

We were staying at the Madura Pass Oasis Motel, I wouldn’t exactly call it an oasis but it wasn’t too bad. Our rooms were very basic but at least it had a decent restaurant. We sat and enjoyed a glass of wine in the sun waiting for Laurence and Maddy to arrive. They finally arrived at 7.30 after their extremely long drive from Esperance.

Enjoying a hearty dinner and a good bottle of red. Freezing in the restaurant, hence the hoodies

This car has obviously done a few miles!

Day 3 – Madura to Ceduna

An early wake up today as again we had lots of driving and we wanted to stop off at a couple of places for photo shoots. Anthony went for an early morning walk up into the hills. Most of these roadhouses don’t serve breakfast or if they do it’s over by 7am! They cater mainly for the road train drivers. I had brought with me fresh coffee and a plunger a necessity for me to have a proper coffee in the morning. We set off about 9am and our first stop was Mundrabilla for breakfast.

Next up it was Bunda Cliffs for a visit to the Great Australian Bite. Then onto Border Village where we stopped to cross over to South Australia. Nullarbor was next and then onto Ceduna.

Great Australian Bite

A bit about the Nullabor

The Nullarbor Plain in latin means nulls “no” and arbor “tree”. Located on the Great Australian Bite Coast with the Great Victoria Desert to its north. It is the largest straight road on the planet and it measures 146.6km in a completely straight line. You can play 18 holes of golf along the world’s longest golf course – the Nullarbor Links.

Over 100,000 wild camels roam the plain. These camels were imported from British India and Afghanistan to use as transport while building the railroads during the 19th century.
Source: Nullabor Roadhouse.

We didn’t actually spot any animal other than dead kangaroos!

We arrived in Ceduna around 5.30 pm and stayed at the Ceduna Foreshore Motel. There is a pretty nice restaurant attached to this motel so we had dinner there. After we walked along the jetty to watch the sunset. Extremely windy and very cold.