Australia Part 3
On the Move in Australia 2
(mid-November 2004 to April 2005)
Click here for a map of Australian Walkabout.
Note :- NP = National Park
April 2005 and where are we now? It's hot, humid ....and what is that in the toilet bowl - a pair of green legs? I flush the toilet and TWO pairs of green legs emerge from beneath the rim as the water gushes down...yes we're back in tropical Townsville, Queensland, and it's time to be leaving our campervan and getting back onto "Avalon".
Time anyway to look back over the last 5 months travelling since the Border Ranges National Park: from there we went down the east coast of Australia, visiting friends in Woolgoolga and Sydney en route to Melbourne; then flew to Perth in Western Australia, back to Melbourne, then took the van on the ferry to Tasmania for 3 weeks. Our return north was by much the same route as we took south except for a diversion to Canberra. About a third of the time was spent staying with friends which was very enjoyable: apart from the pleasure of their company this enabled us at various times to enjoy one of the national pastimes - a good Aussie barbie, in all its forms: from gleaming stainless steel gas-fired, through a grill on charcoal bricks, to a simple woodfire and steel grid provided in national parks. Our stay in Woolgoolga during the blueberry season was enhanced by Liz's temporary occupation as fruit-picker, when this heretofore luxury item was available to us freshly picked by the bucketload. Mmm! Access to TV enabled exciting viewing of NZ vs Oz Cricket match in one household of opposing loyalties; and in another, the Australian Open Tennis Championship from the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne held us in its grip for a week. In Perth our hosts had a swimming pool which was a boon during the hot weather in January.
The whole period has been one of contrast and change: from the sublime luxury of civilised households with flush toilets, hot water and air conditioning we moved again to the great outdoors where pit toilets and cold water were the norm; sometimes water was not even available so that we cooled ourselves in the hot weather plunging into a river. On one notable occasion in the Burrowa-Pine Mountain NP the only available water was a shallow stream in which we lay - until a large pincered crayfish hove into view!
Our first stop after the Border Ranges NP was Nimbin, home to hippies of all ages. Jim responded to a hairy young man's "want some weed mister?" with a very British "not today thank you"! Maybe it was the torrential rain, or maybe we are getting old but it all seemed a bit tacky and incongruous. We were not engaged by the stalls and shops full of crystals, mass-produced artefacts of vaguely eastern origin, and the like, and apart from a swim in the local pool (on our own in the rain) and a visit to the local cinema, we were happy to move on. This was to be the first of a long line of film-viewing experiences, notable not so much for the films as the surroundings: in Nimbin we could choose to sit on either double deckchairs or railway carriage seating, and were interested to see a large proportion of the (small) audience, obviously locals who knew the system, go out to the attached restaurant half-way through the performance and bring back dessert to eat while watching.
Further south we stayed in Bundjalung NP. The wild and windy weather had thrown up masses of small 'bluebottles' (also called Portuguese Men O War) and sponges on the beach: the former we had fun popping, and one of the latter we kept to use. Taking shelter in the sand dunes we found blanket flowers, looking like eidelweiss, with soft downy petals.
In Yuraygir NP we took a long walk, following fresh dingo tracks all the way: we never saw the dingo but did see where it had accelerated and leapt to try and catch a big bird which had been sitting on a lowbranch. The dingo failed but the marks of bird's wings (maybe a cormorant) and predator were plain in the sand. Further down the path on a sandy headland with anthills in abundance we surprised an echidna which scurried away into the brush. Later the same day whilst driving between campgrounds we stopped for a carpet python which was basking on the road. It did not appreciate Jim's good intentions of rescuing it from being run over, hissing and rearing up in an aggressive manner!
And so to Sydney. It was great to stay with Sarah, another English immigrant whom we hadn't seen for a few years, and to see all the sights in the company of Sarah and her Kiwi friend Hannah. Some things were as we remembered from a visit 35 years ago - the Harbour Bridge, Bondi Beach and bustling ferries at City Quay. But other things were much changed - the Opera House finished (1973) and Balmain where we had previously stayed with friends had gone very much upmarket. New and varied experiences included a ferry trip to Manley, sampling yum cha al fresco near the Cathedral, seeing a play at the Opera House Theatre, visiting the Art Gallery of NSW for "Crossing Country" - an exhibition of Western Arnhem Land art featuring bark paintings, carvings and weavings, eating lunch in the Royal Botanic Gardens within sight and sound of the fruit bat colony there, seeing the wonderful mosaic floor of Abel Tasman's 18th century chart of Australia in the Mitchell Wing of the State Library, peering at the Christmas window decorations in David Jones department store. Just a small sample of what that great city has to offer.
Our next NP stop was at Murramarang at the Pretty Beach campsite where Eastern Grey kangaroos were in abundance: we watched as big adult males boxed their way round our van, so absorbed that one tripped on the guy rope of our awning. Yellow-tailed black cockatoos screeched on the trees nearby as they ripped off the cones searching for seeds. Sadly our only sight of the beautiful leafy sea-dragon was a dead one washed up on the beach. And so on to Mimosa Rocks NP chatting to some other campers at dusk we had out first wombat sighting as it rootled around their site.
Our few days stay here was enlivened by the goannas which also came scavenging for any food which might have dropped, and Jim had an exciting time avoiding being bitten by moray eels whilst harvesting abalone at low tide (a very tasty dinner!). Further south in Ben Boyd NP we saw fur seals casually waving their flippers as they lazily floated in a group off Cape Green. We were given a free tour of the Lighthouse there as the relief ranger didnt agree with the policy of charging visitors (one of several officials we met who took issue with their own bureaucracy!). Our campfire that night was enlivened by another wombat grazing round the campsite, unfazed by all the campers taking photos and only lifting it's head when a kangaroo came jumping past noisily. Cape Conlon was the last NP we stayed in before heading for the city: though we enjoyed the coastal scenery and seeing a sacred kingfisher and hyacinth orchids, we voted worst place for pestiferous bush flies and were glad to leave.
Our base on and off for the next couple of months was with friends Jack and Margery in Melbourne. (Jim and Jack were post grad students together in Liverpool). Over the festive season we had lots of treats with them. On the Eve of Christmas we walked round the Diamond Creek/Wattle Glen housing estate where neighbours were vying with each other for the most fantastic display of outdoor illuminations (eat your heart out Blackpool!) - sequenced lights of all colours, blow-up santas, stars, deer grazing and a santa in his sleigh circling over one house. On arrival we found Christmas mail from abroad piled up and had fun opening it on Christmas Day - snow scenes contrasted with the hot sunny weather we were having and we thought it highly appropriate to email family and friends with:
*Flipflops not underware
Our hosts provided a traditional roast turkey dinner with Christmas Pudding to follow, which we ate out on their deck with Jack's new fountain tinkling in the background. During our first few days with Jack and Marg we renewed after many years our acquaintance with their 3 married children and met their families in their homes, Christine living in the pretty Dandenong Ranges, David and Ian nearer to parents in Melbourne. We also met cousin Jack at his shack-retreat he had built out in the boonies. Other excursions took us out in the country to the Healesville Sanctuary, and the Ian Potter Art Gallery in the city. New Year's Eve found us on the banks of the Yarra in the heart of the city watching a spectacular fireworks display.
After the heat of Melbourne it was a relief to head up into the mountains of Mt Buffalo and Alpine NPs. This area had suffered widespread fires in 2003. From the devastation of the forests came two benefits for us: the wonderful rock formations were more easily seen and the ash had prompted a proliferation of alpine flowers. Whilst chilly at nights (we were glad of our thermal underwear!) most days were clear and sunny, and we enjoyed climbing rocks and walking various trails. We completed but a short section of the Australian Alps Walking Track (650km long) close to Wallace's Hut, built by David Wallace and sons in 1890 for use during the cattle mustering season, and still in good condition with wood floors and wood shingle roof. Rosie(nee Wallis) was interested to visit this in case he might have been a distant relative!
Having left our van in Melbourne in mid-January we flew to Perth, Western Australia, to stay with Sandy and Nanette, originally from Scotland and now the heart of a community of extended family and friends all of Scottish extraction. We know them as friends of Rosie's sister Jean and husband Geoff, who flew over from Wales arriving the same day. Celebrations ensued for Jean's 70th Birthday. We seemed to do this several times during the next few days, with meals out, a BBQ in, champagne whilst lounging in the swimming pool and so on. We also managed to see some of the sights of Fremantle and Perth, visiting Rottnest Island to see the quokkas (small wallabies) there and learning of its importance as a penal colony, then a military stronghold. Walks along the coast, as well as lazing on the patio watching the pink and grey galahs and bright '28' ringneck parrots feed at the seed tray added to the enjoyment of this interlude.
Briefly back in Melbourne, we became absorbed (via TV) in the Australian Open Tennis Championships, whilst also braving the heat to go into the city for some sightseeing- Jim preferred Ron Mueck's huge 'Pregnant Woman 2002' sculpture in the Art Gallery whilst Rosie viewed the Kylie Minogue costumes exhibition in the Concert Hall. We also walked through the Royal Arcade - dating from 1869 it is the oldest shopping arcade in Australia.
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