western plains zoo

We felt like kids in a zoo...

...but we were in a zoo.

Echidna spikes

This eland was standing in a pool of blood, which was dripping down from its horn. The vet told us that the horn was probably broken off in the fence, since the eland is normally a passive animal. The other animals in the herd were initially trying to chase it away because predators would be more likely to attack when there was an injured animal in the group. The horn eventually stopped bleeding, so no treatment was needed.

Siamang monkeys have a very impressive song to mark their territory.

dubbo

I spent the first ten years of my life at Dubbo, and I had not been back for 15 years. My memories of this town are dominated by riding bikes, open spaces, great friends and sport. It was a great place to grow up.

I was very exciting to be back again. Initially, I didn't recognise anything as we drove into town. As we passed the pool where I learnt to swim and the tennis courts where I first hit a ball, my jigsaw memory started to assemble a picture. The streets and buildings were very familiar, just the signs were different. My memory was kickstarted by the autumn colours and the dusty earth smell.

The street I lived in was exactly as I remember, and the friendly owners let me look through my old house. The interior was mostly unchanged, it was just a lot smaller than what I expected.

Gaj

The house I grew up in

The milk bar where I bought chewing gum and cricket cards after school every day.

Even my preschool was the same!

carnarvon gorge

We set off early because we knew we had a big hike ahead of us - I didn't expect it to be 23km, but we made it to the end of the gorge and back. Carnarvon is magnificent. The variety of flora and fauna which is mixed in with creeks and towering cliffs is overwhelming. My camera felt completely inadequate to capture what we were hiking through. The kookaburras greeted us with laughter as we stretched our aching muscles the next day.

A boulder had fallen against this tree, so the tree was gradually growing around it.

I kept slipping down this embankment, trying to get a good photo - hence the worried expression.

"Big Bend" is at the far end of the gorge. The little red speck at the bottom is Claire.

There is extensive Aboriginal art throughout the gorge. These paintings are 4500 years old.

longreach

Longreach is deeply steeped in Australian history. It is the home of QANTAS and the Stockman's Hall of Fame. We stopped for lunch at a cafe and watched the big utes and four-wheel drives pass by - all coated in the fine red dust of the Outback. There were lots of well-worn boots and hats around. There were no pretenders... it's the real deal out here.

The ringer outside the Stockman's Hall of Fame

This is the first jet-powered plane bought by QANTAS, and one of the most valuable planes in the world. Some its passengers have been soldiers going to the Vietnam war, The Beatles on their Australian tour, Michael Jackson on his Thriller tour, Madonna and Saudi Arabian royalty. The interior is very opulent, there are two vases worth $20 000 each. Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take photos inside!

locust cloud

There were whispers of locust clouds swarming over outback Queensland... we drove right into one.

Yep, every stripe is a locust.

The pink-brown mist on the horizon at the end of the video is 100% locust.

Maureen & Harry's bus

We found an old bus parked at Koorooinya. It said "Townsville West End Bus Co." and had "Just Married" painted on the side, as well as "Baby Making Machine". All the seats were stripped out and a chimney had been added. We decided that the owners were most likely named Maureen and Harry.

prairie

The Prairie Hotel has a few stories to tell. There are 87 Akubra hats on the walls, some only consist of a tattered rim. The hitching post out the front is the final resting place for some well-worn saddles. There are a few wise words uttered by the barman: "yeah, it's nice here... sometimes it's busy... you can take photos inside, but none of my daughter, you'd be surprised how many people try".

Gaj

A small section of the random pub memorabilia

A photograph can only capture a small section of the enormous outback sunset.

Our campsite

Roadtrip!

Our Australian adventure begins with a bit of a roadtrip. Click here for our rough itinerary.