An Aussie Ski Season

Smiggins Hole

Now I am not a snow bunny… however I do appreciate a pristine view of the white stuff from the comfort of a snug fire and a hot drink. When each of our Grandies hit double digits we start to plan a holiday with them… one to drag them off individually with Grampie and Grandma into the never never of their choice… it is a ‘our’ time; a time to discover the character of each of our Grandkids as they begin to emerge into adults and to inspire in them a certain independence. It is something we absolutely love to do and it has proven equally rewarding for all concerned.

Back on the Track – Enjoying Outback NSW

It’s been something of an hiatus for me as family envelopes time. Travel however is still very much part of our world and revisiting those places we love, very much part of out time. But it is time to hit the tar… a very much anticipated event.

Given time and inclination I plan… and the planning for this trip has taken time-upon-time. Taking friends and family along with us is something I love to do, such as including the Grandies while we tour, or even bringing them to us on those much enjoyed occasions. It all makes for those special memories. This time we have my Sis’ in tow… and I’m looking forward to the fun and games we can get up to as we drive ‘The Man’ to distraction.

Route 39 – The Dark Sky Park & Our Bushrangers

Part II in travelling the Newell Highway

Click through to RV Daily, The Dark Sky Park by Jan

Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park – Sydney

One of Sydneys magnificent bush reserves can be found just North of the city centre. A favourite haunt for Sydney-siders has always been this beautiful National Park. It nestles quietly on the coast between the Hawkesbury and Port Jackson, in its own brand of splendour. Often the most visitors to Sydney see of the park is the unforgettable sandstone cuttings which herald your northern approach into Sydney. These are for me the gateway to the sprawling city, found along the M1, but there is so much more than this to see.

Secrets of the Gascoyne

Find out more about the beautiful and remote Gascoyne, The fiercely independent Hutt River Province and check out Kalbarri in WA.

This is a favourite trip of ours into Western Aus’ has just been posted up in the great e-mag RV Daily … Enjoy the read for free, online HERE

You can read more of Jan’s pieces on the Editorial page link above… or just click HERE

Enjoy… Jan

Mon Repos, Bundaberg – Turtles and Taking to the Skies

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The opportunity to spend time in the beautiful backwater of Bargara in Central Qld Coast, on the Bundy shoreline, is something not to be passed up. What draws us to the region is the nesting of the turtles. Mon Repos, is a precious mainland turtle rookery, active between November and March. This is truly something special that we enjoy visiting when we can. From the labouring of the mums… to the hatching of the clutches, sprinkled up and down the beach at the National Parks Turtle centre near Bundaberg in Qld.

It’s all in the Planning… Making the most of Travel

At the moment I am thick into another trip plan… one coming up soon, and as usual I have two or three of these trip plans sitting on my desktop as I develop them as the mood takes me. A number of travellers like to just go with the flow, and there are certainly times when this is the fun way to go, but then at other times planning is a part of the enjoyment of discovery and I wouldn’t even consider not building up a plan for any given tour… Even the roughest of rudimentary plans is a good option.

Traveling as we do as a lifestyle choice, as opposed to a 2-4 week or month stint across the country, we do have a broad based guide that gets us to where we want to go and then there are times where we just head off in a general direction… or in pursuit of a general goal or season respite… or even in pursuit of an interest, but the trip plan is an essential part of our future plans and I wouldn’t be without it. Mind you these trip plans are very malleable … such as this years primary plan which was to have seen us up in the Kimberley, but instead saw us spending 6 months in and around Perth… exploring, instead. Plans change as does your focus, and often. It is best to roll with the waves and enjoy the ride.

Kalbarri WA and the National Park

Western Australia certainly has unique features. The least of which are the sands, both of the desert and the coast. It is flat… unlike the east coast of Aus’ though after a time even the flatness takes on a rolling outlook. The SW corner of WA is the most familiar of landscapes to those from the Sunrise side of the nation. This corner of WA is also the most fertile and most populated region of the State.

There are only around 2 1/2 million odd people living in the largest of Australia’s States, a State with a land area 1/3 of the nation. If I was to choose the most remote of places in Aus’ many of them would be found in Western Australia. It is undoubtably a frontier of our country… even today.

Half way up the stretch of coastline that is Western Australia is the seaside coastal town of Kalbarri. We were drawn to Kalbarri, as it is surrounded by the Kalbarri National Park which has some spectacular gorges, and the township sits at the mouth of the Murchison River, being the only town on the entire river length. It is also the region that offers some magnificent wildflower displays and hereabouts the wildflower season is the longest to be found anywhere in the State.

The Red Pilbara, Karijini NP in WA

North of the 26th Parallel on the Sunset side of Australia, the most southern place in Aus where the sun can sit directly overhead and the Gateway to the Greater North West, is a world like no other. This circle of latitude also defines our State Borders. That between the southern cities and commercial mammoths, and the wilder northern frontiers.

The southern edge of the Pilbara sits snugly just above this parallel. It is an ancient landscape with some of the worlds oldest regions still sitting above water, area’s rich in iron ores which were born when the world was rusting.

Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia

It’s winter across Aus’ and for my international readers… winter does not alway mean cold, but more chill nights and shorter days in so many places in Australia.  The east coast is shivering under a cold front which has moved in… to say it is chill on the east side now is an understatement. But here on the west side, the sunset side of the Aus’ continent, we have our winter warmth. The Man and I are currently camped up above the Tropic of Capricorn and the only thing chill is the wind. When the wind is quiet, the days are perfect, with blue skies, vast horizons and the delightful warm winter sun.