What Became of Van Diemen’s Land’s Youngest Convict Lads?

One of the highlights of our visit to Tasmania was our venture into the convict punishment precinct of Port Arthur, stretched out as it is on the Tasman Peninsula at the very southern end of Aus’. A penal settlement, isolated by the cold antarctic winds and separated from the main Tasmanian island by the savage dog line across the isthmus of the peninsula which kept the convicts in, and the good society of Van Diemen’s Land out. The Dog Line was accompanied by a guards hut where guards and their families lived and this was as close as polite society came.

Canberra – A Holiday Destination

Parliament House

On this tour we headed to our National Capital with a choice of places that made our Bucket List. My advice is – Plan your visit!  I couldn’t emphasise this more, and you will find Canberra a great place to take kids.

Here are a couple of choice highlights from our week and I hope they fire your imagination because despite it being damn freezing… its been a great week. 

A Celebration in Sydney

 

Sydney has to be one of our favourite places to explore. While accommodation is always an issue, and the cities Caravan Parking is as scarce as hens teeth, one of the biggest advantages in Sydney is the Opal card… coupled with what is generally a affordable, usable and convenient public transport system. Yes… you can easily get around the vast city on the public network and with the use of one of the transit apps available for smart phones which links you via public transport, from where you are, to where you want to go.

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.

Principality of Hutt River, WA

Near 600klm north of Perth in WA, in a quiet valley, sits Australia’s only Principality. The  75sq klm, former sheep station and wheat farm of Hutt River, sits just off the coastline of SW WA and is Australia’s only Independent Sovereign State and micro-nation. In a  secession from the Government of Aus’ in 1970 the Principality was born in the controversy of a new Province. The secession was inspired because of wheat quota’s, unfairly distributed by the WA Government of the day, that would have proven a great hardship for the station, destroying the livelihood of a collection of Aussie families. Appeals against the fractional wheat quota were unsuccessful, so Prince Leonard seceded, and in doing so he created an independent province to survive. Survive he did, and what was to become the only Principality or micro nation within the borders of Australia. The Province, now a Principality was born.

Van Diemans Land and the Bushmen

Hobart and districts, which sprawl up the shoreline of the Derwent River, hold a wonderful history and is one of the major draws to visiting Tasmania. It is a history that the Government tried to loose back in 1856 when they renamed the southern Island of Australia, Tasmania.

The Wealth of a Country – Australia

Camped-up along the Peel River near Nundle, tucked into the hills, is a special delight. For The Man it is the pull of gold, that of wresting the golden flecks and the lucky occasional nugget from the earth. Most people think that this is it… in its entirety; and they couldn’t be more wrong. You aren’t going to get me down there in that cold water puddling. Me… I would rather sit in the sun and entertain myself in other ways.

Nundle – A Gem in the NSW Goldfields

The best of travelling when your retired is time, the time you can take to do the things you love. For me this is watching… noting the world around me, and exploring the places we go and meeting the people from different worlds as we share our experiences. These are the things that stay with you the most.

There’s Gold in Them There Hills

Sofala NSW – The Turon River Gold Fields

We are camped up in one of our favourite haunts… along the Turon River near Sofala, deep in the hinterland of Central NSW. When most Grey Nomads are on their northern sojourn, chasing the sun, The Man and I have elected to winter in the chill southern States this year. We are looking forward to enjoying the frosty mornings, the sweet morning chorus of the birds as they choose their winter mates, and prepare for the deep winter and the break of spring that will bring the promise of a new generation.

Our Cities – Places of History

We’re in Sydney once more, on our annual (or bi-) migration, having just completed the fun loop from Sydney through to Canberra, on to Melbourne and back and in comparing the big three there can be found a lot of entertainment.