The Red (hot) Centre

Are you looking at this picture and thinking Ostrich? You'd be wrong - this is the other big flightless bird that you see around these parts (and I don't mean Dame Edna Everage!) This is a very friendly Emu. Good job it's friendly, because unlike a pigeon or sea gull, this chap is a little difficult to frighten off when he gets too close to your sandwich!! Call me old fashioned - but I kept looking for Rod Hull's arm!



This was about 10am and if you click the picture and check, you'll see it was around 105F. By midday it got to 120F in the shade - our guide reckons that this was the hottest place on earth that day!

This is early afternoon in Watarrka (Kings Canyon) National Park, famous for it's sheer 100m high walls. The walk started off with a near vertical climb (affectionately known as 'Heart attack Hill') for about 15 mins then luckily 'levelled' off! We were promised a swim mid-way around the walk so we were well motivated. The next picture is the said 'watering hole' as us Ozzies like to call them. It's called the Garden of Eden and with its tranquil pools let me tell you it is like Eden after walking in temperatures in excess of 45 degrees (in the shade!)

More pictures around the canyons.

Sometime during our trip Elvis must have turned Muslim, because she turned up that morning wearing the veil! That was my theory anyway, although Elvis will tell you it was to keep the very friendly flies at bay.

A picture from the rim of Kings Canyon which overlooks the sheer cliff faces.







This was our campsite! Don't look for any facilities cos there aren't any!. We slept on thick canvas bags called 'swags' and just made a circle around the fire and looked at the stars. The sky is so clear that it is literally full of bright stars everywhere you look. A free cup of tea if you can guess who was in charge of the fire!

This is the next morning and a walk around Kata Tjuta (the Olgas), a bizarre collection of huge rounded rocks. (Just for info Kata Tjuta means 'many heads'). The Olgas may look like Uluru, but they're made of bits of rock that's bonded together in a kind of natural cement, where as Uluru is made from a single piece of rock. This picture was taken towards the end of a challenging walk, given the heat and the swarms of flies - all of which want to kiss you on the lips! we deserved a medal at the end! (We settled for salsa dip and crackers!)

This is us in front of the Olgas being sucked up into the air by a strange mystical force of radiation gamma waves thingy that lifts you up in the air. Or perhaps we just jumped. As you can see, Elvis has still got that lamp shade on her head.

Wild ostriches, kangaroos and emus I can believe, but we didn't expect to see wild camels. We also saw some wild horses too, but the worst thing we saw was sheep! Who could be so cruel to bring an animal that has no choice but to wear a woolly coat all day into this heat!



This is the majestic Uluru (aka Ayers Rock) at sunset. It's the largest monolith in the world, 3.6km long and rises a towering 348m and because it is made of a type of sandstone (which is a red/brown colour) when the setting sun hits it, it illuminates the Rock in burnishing orange, then a series of deeper and darker reds in front of your eyes. It is quite amazing, you'll see in the other pictures how it looks a different colour again when the sun is higher - more brown and grey looking. This picture is especially for Christopher and Nicola Elves who visited Uluru a few years ago but unfortunately had bad weather on the day they went to see it at sunset. Nicola asked me to get her a picture of the rock at sunset, so here we are Nicola, we hope this will do!

Uluru they say is one of the most recognisable landmarks of Australia throughout the world. I suppose it's a bit like Penshaw Monument!

This is the Olgas as viewed from Uluru at sunset.

This is the next day - this time first thing in the morning. This is some of our group getting a prime seat for the sunrise on Uluru. That's Elvis there in the middle! We were up at 5:30 am at camp to get here on time - our guide is busy making breakfast!


....and this is how Uluru looks at sunrise - not as impressive as sunset I think, it needs a few little clouds in the sky to help catch the colour of the light!

When you get close to Uluru it is full of holes and caves, like this one here (see picture below - notice also how the colour of the sandstone looks different depending how the light hits it - the part in the background looks almost grey). The Aboriginals have stories that they believe explain all these holes and caves. They call it 'Dreamtime', for instance one of the caves is supposed to be a place where Aboriginal children hid from a giant dog, they waited for their parents to return but unfortunately the giant dog had killed their parents - so they waited in the cave so long they turned to stone. When you look in the cave it has four stone columns inside. Now you may be thinking 'hang on - this dreamtime business sounds like someone has been on the happy baccy'! You wouldn't be wrong, the Aboriginals did chew some leaves from a local bush that had hallucinogenic properties. Nowadays the Aboriginals don't chew the leaves anymore, they drink beer instead! If they're not careful they'll have no time for 'dreamtime' they'll be too busy playing bingo and dominoes!

This is the cave with the stone columns inside.

If you wanted to upset the Aboriginal people you can climb the rock. The Aboriginal people hold Uluru as a major part of their heritage and as such no one should walk on it or take fragments from it - but as you see from the picture, plenty of people have climbed it as you can see the beaten track up to the summit of the rock. If you click on the picture you can see the handrails leading up. Most people don't climb the rock out of respect to the Aboriginal beliefs, however, our guide reckons visitors from a certain nationality often climb the rock. A free cup of tea if you can name that country! To save any embarrassment I'll give you a clue - this time it's not the British!

This is our group - another mixed bunch! We have Germans, English, Irish, Scottish, Australian, American, Hong Kong and Korean. That's Leith (the guide) sitting dead centre - just about to be kicked by the Korean girl. Leith was a real star, in fact he and I got on really well, Keith and Leith - it was destiny really with names like that!!

Here's Leith and I having a few Vitamin B's after the trip. Shortly after this picture I collapsed into bed (you can tell by my face I have about 30 seconds left) while Leith and the others went in search for a night club! I blamed the heat but they reckon that age might have something to do with it too!



This is Duncan, Kate and Elvis. Duncan and Kate are from England - when they're not somewhere else in the world! They've been to some of the places we're going to next so they helped us put some plans together for that (when I say 'helped us' I mean Elvis - I was gone after a few drinks!). With a bit luck we might meet Duncan and Kate in Malaysia - fingers crossed!

This is 30,000 feet up looking down on the salt lakes that we passed in the Ghan train.

You can also see where the farmers are starting to be able to grow crops.

More salt lakes and then an unexpected look at the wondrous Uluru for the last time.

The plane is heading to Perth - but that's the subject of another blog!!!!

Ps Well done Christopher, Nicola and Samuel - first to comment on the blog and although everyone is dissing your efforts we can confirm there was NO tipping off this time! A cup of tea, pot of tea and a canteen of cutlery to Shirley who got the Ghan question right - we loved the use of Ghan in the local dialect too. We like your comments Shirley, if only those other rude people would take heed!

Happy Birthday to Pamela Hodgson (aka Windy Miller) and Andy Reekie (pioneer of tomato based sun defence products). Have a great day you two.

Special hello to Boiled Ham (Phil Armstrong) - thanks for your e-mail, you can make comments if you like but don't follow the lead of the 'cheeky ones'.

Trains - Every REAL Man's Dream!!

Starting with a free cup of tea question: Why is the Ghan train so named? Close examination of the first picture may see you sitting with a free brew before you know it! The Ghan journey is listed as one of the worlds great train journeys - so you just knew I would be on it! It sets off from Adelaide on the south coast at 12:20pm and arrives at Alice Springs at 1:45pm the next day! Which is actually just over 24 hours because the train crosses a time zone when it leaves South Australia and enters the Northern Territory. The total distance is near enough 1500km - and it doesn't end there! We got of at Alice but the train continues to Darwin right in the north, which is another 24 hours! Most of the journey is through very hostile land, in fact after leaving Adelaide on the coast only 1% of the inhabitants of South Australia live in this area. There's very little water and as you can see in the pictures most of the lakes have dried up leaving massive salt lakes.

Before getting on the train I instructed the driver that I have a 'train drivers certificate' should he need someone to take over the controls!!

Most of the pictures from the train are through the double glazing! So they're a bit blurry!

Elvis and I enjoying a coffee and a little reading in the dining car! There's also a lounge area and even showers (yes we did)!

These pictures may look like a seascape, but there's no water here! These are giant salt lakes. In the next blog I managed to get some pictures of these lakes from 30,000 feet up - out of the plane window and you can appreciate the size of them.

So - the train is heading on a direct route heading North. This picture is out of the left hand side of the train - Sunset! The next picture is out of the right side of the train some 9 hours later - Sunrise!

Sunrise in the desert.







Crossing the border from SA to the Northern Territory. The NT is a wilderness. You need special permission to drive the roads because if your vehicle breaks down, there's a good chance you'll frazzle before you get help. However, the plus point is that there's no speed limit on most of the roads because they're so straight with excellent visibility, also there's no police about either!

The heat outside of the train is about 45c at midday (in the shade) and little 'twisters' like this develop and kick the sand about.

This is the Iron Man Monument, it marks the 1,000,000 sleeper laid on the Ghan track.

I forgot to put a picture of a 'road train' on the blog (maybe I will later), road trains are tucks that tow three or four (or maybe more) FULL size trailers behind them. They usually only run on these roads because the roads are so straight with miles of visibility. Years ago when we were driving in France (in a right hand drive car, on the right hand side of the road!) my brother-in-law, Shahrohk was driving. He would move out to overtake and ask me if anything was coming!. I kept thinking of what it would be like trying to overtake a road train!

This is the end of the journey, we're at Alice Springs now! Tomorrow we start a tour of 'the Red Centre' - but that's the subject of another blog!

PS A quick message to Justine and Ben (aka 'Skippy') - great to hear your comments, if anyone thinks Ben's impression of a kangaroo is bad, I do have a picture of him as a wombat, which is even worse! Congratulations to Justine in wiping the floor with the competition with her speedy reply - what do you mean we tipped her off, no way, the English always play by the rules!! Forgive Ben's attack on the Poms, I can explain: when we met Justine and Ben in Fiji, I (Keith) was made chief of the group, Ben was made my second in charge (my spokesman) - he's never really got over it.

Also special wishes to Lynn Taylor who celebrates her 50th on the 19th January - Happy Birthday!!, we'll toast your Birthday with some Ozzie champagne (Victoria Bitter)

Marvellous Melbourne!

"This is ground control to Major Tom, la la la ", ha ha!!! This is Keith at the museum getting 'up close and personal' with the ant colony - he had to push five kids out of the way to get in! (Free cup of tea to whoever can guess why we were in a museum at Midday?)

After leaving our friends Ben and Justine we took the train to the city and spent a few days seeing the sights. Melbourne is a great little city, supposedly the artistic and sporting capital of Australia! We certainly enjoyed ourselves taking in the city vibe and meandering along the lane ways and alleys, stopping for the occasional beverage and odd piece of cake of course, it would be rude not to!

This is the Princes Bridge crossing over the Yarra River.

This is the Southgate Footbridge, a bit modern eh?


The Melbourne skyline. These photos were taken at about 7pm with temperatures still in the mid 20's - ohh lovely!

This is the harbour at St Kilda. It's a trendy little suburb with a great palm-lined beach and numerous bars and cafes. Elvis and I fitted in no bother!

This is me taking drastic measures with the excessive temperatures. It's a new sunscreen called 'Factor 100'! I think it's going to catch on!

Oh such beautiful sunsets in this country!

This is Queen Victoria Gardens where Elvis and I enjoyed a tasty little picnic followed by a snooze - let me tell you this travelling malarkey is exhausting!!

Victoria and The Great Ocean Road

Long stretches of ocean beaches, rugged cliffs with shipwrecks on one side and lush forests on the other, (I know one person who is drooling already!) the Great Ocean Road really is just such a spectacular drive .


But before we start with The Great Ocean Road - the car was stopped and 'an about turn made' when we saw this chap looking over a fence - we all got out of the car and had a good look! But we didn't stand around too long - it was 42 C.

This is us enjoying a couple of 'correctors' at Apollo Bay on The Great Ocean Road (TGOR). Apollo Bay is a great little place with a laid back ambiance, super beaches and beautiful green hills! An ideal spot for a couple of drinks or two and a fill of the local speciality - fish and chips!

Apollo bay from 'Marriner's Lookout' - Checkout the vast coast.

Justine took us to a place where she had seen Koalas before (on the way to Cape Otway), we didn't see any this time so Suzanne scaled the tree and put this stuffed toy in the branches. It looks real though doesn't it?

Behold the Majesty of the Twelve Apostles - look at the wonder of the vista 'WHILST' realising the power of nature......(not bad for someone from Sun'lun hey?). By the way - give this picture a click, it's worth seeing in its full glory.

The Twelve Apostles are giant rock stacks in the ocean, abandoned to the ocean by the eroding mainland. Dramatic limestone cliffs tower above the ocean just to give you the full effect. (What do you mean, we copied that out of a book?)

This is a new concept to us - known as 'The Traveller'. We asked if we could stop for a few beers to take home, Justine suggested we got some for home and a few 'travellers' for the journey home. It'll be all the craze in England soon! The Australians often refer to distance in terms of the number of travellers to be consumed from place to place. This particular part of the journey from bottle shop to Bendigo was a 'four traveller' trip!

Justine and Ben said they see this just about every night! That day was as hot as this picture looks - 47 C at the height.





What else would you do when it's 40 C outside on New Years Eve - obvious isn't it? Stay inside and cook curries! This is me with my sous Chef Justine who can mince garlic and chop onions with the best of them. Just in case your mouth is watering, the curry menu was :- chicken and lentil, chicken masala and a vegetable and chick pea, accompanied by freshly baked Turkish bread and boiled rice mmmmmmmmm!

This is Toli - my new best friend! Toli has a reputation of not liking some people, but we got on just great. Paul and Shirley - you might want to make sure Jackson doesn't see this picture, I know how much he'll be missing me and this will only make him jealous!

This photo was taken in front of a paddleboat steamer on the Murray River, gee it was hot that day!

A free cup of tea to anyone who can guess a) what animal is Ben imitating and b) what animal has just been barbecued and about to be eaten? (hint: the answer to both questions is the same!)

A toast to our wonderful hosts, Ben and Justine - "Thanks for a great New Year and for making us so very welcome in your home!"

Tasmania - The last days

Note the ultra-cool pose of Sebastian in this picture, I think this is typical of a twelve year old who came on a walk against his will! (By the way -if anyone thinks they recognise Sebastian, then have a look at the Queenstown blog, especially the 'bungee jump incident' from October 2007)
This is Snug Falls just a short distance from Rick and Doreen's.




This is the three guys fishing in the 'tinny'. I use the term fishing very loosely - Sebastian caught a few, Rick even caught a couple but I didn't catch a thing! My theory is that the Tasmanian fish hate the Poms. My job was removing the fish from the hook when Sebastian caught them and trying to avoid 'wearing' the odd octopus as they were hauled into the boat - I nearly got a good sized octopus right in the face - it was like a scene from Alien! We ate the fish later the same day - gorgeous!!.... in case you're wondering, the octopus went back unharmed



How about that for a view? This is Rick and Doreen's garden which overlooks the marina. We are eating the catch of the day before gorging on pizza!









On our last day we all took a trip 'the long way around' to the airport - this is just one of the many beaches on the way - as you can see it's just a little dream island!



This is from the top of Mount Wellington (1270 metres). Very windy up there but the views are sublime. Although I've no idea what's wrong with my face on this picture (or Elvis', I think she is overdoing the 'cheesey grin thing"!)

This is all of us beside one of the first boats back from the Sydney to Hobart yacht race - note yet another ultra-cool pose from Sebastian - and what about that t-shirt everybody?

You could be forgiven for thinking this is the bridge of the Star ship Enterprise. It's actually a catamaran that Rick has built from scratch! It is truly fantastic! - I've got lots of pictures of it if anyone wants to see more - it's not finished yet but the date has been set and the date is September 25th 2008. The trouble is there has been other finish dates - three I believe. Good luck with the project Rick - we can't wait to see it in the marina.

So many thanks to Rick, Doreen and Sebastian for making our stay on Tasmania such a special one. We do intend to see that finished boat sometime so we'll see you either back in Tasmania or we'll meet up somewhere in the Mediterranean for a reunion!

Note from Blogger Control - Didge, Sissy J and Rusty Sandersfield - your cheeky comments have been given to Blogger Control, you may have your comments blocked if there aren't more 'favourable' remarks in the future. Please all of you take a lesson from the lovely Shirley Sandersfield, who gets the free cup of tea for her comments.