Tuesday 23 April 2013

Madura Pass, across the Nullarbor. WA

Madura Pass in Western Australia along the Nullarbor is isolated and the days to drive are one's personal choice.  It's not always a good idea to travel between dusk and sunrise due to native animals.
The animals you well may see are: Camels, Kangaroos, Emus, Dingoes, Wombats, Wild Cats, Rabbits, Snakes, Wedgetail Eagles, Lizzards, Crows and so on.
There is no phone service only at the Roadhouses and very little water, it's best you take your own.
Norseman and Ceduna are the main towns and are 1,300km apart.
We have travelled this Highway twice so far from West to East both times.


Sign as how far to go either way.


Some scenery from the Pass.


Then we come to Nullarbor Road House, a view towards the road.


The Road House where you can get petrol and accommodation plus food.
There a a few more places along the Nullarbor but it can be a lonely road.

Saturday 20 April 2013

Balladonia, WA

Balladonia in Western Australia (WA) is known for it's Wool industry followed by Tourism.
The Pub has a Motel attached and the Dinner menu is here: http://www.balladoniahotelmotel.com.au/menus.php and I should imagine the servings would be large. One can't say, I will go to the next place to stay/eat because the next place probably hasn't got accommodation and it's quite some distance away, far enough away to fill your vehicle up again with petrol.
We had a caravan and always carried extra petrol plus extra water.

It's a lonely road is the Eyre Highway, you can go for km/miles and not see another person or vehicle. The road is rather straight with one section being 90 miles straight.

Balladonia is 916 km (569 mi) from Perth in WA, and 192 km (119 mi) from Norseman in previous post.
Our niece her husband and their two little ones have just driven from Kalgoorlie to Melbourne in the State of Victoria, the on the ship to Tasmania, and back across the Nullarbor again staying in Motels along the way.


What is known as Salt Bush.


Flat and straight.


Speaks for it's self.


A view from where we bought petrol, and there is a colourful playground for children.

Thursday 18 April 2013

Car Crash in Targa.

So many bad things happening in this world at the moment, just one thing after another. In the middle of the tragedies of this world, here in Tasmania, Australia we have the annual car rally called Targa. http://www.targa.com.au/tc/ in various places on this Island same time every year.

On the first day of the rally in a country area a man lost his life by hitting a big gumtree, his navigator was taken to the hospital. The picture below is what is left of the Porsche which was bought especially for Targa Tasmania. Photo courtesy of the Examiner newspaper.




Sunday 14 April 2013

Norseman, WA

Norseman is 726 km, (426 miles) east of Perth Western Australia (WA), it's also the start of the Eyre Highway and the last major town before heading to the State of South Australia. The SA border is 720 km (477 miles) east of Norseman which has approximately 857 people.
The temperature can reach 46dgC (114.8F) which was a record high in 2010 according to Wikipedia.

Amazing to travel along the road and all of a sudden you see a roundabout with camels in the middle and around it, something different indeed.

Small towns or just Roadhouses that sell food & petrol are situated just the right distance apart to buy petrol and food, along with an attached Motel some having Caravan Parks.


The Camels.


The Norseman Town Hall.


Just after passing through Norseman there is the sign above. So if you haven't got enough water you turn back and purchase it.

Friday 12 April 2013

Ravensthorpe, WA

Ravensthorpe is about 542 km south east of the City of Perth in Western Australia.  A small population and lovely wild flowers in the area.  We visited this town well before coming across the Nullarbor and it was wonderful to see some of the flowers, the two types of Banksia and the Red Kangaroo Paws growing in their natural habitat.


 That is real sand.


Banksia growing on the side of the road.


Another type of Banksia.

Wednesday 10 April 2013

The Great Australian Bight

I love the trip across the Nullarbor meaning no trees or very few.  The road is mostly flat, water is scarce and Roadhouses are but a few. Beautiful scenery for part of the way if one drives off the main road at designated roads to see the Great Australian Bite.
1,100 kilometres (684 miles) from East to West according to Wikipedia.


Facing West.


Facing East

Sunday 7 April 2013

Tail Race Park, Trevallyn Tasmania.

I have my father staying with us, it's interesting to say the least :) He manages to get a mug out to pour some water for his tea and has the mug upside down, thank goodness he didn't burn himself.  That is just one thing of many that he does because he's legally blind.

We all went to the youngest grandchild's 1st birthday party at Tail Race Park yesterday, had a barbecue on a lovely humid day.  I am yet to discover why it's called Tail Race Park.
The park was lovely and green with 3 barbecues underneath a canopy, and there were about 3 of those within the park, it's first in gets the use of the barbecues. Didn't take a photo because everyone was camera shy :)


The view of the river from the ramp at Tail Race Park.


I zoomed for this photo.


Nothing would be complete unless there were swans.

Tuesday 2 April 2013

The Jail!

When I was about 9 years old I lived in another Police House with the Police Station attached to the house, so therefore my father's office along with his Juniors was joining the second lounge room where my Piano was situated.
I had my private tuition in piano and spent many hours practicing, infact my mother used to get cross because I spend so much time playing the piano, this continued throughout my life.
Practicing also got me out of doing so many things around the house :)

At the back of the house my bedroom looked onto the back lawn, then across from that was the 'Jail' in those days. Often there would be a great noise in the middle of the night and it was one of the Policemen putting someone in Jail.
The Jail doors were extremely dense with a round small hole in the middle of the door where the prisoner could peek out to see the grass, my bedroom window and the sky.

Often in the morning time or very early morning we would be woken with banging which came from the Jail.  It was always discovered that the Prisoners would be sitting on the floor with their feet hitting the door (no shoes).  Up my dad would get and tell them to be quiet.  Sometimes there would be glorious voices singing :) Mostly I was amused at all of this.
In the morning time my mother would make the Prisoners breakfast,  then accompanied by my dad to give the breakfast to the Prisoners.

One day I was on the lawn practicing my ballet leaps etc. and doing handstands, cartwheels when I heard a voice coming from one of the Jails, I also saw two fingers from the hole in the door and a voice saying 'Girlie, little Girlie, let me out of here'. I rang for my life inside for this surprised me greatly that I had been seen, or it was what he saw when I was doing my handstand, cartwheels and my ballet leaps. I didn't know we had a Prisoner and being a young child I was extremely embarrassed.

Monday 1 April 2013

Drawing with Photoshop CS6

I like to draw with pencils or such when I get in the mood, other times I take one of my photos and draw/sketch with Photoshop CS6, that's also good fun.  Just a few examples of the digital ones below.


Police Station in Charters Towers in Queensland, Australia.
Yes, it was garbage day :)


Hotel in Australia can't recall just where!


Bed & Breakfast in Kempton, Tasmania, Australia.


The old bike now sold.