Orange, New South Wales

 Orange the name of the town we stayed in in Central New South Wales in the high country so it's colder there in the winter for sure.  We stayed there a few years back in the caravan in a caravan park and one morning we woke up to 'frost' like I've never seen before.  Oh, it was cold because we were not used that type of weather.   The show grounds were behind us, and a few men brought their dogs there training them.

Orange is about 3.1/2 hours drive from Sydney.  Population is about 42,000 people.  We have only been there once. Oranges do not grow in Orange. 

The city was named after Prince William of Orange.  Major Thomas Mitchell (1792-1855) was Surveyor-General (1828-1855) overseeing official maps and infrastructure.  He was a Scottish born Soldier and explorer.  Major Thomas Mitchell named Orange, New South Wales, in honour of Prince William of Orange.  Mitchell chose the name in 1846 as a personal tribute to the Prince, with whom he had served and fought during the Peninsular War in Spain.

 Agriculture and mining happens there. 

Kangaroo Paw, Western Australia

 The plant Kangaroo Paw is a native plant that you find growing in the Australian Bush in Western Australia.  The flower reflects a kangaroo paw hence it's name. A collection of colours of Kangaroo Paws [ here ] plus photos of the plant close up.  The colours are more intense in cooler climates.

These photos were taken by me not far from Ravensthorpe in Western Australia several years ago. I'm really enjoying looking at my past travels of Australia in our caravan and finding photos to share. 

The Kangaroo Paws like to grow in sandy soil slightly acidic so the air can get to the roots.

Salt bush growing in a similar area and the Indigenous Australians used saltbush as a versatile food, natural seasoning, and traditional medicine.  They roasted and ground the seeds to mix into damper (bush bread), used the salty leaves to wrap and flavour meats, and applied crushed leaves as a poultice to soothe burns, wounds, and skin sores.

Many farm animals, native wildlife, and insects eat saltbush which serves as a tough, salty food source in dry area - including sheep.

From Launceston to Ravensthorpe is 3,550 km, 44 hours and 9 minutes (2,205 miles)

Two maps as it gives better idea of the distance. You can see the marks on the map.