AUSTRALIA – ON THE ROAD

OCTOBER 1 – NOVEMBER 3, 2025

We had rented a Mitsubishi SUV, only because the car rental company had no small cars left. The SUV turned out to be a blessing in disguise. We went to K-Mart and bought $100 worth of camping gear – air mattress, sleeping bag, 2 pillows, pillow cases, insulated cooler bag and some freezer zip-lock bags. We slept in the back of the SUV more than half of our trip. Camping spots ranged in the mid $30 range, versus $125-175 / per night hotel or Airbnb. It was a no-brainer, especially when we saw how well kitted out the camping sites were. They had fantastic camp kitchens, clean showers and, of course, toilets.

Australia is a lot like Quebec, in that the people are super friendly with a great sense of humour, but they speak English. We would meet people in the G’DAY DISCOVERY CAMPING sites and immediately hit it off. They would tell us what to see and how to get there as well as which roads to take and which NOT to take, as they can be hazadous. We exchanged contact information with lots of people because, at they pointed out, we are now “family”.

We got in the habit of stopping strangers on the street to ask directions. They were always happily willing to help, with a G’day, big smile and “Safe Travels, mate”. (Thank you to my German friend, Viviane, for encouraging me to ask instead of wasting time trying to figure things out by myself.)

Some roads had natural stone barriers between the opposing lanes of traffic.

Public toilets had needle depositories.

Many public toilets had blue toilet seats.

We were looking for Rummery Campsite (not a G’Day one) and got really lost. The road was pretty, but very soon the pavement was gone and the road got narrower.

It was dark already. (It gets dark around 6:30 pm) We came to a section of road that had a flood warning, immediately followed by, what looked like, a flooded road. We backed up and ended up sleeping in a picnic area we had seen a short distance back. The next morning we went to see just how deep the water was. It was barely covering the road, but at night, with the glare of the head lights, it looked like an ocean.

We then realized why is there such a well built picnic area in the middle of nowhere. It turns out it was Minyon Falls. We walked a short distance to the viewing platform for the falls. I am sure during the wet season the falls are spectacular, but at this dry time of year it was barely a trickle.

Lots of trucks, which are the majority of the vehicles, have their air intake at the same height as the roof of the vehicle, so they can drive through flooded areas. They also have huge aerials mounted to the huge front bumper, as there is NO cell service in the rural areas. All the trucks had a utility box on the back, or a trailer behind, that I can only assume carried spare tires, petrol and other survival items.

The huge bumpers are to protect the vehicle from kangaroo encounters on the roads. There was a dead kangaroo at least every kilometre. In some areas, it was more. There were also lots of dead feral pigs and goats, with the odd emu, as well. We saw lots of emu and goats along the road. We saw a few kangaroo and lizards but no live pigs.

This may sound gross, but we stopped for one fresh kill. I donned two plastic bags on my hands and went to explore what the inside of their pouch feels like. It was low down on their abdomen, about pubic height, about 4 inches across and felt kind of furry inside. I did not stick my hand entirely inside. I should have been a forensic pathologist.

We noticed that the roads had a higher pitch than those at home, to allow fast and efficient water drainage.

Many places had electronic road conditions letting the driver know if the road was open, to use caution or closed.

We saw lots and lots of campers, which is probably why the campsites are so well equipped. However, the campers are much smaller than those in Canada. There were lots of pop-up campers, flip down campers, and even tents mounted on the roof of a car.

All of the rural roads had regular rest stops with toilets and picnic area. There are signs on all roads reminding drivers that fatigue kills and to stop every 2 hours.

They even had trivia games on road signs. “What is Queensland’s floral emblem?” a few kilometres was the answer “The Cooktown Orchid”. Many rest stops had free “Driver Reviver” coffee.

We saw lots of ROAD TRAINS, trucks with three trailers. We were told that in the proper outback the trucks had as many as 7 trailers. They have a tractor in the middle to push and brake that is connected to the front cab. The most we saw was 5 trailers.

Australia still burns coal to generate electricity. Nicole and Dave have solar panels and sell back into the grid.

There are service stations that have PIE FACE pastries for sale. I thought the name was cute. Lots of service stations had picnic areas.

We passed through BRISBANE, and stopped at WALKABOUT CREEK DISCOVERY CENTRE. It was NOT the Walkabout Creek from the Crocodile Dundee movie. We saw a platypus, an echidna, tree kangaroo and heard a kookaburra yelling at us.

We passed miles and miles of sugar cane fields. We saw lots of Sugar Trains. They run on narrow tracks. Each cart is numbered indicating which farmer it belongs to.

We stopped in SARINA to get a tour of the SUGAR SHED. They process the sugar cane there, then ship it off to be refined into food grade sugar and molasses. They had a miniature version of the big factory and we got to sample the fresh squeezed juice from the cane, to the syrup stage. We learned that brown sugar has the sugar content outside of the crystal, white sugar has the sugar inside of the crystal, while molasses is the syrup with the sugar removed. We then sampled their many chutneys and sauces, made on site. As well as their many liqueurs.

And cotton candy!

There are laws protecting workers from the sun. All workers had wide brim hats and long sleeves.

Although the land is mostly flat,

there are the odd and weird peaks that seem to pop out of landscape.

The land is not very porous so when it rains the water just sits. Where there is a dip the water accumulates, which causes the 2 metre flood zones.

We did most of our grocery shopping at WOOLWORTHS. When you place your produce on the scale, you push “Search” and it tells you what you have. It sometimes confuses red peppers with tomatoes and you have to select which one it is, but otherwise it is devilishly clever.

Beer was expensive.

Wine was cheap. I found a beautiful red shiraz. Now I understand why some people have a glass every night. Yum Yum.

We saw the largest BOTTLE TREE in ROMA.

We slept under the stars with birds singing us to sleep and waking us in the morning.

Some towns had angle parking that you had to back into.

We stopped in SURAT to see their museum. We learned all about shearing sheep, the grading of wool, the baling of wool, and the transportation of wool. There were stories and accounts from former sheep farmers and shearers. Some stories were merely the facts, others were of hardships, while a few were comical. Like the fellow who came home for an over night break from being on the road shearing, but instead of staying at home with his wife, he went off to the pub with his mates. In the morning he discovered he could not put his trousers on because his wife had sewn the bottom of his pant legs closed.

The museum was in the old COBB & CO. Store and Changing station. It was the official Royal Mail service stage coach. They hauled everything from mail, to people, to gold. They ran 6000 of their 30,000 horses daily. They had five coach building factories to maintain the needed supply. Many changing stations throughout the country were also needed. While the passengers rested and ate, the groomsmen undressed his team, fed, watered and groomed them before harnessing the fresh horses in their made to measure collars and harnesses. I found the farming and horseman aspects of this museum very interesting. Always a farm-girl at heart.

ST. GEORGE had streets lined with purple blooming jacaranda trees.

In COBAR we went to a lookout area to see down into a working gold mine. It was huge. We happened to see two large trucks coming out of the mine, loaded with pay dirt. They very slowly wound their way up the switch backs to the top.

The next morning we went to the COBAR MUSEUM. It had a lot of history on the town and mine, but also a lot about the land. The farm-girl in me was very interested in why they still back burn the land. It is not only to keep the dead growth under control but also to kill the invasive and pest shrubs that are overtaking the edible plants needed for domestic and wild livestock. I learned how watering holes for domestic animals has also helped the wild animals, which can backfire on the farmer. The feral goats are sometimes rounded up by farmers and sold. We saw a double decker truck filled with wild goats.

We saw an old hospital train that used to go from town to town, mostly to help with sick children.

The MINERS MEMORIAL across the road had all the names of the miners killed. The numbers between 1917-1902 were huge, they have tapered off significantly as modern safety practices were implemented.

We went to MOUNT GRENFELL HISTORICAL SITE to see the ancient rock art by the Aboriginal people. They sheltered under cliff overhangs, where the drawings are.

We stopped in BROKEN HILL and hoped to see a few attractions. Everywhere we went they were closed. Well, we tried. The town looked like it was floating in money at one time. The buildings were especially grand.

Going on to PORT AUGUSTA, we came to a QUARANTINE STATION. They confiscated our two oranges and tomatoes. They are trying (successfully) to not have fruit flies in South Australia. Every other state has them, but for 40 years they have been confiscating any fruit and vegetable to keep the pests out. They are able to sell their produce at a premium price because they do no have to spray insecticides.

We saw a huge GUM TREE in ORROROO.

Outside of PORT AUGUSTA we saw lots of wind turbines, and acres and acres of solar farms.

Going to COOBER PEDY, was a long and somewhat boring trip. Thankfully, we can entertain each other with silly conversation and observations of minute details and differences in landscape, culture and lifestyle. Coober Pedy has its own blog:

AUSTRALIA – COOBER PEDY

We stopped briefly at HART LAKE. It is a dry salt lake and one of Australia’s most valuable salt deposits. It’s flat white surface is a striking contrast to the surrounding red desert.

We had to go though a culvert under some railroad tracks to get to it. The tracks are those servicing the iconic Ghan train that travels between the northern and southern coasts. It is similar to our ROCKY MOUNTAINEER – fancy and expensive.

Coming back from the lake we saw a SHINGLEBACK LIZARD. It has a lump on its tail that looks like a second head. He was not happy with me getting so close to take a picture so it bared its blue tongue at me.

We stopped for petrol in GLENDAMBO, where they proudly advertise their lopsided population.

We headed back to PORT AUGUSTA to spend the night, where we saw lots of unique campers that we do not have in Canada. I walked around and took some pictures.

On the way to Adelaide, we stopped in PIRIE at a MILITARY MUSEUM that featured a Huey Helicopter. We were greeted by a lovely woman who pointed out that everything in the museum was donated, including the uniforms – one of which was hers. I was honoured to read her biography and have her pose next to her old uniform.

I found this museum particularly interesting in that it had stats on every war and conflict that Australia participated in. It was a grim reminder of the tremendous loss.

Another interesting piece was the duffel bag of the service man who’s serial number was “1”. He was the first man to enlist for WWI.

On to ADELAIDE, where we stayed with my son’s best friend and his family. Dave moved to Adelaide about 18 months ago. He and his wife treated us like royalty. It was wonderful seeing him again.

They had a koala in the tree in their front yard. That was a thrill in itself.

We went downtown to take a picture in front of the Mall’s Balls to prove to my nephew, Tony, that I was actually there. They are a pair of oversized stainless steel ball bearings stacked on top of each other as an art piece.

The RUNDLE MALL was quite fancy, but we did not shop.

Instead, we went across the street to check out the SOUTH AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM and the university area. There were some beautiful old buildings.

Dave’s wife, Amy, said we should stop in MOUNT GAMBIER. The area is known for its volcanic craters and sink holes. It did not disappoint. We stopped to take some pictures of BLUE LAKE, which is an old volcanic crater, measuring 1200 by 824 metres (3937 by 2703 ft) across the rim. The lake itself is 1087 by 657 m (3566 by 2156 ft) across the surface. It is about 72 metres (238 ft) deep. It sits 17 m (56 ft) below the level of main street Mount Gambier. The lake supplies the town drinking water.

We took a short hike to the top of a ridge which gave us a good view of the surrounding area.

We went to the GARDEN CAVE which sits in the middle of the town, surrounded by a beautiful rose garden. It is 30 metres (98 ft) deep and has a small waterfall pouring into it. It was the original fresh water source for the town.

We also went to the UMPHERSTON SINKHOLE. This is a large sinkhole that has been transformed into a lush garden paradise. One side has a large cave with vines hanging down like a lush waterfall, I walked behind the veil of greenery and was mesmerized by the beauty.

We took the GREAT OCEAN ROAD for the rest of the journey towards Melbourne. The highway is a 243 km living memorial to the soldiers killed in WWI. It was built by the soldiers who returned, not only as a memorial, but as a make-work project for the men. The camaraderie also helped heal them from Shell Shock (PTSD).

Along the way we saw SHIPWRECK SITES. How anyone survived these rugged coasts and wild seas was a miracle.

We met the great-niece of the sole surviving woman from the SS Admella ship wreck.

We saw CAMEL ROCK

LONDON BRIDGE fell down. The land bridge collapsed just as a couple made their way across to the sea point. It took several hours to rescue them by helicopter.

PETRIFIED TREE STUMPS in the water.

PETRIFIED FOREST, which is really just crazy limestone rock formations.

The GROTTO is a natural sinkhole that created a tranquil tidal pool with a “window” to the crashing ocean beyond.

We stopped to see the 12 APOSTLES. The formations are limestone stacks that were once part of the coastline. Over time, they have been eroded by the sea, and only eight are still standing today. The stacks were originally called the “Sow and Pigs,” but were renamed the “Twelve Apostles” for marketing purposes. 

The Great Ocean Road was not entirely along the ocean.

It also took us through the GREAT OTWAY NATIONAL PARK, with Mount Cowley, at 670 metres (2,198 feet), its highest peak. The roads were crazy crooked and hilly. It was raining softly, almost a mist, which gave the vegetation covered road a mystical feel.

In MELBOURNE we stopped at the IMMIGRATION MUSEUM. What I found most interesting was the questions they asked regarding “belonging”. Whether it was with your own cultural group or trying to assimilate. Questions like What do we wear, what do we eat, how do we talk, how do we say it, how do we express ourselves, and how do we look. First impressions, prejudices, stereotypes. We learned about Australia’s ‘White Picket Fence”; a policy from 1901 that was very clear that Australia only wanted white people. Although the policy officially ended in 1973, that racist attitude influenced policies and demographics that linger to this day.

We used my trusty GPSmycity app to explore some other areas of Melbourne. We saw FLINDERS STREET STATION. Built in 1854, it is the oldest railway station, though not the original building, in Australia.

FEDERATION SQUARE, where we were interviewed by a medical imaging institute to see how much we knew about MRI, CT scan and radiology.

Federation Square had some very unique buildings

and fun SPUN CHAIRS.

We stopped in HOLBROOK, enticed by a full size submarine sitting in a park.

The town was named after Commander Norman Douglas Holbrook who managed to sink a Turkish battleship in the Dardanelles during the Gallipoli Campaign of WWI. His submarine was decommissioned and sold for scrap. The town rallied and purchased the top portion from the scrap dealer. When funds began to run low, Mrs. Holbrook issued a personal cheque to have the project completed.

We learned a lot about submarines, the training of sailors and, of course, the story of Lt. Holbrook’s exploits.

Our next stop was ULLADULLA, where we stayed 4 nights. We made some amazing friends while camped there. The main reason for the stay was so I could go to MOGO WILDLIFE PARK to see the 3 year old gorilla, KAIUS. I had been following him since his miraculous birth. His mother was too ill from a birthing complication to raise him. Zookeepers would not give up on the little baby. They moved into the zoo to care for him in shifts. Yes, he was raised by humans, but has since integrated 100% back into his gorilla family.

In KIAMI, we stopped to see the BLOWHOLE.

We headed back into SYDNEY, where we had a tour of the SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE. We saw in interior how it was built, with the cement arches inspired by a sphere cut into sections and spread apart.

We also got up close to the ceramic tiles that cover the exterior shells. Some of the tiles are glazed so when it rains the water slides off them and onto the unglazed ones, which washes them and keeps everything clean.

When we handed the car back in we discovered we put on 11,000 kilometres. Although there is a lot more to see and experience in this vast country, I think we got a good representation and feel for it.

We easily could have spent our entire holiday in Australia. It is a BIG country, even though 60% of it is uninhabitable, there was still a lot more we would have liked to have seen and done.

The NUMBER ONE HIGHLIGHT was the people. I have never met such a friendly bunch. Just waiting in line at MacDonalds can spark a conversation. Their sense of humour is whacky and contagious.

Cute coffee mugs. You can’t help but be in a good mood after a cuppa java.

We were off to Tasmania…..