Australian Road trip: Day Seven

Day Seven: Onward to Adelaide

Adelaide, the capitol of South Australia lay ahead along the Riddoch highway a short 6 hour drive away. Crossing the border from Victoria to South Australia reveals vineyards the size of which would rival those found in Sonoma, California. The road leaving the coast and the vineyards gradually climbs and the vegetation changes rather quickly from dense tress, lush undergrowth, and green grass ripe with farms to gradually dry and dusty semi-arid outback countryside. Cattle ranches, known qolloquially as cattle stations, become the common scenery along with more livestock road trains along the route. But as the drive approaches the town of Tailembend, SA, the scenery suddenly shoots upwards and mountainous terrain dominates the horizon.

Adelaide is a gem of a city. The central business district is surrounded by a series of parks that act as a buffer between the downtown area and the suburbs. It's big enough to support large concert venues, universities, and a nightlife. Adelaide boasts a large airport with domestic and international flights and has plenty of shoreline for beach goers.

Along the coast lies the community of Glenelg, the oldest settlement in Australia. Glenelg was founded in the 1850s and was the first European settlement in South Australia. It's shoreline is popular with boaters and the marina is home to many large sailing vessels and yachts.

The pioneer and ANZAC memorial in Glenelg at the beach.

About 10 years ago I read an article about a grove of trees discovered in Australia in 1994. The tree was identified as being a long considered extinct conifer believed to have died out around 140 million years ago. Fossil records of the tree can be found throughout the world and after some research it was determined that the same plant. It was christened the Wollemi Pine after the national park in which it as found. The tree grove contained a relatively small number of the Wollemi Pine, which incidentally isn't a true conifer, and genetic testing revealed that it had little to no genetic diversity making the grove and any future offspring very susceptible to disease. Australia's government has put forth an effort to repopulate and ensure the tree's survival by selling and donating saplings and seeds to botanical gardens and individuals around the world through the Royal Botanical Society. Being a biologist I promised myself after reading the article that I would venture out to see the tree for myself one day and after ten years I had finally arrived at the Adelaide Botanical Gardens.

Entry into the gardens is free and open from morning to night. During the week crowds are small, but weekends can be quite busy with lots of families on their afternoon outings, so consider this when planning a trip.

The Adelaide gardens are stunning! The pathways are well maintained and visitors are encouraged to engage with the plants by venturing off the path and onto the grass to enjoy a true English garden that would rival any of those found in Britain.

 Click here for a 360 degree view.

With my sacred pilgrimage over, I made the long drive back to Sydney to see all that wonderful city had to offer.

Australian Road Trip: Day Six

Day Six: The Great Ocean Road

If I had to make a bucket list, driving this highway would be on that list. The Great Ocean Road is actually route B100. It hugs the shoreline from the city of Torquay (pronounced tor-key) to Warnnambool which is the largest city on the road. It's a tourist attraction, for sure, but that doesn't negate the fact that the road has historical significance. It was built by soldiers who returned home after fighting the first world war and then dedicated to those who died during that war.

The area benefits greatly from the attraction this route has. The beauty of the ocean and the land meeting is unmatched. Victoria, or perhaps the federal government, has ensured that the view of the sea isn't blocked by buildings and development. Well, other than this one lighthouse that towered above everything.




The Split Point Lighthouse was built in 1891 to warn ships passing through the treacherous Bass Straight of land. It operated using a gas light and needed two people to operate up until the 1900s when the gas was replaced with electric light. Further improvements now utilize a high output light that pulses several times every few seconds. The Fresnel lens made in Britain is still used, however the factory that made the lens was bombed by those pesky Germans, so if a replacement is ever needed, the Victoria government will need to shop elsewhere. (They'll probably have to buy one from China nowadays.) The lighthouse is now unmanned. I guess lighthouse keepers are the victim of yet another technology taking their jobs, so I guess this isn't a uniquely 21st century concern.

I love taking photos. Pictures do a brilliant job of capturing the moment was we see it. But, at the same time they always leave me disappointed when I look at the image I've just taken on my phone.
(And I have an excellent camera phone, too!)

REally though, pictures are great. They allow us to relive an experience by activating neuronal pathways in our brain. These pathways connect through other sensory input means such as smell, sight, and touch. So when we look at a photo we can relive the feel of the wind on our faces while we took that photo. We can experience the smell of the salty air and breathe in again and feel the humidity as it warms our nostrils. And we can look at a photograph that we took and hear the cacophony of a hundred waves pounding the shore. But when we show that same photo to a colleague at work while explaining just how incredible or life changing the journey was, the photograph simply doesn't evoke those same senses.  I think that is why traveling and experiencing new things is so important. Having that empirical knowledge by far beats looking at photos on Google Earth.

Go. See. Experience.

Australian Road Trip: Day Five

Day Five: Thredbo to Geelong and the Great Ocean Road

The drive leaving out of Thredbo after hiking Mount Kozzie was a nice rest for my tired legs and I welcomed the long period of sitting. But the view from the driver's seat was stellar! The road leaving the alpine region is windy and completely canopied with the leaves of the ubiquitous Eucalyptus trees.

Australia is an old continent. It feels so, in part, because of the Eucalyptus trees and they are the masters of the great southern land's extreme conditions. They're found in the cold and snowy regions. They're also found in the hot, dry climates where only the monsoons rains sustain them for a season. The shed their bark almost constantly and their tendrils hang down onto anything the dares to inhabit the space below the trees' branches. This bark is seen hanging from other limbs, from highway signs, guardrails, buildings, and the highway. Cleanup, it would seem, isn't the highest priority on the highway department's list of maintenance items as large pieces of bark are a constant hazard on the road, especially for motorcycles.

The road gradually changed from winding mountain roads and passes to more level terrain replete with farms, dairies, and wine vineyards offering samples and food. Most of this day was driving, and while it may seem like a waste, I was able to see a great deal of the countryside and its terrain.

Tomorrow: the Great Ocean Road.

Australian Road Trip: Day Four

Day Four: The Mighty Mountain

I woke up early and packed my stuff away. I knew that I would have to get another park pass so I'd have to wait until the office opened up at 0900. It's technically free to get into the park at the gate entrance, as long as you're driving through. But the moment you park you can be ticketed. And the parking lot rangers were out looking for violators.

My entry permit was valid for 24 hours. I was up and out of my room by 0800 and the parking lot rangers were currently sitting directly in front of my car in the spot I'd backed into, making my permit completely visible. Fortunately I still had 30 minutes left and was able to move. Once the office opened up I got my permit and stuck it to my windshield and made my way to the mountain.

The hike to the summit technically begins at the village of Thredbo which lies at the base of the mountain. However, the initial climb is very steep and easily adds another 3-4 hours onto the hike. Since I was pressed somewhat for time I opted to buy a pass to take the ski lift up the worst part of the ascent.

Australia is keenly aware of the impact of humans on the climate and environment. The states of New South Wales and Victoria have both outlawed single use plastics such as shopping bags. They've also taken a great deal of care to ensure that the plants on the hike to Kosciuzko's summit are spared by placing an elevated walking path for tourists. The result is a roughly 6 km hike, of which about 85-90 percent is a metal grate surface to hike on as seen in the photos here.

I took a big risk using my phone on the ski lift down, but it was worth it to catch some video. 

With Mount Kosciuzko completed, my next destination was the Great Ocean Road.

Australian Road Trip: Day Three

Day Three: Onward to Thredbo





The highest peak on the continent of Australia is Mount Kosciuzko. Apart form the first aboriginal peoples, the first European to scale the mountain was a polish explorer named  Paweł Edmund Strzelecki in 1840. He named the mountain after a Polish war hero and freedom fighter. The mountain is about 2300 meters high (7300 feet) and is no where near as high as the behemoths of the alps or the Himalayas. In fact, Pike's Peak in Colorado is nearly twice as tall. While it may be smaller, it's much, much older at over 440 million years old. There are a few options to scale the summit. The most popular appears to be to begin in Thredbo, a small village nestled in the gap between the base of Kosciuzko and surrounding hills. It has the benefit of a ski lift to overcome the steeper parts of the hill and get the climb started.

Looking toward Thredbo along Friday Drive.


After a good night's sleep I woke up and loaded up the car. The drive from Cooma to the park entrance was about an hour long and it became more and more clear as I drove that my goal of scaling the mountain that morning might not happen. I bought my entry ticket to the park and almost immediately the rain started. And it only got worse. Driving through the park is very similar to a drive in any other national park in or near the US's rocky mountains. Winding roads with sharp switchbacks that fell and rose sharply made driving the speed limit of 100 kph treacherous.

I arrived in Thredbo to a torrential downpour. And it didn't cease. The ski lift was closed and it didn't look like it would open that day. The wind was approaching 40 kph and the rain was scheduled to continue till 16:30, which incidentally is when the ski lift is normally shut down for the day.

So, my plans got nixed and there was no place to camp anywhere nearby so I opted for a hotel room again. I got on my Kayak app on  my phone and the cheapest room in town was 110 AUD at the River Inn. I booked and paid for my room and decided to see the village on foot.

 A swollen Thredbo River that cuts through the village.

 Thredbo is a very walkable community. 

Since my plans were cancelled due to the rain, the only thing to do was to grab some food and a few beers. After dinner and drinks and conversations with the others in the bar, who were mostly seasonal workers, I made my drunken walk back to my hotel room and crashed.

Kosciusko would have to wait.

Australian Road Trip: Day Two

Day Two

I woke up before dawn and watched the sunrise.... but only for about 30 seconds because the mosquitoes had obviously gotten the memo that I was awake. There were so many mosquitoes on me that I'm sure they had called in extra help to ensure my misery. I packed my tent away. In other words I threw all my crap in the trunk of the car instead of carefully stowing everything properly. I drove out of the park with the windows down just so I could clear out the free riders who managed to make it in the car with me.

I had planned to continue up the Capricorn coast, however news that tropical cyclone Trevor would be pushing a lot of rainfall to the east which would make it dangerous to travel on anything other than paved and sealed roads. Since I didn't opt for the upgraded 4x4 Land Rover, I decided on a less risky option and point my little Hyundai south.



I had a few places listed to visit on my trip. The larger one of those is the Great Ocean Road along Victoria's Southern coast near Melbourne. Since south is where I needed to go, I decided to make it a scenic one while bypassing as much of western Sydney as I could.

Yengo National Park

Yengo National Park is a beautiful national park. The drive south from Milbrodale begins as a gorgeous wine country terrain not unlike those of northern California. AS it continues south the road becomes much windier with steep canyon walls on either side of the road. Among the cliffs and the rocky floor Eucalyptus trees somehow find soil to grow and are ubiquitous. The forest alongside the road is dense with trees and brush and while mostly green, the color of the shedding and dying bark of those Eucalyptus trees indicate that this forest is alive and constantly changing. Tree limbs litter the roadway. Strips of shed bark hang from branches overhead. Road crews probably have a hard time keeping the way clear for motorists in this part of the state. But it was absolutely gorgeous.

 Hunter Valley Region near Maitland, NSW

 Yengo National Park

Yengo National Park

The remainder of my day was spent driving south towards Mount Kosciosko National Park. As the day wore on I realized that maybe it wasn't that leftover McDonald's that I left in the car overnight that I was smelling. I made the descision to seek out a hotel room and freshen up. The drive to Cooma took me the better part of the day and Mount Kosciosko was a mere 68 kms away. I could make up for lost time by getting up early and making my way to Thredbo and starting my climb.

Or so I thought. (More on this on day three)

Cooma is a quaint village that lies in the higher elevations of Australia. Accommodations are plentiful and the people pleasant. My room was about 100AUD and the largest dinner I've ever completely eaten in my life was 25AUD and it included a beer.

 Looking West into town. 

 The valley just outside Cooma.

Enough to feed two people, but I downed it all!


The next morning would arrive early so I tucked into bed to get an early start for my trip to Mount Kosciusko.

Australian Roadtrip: Day One

Many people think that travel is expensive, but I would argue differently. Most of us have disposable income, and while many choose to spend theirs on a new car every few years, or max out their bank account monthly by buying the largest house they can afford, I would rather spend my money on things that add value to my life. I was discussing this very concept with my dad before I left the US for an overseas trip and I explained, not that he needed and explanation, that I buy things after giving thought to how, when, and how often I'll use the thing that I'm buying. This is what I consider 'adding value'.  Before I bought my Runaway Camper I considered the purchase of a much larger trailer that would accommodate such things as a big screen TV or have cabinets for more dishes and food, but when I thought deeply about such things, I realized that I don't want a large TV to play video games with while I'm out in the wilderness camping. I don't need more space for stuff because there's only myself and I can do with less space. Such is the philosophy of life for me: to live more simply. But, this can't always work for many people who have a family or have someone relying on them for a particular level of comfort. But, that doesn't mean that some concepts can't be applied to those people not as fortunate as myself.

There's a scene from a movie I love called "The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy" which is based on a book written by Douglas Adams of the same name. In this scene the protagonist is speaking at a party to a potential romantic interest about traveling to Madagascar with her on a whim. He explains to her that he can't, that he's got a job to maintain. She simply says " Quit. Get another when you get back."

It seems so simple, this idea to drop everything and chase a dream.

Day One

I landed in the big city of lights: Sydney, the morning of Saturday the 23rd of March 2019. Total ticket cost round trip: 1300 US. Rental car: 158, but I opted for the additional insurance.

I called for the shuttle and the driver was there within minutes and my car was waiting for me. After signing a few papers promising to pay for any toll fees, fuel, cleanup charges upon return, I was off and heading north. Driving through Sydney traffic on a Saturday was easy. Typical for a large cosmopolitan city, people were out enjoying their day free from work hitting the coffee shops and being with friends.

Driving through the northern suburbs Google Maps took me along a circuitous route that kept me away from the M1, the Harbour Bridge, and any other toll roads. After 45 minutes of driving through town I merged onto the Pacific Highway and soon the buildings and people gave way to sheer rocks. The motorway sliced through thick, heavy rock that had stood for millennium

.
As I made my way north, and in spite of it being a bright morning, my energy began to fade and the fatigue induced by 2 days of travel, tight, uncomfortable plane seats, began to take its toll. I found a campsite that was within an easy drive and continued my northward course.

Just north of Newcastle on Meadowie Road is the Fighter Museum. I've been to more than a few museums dedicated to aircraft, and this one is one of the impressive ones. It's relatively small, but it appears to maintained by a group of volunteers whose dedication to preserving the history of Australia's air defence service is deep.

It's housed in two hangers and almost every square foot of floor space is filled with aircraft, ordinances, cockpit mockups, and other things related to flying. Admission was 16 AUD and worth every cent. The can be found on Google Maps by clicking here.

 An ashtray made from the piston of a Rolls Royce engine used during the world war. 

 Goblin Engine Cutaway View

 Goblin Engine Cutaway View

After the trip to the museum I headed to Tomaree National Park. Camping was nearby the park, though restrictions on camping on the beach without a permit meant finding another place to bed down for the night. But, I ventured in and drove as far as I could before the gravel road gave way to sand. There's a parking area for cars and vans without four wheel drive so I backed in and walked the remainder of the way. Walking down the track can be treacherous due to vehicles using it, but I found that everyone was friendly and slowed down once they realized someone was on foot. The walk was about a kilometer and ended at another parking area, this one obviously for 4x4 vehicles. A path that bifurcated led to Big Rocky and Little rocky. Big and Little Rocky are rock formations that form a protective bay. Inside the bay wildlife can be found which makes it a popular place to snorkel and swim. 

 The path that leads to Big Rocky

 Some of the rock formations that surround the small bay. This picture looks south. 

After visiting Big Rocky I headed for my camping area I located with the help of Google Maps. Tattersails camping ground was a 20 minute drive with just a few kilometers of it being dirt road. I chose it because it was free and completely primitive. The campground sits on the banks of the Karuah River and has a pit toilet that was well stocked. The toilet is at the top of the hill but there are no other facilities. I arrived and found my spot to set up camp. The rainy season along the coast tends to be in late summer and winter, so I placed the rain fly on my tent as well. And it was a good thing too. At around 0200 I was awoken by the sound of a gentle rolling thunder and the patter of raindrops hitting the tent material overhead. Within minutes the thunder became louder and the rain relentless. But my tent remained completely dry and I had a decent night's rest.

I missed sleeping in my own bed in my Runaway Travel trailer, but it was a pleasant experience and when I get back home to Florida, I'll just appreciate it even more.

Tattersails Campground location

 Park Entrance

 I thought Florida was the Sunshine state?

The moon was bright once the skies cleared and the rain stopped. 

Sunrise on the Karuah River. 

One more important thing to keep in mind when camping here or anywhere near water. Bring mosquito repellent!