Diamonds on My Windshield

In the words of Tom Wait's "Diamonds on my Windshield" whispers Home at Last.

Yes I am back. I get to scare the new (part time) cat, who wanders into our backyard for food occasionally.

Arrived Ararat

It is very cold and wet here in Ararat, train arrived early so I can get a bus in about 10 min to Beaufort. Maybe I need to head for Tulla and get a plane north again. Winter is no wonderland in this part of the world.

Glenelg & Chocolate

Hi, today I did a tour around Adelaide with my Cousin Shirley, we had a nice Yum Cha lunch and then went to Glenelg, where we went to Bracegirdle's coffee and handmade chocolate shop.

See Pics

Tomorrow, slight change of plan, I will be catching train from Adelaide in the morning to Beaufort.

Cousin Shirley

Memorial at Glenelg

Glenelg Pier

Old Town hall

Chocolate Fountain at Bracegirdle

Chockies

Arrived Adelaide

Just arrived in Adelaide, awaiting pick up by my cousin Shirly. Will spend the day with Shirl and catch bus to Beaufort Victoria tomorrow. Home Tuesday.

Opal Town

Hi,

Just waiting for the bus and a good time to update blog whilst I still have access to wifi.

Good nights sleep to wake to a cold and frosty (near) morning. A good breakfast then off on one of the many guided tours of the town, a morning tour only. Our guide was Rudi, a gent I suspect in his 70's as he has been mining for Opals since 1962.

See Pics.

Landscape around Coober Pedy

Outside of Serbian underground Church

All above, inside the church

Left over mined area now part of town, the place to "noodle" which means pick through the loose stuff to find any opal missed in bulldozing.

Town mine and museum.

How a dugout looked in the 60s

Above, Caretakers quarters Very 70s

mine tunnels

air shaft

Great Schnitzel

Had dinner at the Opal pub, Chicken Schnitzel was an aussie classic, however the glass of house red tasted and smelt like fly spray. Just a tip if you ever passing this way.

Attached pic of view from the Bus, doesn't change much.

Arrived Coober Pedy

Hi just arrived at Coober Pedy, S.A. and it is very dark. Will try to get some dinner and arrange for a small tour of Coober Pedy and surrounds tomorrow before catching bus to Adelaide tomorrow night.

LB

Memories

Hi,

Spent the night in Alice Springs and will be catching bus to Coober Pedy this morning, another 10 hr bus trip. The great thing about this country is its vastness and the best way to experience that is to  travel across it, even though it is slow, it is the journey, not the destination.

I have attached a photo I took in Katherine 2 days ago, for in 1976, I spent about 10 hours sitting outside this service station, or one just like it, trying to hitch a lift to Darwin. Eventually, I got on a dilapidated old mail bus about midnight, otherwise I might have still been there.

LB

Katherine, NT

Tenant Creek

Hi, it is 2.40am and I am sitting in the bus at a BP service station. Not much roadkill on the way here, saw some cattle, but all were still on four legs. Other assorted lumps of protein were scattered along the road, mostly in lumps of 5 kg or less, some had fur attached. Weather still mild yet noticeably cooler in the wee hours. Listening to Sharon Shannon, an Irish musician along the way, strange how Irish music seems to fit in in any landscape. Not many on the bus, maybe 8 or 9, so not cramped for space. We stop a lot to drop of mail but can only get off about every 4 hours or so. From here next stop is about 7.30 am for breakfast then into Alice Springs about 9.15. Not much else to report except I did see a fire burning beside the road, looked surreal.

LB

Another sunny day in Darwin

After yesterdays big day, today was a bit more laid back. The Car relocation people finally answered my email requesting some negotiation on the days required to take a vehicle back to Melbourne. Unfortunately, they responded too late and the job has been taken by someone else this morning. I am now left with the slim option that something new will turn up tomorrow morning, but are not hopeful.

Realistically, I will be catching the bus at noon from Darwin, arriving in Alice Springs at 9.15am the following morning. The problem with this is that some of the areas we will be passing through, from Tennant Creek down, including the Devils marbles will all be passed through at night so I won't see much. But apart from hiring a car  (all up about $400 a day in these parts) or hitchhiking, I have little other options.

So today was relaxing in the pool, having lunch with Gail and doing a bit more laundry before heading off again.

LB

Kakadu National Park

Hi all,

Up at 5 am this morning for a 6am pick up for a day tour to Kakadu national park, always a place I have wanted to visit. It is a big park and a long way from Darwin so it has been a long day. But the bus trip was easy and relaxed (although full to the brim) and the weather was excellent, so overall a good day. Arrived back about 8pm and then I met Gayle (a mutual friend) and also Harry's (another mutual friend) two daughters Mallory (and partner Dan), who live here in Darwin and Monica, who is coincidentally visiting. We had dinner at the Ski Club and it was very nice, outdoors with a starry sky and light breeze, very pleasant.

Here are the Pics

Kakadu

Lots of Rock Art

A bit of a story about above

A story about below

Moving on to the Yellow Waters Billabong, a backwater joining the South Alligator River, ironic really as there are no Alligators here, but plenty of Saltwater Crocs and did see one freshwater croc. 

Lots of Bird life

Lots of Lotus Lillies

A few brumby horses

From Left, Monica, Mallory, Dan, Me and Gayle.

Will be extending at least a day here in Darwin, still trying to sort out next mode of transport south.