Up The Track

From Port Augusta, you can either turn left and head straight to Perth across the Nullabor Plain; or you can do as we are, and take the scenic route - a 2000 mile detour via Darwin.  The first leg is straight through the middle of the continent, "up the track" to the tropical North.  There is a whole lot of nothing here, but that in itself makes for an interesting journey.

We had planned on camping once we reached the warmer weather north of Alice Springs. This superb plan was scuppered when we broke the second day's trip at Coober Pedy (an opal mining town where most of the housing is underground) and decided to forego the opportunity to sleep in a cave. We ended up at Marla, under canvas....

Despite the chilly nights, we persevered with the tent on a further detour to Uluru (Ayer's Rock). By now we were pretty used to seeing, and avoiding, the huge Road Trains that hurtle past, but it was still quite a surprise to see one carrying a herd of camels...

Camels were introduced, with their Afghan drivers, as a means of transport for the early explorers. They are now plaguing the outback and these poor beasts were destined for some sheik's dinner plate.  Other wildlife encounters included the occasional kangaroo in the road, a tame emu at Curtin Springs and hungry rock wallabies at Heavytree Gap.

We camped for two days around Uluru, firstly visiting Kata Tjuta (or the Olgas).  An afternoon was spent walking around these beautiful sandstone monoliths before returning to join the crowds watching the sun set over Uluru.

We returned to the big rock the next day, this time to walk 6 miles around the base.  Halfway round we stopped for lunch and were joined by a curious dingo. Liberty, as usual, was terrified and prepared to run, with or without the rest of us... but perhaps we should excuse her as it was 30 years, to the day, since the infamous Chamberlain case in this very area.

We left Uluru for Alice Springs and the Red Centre of Australia. Some light rain had helped the desert flowers, but clearly not the entrants to the annual (televised!) Henley-on-Todd Regatta at Alice...

North of the metropolis of Alice Springs, tourist attractions come at approximately 500 mile intervals. Consequently, they are rather crowded.  A case in point is the Devil's Marbles - a pretty enough spot that we shared with many other campers.  Tony and Francesca tried to beat the rush by clambering to the top before sunrise, only to find a German sleeping up there - campsites really were very hard to come by!

Next stop was at Daly Waters - at an outback pub that typifies the quirky nature of the Australian outback. Happy hour prices were decided on the flip of a coin - heads you pay, tails they're free!  For the first time, we really appreciated a pub with a pool, as temperatures had soared in the tropics.

Fortunately the next few days gave us plenty of swimming opportunities - notably Mataranka`s thermal pools, the Katherine River Gorge and the plunge pools of Litchfield National Park.  We are pleased to report that the Rangers' publicity concerning seasonal removal of crocodiles remains uncontested. 

Francesca, as ever, revels in the water, and Liberty decided last week that that she could swim unaided. Sadly, her confidence then outweighed her ability, but after three days in a Darwin motel pool, she can can proudly live up to her expectations and Francesca is teaching her to dive.

Darwin is a sleepy, tropical city (named after a man who never came here) in which three major events have occurred: the only bombing of mainland Australia in WWII; the devastation wreaked by Cyclone Tracy in 1974; and Ellen's parents' marriage in December 1969.  There are museums dedicated to the war and the cyclone...

We have thoroughly enjoyed 3 days of relaxation in a motel, but needs must, and we return to camping tomorrow in the Kakudu National Park, before heading across to West Australia.

Rambling around Southern Australia

Again, its been a big gap between posts - Internet connectivity has been difficult over the last few weeks, notably because we have been camping properly...in a tent! Consequently, this is the first of a two part epic.
Starting back in Sydney, we made the most of Howard and Sylv's city centre flat and pool as well as his underwater camera....Most importantly, though, congratulations to both of them on their up-coming wedding and big move.

Departing Sydney in our newly acquired (but far from new)  Ford Falcon, we headed into the Blue Mountains to stay with old friends of Ellen's family, Lyn and Mark.  We had a wonderful evening with them and enjoyed exploring the local hills.

From Katoomba, we took the back roads down to Canberra to visit Tony's brother, David and his family.  We were appallingly remiss in not taking any photos together, but thank you David, Dawn, Matt and Dan for your excellent hospitality.  We were also thrilled to be able to catch up with Colin and Julie, old friends from Ottawa.  Luckily, we did snap one picture of Canberra itself and several of the wildlife at Tidbinbilla Reserve.

Well fed and thoroughly relaxed, we finally set off on our long and circuitous journey across Australia to Perth. From Canberra, we dropped down to the coastline and followed it around Victoria to a rainy Melbourne, along the Great Ocean Road to Adelaide, and then drove through the wineries of the Clare Valley to Port Augusta.  The stormy weather made for an exciting coastline and a few windswept walks along the beaches and cliff-tops.

Across the Pacific

Having sold the campervan, mercifully all of our luggage fitted into the hire car and we spent a sunny two days driving from Vancouver to Calgary across the Rockies, via Banff, where we stopped to watch some traditional dancing.

In Calgary we stayed with Tony's ever hospitable cousin, Philippa, and her family. A huge thank you to them for making our final days in Canada so enjoyable, for the fireworks, the fort-building and the haircut...

Whilst in Calgary, we were also lucky enough to catch up with Di and Ian, Tony's aunt and uncle; and his other cousin Andrew and his sons -  who joined Tony on a last Rocky Mountain ascent the day before our flight out.

We left Calgary on an epic 38 hour journey to Sydney - but a 9 hour layover in Los Angeles allowed us to spend a few hours in Santa Monica, where the girls enjoyed the beach and the rollercoaster on the pier.

Having arrived tired and jet-lagged in Sydney, we have spent the last week staying with Ellen's brother, Howard, and Sylvia in their fantastically central apartment. After some sightseeing we set about the task of finding wheels for our next adventure. This resulted in the purchase of a rather old, rather battered Ford Falcon which will (hopefully) take us across the continent to Perth...