25 July, 2023

WA Road Trip (Part 3)

We had never been to Broken Hill before. 
There was so much to see and 
we ended up staying an extra day to planned.
The famous Palace Hotel where 
"Priscilla, Queen of the Dessert" was filmed.
In the foyer where there were murals covering all the walls and 
even the ceiling! That's the stiletto that was on top of the bus.
Sunset overlooking Broken Hill from the 
Miners Memorial, Broken Hill, NSW.
We visited the Pro Hart Gallery. 
Here is his famous dragonfly painting that is actually painted on carpet. 
Do you remember the paint ads from all those years ago?
"Oh, Mr Hart. What a mess!"

Bells Milk Bar. First became a milk bar in 1938.
 Has been like this since the 1950s! 
There was even a jukebox playing.
Silverton, about 40km from Broken Hill.
We went on an underground tour of 
the Historic Day Dream Mine.
 It is amazing what the miners did in awful
 conditions back then. This is a silver mine.
After our tour we enjoyed some 
Cornish scones with jam and cream.
Silverton Hotel seen in many movies.
 
Wild donkeys that just roam around town!
Silverton Gaol Museum. There was so much to see here. 
Lots of vintage household things that I love.
 
 This sampler was made in 1848 by Mary Ann Mortimore, aged 8.
We stopped overnight at the Hay Showgrounds and Racecourse. 
The manager told us to park under this shed. 
Was great as when we had to pack up next morning 
it was raining but we stayed nice and dry!
Our last stop was Chiltern to spend a few days 
with Noel's brother Ian and Beverley.
Noel and Ian outside London House which was built in 1879.
Beverley and Andrea (their daughter/our niece) 
are doing this shop up like a 1950s milk bar, 
just like the one we saw in Broken Hill. 
They are hoping to have it all ready by November 
so if you're visiting Chiltern please visit them and say hello.
 
Well, that is just a quick (even if it did take 3 posts) 
snapshot of our big road trip. As you can imagine,
 we took hundreds of photos and videos. 
We saw many places and lots of wildlife.

I hope you've enjoyed it.
 We now getting ready for our next exciting adventure - Scotland! 
I'm sure I'm going to have lots to show you when we get back.

24 July, 2023

WA Road Trip (Part 2)

 
Rottnest Island, WA. 
The weather was perfect the day we chose. 
Lucky we went when we did as from then on it rained!
We hired bikes to get around the island. 
Neither of us had been on a bike for years. 
My legs were fine the next day but I had a sore bum for days! LOL!
How cute is this little fellow!
Some of the quokkas were very cheeky!
 This one had a good look in my bag.
This one got up nice and close to Noel.
 
View of Perth city from Kings Park. 
Fremantle Markets since 1897.
 We spent two weeks in Perth, staying with my cousins, 
one in Kalamunda and one in Bullsbrook. Mum also flew over
 so we had a bit of a family reunion. 
We were also planning to visit Maria from Life On The Block 
as we were only 300kms away instead of 3662km from here. 
Unfortunately Maria and her hubby were both unwell and 
we weren't able to go. Maria and I were so disappointed 
as we had been looking forward to catching up in 
person and giving each other a real hug, not a virtual one!
Oh well. We'll just have to go back 
or they'll have to come over here - or both!

Wave Rock, Hyden. 
I used to watch "Nature's Walkabout" when I was a child 
and this was on the introduction. I always wanted to go there. 
This is the second time I've been but a first for Noel.
Sunset on the top of Wave Rock.

Halfway across Australia, Kimba SA.

One more post to come!

23 July, 2023

WA Road Trip (Part 1)

 Eight weeks, 4 states and 11,384kms! 
What a fabulous trip we had. 
The welcoming party, aka Molly and Rex, were very happy to see us!
 
 As you can imagine, I've taken hundreds of photos. 
I'm just sharing some of them. It's taken me several days to get 
my photos uploaded onto the computer as my icloud
 had filled up and I had no more space. 
 
In their last update, unbeknownst to me, 
Apple changed setting on the phone for the photos to be high 
efficiency (not jpeg) and if you don't have an Apple Mac, 
you can't see your photos until you download some program. 
 I would normally just download using my phone cord. 
Anyway, after deleting hundreds of photos from icloud, 
my other photos eventually uploaded to icloud 
and I have everything on my computer.
 
By the way, I did discover something else. 
I always copy the photos in my icloud and save them in folders 
on my computer. Then I would also back them up on a portable hard drive.  
Well, when I deleted the old icloud photos from back in 2013/2014, 
it also deleted those photos I had copied into folders on my computer!
 Lucky I still have them on the portable drive. 
For some reason, after I deleted photos I went back to the folders to 
check and that's when I discovered this. 
Thought I would warn others in case you do the same as me.
 
First stop Port Fairy. 
This is our little home away from home!
 
Innes National Park - Yorke Peninsula, SA.

Innes National Park - Yorke Peninsula, SA.
 
Point Labatt Conservation Park sealion colony, SA. 
You can see the sealions on the top right hand side of the sandy area.

The photo you have to get! Near Yalata, SA.

Nullabor Plain, SA.

Head of the Great Australian Bight, SA.
 
When you have no phone coverage you have to call back 
home the old fashioned way! Nullabor Roadhouse, SA.
 Sunrise at Nullabor Roadhouse, SA.

Nullabor Roadhouse, SA.

The sign says it all!
 Esperance, WA.

Lucky Bay, Cape Le Grand National Park, WA.

Oldest dwelling in Western Australia, Albany WA.
Lots of lovely old things to see in here.

 National ANZAC Centre, Albany WA. Well worth a visit here.

Whales near the blowholes, Torndirrup National Park near Albany, WA


Explored Ngilgi Cave, 
Leeuwin-Cape Naturaliste National Park, WA.
 
More to come next post!