Dinky the Singing Dingo

Sadly, we didn't get to see Dinky...

Dead Camel Camp

OK, where we camped for our seconds night wasn't really called 'Dead Camel Camp', but there were a lot of camel skulls and jaw bones about.

It wasn't really wild camping either. We had facilities...

...visitors...

...and a really nice spot to sleep.

Although I could have done with out the national anthem singing...

The Road...

...seems to go on...

...for ever.

Valley of the Winds

Another day, another walk. Still in the Uluru National Park, in the Valley of the Winds.

We started walking at 7.30 in the morning, but it soon became very hot Sue's rear included for scale :-)...).

As it was Spring, there were a few flowers...

...and the odd birdie.

If I'm honest, the walk was a bit too strenuous for me, as I sarted to suffer from heat stroke, and only finished through will power, and Adam's encouragement.

I'm glad I did it through. To be amongst such beauty is awe inspiring.

The landscape is quite incredibly old and weathered.

Having spend millennia under the hot sun.

[I realise that a lot of pics are over exposed, but our cameras just couldn't cope with the amazing light]

Dawn at Uluru

As you may have gathered...

I'm not a morning person...

...but sometimes it's the only way...

...to see something amazing.

Uluru Campfire

After our exciting day, we had something to eat...

...then went to sleep.

Walking round Uluru

I just don't have the words to describe the rock, and how it made me feel. It's such a spiritual place. I'll let the pictures tell their own story. Adam took a fair few of these pictures.









Did I mention it was 40 degrees C?


And very dusty...

Uluru, the rock formally known as Ayers

Imagine our excitement when we saw our first glimpse of Uluru.

I was almost scared about vistitng Uluru. What if it was a let down? Well it wasn't, being there was one of the most fantastic things I have ever done - a peak experience.

Sue isn't dancing, she's trying to kill one of the thousands of flies. We understood why classic Australian hats had corks dangling from them!

Five go to Uluru!

Yeah - we were VERY happy.

Hey Ho, and away we go, camel riding, camel riding...

Here are the Hunts in desert garb. Don't they look like 'Dora the Explorer'? Harry and Sue are on tiptoes because they're both trying to be the tallest.

On our loooong drive up to Uluru we had plenty of loo breaks (hurrah!) - one of them was at a camel farm. There are lots of wild camels in Australia. They were introduced to carry loads into the Outback. Once replaced by cars and lorries etc., their Afghan drivers set them free. Camels are now exported back to the Middle East.

At the farm there was a chance to have a camel ride.

In the same way young Australians are exported to run bars in England, the Outback is full of young people from all over the world. This camel wrangler was from Sheffield.

Here is Harry post camel ride, wondering if he'll ever have a family.

Alice Springs - For Virginia

Virginia dearest - we had a good look but this was the only interesting post box we found in Australia(at the Alice Springs Telegraph Station).

Alice Springs - Telegraph Station

Europeans first settled in Alice Springs when a repeater station for the Australian Overland Telegraph was built there. It linked Adelaide to Darwin, and then to Great Britain.

Previously, a message and response could take up to six months. Now it could be just an hour. Imagine the impact that made.

The telegraph was soon used for a variety of purposes, from weather reports to gossip!

There were a number of friendly wallabies on the site.

Behind the telegraph station buildings is Alice Springs itself.

Once away from the manicured and irrigated lawns, you can see just how hostile and forbidding the local terrain is.

Alice Springs - Flying Doctors' Museum

As we had all watched the Australian TV series, 'The Flying Doctors', in our youth, a visit to the Flying Doctors' Museum was a must.

It gave us all a greater appreciation of the amazing job they do. One of their services is to maintain medical chests. A GP will diagnose over the phone, and prescribe a numbered item.

The distance they cover is incredible. For example, there's a cattle range in the Northern Territories that's the size of Florida!

The service does have some government funding, but they have to find all the infrastructure costs themselves. In setup and it's place in the national heart, it's akin to the RNLI.

In order that people in the Outback could communicate during an emergency, Alf Traeger invented the pedal powered radio. It does beg the question how you'd use it if you were 'crook'. However, a picture of a woman talking, while her daughter pedaled, answered that puzzle. Here is Harry trying it out.

Enroute to Alice Springs

After a late night return, it up at 4am to catch a flight to Alice Springs...

...only for the flight to be delayed for 5 hours. Harry's good humour and patience was a great example to the rest of us.

It was worth the wait - the view from the window was amazing.

It's very red and empty down there!

Sunset Over the Bass Strait

Our flight back to Melbourne was delayed. It was a blessing in disguise...

...as it gave us the chance...

...to see this wonderful sunset...

...from the plane window.

Tamar Island Wetlands Reserve

Our last port of call in Tasmania, was this lovely wetlands reserve.

Despite being only 10 minutes drive from Launceston (which IMHO is a dump)...

...it has that melancholy 'edge of the world' feeling.

That mood is heightened by the rusting remains of ships...

...and rotting docks.

This is the domain of birds now...

...old and young.

Time to head back.

Bridestowe Lavender Farm

If this is what it's like in Spring...what must Bridestowe Lavender Farm be like when the lavender is in bloom?

As well as their lavender and chocolate cake, I was taken by this sign...

...and the logo on this bin.

Barnbougle

Tasmania is an incredibly beautiful place, and Barnbougle is one of the most stunning places I've ever visited.

Oh, and there's a golf course there...

...and here are some hunky golfers :-).

We stayed on one of these lovely chalets, which are based on the huts at Brighton Beach.

This little wallaby came to visit...

...and as you can see, was very relaxed.

Even the moon was perfect.

Monotreme Madness

Adam and I spent a couple of days in Tasmania, where Adam had a date with a golf course. It gave me the chance to visit 'Platypus House'.

It's a research centre, where you can get up close and personal with platypuses.

Who are absolutely lovely - part mammal, part bird, part reptile.

I really fell for their cousins, the echidnas.

Amazingly, they are Australia's second most common creature.

Melbourne Zoo

After a few days in Australia I was beginning to get quite manic in my demand to see critters, so we toddled off to see Melbourne Zoo. I think Melbourne Zoo has its animals on a time share with another zoo, as for a while all I thought I'd see were a few bronze statues.

However, a few came out to play, and here are some highlights...a little meerkat...

...an incredibly colourful parrot...

...a little monkey watching the monkeys...

...a very relaxed lemur....

...some otters.

Oh...and who's this...?

Could it possibly be...a...

PYGMY HIPPO!!!!!! (yes)

Wonderful, Wonderful Victorian Gothic

As you may have gathered, I'm rather a sucker for Victorian Gothic architecture. In Melbourne's Roman Catholic cathedral, St Patrick's, we came across this fantastic CTS literature stand.

Making up for Lost Time

In the Spring & Summer lots of quirky, outdoor bars bloom in Melbourne.

It was only polite to sample a few with Mr Hunt wasn't it?

Keeping this injunction in mind of course...

Melbourne Trams

Melbourne has a fantastic public transport system - including trams. Here is the free tourist tram.

The interior has been left as it would have been...

...with a few modern additions.

I was rather taken by this old tram stop shelter.

This mosaic is a tangible reminder of Victorian civic pride.

Factory Farming?

I prefer my fluffies free range :-).

A Tale of Two Stations

One Melbourne landmark is Flinders St station. There's a urban myth that the design was meant for India, and was sent to Australia by accident.

In contrast, here's the Norman Foster designed Southern Cross.

More Public Art

You can also spot this angel...

...horse...

...cockerel...

...and worried looking whale.

This sculpture is called 'The businessmen who brought their own lunch'.

Melbourne Hound

There's lots of public art in Melbourne, I really like this hound.

It looks like I'm not the only one...

...he's obviously very popular :-).

Eynsham First XI here we come?

Young Harry has been getting into his cricket...

...as you can see.

I do wonder whether they take it all too seriously.

Poor Adam ended up getting bitten to death while practicing with Harry.

Brighton Beach (Melbourne)

This isn't a fantastic pic, but here is the view from Brighton Beach to Melbourne.

Sunset on the beach was glorious...

A Canal in a Shopping Centre...

...anyone would think it was Las Vegas (not the KL Mines Resort City).

Alternative Bouquet

An interesting alternative to flowers...?

KL Cricket Club

As you can see from this photo, the KL cricket club is 125 years old.

It's the perfect illustration of KL - the high rises, colonial cricket club and Victorian station.

Batik Workshop

I was lucky enough to pay a visit to a batik workshop. I'm used to the idea that wax is put on the fabric using blocks. However, they were using a different technique.

The wax was heated (note gas cylinder)...

...then loaded into a 'pen' with a copper reservoir on the end.

The results were quite impressive.

Temple Cone

This is one stylish traffic cone!

Super Kitsch!

Our hotel in KL, was...different. This was a typical decoration!

Thean Hou Temple

On my first full day in KL, Yuleng and I went to the Thean Hou buddist temple.

As you can see it's Chinese in style...

...with beautiful detail.

Worshippers buy one of these beautiful, lotus shaped candles...

...then kneel and pray in front of...

...the goddess.

Here is Yuleng reading her fortune. You stir the sticks around, and then choose one. The stick has a number on it - which corresponds to a drawer. In the appropriate drawer is a slip of paper with your fortune written on it.

At the back of the temple is a turtle pond. It's very restful watching them swim around.