MICKEY MOUSE HORSE CAPERS

We snapped this photo on a property outside of Brisbane. A ‘Mickey Mouse’ horse, or  to quote a good friend of mine – “This horse must belong to the local chapter of the Ku-Klux-Klan!”

Now imagine if you will another property where we saw 10 little ponies running around in the same little hooded get ups. I’ve got to say it was quite a sight; we bust a gut laughing when we drove past them. Unfortunately, we couldn’t stop due to the fast moving traffic and therefore weren’t able to take any photos.

The horses are clothed in such ‘hooded robes’ because of the pestering flies. I guess we too would’ve bought some sort of hoods right now. It’s 40 degrees outside and the flies are just constantly in your face.

In order to view the photos in a larger format, click on them 1-2 times.

We would love to hear some feedback from you. To do so, please click on the ‘Leave a Comment’ tab at the end of the green writing below.

GOANNA

It seems Australia is simply swarming with all manner of wild life. Something is always either running, or slithering, or crawling, or jumping or flying across the road in front of the car; therefore, one must constantly keep a watchful eye. We would hate to chalk up another victim.

This goanna was one of those critters we saw on the outskirts of a small town. Casually crawling across the road, it displayed a bold confidence; that is until we stopped for a closer look. As soon as we got out of the car it suddenly took off. Boy can it run fast!

It wasn’t the easiest of tasks for Gabe, to chase the goanna across a field. Yet I must say, I found his attempt to catch the reptile very amusing to watch. Still, success did arrive, when the goanna finally ran into a wire fence. It fretted awhile, trying to get through the mesh, but then tiring of the fruitless attempts, it settled down a bit; long enough for us to get some close up photo and video footage.

Approximately 90cm. long, it was a mass of pure muscle from head to tail, sharp claws and nasty teeth. A splendid reptilian predator.

After a few minutes, it must have grown tired of our cameras probing into its personal life, so it took off again. Finding a hole in the wire fence it continued with its flight… Little did the silly thing realize that it was running away from a moment of fame – immortality of sorts…

Nevertheless, we were thrilled by the, ‘be it brief’ yet personal encounter.

In order to view the photos in a larger format, click on them 1-2 times.

We would love to hear some feedback from you. To do so, please click on the ‘Leave a Comment’ tab at the end of the green writing below.

CHANGE OF COURSE

The ‘Wet Season’ has started early this year; now it seems we’ll have to alter our route.

News channels and the Bureau of Meteorology are constantly issuing flood warnings due to frequent torrential rainfalls. Roads are being closed to the north, to the south and in several areas of central Australia. Yesterday, after some prolonged and heavy rainfall, in central New South Wales, the town of Moree was inundated by a wall of water 7 meters high. A few days ago you may recall, we drove through Chinchilla… Well, today all roads to and from Chinchilla are closed. We have no choice but to proceed deeper into the red center.

We are presently in Longreach. After some long and painful deliberation we have decided that Darwin and Cairns are now definitely out of the question because of the possibility of flooding. Last year one of our friends was stranded near Darwin for 7 weeks in one location. Due to severe flooding, the road was closed to the north and to the south. So we have decided not to risk it. Otherwise, if we are stranded we may be forced to abandon our car and all the equipment and simply fly out of there, so as not to overstay our visa. A situation most undesirable…

In order to view the photos in a larger format, click on them 1-2 times.

We would love to hear some feedback from you. To do so, please click on the ‘Leave a Comment’ tab at the end of the green writing below.

MY FIRST MEETING WITH AN ECHIDNA

It’s a warm night +26 degrees.

We’re still driving – trying to make up for lost time. We rarely see any cars. The distance between towns is quite immense. The long desolate road stretches through this endless and constantly changing landscape. At times it is densely filled with paper bark trees, blue gums and majestic silver ghost gums, arrays of wild shrubs and tall grass, other times almost barren plains  – this is the Australian bush.  Occasionally we are overtaken by a road-train with multiple trailers in tow.

Ooh! We have just spotted an Echidna…

By the time we braked and turned around, it had already crossed the road. When Gabe approached it with a torch, the echidna started to dig itself into the dirt; all that was left sticking out was the spiky quill covered back. When threatened, echidnas dig deep into the dirt and grab hold of roots or rocks with their powerful claws. They’re actually quite strong. Once they have latched on to something, it is impossible to get to them; the only way is to dig them out with a spade – roots and all.

We would really like to have had a closer look at it… It’s a pity he didn’t accommodate our desires. Our journey has just begun; therefore, I believe we’ll meet another one. Perhaps then we will be able to see its face instead of its other end.

In order to view the photos in a larger format, click on them 1-2 times.

We would love to hear some feedback from you. To do so, please click on the ‘Leave a Comment’ tab at the end of the green writing below.

A KANGAROO’S LAST JUMP

The setting sun floods the horizon with a splendid orange afterglow. The lingering heat and the intense smell of eucalyptus leaves, reminds me of our saunas back home.

Nightfall out here arrives early around 7 pm. In the outback desert twilight the endless star strewn skies are simply breathtaking.

We’ve been driving for about 5 hours already and have driven through several small towns and past numerous farm properties. Our roof-mounted spot-lights pierce the darkness 100 meters ahead, which helps to distinguish the kangaroos standing along the blackened roadside.

There are literally hundreds of dead kangaroos along the road, killed by passing cars and trucks – not a pleasant sight.

There are no guarantees that you won’t hit a Kangaroo, they’re just so unpredictable. It’s quite an intense experience to drive out here at night, forever on edge so as not to hit them. Gabe is so tired from trying to spot them in the dark and trying to preempt their reaction. Kangaroos seem to have a strange death wish, forever jumping out in front of cars.

Although, kangaroos are not the most dangerous obstacle that you can encounter along the way… There are also wandering camels, cattle, emus, foxes, hares, rodents and all manner of birds. During the day you see low flying eagles and Australian bustards, which stand 1.2 meters high and have a 2 meter wing span. While at night you see lots of owls and the same bustards wandering along the roads. To hit one of these flying bush turkeys would be tantamount to hitting a kangaroo.

DAMN! Whilst I was writing this last installment, a kangaroo jumped into the side of our Cruiser. This is the first victim on our trip, I trust it to be our last.

A real pity!

We checked our car for damage… It seems that everything is ok. Our BRUMBY held up well.

On one of our previous fuel stops a woman showed us her car. She was hit by a kangaroo and the impact left a huge indentation in her door.

In order to view the photos in a larger format, click on them 1-2 times.

We would love to hear some feedback from you. To do so, please click on the ‘Leave a Comment’ tab at the end of the green writing below.

MY FIRST KANGAROO ENCOUNTER

We stopped on the side of the road for a little break and a bite to eat. For the last couple of hours, we’ve been hanging out for peanut butter sandwiches and a cold milk. Ah, the simple pleasures of life… Only when you find yourself out here, do you realize how much we take for granted, and how much we really need for contentment.

These kangaroos hopped out from beyond the trees. Perhaps the smell of peanut butter drew them out… And this was my first ever encounter with one of Australia’s most recognizable symbols. Instinctively I grabbed for the camera and spilt my cup of milk all over myself.

Gabriel just managed to take these photos with his camera before they hopped away. It’s a pity we couldn’t get any closer…

In order to view the photos in a larger format, click on them 1-2 times.
We would love to hear some feedback from you. To do so, please click on the ‘Leave a Comment’ tab at the end of the green writing below.

MILES – HISTORICAL VILLAGE. PT1

The drizzle continues. Everything seems gray and colorless, although there is a lot of interesting ‘country style’ homes and heritage buildings.

Having traveled 43 km. we arrived in Miles, and decided to stop at a road-side parking.

It just so happens that it was also the entrance to Miles Historical Village.

This wool wagon is what caught our attention, its rear wheel standing an enormous 2.0m high.

To take a virtual Google Map tour, click on ‘VIEW LARGER MAP’ then drag little yellow man onto map.

The entrance to the complex somehow masked the unique ensemble within. So we were pleasantly surprised by the contrast when we entered the museum grounds; it was as though we had stepped through a porthole in time and ended up in a different age.

Miles HISTORICAL VILLAGE is an open-air museum. The complex is a phenomenal streetscape, displaying a collection from a bygone era.

Of the 34 buildings, some are originals while others have been built as replicas in keeping with the history of Miles and its district. Each building houses its own unique collection or display, all of which, had been recreated to capture the spirit of the of the early Queensland township.

We strolled through the facilities taking in all the many details that surrounded us. The longer we remained here, the more we began to understand the lives of the people who lived, worked and socialized in this region at the beginning of the 20th century.

This is something we would recommend everyone to see and experience. We were so enthralled by it all that we ended up staying here for 6 hours…

We would have remained longer, but our stay had to be cut short because of the continuous drizzle and our travel schedule… It would be great to come here on a sunny day and hopefully catch a golden sunset. The photo session would be magic! Nevertheless, we got a lot of fantastic photo and video footage.

A quick word to all our professional photographer and film-maker friends – you all need to experience this incredible place… This is where your creative fantasies come to life; so many interesting details to observe.

We made our acquaintances with Pat, the pleasant administrator of the museum. She treated us to a coffee and we chatted a while. I was the first Russian that had visited the museum. As a token of our appreciation for her warm reception, we gave Pat a little Russian souvenir – a small lacquered jewelry box with a hand painted design on the lid. We brought a lot of similar souvenirs from Moscow for these sorts of meetings.

By the time we finished our coffee and interview with Pat the weather had cleared up presenting us with a pleasant evening… What a shame it couldn’t have been the other way around?

Miles is a small and cozy town, with a large number of motels and roadside rest areas for weary travelers.

We stopped to have dinner at the pub, but were told that dinner would only start at 6pm. Seeing that we spent all day at the historical village we couldn’t afford to waste a full hour’s traveling time, waiting for an evening meal.

According to our time schedule, all we have to travel is a meager 300km per day. Yet we are already falling behind.

We’ll endeavor to make up for lost time… Our journey continues… Dinner will have to await till the next town.

In order to view the photos in a larger format, click on them 1-2 times.

We would love to hear some feedback from you. To do so, please click on the ‘Leave a Comment’ tab at the end of the green writing below.

MORNING IN CHINCHILLA

We had breakfast in a little café at a service station. I have to say, the further we get from the big city, certain things get a little more expensive. Gas has already increased in price, although petrol has remained the same.

Toasted chicken and cheese sandwiches and a coffee… Mmmmm!
Although 4 hours sleep, really shows on our faces.

In order to view the photos in a larger format, click on them 1-2 times.

We would love to hear some feedback from you. To do so, please click on the ‘Leave a Comment’ tab at the end of the green writing below.

THE HUNTSMAN

The morning greeted us with a warm pleasant drizzle. Yet we had another surprise awaiting us. Opening our eyes, the first thing we see is…

An uninvited guest – a ‘Huntsman’ spider. If I hadn’t been told earlier that the huntsman spider is harmless, my cowboy would have had a tough time roping me in.

This time, of the two of us, I ended up being the hero.

In order to view the photos in a larger format, click on them 1-2 times.

We would love to hear some feedback from you. To do so, please click on the ‘Leave a Comment’ tab at the end of the green writing below.

THE TOWNSHIP OF CHINCHILLA – QUEENSLAND

Today we traveled a total of 262 km and stopped to spend our first night in the township of Chinchilla – a population of 3682.

To take a virtual Google Map tour, click on ‘VIEW LARGER MAP’ then drag little yellow man onto map.

Arriving in town well after midnight, we found that all the motels were already closed. We decided to sleep in the back of the car in this car park. Apparently a young couple in the neighboring car decided to do the same.

The public amenities pleasantly surprised me with its cleanliness .

In order to view the photos in a larger format, click on them 1-2 times.

We would love to hear some feedback from you. To do so, please click on the ‘Leave a Comment’ tab at the end of the green writing below.