October Long weekend - We are HOME!

Sunet at Cable Beach (Broome)

Well we arrived home yesterday (Sunday) and we are enjoying unpacking on Labour Day! How funny is that! Not funny at all - so much to clean.

It has been really great blogging our trip and I hope you have all enjoyed keeping up with the Dangerous Cliffs. I have never done a blog before but I found it very easy with a pre-paid mobile broadband modem connected to my laptop. Some use their i-phones but they are too small to view photo files.

We have seen so many animals on our trip that I will post one more page with some of the best ones. Together, we have taken over 3000 photos - you have enjoyed just a small snippet!

Thanks to those who have followed the blog, commented and even just looked at it unofficially from time to time.

Hope to see you soon.

LOL Vanessa, Gavin, Lucy, Jacinta and Sarah

Week 12 Broken Hill - Blue Mountains - HOME!!!!!!!!!

GeoCentre - Some funny memorabilia - Safety First!

Broken Hill - Lookout

Friends having fun!

Playing games with friends and family

Visiting more family

Only a short drive of just over 300kms to Broken Hill today. We were there in time to go sightseeing. First stop was the town lookout and then the Albert Kersten GeoCentre where we looked at the famous silver tree. In the afternoon we went fossicking in an area about 13kms out of town where the ore body is at the earths surface. Kids had heaps of fun!

Early morning wake up and we left for the Blue Mountains a 6.30am. Travelled 1172kms today. Arrived at my mothers place a 9.30pm.

We spent 3 nights in Wentworth Falls visiting friends and family. Met up with Brian, Mel, Nieve and Angus again at Nanny's place. Also saw some of Gavin's sisters and their kids - the biggest thrill was meeting Polly (one month old).

Leaving tomorrow for HOME! We want to get there before the end of the long weekend. Avoid the rush and traffic.

Week 12 - Petersbrough to Burra and Clare Valley

Looking around Burra

Jim Barry Winery - Clare Valley (SA)

Lush Fields in S.A

Lunch at Seven Hills Hotel

Girls outside St Aloysius Catholic Church

St Aloysius Catholic Church

Brother John May (hat on) with tour - Gavin on side with Sarah piggyback.

Inside the wine cellar

Brother John May - discussing the vines

Well, we spent 2 nights in comfort at a caravan in Petersbrough (South Australia). We have decided that we don't want to camp anymore. SURPRISE!!!! And it was a good thing that we decided to as the weather turned rather chilly. Not too much rain but on the day we went tripping to the Clare valley it didn't reach above 11 degrees.

Left Petersbrough for a lovely drive to Burra. Passed many wheat crops and lush fields. Big change from the desert. When we got to Burra we did not know that it was such a beautiful old town. It was a copper/gold town and it has heaps of history.

Next stop was a couple of wineries in the famous Clare valley. We went to Jim Barry wines first as we kind of have a romantic attachment to the place - visiting it 3 times now. Full wine tasting with the kids amused in the corner.

Lunch was at Seven Hills Hotel - lovely pub lunch with atmosphere and a warm fire. Yes, it was good wine tasting weather! Then we dashed up to Seven Hills winery and there was Brother John May doing a tour in front of us (only on Tues and Thur) we quickly got the ok to join in as he is one of Australia's most famous winemakers. What an amazing experience! He turned out not only to be an expert wine maker, but also very knowledgeable in architecture, history and spirituality! We got the ok from him after the tour to acquire one of the first two cases of the Mary Mackillop Sainthood wines. Both the red and the white. This was a pre-launch sale as it would not be released to the locals until Friday. Brother John said yes to our request after the tour. I love this place.

On our way to Broken Hill and then the Blue Mountains tomorrow. We have a motel booked in Broken Hill and we will stay at my mothers place in Wentworth Falls.

Week 12 - Flinders Ranges - 3 nights

Eating lunch overlooking Wilpena pound

View from St Mary's Peak looking back over Wilpena pound

Camp oven cooked damper

Cubby house tree

Kangaroo

Emu in camp

Sacred Canyon

The drive into the National Park was spectacular! So much colour with wildflowers set against the red backdrop of these ancient canyons. We drove in via Parachilna and visited a little town called Blinman. Then we set up camp in the afternoon sun at Wilpena Pound Resort. Thd next day we set out to walk into the pound, past the old homestead called Glenallen Then we reached a look-out called Wangarra, which overlooks the pound. We ate lunch up there (curried egg) and enjoyed the wonderful atmosphere. We then headed back down and Gavin departed us on his way to St Mary's Peak. This was a very long and tough walk.

That night we had a campfire and I made damper in the camp oven. Recipe from School of the Air recipe book purchased in Alice Springs (this is for Mum's benefit!). Absolutely delicious with butter and quandong jam. Gavin said it was the best damper that he has ever had - it brought a new meaning to the word 'Damper'. Basically it was a scone mix. The kids ate it with Nutella. Yummy!

We loved the camping ground, with a beautiful view from our tent up to the range and emus, kangaroos and wallabies walking past our front door. Jacinta and Sarah enjoyed playing with new friends inside a hollow tree - huge cubby house.

On one of the days we took a trip out to walk along Sacred Canyon where there are aboringinal etchings in the rock. Very easy and scenic walk.

Week 12 - Our final week - Copely

Quandong Cafe

Sarah wearing my hat!

Coal mine at Copely

We left Maree and headed for Wilpena pound, in the Flinder's Ranges National Park. On our way there we just had to stop for lunch at The Quandong Cafe in Copely. This place is in every travel magazine. It is in this little run-down town in the middle of no-where but there were about 15 4WD's parked outside and a line out the door for orders. Luckily the people in front of us were just getting jam and the 4WD convoy had finished morning tea and departed as we ordered lunch. The quandong pie with cream is to die for! Lucy thought that it was delicious too - she ate half of mine!

Copely is also famous for it's very large coal mine which supplies a large proportion of S.A's coal. Gavin took a picture of a section being blasted out of the open cut.

Week 11 - William Creek to Maree

Beresford ruins

Bathing in the desert - Coward Springs

Beresdford siding

Gavin cooking - Coward Springs

Lizard - shingleback

Sausages for lunch

Maree - train station

Dog proof fence - SA

Brearded lizard

Tom Kruse mail truck

Taipan??

Emus

The first stop today was at an old railway siding called Beresford. They built a lake and a lovely sandstone house for the workers - now abandoned. I was bewildered at the thought of running a steamtrain across the desert. They created a line of springs to travel through.

Next stop was for lunch at Coward Springs. There was a pool feed by bore water - very warm. Gavin cooked us sausages under the trees.

We then travelled to the old railway town of Maree. The original Ghan railway passed through here. They have a small number of relics of that time in the centre of town. The Afgans really did help to open up Australia. They helped to cart mail and deliveries across Australia. There is a remanent camp hut there and lots of tributes to their service.

Gavin was fascinated with the old mail truck driven by Esmond (Tom) Kruse MBE, to deliver mail to north to Birdsville. He read a book about him years ago, (The back of beyond), and the truck was the original Leyland Badger.

The kids were fascinated with the wild Emus and lizards on the road. We also passed the dog-proof fence.

Off to the Flinder's Ranges now! The weather forcast is good - clear skies and warm temperatures.

Post note - on our travels to FRNP we saw a snake that had been run over by the car in front of us. We think it was a Taipan.

Week 11 - William Creek - Oodnadatta Track and Lake Eyre

Track just opened after rain. Phone service cautioned extreme care with washouts.

Arrival at William Creek

For the electricians - Rocket stage wiring!

Rocket attitude

Jacinta near a smaller missile.

Lake Eyre - North

Gavin's face after tasting salt water

Leaving the Pub!

Lake Ayre - South

We had a great trip from Coober Pedy across the Great Central Desert to the Oodnadatta track. The weather was beautiful - clear skies and warm 25 degrees. Everything is so green and the wildflowers are everywhere - partly due to the recent heavy rains. There were lots of wash out sections on the road, spectacularly deep and potentially suspension snapping but with eyes peeled, easy to do around 80km/hr. William Creek was very quaint and we had a yummy lunch at the little pub. There was pub campground and also a couple of rockets that came to earth in the desert. Some were dragged in from the local Anna station, (largest cattle station in the world, 24,000 sq. km). Stage 1 of the last British rocket to be launched from Woomera was laying there, having landed nearby. It's task was putting a sattelite up with an expected life of up to 2071. Interesting to to look at, especially how liitle damage had been sustained in a fall from about 50km up. All titanium we think, the electrical wiring and plugs got a good check over from Gav.

After dumping the trailer we then high-tailed it over a water logged track about 70km's out to see Lake Eyre North in flood. We had a great time - wet the toes etc. - Gavin decided to taste the salt in the lake! Yuk! Off to Maree tomorrow. - V :)