Long-Road-To-Bali

Long Road to Bali

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Day 1

6.15 am and we're on our way with a new moon up in the sky. Heading from Dee Why in half light, make it to Hay we will try. It's a nine hour leg, a very long way, but if we make it that far there'll be time to play the next day. Shell's at the wheel, the cities awake, not a cloud in the sky so the day's lookin great. Hume Highway - Wattle and white gums, wind mills and bare hills and sheep by the score. White frost and wind farm and hay bales galore. Goulbourne to Narrandra, no Hay today. The suns getting low, Darglington Point we will stay. (pic 3)

On the Murrumbidgee River at Darlington Point we called it a day, a lovely little place 100 k's from Hay and a few k's off the highway. The roos were getting about with the setting sun and after seeing a few misfortuneate ones on the road side we didn't want to risk adding to that number. The caravan park is right on the river and if you pick the right spot we can feel like no one else is about (pic 4). It was chilly but without wind it was pleasant and surrounded by big gums and a full flowing Murrumbidgee we were glad we stopped to experience it.

High of the day - Darlington Point
Song of the day - Ain't no mountain high enough - Sister Act 2
Spot the windmill count - Shell 16 Skeeta 8
Mazilla's Song - After a little girlie flip over a Tiny oil leak, we could hear Mazilla say "have a little faith in me" so we made Joe Cocker her road favourite

Day 2

Sturt Highway - Hay to Mildura - Gone went the hills, the sheep and wind mills from Hay to Balranald. Gone was the wattle and ghost gums and in came the emus, the cotton lined tar, vast cotton fields and cotton bales looking like train carriages in the distant. The landscape was flat, which suits Mazilda just fine, she isn't fond of hills but cruises as good as any vehicle on the open road. (pic 5)
Past Balranald, known for its sighting of a rare frog that sent the town frog crazy, and being the official entry to the outback, trees once again appeared with the odd field of beefy fat cattle coming into view. The sky was clear with a slight breeze after a frosty morning start. Left the Murrumbridgee behind and headed for the mighty Murray at Mildura where we were going to take a paddle boat ride but wont make the morning take off due to the sun not rising til 7 (wasn't risking a roo mishap and giving Mazilda a bump on the head).
Lake Bananee was a surprise see on the way to Mildura but the many vineyards were expected. We were informed by a text message from a friend that to be able to pick in the many orange orchards near Mildura you have to be 5ft 2 or taller. She was having a go at me for being small but hey I just reach that 5ft 2 mark, Shelley is off to the packing sheds at 4ft 11 1/2. All our plans went out the window on the other side of Mildura, Mazilda is hungry on the fuel so we had to cut some miles off. Instead of going down to Victor Harbour and back up through Adelaide we decided to cut straight across to Port Augusta via Renmark. And wasn't sorry for the change in plans, the landscape was quite a picture in deed mainly due to all the canola fields that painted the rolling hills a lovely green with the odd splash of yellow flower fields. We did 11 hours driving this day and ended up doing exactly what we avoided doing the day before, drove in the dark at roo peak hour. For 80k's we were perched up like lizards on hawk alert cruising Mazilda slowly, on roo watch.
We ended up the day at an historic copper mining town called Burra, nestled in them rolling green bare hills, post card perfect scenery. We Stayed at the travellers park and had the best sleep. (pic 6)

High of the day - The scenery
Song of the day - Here comes the sun - The Beatles
Spot the windmill count - Shell 25 Skeeta 11

We saw the plains that run with flooding rain and the land that cracks from drought,
Past the dog on the tucker box 5 miles from Gundigai and saw old man emu getting about,
That red back on the toilet seat must have been away,
And the man from snowy river we'll catch another day,
Let the cane fields burn was way up north and the pub with no beer wasn't here,
Heard no click from the shearers sheds but the jumbucks were quite near,
We boiled our billy near a billabong that was only ankle deep,
And if you're not familiar in Aussie verse, a jumbuck is a sheep.

Day 3

Cutting some of our travelling miles gave us a little time to play with so we had an easier day driving wise and took our time. The day started with rain but it soon passed and left only scattered cloud and it was warm and pleasant. We had a look around Burra and the historical sites before heading onto Crystal Brook then Port Piree where we stopped for lunch. Our planned stay was to be Port Augusta but found Nuttbush Retreat 40k's further on in an information center and it sounded perfect. It did end up being the ideal spot to experience a trip with a flavor of outback. Camping next to stock yards with the calls of cattle and sheep we set up camp, sucked on a beer, listened to music, burnt some incense, and chilled. (pic 7 & 8)

High of the day - Nuttbush Retreat
Song of the day - Old Man Emu - John Williamson
Spot the windmill count - Shell 31 Skeeta 12

Day 4

Heading for Ceduna along the Eyre Highway, means resting place and it's here we will stay
Not a cloud in the sky and the air is still, not quite a flat road, there's still the odd hill.
Another great sleep at Nuttbush Retreat, feel revived and alive, has been owned by the Nutt family since 1895
A great place to start the Nullabor drive.
Passing Iron Knob not far down the track, the birth place of steel, Iron ore was discovered 115 years back.
Tuffs of teal green, trees that branch from the base, red roo coloured soil, creeks with water but barely a trace.
Excerise those hands if you're doing this drive cause everyone waves as they pass you by.
Trucks and travellers is all you will see, away from lifes norms, a great place to see.
Old man emu's a female with 6 little ones, any ones guess if they're daughters or sons.
Probably off to the training field to practice de-pants-ing, "run youngest run" old wo-man emu be chanting.
Very near Kimba had to stop for a bush pee, old man emu watched closely behind a scrub tree,
questioning where was the challenge at de-pants-ing me.
Edward John Eyre was in Kimba in 1839. A european to site this land for the very first time.
Half way point cross Australian and there's a bloody big galah, the aussies have this fad even way out this far.
Heading for Minnipa where the wild flowers grow, and a granite rock formation puts on a pretty good show.
Green pastures still cover the landscape and silos reach up high, a slight breeze stirs now and thin cloud scatters the sky.

We reached Ceduna about 3pm and booked our site at Shelleys Beach Caravan Park before heading down to the local fish factory for a treat in some fresh seafood. Oysters and king prawns and have to say it was the best feed of sea food we'd even experienced, yummoooo. Then it was over the dunes to see the sunset and a walk along the shelley beach. Thennnnnnn, mosquitos by the thousands so it was early into Mazilda to watch a photo show and an early night. We ran into some travellers further down the track who spent 2 nights at Shelleys beach and had no mozzie problem so we just happened to be there at a bad time. (pic 9 & 10)

high of the day - Sunset on Shelley Beach
Song of the day - Sisters are doing it for themselves - Annie Lennox & Aretha Franklin
Spot the windmill count - Shell 42 Skeeta 32 (catching up)

Day 5

Outback peeing is like flooding waters on a desert plain
90 miles from the Nullabor not a drop or sign of any rain
A nice 24 and glad to kiss the frost good day
the treeless plain is dead ahead and so is Fowlers Bay.
3.05 and on the Nullabor, man those trees sure vanish fast, like someone got a victor and mowed them down like grass
To the left are massive white sand dunes glowing in the sunlight, and an enormous sign "enjoy the whales" we've made the Head of Bight.
Can't miss the turn for that, the signs are big and there are many but get out your wallets, viewing wil cost you more than a penny.
Aww but what a sight, mummas and calves flipping and flopping in the great bight sunlight
And that big chunk of land thats a miss, great sand dunes one end, the other steep cliffs
Left the whales and headed for the border with Dixie Chicks singing "I believe in love" and the sun sinking slowly in the sky above
Filled at the road house for 1.99, this land is just magic, just taking our time
Nearing the line into Western Australia eating last carrot and bean, chewin like it's rabbits last meal, not given em to quarantine.
Arrived at Eucla for a good nights sleep, tomorrow its Frazer to hang with some sheep. (pics 11, 12, 13, 14)

High of the day - Watching the whales for an hour
Song of the day - Road less travelled - Graham Connors
Spot the windmill count - Shell 68 Skeeta 62 (I was ahead by one for a very short time) and that's the end of the wind mill count. They vanish from here til the odd few getting closer to Perth.

Day 6

The vegetation changes so much out here. When you havn't done this trip one thinks of endless miles of treeless plains but the vegetation shrinks and grows, then shrinks and grows again. The combination of colours is quite stunning in places.

Started to think this treeless plain must've had some rain since they gave it this name
but nearing Cocklebiddy the vegetation became less dense
seeding grass swaying in the breeze, creatures not restricted by a fence
From Eucla to the right, the range snaked along beside us for a very long distance,
you could picture it awakening to perform a slivering twist dance
We climbed on his back at Madura Pass heading straight for Frazer Range
Where a stay at the sheep station will be a nice change
Starting at Caiguna is the world's longest straight road (146.6.k's)
where we left them Queensland truckies with their large mining load
I wouldn't over take them us girlies were too chicken, I attempted it once and near had myself a kitten
90 k's from Balladonia still waiting for them trees to disappear, maybe sometime in history there wasn't any here (pic 15)

2 ks off the highway we spent the next 2 days at Frazer Range Sheep station. A must stay for people doing this trip especially if you want to meet fellow travellers and get a real sense of remote living. They have something unique going here and even though we experienced lousy weather it was still the highlight stay of our trip.

High of the day - Sitting around the big camp fire with fellow travellers
Song of the day - Come away with me - Norah Jones

Day 7

It's cold and it's windy on the western side of the plain. The clouds are rolling cross the sky and last night we had some rain.
The tarps a flappy in the gusts but settled with the down pour, its not stirring up the dust.
We're on the Frazer Range, 2 nights we plan to stay, first place settled on the Nullabor back in the olden day
Lawson the cousin of the original owner bought his wife out in horse drawn style. He built her a dunny on the side of the hill
And apparently the smell was quite vile
(I remember when young we had one on the hill, sis and I thought what a good place to work out these strange matches We burnt the whole thing flat to the ground, should have seen mum and dad try to catch us.) We walked the rocky hill slopes and climbed up to the top, 6k's around the station floor it ran, with many a kangas on the hop
First night the big old wheel blazed with a cosy fire, night 2 was too darn windy,the shearers kitchen most chose to desire.
In camping style travellers tales were told, over wine and beer. Frazer Range is number one for friendly wanderers cheer
They do funny things to the trees outback, strung with thongs and spoons and christmas decorations
but the coolest one of all was on the track to Frazer station
Complete with power point jug and fan, yet no pot for a cup of tea, someone had a funny thought and called it "the current tree". (pics 16,17,18,19,20,21,22)

Highlight of the day - 3 hour walk around the station
Song of the day -Can't keep it in - Cat Stevens

Day 8

Heading for Meridan on the Great Eastern Highway, wattle once again lines the road
Mazilda's done us proud we got this far in cruisin mode
Gold mining country is all around and the trucks are plentiful
The trunks on the trees have a rusty tint and are starting to get quite tall
A little surprised at the vegetation out here, wasn't expecting to see it so thick
The rust against the greens and the changing colour in soils, a scene any artist would pick
20/11 can be written down as the year Australia got rain, new growth on the branches, puddles dotting the ground
and a rare green coloured plain
Nearing to Southern cross the trees have shrunk, my how this landscape changes
It's flattening out now that we're come over the ranges.
Like alternatively mowed rows it comes and it goes but one thing stays the same
there's always a yellow flower that even the roadside can't seem to tame.

We spent our last night in a caravan park at Meridan, nothing out of the ordinary apart from the beautiful gum tree we camped under. It was another chilly night. From here it was a 3 hour drive to Perth, the scenery was like flipping the eastern end of the drive over, as it started so it ended with green pastured of canola and farm land. Perth was a nice view coming down the mountain and here we had 3 days relaxing before flying out to Bali for a different kind of adventure.

High of the day- Coming down the mountain into Perth
Song of the day -Seven Wonders Fleetwood Mac

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