Introduction and Index
Welcome to the web site of Pam and Peter Ranson, a diary in words and pictures of our travels
around the beautiful and diverse continent of Australia. We created this site so that, if our friends
and relatives get sufficiently bored, they can read it and keep track of us. Pam keeps a separate
journal called
Pam's Perspective.
     
     
Mouse Pointer Off The Picture: The little "Coffee Pot" greets us with a whistle as we ascend the Flinders Range on the Pichi Richi Railway in S. Australia.
Mouse Pointer On The Picture: The world's most famous monolith, Ayers Rock, at sunset. The Rock is also known as Uluru (oola roo), its Aboriginal name.
     
 
 
 


Finding your way around this web site:

This web site is in three parts:
1. The Main Section with narrative and pictures of our round-Australia tour.
2. Pam's Perspective where Pam gives her views in the form of a diary. Most days seem to end with Happy Hour.
3. Additional Items for text and pictures where we get sidetracked a little.

Below this yellow text there is a small table which explains the simple colour code which we use for the three index tables shown further down. Each index has a different coloured background.

When an index table is displayed on your screen, move your mouse pointer to the left column and select the page you require. When the 'arrow' changes to a 'pointing finger' then click the mouse's left button. The page you have selected will appear on your screen. When you are ready to move on, scroll down to the bottom of that page and you'll find 'navigation links' there; you'll find them at the bottom of every page (except this one). They usually allow you to turn back to the previous page, turn over to the following page, or to come right back to this Index Page so you shouldn't get lost.

Note that underlined text which is not a heading is frequently a 'link' to another page. If the mouse pointer changes to a pointing finger over the underlined text, then you have a 'link'.

The first item in the Main Index is entitled The Map. The Map shows the route we have taken around Australia. Clicking on the numbered circles on the map will take you directly to the relevant page.

You are now on the
Index Page. There is a link back to this page at the bottom of every other page.

 
     
 

Index colour coding . . .

 
 
Blue: Pages of text and pictures of the places we visit.  If you have read previous pages . . . Go straight to the current page   
Purple: Pam's account of our travels in diary form.  If you have read previous pages . . . Go straight to the current page   
Green: Items not fully consistent with our travels.  
 
     
 
. . . and the three Indexes
 
 
Click to Navigate   Main Index - and a brief description of each page's content.

The Map   
The History   
A Test Run   
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   A map of Australia showing where we've been and where we are now.
   How a holiday at Kalbarri led to us becoming Grey Nomads.
   A last trial run before heading around Australia.
   A 2,000 km journey from Perth across the Nullarbor Plain to Ceduna in South Australia.
   We explore the beautiful Eyre Peninsula - and leave just days before a devastating fire.
   Port Augusta, the Yorke Peninsula, the “Body Bank”, the wine valleys and . . . Stockport.
   Adelaide, the villages of Adelaide Hills, Victor Harbor, Kangaroo Island and Goolwa.
   Robe, Mount Gambier, Tailem Bend, Murray Bridge and Mount Barker to Adelaide - again.
   The Riverland, the Pichi Richi Railway and then north to Ayers Rock and Kings Canyon.
   Alice Springs.
   North to Tennant Creek and Katherine.
   Kakadu National Park and on to Darwin.
   Backtracking south and visiting some fabulous places we missed going north.
   Queensland: Mount Isa, Charters Towers and the road to Cairns.
   Cairns.
   More Cairns.
   Even more Cairns.
   Yet still more Cairns.
   Aboard MV Trinity Bay to the Torres Strait and back.
   Townsville, then on to Emerald.
   Longreach, the Qantas Museum, the Stockman's Hall of Fame and Winton.
   Charleville, Roma, St. George and Toowoomba.
   Brisbane, the Gold Coast, the Story Bridge then on to the Tamworth Country Music Festival.
   More of Tamworth then on to Sydney. The Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.
   A little more of Sydney then north towards Brisbane, stopping frequently along the way.
   Coffs Harbour, Byron Bay then back to Queensland.
   Hervey Bay and Fraser Island.
   Hervey Bay, Maryborough, Woodgate and 1770.
   A week in Gladstone then . . . full speed back to Cairns.
   Our second visit to Cairns. The only way to spend the winter.
   More on a very wet 'dry' in Cairns.
   A trip north to beautiful Cooktown.
   More fun in and around Cairns.
   We leave Cairns and skydive at Mission Beach.
   Back to Townsville and on south to explore Airlie Beach.
   South to Marian where we see a Platypus! Then on to Hillsborough.
   Emu Park, the Tropic of Capricorn, trains, crocodiles and more.
   Still more from around Emu Park and "Rocky".
   On the move again - staging south to Tamworth.
   Our second Country Music Festival.
   Port Macquarie and a big plan change.
   More Port Macquarie then on to the Blue Mountains.
   More of the Blue Mountains.
   We leave Katoomba for Kiama.
   Kiama then Batemans Bay and on to the Snowy Mountains.
   More of the Snowy Mountains.
   The National Capital, Canberra.
   More on Canberra.
   A little more of Canberra, then on to Orange and Mudgee.
   To Dubbo then on to Lightning Ridge.
   More on Lightning Ridge then on to Mitchell.
   Blackall, a lovely country town, then on to Longreach.
   Longreach, Julia Creek, then a broken spring on the way to Normanton.
   Georgetown, Mount Surprise, Cairns again and Cooktown.
   Heading south via Cairns and Cardwell to Midge Point.
   On south through Sarina, Emu Park and Biloela.
   More of Biloela then on to Chinchilla, Stanthorpe and Casino.
   Grafton.
   Armidale.
   Nelson Bay then south to Sydney.
   Singleton and adjacent area.
   More of Singleton and then back to Tamworth.
   In and around Tamworth.
   Gilgandra, Cobar and Broken Hill.
   More from Broken Hill.
   Mildura.
   Renmark.
   Mainly pictures from the Murray River.
   Adelaide then north to Alice Springs.
   North again to Katherine.
   Kununurra
   More Kununurra.
   Even more Kununurra.
   Yet more Kununurra still.
   Will we ever leave? Still more Kununurra.
   Turkey Creek, the Bungle Bungles, Halls Creek, Fitzroy Crossing . . .
   Derby and the Horizontal Falls.
   More of the Horizontal Falls then Broome.
   We extend our stay in Broome.
   More Broome.
   Port Hedland then inland to Newman.
   Tom Price and Karijini National Park.
   Onslow, atomic explosions and a short lived post office.
   Exmouth.
   More Exmouth.
   Still Exmouth. Will we see a whale close up? And more.
   We see a pink seagull, a Qantas A330 drops in, then we move on to Coral Bay.
   Coral Bay then on to Carnarvon.
   A little more of Carnarvon then on to Shark Bay to close the loop!
   Denham, Shark Bay. We've done it! Right around Australia.
   Geraldton.
   More of Geraldton.
   A month in Perth.
   Back across the continent.
   We start 2009 in Tamworth.
   The second half of the Tamworth Festival.
   Pictures from in and around Tamworth.
   More pictures from in and around Tamworth.
   Even more pictures from in and around Tamworth.
   This 'n that plus a shot at the Tamworth Council.
   A very interesting evening.
   Our departure date from Tamworth is becoming rubbery.
   And yet another Christmas.
   Life after Tamworth.

 
     
 

Click to Navigate

   Pam's Perspective

July 2004   
Dec 2004   
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   Our “shakedown” trip to Shark Bay prior to starting the Big One.
   After unavoidable delays we finally set off across the continent.
   The Eyre Peninsula, the Yorke Peninsula, the Clare and the Barossa Valley wine regions.
   Adelaide and Victor Harbor.
   More Victor Harbor and south to Mount Gambier.
   Adelaide, the Riverland, Port Augusta, the Pichi Richi Railway, Woomera and Coober Pedy
   North to Ayers Rock, Kings Canyon and The Alice.
   North to Tennant Creek, Katherine, Kakadu and Darwin.
   In and around Darwin, then across to Queensland.
   Mount Isa, Charters Towers and Cairns.
   More Cairns.
   And yet more Cairns.
   Townsville, Emerald, Longreach, Charleville, Roma and St. George.
   From St. George to Toowoomba then Christmas at Jimboomba.
   Jimboomba to Lake Keepit via Glen Innes and the Tamworth Country Music Festival.
   Tamworth during and after the Festival then on to Sydney.
   Goodbye Sydney, hello Toowoon Bay and on to Newcastle, Taree and Ballina.
   From Ballina back to Queensland and good old Ross and Jan Taylor's place at Jimboomba.
   On north to Mooloolaba, Hervey Bay, Fraser Island and Woodgate Beach.
   A town called 1770, north to Gladstone then a fast run to Cairns.
   In and around Cairns.
   North on a safari to the last frontier - Cooktown.
   Our last month in Cairns. Perhaps.
   We move south from Cairns and skydive over Mission Beach.
   Cape Hillsborough, Emu Park and lots more.
   We decide to stay in Emu Park for Christmas.
   More of Emu Park then back on the road.
   From Tamworth to Port Macquarie then Katoomba.
   More on Katoomba then on to Kiama, Batemans Bay and the fabulous Snowy Mountains.
   Canberra, Orange, Mudgee, Dubbo and on to Lightning Ridge.
   We leave Lightning Ridge for Mitchell and on to Blackall and Longreach.
   We finally leave Longreach for Julia Creek and the Gulf.
   A rodeo in Georgetown, lava tubes in Mount Surprise, then Cairns.
   North to Cooktown then south via Cairns.
   Cairns south to Cardwell, Midge Point, Sarina and Emu Park.
   More Emu Park and then on to Biloela, Chinchilla, Stanthorpe, Casino, and Grafton.
   More Armidale, Port Stephens and then Narrabeen, Sydney.
   A bit more of Sydney then we escape back to the bush.
   Tamworth for our third Country Music Festival.
   Back on the road. Gilgandra, Cobar, Broken Hill, Mildura and Renmark.
   Still in Renmark then on to Adelaide and up to Alice Springs.
   We leave Alice Springs for Katherine and then Kununurra in the West.
   Well settled in Kununurra then moved on via the Bungle Bungles to Fitzroy Crossing.
   Derby and on to Broome.
   Two more weeks in Broome then Port Hedland, Newman and Tom Price.
   Onslow and then . . . more Onslow.
   Exmouth.
   More Exmouth then on to Coral Bay and Carnarvon.
   Shark Bay, Kalbarri and back to Perth.
   Back in Perth - but for how long?
   Starting the new year in Tamworth - for the fourth time.
   The Festival behind us, we get jobs in Tamworth.
   The tide has turned, the bank balance is no longer intent on suicide.
   Drama! Did Pete Mate have a stroke? Tests will reveal all.
   The temperature drops as winter approaches.
   Winter in Tamworth.
   And more winter in Tamworth.
   Guess what? Even more of Tamworth.
   See above.
   See above. We're itching to move on.
   Spring has well and truly sprung.
   Christmas approaches - already.
   A whole new year ahead
   Onwards towards Victoria - at last.
 
     
 
Click to Navigate
    Additional Items - peripheral stories and pictures
 
Andamooka  
Lasseter's Reef  
Never Say Die  
Daly Waters  
Kakadu  
Flowers  
Cool Waters  
Mardi Gras  
Cyclone Larry  
HARS Aircraft  
Keep the Flag  
Snowy River  
Air Show  
Gardens  
M.V. Krait  
Wild Flowers  
Kings Park  
Caravan Sealing  


   Pictures from a remarkable opal mining town, a cross between a quarry and a scrap metal yard.
   Does it exist? Will it ever be found? The story of Harry Lasseter.
   The story of Kurt Johannsen's DeHavilland Moth and an incredible escape from the desert.
   Pictures from the totally crazy Daly Waters pub.
   Pictures from Kakadu National Park.
   Some blooms in Cairns Botanical Gardens.   
   Some of the features and pictures of one of the best caravan parks in which we've stayed.
   Sydney's 2006 Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.
   A first-hand account of how a Category 5 cyclone affected the fauna and flora.
   Some pictures from the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society.
   A poem in support of retaining the Union Jack on the Australian flag.
  "The Man From Snowy River" by Andrew Barton 'Banjo' Paterson. An Aussie classic.
   Some pictures from a great air show put on by the little town of Mudgee.
   A few pictures from the fabulous Hunter Valley Gardens.
   The story of a little Japanese fishing boat and her crew of brave commandoes in WWII.
  Pictures of Wild Flowers along the road verge between Kalbarri and the North West Coastal Highway.
  Pictures of, and from, Kings Park, Perth. Also some of Perth from across the Swan River.
  Keeping The Rain Out Of Your Caravan.