Well hello everyone and welcome to Week 52 of 52 - of my Tour Downunder Western Australia. Yes it is the last week! I can hardly believe that I have taken you for 52 weeks around my magnificent state where I live - Western Australia. I have enjoyed bringing you photos from my travels around my state and I hope you have enjoyed seeing my corner of the world.
For all of those who have come along for the ride, and taken the time to look and comment, I thank you very sincerely. I have enjoyed immensely having you along and reading your comments. You gave me the enthusiasm to continue the 52 weeks of posts, so I thank you.
This week we continue eastward over country new to us. We are travelling on part of The Great Central Road - which is also known as The Outback Way - and - Australia's Greatest Shortcut - a series of roads which connect to travel 2750 kilometres right through the centre of Australia from Laverton in the middle of Western Australia, across the Northern Territory to Winton in the middle of Queensland, taking you through spectacular country . It is very interesting to see the changes in landscape and the 10 different bio-regions featuring their unique flora, fauna, geological and landscapes - sand ridges, deserts, mountain ranges, sand plains. The road is well maintained, and information panels along the way are interesting to read. A map is essential so you know where you are, and there is a touring atlas of the road which as well as containing maps, distances etc, has a wealth of information to assist in your enjoyment of your trip!
For this part of the journey we will be continuing east from our last camp at Niagra Dam to Laverton, and we will be camping out in the bush for three nights before we reach the Northern Territory border (as it will take us 3 days to get to the border!)
As you will see from the photos this section of the road is gravel, which we found to be in very good condition. This is remote country, although you will meet other travellers doing the same crossing and there are a few small towns, aboriginal communities, road houses and pastoral stations along the route, so you need to be well prepared for remote travel. Look out for road trains (be careful of the huge dust cloud they throw up reducing visibility to zero! - I'll show you a pic later), as well as wild camels, dingos and kangaroos. - keep your eyes open to see them!
This is a photo of my son's vehicle coming towards us. They travelled with us for this part of the trip.
Late afternoon at my son's camp site at what we called Desert Oakes camp. The Desert Oakes are actually not an oak at all but a type of Casuarina.
The wide dry sandy bed of Giles Creek, lined by river gums, near Desert Oakes camp. I like the painted look of this photo.
Early morning low rain cloud over the Petermann Ranges near the Western Australia/Northern Territory border.
Spinifex heads in the late afternoon light..........spinifex is a common plant in the desert regions of Australia. For all of those who have come along for the ride, and taken the time to look and comment, I thank you very sincerely. I have enjoyed immensely having you along and reading your comments. You gave me the enthusiasm to continue the 52 weeks of posts, so I thank you.
This week we continue eastward over country new to us. We are travelling on part of The Great Central Road - which is also known as The Outback Way - and - Australia's Greatest Shortcut - a series of roads which connect to travel 2750 kilometres right through the centre of Australia from Laverton in the middle of Western Australia, across the Northern Territory to Winton in the middle of Queensland, taking you through spectacular country . It is very interesting to see the changes in landscape and the 10 different bio-regions featuring their unique flora, fauna, geological and landscapes - sand ridges, deserts, mountain ranges, sand plains. The road is well maintained, and information panels along the way are interesting to read. A map is essential so you know where you are, and there is a touring atlas of the road which as well as containing maps, distances etc, has a wealth of information to assist in your enjoyment of your trip!
For this part of the journey we will be continuing east from our last camp at Niagra Dam to Laverton, and we will be camping out in the bush for three nights before we reach the Northern Territory border (as it will take us 3 days to get to the border!)
As you will see from the photos this section of the road is gravel, which we found to be in very good condition. This is remote country, although you will meet other travellers doing the same crossing and there are a few small towns, aboriginal communities, road houses and pastoral stations along the route, so you need to be well prepared for remote travel. Look out for road trains (be careful of the huge dust cloud they throw up reducing visibility to zero! - I'll show you a pic later), as well as wild camels, dingos and kangaroos. - keep your eyes open to see them!
This is a photo of my son's vehicle coming towards us. They travelled with us for this part of the trip.
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| From Western Australia |
Late afternoon at my son's camp site at what we called Desert Oakes camp. The Desert Oakes are actually not an oak at all but a type of Casuarina.
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| From Western Australia |
The wide dry sandy bed of Giles Creek, lined by river gums, near Desert Oakes camp. I like the painted look of this photo.
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| From Western Australia |
Early morning low rain cloud over the Petermann Ranges near the Western Australia/Northern Territory border.
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| From Western Australia |
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| From Wildflowers |
another road shot taken through the front windscreen as we drove along - the dust in front is from my son's vehicle...... (can't always stop to take a photo LOL)
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| From Western Australia |
You actually see a lot of these along the road side - old cars that have broken down, been stripped of their tyres and engines and whatever else can come off, and left to rust on the road side.
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| From Western Australia |
When we are travelling for several days, and camp out in the bush there are no facilities like showers and toilets.....you find a bush to squat behind. But we do carry our shower tent, and a solar shower (a bag you put water in basically) so that we can have a shower every couple of days. Amazing how refreshed and clean you can feel from 1 or 2 litres of water....
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| From Western Australia |
A road train......the only thing you can do when you meet one of these is to move over to the side of the road and wait for the dust to settle....visibility is zero!
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| From Western Australia |
A wild camel on the edge of the road - unfortunately I was looking straight into the sun when I took this photo, but I wasn't going to get out of the car to try and get a better angle!
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| From Western Australia |
This is sunrise at Yarla camp - I climbed to the top of the breakaway up from our camp to take this photo. Scenes like these and the peace you get when you are camping "out bush" are what I love about travelling around Western Australia.
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| From Western Australia |
Thanks again everyone for looking, and for your support throughout the last 52 weeks. I hope you have enjoyed the tour. I look forward to hearing from you.
Thank you, Jill for taking us down the road less travelled. You showed us some amazing scenes, which were captured beautifully. Love the first shot, and the DoF effect on the road. TFS.
ReplyDeleteVakeel, Dubai
Your photos and story lines have been magnificent. TFS, all year long. Your state's tourist commission should hire you.
ReplyDeleteHeaterguy, Cypress, TX
Thanks Jill! Even as a fellow Australian, my eyes have been opened. All these shots are great...but no. 4 really got to me....I just love it! Looking forward to your next project!
ReplyDeleteSarah, Blue Mountains, Australia
really nice work.. I appreciate very much..!! Great efforts..!!
ReplyDeleteRajal, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India
Well done and congratulations on the completion of your fabulous Western Australia expedition. Yes the state tourism department should've given some sort of reward to you. All your pictures were fantastic and stories were great.
ReplyDeleteAteng, Malaysia
Wow! What a great adventure you have shared with us! Thanks. I have been compiling digital images from around the state of Texas, but over the years, not all in one trip or in such a small span of time as yours.
ReplyDeleteAlphasco, DFW Area, Texas USA
Lovely shots Jill, that first one is really something special.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tour, I've not seen all of the shots but the ones I have I've thoroughly enjoyed (:
Thanks for all the comments on my project as well, much appreciated!
Junglebear, London
A great series! Beautiful shots of a part of Australia I have yet to see. Thanks for your visit:)
ReplyDeleteThe red dirt is just amazing.
ReplyDelete