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1 June 2026

We have left the southern regions of this continent and are now approaching the middle bit, often referred to as the red centre or maybe just the centre.

As I write the wind is blowing as it has these last 24 hours. It makes for an interesting day of driving with head winds of 40kph+. It’s most interesting when a road train with four wagons passes you at speed. It has a tail wind and you’re driving into the wind. The aerodynamics between our car and the truck causes the car and caravan to bear away and toward the edge of the road. All this happens in seconds. The heart races as you get the car and caravan back on course whilst maintaining a steady course and no swerving but maybe some swearing.

We are now in Coober Pedy, once the capital of the opal mining industry in Australia. The first time we visited Coober Pedy the cashier at the supermarket had a shot gun at the register and all roads leading into town were dirt. It was said there were two police officers in town who only recorded births and deaths. Whatever else happened in town was left to the locals, particularly claim jumping. Now I have 5G connectivity and there is a pizza shop in town not to mention good roads. Water is still closely managed and people still live underground.

Modern vehicles have an annoying habit of tracking your eye movement and displaying error messages like it can’t see your eyes or you should keep your eyes on the road or would you like to take a break. On these roads you need to be watchful for feral goats and wandering cattle. Clearly the Toyota engineers in Japan have little experience with driving in the Australian outback.

Tomorrow we will make it to the Northern Territory.

30 May 2026

We have left the agricultural land surrounding the Murray River for the salt bush plains. This is sheep country, dry and not suited to much else but sheep.

As we were coming out of the dry country our view of the horizon was interrupted. It was foggy but in the distance you could just make it out. It wasn’t a mirage, it was real. As we got closer it became more apparent with a clearly defined shape. It was a …….. hill!

This was the bottom end of the Flinders Ranges which I’m sure some time ago was a substantial mountain range; not anymore. It turns out the Flinders Ranges are one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world!

We continued on to Burra for a coffee and snack.

Burra was settled by Cornish miners so in this town you can be confident about two things. All the buildings are built from local stone and the bakery includes Cornish pasties on its menu.

There is something about ruined stone cottages in the vast open fields. I just can’t imagine people in future times waxing lyrical about ruined sheds built from corrugated iron and colourbond.

Port Augusta is home for two nights. This town is full of travellers heading west across the Nullarbor or north to the centre and NT. Either direction involves huge expanses of remote country with distances between fuel stops and food measured in the hundreds of kilometres.

So Port Augusta is the town for last minute purchases of fuel, food and drinks and anything else you think you will need over the next week or two. Time to top up fresh water tanks and empty waste water.

From here maybe no phone or internet coverage for a few days; will we cope?

28 May 20926

We of the Never Never is a classic Australian novel about life in the remote outback. For us never, never refers to this trip. Life got in the way of our plans in a way that:

We could never never finalise a departure date.

Never never were we able to settle on where we might go due to our departure being so muddied.

Given the war in the Middle East we were never never sure about the cost or availability of fuel in the remote parts of this country and whether such a trip was foolhardy.

Our planned return date was never never going to happen and now we have to be home earlier than preferred.

Regardless of these interruptions we are now on the road with plans to travel through the centre of Australia, back down the WA coast and home via the Nullarbor Plain. It doesn’t sound too far when you say it quickly.

We started out last Monday and after locking up three times we finally got away for a short drive of little over an hour. It was important to just cut the mooring lines and get underway.

We have progressed to South Australia and in these three days we have left the hills and will not see a freeway or divided highway for many weeks. The next hills are the Flinders Ranges, followed by the McDonnell Ranges and then the Kimberley. The rest of the country is pretty flat.

Peak hour traffic with masses of cars filling the roads will not be an issue for this trip. However, Semi trailers (one trailer), B Doubles (two trailers), B Triples (three trailers) and Road Trains (up to four trailers) will be our constant companions, not to mention wide loads with escort vehicles. On rainy days these vehicles each create their own weather systems as they overtake or pass. All good fun. As always a UHF radio for comms with these truck drivers is a must.

Soon we will leave the fertile plains with old growth red gums and lots of vineyards for the dry country of South Australia and the centre.

6 March 2026

You know on every trip that includes a pool or the ocean there is that ‘last swim’. And so it was today that we had our last swim. You know it’s the last as you dive into the surf or pool and then grudgingly walk out of the water. It’s your last swim.

Lounging around the pool we have met a wide range of people. There was the couple from Saskatchewan who are going home to -27c days, madness. People from Brisbane with broad Scottish accents and a couple of philanthropists who are sponsoring kids and adults from Vanuatu and Fiji, inspirational.

We are told the closest relatives to hippos are whales. I am no longer so sure. We also graze through the night and when the day gets too hot we retire to the pool where we gather in small groups contemplating what delicacy we might enjoy when the sun goes down.

This short sojourn has taught us that if you are ever washed up on a deserted Pacific island the first thing you do is order a cocktail. It will come with so much fresh fruit that scurvy will be avoided.

And so tomorrow starts with an early flight back home. Back to the garden, the gym (oh how I need the gym) bike rides and planning on our big trip through central Australia in May. Maybe the tomatoes have ripened.

4 March 2026

Bula, do not adjust your clocks, Fiji Time is a state of mind not a time difference for wherever you are located.

Bula is a greeting that you hear from everyone, road maintenance workers, domestic staff at the resort, the guy making your cocktail, the bus driver, the gardeners, everybody. It means hello, welcome or wishing you good health. You know you have arrived in Fiji when you hear bula.

We left home in pouring rain and arrived in Fiji to torrential rain and local floods. We were at the tail end of Cat 2 cyclone. The pilot would not let us leave the plane for 45 minute because of the weather but you’re on Fiji Time so it doesn’t matter.

You may be familiar with the Spanish word Mañana which translates to tomorrow or maybe later or even an unspecified time in the future. Mañana however infers a sense of urgency far greater than conveyed by Fiji Time. It takes deliberate effort to adjust to Fiji Time but once there you feel a new sense of calm and relaxation, nothing will bother you and it will happen when it happens or it may never happen. Ahhhh.

I have discovered a new way of guessing the age of your aircraft. If the safety handout lists Game Boys and iPods as banned electronic devices you know the plane was built in an earlier decade.

The rain has stopped and we are now enjoying warm and humid days by the pool. The cocktails come without little umbrellas but they do contain pieces of fruit so they must be good for you.

And so we continue in Fiji Time and tomorrow will involve more pool time…..

17 November 2025

We have ended our three week journey through southern parts of NSW and Victoria and now it’s back to reality. Commitments need to be fulfilled, appointments made and the administrivia of life attended to.

We completed over 3000 kms in 20 days. This was one of our shorter trips. It was however full of new adventures not to mention new bakeries and new pies, pasties and other yummies to enjoy. We did manage to support roughly 13 local small businesses. Needless to say most in the form of providores of good coffee and baked goods. Did I mention wineries?

Our final day included a visit and tour of the Junee licorice and chocolate factory. An old flour mill converted to produce the sweeter pleasures.

Over these few weeks we saw the remaining snow in the Snowy Mountains, migrating whales, an amazing coastline, the rocky landscape of the Grampians and the wide open expanses of western NSW.

The people we met included a young Canadian woman who left Canada in -25c weather and arrived on a cattle station in 45c temps. She had finished her 8 months on the cattle station and was exploring the country on her own before her return to a another Canadian winter. There was the German gentleman who had created an online subscription service for sound engineers who were seeking sound files of unique sounds. I’m sure he recorded rain and wind sound clips in Port Fairy. There was the couple who were on a 2 year adventure travelling around Australia in their renovated bus. We met groups riding their bikes on bike trails and were inspired to return for more bike riding.

The weather ranged from freezing in the mountains to 30c on the beach and gale force winds and rain. All great fun.

Ideas for the next adventure have not yet germinated but I’m sure after a few weeks at home ideas will be forming.

13 November 2025

The rain followed us along the Great Ocean Road and onto Port Fairy. For variation and further entertainment the rain came with gale force winds, and we are camping!

We arrived in Port Fairy, a town I had visited with my family in my childhood. The small fishing village that was populated by generations of the same families is no more. Many of the old houses have gone and the ruined blue stone cottages have been rejuvenated. What were once the homes of the working class are now multi million dollar retirement and holiday homes. The vibe in the town has changed, or maybe that was just the wind.

The wooden pedestrian bridge across the river is now concrete. The walkway along the wharf is also now concrete and steel. The boats moored along the wharf are no longer wooden cray boats. Now it’s high tech cruising yachts and motor launches.

The swampy ground around town has been drained for housing developments, with more under way.

From Port Fairy we headed inland and hopefully away from the wind. We arrived in Halls Gap, travelling on excellent roads with hardly any traffic. Regardless of how good the roads are the locals still complain about the potholes! I think they need to get out more.

Halls Gap was brimming with visitors supporting runners doing the 100 mile Grampian Peak Trail Ultra Marathon. This is a world rated ultra marathon that covers the Grampians from north to south. This is seriously tough country to walk, much less run.

We enjoyed the Pinnacle Walk and a walk to the Mackenzie Falls lookout. As we have experienced so often, on our returned from the Pinnacles Walk we were confronted by a large group of very noisy walkers. Their footwear was wrong and they were so inappropriately dressed for what they were about to face. It’s a fair guess that most would not have made it past the first series of steep stone passages. In previous logs such walkers were awarded the title of butterflies.

From Halls Gap we cut across country to Echuca on the Murray River. Again on this section of road we hardly saw another vehicle. Our visitors from the UK were amazed at how empty the country is. Along the way there was the obligatory stop at a bakery in St Arnaud.

Today it’s a steam powered paddle steamer to our lunch destination which is of course a winery. Echuca has kept alive its paddle steamer history and it’s great to see so many old steamers in private hands, fully restored for relaxing times on the river.

This is our penultimate day as we head back towards home. The weather is warming up and no gale force wind or rain.

Our last night on the road is in Junee with a visit to the licorice and chocolate factory planned for tomorrow. After that it’s a direct route to home.

Current status: 12 days on the road and 12 bakeries.

7 November 2025

Variability in the weather has ceased, now it’s just rain with occasional gusts of wind. Camping in the rain is just one of those special moments that are etched into your memory.

We have left Apollo Bay and driven to Port Fairy via the Twelve Apostles and the Loch Ard Gorge tourist destinations. The coastal scenery here is quite stunning and it attracts a lot of overseas visitors.

How can you tell there are so many tourists I hear you ask. There are two critical pointers. To begin with along the road there is a constant reminder in the form of signage that says ‘We drive on the left in Australia’. The second example is the very useful instructions on how to use the public loos.

Tonight we met an interesting couple who live in Thailand. He comes from Germany and she from Iowa, and they have a US based business. Their business generates a passive income allowing them to travel the world. These were not 9 to 5 workers nor were they ‘work from home’ employees. A one hour commute to a city based office job was so far from their lifestyle. Their story was a fascinating commentary on what a business might look like in this connected world.

The rain has settled in and we will stay in place for a couple of nights. Maybe this weather pattern will clear, as said with a hopeful tone.

Current score: 7 days on the road and 8 bakeries.

5 November 2025

The variability of Spring weather is starting to test us. From gale force winds to squalls through to balmy days of 30c, we have experienced it all.

It seems there was a horse race in Melbourne which results in a four day weekend. Consequently just about every campground a three hour drive from the city was booked out. We were left with a next tier campground that was just ok, uncrowded with outdated facilities. No drama, just all part of the adventure.

A night in Foster followed by a day trip into Wilsons Prom and a boat ride to Skull Rock and the seal colonies. The weather was perfect, calm seas and no rain.

The boat ride involves wearing a ‘fits all sizes’ cape which looked more like a large red garbage bag as protection from the spray. You are sitting outside exposed to the weather and helmsman is not gentle on the throttle. The scenery was quite stunning. The crew advised that anyone who was a bit queasy or suffered back issues should sit at the back. We chose that pivot point where the ride is comfortable and you avoid the spray.

From Tidal River and Foster we headed onwards in search of our next bakery. It turned out Korumburra had an outstanding bakery with excellent coffee not to mention the pies. At this point as we got closer to Melbourne the traffic grew exponentially. Gone were the quiet and empty roads of NE Victoria. Bumper to bumper traffic was now the order or the day.

We arrived in Rosebud, on the foreshore on a 30c day. Kids were in swimming and there were lots of people sun baking. We had family and friends visiting and it was time to break out the sandals and shorts.

That night the heavens opened which has set the scene for the next several days. We caught the 11:00am ferry from Sorrento to Queenscliff and enjoyed very calm seas but no scenery considering the rain and mist across the bay.

It turns out Queenscliff has a bakery that has won national awards for their pies, who knew! Yep, that was our lunch destination. Due to everyone in Melbourne camping that weekend we were left to stay at a campgrounds that literally had 100s of sites. A little overwhelming for this quiet soul. And more rain.

Next it was a trip down the famous Great Ocean Road. We drove via Barwon Heads and Ocean Grove, and I was a little overwhelmed how much these towns had grown in the decades since I was last there, but there you go it had been a while. Torquay and Anglesea were humming with weekend visitors. Here is the centre of the surfing world for Victoria especially when you consider the history of such locations as Bells Beach and Jan Juc.

We drove the Great Ocean Road and were constantly in awe of the scenery. My job of course was to watch the road for oncoming traffic on what can be a narrow road, cut into the cliff face.

We arrived at our destination at Apollo Bay just ahead of the rain and wind. Lunch comprised the celebrated Apollo Bay scallop pies, outstanding.

Today was dedicated to visiting the Cape Otway Lighthouse. The wind and rain were relentless. The high point was not just the lighthouse precinct and history but also the koalas we saw on the way in and heading out.

Our final escapade for the day was a walk through a section of rainforest filled with myrtle beech trees which date back to Gondwana Land and towering tree ferns and mountain ash trees, stunning.

Current stats, 11 days on the road and 6 bakeries.

Our travels continue……

31 October 2025

The Queensland bike riding trip is well and truly over and we are back on the road for another road trip.

Our Queensland trip covered 5794 kms over an eight week period. This trip will only be three weeks and a lot shorter distance. We are taking friends from the UK, who have joined us on many of our overseas adventures, on a road trip through southern NSW and Victoria and along the way checking out whales, mountains and of course bakeries.

Our first stop was to explore Mt Kosciusko. Unfortunately we arrived at that strange transition time between the skiing season and summer. The shops, if they were open, were stripping the ski gear from the shelves so that mountain bike clothing could be displayed. Now was not the time for skis but mountain bikes. The chairlifts were closed and there was snow flurries and high winds on the main range.

The 13 km walk was cancelled and instead we enjoyed a picnic in the cold and wind swept hills.

Next stop was the coast and whale watching. So much warmer by the ocean and of course we did manage a stop at the Nimmitabel Bakery which is under new management. The pies and various baked goods are all baked on site and not brought in by a truck!

We descended Brown Mountain to sunshine and warm temperatures. Next adventure was a whale watching tour to see humpback whales on their southerly migration back to Antarctica. I’m pretty sure the calves were complaining they didn’t want to leave the warm waters off the Australian coast. I think I heard ‘do we have to’ from a young whale.

In the spirit of welcoming foreign visitors to our shores, the proprietor of one campground asked if our companion had found his Liverpool football hat in the rubbish. It seemed he was a Manchester fan and did not like Liverpool. So welcoming to our visitors but the comment was offered with a smile.

Showers have been a challenge today but we did manage another bakery and good coffee in Stratford. Tomorrow it’s a boat ride out from Tidal River. Photos to come.

Current stats: 6 days on the road and 4 different bakeries! 😀