Today we drove from Port Augusta to Coober Pedy. Just out of Port Augusta we visited the Australian Arid Lands Botanic Gardens and stood where Matthew Flinders stood at the head of Spencer Gulf during his circumnavigation of Australia in the early 1800's.
We then stopped off at Woomera and see some of the early rockets which were launched from there since 1947.
Then it was on to Coober Pedy where we watched a beautiful sunset at The Breakaways about 30kms North of Coober Pedy.
There has been a bit of rain up this way so there is a good tinge of green about the place and it looks pretty spectacular. The flies were very friendly today so I am glad I brought the fly net with me.
Tomorrow we have a flight over Lake Eyre so I am really looking forward to that.
Bye for now
David Petherick
Wednesday, 27 April 2011
Larapinta Trail Charity Challenge
Well we are on our way to Alice Springs for the start of the 7 day Larapinta Trail walk on Sunday. My wife Mary and I are walking the trail to raise money for our respective charities. I am walking for People Outdoors, our disability respite program, and Mary is walking for our Chilean Women's Charity La Leona. It is a big country and a long drive but we also think it is a great way to gain some appreciation of just how big Australia is. The return trip from Geelong to Alice Springs is about 4,800kms!
On Monday we stopped in on the famous Stawell Gift Athletics Carnival to watch a few races and soak up the atmosphere. We also passed the Big Koala at Dadswell Bridge - there does seem to be a period in our not to distant past that we built a whole lot of "Big" things?
We then travelled on to Bordertown and visited former Prime Minister Bob Hawke's birthplace and the first house he lived in before spending the night in Murray Bridge.
Tuesday started with breakfast by the Murray River on a beautiful Autumn day and was followed by a very pleasant day in the Barossa and Eden Valley wines regions for Harvest Festival. We even spotted Maggie Beer at the Harvest Market at Yalumba Winery. We did manage to pick up a few nice bottles of red to sustain us on the trip as well!
Spent the night in Port Augusta and today we head off into outback Australia on our way to Coober Pedy for a couple of nights.
Australia really is a beautiful country and there is so much to see if only we make the time to see it. We really need to do this more often as it is a great way to recharge the batteries and to step back and take time to think. We need to keep encouraging all Australians to spend more time outdoors.
Well, onwards and upwards.
David Petherick
On Monday we stopped in on the famous Stawell Gift Athletics Carnival to watch a few races and soak up the atmosphere. We also passed the Big Koala at Dadswell Bridge - there does seem to be a period in our not to distant past that we built a whole lot of "Big" things?
We then travelled on to Bordertown and visited former Prime Minister Bob Hawke's birthplace and the first house he lived in before spending the night in Murray Bridge.
Tuesday started with breakfast by the Murray River on a beautiful Autumn day and was followed by a very pleasant day in the Barossa and Eden Valley wines regions for Harvest Festival. We even spotted Maggie Beer at the Harvest Market at Yalumba Winery. We did manage to pick up a few nice bottles of red to sustain us on the trip as well!
Spent the night in Port Augusta and today we head off into outback Australia on our way to Coober Pedy for a couple of nights.
Australia really is a beautiful country and there is so much to see if only we make the time to see it. We really need to do this more often as it is a great way to recharge the batteries and to step back and take time to think. We need to keep encouraging all Australians to spend more time outdoors.
Well, onwards and upwards.
David Petherick
Sunday, 6 February 2011
San Diego dreaming
Well I am here in San Diego posting this blog in the bathroom of my hotel room (so as not to wake my fellow traveller who arrived yesterday) at 1am. Perhaps this means that I may still be slightly jet lagged!
This morning we are off on a tour of camps prior to the American Camp Association National Conference getting underway on Tuesday. It is also Superbowl Sunday here so I am hoping we can find a sports bar to watch the game and get into the atmosphere a bit (go Steelers - who I discovered today have yellow and black as their colors and so are as good as a sister team to the mighty Richmond Tigers).
I am also reminded of a conversation I had with Don MacDowall back in 2008 when I suggested that a blog might be a good idea for the Australian Camps Association and he agreed but suggested that the biggest challenge would be finding the time to post regularly! I think it is now safe to say we have put that argument to bed.
Time for me to go back to bed and try to catch up on my sleep as my legs have pins and needles!
More tomorrow.
Dave P
This morning we are off on a tour of camps prior to the American Camp Association National Conference getting underway on Tuesday. It is also Superbowl Sunday here so I am hoping we can find a sports bar to watch the game and get into the atmosphere a bit (go Steelers - who I discovered today have yellow and black as their colors and so are as good as a sister team to the mighty Richmond Tigers).
I am also reminded of a conversation I had with Don MacDowall back in 2008 when I suggested that a blog might be a good idea for the Australian Camps Association and he agreed but suggested that the biggest challenge would be finding the time to post regularly! I think it is now safe to say we have put that argument to bed.
Time for me to go back to bed and try to catch up on my sleep as my legs have pins and needles!
More tomorrow.
Dave P
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