Coober Pedy
May 12, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 7 °C
Coober Pedy is called the opal capital of the world. It is a well deserved reputation as the stones are beautiful. However, the town itself strikes me as a tired mining town. However, there are manyRead more
Coober Pedy opal mines
May 12, 2018 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 15 °C
Looks at underground mining, including a figurine "climbing" down into the mine as they early miners did and a look at a mine shaft, some of the mullock heaps. Mullock is the Aussie name for mineRead more
Open pit opal mines
May 13, 2018 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 16 °C
Mining for opal is done 3 ways: deep shaft mining, open pit and noodling. Shaft mining is looked at elsewhere. Open pit mining is exactly what it sounds like--large excavation equipment dig deep andRead more
Underground houses, Coober Pedy
May 21, 2018 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 16 °C
Coober Pedy is known for underground houses. With summer temps above 100 for weeks ate a time, it makes sense to live where the temp is in the 70s 365 days a year. The first 2 pics are of a houseRead more
Serbian Orthodox Church
May 21, 2018 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 15 °C
Opal miners came to Coober Pedy from all over the world. This is an underground church in that tradition that remains active. First is the outside. Then looks are various parts of the facility. QuiteRead more
Melbourne
May 23, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
Melbourne is a great city. Lots going on. A few pictures can't do it justice, even over several posts. The pictures here are the state library, the old treasury building built during the gold rush inRead more
Melbourne street art
May 23, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
Melbourne is a city of "laneways." these are alleys, small streets, etc. where walls are painted by some very skilled artists. Lots of hidden bars and venues where things are happening all the time.Read more
Wallabies and emus
May 23, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C
At an aboriginal culture center southwest of Melbourne
Arija RestbergsJust an FYI my e-mail address is 1arijar@gmail.com - the First digit is the Number one and not l or I. Got a Post asking for my Email - you had my old one listed
Great Ocean Road
May 23, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C
Spectacular scenery along the south coast of Australia, built by hand by returning veterans of WWI. The first pic is the memorial arch over the road. Then some scenes along the way, including someRead more
Koala
May 23, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
So far I have seen only one koala. That ump on the tree is a koala in the basic sleeping position
Apollo Bay
May 23, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
Lunch stop in tourist town. Pics are along the road, the beach in town and some wood carving
Native Australia rain forest
May 23, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C
Jurassic Park. At least that's how the guide described it. the vegetation is said t be essentially the same now as then in this forest. Notice the fern trees, something I hadn't remembered hearing of.Read more
Coastal cliffs
May 23, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C
This is what the Aussie south coast is famous for.
Loch Ard Gorge
May 23, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
The Loch Ard was one of many sailing ships that wrecked along this coast. The gorge is a narrow space of safety in storms, but they missed. Only 2 survived by being washed up on the beach.
12 Apostles
May 23, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C
Actually, there were never 12, only 10, now 8 after weathering, which is severe here. The original name was Sow and Piglets, but some local guy decided 12 apostles was a better marketing strategy.Read more
London Bridge
May 23, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
The arch isn't the original one called London Bridge here. That one fell down. Yes, really. And there are more pics of the coast and a look at how rough the seas get. And this was a relatively calmRead more
Grampians
May 24, 2018 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 10 °C
Approaching the Grampians from the south. Some first views
'Roos in Halls Gap
May 24, 2018 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 9 °C
I particularly like the last picture
Wonderland gap
May 24, 2018 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 9 °C
A rock formation and hike up the gap in the Grampians with views from the top
McKenzie Falls
May 24, 2018 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 9 °C
The falls and on downstream
Near Swanpool
May 24, 2018 in Australia ⋅ 🌫 5 °C
Visiting at a friend's property in the bush about 3 hours from Melbourne
Hobart, Tasmania
May 26, 2018 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 4 °C
The principal city and capital of the state of Tasmania. Views of the harbor, from Mount Nelson, an interesting pub that I didn't get to visit, older houses in Arthur's Circle, Battery Point, someRead more
Russell falls and temperate rain forest
May 26, 2018 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 0 °C
Much of Tasssie is national forest. hHis is an example of the native forest.
Strahan and Macquarie Harbor
May 26, 2018 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 5 °C
Strahan (pronounced more like "Strawn" here) is the principle town on the west coast of Tasmania. Macquarie Harbor is a large waterway with a very narrow and dangerous access to the Southern Ocean.Read more
Sarah Island
May 26, 2018 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 6 °C
12 acres of hell. Sarah Island was the penal colony of last resort. Prisoners who tried to escape other sites were sent here, and hell is the name they gave it. The hard labor, after building the theRead more