Återställ sökningen
Central & Outback NSW 2021Central & Outback NSW 2021
Redigera färdväg
Making memories one road trip at a time - Cowra, Parkes, Bourke, Lightning Ridge & Coonabarabran (Warrumbungles NP) Läs mer
  • McDermotts Travel Oz

Lista över länder

  • Australien Australien
Kategorier
Inga
  • 2,1kantal resta kilometer
Transportmedel
  • Bil226kilometer
  • Flyg-kilometer
  • Gående-kilometer
  • Vandring-kilometer
  • Cykel-kilometer
  • Motorcykel-kilometer
  • Tuk Tuk-kilometer
  • Tåg-kilometer
  • Buss-kilometer
  • Husbil-kilometer
  • Husvagn-kilometer
  • 4x4-kilometer
  • Simning-kilometer
  • Paddling/Roddning-kilometer
  • Motorbåt-kilometer
  • Segling-kilometer
  • Husbåt-kilometer
  • Färja-kilometer
  • Kryssningsfartyg-kilometer
  • Häst-kilometer
  • Skidåkning-kilometer
  • Lifta med-kilometer
  • Cable car-kilometer
  • Helikopter-kilometer
  • Barfota-kilometer
  • 17fotavtryck
  • 14dagar
  • 239foton
  • 0gilla-markeringar
FöljKalenderDelaBucket list
Nyast först
  • McDermotts Travel OzResenärCentral & Outback NSW 2021

    Orange Car Door Tour

    12 april 2021, Australien ⋅ 🌙 20 °C

    Today we conquered the Orange Car Door Tour which took us an hour's drive west of town to the famous Grawin, Glengary and Sheepyard opal fields. If you thought Lightning Ridge was in the middle of nowhere, you haven't been to Grawin!

    Unlike the native bush environment around Lightning Ridge, the landscape across this region is rugged, comparable to the surface of the moon, dusty and barren, just waiting to be unearthed. Here, most opals are discovered wedged between layers of opal bearing clay and stone, known as seam opals.

    First stop - Club in the Scrub, a fantastically quirky and authentic Miners Sports Bar, complete with 'Beer & Bullsh*t' area. Who would believe it's an actual RSL club, and you’ve got to sign in!

    Next up, the Glengarry Hilton. Apparently, the outback pub was built to satisfy the thirsty needs of those who came to try their luck on the ever-popular opal fields in the 1970s. With very low expectations we braved lunch from the shipping-container kitchen, only to be served up perhaps the most succulently delicious burgers ever - even if there's a high possibility the patties were mouse meat!

    Moving on the boys indulged their noodling fever in the many piles of white dirt alongside buildings and the sides of roads. Unfortunately, the giant mullock heaps that have been known to present surprise pieces are now off-limits to the general public for safety reasons.

    Last on the tourist trail was Sheepyard Inn (jokingly referred to as ‘the best baaaaa in the outback’) with its eclectic collection of historical memorabilia, including an old train carriage that came from Sydney’s Taronga Zoo. And who could forget the impressive 'bra-tree'. I'll leave it to the imagination as to whether I made a donation ;)

    Finally, we stopped at the War Memorial, built by local miners, many of whom are Vietnam Veterans.

    Grawin was definitely a highlight and worth the day-trip for a glimpse of how Lightning Ridge itself probably would have been in the early days.    Läs mer

    Se översättning
  • McDermotts Travel OzResenärCentral & Outback NSW 2021

    Blue & Red Car Door Tours

    13 april 2021, Australien ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

    This morning, we completed the Blue and Red Car Door Tours.

    First up - Blue Tour. We headed out through the opal mine fields, locally known as 'the suburbs', before stopping briefly to explore Bevan's Cactus Garden with over 2,500 cactus varieties and 48 Bougainvillea varieties. Interesting, but not really our thing.

    Next up was the Walk-in Mine Tour. This was pretty cool and being self-guided meant we could move at our own pace.

    Being one of the shorter Car Door Tours, we quickly moved on to the Red Tour. We passed the plaque sharing information on the first settlement in 1906 called Wallangulla or 'Old Town', which is where the first Opal Rush boomed. We then stopped to marvel at the Stone & Bottle House - an interestingly constructed private home made entirely of, would you believe, stones and bottles, and filled with collectables!

    Just a bit further along the road we stopped to explore the Ridge Castle. It was in fact an Airbnb property, but as with most things in Lightning Ridge, it wasn't your typical lodging.

    Moving on, we noted some other interesting sights including Sim’s Hill - the highest point in the district, astronomers' monument - a very cool homemade observatory, and a KFC Drive-thru (although it never seems to be open LOL).

    But the highlight of this tour was definitely Amigos Castle - a unique and fascinating private home. The castle was built by Vittorio Stefanato, also known as Amigo, who was born in Italy and moved to Australia in 1970. The castle is built with stones and planks, and Amigo has been expanding it since 1982. The castle sits atop dinosaur bones that are millions of years old - not officially catalogued but locally known as 'Amigosaurus'.

    The underground tunnels and secrets of the Castle were closed the day we were there as it turns out Amigo had been sentenced to at least 13 years and seven months in jail for murdering a local woman in January 2020. He shot her point blank with a rifle after she asked him for money and then hid her body in the bushland. He pleaded guilty to the murder in October 2021. I think I'm glad we missed his 'private' tour!    Läs mer

    Se översättning
  • McDermotts Travel OzResenärCentral & Outback NSW 2021

    Green Car Door Tour

    13 april 2021, Australien ⋅ 🌙 24 °C

    This afternoon we completed the Green Car Door Tour, with highlights including the iconic Opal Tree, Stone Labyrinth (reportedly made by just four people in six hours) and Beer Can House (look us up in the guest book in the fridge inside).

    It was at the Opal Tree that we stumbled upon Richard, an English-born eccentric (aka madman) who’s made this wacky corner of the outback home for more than 17 years. Next to his roadside Love Shack ‘Enlightning Ridge’, Richard’s pièce de résistance would have to be his towering milk crate robot covered in teddy bears, built as a tribute to his emotionally repressed great-grandfather - actually creepier than it sounds. Richard was equal parts fascinating, amusing and unsettling. But either way, a true character who fit right in with the wonderfully weird vibe of Lightning Ridge.

    As the sky faded into dusk, we headed to Nettleton's First Shaft Lookout for a magnificent sunset happy hour overlooking the vast desert plains of outback NSW. We all agreed you don’t just visit Lightning Ridge, you experience it.

    Fun fact: Lightning supposedly never strikes twice but one fateful evening in the 1870s, a beleaguered shepherd, his dog and a flock of more than 200 sheep were peppered with lightning strikes as they sheltered among trees, charring like minute steaks on a piping-hot barbecue. Folklore says this is how Lightning Ridge earned its name.    Läs mer

    Se översättning
  • McDermotts Travel OzResenärCentral & Outback NSW 2021

    Siding Springs Observatory

    15 april 2021, Australien ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Known as the ‘Gateway to the Warrumbungles’ and the ‘Astronomy Capital of Australia’, Coonabarabran is a mix of natural beauty and science.

    The Solar System Drive, a scale model of the solar system that stretches for over 200 km, was a fun and unexpected way to track our journey through the cosmos as we made our way up the mountain to the Siding Spring Observatory. Starting from the Sun in town and ending at Pluto near the observatory, each planet has its own roadside sign and model, scaled both in size and distance.

    We explored the Visitor Centre, with its interactive displays and a short film, before joining a guided tour of the 3.9m Anglo-Australian Telescope, Australia’s largest optical telescope. The view from the top was fantastic, a full 360° panorama of the surrounding countryside, albeit deceptively chilly.
    An impromptu selfie in the car park with my own real-life superstar Liz Ellis, was definitely a highlight!

    As the sun set, we visited the Dark Sky Observatory for a 90-minute stargazing session, including a live astronomy presentation and the chance to look through up to six telescopes, including a 20-inch scope. The sky was perfectly clear, making the Milky Way feel close enough to touch.    Läs mer

    Se översättning
  • 2025© FindPenguins
  • Hem
  • Om oss
  • Spåra gruppen
  • Press
  • Villkor
  • Integritet & Cookies
  • Hjälpcenter
  • Avtryck