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Bert’s Loop
  • Regina and Ian
  • Regina and Ian

Bert’s Loop

A 552-day adventure by Regina and Ian Read more
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  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler

    Jarnem Campground. Keep River N.P.

    May 18, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C

    This will be home for 3 weeks.

    Ian is thinking he should have climatized more thoroughly on the way north. It’s unseasonably hot in the region by about 8°. Eeek!

    This is the first time we have done a full camp setup on Day 1. Usually stuff gradually oozes out of the van into use. It’s Sunday when we arrive and Ranger Pam was not available. We just set up and hopefully we can track her down tomorrow. The Park is only 44,000 sq kilometres - no problem.
    Happy to say the observatory is aligned to accommodate a waxing to full moon that’s rising in the early evening. The planets are still tightly arrayed on the ecliptic plain during the dawn which is a little bonus for the early birds.

    The camp site is positioned under Nyawanyawam Dawang, a Registered Sacred Site, so there will be no exploring but it’s very nice company. There are walking options, to Aboriginal art sites (Nigli) and various lookouts (Jarnem, Jenemoom and Goorradalng) which Hema Maps unhelpfully describes as “rocky outcrops”.

    There is just one permanent Ranger in the park and she is a newby in her first posting (plenty of jobs in NT Parks if you are interested). It’s odd having an Argentinian helping us with the indigenous pronunciations. There is a rotation of Rangers into Keep River from Judburra/Gregory NP that help out with things like the fires that were burning in our first week here.

    A fun connection was meeting Ranger Phil, and later, his dad Ranger Victor. Victor’s dad worked on Humbert Station under Charlie Schultz. He, who’s amazing life was detailed in the book “Beyond The Big Run”. The book had inspired us to explore and experience all sorts of adventures within Judburra NP, where we travelled through Bullita and Humbert Stations to see places mentioned in the book. We mentioned some in the post on Gregory N.P.
    Victor shared some great stories about life as an Aboriginal Stockman from his father, grandfather and his own experiences.    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler

    Welcome Chris and Jude

    June 3, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    “My excellent mate of 41 years is joining us for the Gibb River Road” say Regina. We hitch hiked together in Europe in the 80’s, it will be great”
    We wait with anticipation in Keep River, while Chris and Jude make their way from Albury via Port Lincoln, the Flinders Ranges, Birdsville, Broken Hill, Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill), Booraloola and Katherine.
    Our planning includes putting a great big exclamation point on the end of the Gibb, by booking onto a Horizontal Falls tour. Hang the expense, let’s take the overnight option.
    Chris and Judy make a head start from Keep River and head off to Lake Argyle, Regina and I meet them a few days later in Kununurra for a restock when we finish our camp hosting.
    Let the fun begin.
    We are barely out of the blocks and we find hurdles on the track. Weather report say there has been rain and more coming, so some roads have been closed. We will deal with that as required. We also hear the news of the jet boat crash on the Horizontal Falls. 25 people are injured with many airlifted to hospital in Broome and other places. All operations on the Falls are stopped until an investigation is completed. We are booked in 16 days, hopefully we get a run - or a full refund.    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler
    2Emma Gorge

    El Questro

    June 4, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

    Haven’t been in a camp with so many people for a vey long time. However this is definitely not any sort of caravan park. Everyone here has had to get here through a few creek crossings on a dirt road, so at the vey least vehicles, vans & campers are dirty. The park sits over the Pentecost and Chamberlain Rivers, with the Cockburn Range to the north.
    There is a lot of water in the rivers and creeks. There could be more coming because there are some thunderstorm activity.
    We completed the El Questro Gorge walk today, a Grade 5, boulder hopping, creek bed climb, to a swimming hole under a waterfall. Beautiful clear, shaded waters. The gorge is so deep that the sun barely penetrates to the floor of the gorge. The drive to the gorge was a bit fun with a deep and long water crossing done in both directions.
    In summary I am not a fan of sharing the place with so many people (we did manage to arrive on a WA long weekend), but I am totally in love with the landscape. Wait. Perhaps that’s the reason for the crowd.
    El Questro is the start of our Gibb River Road adventure, and we are hoping for other jewels like this.    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler
    At the creek bend, hundreds of Little Corellas creat a din.1Dont tell mum about the CrocsEllenbrae Station - Scones anyone?Ellenbrae Station - oasisThe amazing Juliet."Copy that"2Mitchell Falls - Big Mertens Falls to the left.

    Drysdale Station to Mitchell Plateau

    June 8, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Dark cloud - silver lining.

    There has been some late rain during this part of the Dry season which has presented some challenges. Until yesterday when we arrived at Drysdale Station the road too Mitchell Falls was closed at King Edward River to all but heavy vehicles. Up at Mitchell Falls further overnight rains trapped campers for a few days and walkers were being washed off the causeway on the walking track to the Falls. That is probably pretty bad.

    It’s about 120k to the Mitchell Falls and we met a young, hard core couple who slogged away for 5.5 hours to drive the 99k from Drysdale to the the falls camp. Decision made. We are not going to Mitchell Falls. Dark cloud descends.

    From a casual comment with a fellow campers, an idea is born. Enter: The Silver Lining. Let’s take a scenic flight!

    In 2.5 hours we get to see so much of this amazing region and coastline including our forsaken goal of Mitchell Falls. Our pilot is an amazing 23 year old NZ lass, with a great spiel about the regions human history and geology. She also seems to know something about flying, as it went exactly as scheduled and completed without incident including departing and contacting the ground very smoothly.

    The highlight for us was the Kimberly coast, shaped when the Kimberly plate pushed into the Australian mainland to create mountains of Himalayan scale, and with hundred of millions of years to weather and erode it back down to its current height and features. High plateau maxing out at 765m for Mt Fyfe, crisscrossed with valleys and gorges, fault lines that host rivers, mesa and butte, offshore features that made early European exploration difficult and costly through loss of ships and lives. It’s still a challenging place. The Prince Regent National Park is huge and completely devoid of settlement or development. WA Parks doesn’t even have a permanent base here.    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler
    Bush mechanic
    Hann River Crossing free camp.

    Manning Gorge

    June 11, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Inbound to Manning Gorge we had two superb free camps. The first called “Top of the World” on the banks of the Drysdale River, the other was on the Hann River, at the less-imaginatively named Hann River Crossing. Both were ideal spots where we could easily have stayed 2 or more nights. How can you not love a flat, quiet, pretty, isolated, unpopulated, clean and free site.

    A small setback as we were packing up after a lunch stop on the Gibb River Crossing site. I discovered that the bolt that secures the caravans 2 right hand shock absorbers to the swing arm was gone! Not sure how long it had been like that. Probably on the road into Drysdale which had some killer corrugations. A bit of bush mechanic wizardry and away we go.

    We had been expecting Manning Gorge Campground to be pretty nice, but expectations exceeded. The camp is spacious and spread through bunches of trees and feels more private than the number of campers would suggest. The amenities are great, but the swimming hole is unbelievable. Stretching for a few hundred meters, it has a wide sandy beach, the water is clear and variously deep and shallow, mostly sandy bottomed, with big smooth rocks poking out here and there that invite you to come out of the water to sun yourself. There are rope swings, jumping rocks and other amusements.
    The walk to Manning Gorge starts on the opposite side of the swimming hole and they have installed a hand drawn barge so you can start the walk with dry shoes. The kids love it.
    The rock pools at Manning Gorge are …….. even better! Add a waterfall, a touch more remoteness - such a recipe for bliss.    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler

    Imintji, Bell Gorge thence Mount Hart

    June 15, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Westbound again along the Gibb River Road and into the King Leopold Range. On the east side we visit Bells Gorge unique among those that we visit in that we actually walked down to access the river and falls. The road climbs, dips and turns as passes the King Leopold Range with Mount Bell being one of its prominent peaks at 748m. The whole lot is bound up in the King Leopold Conservation Park. There are a few other smaller Conservation Parks, as well as a number of Private Nature Reserves. I am not sure how they align with National Parks, but it is good to see a number of green shaded areas on the map of the Kimberley, which means that cattle farming is on the decline with natural bushland having an opportunity to return. The Military and Aboriginal Land Title also lay claim to very large swathes of this coast.Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler
    Motoring home after a successful fishing trip
    Golden Trevalley. 73cm. It became a Thai Red curry aperitif within an hour.Our B&B in Cyclone Creek. Broken toe from Manning Gorge antics.Flight ex Derby to Talbot BayInbound to headquarter pontoon. Our accommodation is up Cyclone Creek in the background

    Horizontal Falls

    June 19, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    On again - off again.
    As we headed onto the Gibb River Road, we heard that a severe boating accident on the Horizontal Falls caused all tourist operations on the falls to be suspended. A volatile bureaucratic situating, and non existent access to WWW leaves us not knowing if our tour would go ahead or not. A day out from Derby we win the lottery and it’s all systems go. Our slot starting 19th June is going ahead, but tours on 17th, 18th plus 21st and 22nd are cancelled, not because of safety issues, but because there are not enough pilots to keep the route open.
    Aeronautical under-supply is another bonus for us. The accommodation pontoon holds 16 guests, but only one sea plane of 8 could fly in. Half the customers with a full quota of staff: 2 hostesses, 1 x Chef and 1 x crew lead (boat skipper) sweet!
    The sea plane lands near the pontoon complex, where we are greeted and have a swim with the sharks. Then onto “Full Throttle” - 4 Tonne, 900hp boat for the short hop into Cyclone Creek to our accommodation houseboat. It’s brand new, 2 floors, 8 berth, dining room, lounge area, and multiple verandas. Gorgeous. Morning tea, followed quickly by an amazing lunch.
    It’s also a technically clever operation, with water desalination, septic processing and power generation all done on-site.
    Back onto Full Throttle for a high powered look at the Horizontal Falls and some of the landforms in the area.
    When we return to the houseboat a fishing Charter is waiting for us. Again our small numbers - only 6 fishers - on a full service boat with 3 crew. The most beautiful location to drop a line, and very productive.
    Another outing on Full Throttle for a geology tour and sunset viewing.
    We had a high adrenaline cavort on the out-tide flow from the wide falls where we got to feel all 900hp at full throat.
    Sadly it’s time to depart for the 35minute flight back to Derby. Back to our “normal life”.    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler
    Its hard to complete a walk. Spots like this make you want to sit.
    No photoshop!2Can you believe the colour of the water?No admission fees!

    Karijini National Park

    June 25, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Pilbara - think: wide red plains, big cattle stations, big mines, alien looking mountain ranges (to we easterners at least), the hottest town in Australia.
    Add to this: lots of greenery from recent rains. School holidays approach with increased bookings but still not too many people.
    In the Hamersley Range sits Karijini. 2,500 million surface rocks that are still being weathered and eroded to leave many amazing gorges. We are lucky enough to explore several. Dales, Weano, Knox, Kalamina, Hancock Gorges among them. Swimming holes with cool names like Kermit’s Pool, Secret Swimming Holes, Handrail Pool.
    The miners love it here: Marandoo, Hamersley, Tom Price etc - a long list. Thousands of kilometres of purpose built railway lines and roads. Event towns like Tom Price, Paraburdoo, and ports like Karratha, Port Hedland, Port Sampson & Dampier that would unlikely exist without them.
    Karijini is amazing. I can see why it is ranked in the Top 5 destinations in WA.
    627,000 sq klm there is plenty of the Hamersley Range to explore.    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler
    Looking NW from the summit
    Exiting a properly scary pitch.Mt Bruce from the car. We will ascend from the right hand ridge.

    Mount Bruce - 1234m

    June 26, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    What a hike.

    9k return with just over 500m elevation gain. Some of it precarious rock scrambling with scary drops.
    The bottom third and the top quarter are covered in wildflowers even at this early stage in the season. We may have seen 20+ varieties. In another 3-4 weeks it will be stunning.
    The views are well worth the walk. It’s a shame it looks down onto Marandoo mine on the south.
    At the top the wind was up and the temps were down - just like a mountain peak. This one just at 1234m.    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler

    Our first caravan park for 3 weeks

    June 26, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    A bottle shop nearby. That is a really good thing. Let’s just dwell on that for a moment. It’s less than 5k away, it is open beyond a 2pm > 6pm window. Don’t get too giddy while we have a little reality check: I still have to provide my Drivers license to make a purchase (think about that for a moment). For now I don’t have to prove where I will stay tonight to consume my purchases, and happily there was no requirement for the states finest (Police Force) to administer my purchase here in WA. Can you believe the State Police spend part of their shifts overseeing the antics at bottle shops - every day.

    Change of tack: We are in Tom Price. It is a really big caravan park. We have the dirtiest van. Is it a shaming thing - that we were were offered the $10 wash your caravan service? I think we will have the dirtiest caravan at our next port of call too, where they actually charge for drinking water. $10 for 20 litres. What do you reckon? Just wait until we post photos from Coral Bay - yes it is as beautiful as it sounds. It’s just dry.

    There are a lot of Galas here.

    While we are in the highest town in WA, Tom Price at 747m, let’s dash up Mount Nameless (1128m), for great views of the Mine and the town that was built in 1960.    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler

    Coral Bay

    June 28, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Two days at beautiful Coral Bay. Ningaloo Reef which fringes Ningaloo Coast (a world heritage site) is 260 km’s long and the only large reef positioned close to land. The coast draws its name from the Aboriginal Wajarri language meaning deep water. The Yamatji peoples have inhabited the area for at least 30,000 years.
    It’s rather lovely to stumble from the caravan to the water and enjoy some spectacular snorkelling.
    The big crowds here clearly agree, so it’s back to the outback roads and camping by ourselves near a river for us after this.    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler
    ....... and the wind did howl and the wind did blow....

    Mount Augustus

    July 3, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    Eenie, meeni, miny, mo.
    Which mountain did we like the most.

    We have done a few in the last couple of weeks. Pick our favourite child.

    Mt Bruce: precipitous bordering on dangerous bits. Lovely coverage of wildflowers. Mid level difficulty 500m elevation and almost 5k each way.

    Mt Nameless: unimaginative track builders - top > bottom - straight line.
    Views of Tom Price mine on one side - the town on the other. Easiest of the 3.

    Mt Augustus: 650m vertical gain, 12k return. Amazing view at the top but the wind was an icy blast. Lunch up top hiding in a hollow amongst a clump of scrubby trees. Hardest by quite a bit. In summer this mountain can kill. Several hapless souls of the the last few years. We were nearby (Jimba Jimba Station near Gascoyne Junction) in November last year in 40°+ and police were chasing foolish adventurers away.

    And the winner is: Mt Bruce! Augustus was close!    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler

    Adieu the coast

    July 7, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    This might be our last coastal beer until we get to the Great Australian Bight
    I might be wrong, and I’m happy if that is so.

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler
    The Waterfalls, Mullewa
    Pretty clear what is happening here.Anothee by Monsignor Hawes, in the Spanish Gothic.

    The Waterfalls - Mullewa

    July 11, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C

    Here we sit on the much undercut laterite of the river banks watching a classic outback sunset, and dozens of Tree Martins performing the evening ritual of sporting and hunting for insects. They roost in the overhang above the river. Actually it may only be one dozen, as the reflection off the glassy surface of the water duplicates the action.
    Two nights here and each so different. It was overcast and windy last night - still and clear tonight with the moon waxing to three quarters.
    Why is it that free camps like this generate feelings of relaxation and connection? It also inspires longer posts on FindPenguins.

    Mullewa is know as the home of Monsignor Hawes. A very industrious chap. You would think he would have his hands full saving the souls of the parishioners, who must have had some very unholy thoughts when the rain didn’t fall or the mine didn’t reveal a bounty. Our Monsignor also dashed around the region designing and in some cases even building chapels and assorted Church buildings. He has quite the palmarès    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler

    Wheat, Lupins, Canola. Pick one.

    July 13, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Farmers around here seem to choose one. Once the decision is made they then go big because the farms are fertile and expansive. Same as their bank accounts. Canola has been getting $800 per tonne, down from $1200 last year. You can also make a load of money by not farming and selling the lot. We heard of one recent Walk Out, Walk In sale of $92 mill.
    I hope the Canola is as profitable as it is beautiful, with massive paddocks of gold rolling into the distance.
    The Lupins is pretty as well, topped with small mauve and white flowers.    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler
    This plant reminds me off something. But what?

    Billiburning Rock

    July 15, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Great name. Sweet spot.
    Big granite boulder, 1/2 kilometre across and 60m high, surrounded by natural mulga scrub, ringed all around with massive paddocks of broad acre farming.
    A scramble to the top of the rock this morning, the plains blanketed in fog under a clear sunny sky. Warming morning and a light breeze the fog retreating in channels to reveal the paddocks. First up - ruler straight tramlines emerging. The brown of fallow fields. One field so green it looks like water.
    Wildflowers everywhere. Not yet prolific, but the variety is amazing. Inadequate camera for the job, so have a scroll through this web site.

    https://westernaustraliaexpert.com/western-aust…

    Yes birds are pretty too: Splendid and Variegated Wrens, variety of Warblers, Ringnecks, Red Tail Black Cockatoos (big flocks) Nankeen Kestrals, Willy Wagtails and other Fantails. Then the big-hitters arrive. Three slow moving, low flying Wedgetailed Eagles. Early sun on the rock creating updrafts so we see some soaring at close range. Fantastic.

    And! I picked the winer of Stage 15 at Le Tour before the stage roll-out. 🚲    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler
    Boulder Town Hall
    Court Hotel - BoulderThe very photogenic - York HotelThe fauna keeps changingGllad there are not many of these sharing the road with us1Super Pit.Street art - spookey4New Best friends

    Kalgoorlie-Boulder

    July 22, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    They do a very nice collection of grand old buildings around here. Their sweet spot however is really big holes in the ground.

    And Gold. 500,000 ounces last year.

    You could plot the course for an out-and-back marathon on the road into the KCGM Super Pit which is on the edge of town. This is actually on the edge of town. Shops > houses > road > Super Pit.
    To the East West and South of K is the Great Western Woodland. The largest intact Mediterranean woodland on earth. 16 million hectares - just barely the size of England. That explains why we are enjoying the flora here so much.

    K-B gets kudos for the work on their cycle ways. There is a good network around the town. Just as well! Sharing the roads with the road trains, of which there are many, is not fun or a good idea.    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler
    Photograping the tallest thing in sight.
    1At the entrance to MaduraDaylight penetrating the caveThe cave dips, turns and branches.The biggest things on the Nullabor may all be underground.Peg 52: The Great Australian Bight.

    West to East.

    July 29, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Changing weather as we move eastward from Kalgoorlie-Boulder into SA. Some days cold, some bright & sunny for a winter’s day. Sometimes all of the above in one day. The Golfields region is not desert but it is arid, so it’s strange after so long to have mornings with very heavy dew.
    We have intermittent rain. Some nights it’s bitterly cold, some days the jumper and beanie stay on.

    It’s not very cold when we find ourselves back at one of our favourite sites: Peg 52, on the Nullabor overlooking the Southern Ocean. It is one of those nights when a fire would cap things off. But, in anticipation of the ban on transporting many things at the border quarantine station we used all our wood last night. We know that Nullabor means no trees Right? No fire.

    A couple of fun side trips. A visit to just a couple of the thousands of caves throughout the karst for which the Nullabor is famous. Cocklebiddy and Madura Caves. The former Is a celebrity among caves wth the record cave diving penetration @ 6.24klm requiring lots of specialised equipment. Only need a torch for the latter to access kilometres of cave exploring fun. Standing above the entrance, we may have been the tallest things from here to the horizon.

    Even more fun - a visit to the Marine Sanctuary at The Head of the Bight, where there are more than a dozen Southern Wright mother & calf pairs just off the point and more in the visible distance. Sharp eyes on the video will see one white(grey) calf.

    https://m.facebook.com/pages/category/Nature-Pr…    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler
    Plenty of characterin the town. Bike centricity abounds.
    From the MTB tracks. Conveniently located abouve the town - or a short Rail Trail ride away.A poignant monument to the fallen.Plenty of options - foe those with some skills - blue and black difficultyEven somethingfor beginnersThe winteris very kindto these hills. It is all a little tougherin the summer.

    I spy….

    August 2, 2022 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 13 °C

    Is it….
    A cafe, or the other cafe, or the cafe that rents bikes - ebikes. The brewery. Museum? B&B’s, The pub? The other Pub. Must be the Rail Trail. Or the MTB tracks - they are all over this, the next and also a more distant mountain? It’s gotta be the Jacka Bros Brewery - so cute in the 1800’s stone mill building. Old Emu Foot (biggest river gum in Aus - it’s peers are massive)
    Ahhh. The winery?
    Hmmm.
    It’s a trail - Hysenth? Mawson? The Silo trail - we know how much SAus love a prettily painted silo!
    Hmmm.
    Craft/touristy shops, the campground under the mountain by the creek. Museum?
    …
    I’ve got nothing.

    It’s remarkable isn’t it? I knew it! Mount Remarkable. It really is the most amazing presence over the town of Melrose.

    https://otesports.com/locations/melrose/melrose…

    https://www.melrose-mtremarkable.org.au    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler

    Mundiville

    August 15, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    My shifts have started, volunteering for the Mundi Mundi Bash. Nothing too glamorous - directing punters for ticket collection and those camping at the Broken Hill Racecourse. All punters present as very cheerful. They are all happy to follow basic guidance to get them where they need to be. Except one. Old mate with shaved head an goatee, reek of tobacco out the car when the window goes down. 4x4 suppliers logos on a very hectic truck and super capable looking off road van. “Where do I collect my press credentials?” With directions to park between the witches hats on the right, old mate proceeds straight ahead to create maximum inconvenience for everyone else, and a shorter walk for his sedentary ass. Sigh.
    Expecting all hell to break loose tomorrow and the next when the general punters have access to the Mundiville site.
    Let the party begin.
    Tonight only the volunteers are in camp. It is just the teal coloured spots (see screen shot of site map) and already it is the biggest camp area we have been in for the entire trip. This is gunna be big.
    We are even more excited because Zoe will join us here on Wednesday.    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler
    Sunset for ever.
    How do they keep the dust out?2Enormous camp and stage areasSunset on a big horizon..... consider for next yearThe turbines above the Festival.Dirty little campers.5 layers on top - plus gloves.

    Mundi Mundi Bash

    August 17, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Firstly- a review of the gig by a pro:

    https://themusic.com.au/reviews/mundi-mundi-bas…

    And a little video snippet

    https://vimeo.com/746410468

    Up to 10,000 punters, volunteers staff, vendors and musos in a massive paddock of Belmont Station on the Mundi Plains. All camp sites are spacious and campfires are de rigueur - it got down to 1° on Thursday.
    The organisation, the facilities, the services, the cleaning and the army of volunteers are extraordinary. The festival food is better than adequate.
    Surprisingly the are no alcohol sales which means that everyone brought heaps, but there is little evidence of people getting too messy.
    This place in not ‘just down the road’ from - well - anywhere really. Some folks spend a week + getting here so not surprising that the Mundy Mundy punters are probably 60% grey nomads, so the band lineup is mostly “Legends of Aussie Rock”. We prefer a more contemporary mix, but we can’t complain about the quality.
    Musical highlights - so many.
    Midnight Oil ripped it(their last ever performance?), Grace Knight (Eurogliders) outrageous rocking grandma. John Stevens was the king. Missy was magical. Kasey Chambers was charming, hilarious and delivered the best individual song of the 4 days (Lose Yourself. Eminem cover).
    Zoe, Regina, Chris and Ian could not sit through Barnsy’s set. We felt less pummelled by it when fireside in our camp where it was still loud and clear.
    Non-musical highlights: big sunsets, a Nutbush world record attempt (just missed), amazing setting, fund raising for R.F.D.S    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler
    Water everywhere. Arriving from M. River at Narrandera and Blowering & Burrinjuck Dam
    Where once there was no water.......Great plan.

    Griffith NSW

    September 4, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    We will be here a month, restraining from showing restaurant food photos The Italian heritage of Calabria and Venito region influence strongly here so food and wine feature - a lot. 60% of the population claim Italian background which probably explains the events that have landed here in the last 2 weeks: the Italian Festival, the Salami Festival, visits by the Italian Tenors and the federal Government’s Job Summit - is there a hint in Albo’s name?
    Griffith is here because of the M.I.A. Which turned the area into NSW’s food bowl. Although it’s a 35k drive to the nearest naturally occurring river, the Murrumbidgee, there is water everywhere irrigating paddock, lawn and public parks.
    Use the full name of Griffith NSW to avoid mistaking it with the suburb of Canberra. There is enough confusion here because the city plan was done by W Burley Griffin. Apparently he didn’t get enough crazy, circular road drawing in Griffith, and went off to architect the master plan for our nations capital. The 1914 Griffith design was probably visionary, but the later addition of irrigation supply reaches, drainage channels and a railway seems to have confounded the plan. Or I am maplexic.
    The Gilbert family has history here. Regina’s dad took up a soldier settlers block and started farming in the ‘60’s after growing up in Ardethlan, serving in WWII and running various businesses around Griffith. Plenty of people around here know of, or are related to a Gilbert. Perhaps not as well known over the years as the many wine makers, the mafia Don’s or the cops and activists who battled with them,    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler
    Millthorpe
    Bylong Valley WayMillthorpeMillthorpeOn Gan Lookout - Nelson Bay

    Side trip - Part 1

    September 19, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Time for a brief trip away from Griffith with Regina’s mum Pat.
    We are still meandering across the map with what looks like an ant drawn trail, so not much has changed.
    Actually, the vehicle has changed: we are parking the Prado and heading off for some low slung sedan 2WD action. The accommodation is very different: the van is staying put where some of the outback dirt can rinse off, and we will frequent B&B’s and a beachside resort.
    First hop: Griffith to Millthorp using quite roads like Mary Gilmour Way (she of prolific poetic and prose output and a gig on our $10 note), Mid Western Hwy and Olympic Hwy, crossing the Weddin Mountain Range and many crossing of the road by flood waters, the land green as green between the canola fields.
    Next: Millthorp to Nelson Bay: it’s quite a long way on slow roads and many interesting places for a stop to delay awhile - Orange, Sofala, Rylston - all rich in history with lovely architecture. The country on the Bylong Valley Way is unexpectedly dramatic. There are not many more beautiful stretches of road. Fantastic. For the moment the Coal Miners have been kept out - a victory of beauty over profit - unlike neighbouring Hunter Valley. This is a borderland between Great Divide and the plains, touching the National Parks of Wollemi, Goulburn River and Capertee, where flora & fauna have special value.
    Nelson Bay: we are hosted here at Cote d’ Azure by Chris and Pam Gilbert, and it’s a comfortable unit, especially temperature wise to have the windows and doors open and let the ocean breeze in.    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler
    The cottage - cozy fire inside.Lat 10 miutes of our first walk was in a hail storm. Small in diameter, large in volume & duration.Izzy & Romy in The Grand CanyonPied Kurrawond and the Grose ValleyForbes. We previousy saw Sculptures by Gilles and Marc on Onslo WA.

    Side trip - Part 2

    September 24, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Depart Nelson Bay and direct to Blackheath in the Blue Mountains, for 3 nights in Frensham Cottage, with a selection of the Gilbert Girls. Pam, Regina, Romy and Izzy, with Ian raging along.
    Bush walks in the national Parks, fun and games by the fireside and heaps of fabulous home cooked meals.
    The house is gorgeous and so well appointed.
    Leaving Blackheath we briefly sampled the towns of Orange, Forbes and West Wyalong.    Read more

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