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BROKEN BY DESIGN ADVENTURES
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  • Graham n Rosie

BROKEN BY DESIGN ADVENTURES

Broken By Design’s Aussie Road Trip for 2021! Starting at Coober Pedy’s Opal Festival, we travel “up the guts” as far as Katharine before heading East to Queensland, finding markets, shows and festivals along the way. Read more
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    Graham n RosieBROKEN BY DESIGN ADVENTURESGraham n Rosie

    Age of Dinosaurs Centre, Winton

    September 17, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    What a wonderful opportunity to witness the painstakingly fascinating process of unearthing actual dinosaur bones around 95 Million years old! In 1999 while mustering sheep on his property Belmont near Winton, David Elliott discovered the fossilised bone of what was, at the time, Australia’s largest dinosaur. This bone was later identified as part of a giant femur from a Cretaceous sauropod (long necked 🦕 ) that roamed the Winton area 95 million years ago. Since then, diggings have unearthed a treasure trove of fossils. One of their most exciting finds was that of “Matilda” (a sauropod) and “Banjo” (a theropod - bit like a velociraptor ) lying together- with 30% of their bones in tact - apparently a huge bonus in palaeontology. Their best theory is that Matilda was stuck in mud ( a common thing for huge 30 tonne beasts back in the day, apparently) so Banjo saw his opportunity and attacked. Matilda managed to slap him down, probably with her tail, and killed the little rascal.
    There were so many other stories and the enthusiasm of staff was infectious. We met some volunteers as they were working on “ Judy”, a sauropod only unearthed three weeks ago. They had almost all of her neck bones and were working with high powered precision air drills to clean away 95 million years worth of crud. The pic in the magnifier is one of those pieces. Just awe inspiring!
    Tours included the fossil lab, the collection centre where we met Matilda and Banjo, and the March of the Titanosaurs in Dinosaur Canyon, a few Ks from the main centre. This display (complete with cute Dino statues 😃) is a preserved river scene showing footprints of a huge array of dinos as they travel back and forth through and around the drinking holes.
    We had a fabulous visit and would love to have the opportunity to volunteer to work on these awesome findings. Maybe next time ! 🦕 🦖 🐊 🦅    Read more

  • Graham n RosieBROKEN BY DESIGN ADVENTURESGraham n Rosie

    Walkabout Creek Pub, McKinlay

    September 14, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    So this is another of those moments in life when you look back and say “Glad we did that!”. Crocodile Dundee is everywhere in this, the original hotel in which the pub scenes were filmed. The bar itself is new however the actual original bar can be viewed in a shed behind the pub. Lots of memorabilia for sale and photographs, quirky bits and pieces everywhere, including phot opportunity with Mick Dundee himself. No meals, it’s run by an older couple who can’t get Staff at the moment. The beer could have been a bit colder but the ambiance was good and watching the sun set from the pub was great.Read more

  • Graham n RosieBROKEN BY DESIGN ADVENTURESGraham n Rosie

    Karumba

    September 9, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Karumba is one of those places you feel you need to visit at least once in your life. It’s pretty much the only point at which you can access the Gulf of Carpenteria, sitting on the banks of the Norman River that feeds into the gulf. It is most well known for its prawning industry, in particular Banana and Red Tiger 🍤. Unlike the Tigers, Banana prawns come out during the day - they bury themselves beneath the sand and create huge swirls of sand as they rise to the surface. Spotter planes then radio the coordinates to the prawning boats. It’s a dusty, dry old place - definitely not the lush, tropical scenery we had been used to! A tough little town for sure, and seasonal of course, arriving as we did at the end of their tourist season we missed out on their weekly markets however did manage to put up a table in the caravan park which earned us a few $$. Our time there was spent doing cruises for a bit of local history and croc spotting, and seafood dinner at the pub, unfortunately no mud crab though!Read more

  • Graham n RosieBROKEN BY DESIGN ADVENTURESGraham n Rosie

    Cumberland Dam and Croydon

    September 8, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Headed to spend Overnight at Cumberland Dam, a gorgeous spot filled with an array of bird and animal life. On the way we stopped in for a quick splash at Innot Hot Springs where some sections of the creek were seriously 🔥! Not comfortable at all, although we managed to find a stretch that was just right for Jasper and ourselves to have. Bit of a 🦶 and 🐾 soak!
    At Cumberland we explored the dam of course, the setting sun giving us some lovely colours. We even got up super early to try for some morning light as well. The chimney is a remnant of the areas gold mining past, the Cumberland Mine being the most successful and largest mine in the area.
    The next day we headed on to Georgetown - an amazing locality again built on the gold mines. Here they have an awesome visitor centre and have restored a row of buildings as a monument to the towns past. They include the Policeman’s cottage, Police station complete with cells out the back, the Courthouse any the picture theatre that is still in use today. They have even preserved the old China Town area just outside of the town, where Chinese miners turned their hand to market gardening when the racist mining laws prevented them from working in the mines. We spent a fascinating hour or two here but could easily have stayed much longer. Thanks Georgetown!    Read more

  • Graham n RosieBROKEN BY DESIGN ADVENTURESGraham n Rosie

    Paronella Park

    September 7, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    I’d heard about this place from travelling friends so knew it was a “must do” if we got this far. The property is what remains from the dreams of Spanish immigrant, Jose Paronella who arrived in the area in the 1940s. He set about building his own “palace” - something he’d always dreamed of doing since childhood. Unfortunately, he used local,y quarried stone that contained mica and was completely unsuited for building in this environment. As a result, the buildings all began to deteriorate over a relatively short period of time. Then a massive storm hit, devastating the home even further. It must have been pretty heartbreaking! Further tragedy struck the family as Jose passed, followed closely by his wife and finally their son, at a relatively young age. Remaining daughter was not able to keep running the property and it has changed hands a couple of times. Today there is a museum/cafe and small caravan park above the gorgeous grounds and those lichen-covered, mossy ruins. The waterfall is lovely and there are many twisty walkways taking you through gorgeous natural vegetation. In the evening the grounds come alive with a light show accompanied by specially curated music, telling the story of Jose’s dreams, hardships and delights. So glad we did it!Read more

  • Graham n RosieBROKEN BY DESIGN ADVENTURESGraham n Rosie

    Cairns

    August 30, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    A four day stop ended up being twelve as we were fortunate to wangle our way into three markets whilst in this little patch of paradise. Staying at Coconut Cairns Resort was nice, especially having power for the aircon was a welcome thing. It’s definitely steamy and doesn’t cool down much in the evening, especially when it rains. Have to say we enjoyed sitting under the awning watching the rain bucket down - even getting our feet wet wasn’t a drama. Sorry for the people opposite us who lost their entire awning when the weight of the water ripped it from the van. 😨
    The other awesome thing about this park were the Lipstick Palms! Just beautiful!
    We did a few drives and walks with Jasper on the beach, but crocs are a thing so followed the locals on this one - if there’s nobody there doing it…don’t be the first. 🐊    Read more

  • Graham n RosieBROKEN BY DESIGN ADVENTURESGraham n Rosie
    Yungabarra Market
    Curtain FigCrystal Cave GuardianPyramid Mountain, GordonvaleSugar Mill, GordonvaleThe Original Mushrooms, Gordonvale Market

    Cairns Markets

    August 28, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    We enjoyed all of the markets here in Cairns and are really hoping to return again. Our first was yungabarra in the Atherton Tablelands…a steep and twisty drive at 430 in the morning but a lovely market and gorgeous little town. We did a few touristy things on the way home including visiting the Curtain Fig. “This large fig tree in Curtain Fig Tree National Park is unique because the extensive aerial roots, that drop 15 metres to the forest floor, have formed a ‘curtain’. Over hundreds of years these roots have strangled the host causing it to fall into a neighbouring tree-a stage unique to the development of this fig. Vertical fig roots then formed a curtain-like appearance and the host trees rotted away, leaving the freestanding fig tree. The tree is thought to be nearly 50 metres tall, with a trunk circumference of 39 metres, and is estimated to be over 500 years old. “ (from the website, not me! 😂)
    We also managed a stop at the Crystal Cave in Atherton where we picked up a Geode for Ollie and Jack and made a little video for them. (Geodes are spherical rocks - hollow inside and containing crystallised minerals).    Read more

  • Graham n RosieBROKEN BY DESIGN ADVENTURESGraham n Rosie

    Babinda

    August 24, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Possibly the prettiest little town we have seen so far! The Local Rotary maintain an amazing RV camp just outside of the town - thanks guys! We even managed a jam session with the lady next door which was a fun!
    Our first visit outside the camp was to the gorgeous Babinda Boulders…pristine waters surrounded by beautiful forest - just amazing. No dogs allowed so we took turns whilst keeping him company in the car park. No biggie, just part of life travelling with doggos.
    One place we COULD enjoy with the little fella was the creek at the bottom of the RV park. Both times we visited there was no one else around so managed to let him off the lead for a proper run and splash. Not being used to fresh water, he got a shock when he found he could drink it too!
    Babinda is also famous for its eateries - the bakery has a steady lineup put the door by lunchtime, and the amazing restaurant attached to the Empire Hotel - can’t rave enough about this place!    Read more

  • Graham n RosieBROKEN BY DESIGN ADVENTURESGraham n Rosie

    Townsville 2

    August 22, 2021 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 23 °C

    We found our way to the top of Castle Hill lookout for a few photo ops and it is here that you truly appreciate how widespread the town actually is.

    We were fortunate to join the iconic Cotters Market, held in the CBD, and managed good sales despite the wind!

    Heading off now to Cairns, with a few overnight stops on the way!    Read more

  • Graham n RosieBROKEN BY DESIGN ADVENTURESGraham n Rosie
    View of C Bar from beach

    Townsville

    August 20, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Have to say we had no idea Townsville was so huge - very spread out and due to needing to purchase a few van items we certainly did a number of tours of the industrial areas…seems every block had a massive homemaker centre on it!

    When we did manage to find our way to the beach, it didn’t disappoint, either. The Strand is Townsville’s “esplanade” and is absolutely gorgeous - lushly green of course, beautiful palms, great restaurants and of course the magical Magnetic Island across the water….just stunning. Our night pics were taken after a lovely seafood dinner as we walked it off along the beachfront!

    The video shows the local drumming club setting up for their regular get together on the foreshore next to the restaurant we dined at (C-Bar) - they were just awesome and drew a big crowd!    Read more

  • Graham n RosieBROKEN BY DESIGN ADVENTURESGraham n Rosie
    History of the settlementAerial view - where we camped!Post office!Town Fountain/SquareOur place!Church of England overlooking the town.Jasper meets the locals

    Mary Kathleen

    August 17, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    What an amazing place! Mary Kathleen was a purpose built town to house miners after the discovery of a Uranium deposit in 1954. It was named after the deceased wife of one of the founders. By all accounts, the town was a thriving community with a school, town square, lush gardens, oval, picture theatre etc etc. mine closed the buildings were auctioned off and all that is left are the foundations.

    Fascinating to wander through and picture the buildings that were once there. Nowadays it’s a popular camping spot - pick a slab, crank a fire and you’re all set! Jasper enjoyed his explorations and especially meeting a couple of curious calves who wandered over to check him out….Neither were too sure about getting too close though!    Read more

  • Graham n RosieBROKEN BY DESIGN ADVENTURESGraham n Rosie
    Crossing the border into QLD!
    Windy morning at Mt Isa Rodeo stage! 😂Drinks with Juliet, one of our stallie neighbors!Happy Hour at overflow with Bo (met in Coober) and new couple!Enjoying relaxing on grass at Mt Isa overflow

    Mount Isa

    August 9, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Well, Mount Isa was a definite experience - and one we think we’d be happy to do again next year!
    The town itself is a hard little place - a mining town, it pulls no punches and makes no apologies for its tough, raw character. Pretty sure we’ve not experienced so much dust as that which sweeps through here, at least in the rodeo grounds anyway. Poor Jasper spent a week snorting, trying to clear his clogged doggie nose - but it also took a toll on us humans too (not to mention our ‘snowy white’ stall table covers!🙄)

    We definitely felt like we were in Bob Katter country, although it was pretty interesting to hear the crowd “Boo!” When he was announced as a distinguished guest at the rodeo opening! 😅

    We elected not to attend the rodeo itself - not something we wanted to support - but definitely enjoyed the Saturday night rock concert with Lee Kernighan! No such thing as social distancing though - not sure how it could ever have been otherwise without Chris for everyone! Apparently organisers got a rap on the knuckles from QLD health over this….

    We also enjoyed meeting a number of other QLD stallholders who shared their tips and experiences over a few happy hours which was awesome. Jasper enjoyed regular pats and playtime with nearby doggie neighbours so all was good for him too!

    Although we didn’t have a lot of time to be tourists here, we certainly appreciated the importance of amt Isa as a mining hub - copper, zinc, lead and silver and as part of the Dinosaur Trail…(an area that includes Richmond, Hughenden and down to Winton) one of the world’s most important area for mammal fossils.

    We enjoyed the town, the rodeo market and being on green grass for a while!    Read more

  • Graham n RosieBROKEN BY DESIGN ADVENTURESGraham n Rosie

    Daly Waters

    August 2, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Another visit to the iconic Daly Waters Hotel. The place hasn’t changed, the only difference for us is having Jasper join in the fun! Of course this meant we had to sit on the ‘outer’ limits but we still managed to enjoy Lou and Phil Bradley as the resident entertainers - they’ve been here the last three times we’ve visited and it isn’t a problem at all. Their brand of Mullumbimby hippy bluegrass is pretty sweet, very easy to follow their groove! The Main Street is awash with bizarre artefacts, including a helicopter with questionable seating options….
    The pub itself never seems to change much, and it goes without saying this is a MUST SEE at least once.    Read more

  • Graham n RosieBROKEN BY DESIGN ADVENTURESGraham n Rosie

    Lost in Larrimah

    August 1, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Larrimah is a quirky little community but there’s no chance of a “blink and you’ll miss it” moment here. The hot pink pub makes sure EVERYONE notices she is there! We spent the night camped out the back of the Pink Panther Hotel and sampled their homemade lasagne for dinner - lovely! It is currently being run by a young Czech couple who clearly have their work cut out for them! It is definitely run down but it is the outback, people! Can’t understand whingers who carry on about “old facilities” etc. Previous trips have seen us slow down for a quick look and then keep going, intent on getting to Daly Waters further up the road. This time however, was different. We had been listening to a fascinating podcast called “Lost in Larrimah” and knew we had to stop when we got here.

    A True Crime series, it explores the disappearance of Paddy Moriarty - a barfly local who vanished in 2017 along with his kelpie, Kellie. The thing about this is that there were only 11 people living in the town - and pretty much none of them got on with one another - so Paddy’s disappearance was a huge deal. Cue the town gossips, conspiracy theories etc etc. The interviews with the publican of the time (and Paddy’s friend) and other townsfolk were absolutely fascinating - such weird and wonderful outback characters you just couldn’t dream up. Everyone had a theory, from Paddy being abducted by angry truckies to perhaps ending up in a meat pie or two courtesy of a longtime feud with local baker Fran.

    If you get the opportunity to visit this wonderful spot, including the museum across the road, don’t miss it - and listen to that podcast before you go!    Read more

  • Graham n RosieBROKEN BY DESIGN ADVENTURESGraham n Rosie
    Wet season!

    Mataranka - Capital of the Never Never

    July 21, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    A one week stay ended up being closer to two weeks - but no complaints here!

    We absolutely love Mataranka - the hot springs are divine, especially when you are smart enough to avoid peak hour and get down there early in the morning. It’s interesting to note that here in Elsey National Park, there is no underground “hot spot” heating the water - it just occurs naturally as the reservoirs of water are heated to the temperature of the ground at depths of 30 -100 metres. Rainbow Spring releases 30.5 million litres of spring water every day, ending up in the Waterhouse and Roper Rivers. During the summer wet season, rains top up the underground reservoirs. (Also during the Wet, Mataranka homestead is completely flooded!)

    Watching the sun rise through the palms is so special, the light flickering through the leaves across the steamy water - brilliant! A super special way to start the day, and a routine that never got boring!

    We extended our stay to take advantage of the Mataranka Markets held each Sunday, managing to fit two markets in for some very welcome $$. (Check out the HUGE termite mound!) So, we were kept pretty busy making new jewellery every day and enjoying the resident entertainment of an evening. (No need to even be there - we could hear it all from our camp!)

    The homestead has a great little bar and regular entertainment from Nathan “Whippy” Griggs and The Repeat Offenders - both of which are here every year. Have to admit though, it did get a little repetitive listening to the same songs every night! 🤣

    Mataranka is also home to The Homestead - an authentic replica constructed for the movie, We of The Never Never. It’s quite something to walk through when you know that every detail was hand made using local pine. The bar at Mataranka plays the film daily which is also a nice touch.    Read more

  • Graham n RosieBROKEN BY DESIGN ADVENTURESGraham n Rosie

    Katherine

    July 15, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Katherine is such a busy place - it is the crossroad town for traffic in all directions, whether you’re heading to WA, Darwin, Down the middle or The Savannah Way into QLD. We have learnt to get to the supermarket early in the day before the grey nomads descend on the shopping precinct like swarms of hungry locusts! This year has been particularly busy on the road of course, creating headaches when lockdowns occur!

    The Katherine Show was thankfully COVID-free and we had a great time sharing our work with locals and tourists! They were long, dusty days and nights but definitely worth it! Unfortunately battery issues meant we had little to no power despite plenty of sun so THAT was interesting. Thankfully we were able to get new batteries fitted after the show finished and were even able to get our water pump fixed as well. (Also thankful we made some good $$ at the show to cover the costs.). Our last night in Katherine was spent by the fire with a tune or two. #someonehastodoit    Read more

  • Graham n RosieBROKEN BY DESIGN ADVENTURESGraham n Rosie

    Karlu Karlu

    July 13, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    We spent last night at the wonderful Devils Marbles Hotel, a little oasis on the Stuart Highway on the road toward Tennant Creek. Fabulous hot showers (OMG the water pressure!!!), icy cold beers in the beautiful beer garden and fantastic chef onsite- doesn’t get much better than this!
    This morning we left early to call into the ACTUAL Devils Marbles - or Karlu Karlu as it is actually called - for a quick photo shoot. The morning light was a little higher than I would have liked but the colours were still pretty special. This area is very sacred to the Warumungu, Kaytetye, Alywarra and Walpiri people. It’s quite an experience being able to see such amazing formations.    Read more

  • Graham n RosieBROKEN BY DESIGN ADVENTURESGraham n Rosie
    1

    Goodbye Alice Springs

    July 12, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

    That’s a wrap, Alice Springs! Time to move on but we’ve had a ball! Having the camping grounds to ourselves for the last couple of weeks has been a bonus! We had a terrific time at the Alice Springs Fun Fair, thanks to the Showies allowing us to put up our stall alongside them. What a great outcome for them and for Alice Springs to be able to put on a mini - show for the community and recoup some costs after the show was shut down due to COVID.
    We had our last Todd Mall market the other day and are looking forward to coming back next year to do a few more - its such a well run market with a friendly vibe! We left lots of jewellery behind which is terrific, some of which is even being sent overseas to friends and families of our new customers. How cool is that???
    On the way out we saw a cool road sign that we thought was well worth a snap! We are headed off to our first stop, the awesome Devil’s Marbles Hotel - a favourite place that we always make sure to stop at. It’s great to get back on the road again!    Read more

  • Graham n RosieBROKEN BY DESIGN ADVENTURESGraham n Rosie

    Alice Springs arrival

    June 22, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    We decidedto push on from the border, arriving in Alice Springs 2 days earlier as we had been having trouble not only with our water pump, but our car battery as well. We had planned to spend a couple of nights at Stuart’s Well, an outback pub with free camping out the back, however overcast skies had set in, meaning no solar for our van batteries. So, we just kept driving til we reached Alice and headed straight for the great guys at Tyre Power where we grabbed a new battery AND a new van tyre whilst we were at it! Then on to Blatherskite Park, our home for the next 12 days! This is where the Alice Springs Show will be held so we’re really looking forward to setting our stall up next week. In the meantime, we still need to figure out the water pump issue and get ready for Todd Mall markets on Sunday!Read more

  • Graham n RosieBROKEN BY DESIGN ADVENTURESGraham n Rosie

    Hello NT!

    June 21, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    After a rest stop at Marla, (where Rosie “lost” her mobile phone -insert panic here - but thankfully found it under Jasper’s blanket 🙄), we arrived at the SA/NT border and of course took the obligatory “one foot in each state” photo…although in this case, Jasper lent a helping paw. Graham was also delighted to see a Mini Moke club pull in for a pit stop 🛑!Read more

  • Graham n RosieBROKEN BY DESIGN ADVENTURESGraham n Rosie

    Underground Coober

    June 20, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    We didn’t have much time to explore today although Rosie did manage to duck underground at Umooma Mine. The tour included a walk though the original mine and miner’s den as well as a contemporary underground home. 70% of housing is underground, an idea believed to have been brought back from returning veterans from the trenches of WW1. We followed a seam line in the wall leading to a nice find! It was seriously hard work back in the day without the machinery used today - you can see the difference between the old and new living quarters and tunnels.Read more

  • Graham n RosieBROKEN BY DESIGN ADVENTURESGraham n Rosie

    Coober Pedy Opal Festival

    June 19, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    A great day at the festival where we set up our brand new display shelves for the first time! They worked a treat and look fantastic! (Thanks Barry!). We had a blast meeting locals and travellers alike, all keen to chat about our work. The Coober Pedy Historical Society ladies were blown away by our jewellery, really appreciating Graham’s love for his craft and the pieces he creates. There was plenty of time to wander around and check out the goings on which included the drag girls, live music, a parade and of course, fireworks to close. Thanks Coober Pedy for a great day!Read more

  • Graham n RosieBROKEN BY DESIGN ADVENTURESGraham n Rosie

    Coober Pedy Drive-in night

    June 18, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    What a wonderful introduction to Coober Pedy’s amazing Opal Festival! A free screening at the old Drive In ( one of the very few left in SA!)...and of course what else could it be but PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT! How cool to be IN the actual drive-in used for the film, watching that pivotal scene. Lots of car horns honking acknowledging the huge footprint Coober Pedy contributed to this iconic Aussie film. Drag Queen shows on at the Italian Club after the flick but we took Jasper home to bed instead. Looking forward to the Festival tomorrow!Read more

    Trip start
    June 20, 2021
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