Author: Franco

Checking on the Locals

My previous trips to Australia have been in the first half of their dragonfly season, between October and December. This was my first chance to see the effects of being there in the second half of their main season, between

Posted in 2024-01 Australia

Heathcote to Stanley via Melbourne

Well, that’s complicated and, possibly, so would today be. Today we said goodbye to Busby II when he gets to the end oh our road trip at Maui’s Melbourne depot. Our final leg is 90kms. Getting on the road was

Posted in 2024-01 Australia

Moama to Heathcote

Twice now we’ve huge colonies of many thousands of Fruit Bats, one colony roosting during the day in Ipswich near Brisbane and a second colony setting off on an evening foraging expedition at Toowoomba. Now, at the campsite in Moama,

Posted in 2024-01 Australia

On the Mighty Murray

Our campsite is one of the good ones and is in Moama on the NSW side of the state line – the river. This was a rare day off driving ‘cos we have two nights here. Our plan was to

Posted in 2024-01 Australia

Mildura to Moama

… or you could call it Mildura to Echuca. Moama is in NSW on the north side of the Mighty Murray, whilst Echuca is in Victoria on the south side, the river being the state boundary. We’re happy to be

Posted in 2024-01 Australia

Broken Hill to Mildura

I’d never tried astrophotography before but, since the Starview Campsite is named after the ability to gaze at an incredible night sky in close to complete darkness, I thought I should try. I was intrigued to see the Orion constellation

Posted in 2024-01 Australia

In and Around Broken Hill

We’re at the Starview Campsite in the outback about 10kms north of Broken Hill. It is tagged as a “primitive campsite” although, in truth, it isn’t really that primitive. It has two flushing toilets en suite with excellent showers, together

Posted in 2024-01 Australia

Cobar to Broken Hill

Today’s journey would be 470kms. There are helpful signs on the exit from Cobar telling you that (for example) there is “no fuel for 254kms”, depending on which road you are taking. Make sure that you have enough before leaving

Posted in 2024-01 Australia

Dubbo to Cobar

We left the Dubbo campsite at 08:45 and headed for a local Japanese Gardens within the botanic gardens area. There was water but unfortunately the water was full of absolutely enormous Koi Carp – that’s the Japanese for you –

Posted in 2024-01 Australia

Bingara to Dubbo

We’ve made an interesting discovery – well, interesting for a European camper, that is. The chemical toilet dump stations are generally not in the campsites but at designated points beside the road in towns. This one, the first we’d needed,

Posted in 2024-01 Australia