South Australia

I have spent a few days with Ann, a friend I met whilst we were on assignment in Raleigh, North Carolina way back in 1983. She and her husband were also wanderers in a foreign land at the time. We hadn't seen each other for 25 years! It was very special to meet up with her and re-kindle our friendship. Ann lives an hours drive from Adelaide, at Victor Harbor. It was wonderful to spend time with her, to see her home and to sample some of the local delights. For the first time I had kangaroo which was very tasty!

We caught the Cockle Train to Goolwa complete with bikes. We cycled 22 kms back to Victor Harbor along the Encounter Bikeway and enjoyed spectacular coastal scenery, colourful spring flowers and were entertained by a southern right whale and her
calf as we ate our lunch overlooking the sea. It was amazing!

Another day we stroked koalas and fed kangaroos.The kangaroos were very inquisitive and especially delightful, and it was a wonderful experience to
have them come up to us in their gentle way.

We had a wonderful time catching up together! Thank you Ann!

The Outback

A 3 ½ hour plane ride brings us to Alice Springs and we’re in the heart of the outback. We journey to Kings Canyon. The distances are huge along roads that stretch into the distance as far as the eye can see. Occasionally we see another vehicle and many drivers give us a wave to relieve the boredom, but we travel hundreds of kms with no sign of civilisation. The space is vast, the landscape red soil, desert scrub and outcrops of rock. The sky is deep blue and the temperature hovers around 30 degrees.

Kings Canyon. A 6km walk around the rim reveals the magnificence of the rock formations.

340 kms down the road we come to Kata Tjuta and aboriginal word meaning 'many heads' because of the rock formation.

Our next stop is Uluru. Ayers Rock rises from the desert floor in all its magnificence. A spiritual place of great significance and treasured by the aborigines. We walk around the base of the rock and admire its splendour.

Then it's back to Alice Springs and we leave the Outback covered with the red dust of the desert.

We have arrived in Sydney! It's a great city and we are enjoying exploring some of the wonderful sights the city has to offer.



Sydney Harbour Bridge. We walked across the bridge and climbed up the pylon for some spectacular views.

Some people opt to walk over the top!

On our first night we went to a concert in the Concert Hall of the Opera House. We came all this way to listen to a concert given by the London Philharmonic Orchestra! It was conducted by Vladimir Jurowski and was an excellent concert. The orchestra are giving a series of concerts here all this week.