The Extraordinary Tourist
Trains, Perth and Fremantle.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Road Trip Day 24: 15th June 2007
The one thing I wanted to do whilst visiting Perth was spend a day on my own, riding the train to visit the Perth CBD and Fremantle. Today was that day.
When I head out on my own I don't really do much except walk and observe. I enjoy walking and I like to get out and see how places have changed from when I was there last.
My morning started with a fairly long walk to the train station. On the way I passed through , what I imagine, is one of the largest Westfield Shopping Malls in the country. It's nearly big enough to have its own postcode. The Westfield was built before I left Perth. Apart from looking a little more lived in, it looked pretty much the same. Maybe a different shop here and there but that's about all.
I was a little worried that the trains ticketing system might be all different and I'd have to spend some time relearning it, however the basic system was unchanged. Put your money in a machine on the platform to buy your ticket. There is a new system called 'Smart Cards' which I guess are prepaid, multi trip tickets. On every station there is a reminder for you to 'tag on' and 'tag off' if you have one of these and gates have been built with the machines to do this placed as conveniently as possible.
Checking of tickets has become much tighter too. With gates having been installed across all exits at major stations so that guards can ensure you're not trying to fare evade. There's still a few ways you can get through the cracks. Traveling in off peak times they tend not to watch the exits and you can walk straight through unchecked.
My train arrived in the Perth CBD around 11am and I spent about an hour walking around. I was going to climb the Bell Tower on the foreshore of the Swan river but it was $10 to get in. I'd seen the museum inside the tower and the view from the top on an earlier trip so $10 for a quick look seemed a tad expensive.
Not a lot has changed in Perth. One very large building that used to be the home of the Myer shopping centre had been leveled to make way for Perth's new below ground railway station however it was early stages so really all you could see was the gap where the building used to be.
I reboarded the train and headed for the port city of Fremantle, a place I one day may choose to live should the opportunity arise. I like Fremantle because it is a very historical city with a great number of heritage buildings, plus it is by the beach. Whilst I'm not much of a swimmer I do like living right next to the coast where the sea disappears to the horizon. It has a feeling of possibility and opportunity about it that appeals to me.
Fremantle is very much a working port so you can see everything from cargo ships to ocean liners and naval ships coming and going. Heading out and disappearing over the horizon.
There is one particular spot in Fremantle that I always visit, a lookout located next to the Round House (an old convict prison). From here you can see out over the boat marina and the waders beach. It's a fantastic view at sunset and one that I once started to paint. You can observe so much activity. People doing all sorts of things. On this particular day I observed a girl taking photographs.
Not your usual holiday snaps. I first noticed her because she was fully dressed in jeans but wading up to just above her knees in the water on the beach below. Her camera was pointed straight down in such a way that she could only be taking a photo of the surface of the water and whatever could be seen below.
When she had done that she moved out onto the beach and started holding dried sea weed up to her lense and taking extreme close ups of that. I figured she had to be some kind of 'arty' type person.
She eventually made her way up to the look out where I was, taking some photos of the view before heading off. I last saw her when I left, laying flat out on the steps I had to use, taking photos of the ground. Strange but only at this look out are your chances of seeing this kind of odd activity greatly increased.
Fremantle hasn't changed a great deal. In my walking I went through the famous Fremantle Markets - busy as always - and the not so famous, E-Shed markets - not so busy as the stall holders would like. I was going to have some lunch at the E-Shed but all the outdoor tables were in full sunlight and I didn't particularly like the atmosphere in the indoor section of the food hall.
In the end, I boarded the train back to Perth CBD and had a late lunch in the Foodhall at the Carillion Centre. Nothing special just a roast meat roll with chips. During my meal a girl sat at a table directly opposite me. She was eating chips and gravy with a boost juice... I guess you'd call that a balanced meal, healthy and unhealthy!
That was pretty much my day. I caught the train home shortly after I'd eaten because by the time I got home it would be starting to get dark. Not exactly thrill a minute but it is nice to get out on your own sometimes.Labels: Fremantle, market, Perth, photography, places, road trip 2007, train, travel
The Eyre Highway and The Great Aussie Bite.
Saturday, June 09, 2007
Road Trip Day 15: 6th June 2007
The last time I travelled along the Eyre Highway from South Australia to Western Australia there was no such thing as ipods. In fact Music CD's were still years away from taking over from LP records and audio cassettes. There was no such thing as a digital camera and even video recorders were just starting to hit the markets as a home consumer item. That was May of 1978 and I'd just turned eight years old.
I don't remember much of the sights coming over because our families trip, back in 1978, was all about getting to Perth as quickly as possible. I think I spent a lot of the trip asleep in the back seat of the car. Most of my recollections of the journey relate to places we stopped for the night or for food on the way.
This time, Rose and I are taking a little longer so we can see a few of the breath taking views we missed the first time.
 The Eyre Highway runs right along side the Great Australian Bight - the cliff top, bottom edge of Australia. Sometimes the highway is only a few hundred metres away from the edge. Travelling from SA to WA the first view of the bight you can experience is at 'The Head of the Bight'. This is the eastern most end of the Australian Bite and is a 14 kilometre detour off the Eyre highway.
What the sign doesn't tell you is that once you get to the visitor centre you can't get anywhere near to the view you're looking for without paying a AU$10 admission fee (adults). That's $10 each to see one end of the bite. All along the rest of the highway you can see the bight for free.
During the months between June and October you may also spot a whale or two all along the bite so maybe the admission fee relates to that? However there are no guarantees of seeing a whale. Rose and I weren't willing to pay $10 each to see a view. There are so many better ways they could raise money for maintaining the park and facilities without blocking access to the view.
 Our next brief stop was to get petrol at the Nullabor Road House. This was one place my family stopped in 1978 due to a broken water pump (I think). We had to head around to a private residents home on a back road behind the Road House in order to get the car fixed. It is here that a photo of my family was taken with us all standing in the middle of a dirt airstrip, looking like we're really in the middle of nowhere.
Whilst at the road house I noticed a sign advising people not to feed the wild life on the Nullabor Plains (which is a huge, treeless, national park). I was surprised to see a picture of a dingo. I didn't think dingoes were this far south. As if to confirm that dingoes are indeed this far south we saw one running around in the bushland just off the side of the road.
 There are some road signs you can only see in Australia. Ones like this (see photo) are common along the Eyre highway. I'm sure this sign means that somewhere within the next 96km you may have to watch for a camel chasing a wombat and a kangaroo.
As you travel along the Eyre Highway there are several lookout stops along the way where you can view the Australian Bite close up (like one more step and you'll fall off the country close up). Rose and I stopped at the first two.
On the first lookout we met a British Couple travelling in the opposite direction. They advised us that the next lookout gave the most spectacular views of the ones they'd visited so far. They even showed us some digital pictures of the Bight they'd snapped along the way.
Rose and I were well behind our travel schedule so we decided that we'd stop at the second lookout with the best views and then skip the rest.
The British couple were not wrong about the second lookout. You really can see all along the Bight - as you can see in the photo (with me looking like I've just returned from a South Pole expedition - well it was really cold!)
If you're wondering about the cliffs, you don't have to climb any hills to get to the top of them. Australia, at this point sits on a huge plateau that is several hundred feet above sea level. Once you get past the Eucla road house and motel the highway drops back down a lot closer to sea level. You feel like you're driving out of some hills with no memory of ever having gone up hill in the first place.
 Speaking of the Eucla Road House and Motel, Rose and I stopped here for lunch. The roadhouse has one really memorable feature - a giant concrete whale in their playground. I remembered stopping here back in 1978 because Rose and I played on that whale. I think we even stayed in the motel here.
I do remember our family pulling in to this road house along with a small green truck (kind of thing) with some people in that we'd been over taking and they'd been overtaking us unwittingly at various points on the road.
Rose decided we should check the cars oil and water before setting off - both were fine but Rose noticed that the bolt that holds the engine in had vibrated loose and was falling out. Well okay that's an exaggeration... it was one bolt that helps to hold the alternator in place. It had lost the nut off one end and was well on its way to falling out. We had to borrow a spanner and get a nut from the motel manager who was very helpful despite being very busy with other customers.
 One of the more unusual things that Rose and I encountered was the 'bottle man'. Rose had seen him on the way over and said she wanted to get a photo on the way back. I have no idea who made the bottle man, what he is about, or why bottles and other containers hang from the tree around him? If you live somewhere near Madura and know about the bottle man - leave a comment and tell me about him.
By the end of the day we didn't get as far as we had hoped. Tonight we're staying at the Madura Pass Oasis Motel. Ballidonia is still about three hours up the road. No doubt we'll pass through there tomorrow.Labels: Australian, Eucla, Eyre Highway, Great Australian Bite, ipod, Nullabor, places, road trip 2007, travel
One Steel Tour and Leaving Whyalla.
Road Trip Day 13: 4th June 2007
 Whyalla is, and always has been, a mining and steel making town. No visit would be complete without a tour of the steel works that was built and run by BHP until 2000 when it was sold off, by public float, to OneSteel.
Rose and I have a personal interest in the steel works in that our Dad used to be employed there by BHP pre 1978. I never really knew what he did or what part of the plant he worked in though I remember him one time, when I was kid, saying he worked in the coke ovens. That's about all I know about what he did and I'm not entirely sure if that's correct.
I'm not even going to try and describe the tour of the steelworks in great detail. There's a lot to see in the two hour bus ride around the plant. Our guide, Trish, explained a great deal about the production of steel and pointed out as many of the more spectacular processes as she could based on which areas were actually operating.
 We did get a very good, close up look at the coke oven in operation. Coke (not the soft drink) is made from coal and is burnt in a blast furnace in order to produce enough heat to separate the iron content from the mined, raw materials (iron ore). The coke oven is a huge oven that bakes the coal at extremely high temperatures in order to turn it into coke.
OneSteel produces 'long form' steel products such as structural beams and railway lines. In fact it is the only company producing railway lines in Australia. Whilst OneSteel is the biggest steel producer in Australia, Trish said that in comparison to China (the biggest producer of steel in the world) they produce a quantity of steel in one day that OneSteel would produce in a year.
The OneSteel tour is quite long and I must admit the bus seats were starting to feel a little hard towards the end but it's not everyday you get to see equipment and machinery on this scale in action. Whyalla exists because of the mines and steel works and is central to the South Australian story. If you're looking into the history of mining around this region then a tour of One Steel's plant should definitly be on your list.
Leaving Whyalla.
After the One Steel Tour Rose and I headed out of Whyalla bound for Perth. When Rose drove over from Perth she followed the shorter route at this end along the Eyre Highway (which by passes Whyalla and takes you directly to Port Augusta. One the way back she wanted to take the coastal route down the Lincoln highway (to Port Lincoln) and up the Flinders highway before getting back to the Eyre highway.
The whole reason for this longer route was because it might be a nicer drive with coastal views.
Tonight we've made it as far as the fishing town of Elliston (part way up the Flinders Highway). Rose did the lions share of the driving so I had plenty of time to evaluate the scenery. If I was doing this again, I wouldn't take this detour just for the views.
Granted a few spots do have nice coastal views but to this point, most of the road has been far enough inland to not get a view of the coast. Not enough of it looks sufficiently different to the usual route to go quite so far out of the way.
If I came this way again it would be because I wanted to spend more time in the various towns along the way. Like the drive from Laura to Port Augusta there are many small towns with a lot of interesting history to be explored. Another time perhaps. Tomorrow we will be heading over the WA border. If we make good time my next post will be from Balladonia.Labels: BHP, coke, Elliston, OneSteel, places, road trip 2007, steel, travel, Whyalla
Whyalla. Where life began.
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Road Trip Day 10: 1st June 2007 (Evening)
Life for me began in Whyalla. Rose wasn't born here (she was born in Elizabeth in Adelaide) however, since my family moved here when she was so young, she pretty much considers Whyalla to be her first home too.
I don't remember the first house we lived in here though I've seen photos of me playing in the yard there. Life for me begins on Noble Street, our second home in Whyalla where I lived until the age of eight years old. Then in 1978, when BHP closed the ship yards, our family moved to Perth, Western Australia.
 Rose and I went for a drive around our old neighbourhood. Noble Street. The house we lived in is still there, though now it has two driveways and two carports and a garage - none of which were there in our day (well it only had the one driveway at least).
All the trees along our street are full grown and provide shade that wasn't there when we used to walk to school. I'm surprised that the reserves at each end of our block are still there. These were never properly cared for parks. Just bush land with a few well worn short cut trails. Only big enough to fit maybe two houses on these were a part of our playground when we got our first bicycles.
 At the end of Noble street is the 'One Stop Shopping Centre'. Which is what is was called in our day though we referred to it as 'the brown shops' because the roof was painted brown and matched the bricks. This hasn't changed much. There is still a mini supermarket at one end and a deli at the other. No doubt owned by someone different but still the same.
A block or so over is our old primary school, Scott Street. It's no longer called Scott Street and in fact it was recently closed down. In our day the buildings were all shades of brown with rough, gravel like finish on the exterior walls. These days the buildings have been painted bright shades of yellow and blue. It's clear the school has been shut down. The gardens look over grown, the play grounds are looking worn and I noticed one or two window boarded up along with the first signs of graffiti. We didn't take any photos because it was kind of sad.
I've already mentioned the Westland Shopping Centre in a previous post. I used to think this was quite a distance from Noble street but on a previous trip back here I discovered you could actually walk there in under twenty minutes. Everything seems further away when you're eight or younger.
 I have memories of the beach and Ada Ryan Gardens. Two places we used to visit for a day out as they are right next to each other. Sadly the beach, even though it is still there, looks nothing like I remember it. All but one of the huge metal shelters have been removed and the foreshore looks nothing like what I recall. There used to be an old steam locomotive that we played on which is now nowhere to be seen. I can't even remember exactly where it was. In fact I always thought the Ada Ryan Gardens (which is a popular park here still) was completely separate from the beach front but now they seem to kind of merge.
The biggest change to the beach is a boat marina and fishing jetty. Neither of which was there in 1978. No doubt these helped to shape the way this area looks today.
Other vague memories I have of Whyalla include watching the Christmas Pageant in the main street. I can't tell which road is the main street? I remember the pageant progressed through the 'city' part of Whyalla (because of the two storey buildings) though I'm not sure exactly which part of the 'city part' that was?
Rose and I have driven around Whyalla a bit and I've seen various buildings that I got a glimpse of pre 1978 and kind of recall. Whyalla seemed a much bigger place back when I was a kid. These days it seems much smaller and very, very different.Labels: places, road trip 2007, travel, Whyalla
Whyalla. Hummock Hill and Flinders Lookouts.
Saturday, June 02, 2007
Road Trip Day 10: 1st June 2007 (Afternoon)
 Hummock Hill was here on the beach front in 1978, yet I don't remember it at all. In fact Whyalla used to be called 'Hummock Hill' before they changed the name to Whyalla for reasons no one really seems to be sure why?
I'm fairly certain the Hummock Hill lookout was built after 1978 as most of the dates on the commemorative plaques are dated long after my family left for Perth. This particular lookout provides some great views of the Iron Ore loading facility and the One Steel Steel works. It seems to have been built to celebrate the towns industrial history.
 Second to that is the section of the look out dedicated to the soldiers that manned an anti aircraft gun on the site during world war 2. A similar gun to that which was used now stands as a monument to that time. It was thought that the Japanese could've attacked the BHP port which supplied Australias defence forces with steel during this period.
Of all the sights on our road trip to Perth, the only one I had on my list was the Flinders and Freycinet Lookout. The photo in the brochure showed two very contemporary looking sculptures of Mathew Flinders (who surveyed and named Spencer Gulf in 1802) and Louis Claude de Freycinet (who also charted the same coast line in 1803) that caught my eye and got me interested in wanting to see them up close.
 Whilst the lookout offers fantastic views I found the two sculptures more interesting and thought them to be a fitting dedication to both the English and French expeditions to chart the coastline of South Australia.
As an artistic statement the two figures help to bring history into the minds of a modern audience by their non-classical design. They are intriguing to look at and you can't help but be interested in reading the information boards to find out more about the two historic men they represent. In my opinion this monument hits every mark in both purpose and design. The only let down is that I didn't see (or couldn't find) the name of the artist that created the figures.
 Whilst I wouldn't like to see all monuments take this lead with 'puppet like' figures it does represent a new way of thinking about public sculptures dedicated to real people. For this particular lookout the figures work a treat. I'm glad I had this on my MUST SEE list.Labels: Hummock Hill, lookout, Louis Claude de Freycinet, Mathew Flinders, places, road trip 2007, travel, Whyalla
Mining at Iron Knob.
Road Trip Day 10: 1st June 2007 (Morning)
The township of Iron Knob reminds me very much of Silverton in Broken Hill. It is a town that has been largely forgotten once the mines, that gave it life, were closed down in 1999. Like Silverton a few die hard locals still live there, doing what they can to breathe life into a town that truly is the Birth place of the steel industry in Australia.
The town no longer has a council, no one pays rates and consequently it is looking a little run down around the edges (and a bit in the middle too). However the town project committee is dedicated to building a tourist industry that will help build the town again. Either way, Iron Knob isn't destined to become a ghost town as the mines are being reopened. Property values in Whyalla have started to rise because of this and no doubt Iron Knob will follow.
 Our tour of Iron Knob began at the Iron Knob Tourist Centre where our guide, Phil, showed us around the various exhibits and explained the history of the mine.
Broken Hill Proprietary Limited (or BHP as they came to be known) weren't the first to mine Iron Knob but were the first to get things going full steam and were largely responsible for building the Township. BHP came to the region in 1899 as it began developing its interests in the steel industry.
There is no definitive answer as to how the town got it's name. It is thought that the name comes from a very large piece of Iron Ore found protruding from the side of the hill (hence 'iron knob') however the actual name given was 'Iron Monarch' because the rock formation resembled a monarch sitting on his thrown (maybe the English monarch at the time was a bit of a 'knob'?). There are other mines in the region 'Iron Prince' and 'Iron Baron' the names of which were inspired by the royal theme begun with 'Iron Monarch'.
After watching a short video on the history of the mine the tour continues with a trip around the town and up into the original mine. You drive your own car with the guide in the back seat directing you to all the significant places.
The first part of the tour is the township. Phil says that he recently added this as part of the tour to create a more complete picture of the region's history. He points out many houses and talks about who used to live in them as well as injecting his own local knowledge of events - the kind of stuff that never makes it into tour brochures.
One of the more unusual sights is the town's public toilet facilities which Phil proudly announces is one of the most photographed toilets in Australia. Hardly surprising given that a local artist painted a very classy mural of the word 'Dunny' on the front wall. You can't get much more Aussie than that!
 Next you head up to the only mine that you are able to view now that the lease is being reopened. It's a rather steep climb up a dirt road and on the way you pass an early 'digger' (electric shovel) which is kind of like a crane but with a shovel on the front.
At the top you look into one of the biggest 'hand dug' holes you're ever likely to see. This is one of the original mines and was worked by teams of men digging by hand, removing some 80-90 tons of ore (each) per day.
There is also a very spectacular view of the surrounding country side from here. After recent rain, Phil informed us that the view was about as green as you're ever likely to see it.
Once you've seen the mine, the tour is pretty much over as you head back to the tourist centre. Phil pointed out some final pieces of historic equipment within the grounds of the centre including one of the old electric trains used to haul ore.
Iron Knob is a town with a great potential for a thriving tourist trade. It could easily be as successful as Silverton. The surrounding country side at Iron Knob is every bit as inspiring for artists as Silverton. It is surprising that no local artists have set up a gallery (Phil said that the town's only recognised artist - who painted the Dunny mural - no longer lives in Iron Knob). There's a lot of history to be inspired by and a great opportunity to benefit from the initiatives of the town's project committee.
The tours are excellent value and comprehensive. Our guide, Phil, lives in the town and is part of the push to revive it. He's worked for BHP during the seventies and has many stories to tell. He believes enthusiastically in the townships future and really puts across a strong sense of community. Iron Knob is much more than a big hole in the ground.Labels: Iron Knob, iron ore, mine, mining, places, road trip 2007, Silverton, steel, travel
Laura, C.J. Dennis, The Sentimental Bloke.
Friday, June 01, 2007
Road Trip Day 9: 31st May 2007 (Morning)
Rose and I managed to leave Peterborough in good time enroute to Laura and the C. J. Dennis Statue we'd tried to find in Auburn and Mintaro.
Peterborough is actually an important town in its own right with a strong history of the railway in South Australia. I know Rose wanted to look around more but we had a lot of ground to cover. As much as it would be nice to stop in every town we passed through (and there are many that look very interesting) you just have to hope you'll maybe get back another time.
We made our way down to the town of Laura (via Jamestown) in just under an hour. The town describes its self as the 'home of poet C. J. Dennis during his formative years', implying that he probably moved later in life. However C. J. Dennis is quoted describing his stay in Laura thus:
"Of all country places I know. Laura still remains for me the place of most pleasant memory..."
Hence, Laura can quite rightly claim C. J. Dennis as one of their own.
 Had we entered the town from the main road we would've seen the statue straight away but, having followed an unsealed road that cut about 10-15 minutes off our travel time we arrived in the middle of the main street, turning in from a side road. A quick stop in the town's information centre and we were finally about to see the elusive C. J.
From the photo we had of the statue I had my suspicions that it was going to be small. It looked as if the statue had been photographed from a low angle in order to make it tower over a roof in the photos background. With no person in the photo to compare scale with, it just looked small.
The statue is located at the 'Dick Biles Gallery', home of the 'Big Bloke' sculpture. Big is an understatement. The statue, which is actually a sculpture made entirely from copper, is towering at four metres tall (that's gotta be close to 11 feet high!). Created by Adelaide artist David Griffiths it is certainly a fitting and some what imposing monument to C. J. Dennis, author of 'The Sentimental Bloke'.
 Had the sculpture been small I think Rose and I would've been a little disappointed but, not expecting such a large structure, we both felt this had been worth the side trip to see.Labels: C. J. Dennis, Laura, places, road trip 2007, Sculpture, travel
The Big Picture and other Art.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Road Trip Day 6: 28th May 2007
Rose has so much on her must see list that we decided to stay another two nights in Broken Hill. Unfortunately our motel couldn't extend our booking so our first job was to pack everything back in the car. The town has plenty of choice for motels so we left finding a new motel room for the end of the day.
Today and tomorrow is all about galleries. Broken Hill is famous for it's art scene and this was actually the main reason for our trip here. Some of Australia's leading artists are based in this region, Pro Hart and Jack Absalom to name two (though we'll be visiting their galleries tomorrow).
First up was a trip to 'The Art Directory'. A good first stop on any art tour in this town. The Art Directory is a gallery that exhibits samples of work from a good percentage of artists in the region. Each artwork is given a number that links it to a map of how to get to that artists gallery or studio. Just pick the artists that catch your eye and grab a map and your away. A great idea.
Just up the road was 'The Silver City Art Centre'. This is a MUST if you want to see the worlds biggest painting on canvas. Known as 'The Big Picture', by artist Peter Anderson, it is 100 metres long and over 12 metres high at its highest point.
What makes this artwork special (apart from the size) is that it is an artwork 'in the round'. That is you walk into a circular room and the artwork surrounds you (or more precisely surrounds the viewing platform which is a kind of 'look out' that frames the view). It is literally like walking into a painting. As it depicts a good slice of the local landscape in panorama format it really is like being in a painted version of the real environment.
From there we drove to the main street for look in the Broken Hill Regional Gallery. This is a great place to see a range of local contemporary art as well as some impressive classical art from the the later part of the nineteenth century (I think).
 The main street does have a few galleries. Rose and I stopped to look in another two before heading up to the Visitor Information Centre/Cafe and Minors Memorial that sits on top of the 'broken hill' that the town is named after. From here you can see spectacular 360 degree views of the entire region and enjoy a very good lunch or dinner. Rose and I had a very enjoyable late lunch.
Our intention had been to look through all the galleries today but time once again got away from us. So we settled for the first one on our list, Howard Steer.
Howard's gallery is also his studio and as luck would have it Howard was in and more than willing to discuss his work (and give advice to an emerging artist such as myself). If you've not seen Howard's art he paints mostly in oils and is known for his quirky bush humor. You may know about his 'Flying Doctor' artworks in which he paints a black suited doctor with with fairy wings flying around the bush delivering all manor of medical help.
Rose is a big fan of his art and asked if he was putting out a book. The good news is that he is. The bad news is that it's not available yet. Still in the process.
Howard is a self taught artist and he gives this advice to artists that have been to art school - "Whatever they told you at art school, do the opposite". Which is to say that he doesn't have much faith in art teachers as he explained. "If they knew what to do they wouldn't be teaching."
Our day ended with finding new accommodation. Our first pick was The Duke of Cornwall Inn. We had no trouble getting a room in this two storey heritage building. Carting our luggage up stairs to the room looked like it was going to be fun. Fortunately the motel staff were more than willing to lend a hand.
I'm currently writing this from the balcony of the motel which gives you a nice view down the main street on a rather pleasant evening. Tomorrow is our last full day in town. We'll be up early...we have to be...breakfast is between 7am and 8am - it comes included in the price of the room so we're having breakfast! A few more art galleries and then Wednesday we'll be on the road again.Labels: art, artist, Broken Hill, gallery, Jack Absalom, places, Pro Hart, road trip 2007, travel
Mad Max Four and Silverton.
Road Trip Day 5: 27th May 2007 (Afternoon)
The town of Silverton, just north of Broken Hill, is one of the most filmed towns in Australia. Most known for Mad Max 2 (just on the outskirts of town was the location of the film's fortress) other films shot here include, Dirty Deeds, Razorback, A Town Like Alice, The Craic and more.
In particular, the Silverton Hotel has not only been featured in many films but also appeared in many TV commercials. It's name has been changed so many times it must be hard for locals to keep track of when visitors arrive; "Can you tell me where the Mundi Mundi Hotel is?". If you ever visit the Silverton Hotel, there is a list on the wall telling you all the names and for which film or commercial the name was used for.
It's not just the exterior of the hotel that has been filmed either. The interior is 'classic' Aussie Pub too. Perhaps that's why it's been used in a number of beer commercials?
If you want to know exactly what Silverton's film history is just visit the Hotel and browse the film memorabilia on the walls. There's photos of Mel Gibson and the Mad Max crew actually in the Pub.
An interesting newspaper article pinned to one wall from 2002 talks about Mel Gibson's production company, Icon Pictures making Mad Max Four in Africa because they were unable to get studio space in Australia (at the time most of our major studios were booked out with the second Star Wars Trilogy). I don't know what became of Mad Max Four. Never heard of it going into production but I hope it does some day.
 I know the focus has been on Mad Max (what can I say I'm a fan of those films - especially number 2) but, just before I change topic, I can't not mention the replica of Max's car in film number 2 that is permanently parked out the front of the pub. The car looks like it has seen better days and one could almost believe it is the, some what beaten up, car from the film.
Silverton, whilst being a very empty town with a population between 62-82 people depending on which brochure you read, is home to a number of Australian artists including, John Dynon and Pete Browne. Rose and I visited both artists galleries.
 John paints bright Australian landscape images that are spectacular to say the least. He seems to have quite a sense of humor too, which is reflected in the exterior of his studio where a prominent, occupied, out door 'dunny' greets you at the gate.
Pete Browne has a wicked sense of humor too and appeals more to my taste. His work is cartoonish and illustrative but definitively 'Aussie'. He's developed a particular type of emu character that recurs throughout his cartoons, oil paintings and sculptures. Outside his studio you can see and old volkswagon decorated with the 'Pete Browne Emu' (see photo)
Whilst his paintings and sculptures are the centre of attention in his gallery there are the occasional panels with Pete Browne quotes that enhance his off beat humor. One such panel reports that he has lost his space ship and if found please return it so Pete can go home.
The rest of Silverton is equally interesting. There is the Old Gaol Museum, The Coin Carvery, Horizon Gallery and a very nice cafe where Rose and I stopped for a late lunch.
We finished our day by heading out to the Mundi Mundi Lookout (otherwise known as the Mad Max lookout). From this lookout you can see the site of the Mad Max fortress (though not much remains since they blew it up). What is more impressive is that you can see the horizon for such a wide expanse that you can actually notice the curvature of the earth.
Silverton is easily a day trip if you don't want to rush seeing everything. It's far from the 'ghost town' that the brochures describe but it's about as close to a ghost town as you can get with people still living there.
As a failed mining town, with many of its original buildings either falling down or having been transported to Broken Hill years ago, it feels isolated and forgotten. However, as a tourist attraction, the locals are working hard to keep the town alive.
It really is a town with something for everyone.Labels: art, artist, film, gallery, Hotel, John Dynon, Mad Max, Mel Gibson, Pete Browne, places, road trip 2007, Silverton, travel
White's Mine and Doll & Bear Display.
Road Trip Day 5: 27th May 2007 (Morning)
Kevin White's Mineral Art and Living Mining Museum and Betty White's Handmade Doll & Bear display is an unlikely pairing of themes and subject matter but makes for an interesting experience for the whole family.
Located in Broken Hill, a slight detour off the road to Silverton, visitors are greeted and then directed to view a short video that covers the history of mining in the region (up to 1983... leaving you to wonder if some of the future projections made in the video have come to pass). The video gives a good over view of the Broken Hill story to a trip to the town could easily begin at White's Mine.
 Betty was our guide for Kevin's replica mine museum. She did an excellent job pointing out the contrast between early mining and the mostly machine driven, push button technology used today. She made the point that when people talk about the 'good old days' of mining, the only thing 'good' about them is that they're gone. Such was the appalling conditions early miners had to work in.
A feature of the mining museum is Kevin's mineral art. Images made entirely from finely crumbled mineral rock. Kevin has, what seemed like, hundreds of artworks created this way ranging from mining scenes, to iconic Broken Hill buildings to important events and stories in Australian history.
An unusual feature of this museum is that you are encouraged to take photos of the exhibits. Betty and Kevin understand that there is a lot to take in so they are happy to let you snap away.
 Betty's collection of Home made dolls and bears is exceptionally large, filling up the other half of the museum. Her collection consists of dolls she has made and dolls she has collected. There are dolls of all sizes and made to many different themes from wizards to barber shop quartets.
The White Museum also has an extensive gift shop featuring a number of unique mining souvenirs that you can't buy elsewhere.Labels: art, bear, Broken Hill, doll, mine, Mineral, mining, museum, places, road trip 2007, travel
Day Dream Mine and the Titanic Monument.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Road Trip Day 4: 26th May 2007
The plan today was to head out to the outback Ghost Town of Silverton (NSW), the site of more than 140 Films and commercials, including 'Mad Max II'. On the way we decided a side trip tour of Day Dream Mine would easily fit into our day.
Unfortunately we got off to a late start and never factored in the 12 kilometres of unsealed loose dirt, winding road that you need to negotiate in order to get to the mine from the main road. By the time we got to the mine it was 12:25pm. Rose and I then had to wait about thirty minutes for ten minutes to go by until the next tour of the mine (i.e. Gary, our guide, said the next tour would be in ten minutes. Thirty minutes later... In all fairness Gary was waiting for the previous tour group to finish).
 Not that we were standing around. There was plenty to look at around the cafe/gift shop, as well as in the cafe its self. We even had time for a cup of tea. Whilst waiting Rose and I took the opportunity to take many photos.
The tour of Day Dream mine takes you around one tenth of the total mine and is both above and below ground (with some fairly low ceilings and a few rocky slopes to navigate below ground). Gary, explained that the mine was operated by Cornish Miners (below ground) and Irish workers (above ground) who processed various metal deposits with the main one being silver. The mine dates from 1882 and was one of the original mines around Silverton. It was abandoned in 1887.
 The tour takes about an hour and is very interactive in the sense that Gary gave plenty of opportunity for us to suggest answers to his questions such as; "Why do you think the miners slept sitting up?" (I won't tell you the answer but who'd have thought sleeping could be a life or death affair for your average Cornish Miner?). Gary also notes that many of the miners were in fact minors - boys 12 years old and younger.
The end of tour below the surface of the mine was quite interesting in particular as Gary showed us the relationship between the areas we traversed below ground with what can be seen on the surface. It's not so easy trying to get your bearings when Gary asks his first question "Which direction do you think we walked at the beginning going into the mine?"
 On the way out Rose and I stopped at the first gate you come to driving to the mine to take a few photos of the landscape. In the picture to the right you can see just how isolated Day Dream Mine is. Off to my right you can see some of the road we drove along.
By the time we left it was 3:20pm. Not enough time to continue to Silverton. We decided to leave that for tomorrow. Instead we drove back to Broken Hill and snapped a picture of something you wouldn't expect to find in an outback Aussie Town, a monument to the band that played on board the Titanic (yes the famous ship that sank).
 Quite a nice gesture by the town's own band group who wanted to recognise the bravery of the Titanic's band members - who played on, even as the ship was sinking.Labels: Broken Hill, Cornish, Day Dream Mine, mining, places, road trip 2007, Silverton, travel
Gunning for Broken Hill.
Road Trip Day 3: 25th May 2007
Today is the day that we would be arriving in Broken Hill. No more distractions. Well, almost. First Rose and I did a quick walk around the Burra town centre, visiting the Gas Light Coffee and Second hand bookshop (where Rose added to her book collection).
Next we stopped in at the Burra Visitor Information Centre. The man behind the counter told us it would take five and a half hours to drive to the town of Broken Hill. A final stop in the local IGA supermarket to buy camera batteries and other supplies then we were on our way. 11:20am.
The drive to Broken Hill, along the Barrier Highway, is long. After about an hour and using about half of our remaining half a tank of petrol I decided we probably needed to fill the tank. Thus our first stop was at Oodla Wirra, BP Service Station.
Just up the road, coming the other way, is the Quarentine Station where everyone intending to drive any further into South Australia are relieved of any fruit or vegetables they may be carrying.
It's hard to describe the landscape on this trip. It changes from hilly areas to vast open space. Much of the time the road is straight and goes on forever. There are plenty of trees dotted around - particularly around homesteads but the trees never get dense enough to be called 'forest'.
During the drive, before we stopped for lunch, we passed the Channel Seven, Sunrise Weather Bus which was pulled over at the side of the road at Yutla (I think). Probably getting supplies before continuing in the same direction as us. I think they were on their way to Broken Hill too.
Towns along this stretch of road are small. The larger ones have a Post Office, pub and service station. The smaller ones may have just a pub or road house. Most have just a few houses. You could almost walk through some and still miss them.
At 2pm we stopped for lunch at the Manna Hill rest area. Manna Hill has a Pub and a Police Station. For quite some time the road had been running parallel to a railway line and string of power poles. Manna Hill also has a historic railway station.
 We stopped just in time to snap a goods train passing through then wondered why it stopped so that the end of the train was level with the railway platform. Five to ten minutes later the Indian/Pacific Passenger train came through on route to Broken Hill and beyond. I would have snapped a picture of this train too only I was busy taking other pictures and didn't see it coming until it was too late. (It came up behind the other train which is why I didn't see it).
Whilst we were lunching the Sunrise Weather bus caught up and passed us by. This is why I think they were headed to Broken Hill. We never caught up to them again and there aren't any sealed road turn offs between Manna Hill and Broken Hill.
 3pm and we set off again after having a bit of a photo session around the rest stop. My shoulders and neck were starting to ache a little by the time we crossed the border into New South Wales at the unfortunately named town of 'Cockburn' (though I'm sure it is pronounced 'co-burn' just like the suburb of Perth, Western Australia, that has the same name).
From there the landscape definitely changed from large open space to more rocky and hillier terrain. Eventually we passed a sign that said 'Welcome to Broken Hill' but it was another ten minutes or so before we actually entered the town. 4:30pm
All up we made the trip in five hours from Burra. Four if you exclude the hour lunch break. For the most part I stuck to the maximum speed limit so I don't know how we managed to knock over an hour and a half off the the time given to us by the Burra Information centre?
In Broken Hill we are staying at The Lodge Outback Motel, which is a beautiful old Victorian Stone building that was constructed in the early 1900's and is one of the largest houses in the town. Unfortunately our room isn't in the house its self, rather it's one of a series of purpose built units adjacent to the main house. However it's still a fairly nice room that we're in.
We will be staying in Broken Hill for the next two to three days. Tonight we're planning our itinerary.Labels: Broken Hill, Burra, Manna Hill, places, railway, road trip 2007, train, travel
Wrong Way Already!
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Road Trip Day 1: 23rd May 2007
Taking a wrong turn before you've even left your home town is probably not the way you want to start a road trip between Gawler, South Australia and Perth, Western Australia but that's what I did. Can you tell I don't actually drive much around Gawler?
Perhaps it was because Blonde Rose and I had so much to do in the two days prior to leaving. Maybe my brain was a little bit fried? I simply thought a road went somewhere that it didn't thus, Rose got to see a bit more of Gawler that she hadn't yet seen.
For regular visitors to this site who haven't made the connection in previous posts, Blonde Rose is my sister. She's been on holiday in Gawler South Australia for the past 3 months. Hence all the sight seeing blog entries. Now we are both heading back to Perth by car, sight seeing as we go. If you drive straight from Gawler to Perth you can do it in about four days. Sight seeing included, we'll be on the road about two weeks.
We left quite late in the day (somewhere around 2pm) after having made a detour to get some tyres changed over. The goal was to get to the town of Clare, passing through Auburn (with a stop to look around) and a side trip to Mintaro to visit Martindale Hall (a building featured in the classic Aussie movie, 'Picnic at Hanging Rock').
Unfortunately the light was against us so we settled for stopping in the historic town of Auburn for the night. Auburn was originally a farming town but became a furoughfair for copper transportation when this was discovered at the town of Burra, to the north-east.
Auburn has a number of significant examples of heritage style architechture and was the birth place of C. J. Dennis (born 1876) whom was one of Australia's greatest authors. He is best known for his book, The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke, published in 1915.
Tonight we're staying at the Auburn Shiraz Motel located at the southern end of the town. I'm not a seasoned motel visitor so I don't really know what makes a good motel, however facilities at the Shiraz seem to cover everything you need and the beds were certainly comfortable.
Tomorrow, the goal is to make all the spots we intended to visit today but didn't. Then we'll try to finish at our first major stop, Broken Hill.Labels: Auburn, C. J. Dennis, Gawler, places, road trip 2007, travel
Eudunda. Birth place of author, Colin Thiele.
Friday, May 18, 2007
 South Australian author, Colin Thiele's three most well known books are 'Storm Boy', 'Blue Fin' and 'Sun on the Stubble'. Well at least those three are the ones I know.
A visit to the town of Eudunda, South Australia, is pretty much a celebration of the man and his life (Colin passed away in 2006) with the local site seeing trail highlighting important locations from the author's past.
One could be forgiven for thinking that Eudunda has little else to offer in the way of historic displays but the town's Family Heritage Museum puts a rest to that. There is much more to the town's past than the famous author.
The museum reveals a wealth of personal histories of many of the town's families and the lives they lead. It's possibly one of the biggest historical artifact collections within the region. Some of the life size, figures are clearly, lovingly home made by not so skilled artists however they give the display something of a more personal touch that might be missing if professionally constructed manikins had been used.
Whilst there isn't a lot to see in Eudunda, it certainly is a picturesque town that can cater for a pleasant morning or afternoon of sight seeing. Don't let anyone tell you it's not worth the trip.Labels: author, Colin Thiele, Eudunda, heritage, museum, places, travel
Crucifix anyone?
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
 The cross pictured at the right is the main feature of the Eden Valley lookout at Eden Valley, South Australia. A plaque at the site indicates that the lookout is still under development so there could be more to come however there is no explanation anywhere as to the significance of this rather ominous looking cross? Crucifix anyone?
It's a very sturdy looking structure surrounded by a few strategically placed picnic tables. One can only wonder as to what it means. Likely it has some religious significance but I don't know what... could be some secular minority practicing some long forgotten Pagan rituals perhaps?
If you happen to live at Eden Valley and know what this cross is all about...please show me some enlightenment with a comment.Labels: cross, crucifix, Eden Valley, lookout, places, religion, travel
Celtic Festival, Kapunda 2007
Saturday, May 05, 2007
 My first visit to Kapunda, Australia's oldest mining town, was to experience one day of a three day event, the 32nd Annual Kapunda Celtic Festival. Blonde Rose and I attended the second day which was a Saturday.
As far as Celtic Festivals go, this one had a Celtic flavor but my impression overall was that this could have easily have been a Town Festival. Largely because many of the market stalls and some of the performing artists weren't specifically 'Celtic' themed. That said, I didn't get to see all of the Celtic performing artists such as dancers, singers and more. Perhaps if I had I would've been left with more of a Celtic experience.
Don't get me wrong, I was not disappointed with the festival at all. Kapunda is an exceptional town with a lot to see. Which is why I didn't see all the entertainment. Too busy looking in local art galleries and exploring the excellent basement Kapunda history display at the Visitor Centre, as well as the basement museum display at the Kapunda Bakery. Even without a festival there is plenty to do.
 click image above to see larger version.
What we did see at the festival was Honorary Town Crier and Honorary Escort Town Crier (to the City of Salisbury) Tom and Daphne Benny. Tom is something of a regional icon for his Town crier abilities and he was in fine form at this event, welcoming guests to the town and announcing the various street performances.
An Ghillee Mhor and the Border Celts was the only truly Celtic act I saw. Unfortunately I only caught the last half of their spirited dance routine that involved a bit of shouting and a lot of hitting together of, what looked to me like, bamboo poles.
 click image above to see larger version.
The Creole Cowboyz, a six member band of blokes, playing music inspired by Creole French traditions, were a highlight. They seemed to be putting on a show intended for kids and families but, with a lack of younger members, persevered with an older audience that connected well with their humor. A particular highlight was a very young audience member enjoying dancing around like a chicken to the bands 'chicken song'.
Later in the afternoon we caught the Henna nights Bellydance troupe. They put on a great demonstration with three different performances - two group dances then a solo dancer for the finale. I'm not exactly sure how 'Celtic' belly dancing is but the performances were very well received and added much colour to the festival.
 We finished off the day by taking a drive around the historic sites of the town that included some excellent lookout points for views of the surrounding country side. I must do this tour again some time because we were chasing the setting sun. Trying to see everything before we ran out of light.
I quite enjoyed the trip to Kapunda. A town that should certainly be on your itinerary if you happen to be in the region.Labels: Celtic, festival, history, Kapunda, mining, places, travel
The Upsetting Machine
Monday, April 23, 2007
 Upon first laying eyes on 'The Upsetting Machine' my immediate thought was 'Upsetting, why? What's wrong with it?'
Realising that there was nothing in the least 'upsetting' about it my next thought was that perhaps this machine was used to 'upset' other people. You know, if you have someone who needs to be upset (perhaps they're way too happy?) then this is the machine that will do the job. Take that smiley, happy person!
'The Upsetting Machine' can be found at the Blacksmith Shop in the main street of Angaston, South Australia. Despite its curious name it isn't used for upsetting anything other than metal rims that blacksmiths of days gone by fit around the wooden wheels of your old style carriage wheels.
The Blacksmith's Shop is well worth a visit (and is free unless you choose to make a voluntary donation). There is much to see from the by gone days including an early example of a local butcher's meat truck and a working engine that is used to operate many tools of the blacksmith trade. You can even watch real blacksmith's at work with one young apprentice learning to make medieval swords.
You certainly won't be upset by the upsetting machine (or any other machine for that matter) but I can't promise the same for the screeching of the shops pet cockatoo when he decides he has something to say... loudly!
 Labels: Angaston, blacksmith, history,
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