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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
............ 
Feb 20, 2016 09:00 PM Through Blue Mountains to Sydney
Blue Mountains were in the little fog when we were driving from Gilgandra to Sydney. Going to the coast you have to cross them - that's what we did today. The highest point -Mt Victoria is more than a 1000m above sea level. It was Sunday, so the roads were full of cars - for the Australians it is popular weekend destination.
In addition there are road works. We were enjoying the views going slowly down to Sydney.
I have been to Sydney already 4 times, but my companion is for the first time in Australi so... we reached Blues Point with the magnificent view of the Harbor Bridge and Sydney Opera at 1.10 pm. He was impressed and satisfied. We found there picnic table to have our lunch with a view... What a view - better then from the classy restaurant!
Then we found Pacific Highway A1 to get out of the city and later - the M1 motorway going north along the coast. At sunset we arrived to our 80-dollar motel in Port Macquaire. Tiring day, but so nice!
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Feb 19, 2016 09:00 PM 780 km to Gilgandra
New South Wales is a huge state, offering great diversity of the landscapes. We started early in the morning from Broken Hill driving first few hours through empty steppe. After 2 hours the bush was already around. And in the afternoon we enjoyed already eucalyptus forests. At the end of the day after 9 hours of driving we reached wheat fields around little town of Gilgandra. I did not count the died kangaroos on our way but I am sure that threre were more then hundred of them. In the day they sleep in the bush. They die in collissions during the night. That's why I do not drive after sunset.
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Feb 18, 2016 09:00 PM Broken Hill - Australia
In the morning we were driving east - through the empty and hot steppe to the border of New South Wales. Many died kangaroos along the road. At the state border just a little marker and... no they do not change the time!
Only 50 kms east we saw a big mining town of Broken Hill. In 19th century they found hhere silver and other metalls and the boom began. In 20th century they operated even a tram in the center oc the town. The mines still work. The sreets are named after minerals. We found old Grand guesthouse in the main Argent street. Once it was Grand Hotel, but till now little of the charm remained. But you canstill find many elegant buildings from the past.
Some 25 kms north I visited the ghost city of Silverton. 5000 people were living there mining silver. Now -50 only. Few buildings remained along the dusty streets: goal, city chambers, court, Silverton hotel pictured in the moves and little churches. 38 deg Celsius, donkeys and horses are wondering around. People, yes - few in the bar...
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Feb 17, 2016 09:00 PM Flinders Range in the sun
We spend whole day driving in the Flinders – not so high but picturesque mountains in South Australia. It is National Park, so before you enter you have to pay entry fee 10 AUD per car. The most popular place in the Flinders is Wilpena Pound – it looks like the volcanic caldera but it never was a volcano.
Short walking trail – 1,5 h one way will allow you to reach the upper lookout on the rim of the “caldera”. The view is nice, but of course is not the Ngorongoro.
In the park we saw a lot of kangaroos resting during the hot day in tha shade of the trees. Hills, gorges, dry rivers, graveo roads... Sunny, hot day.
On the way back to Quorn we had a chance to visit picturesque ruins of old farm (they call it -stations) established in 19th century and later abandoned. See the Kanyaka station below:
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Feb 15, 2016 09:00 PM Australia - underground Coober Pedy
Sorry, in Yulara resort they wanted 20 Aud for the connection to the internet, so I did not sent anything. Let you know - I am well :)
To avoid the heat we started our drive today at 7 am. At 10 am we reached Erldunda roadhouse on the Stuart Highway. It was necessary to buy the new portion of fuel. They know it. The price of the petrol is exorbitant - 1,62 AUD per litre!! It cost Only 1,12 on the coast... Cry and pay!
Headinng south after an hour we reached the border with South Australia. Nice monument there and 24h parking allowed with a toilet and water. No border control, they only ask to throw out to the bin fruits and plants - the bin is 160 kms onward - in Marla.:)
Then flat and dry steppe and finally - mountains of the dugout sand.
It is Coober Pedy - the world capital of opals. In the old mining places they offer now underground cafes, motels. Churches are also underground. We stay in such underground institution B&B it is pleasantly cool, while outside is a outback heat.
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Feb 14, 2016 09:00 PM Kata Tjuta or Mt Olgas
When I was here 30 years ago I did not have a chance to come closer to this mountains. They are located in a distance from Ayers Rock. But it is some 40 kms... Now we travel by car, so it was not a problem to wake up at 5 am and to drive to the Dune view point.
We saw from the special platform the sun rising near Ayers Rock and morning light on Mt Olgas. Then we drove to the Valley of the Winds to start our loop trek between the mountains. This trek is not a joke! Heat, flies, strong sun an also differences in the level. But the views are breathkaking. After 2 hours and 40 min. We returned to the parking are. This was my first face to face meeting with Olgas.
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Feb 13, 2016 09:00 PM Walking around Uluru...
They told me, that due to the increasing heat the trail at the base of Uluru (Ayers Rock) will be closed after 11 am, so we started early. At the park gate we must pay a fee - 25 AUD per person for 3 days of access. Then you can drive to thr bottom of the majestic mountain. We left the car at the thailhead of the summit trail. 30 years ago I was climbing here to the top. Today nobody goes up - the trail is closed for the safety reason - it is too hot. The nightmare of this area are little flies. We used face nets to survive!
We started to walk in the clockwise darection. The walk is easy and flat, the only problems are the distance (like 10 kms) and the heat. But it is worth the effort - views are great. I took a lot of pictures. But at some places as you walk there are Aborigin holy places and photography is forbidden there. We did the full loop in 3 hours - like me 30 years ago - I am still fit! :)
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Feb 12, 2016 09:00 PM Too hot for Kings Canyon!
We had a chance to see the famous Kings Canyon located in the Australian outback. The access is from Alice Springs or from Yulara. I was trying to combine it with our transfer from Alice to Yulara (Ayers Rock). The news are bad: temperature in the canyon area reaches in February 42 deg Celsius. Due to the additional heat radiation ferm the rock you have to add another 4 deg. Can you imagine 3,5 h walk in the temperature of 46 deg including climbing? Sorry - next time!
Before leaving Alice Springs we pump full tank of fuel. In the outback it will be much more expensive. We drove Stuart Highway to Erldunda turning then to Yulara for another 240 kms.
On the way there is a view point of the lonely mountain - Mt Conner. Some people think it is already Ayers Rock...
At 2 pm after 30 years I eeached Yulara - tourist village built in the hot, red desert for the tourist who are coming to see magmificent rocks of Uluru and Kata Tjuta. There are offered different standards of accommodation. Of course I was booked for the cheapest one: Outback Pioneer Lodge which is like a youth hostel with a bunk beds. In the evening we went to enjoy Ayers Rock or Uluru at sunset.
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Feb 11, 2016 09:00 PM East and West Macdonnells
Macdonnell Range in Central Australia is not so high, but very picturesque. Alice Springs lies just at the gap between East and West Macdonnell Range. Today we were driving first along the East Range – 82 kms to Ross River visiting the most interesting places. In eastern part probably the most beautiful is Terphina Gorge:
It is not easy to walk in the sandy dry river bed in the temperature of 40 deg Celsius, but it was only one-hour walk.
In the afternoon we turned to the West Range going as far as Glen Helen -some 132 kms from Alice. Glen Helen is a nice place -in addition there is a deep lake to swim – great pleasure in the temperatures around 40 deg…Driving back we visited also other places like Ormiston and Ellery Gorges. Entry is free, except Standley Chasm where private Aborigin owners charge 12 AUD pp. We returned to Alice at sunset. It was very busy, but also very interesting day. See Glen Helen on the picture below:
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Feb 10, 2016 09:00 PM Stuart Highway to Alice Springs
Stuart Highway is famous road cutting Australia by half North to South – Darwin to Adelaide. 30 years ago I was travelling the road by bus Now I can make on it unlimited stopovers. More or less parallel to this road goes the famous railway line – I took inthe past legendary Ghan train heading north – to Darwin:
Do you know, that I am capricorn? Today I had a chance to cross again the Tropic of Capricorn. Some 30 kms north of Alice Springs on Stuart Highway there is a special monument – marker on the parking place, where you can even spend a night. It was a good opportunity to be photographed on the my Tropic again:
It was rather relaxing day for us (still 39 deg Celsius – is it ralaxing temperature?) because we Drove only 400 kms. Australia is a huge country! Already at 1 pm we got a nice room in the cozy Alice Motor Inn – worth to recommend. Alice Springs – the town in the mid of Australia did not change much since my last visit. Todd river is completly dry. There are still groups of Aborigin people wondering the streets… Sad view…
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