Google Earth

All photos of our tour of Australia in 2006 can now be viewed in Google Earth. You will need to download and install Google Earth before you can view these photos at the location where they were taken.

Google Earth can be downloaded from here.

Once you have installed Google Earth you can click Exploring Australia - 2006 to view the photos where they were taken. You can also right-click and save the file Australia2006.kmz to your PC and then run it from there but you will still need internet access to view the larger pictures.

Enjoy!

22 August 2006
We packed up in mud that clung to our shoes making it very heavy to walk and extremely slippery. We were finally on the road at about 8AM and headed for Perth with rain a lot of the way. We arrived home at about 3:30PM. We had traveled almost exactly 15,500 kilometres since leaving home 83 days earlier.

21 August 2006
Left Coral Bay at 8AM after farewelling everyone. We traveled down to near the turnoff to Kalbarri and decided to have a break at a picnic spot which turned out to be the spot named Galena Bridge which we first visited when we went to Monkey Mia together. We decided to stay the night here as it was on a river and there were only a few other caravans on this side of the river. At midnight it started raining and we had to move the chairs out of the rain.

20 August 2006
Had our last snorkel in the morning before having lunch and then exchanging photos with Bill and Joe. Started packing away the annex and other items in preparation to leaving in the morning. We had a pizza and cider alone and enjoyed the sunset and stars before heading to bed.

19 August 2006
Went for a long swim and snorkel with Joe, Kerry and Bill in the bay and came across a huge Potato Bass under one of the boats. We had a second snorkel off the point with Kate before heading home for a late lunch. We all (except for Joe who babysat the dog) went for a sunset sail on the Coral Breeze which is the yacht we got married on. After a wonderful sail, bubbly and sunset we all went for dinner at the restaurant and then had coffee at our caravan with much laughter.

18 August 2006
Drove to 9-mile beach with Joe, Kerry, Bill, Kate, Phoebe and Anna. We walked a long way up the beach collecting shells and looking at clams in the shallows. We then had lunch and chatted and headed home. We then went and snorkeled with the Spangled Emperor fish near all the boats and had a quick look at the coral in the bay.

17 August 2006
Went for a snorkel with Joe while Kerry looked after Mishca and then Keith paddled almost to the outer reef with Joe in Kerry's kayak. We had a nap in the afternoon before having supper at the Coral Bay Hotel.

16 August 2006
We woke up to very strong wind gusts which blew dust and sand all over the place. The caravan park sprinkled water on the roads to reduce the dust and fortunately by midday the wind had died down and it turned into a beautiful day. We went for a long walk along the beach at about 11AM and then after lunch we swam way out to look at the huge coral gardens with Joe and a German girl who was too scared to do it on her own. The coral was spectacular. After dinner we again went for a walk along the beach with Joe and Kerry and Mishca their dog who chased crabs. There were hundreds of little fish jumping and also some very large ones too. Had drinks with Bill and Kate and showed them some things about digital image processing.

15 August 2006
At about 10:30 we headed for Oyster Bridge through the sand dunes with Joe and Kerry in their Jeep where we had the beach to ourselves. We snorkeled, had lunch and chatted till mid afternoon when we headed home for a shower and drinks together.

14 August 2006
Had a relaxing day doing very little and then at 3:30PM we went to watch the Spangled Emperor fish being fed. These fish are about 60cm in length and swim between your legs while looking for food. Vlasta went to photograph the Wallaby Joey at the CALM office. We then had drinks with Joe and Kerry before having supper and heading to Maud's Landing to look at the beautiful black night sky.

13 August 2006
Snorkeled at another location just around the corner from the main beach and saw a wide variety of fish. We also came across a sting ray feeding on the sandy bottom which appeared quite undisturbed by us watching it closely. After supper we took some photos of the pitch black night sky which came out quite well.

12 August 2006
We walked to Paradise Beach along the back road and then back to Coral Bay along the beach. The morning was hot with a fair breeze blowing. After lunch we decided to try the snorkeling at Paradise Beach so took the car back along the dirt track and headed for the sea. We were very disappointed to see that 90% of the coral was dead from a freak natural event about 4 years ago where the coral spawned while the wind and tides blew all the organic material into the bays which subsequently killed all the coral due to oxygen deprivation. There was quite a lot of new coral growing but it will be many years before things look better.

11 August 2006
We spent the morning relaxing and then went to talk to the local CALM (Conservation And Land Management) office to get information about snorkeling etc. The lady at CALM had a little Euro (type of wallaby) joey which she was looking after as its mother had been killed on the road. We then headed along a 4x4 track up the coast to visit the lagoon which is good for snorkeling. We found ourselves on a very sandy and steepish track so had to deflate the tyres and had to get up some speed to get the car back out while Vlasta took video of the whole scene. We had the whole beach to ourselves and after snorkeling and walking along the beach we headed home for a well earned drink and supper.

10 August 2006
Had a relaxing day doing very little besides some shopping and updating the internet. We did however go and watch the sunset from Maud's Landing which is a few km from Coral Bay.

9 August 2006
Packed up and headed into Exmouth for petrol and post some cards before making our way down to Coral Bay. We setup camp next to a family we met at Barn Hill, what a coincidence and to top it all Geordie, their daughter, dreamed the night before that we arrived and camped next to them! We walked around Coral Bay to see what had changed and watched the sun set and full moon rise simultaneously and watched freshly caught fish being unloaded on the beach. Later we had dinner at the restaurant with our neighbours before having drinks and chatting until late.

8 August 2006
The wind came up during the night and continued most of the day so we headed to Exmouth to do some desperately needed shopping. After a quick lunch before heading to Turquoise Beach to snorkel where we saw another turtle and Keith saw a pair of Clown fish (Nemos). After a glass of wine we headed to the beach over the road from then caravan park to watch the sunset and the nearly full moon rise.

7 August 2006
Drove to Osprey Bay where we snorkeled with sting rays, and fish of many descriptions, sizes and colours. We also took more photos - again :-) and then headed to Sandy Bay for a picnic lunch. After spending most of the day along the coast we headed back to the caravan park for a nap and then drinks with our neighbour before having fish and chips from the local cafe.

6 August 2006
Drove down to Yardie Creek and saw an echidna on the road. Keith snorkeled in Osprey Bay while Vlasta took photos along the beach. The colour of the sea has to be seen to be believed. Moved on to Sandy Bay and took more photos of this picturesque beach. Visited a number of other beaches while we made our way back to the caravan park, stopping at the visitor centre where we watched a pair of breeding Sea Eagles feeding its chick with a freshly caught fish.

5 August 2006
Moved to the Lighthouse Caravan Park and then went to Turquoise Beach for a snorkel where the current drifts you along the corals without requiring much effort. We encountered a large turtle which was only frightened when he saw us above the sea when he took a breath!

4 August 2006
Managed to book into Coral Bay for 11 nights and a further 4 nights at the Lighthouse Caravan Park north of Exmouth. Headed along the coast to explore and witness some of the largest waves they have here. Watched the sunset with a bottle of bubbly from a beach near the lighthouse.

3 August 2006
Left early for a long days travel and while Keith was filling up with petrol in Karratha he was interviewd by ABC Radio about high petrol prices, then about an hour later we turned on the radio and heard the whole interview on the air! Arrived in Exmouth at about 4PM where we had a well earned shower and good nights sleep.

2 August 2006
Traveled to within about 150km of Karratha where we found a lovely free camp spot by a river where we stayed for the night.

1 August 2006
Christened our new fishing rods but did not catch anything. Many people go fishing in their tinnies and leave their vehicles on the beach. Had fun on the beach with a dog who chased the Frigate birds and Boobies up and down the beach. Had pizza delivered to our door before giving a slide show on Antarctica.

31 July 2006
Left for Barn Hill which is about 150km south of Broome along a corrugated, sandy dirt road off the main road for 8km. Barn Hill is a cattle station and is situated close by the beach. Barn Hill has ablution blocks that are open to the sky so you better take care not to get sun burned while sitting on the loo! There is plenty of fishing walking and swimming with many activities provided by the owners. Had a stroll along the beach under the stars before heading for bed.

30 July 2006
Did washing and shopping in preparation for travel the next day. Went with some friends and a bottle of bubbly to Cable Beach to watch the sunset with the camels. The car had its second visit onto the beach this holidays!

29 July 2006
Left at 6:30AM on board a turboprop seaplane heading for the Horizontal Falls about 200km away. After flying over the mist covered peninsular we arrived at the falls and circled a few times for photos. As soon as we landed on Talbot Bay a boat was ready to whisk us to the falls. There are two falls with the second one being narrower and much rougher. After circle below the first falls for photos we built up speed and plowed through for an exhilarating ride. The second fall was too rough to navigate so we headed back through the first falls to a catamaran for breakfast and to meet the resident Nurse sharks! After breakfast we headed back through the first falls which was almost calm as the tide was about to turn. The second falls was now navigable so we shot though twice for a couple of magic rides. We spent some time admiring the landscape and coral reef and watch the tide turn before heading back to Talbot Bay for the flight home. The flight home was over the Buccaneer Archipelago at 200m to Cape Levique where we gained height and headed for Broome with sightings of whales, dolphins, turtles and dugongs. Once home we had lunch and relaxed before heading to Cable Beach for our sunset camel ride aboard Elvis the newly caught and trained wild camel - what a beautifully behaved animal!

28 July 2006
Headed for Willie Creek Oyster Farm in the fog and missed the turnoff so we arrived a few minutes late. We learned all about cultured pearls and also had a boat ride to see some oysters being farmed. The tide was rushing into the estuary so quickly that in the half an hour we were on the boat the jetty was under water and we landed on the beach! The difference between highest and lowest tides can exceed 10 metres.

27 July 2006
Headed back to the port and jetty to watch the fishermen and take photos. Had a light lunch before taking a hovercraft tour of Roebuck Bay and the 120 million year old dinosaur footprints in the rock on a beach. Broome is home to the largest and best collection of dinosaur footprints in the world as well as being the pearl capital of the world.

26 July 2006
Developed a problem with our gas and found an ant nest in our toolbox. After moving into a permanent site we went shopping before having the gas regulator replaced.

25 July 2006
Arrived in Broome and checked into an overflow site at a caravan park. This enabled us to be first on the list for an available site the next day. Broome is an extremely busy holiday destination in the winter because of the warm days and mild nights. Went to look at the port and Cable beach.

24 July 2006
Headed out on the road again with a stop for lunch at Mary's Pool where there were dozens of other caravans either resting or camped for the night. We spent the night at a free campsite on the road along with about 8 other caravans.

23 July 2006
Left at 5:20AM on the tour to the Bungle Bungles. It took 3 hours to drive 50km of tarred road and 53km of dirt road but we did stop for morning tea at Calico Springs along the way. After visiting the Visitor Centre we headed for Echidna Chasm which was spectacular for its narrow chasm and 300m vertical rock faces. After having lunch we headed for the Beehive Domes and Cathedral Gorge. The Cathedral Gorge winds through the Beehive Domes and ends in a huge rock chamber with walls up to 300m almost all round. The return home was another 3 hours with a stop for tea and to watch the sunset. We arrived back at Turkey Creek at 7:00PM for a good nights sleep.

22 July 2006
Visited a Zebra Rock Gallery where you can purchase 500 to 600 million year old Zebra rock which is found nowhere else in the world. We also fed the catfish in the river before making our way to Turkey Creek Roadhouse which is the pickup point for the tour to the Bubgle Bungles. As there was nothing to do we tried to relaxed for the rest of the day.

21 July 2006
Drove out to El Questro about 20km along the Gibb River Road and had a dip in the Zebedee Hot Springs before walking Emma Gorge to enjoy a peaceful waterfall and pool at the end of the gorge.

20 July 2006
Updated the web before walking through the Hidden Valley which is described as Kununurra's mini Bungle Bungles. Took a look at Ivanhoe Crossing which is a low level bridge across the river which looked rather dangerous.

19 July 2006
After a relatively short drive we arrived in Kununurra and booked into a delightful caravan park with beautiful trees, palms and Double-Barred Finches. Did some shopping before relaxing for the rest of the day.

18 July 2006
After we treated ourselves to a cooked breakfast we explored the spillway created to allow flood waters to flow into the Ord river below the dam wall. We spotted a Jabiru eating a large 'Long Tom' fish of about 40cm in length. As the dam wall is not a concrete wall the dam cannot be allowed to overflow the wall so the spillway was built to allow flood waters to flow out the dam via this spillway. At full capacity the dam surface area is 1000 square kilometres and should it reach flood capacity it would be 2000 square kilometres. We spent the rest of the day relaxing in camp.

17 July 2006
After breakfast we visited the Durack Homestead which was relocated stone by stone to a safe location before the dam flooded the area. A Great Bower Bird has built its bower under a bush at the corner of the homestead along with glass, bones and other shiny objects. We then headed down a small track to view the lake. From the hill top we saw a crocodile basking in the sun. Returned to the caravan park for lunch then watched a video on the building of the dam before heading out on a cruise where we saw Black Tailed Rock Wallabies, a Black Headed Python and numerous fresh water crocodiles. There are no salt water crocodiles above the dam at Kunnanara. After watching the sunset while sipping champagne and eating cheese and biscuits we headed home.

16 July 2006
Left our private campsite and headed for Lake Argyle. After crossing back into Western Australia and having to relinquish our fruit and vegetables we arrived at lake Argyle where we setup, had lunch and visited the dam wall. Lake Argyle dams the Ord River and, when full, holds enough water to fill 54 Sydney Harbours.

15 July 2006
Left Douglas Daly Tourist Park and travelled through Katherine on the way to Timber Creek. Stopped at Victoria River Roadhouse to photograph the Victoria River then continued to Timber Creek for petrol. We decided to look for a camp site on the road and shortly after reaching the milestone of 10,000 km on the road we found a track leading to a dry pan about 45km west of Timber Creek. We had the place to ourselves and had supper by candle light under the stars. After dinner we built a campfire and lay on our backs on a picnic blanket beside the fire sipping champagne gazing at a pitch black sky with a very bright Milky Way spread from one horizon to the other.

13 July 2006
Left Darwin and headed for Douglas Daly Tourist Park. Setup camp then headed to the springs for a dip. The water leaves the ground at 60 degrees and then mixes with normal water further down stream. Swimming at this spot give you a mixture of hot and cold water which is very refreshing. Saw an Olive Python curled up in the root of an old tree, it seemed quite relaxed. Later we saw another python slithering across the sand just where we had walked. Had water buffalo roast for supper which was delicious and tender.

14 July 2006
Walked down the river to look at all the cascades and pools. On the way we came across Boris the Water Buffalo. Returned for lunch and then headed back to the hot springs for another dip.

12 July 2006
Updated the web log and then had lunch at the Buzz Cafe in Cullen Bay while watching fish swim around the clear water below us.

11 July 2006
Visited Litchfield National Park where we saw lovely waterfalls, streams, plunge pools and magnetic termite mounds. Had a couple of refreshing swims in a secluded stream which we were told about by some fellow travellers. Weather hot and humid.

10 July 2006
Had to replace two tires and then headed to the Crocodylus Park where we saw huge breeding crocodiles and held a cute baby croc.

9 July 2006
Packed up early and headed for Darwin. On the way we stopped at a river and saw some 'mudhopper' fish and a group of about 200 Little Corellas playing-fighting on the freshly mown lawns. Arrived in Darwin, setup camp and then headed for the wharf where we spent the evening drinking sparkling wine and sampling the local food. After supper we headed to the Sunday evening markets for a couple of hours.

8 July 2006
Had a relaxing day but did visit the Park Visitor Centre and then also did some shopping and updated the web log.

7 July 2006
Took a 4WD tour to Arnhemland where we saw aboriginal artists painting using traditional grass paint brushes. We then picked up an aboriginal guide, Thomson, and went to see ancient rock art dating back 30 000 years. We climbed and scrambled over, under and around rocks of the mountain and ended up having tea overlooking the wide plains below. After dropping Thomson back in town and looking at the Art Gallery we headed to a billabong for lunch. After lunch we visited an ancient spear-throwing training ground with spears still sticking out the cracks about 40m high up in a cleft in the rock face. On the way out we visited a male initiation site and a huge secluded billabong for photos. This tour is the ONLY tour allowed to go to these places as this is aboriginal land and the original owner of the tour group was initiated into the aboriginal tribe.

6 July 2006
Got up early and drove to Cooinda for a ranger talk and walk along the boardwalks over the wetlands. Was introduced to the very sharp taste of the Green Ants. The abdomen of these ants are light green and are extremely rich in Vitamin C. Spent the middle of the day bird watching by the edge of the wetlands and encountered a small Esturine (salt water) crocodile. At 4:30 we took a 2 hour cruise on the Yellow Water river and saw many birds including Sea Eagles, Jabirus, amoung others. Esturine crocodiles were everywhere too. The 'salty' is the largest crocodile in the world and one of two species dangerous to man, the other being the Nile Crocodile.

5 July 2006
Drove to Kakadu and setup camp in Jabaru after stopping in Cooinda wetlands. The rest of the day was spent relaxing.

4 July 2006
Spent the day relaxing but also doing some shopping and washing in preparation to moving on to Kakadu.