Today’s plan was to explore the northern part of Gunbower Island, immediately to the south of the small town of Koondrook, via a couple of walks and then have a look around the border towns of Koondrook and Barham. As mentioned in my previous entry, we were advised that our intended walks were off limits as the Gunbower Creek had flooded in early 2023 and the walking tracks were still, in late July, under water. Notwithstanding this, we made our way to the point where I had planned on starting the walks in anticipation that a some part of the tracks might be open.
Continue reading “Barham – Koondrook on the Murray – Day 315”
A look around Cohuna, by Gunbower Creek – Day 313
Today, after a very cold night in Kerang, we packed up and moved a very modest 33 kilometres to the small town of Cohuna, located on Gunbower Creek which is an anabranch of the Murray River. An anabranch (a term used more in Australia than elsewhere) is a section of a river or stream that diverts from the main channel of the watercourse and rejoins it again further downstream. By definition an island, in this case Gunbower Island, is created between the section of river (Gunbower Creek) and the main river (the Murray). Our plan was to explore Gunbower Island over the next couple of days, in addition to having a look around Cohuna, Koondrook (where the Gunbower Creek rejoins the Murray) and Barham, just across the Murray River from Koondrook, in New South Wales.
Continue reading “A look around Cohuna, by Gunbower Creek – Day 313”
The Kwangbok Department Store – Let’s Go Shopping
Unless in the middle of the night, when I arrive at any destination the first thing I do, having dropped off my bags at the hotel, is to go out for a walk in the neighbourhood. The walk will invariably lead to a coffee or another beverage suitable to the time of day or my mood and, if I come across one, a look through a market or shop. Not so in North Korea. Continue reading “The Kwangbok Department Store – Let’s Go Shopping”
Person Sitting on Bench – Brighton
Adelaide is often referred to as the Festival City because of the disproportionately large number of festivals it has compared to Sydney, Melbourne and other Australian cities. Two of these festivals are held, back to back, at Brighton in the later half of January each year – the Brighton Jetty Beach Sculptures and the Brighton Jetty Classic. The Brighton Jetty Classic is an open water swim while the Sculpture festival (fashioned on similar events at Cottesloe Beach in West Australia and in Sydney – Bondi’s Sculptures by the Sea) is a display of around 80 sculptures, some along the Brighton Esplanade set against the beautiful backdrop of the Gulf St Vincent and the balance within the local Surf Life Saving Club. Continue reading “Person Sitting on Bench – Brighton”
Metal Birds by the Sea
After nearly forty kilometres sitting on my bicycle saddle – ok, I had stopped numerous times en route along the Torrens Linear Trail from the Adelaide Hills to the coast just south of Henley Beach – I knew I was getting to the end of my ride when, in the distance, I saw a pelican sitting on the top of what looked like one of three old telegraph poles (picture 2). Continue reading “Metal Birds by the Sea”
Voyagers – A Tribute to Australia’s Cameleers
Between the 1860s and the 1920s around 2,000 cameleers, with over 20,000 camels, came to Australia from Afghanistan, Baluchistan and what is now Pakistan. In those days, before motor vehicles, camels were the ideal pack animal and were well equipped to cope with the harsh environment of the Australian Outback. Continue reading “Voyagers – A Tribute to Australia’s Cameleers”
Dad & Dave, Mum & Mabel
Dad & Dave, Australia’s longest running radio drama/comedy serialisation and its answer to BBC Radio Four’s, The Archers, ran from 1937 to 1953 with the same actors throughout and remains a much loved part of Australia’s cultural history. Continue reading “Dad & Dave, Mum & Mabel”
Rusconi’s Marble Masterpiece
While the famous ‘Dog on the Tuckerbox’ monument, five miles from Gundagai, was designed by Frank Rusconi it certainly is not the most impressive example of the work of this talented artisan on exhibition in the Gundagai district. From an artistic perspective it is one of his poorest offerings. Rusconi was a stonemason so bronze was not his usual medium and added to this was the fact that he was blind in one eye by the time he produced it. Continue reading “Rusconi’s Marble Masterpiece”
Rundle Mall – Shops, Pigs, Balls and a Fountain
Rundle Street is Adelaide’s main shopping street, the western and longer part of which is pedestrianised and forms Rundle Mall. It runs parallel to North Terrace where museums, universities, etc are located. Continue reading “Rundle Mall – Shops, Pigs, Balls and a Fountain”
Ainslie’s Sheep
The selection of Canberra, in the early 1900’s, as the new capital of Australia has often been referred to as the waste of good sheep grazing land or a good sheep station spoiled. It has also been, and still is by some, referred to using even mostly derogatory terms but let’s keep to the sheep for now. Continue reading “Ainslie’s Sheep”
The Rambling Wombat 