TheRamblingWombat Canberra

An Autumnal Walk Around Yerrabi Pond

This review focuses on a walk around Yerrabi Pond, in the northwestern part of Canberra.

When a capital city for Australia was being selected back in the early 1900s one of the key selection criteria was the availability of a year round water supply. The resultant border for the Australian Capital Territory (a significant part of which is taken up by the city of Canberra) was carefully selected and follows numerous ridges and hilltops to bring a sufficient water catchment area within the control of the then Commonwealth Government. Continue reading “An Autumnal Walk Around Yerrabi Pond” →

TheRamblingWombat NSW - Balranald

Yanga Lake

In a separate review, on Willowvale Rest Area just outside Balranald, New South Wales, I have pointed out that the biggest issue facing long distance drivers in Australia is fatigue. There is only one solution to this problem and that is to stop driving and rest. On our regular 1,200kms trips between Canberra and Adelaide Andy and I swap driving at regular intervals. While those in the know say you should pull over and rest every couple of hours we often change drivers more frequently than this. Our bodies tell us when it is time to stop and have a rest. Continue reading “Yanga Lake” →

TheRamblingWombat Adelaide

Wittunga Botanic Garden – Australia v South Africa

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The South Australian Government manages three botanic gardens in the Adelaide area:

The Adelaide Botanic Garden
Mount Lofty Botanic Garden
Wittunga Botanic Garden.

The 14 hectares Wittunga Botanic Garden was established by Edwin Ashby in 1902 though it did not come into state ownership until 1965. It was opened to the public in 1975 and contains and extensive collection of plants from Australia and South Africa (mainly from the Cape Province district which has similar climatic conditions to Adelaide). Continue reading “Wittunga Botanic Garden – Australia v South Africa” →

TheRamblingWombat Adelaide

Waterfall Gully to Mount Lofty Summit Walk

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This challenging, well signposted, walk (8km return) begins in Waterfall Gully at the 1st Falls lookout and continues past the 2nd Falls from where the trail climbs steeply up to the remains of Chinaman’s Hut (1.1kms – picture 2). Archaeologists have been unable to find any sign of past Chinese occupation and the hut was more likely occupied by European woodcutters in around 1900.

Continue reading “Waterfall Gully to Mount Lofty Summit Walk” →

TheRamblingWombat Adelaide

Mt Lofty Botanic Garden

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What a great place to escape to from the city.

The Mt Lofty Botanic Garden is one of three botanic gardens managed by the South Australian Department of the Environment and is by far the largest but still very manageable in that you could see nearly all of it in a day and get a great flavour of the Garden in much less time. Do allow at least a few hours though. Continue reading “Mt Lofty Botanic Garden” →

TheRamblingWombat Port Adelaide

Walk the Port

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In addition to being the best way to get around “Walk the Port” is the title of an excellent walking guide for the historic area of Port Adelaide. The guide can be picked up at the tourist office/ visitors centre on the intersection of Commercial Road and St Vincent’s Street (from which the walk starts).

The guide highlights 38 points of interest along a very pleasant, level route of a few kilometres. As I have indicated on my introduction page the majority of my reviews here relate to attractions identified along this walk. Continue reading “Walk the Port” →