Wed 31 Aug

Ettalong Beach to the International Terminal in 2 hours, dropped the rental car and train from the terminal to Central. Canapes and Andrew Houghton's songs on the platform and left on time at 3pm. He does a wonderful Louis Armstrong voice as well as Joe Cocker, from gravel to real high notes.

Two engines and 26 carriages at that stage, so they split the train in two and boarded us on 2 separate platforms.

Sun setting as we went through the Blue Mountains, and we went through East Orange just after dark. (Each new blog requires a photo, and I've currently got no access, so the 3 sisters shot for this blog is an "offexploring library one) which is why it looks as though we could see them from the train - nah..

It was surprisingly bumpy in patches for a rail line and difficulty sleeping on that 1st night out of Syd is common, and is why you can only load your car on in Adelaide to accompany you to Perth.

Thurs 1 Sept

Supposed to be up at 5.45am for our off train activities at Broken Hill. With time zone confusion and half hour delay during the night, half the train were assembled an hour early. Our option was the Pro Hart gallery which was well worth a look. He worked in the mines for 20 years and his workmates called him "Pro" for professor because he was pretty bright. Why not Prof Hart? His name was Kevin. A lot of his early works were so that his workmates would have something to liven up their homes. Then he sold some at the pub, and after a few more years got an agent in Adelaide. His 3 children all paint.br />

The population of Broken Hill has halved in the last 10 years to 26,000 with efficiencies in mining production - and bigger machinery.

They used to get their water from the Darling, but that has got so bad that the federal government has recently finished a half billion dollar pipeline from the Murray River instead.

They've had a drought for 8 yrs. Got 0.5mm last Sunday.

Out the window we're seeing the occasional 'roos, goats, sheep, crows, galahs, mulga and saltbush as far as the eye can see, cacti,

The Barrier Ranges have now become the Flinders Ranges.

- [ ] Currently 4 ages of fence. Original big timber strainer posts and half chicken wire as a rabbit barrier. Then reinforced concrete, many pulled out after disintegrating. Then big steel ones way apart with monster waratahs between,

Traces of grass, then soon into lush grain growing country. Silos and huge outdoor silos like silage pits. Excursion to Barossa 3 main towns Tanunda,Angaston and Nuriootpa.

Barrossa Valley 752 vineyards. 70% grow what they're told to by the big production names that buy their grapes.

We did Wine and Food matching at Seppeltsville. Joseph Seppelt bought 120 other people out from Silesia. As Lutherans they were being oppressed at home.They started producing food for themselves and for sale, got into wine later after Dr Smith from U.K brought cuttings to the Barossa. During the depression the Seppelt family didn't lay off any workers. They cut their work week from 6 days to 4 and rotated the workers between their usual vineyard or food production and planting 2,700 date palms along the drives. They were seed dates, no good for food.

Food and shelter with no wages until they got through the depression.

Smith rode 3 days to Adelaide to meet a ship of 100 Lutheran refugees and offered them land for free if they worked for him for 2yrs. He got into port and sherry production as he thought they were medicinal. His wife and son looked after that side while he was doctoring, and after he died reasonably young, and grew it into a huge business - Penfolds.

We had a tasting and cooperage demo and dinner at Yalumba. They're the only Aussie winery that do their own cooperage. Oak from France, USA, and Hungary.

Still privately owned by the same family after 7 generations. Also Lutheran. There are still plenty of Lutheran churches and schools in the Barossa.

Friday, Aug 2 This morning still in S.A on the Nullabor, under Woomera and Maralinga. On the 487km straight stretch. Longest in the world. At the moment the scrub is looking more vigorous than usual - there are even some gums - and begs the question of why 10's of thousands of years of scrub hasn't produced a soil cover on the sand. Patches of dry twigs aren't forming into anything else.

Our breakfast companions were Qld ex dairy farmers. As you get put with random people each time we're all getting to know the others that share our lounge and dining cars. Lynn asked why, after 7 yrs of drought, beef and lamb were still at such high prices when there should be a glut from destocking. Welby said the poor-condition stock would usually be bought by a feedlot for fattening on expensive grain feed, currently coming from W.A who've had a good season. So by the time it gets to the supermarket it has cost a lot.

They were telling us of the part of Qld that finally got rain, which became a flood and then a cold front that finished off the stock that were isolated on high ground. She was in social work and was expecting more farmer suicides than happened.

We are now getting a variety of scrub, sometimes changing every few kms. The sandy base now looks a harder version.

Nullabor isn't aboriginal- it comes from the Latin Null or nullus arbor - no trees.

Camel curry for lunch was lovely. All the meals, on and off- train, have been excellent.

No sheep, emus, 'roos, or any animal today. Just an occasional bird. Haven't seen a rabbit or emu yet.

On the south side of the train they've been seeing cattle, sheep and Roos for the last half hour. No camels. The South African staff member says that you can feel a big jolt when the train occasionally hits a camel, and they have to stop and clip the front brake hoses back on.

Friday night. Stopped for drinks, music, fires and stargazing at Rawlinna. During the night we stopped at a lot of sidings while other trains went past.

This morning we're seeing surface water, lakes, and wheat fields. W.A has got another 3 weeks of rainyish season.

Beside us now is a water pipe from Perth to Kalgoorlie, originally built in the 1800 to supply water for gold-mining there. The visionary that struggled for years to get acceptance and finance then waited for days for the water to arrive, pumped up several hundred metres over hundreds of kilometers. When it didn't, he killed himself. The water arrived 2 days later.

Now following the Avon, where a large number of kayakers are gathered for a whitewater race tomorrow. They'll need to let a lot more water out of the dam, as there hasn't been a lot of rain recently.

It seems odd, but as the river dramatically changes character they call it a different name - yes, this is now the Swan River that flows through Perth and Fremantle to the port.

Sun Aug 4

Walked a block to the bus, it took us to the Elizabeth Quay Jetty for our trip to Rottnest Island. It was a surprisingly long way down the Swan. The commentator pointed out some of the expensive suburbs and mult-million dollar mansions. Before we got to the island a staff member had passed out a fair few sick bags.

We had to get our bags transferred to the Karma Lodge and grab our bicycles, as we were due to a couple of bays away for our Segway trip. We were the only ones on it, and the guide was knowledgeable and helpful. What a hoot! Big Tyres with large treads for going over sand. We were overtaking cyclists going up hills. Our hour felt longer.

When we went to the Karma for lunch, a quokka got into the dining room and under our table. (that had to be the universe welcoming us to Rotty, right?)

An evening wander on the beach and out to the lighthouse.
. A tiny little boy with his parents had caught 3 fish off a jetty in 10 minutes. The last one was a reasonable sized golden cobbler - whiskers like a catfish. His slightly bigger sister wasn't happy - she'd been rigged for shrimping and had no joy.
Over pizza for dinner we had a vodka cocktail sampling board. 3 out of the 4 were great, and the other was drinkable. What a day of firsts.