It is cold in Christchurch. When we get another RV (2.5L diesel Volkswagen) at here, we straight drive to Caravan Park. Next morning, we visit International Antarctic Center (almost IARC…). You can feel Antarctic at here by wind, temperature control room. But honestly it’s not much impress for Alaskans… And expensive!
IAC is next of the US Antarctic Program office at airport. Usually, US scientist fly from here to Antarctic.
We are going to South Island, New Zealand.
After the visiting Winary in Western Australia, we catch Qantas airline to Christchurch via Sydney!
Stay tune!
We spend 200 km north of Perth, “Cervantes” for last day in Australia!
Here, it’s much milder weather and beautiful white sand dune, strange limestone pinacles…
many wild life too.
But also center of famous western clayfish town. Australian said “clayfish” means “Lobster”.
You can see frozen Australian Rock Lobster in Fred Meyer, that likely from here!
Also, western Australia, we can find stromatrite at shore. This is oldest creature in earth to make oxygen.
We finally reach to Indian Ocean! Perth is really big city!
next morning we walk along the beach. there are many interesting “ball” on shore.
The size is 1-10cm diameter, made by sea weed.
We saw many shells, etc.
Once we hit ocean, we drive down to another 2 hours to Bunbury. I had old friend, Hajima, during undergraduate. He was medical school student at that time. After graduation, he did several times visiting Antarctica as Japanese station doctor. then now he live in Bunbury! We had a great time fill in 20 years of gap.
After long riding for Western Australia, we arrived at Coolgardie. Goolgardie is interesting town for Fairbanksans. Because it’s gold rush town since 1890s. town need water like us…
If you did not see movie “Rabbit Fence”, I strongly recommend to look at this great movie. I do not talk about story of this movie. But this is true story both movie and this fence. Rabbit fence is longest fence in the world for blocking rabbit.
Some fence display is along the highway.
Also we saw longest road straight stretch here! it is 146.6km long, I do not know US or Alaska, how long.
Once entering Western Australia, more wet and rainbow…
In case of Coogardie, they build water pipeline from Perth in 1900s!! longer than Davidson Ditch!
After the crossing Australia, we turn to drive for west. To the Western Australia, we have to cross Nullarbor Plateau.
The Nullarbor Plain is part of the area of flat, almost treeless, arid or semi-arid country immediately north of the Great Australian Bight. The word Nullarbor is derived from the Latin nullus for ‘nothing’ or ‘no one’ and arbor for ‘tree’, and is pronounced /ˈnʌləbɔr/ NULL-ə-bor. It is the world’s largest single piece of limestone, and occupies an area of about 200,000 km² (77,200 square miles)[1]. At its widest point, it stretches about 1,200 km from east to west between South Australia (SA) and Western Australia (WA). (from Wikipedia).
The edge of the Nullarbor Plateau straight to the Antarctic water! windy sometimes whale jumping beautiful natural land.
Not many people drive here, but we saw first time the highway patrol.
We have a many similarity between Alaska and Australia. long driving with landscape no change is one of them. we need rest!
We drove through middle of Australia north to south. This is the same route I did bike 25 years ago.
Big difference was cost of this travel and road improved a lot. You can see car made 6 times more distance per day. but its cost more than 20-100 times more!
This is in 1984. many place had sand or wavy unpaved road.
Now, beautiful paved road and many sign, rest area…
Many infrastructure changed last 25 years but stone was still same.
Here is Devil’s marble in 1984.
and now!
Ayers Rock (Uluru) is same.
Ayers Rock (Uluru) is one of the big attractions for our trip. But also Cooper Pedy is interest place! We plan to cross Australia north (Darwin) to south (Port Augusta), Then going to west (Perth) (see below). Total over 5000km trip within two weeks.
Cooper Pedy, Aborigine word “whiteman in the hole” is very strange town. at least most of people lived underground 25 years ago. Today, we saw some houses but still underground is cooler and nice to live.
So many holes, because Opal mining here. It’s just not houses are underground, but also church, B&B, Camping…
We are center of the Australia! Beautiful sedimentary rock Mt. Olga’s sunset!
After the sun setting, scorpion was emerged from sky and also at ground!!
Orion set
Yes! we drove over 1200km to reach Alice Springs, at the middle of Australia!
At Kakadu National Park (near Darwin), Nice ancient paintings at several caves.
Some of them are 25000 years ago.
Ant castle everywhere!
Many Kangaroo was killed…
Devil’s Marble, Beautiful granite rock! nice place to learn weathering process.
Our vehicle Mercedes-Benz RV!
Crocodile everywhere at Adelaide River near Darwin.
You can swim but no jump!