My Australian holiday - you asked for it !

[Snatcher]

Robe is a town and fishing port on the South East Limestone Coast of South Australia. The town's distinctive combination of historical buildings, ocean, fishing fleets, lakes and dense bush is widely appreciated. Robe lies on the southern shore of Guichen Bay, just off the Princes Highway. The population of the town is currently 700 people.

 

 

 

 

Just off the Princes Highway in South Australia, the town of Robe makes an interesting stopping place. The marker is not a lighthouse, but rather a obelisk that acts as a shipping marker. It was built in 1855 and stands 40 ft high and 100 feet above sea level. The alternate red and white bands helped guide mariners and can be seen from 20 kms at sea.

 

 

This photo is what is left of the original Robe jail - not a lot

 

 

From Robe it was a drive along the coast towards Adelaide. My cousin Robert who lives in Adelaide told me to take the scenic route into Adelaide,"Eagle on the Hill ".Eagle on the Hill is a suburb of Adelaide in the Adelaide Foothills. Located on Mount Barker Road, which was the only connection from Adelaide to the South Eastern Freeway before the Adelaide-Crafers Highway through the Heysen Tunnels was opened in 2000, it is now a relic of its former self. Its restaurant, hotel, bottle shop and service stations have now all closed, leaving behind a quiet suburb with a small resident population. The view would have been superb on a clear day but we has a heat haze so never even took a shot

 

Now the site that our very own Hellbelly had advised us to stay at was Adelaide Shores.I tell you Mick had really come up trumps on this one. Check out the view from our balcony,thats the barbie next to us

 

 

And this is the chalet we stayed in

 

 

It was only seconds to the beach

 

 

And this was the beach.The mounds of sand are part of a dune conservation scheme.

 

 

In the next installment Mick comes to pick us up for the day to show us around the area and for a spot of fishing

[Hellbelly]

What a trip dude. I wish I could have met you at Robe. I'm off down there in two weeks. Its a 10 out of 10 4x4 spot. looking forward to the next installment.

 

Mick.

[Snatcher]

The next morning seen Mick pick the three of us up at Adelaide Shores in his trusty 4x4 steed

 

 

As to the locations on this one I am sure Mick will fill in the details as I did not have a map and after all it was Micks own back yard. The weather really was cold,grey and unseasonal for the time of year. After a fair drive we finished up at this beach and decided to give it 5 minutes using spinners

 

 

Here is an action shot of Mick

 

 

Well the fish were not at home so it was time for a move.On the way to our next venue I snapped this shot out of the jeep window of a sea eagle.I blame Micks poor driving for the shot being blurred!!

 

 

 

The next stop really hit the jackpot as far as kangaroos went.I think I took this shot out of the window of the jeep

 

 

This next one is of two intrepid Anglersnet photographers LOL

 

 

Next up Mick spotted an akidna.I think they are not very common and luckily for me this was my second sighting

 

 

 

It was stalking the kangaroos next.I think this guy was the alpha male of the mob of kangaroos

 

 

We followed them nearly onto the beach

 

 

Took a shot of Mick taking a shot here!!

 

[Snatcher]

Another shot of Mick

 

 

And again

 

 

More kangaroos near the beach

 

 

Mick and I got this one surrounded

 

 

The next part of the day seen Mick showing off his 4x4 skills on the beach

 

 

After being shook up on the beach drive I am sure the girls were more than happy when we stopped at the mouth of the mighty Murray River to try our luck at fishing again.

 

 

It had a very powerful flow and we elected to try spinners again.Luckily for us the place was alive with salmon trout and it was a fish a chuck.

 

 

 

 

 

I am sure Mick will add some of his own photos to this part of our journey

[Snatcher]

Mick drove us back to Adelaide shores and we said our farewells to each other.You never know Mick we may meet up again!

 

Next day seen us decide to walk along the beach to Glenelg - the posh bit of Adelaide.The pictures will speak for themselves

 

 

 

 

This was the Town Hall

 

 

 

 

 

It was a very laid back place with street cafes

 

 

After that it was a pleasant stroll back to the campsite. This was the "Buffalo" a floating restaurant

 

 

 

On the way back we saw a very large shingleback lizard scurry over the path in front of us.Never managed to get a shot of that one.

 

Got a call off Mick saying I had left my spare camera battery in his jeep and said he would drop it off after work. True to his word I met him at the reception bar and we managed a few cool ones and then said our farewells again.

 

Next morning I dropped my hire car off at Adelaide airport

 

 

Our next adventure will see us in the red centre of Australia

[Bobj]

Excellent, mate.

[Hellbelly]

Oh My God. I'm FAT I'm BALD and I've got CHICKEN LEGS!!!! Nobody told ME!!!

[Steve Randles]

Oh My God. I'm FAT I'm BALD and I've got CHICKEN LEGS!!!! Nobody told ME!!!

 

Congratulation! You've taken your first step towards a mid life crisis.

 

Steve...

[nursejudy]

brilliant

[Snatcher]

From Adelaide the flight to Alice Springs took about two hours. It was really scorching as we stepped off the plane and with an hours wait for our Ayres Rock flight a few cool beers seemed well in order!The flight from Alice Springs to Ayres Rock only took an hour and in no time at all we were heading off on the transfer coach to Ayres Rock Resort,a purpose built complex of hotels and a few shops all grouped together in the middle of nowhere.

 

Amanda had booked us into the Outback Pioneer Hotel and Lodge.I was expecting a basic room and bunks but we were pleasantly suprised with the room which was en suite.

 

 

The booking office for coach trips was still open so we decided to book in for the Uluru sunrise and partial base tour walking trip.It was off to the bar then for some food and beers

 

 

Next morning the coach picked us up and off we headed to Uluru. Uluru, also referred to as Ayers Rock, is a large sandstone rock formation in the southern part of the Northern Territory, central Australia. It lies 335 km (208 mi) south west of the nearest large town, Alice Springs; 450 km (280 mi) by road. Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) and Uluru are the two major features of the Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park. Uluru is sacred to the Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara, the Aboriginal people of the area. It has many springs, waterholes, rock caves and ancient paintings. Uluru is listed as a World Heritage Site.

 

As we dismounted the bus we were met by about 95% cloud cover which did not bode well for photography.Anyway we made the best of a bad job

 

 

 

After this we drove up to the base of Uluru to start our base walk.

 

Uluru is dominantly composed of coarse-grained arkose, a type of sandstone characterized by an abundance of feldspar, and some conglomerate. Average composition is 50% feldspar, 25–35% quartz and up to 25% rock fragments;The high mineral iron content gives rise to oxidation/rusting and this is where the red colour comes from. Anyway first off we walked to many of small caves in the base of the rock.The wall paintings were fantastic

 

 

 

 

Our guide for the day was aboriginal and he had perfect English.In some of the more sacred caves photography was not allowed so we abided by the rules.

 

I took a shot of this bird on the way around.Can anyone identify it?

 

 

Although Aboriginals do not climb Uluru because of its great spiritual significance the climb is a popular attraction for visitors.A chain handhold added in 1964 and extended in 1976 makes the hour-long climb easier, but it is still a long (800 m/0.5 mi) and steep hike to the top, where it can be quite windy. An above-average level of fitness and a high tolerance to desert conditions is required. Climbing Uluru is generally closed to the public when high winds are recorded at the top. Over the years there have been at least 35 deaths relating to climbing incidents.

 

 

Edited December 31, 2008 by Snatcher