OUTBACK Australia

We have set ourselves the goal of driving from Adelaide to Cairns in the northeast. We have over 3,000 km ahead of us, leading through the Australian Outback. We are excited to see what awaits us and hope for warmer temperatures.

02.05.2023 ● Barossa Valley

Located on the outskirts of Adelaide, the Barossa Valley is home to many vineyards. More than 50 winemakers have settled here, producing mainly heavy red wines.

☆ Whispering Wall

In the south of the Barossa Valley, there is a dam with a 39-meter long and 35-meter deep dam wall. Kangaroos graze in the valley of the wall. But there is also a very special effect: the dam wall is curved in such a way that it acts like a speaker, transporting sound waves from one side to the other. We have fun sending messages over the wall.

☆ Lyndoch Lavender Farm

Just a few kilometers away, there is one of the most diverse lavender farms. You can see up to 90 different types of lavender here.

Although the harvest took place in January, we can still see some purple flowers.

In addition to the well-known lavender sachets, the farm also produces soaps, creams, oils, ice cream, and even wine. We try the purple ice cream and are surprised by its intense flavor.

On the way to the sleeping place, we drive directly through the vineyards, which shine brightly in the autumn light.

03.05.2023 ● Nuriootpa

On the second day in the wine region, we drive along a 5 km road lined with large palm trees. The Seppeltsfield family has framed their vineyards in this way. From the Seppeltsfield Crematory, we get an overview of the landscape.

A sculpture garden has been created on Mengler Hill, which we want to visit. We climb the mountain and enjoy the beautiful sunshine while looking out over the Barossa Valley.

In Angaston, one place further, the old train station has been converted into an adventure playground. The children's eyes light up. There is pumping water, climbing, and sliding.

04.05.2023 ● Outback

Today we drive along the highway for several kilometers. There is only one paved road here that goes straight ahead. If a turnoff comes along, it is buried in the deep red earth and goes on for several hundred kilometers to the next town.

During the drive, we see many goats on the side of the road, but it is unclear whether they belong to a farm or graze wild.

But there are also emus and kangaroos that we spot in the vast landscape. Somewhere in the middle of nowhere, there is even a bush library.

05.05.2023 ● Broken Hill

Broken Hill is an old mining town in the far west of New South Wales. It was founded by the German-born boundary rider Charles Rasp in 1883. It all began when he stumbled upon a silver nugget, and two years later, he founded the Broken Hill Propriety Company Ltd. 'The Hill' quickly proved to be the world's largest deposit of silver, lead, and zinc. Today, it is Australia's wealthiest corporation.

We visit an old mining area next to the city center. From the hill, we have a beautiful view of the town.

The center of Broken Hill is characterized by its historic Victorian-style buildings. We walk along Argent Street and get an impression of life back then.

06.05.2023 ● Ngiyampaa National Park

On the way to Coba, we come across a sign with cave paintings. This is a reason for us to leave the highway and drive 30 kilometers into the hinterland. The last kilometer in the national park is a gravel road with many sharp stones, so we prefer to park the motorhome there and walk. Our path is repeatedly crossed by goats, emus, and kangaroos. In the national park, there is an art trail that we follow.

In various caves, we can see Aboriginal cave paintings. The well-preserved artworks mostly depict hunting scenes of kangaroos and emus. They used colors from nature in white, red, and yellow.

We continue on a circular walk through the bushland and up the next hill. At 350 meters above sea level, we have a sensational view of the endless expanse of Australia.

✔️ Distance: 5 km

✔️ Elevation difference: 350 m

✔️ Duration: 1.5 h

Back at the motorhome, we continue, but unfortunately only briefly. We hear a strange hissing sound. It takes a while for us to realize that it is again the tire losing air. We remain calm and know how to help ourselves this time. We have to because there is no cell phone reception out here. We loosen the screws on the front wheel and one of the rear wheels. Thanks to dual tires, we can move one of the rear tires to the front. The screws are tightened very tightly again, but we manage. Then we use the jack twice and the tires are swapped. This way, we can drive to the next town at a reduced speed and with caution.

Of course, the workshop is already closed on Saturday. But thanks to the help at the visitor center, the tire can be replaced. The cause of the air loss is again the rim. It is two-thirds cracked and is repaired by the workshop by welding it and laying a new hose. Meanwhile, I go to the playground with the children.

07.05.2023 ● Bourke/Cunnamulla

We interrupt the long journey through the Outback today in Bourke by visiting the skate park. Benedikt is practicing his tricks and discovering new moves. Jessie is starting to get the hang of it and is taking on the first flat ramps with her scooter. Both are very skillful and having fun.

08.05.2023 ● Charleville/Tambo

The town of Charleville has a lot to offer in terms of museums. We visit the Cosmos Museum. Although we can't look at the stars during the day, we can learn about the planets in our solar system.

We can read about how astronauts live in the space station and how they manage their daily lives on large interactive panels.

But the topics of black holes and supernovas are also explained in more detail here.

After the very interesting and educational visit to the Cosmos Museum, we continue to Tambo.

As if it were planned, we arrive just in time for the chicken races. A very bizarre and funny race of colorful chickens awaits us.

We walk through the bar in town and find ourselves in the backyard. This has actually been converted into a chicken stadium with bleachers.

We are so excited about what awaits us. A goat and a sheep are still grazing in the meadow. But then a voice comes through the speakers and Ben, the chicken daddy, greets the guests. He builds up the tension before his 12 hens, in different colors, enter the arena.

Then the auction of the participating hens begins. The money not only goes to the winner but half of the proceeds go to charitable purposes such as the Flying Doctors.

The auction gets really loud and totally funny. The visitors are all in a generous mood, and 380 dollars are raised.

Now the actual race can start. To motivate the chickens to run in circles, a remote-controlled car with a bucket full of grain drives through the arena, and all the chickens race after it. The favorite in blue wins. She actually wins the most races. It was so fun to watch.

At the end, everyone gets to hold their favorite chicken, and Jessie clearly chooses purple.

09.05.2023 ● Blackall

The next morning, we take a look at the center and find a funny street sign that points to plush toys.

The next town we cross is Blackall. Like every town, it consists of the bare essentials needed to live in the Outback. But there is also a tourist sculpture trail.

Equipped with a city map, we go on an exploration tour. Various artists have created artworks with different materials.

The elephant is particularly impressive and symbolizes the Perry family circus. They started in 1847 in the entertainment industry. Besides music, dance, and circus performances, the elephants were the highlight.

10.05.2023 ● Longreach

Today we go back to the beginnings of the airline Quantas. In Longreach, there is the Quantas Founders Museum, where in World War I, Hudson Fysh and Paul McGinness had the idea of ​​their own airline.

They founded the 'Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services' - shortly QUANTAS.

They started with airmail, supported medical transport flights, and fulfilled the dream of passenger flights.

Along the way, they often encountered financial difficulties. The organizational aspects such as luggage, food on board, and lack of toilets also posed some challenges.

Today, Quantas is the second-largest airline in Australia.

11.05.2023 ● Winton

Shortly after sunrise, we set off for the Australian Age of Dinosaurs. Apart from the roads, we see not only cows in the meadows but also camels. We have to look twice to believe it.

Then we drive up the winding mountain road, and on top of the plateau, we have a breathtaking view of the Outback.

Dinosaur bones have been found in these valleys and bodies of water. During a guided tour, we learn more about it.

The land we are on is privately owned. One day, this farmer stumbled upon an unusual stone.

It later turned out to be dinosaur bones. The researchers started the excavation and found several hundred bones of different species.

In an old waterhole, the bones of a sauropod, the 'Diamantinasaurus,' were found. This is also the largest dinosaur ever found in Australia.

In the same waterhole, a carnivore was found alongside the herbivore - an Australovenator. Scientists believe that the large Diamantinasaurus got stuck in the mud and was then attacked by the small Australovenator. The Diamantinasaurus used its long tail to defend itself and likely killed the attacker. A film animation illustrated the theory clearly to us.

We are fascinated by how close we come to the real dinosaur bones, and above all, we can take a look in the lab, where the bones are being cleaned of dirt and stones.

To our surprise, only volunteers work here, who do it as a hobby and are not 'dinosaur researchers.'

There is already work for the next 10 years on the shelves.

12.05.2023 ● Charters Towers

We continue driving across the country, and the road becomes narrower and rougher. When a truck is coming towards us, we have to pull over into the roadside ditch because there is not enough space for two large cars.

Back on the highway, we pass by the White Mountains. Since the national park is difficult to access, we stop at a viewpoint and look out over the vastness.

The rocks we are standing on are sandstone, on which many visitors have left their mark.

With every kilometer we drive, the vegetation gradually changes. It becomes greener and more colorful. In Charters Towers, we enter tropical regions. We head to the newly opened water park, and the kids are excited.

13.05.2023 ● Through the Savanna

The last day of driving through the Outback is challenging. We drive 440 km and arrive in Mount Garnet after 6 hours, a town in the Tablelands region of Queensland.

After 10 days, we have made it through the Outback. The driving distances were long, the landscape monotonous, and the towns tiny.

We often asked ourselves how much we really need to live. On our journey, we have become very frugal, and the children are also content with very little. The valuable thing for us is the time we can spend together as a family.

In the next few days, our driving distances will be shorter again, and we are looking forward to exploring the natural beauty of Australia again.