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Australia

300 days road trip across the continent

By World Wild Places

July 19^th, 2018

This would be my final post from Australian trip, where I have spend one full year with 300 days been on the road, shooting sunrises and sunsets.

Having a limited budget, the only option would be to get a cheep, fuel efficient car. With my first Camry Wagon I had some bad luck, the engine have died after two weeks, covering only 4000 kilometers. But trying to find out what I can do with a broken car, lead me to another one thousand dollar Ford Laser. It drove over 50000 kilometers and get me back to Perth, my starting point.

The mission of driving a full circle around the continent was accomplished. And with all the photos I hope to answer the question what Australian landscapes are like.

Camping at West Portal in Western Arthurs

Sitting under Pyungoorup Peak in Stirling Range

On the top of Hesperus in Western Arthurs

the night I had a vegemite for the first time

don't even remember how many times I had to patch the tires

common scene of left behind cars in Australian outback

Jacob's Ladder at Ben Lomond National Park

Sunrise over Murrumbridge River in Australian Capital Territory

New South Wales

View toward Doughboy Hill and Mount Warning from Walls of Jerusalem

Sunrise over Shoal Bay from the top of Mount Tomaree

Snowy Mountains

Been 2228 metres (7310 ft) high, Mt. Kosciuszko is the highest mountain in Snowy Mountains of New South Wales.

Queensland

Cathedral Fig Tree in Atherton Tableland

Licuala Ramsayi tree in the Daintree rainforest

Northern Territory

Middle Pool of Edith Falls at Katherine Gorge

Upper Pool of Edith Falls at Katherine Gorge

View to Nourlangie (Burrunggui) Mountain from Nawurlandja in Kakadu National Park

Sunrise over Florence Falls in Litchfield National Park

Livistona Palms at Joe Creek, Gregory National Park

Goorrandalng at Keep River National Park

Badass roo and Anmatjere Man on guard of Aileron

Red Center

Alice Springs is 1500 kilometer away from Darwin and Adelaide, and even much farther from the other major cities. If you are getting to Central Australia by car, no matter from with direction, you would find yourself driving a full day or two though the flat, monotone desert. It is very impressive after covering all that distance to finally reach the outstanding MacDonnell Ranges or Uluru and Kata Tjuta monoliths.

Maze of weathered sandstone domes and canyons of Watarrka National Park

The Larapinta Trail is a 231 km hike in West Macdonnell Ranges. The trail showcases a stunning, unique desert landscape. It offers expansive views of long mountain ranges and rocky ridges that twist and turn across open spinifex filled plains. Some of the trail passes along those ridges, while other parts take you over wide, dry creek beds and to beautiful gorges and waterholes.

Camping on Larapinta trail in West Macdonnell Ranges

Going down to Fringe Lily Creek from Razorback Ridge

Kimberly

Western Australia is a huge region. It covers 2.6 million square kilometers witch in comparison is of a size of Argentina. It is sparsely populated land, tremendously wide and open. Within endless flat spaces there are some really amazing hidden landscape gam

Baobab trees of Oscar Range in Devonian Reef Conservation Park

Beehive Domes of Hidden Valley in Mirima National Park

Pilbara is a very colorful and other planate looking region. It is one of the hottest places on Earth with summer temperatures of 45 °C been common. The soil is very reach with iron, and if you are going to drop a megnet on the surface, some dust and sand grains would stick to it. Iron ore and many other minerals make Pilbara one of the major Australian industrial areas. The region is also very reach with Aboriginal history and culture however many of those sites are at risk due to mining development.

View over Millstream Chichester National Park from the top of mount Herbert

Western Australia West Coast

Perth

South West Western Australia

South of Perth is Margaret River Area. The climate is more wet and cold here, there are a lot of small farms and vineries. The unique Karri Forest of South West Western Australia is one of the tallest in the world. Karri trees can grow up to 90 m (290 ft) height.

Natural Bridge in in Torndirrup National Park

View of Stirling Range from Castle Rock at Porongurup Range

Paperbark trees at Goblin Swamp in Greater National Park

Giant karri tree at the entrance to a cave

Southern Heath Monitor at Bald Head track on Flinders Peninsula

View to Devil's Slide from Marmabup Peak at Porongurup Range

Stirling Range rise 800m above the surrounding plain with a few 1000 m (3280 ft) high peaks. This is the only place in Western Australia where the snow can fall. Bluff Knoll (1073 m) is the highest and the most popular mountain to hike. The summit is extensive with alpine habitat at the top. From here there is an unmarked route to Ellen Peak. It is challenging but may be the best walk you could do in WA.

Mount Arid & Cape Le Grand

Little Tagon Bay at Cape Arid National Park

Field of Grass Trees (Xanthorrhoea or WA Black Boys) in Cape Arid National Park

Fitzgerald River

Fitzgerald River National Park offer truly unique endemic flora, rugged coastline and beautiful mountains. There are numerous short trails and 2 longer ones that : 31 km Mamang trail and 46 km Hakea trail. During early winter and spring whales are nursing near Point Ann. I have been told, that whales come so close to the shore, it is even possible to see them give birth.

View from the top of Sepulcralis Hill toward Culham Inlet and Hopetown

The view from Fitzerald Beach toward Central Wilderness Peaks

Reef Beach Dunes are 220 meters high above the ocean. I found out about them using satellite google maps, and get there using my bicicle. It was about 8 km ride and walk from Borden-Bremer Bay road. There is an actual 4x4 track to the dunes from Bremer Bay, but it is much longer.

From the photos that are online it seems that Reef Beach Dunes are popular among people with dirt bikes, but there is only a few photos from the area. So I felt like a real exprorer when was walking in the dunes. A bit of rain in created some textures to the sand which add even more drama to already spectacular scenery.

Golden Outback

14 m tall and 110 m long Wave Rock frormation at Hyden Rock granite monolith. Probably the most dramatic looking granite outcrop out of many that dotted Western Australia.

There is a couple of gold towns within the area, and Kalgoorlie with its Super Pit min have been the most successful one. There have been mined 1650 tons (3 million pounds) of gold since1893.

South of Coolgardie, Cave Hill have similar charactistics to the famous Wave Rock but also feature a few Caves

At the Station

Nullarbor Plain is the largest limestone karst. Flat and inhospitable, 1200 km from west to the east. The main thing to experience here is different sense of scale and space. The plateau meets the ocean with amazing 90m tall cliffs, nowhere else it felt to me like the edge of the world as here.

South Australia

Lake Gairdner is Australia’s third largest salt lake. It is over 160 km long and 48 km wide, surrounded by the red foothills of the Gawler Ranges. I used satellite google maps to find a few islands and ride my bike to them. On my way back, I get confused

Gawler Ranges exhibits a lot of the volcanic rhyolite (organic pipes). The area is remote, I haven't seen anyone for days that I have spend here.

Scenery from the streets of Olary. The fire swept through the town in Nov 25, 2015. Lots of structures have burned to the ground.

Sunset at the top of St Mary Peak. It is he highest mountain of Wilpena Pound, a natural amphitheater of mountains in Flinders Ranges

Outback New South Wales

Stanley's Barrier Range in Silverton Outback

Victoria

Redwoods grow at Great Otway National Park

Tasmania

198m long and 140m high Gordon Dam in Southwest Tasmania

Western Arthurs

The first thing I did when arrived to Tasmania was going to the library and book stores to do a research on photogenic locations over here. John Chapman's guide on bushwalking in South West Tasmania was a great find and with that book in hand I rushed to the Arthurs Ranges. Been the most rugged by glaciers mountain ranges in Australia, I can't wait to see it all for myself. Also, it was the end of summer and rainy autumn with cold southern fronts was coming up.

The track is very rough with many steep ascends and descends. At some areas you are doing more of a rock climbing than hiking. The are many peaks that you can do the side trips to, all provide amazing vistas if the weather is fine.

I did two trips to the range. The first time I walked both Western and Eastern Arthurs starting and ending at Scotts Peak Dam. It took me 12 days, including tent bound day, when I waited decent weather to climb the Federation peak. The second trip was shorter (3 days), I went up to Pegasus South and get the photos I missed before due to the bad weather.

View to the Western Arthurs from West Portal

Eastern Arthurs

From Lake Rosanne I walk down a formal trail to Luckmans lead. It was overgrown and also I get confused with wombat tracks over there. Next time I would follow Lucifer Ridge, it wouldn't be harder and also a few kilometer shorter. Walking the ridge is in the same style as in Western Arthurs: rough, hard and fun.

To walk Southern Traverse section and climb the Federation Peak I waited out weater at Hanging Lake. Short walk to Geeves Bluff is a great option if you are doing so. It is importan to be confident if you want to do Federation Peak, fatalities is a good reminder of that, including the one 2 days after my visit. Technically the climb does not get harder than some sections of the trail in the Arthurs, but it is 150 meters to get to the top and exposure is 600 meters.

Eastern Arthurs Range and Hanging Lake from Geeves Bluff

Mount Anne

Mount Anne is the highest mountain in Tasmania’s Southwest (1423 meters). It is 11 km one way walk to the base of the peak and exposed climbing to the very top. To enjoy the views of Lake Pedder and the surrounding area, going up to Eliza Plateau would be enough and twice shorter.

Mount Anne Circuit is a multi day walk that can be completed in a few days. It is slightly technical and exposed at Lighting Ridge, but that what makes it very fun if you are looking for some challenge.

View of Lake Pedder from the trail up to mt Anne

Following down the Lighting Ridge from mt Lot

Maria Island

I spent a few days in the company of wombats on Maria Island. Other than two rangers and two construction workers I was the only tourist on the island for 4 days.

Maria Island is a Tasmanian wildlife paradise. Most of the time, especially on the open grasslands, you are surrounded by wombats, kangaroos, pademelons, cape barren goose, native-hens and other animals. While camping in a tent, I was hearing wombats chewing grass. And the time I left my shirt outside, it was teared apart by Tasmanian devil.

Tasman Peninsula

Tasman Peninsula, with its 300m sea cliffs, offers many natural wonders within a small area. Most destinations, besides Cape Pillar, are accessible from the road or a day walk.

Three Capes Track is 46 kilometers in length and was opened in 2015. It is amazing how much effort was put into its construction, including artistic boardwalks and benches. With advanced huts along the way, it would be a great introduction to multi-day walks and camping.

View from the top of Cape Hauy to Totem Pole

View of Tasman Island and Cape Pillar, from Mount Brown

Group TitlFe (Optional)

Frenchmans Cap

Frenchmans Cap is 1446 meter tall mountain with with 300m sheer cliff in the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park. The trail to Frenchmans Cap is 23 kilometers long (one way) and takes you through the magnificent rainforest, dryer eucalyptus woods, also is a great place to spot Tasmanian special huon pines. Frenchmans Cap is a very spacial Tasmanian peak in many ways. If the weather is clear, most of the Tasmanian island is visible from the top. Over all the track is one of the best ways to experience the pristine South West Wilderness.

Walls of Jerusalem

Walls of Jerusalem is one of the most easily accessible areas in Tasmanian Wilderness. It is a 26 km return walk to Mount Jerusalem from Lake Rowallan. Pencil Pine Forest at Dixon Kingdom is amazing. There is an old hut there, where you probably wouldn't want to spend the night unless you wanted to meet its local resident. Everyone who has camped there has their own story about the night visit of Mr. Possum. In my case, as soon as it got dark, he was trying to get into my tent. After slightly hitting him through the tent wall a few times, he laughed for a while in the vestibule, curled up in a ball, and layed in it. Maybe he wanted to cuddle and be warm on this cold night.

Overland track

I spent 14 days hiking the Overland track it both directions during the winter. 12 of those days it was raining and all the mountain peaks have been covered with clouds. But at least I was lucky to see snow and when the sky cleared up get some views from mount Ossa. Other photos I've got during the day trips from Cradle Mountain and Lake St Clair areas, when the weather was better.

Great work have been done to the track construction. The camping options would be convenient private and public huts, as well as areas for tenting. There are numerous option for side trips to the mountain tops along the trail, or some challenging multi day detours such as the Du Cane Range ridge walking. All this make the track great for people with all kind of expectations and interesting to visit several times. No wonder it is Australian most famous.

Freycinet Peninsula

Freycinet Peninsula is known for some of the most iconic Tasmanian views to the Wineglass Bay and granite peaks of the Hazards. Freycinet Peninsula Circuit is easy and pleasant 30 km walking that could be extended with the side trips to Bryans Beach, Mount Freycinet and Amos. Camping is possible at Hazards Beach, Cooks Beach and Wineglass Bay.

Moon rising over the Hazards at Coles Bay

View to the Freycinet Peninsula Hazards from the top of Mount Freycinet

South Coast Track

South Coast Tract connects Cockle Creek and Melaleuca, an old mining site with gravel airstrip and free cabins to stay in. The 85 km- long track leads through the pristine Tasmanian Southwest wilderness. There are numerous campsites along the way, possible side trip options, and a wide variety of differet environments. Most people fly in to Melaleuca, or use 70 kilometer long Port Davey Track from Scotts Peak Dam to reach this area. I walked from Cockle Creek to Melaleuca in the autumn, and there where lots of rain. I continued to the Southwest Cape, and then flew out from Melaleuca. It took 7 days to reach Melaleuca and 7 more trying to do the Southwest Cape Circuit. While I did not have a food drop, it is an option to send yourself a package to Melaleuca with Par Avion.

South West Cape

After walking the South Coast Track, I continued hiking to the South West Cape. I end up not doing the full circuit walk, but went to the South West Cape and also check out the Bathurst Narrows, mt Beattie and Horseshoe Inlet. On the last day I took the tour with Par Avion in Bathurst Harbour and fly out from the area.

Overall, I've got one of the most amazing hiking experience over here. All the bays on a way to the South West Cape have there own charm with some striking features. The water in the rivers is coffee colored and good to drink. True wilderness is all around you. Just think about standing at the Southwest Cape and feeling the western breath, there is no land between you all the way to Patagonia.