Lake Eyre is filling with water

I noticed this cry of excitement and joy around Australia. Anyone devoted to the Australian Outback, anyone concerned about the recent drought down under, is posting, blogging tweeting about this unusual event.

Following heavy rain in Outback Queensland early 2009, rivers, creeks and channels in the Channel country filled with water that is slowly making its way down to South Australia.

How much water will be finally flowing into Lake Eyre? Nobody knows. Evaporation is high in this part of Australia.

Read more about Lake Eyre

Port Augusta - Outback South Australia

Port Augusta is a city on top of the Spencer Gulf in South Australia.

It is the gateway to the South Australian Outback. The Flinders Ranges are very close, actually, you see the silhouette of these ancient mountain range from the lookouts along the shoreline.



Port Augusta offers many highlights to visitors, Wadlata Outback Centre and the Arid Land Botanic Garden are just two of them. It is a great city to relax for a few days before you head to the Outback.

Port Augusta's other by-name is crossroads of Australia. The Stuart Hwy to the north leads to Alice Springs and Darwin. To the west, the Eyre Hwy is going on the long and lonely trip across the Nullarbor.

Port Augusta Australia

My recent trip to the Australian Outback - The Flinders Ranges

I spent November in Australia to do another beautiful trip to the Australian Outback. Now you can expect more frequent posts about my adventures.

Rawnsley Bluff at Rawnsley Park Station

Once again we visited the Flinders Ranges National Park in South Australia. This park is the one of the main attractions. The rugged mountain range is a good destination for bush-walking, exploring wildlife and Australia's stunning nature.

There are many scenic drives around the central Flinders Ranges. Wilpena Pound, Bunyeroo and Brachina Gorge, Parachilna Gorge, and Sacred Canyon are just a few places worth a visit.

Bunyeroo Valley - Flinders Ranges

Crocodile Trophy

The Australian Outback is a great place for all kinds of adventures. Well, for most of us a 4WD trip into the remote country accompanied by flies and heat is a top adventure. However, this is a Sunday afternoon ride compared what starts in two days.

The Crocodile Trophy

This mountain bike race over 1200 km in the tropical north of Outback Queensland is considered the hardest MTB race in the world. At least it is definitely the hottest.

Participants from all over the world meet in Mareeba in the Atherton Tablelands for a bicycle race for the toughest of the tough.

1. Day
Mareeba - Irvinebank

2. Day
Irvinebank - Koombooloomba

3. Day
Koombooloomba - Gunnawarra

4. Day
Gunnawaara - Chillagoe

5. Day
Chillagoe - Chillagoe

6. Day
Chillagoe - Mt. Mulgrave

7. Day
Mt. Mulgrave - Laura


8. Day
Laura - Cooktown

9. Day
Cooktwon - Ayton

10. Day
Ayton - Cape Triubulation

Do you think it is too hard? Check out more adventurous ideas for an exciting Outback trip.

Coober Pedy - Australia's dustiest capital

Coober Pedy is Australia's opal capital, yet the little town in Outback South Australia's north is called the opal capital of the world.
Stony molehills seem to replace buildings, danger signs warn about deep shafts. Even if the town looks uninviting and strange (80 % of its residents live underground), Coober Pedy is worth a visit if you happen to travel in this remote part of Australia.
A 14 year old boy discovered the first opal back in 1915. Since then Coober Pedy has become the destination for adventurers and fortune seekers.
Few made a fortune, others just settled in, and some even love love it so much that they never left. Coober Pedy has become a multicultural place where dreams come true, or fade away in the dust.

Clean energy discovery near Cloncurry, Qld.

Hot geothermal rocks have been discovered in Outback Queensland north-east, about 100km from Cloncurry. Although Queensland has vast coal reserves and a flourishing export industry, this found in the Millungera basin could be the chance to develop renewable and clean energy.

Read more about this exciting story.

BTW, sorry that I don't post any photos right now. I've got some computer probs and can't use my own computer, so no pictures available.

The world's oldest blogger passed away

Mrs Olive Riley, known as the world's oldest blogger, passed away on July 12th. With a little help of her friend Mike Rubbo, Olive Riley began blogging at the age of 107. Amazing, isn't it?

Mrs Riley was born in 1899 in Broken Hill, an Outback town in the far west of New South Wales. Even if she left the town in 1920, she had been always proud of her home town.
Queen Victoria still reigned over Great Britain, and Australia was not a nation she she was born. Can you imagine how many wonderful stories this old lady had to tell the world? She had a brilliant memory until her last days. One of her friends said her memory was like a hard drive.

Mrs. Riley's blog was well received around the world. She became famous at the age of 107. Everyone loved her, and she'll be missed a lot. Rest in peace Olive Riley.

Due to the overwhelming demand Olive's blog is mostly down at the moment.