low cost camping – glebe weir

September 7, 2015September 19, 2015 S and SLeave a comment

We don’t know about you but we love LOW COST CAMPING!!

Please don’t get us wrong, we love FREE CAMPING too, well who doesn’t?

Why do we like low cost camping? 1. you get a few more facilities and 2. you are injecting funds into the local community.

Just around the corner from our current location is a hidden little gem of low-cost camping and it is on the water. WIN WIN!

The Glebe Weir is situated between Taroom and Theodore in QLD and falls within the boundaries of Banana Shire. From Taroom you are looking at a 54km drive and about 94km if heading South from Theodore. The road is all bitumen which is great for those who don’t like heading too far off road. It is quite a scenic drive in but beware of roaming cattle as the road is unfenced.

There are plenty of sites available for tents, camper trailers and caravans. Amongst the camping areas there is quite a few places to plug into power. First in best dressed. The facilities are basic but mostly clean. There are cold showers, flushing toilets, sheltered picnic tables and BBQs. Fires are allowed when there is no fire bans but travelers must bring there own wood. All this for $7 a night per vehicle!

The camp-sites over look the Weir and the Dawson River so water based activities are a must. Kayaking along the water at dawn and dusk is a must! While the keen fisherman can take out the tinny and have a flick around. Don’t forget the yabby pots!

If you are heading this way stop in and take a look for yourself.

Australian Travel · Budgeting · Camping · Finance · Preparation · Random Thoughts · Reader Interaction · Working on the Road · Writing & Reading

plans unravel but plan anyway

September 2, 2015 S and SLeave a comment

We often get asked about our travel plans. More commonly we get asked do we plan?

The answer is yes and no.

Throughout our travels we have had itineraries planned down to the letter and other times we have had no plans at all.

Now for the honest truth. Neither of these two options suited us.

Itineraries that were too planned suffocated & stifled us while when we had no plans at all we felt we had lost our purpose. How? We are meant to be super nomadic, gypsy-like people who head where free love is and fly with the wind. We tried but in reality it wasn’t us. Free Love is great, free anything really! But it wasn’t going to keep us on track.

This line of thinking confused us. To think we couldn’t hop in our vehicle and head for the sunset no thoughts at all. We wanted to be carefree but we couldn’t! Why! For those of you who know us well. Sarah is a Planner (with a capital P) and LOVES lists but spontaneous! (yes, crazy right?) and Shaun is careful and thinks about consequences but leaves planning to Sarah (Yes, scary right?)

So what was the solution for us. We PLAN, PLAN, PLAN!!! It’s so fun who wouldn’t? There are lists and more lists. Maps are checked, doodled on and re-checked. To counteract this we have become flexible. We have learnt to follow the ebb and flow of travel which is wonderful to embrace. If we change our plans we are okay with it. We even plan for the unexpected. We have all the time in the world for planning, so why not!

A perfect example is our recent trip across the Simpson Desert. We were joined by several other couples raising money for the RFDS. This trip had to be planned, well planned and it was. However, even this trip had hiccups due to weather and so forth but we kept on going, changed itinerary, made adjustments and you know what the world didn’t stop turning.

Our advice

When planning your trip of a lifetime, go your hardest! Check maps, write lists, fill spreadsheets, research and more! Why? 1. because it is fun. 2. a well researched traveller is a good traveller and 3. what better way to count down to your BIG trip then by living it through countless hours of planning. As you set off out your driveway you will have purpose, you will have direction and it will feel GREAT! Remember though even the most carefully made plans can unravel and as long you’re aware of this, WHO CARES? Plan anyway!

Attractions · Australian Travel · National Parks · Queensland · South Australia · Travel Photography

wildflowers of the desert

August 29, 2015 S and S2 Comments

On our recent trip to the Simpson Desert we were lucky to witness the first wildflowers blooming after the rain. It was spectacular to see the sand-dunes blanketed with vegetation of all shapes and sizes.

Can you name any of the flowers pictured below?

Attractions · Australian Travel · Camping · Caravan Parks · Destinations · Four Wheel Driving · Free Camping · National Parks · New South Wales · Preparation · Reader Interaction · Working on the Road

we haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on our list

August 27, 2015August 28, 2015 S and S4 Comments

It has been a long while since we updated our travel map of big old Australia. So here it is…. this is our travel paths since the commencement of our blog & indefinite travels back in 2011. As you can see we have barely scratched the surface! This country is well and truly AMAZING!

Where are you up to in your travels? Share your maps with us on our Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/norrisaroundaustralia

Australian Travel · National Parks · Northern Territory · Reader Interaction · South Australia

our top 5 Aussie national parks

August 27, 2015 S and S7 Comments

These are 5 of our top national parks from our travels so far. There are so many beautiful places to visit in Australia and most of these can be found in our national parks. We have so many favourites however here are 5 of our top spots. We love these places so much we have visited multiple times and will return again for sure.

Flinders Ranges National Park, SA

What’s not to love? Stunning mountain ranges, rich Australian history, four-wheel driving and beautifully rewarding bushwalks with breath-taking visitas. Check out some of our posts on the Flinders HERE & HERE.

Our favs from the Flinders:

Bush camping at Rawnsley Station and dining at their Woolshed Restaurant.
Wilpena Pound; our favourite walks were Hills Homestead, Wangara Lookout and Mount Ohlssen Bagge. The Hills Homestead is quite a leisurely stroll while Wangara Lookout and Mount Ohlssen Bagge are more strenuous the views are well worth the effort.
The historical Nuccaleena Mine. The drive out is spectacular and the ruins are in fantastic condition.

2. Kakadu National Park, NT

Kakadu is amazing. It has a diverse and natural beauty which is hard to beat. The national park is situated in close proximity to Darwin making it easily accessible for every traveler. Check out our post from Kakadu HERE.

Our favs from Kakadu:

cruise Yellow Water wetlands – both at sunrise and sunset
visit Twin Falls by four-wheel drive and boat
swim in the pools on top of Maguk (Barramundi) Gorge
view the rock art at Ubirr Rock and climb to the top for spectacular views from the lookout
camping at Cooinda Lodge is excellent with wonderful facilities and central location

Kakadu National Park - Yellow Water Cruises

Kakadu National Park - Twin Falls Casade

3. Simpson Desert National Park, SA

Oh my! The Simpson is spectacular. The parallel sand-dunes go on forever and we never got sick of the beautiful red sand. Every time the Colorado would crest a sand-dune it took our breath away. It is a natural Australian wonder. Check out our post on the Simmo HERE.

What to experience in the Simmo:

remote travel at it’s finest
wildflowers, glorious wildflowers
slimbing to the top of Big Red
the wonders of Eyre Creek
bush camping at its absolute best
star gazing – the most spectacular skies we have ever seen
take in the view from Knoll’s Lookout
cross wide, stunning claypans
stand where QLD, SA and NT meet at Poeppel Corner
while technically not the Simpson National park make sure you stop in at both Purnie Bore and Dalhousie Springs both oasis’ in the desert, brimming with birdlife.

Shaun crossing Eyre Creek (he got stuck on exit - Dad had to winch him out after taking a 10 K detour)

Our Campsite out in the middle of the Simpson Desert

4. Tjoritja/West MacDonnell National Park

The region surround Alice Springs in one of favourites in the country. It’s smack bang in the Red Centre and capital of the Australia Outback. The West Macs as they are affectionately known lay to the West of Alice Springs (funny that). The stunning mountain range has numerous gorges that have been carved over millions of years. The red of the rock, the blue of the sky and the green of the vegetation is nothing short of beautiful.

Our favs from the West Macs:

our favourite place to camp was at Redbank Gorge
a refreshing dip in Ellery Creek Big Hole
the stunning landscape at Ormiston Gorge
the aboriginal culture of the Orche Pits
Simpsons Gap is closest to Alice with stunning gorge walls and lots of rock wallabies.
for history buffs like us the West Macs also home to the memorial grave of Rev John Flynn of flying doctors fame

5. Uluru Kata-Tjuta National Park, NT

What says Australia better than our red heart? Uluru is iconic and recognised internationally as an Australian icon. It is truly a spiritual experience to visit and explore this region. While the town Yulara has become quite touristy due to the amount of tourists that flock to the rock each year, the National Park itself is relatively untouched. Check out our past posts HERE & HERE.

Our favs from Uluru & Kata-Tjuta:

sunrise and sunset at Uluru and the Olgas – the colours are ever changing
the Valley of the Winds walk through the Olga- OMG! One of the best walks in Australia – Amazing.
walking the base of Ulura – 13 km of ever changing beauty
the shorter guided base walk is also not to be missed. Its free and so informative. We’ve done it twice now.
the Cultural Centre is a great place to start you Uluru Adventure

Attractions · Australian Travel · Camping · Random Thoughts · Travel Photography

One Week until our 2015 4X4 Desert Trek

June 10, 2015 S and SLeave a comment

How exciting is the week before you embark on an adventure?

Everyone is excited for you! Your family, your friends, you neighbour, the postman….. This week is full of catch ups and dinners. It’s great to catch up with family & mates who will constantly fire questions about your “big” trip and this make you get even more excited (if that is even possible).

This week is also full of packing, un-packing, packing, un-packing, re-packing and shuffling. How can we fit so much in such a small space? It is also filled with to-ing and fro-ing, rushing around and finalising last minute details.

It is all part of the adventure and even though we are counting down, we are not wishing this part away……..