Follow Us on FacebookHow I Came to make The Land Down Under site.
I have been very lucky to be exposed to Australia and travel very early in life.
I was about 5 years old when my family headed off from Victoria, across the Nullabor Plain for Kalgoorlie, Western Australia in an old Holden Station Wagon. At that time, the road across the Nullabor itself was still dirt in a lot of places. Spare tyres on the roof rack and jerry cans with extra fuel, vinyl seats, no air conditioning, Grandparents, parents and 2 kids and the entire luggage in the car as well. It really was an adventure.
I can still remember some parts of the trip even though I was so young. I remember - when it was still permitted - sitting in with the luggage in the back of the station wagon ( it was actually quite comfortable! ) crossing the Nullabor while it was flooded. Being a little kid, I remember pretending I was in a boat - I was having a great time! Cars were being pulled across fast flowing areas with tractors.
I also remember that traffic at that time was pretty scarce. I remember when we did see another car or truck heading our way, we would all be hanging out the windows waving - so would the people in the other vehicles! Occasionally, when we would stop for a 'cuppa' on the side of the road, a truckie would stop to check that we were ok (that's back when people would stop to help each other without fear), only to find that we were having a 'cuppa'. Often the truckies would pull out their cup and have one with us! It was terrific, people would look out for each other back then.
The wildlife at that time was amazing! You didn't dare drive at night for the kangaroos - hundreds of them, even quite a few camels made an appearance. Eagles during the day were great to watch too.
The flowers, brilliant. The Sturt Desert Pea was my favourite. It was in such masses that it was like a brilliant red carpet, just laying on the sands.
I can remember a pipe that carried gas (and still carries gas to this day) across the country. No matter how long we had been driving, that pipe was always there.
I learned to eat cereal with frozen milk at the motels across the Nullabor. I can tell you, Cornflakes have never been so crunchy! Milk had to be frozen because of the distances between places and deliveries could be a month or more apart. I can still remember the dirt roads in Kalgoorlie, only the main street for memory was bitumen.
Since that trip, I have travelled many, many thousands of kilometres on holidays and even just weekends when we can get away from it all.Travel is now a big part of me and my family.
At the time of that trip, I was privelidged to see Australia ' back then'. Before so much of it was changed to accomodate the tourist trade.
We as a family have been fortunate to be able to travel literally thousands of kilometres throughout Australia. There is so much to see, do and experience. So many people do not get to see what we see and so maybe, through this site, they might just get a glimpse of what travelling Australia - The Land Down Under is like and what wonders it holds.
I can only hope that you will want to see more of this wonderous country for yourselves.
Have fun and who knows, maybe we'll meet one day for a cuppa!
Ros
