Vignettes of the World
Once an Aussie, always an Aussie
The tour was approaching its end and it was with a bit of unwillingness that I had to say goodbye to West Mac soon. I thought the Ormiston Gorge was one of the most amazing sites that I had visited thus far in the Outback. …
In the last entry on the Ellery Creek Big Hole, I noted that the colors of the desert evoked an unexpected marvel upon my sensations. Perhaps that observation has come into full focus at the Ochre Pits. It is said that the Ochre Pits is …
The tour left Standley Chasm for Ellery Creek, where we would have our picnic lunch. The Ellery Creek Big Hole is an oasis in the desert, with a body of water large enough in which to swim. In fact, the Ellery Creek Big Hole is …
We left Simpson’s Gap in less than an hour and arrived at Standley Chasm soon. The Standley Chasm measures 80 meters in height and 5 meters in width. To the Western Arrernte aborigines, who are its original occupiers, Stanley Chasm is known as Angkerle Atwatye, meaning “the …
I refer to the Outback as a colloquial reference to the part of Australian hinterland that comes with a vast expanse of desert and an enormous diversity in natural endowment. If one must put a finger on the proper names, the Outback is located in …
The Australian Outback has captured my imagination for as long as I remember. Although I have been to a number of the eastern coastal cities in Australia, the Outback remained a place of mystery to me. I had thought of that vast desert region to …
A lesson in Australia’s history would not be complete without the history of Port Arthur. It began in the 1880s as a penal colony. Then lieutenant governor of Van Diemen’s Land, George Arthur, established Port Arthur as a settlement for the most incorrigible, repeated offenders …
Generous sunshine blessed our last day in Tasmania. We were on our way to Port Arthur. However, we detoured and stopped by a number of interesting natural sites. The Tasman Arch The Tasman Arch began as a small sea cave. Constant sea waves formed …
In our last full day in Tasmania, we visited the Wineglass Bay lookout. Note, though, that we did not visit the beach. The tour guide told us that the hike down the beach was very rigorous, going more than two to three hours each way. …
The Jackman McRoss was a local bakery just a stone’s throw away from the Montacute. We decided to get our breakfast there, since all tourist sources recommended it. It clearly was a local favorite. We felt the energy of the place as soon as we …