Desert after the rains

1.  This plant had suddenly bloomed.
2.  We came across a herd of 'donkeys' enjoying the new shoots after the rains.
3.  Spinifex with lots of new shoots.
4.The car in one of the puddles across the road which had been much deeper the day before.

Up country to Laverton after the rain

1.  Due to heavy rainfall side roads between Leonora and Laverton were  closed.
2.  This sign sums up the situation.
3.  It was so hot in Laverton that Richard had to wear his hat.
4. Signs of the desert coming to life after the rain with this grass shooting through the water.

Brothel And Gwalia

1.  Richard outside Questa Casa brothel before our visit and tour. Can't put any other pics on show!

2.  Luckily for me this bull lost interest in staring at me and trotted off to join the other cows.
3. Tea on the verandah of the Hoover House in Gwalia, an old mining town  near Leonora - named after old version  fo Wales. The house was designed by President Hoover whe  he was a mining engineer in  Oz.
4.  The State Hotel in  Gwalia, now closed, which had a beer strike in the 1920's because the beer was too dear etc!

Gold and mines

1.  Spot Richard with the super truck!
2.  Molten gold being poured into an ingot mould.
3.  The cooled ingot. Unfortunately too big to fit in my bag!
4.  Waiting to come up from the mine shaft.

Kalgoorlie and Gold

1. Tin camels at Norseman.
2. Coolgardie main street has some very grand buildings from late 1800s but is like a ghost town.  The street was built very wide so a camel train could be turned.
3. Richard with a statue of Pat Hannan who started the gold rush in Kalgoorlie.
4. Boulder is the next small town to Kalgoorlie and is in fact now a suburb.  The main steet still showing signs of repairs after the earthquake in 2010.

Nullarbor 3

1.  We stopped for a break after a long drive and this is the desert optician at work with his screwdriver.
2.  At Balladonia Roadhouse they are very proud of the fact that Skylab landed in bits in the area and have got a piece to show for it.
3.  We stayed at Fraser Ranges former sheep station and our room was in the old quarters the shearere used to use.  There is no restaurant there so we bought a meat pack and had a barby.  Iwanted to play tennis with the enormous spatula!
4,  We were lucky to have a beautiful sunset.

Nullarbor 2

1.  This an ants next.  I've christened them doughnut ants for obvious reasons.
2.  These are the Nullarbor cliffs.
3.  Here I am about to set off on the 91 mile straight. I was quite amused at 90 miles when there was a road sign for a left hand corner.
4.  Long straight road, but this photo doesn't do it justice.

Nullarbor 1

The drive across the Nullarbor is supposed to be hot and dusty, but not for us.  It was dull and cloudy most of the way and only mid 20's.
1.  Here's our car with my favourite road sign. I think camels, wombats and most kangaroos can read because we didn't see any live ones at all - only kagaroos that can't cross the road safely!
2. This little chap is a goana who just ambled across our path. It's about 12 inches long.
3. and 4.  These are photos of the Australian Bight where Southern Right Wales come between May and  October.  These whales weigh around 60 tons and the calves born here weigh 1 ton  and the rest of the year they are in the Antarctic feeding on plankton.

Eyre Peninsula (3)

1. The dining room of the Elliston Hotel was a bit like a staff canteen in ambiance, but the fish was beautiful and fresh. 
2. Using the town council's internet in the darkening twilight!
3.  Chatting with the bar person at the Elliston hotel about the Melbourne to Adelaide train  which she used to work on.
4.  Rain, rain and more rain.  It started about midnight and was sometimes torrential.  It kept up until we got to Ceduna and stopped about 3pm.  Apparently last week it got up to 47 degrees here.  Glad we missed that!

Eyre Peninsula (2)

1.  This is the view from the Seabreeze hotel balcony at Tumby Bay.  The sea was a beautiful colour and almost warm.
2. This is Coffin Bay.  We visited there on the morning of the day a diver was taken by 2 sharks - and it looked so calm and friendly.
3.  This is the childcare centre in Elliston
4.  We watched these 2 pelicans on Elliston Beach. Never seen them except in a zoo before.