Eve and Jason Travel Oz: The year that was 2011

31st December 2011

Gosh, this day sees the closing of 2011. Surreal!

2011 was a mindblowing, incredible, awesome year, with too many highlights to rank in any order. But, here is a brief summary of the year....

January

Camping at Port Fairy with Rebecca, Tony, Bob, Leanne, Paul, Kirsten and all the kids
Our first free stop at Jackass
A safari drive and power-walk at Tower Hill, including watching a lazy koala and curious emus
3 days camping at Pritchards; fishing from the Zodiac and playing guitar by campfire, and watching flitting Fairy Wrens go about their business
Frighteningly heavy rains at Nelson, and going to the pub for a schnitzel while water dripped down the kitchen walls
Meeting Drew, Amanda and Clinton, and going skin-diving/spear fishing to find abalone and lobster
Staying overnight between rows of pine trees at a plantation in "the middle of nowhere"
Bicycle wine tour at Penola
Seafood basket and fishing at Kingston
Camping in quiet isolation at the Coorong
Comorants herding fish at the Coorong
Collecting cockles at Goolwa
Historic buildings and the best-ever fish'n'chips at Port Elliott
Riding the Horse Tram at Victor Harbour
A fishing frenzy on the beach at Newland Head

The rains at Nelson

Bicycling at the Penola wineries

Collecting Goolwa cockles

The Victor Harbour Horse Tram

February

Wineries at Mclarenvale
Snorkelling at Aldinga with new friends The Dutch
Buying the Weeeeber
Big Day Out & Soundwave festival at Adelaide
Linke's butchers
Maggie Beer's kitchen!
Wineries at the Barossa
Free stops at charming Swan Reach and Mannum, and views of the very swollen Murray River
Taking a 18km walk around/through/over Mt Remarkable
Wild weather and dolphins at Arno Bay
Farmers market at Port Lincoln
Meeting Pete the Larrakin
Feeding wild kangaroos at Surfleet
Watching a millionaires yacht regatta, near Port Lincoln

The new Weeber and a visit to Linke's

Fun at local wineries

Maggie Beers' garden

March

Buying dive gear and harvesting sea urchins and razor fish at Burners Beach
Dolphins and Siberians at Burners Beach
Ethel Shipwreck
Innes historical town
Dressing up "ye Olde" at Burra
Clare Rodeo
The Riesling Trail and Clare wineries
Bushwalking at Redbanks
Spectacular views at Hancocks Lookout

Innes Historic Town

Clare Rodeo

Having fun in costume at Burra

April

Spud's
Exploring the X-Files strangeness of Woomera
Tour in the opal tunnels, church and homes at Coober Pedy
The Breakaways - spectacular views of the red (ummmm.... green) centre
11km base walk around Uluru
Hike across Kings Canyon
A crazy, rattly, frightening 180km drive across the Meneenie Loop, fishtailing across bull dust and scotting across river crossings
Swimming in the cold waters of Ormiston Gorge and wlaking along Redbanks Gorge
Jase securing work at Glen Helen Outback Resort

Seeing Uluru for the first time

Rim walk of Kings Canyon

The Meneenie Loop

May

Taking a 4WD trek through Roman Gorge
Ochre Pits
Walking around Gosse Bluff
Taking a helicopter ride over Glen Helen
Staying at the Devils Marbles with a million other free-campers
Lying on a lilo on the Roper River, just south of crocodile territory
Walking up and around Edith Falls and swimming in the Mataranka Thermal Pools
Staying at Mt Bundy Station, a working farm
Spending a few days at Litchfield National Park, near Kakadu, and walking, swimming and exploring the region, including a large swamp teeming with wildlife, and an old tin mine
Trekking through the bush with tents, doona, guitars and beer to spend the night in the bush at Litchfield

Jase working at the bar at Glen Helen

Helicopter ride

Camping at Litchfield

June

Markets, beach and outdoor cinema at Darwin
Fishing from the jetty at Darwin
Enduring squillions of ravenous mosquitoes at Beatrice Hill
Termite mounds and blackened ground at Sullivans Creek and surrounding regions
A few wild days at El Questro, an adventure playground for grown-ups with 4WDs
Hiring a boat and fishing for Barramundi
Fishing right off the shore outside our campsite, with the threat of crocs looming
Getting bogged in a muddy riverbed and using the winch for the first time
Emma Gorge & Zebedee Springs
Humungous boabs in the Kimberley
The Rum Distillery at Kununurra
4WD driving along Saddleback Ridge
Full 2 hour drive along a dirt rock-track to the Bungle Bungles and then setting up the 2-man tent for camping there overnight (the van was left on the side of the road with a bunch of other vans)
Hiking along the Bungle Bungles, complete with snakes, birds-of-prey, water moniters and termite mounds
Spending a few quiet and glorious days at isolated Caroline Springs
Visiting the questionable and dodgy Old Halls Creek township
Flocks of eagles sitting along the power lines wating for scraps, like seagulls
Working at the IGA at Fitzroy Crossing

Fishing for barramundi

Getting bogged in a riverbank

The Bungle Bungles

July

Fitzroy Crossing Rodeo
Beautiful Fitzroy River
A few quiet days in Broome
Getting the caravan bogged on the sand at Quondong Point
Helping other 4WDers out of the sand at Quandong
Flocks of quail at Quondong
Holding a baby crocdile at Malcolm Douglas's wildlife park
Waking up on my 40th birthday at De Grey River and having a group of grey nomads sing me Happy Birthday
Birthday dinner at "The Mess" in Port Hedland with the local mining community
Catching catfish at the Balla Balla
Being given GT (trevally) at the Balla by a friendly couple who caught more than they could eat
A Manta Ray leaps out of the water like a bird in a spectacular display of agility and strength
Karaoke at Onslow with grey nomads and miners
Wandering through the Old Onslow township
Watching families of budgerigars for days at peaceful Five Mile Creek

FX Rodeo ("rough as guts")

Our camping spot at Quandong Point

Holding a baby croc!

Observing the daily life of a group of budgerigars at Five Mile Creek

August

Snorkelling and fishing for a couple of weeks at Ningaloo Reef, near Exmouth
Snorkelling at Turquoise Bay (better than Great Barrier Reef I reckon)
Seeing my first shark whilst underwater
Swimming with the turtles at Turquoise Bay
A school of sharks circling our Zodiac as we gut fish offshore at Ningaloo
Being given a large bluefin tuna fillet by some friendly guys camping near us
Wildflowers galore at Murchison River and Coalseam
Watching pods of humpback whales at Exmouth and Kilbarri
Spectacular coastline walk along Kilbarri
Walking through the historic (and crumbling) Lynton Hiring Station
Farmers Market, honey farms, the Leaning Tree, and old churches at Geraldton
Solar panels installed on the caravan in Geraldton
Greenough Historical Settlement

September

A few lazy days at Cliff Head
Fishing at Jurien Bay
An 8km walk up the mountain at Lesueuer National Park
The marvellous and amazing Pinnacles
Wineries and breweries of the Swan Valley
Delectable German fare
Bloody big trucks hauling bigger truck parts go zooming by all over the place
Visiting historic Guildford and enjoying its antique stores and bakery
Visiting Uncle Ivar and Aunty Shirley in Fremantle
Native orchids and other flowers everywhere
Guided tour through Freo Prison
Perth, and importantly, Perth's Chinatown
Our first overnight hike: Section 1 of the Bibbulmun Track

The Pinnacles

Section 1 of the Bibbulmun Track

Fremantle Prison

October

Two more lengths of the Bibbulmun Track (ond very very very sore feet)
Free camping outside the Visitors Centre at Pinjarra
Historic buildings and art galleries
Charming and delightful Margaret River (food, wine, wine, wine and wool, and wine)
Ben Merito chills us out at the pub at Margaret River
Vintage cars, great coffee and chocolate, buskers and bakeries adorn Margaret River
Stay at a working farm and be woken by sheep shearers
Visitng Patricia Negus' home
Walk into the depths of Lake Cave
Baby kangaroos in the Visitors Centre at Pemberton
Tram ride from Hell
Glousester Tree climb
First look at the Red Tingle trees at the Valley of the Giants
Tree top walk at the Valley of the Giants
Whaleworld - good family fun for everyone!