NSW, ACT, SA, WA!!; From East to West (Jan-Feb 2010)

Arriving back to Australia after my visit home over the Christmas break, I find myself in need of change once more!  

With my trusty Kombi and a Canadian/Irish friend Andrew,  I was on the road within days of reaching NSW, Perth bound!  New city, new side of the country and a new law school, changing things up once more!

Along the way (or as a side trip...) we stopped in Canberra,  I couldn't leave the east coast without making it to the Capital!  We toured around for the day, checking out the High Court, Parliament House and Old Parliament house before heading back out onto the open road!

With 1,600 km behind us, our next stop was Adelaide, a laid back town with various art scenes and a welcoming feel.  We toured around, spent Valentines day along the beach talking with other foreigners on the large jetty which is found on their most popular beach and spent the night at a local pub watching a live band play, before heading off once more!

A windmill blade/tourist attraction in Snowtown, a town with quite the history...worth looking up if you are interested in serial killers of Australia!

Before heading straight for the Nullabor, after Adelaide we decided to take one last side trip which led us to Port Lincoln and then Coffin Bay!  Coffin Bay was perhaps one of the best side trips we made.  Pulling in along the coast, we introduced ourselves to a group of Greek fisherman who take a few weeks off each year to travel to this location for fishing salmon.  After a long day of fishing they were cleaning their catch at the public fish cleaning bay and feeding the large pelicans which anxiously awaited for dinner.  It wasn't long before they invited us back to their cottage and later for a day of fishing!  It was incredible!  We drove 20 km over sand dunes to the coast where we reeled in a large salt water salmon with almost every cast!  After a beautiful dinner and a great night of story sharing, Andrew and I were Nullabor bound with enough salmon in the fridge to last us the trip!

The nullarbor was...well, exactly as it indicates...(means no trees)... as we drove the tree line quickly diminished to shrubs and then finally nothing... With one of the longest straight stretches in the world and the longest golf coarse in the Southern Hemisphere (built I am sure to break up the drive with a hole every 10 kms), we traveled along the nullarbor camping as we went and stopping at everything there was to see, including road houses and golf holes...

After reaching the end of the Nullarbor we spent a day in Kalgoolie before heading to the next place I will live for some time, Perth.  The most desolate city in the world! Kombi drove over 4,500 km to reach Perth, but with perhaps maybe a bit more character and alot of heart, she is ready for future adventures as we travel around this side of the country.  Arriving the night before classes began, we found a place to park, in anticipation of what this side might hold!