Walk in the park

Nyah-Vinifera Park 4th – 6th March 2021

After spending a entertaining night with Pat and Lisa in Melbourne I headed north to escape the cold and found a free camp just past Swan Hill in the Nyah-Vinifera Park. Two nights camped on the banks of the River Murray gave me time to walk the length of the park following the river.

The Mice of Chinkapook

Chinkapook 6th March 2021

Located west of Swan Hill with a population of 32 people (2016 census) Chinkapook is well serviced with a Public Hall. Couldn’t find much written about Chinkapook other than the opening of the Public Hall in 1917 coincided with a mouse plague. Not only did the mice clean up the local wheat crop but were also reported to have taken an interest in poetry. Apparently many of Australian poet John Shaw Neilson’s notebooks were destroyed or severely damaged in that plague at Chinkapook. Douglas Stewart’s poem “The Mice of Chinkapook” refers to this event.

The swarming mice, the hungry mice,
Their teeth were sharp and white and fierce,
They bit their way through field and crop,
They ate the haystack to its top,
They crept into the house and took
The poet's notebook slice by slice,
The nibbling mice of Chinkapook.

Tranquillity on the Murray

Loxton 6th – 8th March 2021

After Nyah the Lawnmower and I headed over the SA boarder as Western Australia still had it’s boarders closed to Victorians and at that stage it was necessary to spend two weeks not in Victoria before entering WA. Loving the tranquillity of camping by the Murray River I booked into a park in Loxton. On the second morning I was woken by the thunder of what sounded like high performance engines passing my tent and emerged to confirm a parade of ski boats pulling all sorts of things up the Murray ….WTF! After some enquiries I was informed by an excited local that it was the Adelaide Cup long weekend and the annual ‘Ski for Life’ was on!!!! .. you would think I would have learned after being caught in Melbourne on Australia Day …. but hey what’s not to like about ski boats other than the noise ….. once over that it was pretty amazing!

Lets Go for a Ride!

Mid North SA 22nd March 2021

The GoPro helmet mount was finally tested on a run from Peterborough to Port Augusta. So its time to take you on a ride thru the Horrocks Pass …. lets go!

Attraction 1

Kimba 22nd March 2021

Contemporary agricultural practices have led to the amalgamation of land holdings and as a result fewer people. Towns are having to adapt and are doing all they can to appeal to increasing tourist numbers. Kimba’s Big Galah and Silo Art got me in!

Yũgen

Somewhere on the Nullarbor 23rd March 2021

Extended Dance Mix

Nullarbor 22nd – 25th March 2021

Have added some additional footage to the above video showing more of the amazingly unique Nullarbor.

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At Last

Esperance 28th March 2021

In Esperance for the grand opening of the JETTY – what timing!

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Felix and Skylab

Balladonia 24th March 2021

The bike on the right belongs to Felix who is in the process of riding from Adelaide to Perth. Some three days later I ran into him again in a Esperance supermarket. Long story short due to the overcrowding over Easter we shared a campsite for five days.

The Balladonia roadhouse has an interesting display of Skylab debris and newspaper clippings. Quit bazaar stories about how In the early hours of July 12 1979, guests at the Balladonia Motel reported seeing what looked like “the fireworks display from the Royal Show”. Numerous chunks of the space station landed nearby, and US president Jimmy Carter unexpectedly called the roadhouse owner to offer a sheepish apology. The clippings go on to describe the chase to claim prize money and the involvement of ‘Miss World’! – further reading here.

Cooking 1

Esperance 5th April 2021

This clip was made to thank the lovely couple ‘Costa and Tara’ who left us some chicken.

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Photography

Felix studied arts and majored in photography at UNI SA but was taking a break from the cut and thrust of galleries. If you want to see more of his work look up Felix Hoang Nguyen on Instagram. He also has a Facebook page covering his current journey on a Danish cargo bike. He has just headed off with parting words “I’ll beat you to Darwin” so we will see what happens.

Beaches 1

Esperance 26th March – 8th April 2021

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Architectural Detail 1

Esperance 6th April 2021

Currently in Karlgarin in the southern Wheatbelt waiting for the weather to clear after Cyclone Seroja passed thru this morning. Planning to head to the northern Wheatbelt Country next.

Cheers for now 87)