Just Me Travel

Just Me Travel

Solo Travel Blogger

Tag: Solo traveller

Use this Tag on all posts

CARCASSONNE CITADEL – The Best-Preserved Medieval Town in France

Carcassonne Citadel is a Medieval Treasure in Southern France.   Dear Ryan, One of the highlights of my Canal du Midi cruise with European Waterways was a morning in the…

Carcassonne Citadel is a Medieval Treasure in Southern France.

A medieval fortified town

Carcassonne Citadel entrance gate

 

Dear Ryan,

One of the highlights of my Canal du Midi cruise with European Waterways was a morning in the Citadel of Carcassonne. The barge captain was surprised I had not heard of Carcassonne Citadel as it is one of France’s premier tourist attractions. But, as you know, I have only been to France once before, and that was to a different region.

So, here is what I learned about Carcassonne Citadel…

  • It is the most complete medieval fortified town in existence today and the largest in Europe.
  • It has about 2,500 years of history and was occupied by the Romans, Visigoths, and Crusaders at different periods.
  • Three kilometres of double walls interspersed with 52 watchtowers surround the citadel.
  • It is a lived-in citadel with houses, schools, shops, restaurants, hotels, basilica, and museums.
  • The citadel is open 24/7 and is free to enter. However, there is an admission fee to visit Carcassonne Castle and its ramparts.
  • Carcassonne Citadel was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

European Waterways took us on a two-hour guided walking tour around the walls, through the citadel, and into the Basilica Saint Nazaire. We were given admission tickets for the castle and ramparts, but I didn’t see them. After going to the toilet and watching the visual display at the entrance, I had to leave the castle as it was time to meet our guide to leave Carcassonne.

A gothic church facade with shrubs and flowers in front of it.

Basilica Saint Nazaire

 

Our visit to Carcassonne Citadel was too rushed and deserved so much more time. I could have spent 2-3 days there instead of the few hours allocated to the visit.

  • I would stay within the citadel. From my view of its exterior, the Hotel de la Cite next to the basilica appealed to me. That it is a 5-star hotel probably added to that appeal, even if it is beyond my budget.
  • Exploring the castle beyond the toilet block would be a bonus. And I am told the views from the ramparts are stunning. But I would want to walk them to see for myself.
  • I would like to eat at the many restaurants, buy lots of nougat, and shop until I drop. The clothes and leather goods shops were of particular interest.
  • Three days would give me time to visit some of the museums within the citadel and Carcassonne city, for example, the School Museum, the Museum of the Inquisition, and the Museum of Fine Arts. Perhaps I need four days!

Did you know there is a Carcassonne board game? Apparently, it is one of the most beloved and well-known board games in the world. I have never heard of it. Just something else to add to my ignorance about Carcassonne!

Next stop, Spain.

Love,

Joanna

 

Disclaimer: This post contains no affiliate links. All views and opinions are my own and non-sponsored. All photos are my own and remain the copyright of Just Me Travel.

© Just Me Travel 2018-2023.

 

Have you been to Carcassonne Citadel? What would you recommend I include on my next, more in-depth visit? Leave a comment below.

 

Like this post? Save it for later!

A photo of an entrance gate to a medieval fortified citadel.

An image of a medieval castle in a fortified citadel.

 

Author’s Note: Please check the latest travel restrictions before planning any trip and follow government advice.

 

Sign up to receive the latest in travel destinations, topics, resources and guides.

 

You might also like

The image shows three photos of engineering marvels on the Canal du Midi - a boat crossing the Orb Aqueduct, a boat approaching a canal tunnel, and a seven-rise lock staircase.

SEE 3 ASTOUNDING ENGINEERING MARVELS ON THE CANAL DU MIDI

Prepare to be awe-struck by three extraordinary engineering marvels on the Canal du Midi that are works of art – the Orb Aqueduct, Fonserannes Staircase Locks, and Malpas Tunnel.

 

 

No Comments on CARCASSONNE CITADEL – The Best-Preserved Medieval Town in France

THE GHAN LUXURY TRAIN IN AUSTRALIA – GOLD VERSUS PLATINUM SERVICE

Which is For You – Gold Service or Platinum Service on The Ghan Train?   Luxury train travel is popular in Australia. It is not just about getting on a…

Which is For You – Gold Service or Platinum Service on The Ghan Train?

 

Luxury train travel is popular in Australia. It is not just about getting on a train and going from A to B, but about the experience. On The Ghan (as with other luxury train travel in Australia), your journey can be completed in Gold Service or Platinum Service. But which service do you choose? Read on to learn about the similarities and differences between the two services from my unique first-hand experience as a solo traveller on The Ghan train.

 

In October 2022, I travelled on The Ghan from Adelaide to Darwin – a two-night train trip up the middle of Australia from the southern coast to the northern coast.

For the first half of the train trip from Adelaide to Alice Springs, I travelled Gold Service. In Alice Springs, I transferred to Platinum Service for the second half of the journey. Moving from one service to another halfway through the trip was not by design but was my only means of getting all the way from Adelaide to Darwin on The Ghan train on my desired travel date. However, it has allowed me to provide you with an exclusive first-hand comparison of The Ghan’s service levels – Gold Service and Platinum Service – and answer the question is Platinum Service value for money.

About The Ghan luxury train

The Ghan train stopped in the desert to witness the sunrise. People are off the train taking photos.

The Ghan – Sunrise over the South Australian desert landscape

 

The Ghan (operated by Journey Beyond) is a luxury passenger train service in Australia that travels weekly from Adelaide to Darwin (or reverse), covering 2,979 kilometres over two nights and three days. It is considered one of the world’s great train journeys as it travels through diverse landscapes from the southern to northern extremes of Australia – from cityscapes and outback towns to endless red desert and the tropics.

The train is almost one kilometre in length and accommodates 258 Gold Service beds and 25 Platinum Service beds.

The Ghan’s name pays homage to the Afghan camel drivers who helped explore Australia’s remote interior in the 19th century.

The Ghan Gold Service vs Platinum Service: price

I paid AUD2,875.00 for the Adelaide to Alice Springs section of the train journey in Gold Service. This cost included one night’s accommodation in a sole occupancy twin cabin, three meals and all beverages, and two Off Train Experiences.

Had I travelled with a friend or partner and shared a Gold Service twin cabin from Adelaide to Alice Springs, the fare would have been AUD1,595.00 per person.

My Platinum Service cost for the second half of the train trip from Alice Springs to Darwin was AUD5,115.00. This price included one night’s accommodation in a sole occupancy cabin, three meals and all beverages, and two Off Train Experiences.

Had I travelled with a friend or partner and shared a Platinum Service cabin from Alice Springs to Darwin, the fare would have been AUD2,895.00 per person.

Dining, Australian wines, beers, base spirits, and non-alcoholic drinks are all-inclusive for both service levels. However, with Platinum Service, you can have Bollinger Champagne served with your meals.

My Platinum Service fare on The Ghan was almost twice as much as that for Gold Service with identical inclusions of accommodation, meals, beverages, and Off Train Experiences. So, what did I get for my money in Platinum Service that warranted the additional cost? What are the differences between the services?

The Ghan Gold Service vs Platinum Service: cabin

My Gold Service cabin was a twin cabin, while my Platinum Service cabin was a double cabin, and I had sole occupancy in both cabins.

The Ghan’s cabins are as different in every way.

A train cabin with a three-seater couch. A bag and camera are on the couch. The door handle to the ensuite can be seen and there is a bag on the floor. Water bottles are on a small table attached to the cabin wall.

Gold Service twin cabin

 

My Gold Service twin cabin was compact with a three-seater, firm lounge and sufficient leg room. The cabin converts to a bedroom at night with narrow bunk beds. As I was the sole person occupying my cabin, the Hospitality Attendant only made up the comfortable bottom bunk. My only fear was falling out of bed if I turned over. There is a ladder to assist you in accessing the top bunk.

Storage was limited to a small, narrow shelf and a cupboard where you could hang two or three items. Unlike the space provided in a riverboat cabin, unpacking was not viable. Depending on the size of your cabin bag, it may be stored under the lower bunk or on the shelf above the ensuite.

The cabin’s wood panelling was dark, and the furnishings looked tired and outdated. There were reading lights and a night light, sufficient power points, in-cabin music channels, and journey commentaries broadcasted in the cabins.

My Platinum Service double cabin was spacious, almost twice the size of the Gold Service twin cabin, and more modern in design.

A train cabin with a two-seater couch with cushions. There are cupboards each side of the couch and two tables - one is in the middle of the cabin and one is attached to the cabin wall.

The Ghan Platinum Service double cabin

 

During the day, the Platinum Service double cabin was set up as a private lounge, having a comfortable lounge with cushions, a moveable table, and two ottomans. However, the cabin could no longer be described as spacious if the ottomans (stored under the table) were being utilised. At night, the Hospitality Attendant turned the lounge room into a bedroom with a luxurious double bed.

As with my Gold Service twin cabin, there were sufficient power points, in-cabin music channels, and journey commentaries broadcasted in the cabins. While unpacking was still not viable, there was more storage space in my Platinum Service cabin.

The private ensuite for both services warrants a separate mention.

The Gold Service ensuite was compact. It was, in truth, a toilet, shower, and handbasin in a closet. A curtain pulled around the showerhead prevents the toilet and basin from getting wet. Having said that, I did find it manageable, but you would never get two people in there.

The Platinum Service cabin had a full-sized ensuite; in fact, it was larger than my ensuite at home.

Both services provide complimentary Australian Appelles Apothecary toiletries. However, the bottles were larger in Platinum Service.

The Platinum Service cabin deserves the reputation of being luxurious. The Gold Service cabin, on the other hand, in my opinion, does not warrant a luxury label. Think XPT sleeper cabin without the bathroom closet!

Gold Service also offers single cabins, and Platinum Service has twin cabin options. However, I have not provided any details on these cabin types because I do not have first-hand knowledge of them.

The Ghan Gold Service vs Platinum Service: security

You can lock the cabin door when inside your Gold Service cabin. However, it is not possible to lock the door when you leave the cabin.

Platinum Service cabins are lockable inside and out with hotel-like key-card access.

Both services have in-cabin safes.

The Ghan Gold Service vs Platinum Service: lounge and restaurant

The Ghan has a dedicated lounge carriage (the Outback Explorer Lounge) and an exclusive restaurant carriage (the Queen Adelaide Restaurant) for Gold Service passengers.

A lounge train carriage with tables, leather and material seats and couches. People are sitting on the seats, and drinks are on the tables.

Gold Service Outback Explorer Lounge

 

The exclusive lounge and restaurant (the Platinum Club) for Platinum Service passengers were combined in the same carriage. The restaurant area comprised two-thirds of the carriage, leaving minimal space for lounge chairs to socialise with other passengers.

Gold Service’s Outback Explorer Lounge was the social hub of the train, and I found it to be more conducive to meeting and chatting with fellow passengers. Strangers played cards and board games, shared stories, and made new friends.

On the other hand, the setup of the Platinum Club carriage did not encourage passenger socialisation. If four people were chatting in the lounge area of the restaurant carriage, there was no space for anyone else, which I found quite isolating.

The Ghan Gold Service vs Platinum Service: meals

As mentioned above, all meals are included in the cost price.

Both Gold Service and Platinum Service provide hearty breakfasts and two-course lunches. However, Gold Service dinners are three-course affairs, whilst Platinum Service delivers four-course dinners. Did I really need that fourth course? Platinum Service also offers its guests an in-cabin continental breakfast on request.

I preferred the meals in Gold Service. I am conservative in my eating and enjoyed Gold Service’s choices. Unfortunately, I found the Platinum Service menus challenging. Not only could I not pronounce many menu items, but I found it challenging to decide what to eat because I did not know what I was ordering.

The Ghan Gold Service vs Platinum Service: off train experiences

Off Train Experiences included river cruises, cultural encounters, indigenous rock art tours, camel rides, and helicopter flights. All Off Train Experiences, including upgrade options, were available for all passengers regardless of service level.

The photo shows the end of a canyon overshadowed by towering red cliffs. Rocks, sand and water are evident in this section of the canyon. There are people sitting on the rocks.

Simpsons Gap Off Train Experience in Alice Springs

 

The Ghan Gold Service vs Platinum Service: Hospitality Attendant

There is no denying the Hospitality Attendants on The Ghan perform multiple tasks. One minute they are directing you to your carriage at embarkation, assisting with luggage, or explaining the train’s operation and noting your selections for Off Train Experiences. The next time you see your Hospitality Assistant, they are serving your meals in the restaurant, drinks in the lounge, or accompanying you on off-train experiences.

I found the Hospitality Attendant in Platinum Service more attentive than that in Gold Service.

In Gold Service, the Hospitality Attendant introduced herself soon after I boarded. She explained the layout of my cabin and how the restaurant organises meals, noted my food allergy, and wrote down my selections for Off Train Experiences. Then I never saw her again except in the restaurant serving meals. Turndown service occurs while you are eating dinner. Luckily, I did not need her!

Platinum Service was a very different, more positive experience. My Hospitality Attendant still performed all the tasks of the Gold Service Hospitality Attendant. However, he was available and ensured my needs were met without being intrusive. Iced tea and biscuits waiting in my room upon my return from Off Train Experiences was a welcome addition. Would I have got this in Gold Service? Yes, if I had gone to the bar and ordered it, but in-cabin service did not exist.

The Ghan Gold Service vs Platinum Service: transfers

Journey Beyond does not provide transfer services for Gold Service passengers joining The Ghan in Adelaide or disembarking in Alice Springs. However, Gold Service does offer a complimentary shuttle bus service in Darwin to selected hotels in the city centre.

Complimentary private transfers are available for Platinum Service passengers at the beginning and end of their journey within 60 kilometres of the Adelaide, Alice Springs, and Darwin rail terminals. As it turned out, my Platinum Service transfer in Darwin was not private but a shared transfer with other Platinum Service passengers in a minivan.

The Ghan Gold Service vs Platinum Service: checked luggage allowance

The checked luggage allowance for Gold Service passengers is 60 kilograms for two bags, with a maximum of 30 kilograms per bag.

Platinum Service’s checked luggage allowance is 90 kilograms for three bags, with a maximum of 30 kilograms per bag.

Journey Beyond recommend you pack an overnight bag for use on the train.

The Ghan Gold Service vs Platinum Service: summary

The image is a compilation of three photos: a drink and biscuits on a table, a menu, and a train

Refreshments served in Platinum, Gold dinner menu, and The Ghan at sunrise

 

There is no getting away from the fact The Ghan is very expensive, whichever service (Gold or Platinum) you decide on for your journey.

Platinum Service offers more luxurious and private cabins, with added amenities and a higher personal service level than Gold Service. But was it worth almost double the cost? In short, this solo traveller says no!

The Gold Service twin cabin was more than adequate, even with its closet ensuite.

On a two-night journey, I found Platinum Services’ additional amenities unnecessary and not worth the higher fare. However, everyone’s preferences are different, and you should choose the travel experience that aligns with your individual needs and desires. For me, Gold Service won out big time over Platinum Service.

  • I did not want in-cabin breakfast but enjoyed eating breakfast with other passengers.
  • I did not need an extra course for dinner.
  • I was more than happy to forego champagne.
  • Refreshments waiting for me in my cabin upon return from an Off Train Experience was a nice touch in Platinum Service. Nonetheless, I preferred having a refreshing drink after an Off Train Experience in the Gold Service lounge carriage, where I could chat about our shared experience with other passengers.
  • I am not into taking a nightcap alone as I believe a nightcap is more enjoyable socially shared.
  • I frequented the Outback Explorer Lounge, the social hub of Gold Service, but felt uncomfortable and intrusive in the Platinum Club. I found Platinum Service quite lonely.

I felt Platinum Service in-cabin amenities (breakfast, refreshments, and nightcaps) promoted social isolation – something I was not looking for. Quite the opposite! As a solo traveller, I enjoy social opportunities to meet new people.

I admit the inability to lock the door when leaving my Gold Service cabin caused some initial concern. However, locking my valuables in the in-cabin safe and in my bag if it was too large for the safe, for example, my camera, eased my disquiet.

I like my luxuries and attentive, discreet staff, but these were not worth the additional cost of Platinum Service on The Ghan.

The Ghan Gold Service vs Platinum Service: recommendation

The Ghan luxury train certainly offers an unforgettable experience in Australia, but it comes at a price.

Not everyone who reads this post will agree with me, but it is my judgement that The Ghan offers the same overall services regardless of cabin class. The answer to the question of “which service is better” will entirely depend on individual preferences and what you wish to gain from your train journey. However, in my considered opinion, Platinum Service was not value for money.

Without hesitation, I wholeheartedly recommend travelling Gold Service on The Ghan luxury train in Australia.

 

Disclaimer: This post contains no affiliate links. All views and opinions are my own and non-sponsored. All photos are my own and remain the copyright of Just Me Travel.

© Just Me Travel 2018-2023.

 

If you were planning to travel on The Ghan, which service – Gold or Platinum – would you book and why? I hope this post helps you make that choice. Leave a comment.

 

Like this post? Save it for later!

The image has two photos. One is of a train carriage with The Ghan sign on the outside. The other photo is of a lounge carriage on the Ghan train with chairs, tables and lounges.

The image is of two different cabins - Gold Service and Platinum Service - on The Ghan Train in Australia.

 

Author’s Note: Please check the latest travel restrictions before planning any trip, and always follow government advice.

 

Sign up to receive the latest in travel destinations, topics, resources and guides.

 

No Comments on THE GHAN LUXURY TRAIN IN AUSTRALIA – GOLD VERSUS PLATINUM SERVICE

HOW TO SEE HORIZONTAL FALLS AND EPIC TIDES, AUSTRALIA

Take An Amazing Scenic Flight And Awesome Sea Safari   Northern Western Australia has some of the best unique experiences you will find in Australia. Air Kimberley’s Cygnet Bay Explorer…

Take An Amazing Scenic Flight And Awesome Sea Safari

 

Northern Western Australia has some of the best unique experiences you will find in Australia. Air Kimberley’s Cygnet Bay Explorer full-day tour covers several bucket list activities in the Kimberley region. Be prepared for a scenic flight over the Horizontal Waterfalls and the stunning Buccaneer Archipelago, a visit to a hatchery managed by the Bardi-Jawi people, a pearling industry discovery tour and a fast boat cruise amongst giant whirlpools and standing tidal waves in the world’s largest tropical tides. So, where am I taking you? Read on to discover and learn more about your next Australian adventure.

 

Over the past 12 months, I have tried twice to join a tour over and through Horizontal Falls in Western Australia. However, on both occasions, the company cancelled the tour. The first cancellation in 2021 was because the seaplanes could not take off due to low cloud cover. The second cancellation (June 2022) occurred when a fast boat had an accident going through the Horizontal Waterfalls, and all fast boat tours through the falls were temporarily suspended.

When I recently found myself in Broome again, and my second-attempted pre-booked Horizontal Falls tour was cancelled, I was resigned to my disappointment. However, one day nosing around the resort lobby, I came across an Air Kimberley brochure. I discovered they did a similar full-day tour that included a flyover of the Horizontal Falls and a sea safari, not through Horizontal Falls, as I had wanted, but out to the giant tides off the Kimberley coast.

The Air Kimberley tour cost, at $985.00, was slightly less than what I was to be refunded from the cancelled tour. I figured, what did I have to lose? And I wasn’t returning to Broome for a third attempt at the Horizontal Falls tour.

Air Kimberley’s tour price covered hotel transfers, flights, morning tea and lunch, and third-party tours at Ardyaloon Trochus Hatchery and Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm.

So, what did I find in that Air Kimberley brochure? Before I answer that question, you probably wonder why seeing Horizontal Falls was so important to me.

Last year, when organising my first ever trip to the Kimberley in northern Western Australia, Horizontal Falls was on my must-see list for several reasons.

  • Sir David Attenborough has described the falls as “one of the greatest natural wonders of the world”, and I thought I needed to see this unique natural attraction that deserved such high praise.
  • The Horizontal Falls are created by a rare ocean phenomenon where powerful, fast-moving 10- to 12-metre-high tidal currents squeeze through two narrow gorges at an astonishing rate, producing waterfalls turned on their side (literally, horizontal). I love waterfalls but have only seen ones with vertical drops. So, I knew I had to see this wonder for myself.
  • Horizontal Falls is in the Buccaneer Archipelago, an untouched region of more than 1,000 islands off the coast of Western Australia. These largely uninhabited islands are known for their rugged terrain, areas of rainforest, and pristine, white sand beaches – a landscape I was keen to photograph from the air even though it would seriously test my camera skills.
  • Horizontal Falls is remote, accessible only by air or boat. I find ‘remote’ appealing – the more difficult it is to get to see or do something, the more I want to go.
  • And lastly, seeing Horizontal Falls came highly recommended by friends and Facebook groups.

Did my flight over Horizontal Falls meet all my expectations? You will have to read on to find out.

Cygnet Bay Explorer

And now, back to my question about what I found in the Air Kimberley brochure.

I found, booked, and went on Air Kimberley’s Cygnet Bay Explorer full-day tour, leaving from Broome.

“Enjoy an adventure packed day experiencing the best of the Kimberley – Overfly the Horizontal Falls, Buccaneer Archipelago, visit Ardyaloon Community and the giant tides and shimmering pearls at Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm.”

While you can check out the details of this tour for yourself by clicking on the link, there were two very different events I was eager to experience – the scenic flight over Horizontal Falls and the sea safari out to the giant whirlpools. But I am getting ahead of myself. What did the tour entail?

I was picked up from my accommodation at 6.30 am and driven to Broome International Airport, where Air Kimberley is based. Four other people (two couples) joined me on the tour. After our flight safety briefing, we boarded a small aircraft (eight-seater, including the pilot) for the 2-hour flight up the Kimberley coast for our flight over the stunning Buccaneer Archipelago and Horizontal Falls.

The Buccaneer Archipelago is a group of 1,000 small islands covering 50 square kilometres, located at the head of King Sound near the Kimberley town of Derby.

The archipelago is a magnificent raw landscape that you can only truly appreciate from the air. While boat tours around the islands offer visits to the beautiful coves and beaches, you would not get the perspective given by a scenic flight of the vastness of all those islands that seem to go on forever.

I must admit, I was underwhelmed with Horizontal Falls. I had read so much about the power of the tides running between the cliffs, causing the water to appear like a horizontal waterfall, but ‘power’ was not evident from the plane. Instead, what I saw was more like Class 1 or 2 rapids.

I suspect the wonder of Horizontal Falls and the power of the tides are best experienced from a fast boat through the waterfalls rather than a scenic flyover.

When we landed at the Ardyaloon Trochus Hatchery & Aquaculture Centre, run by the Bardi-Jawi people on One Arm Point, I asked the pilot if we were not allowed to fly lower over Horizontal Falls. I thought lower would give a better ‘feel’ for the powerful tides. Apparently, there is a height pecking order, with helicopters flying at the lowest altitude, seaplanes next level up, and light aircraft (our plane) flying the highest.

When I got home and reviewed my photos more closely, I felt the image below revealed the power of the running tide more clearly than my eyes could discern. What do you think?

Close up aerial view of a horizontal waterfall

Can you ‘feel’ the power of the Horizontal Falls in this photo?

 

I had joined a guided tour of Ardyaloon Trochus Hatchery on a previous visit to Broome in 2021. However, on this occasion, morning tea of fruit salad, cake, and juice was provided by Air Kimberley.

From Long Arm Point, it was a short, six-minute flight to Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm on the tip of the Dampier Peninsula, where the activities included the Pearl Discovery Tour and a Sea Safari. At Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm, Air Kimberley’s involvement was limited to getting us to the pearl farm, seeing we joined the Pearl Discovery Tour, paying for lunch, ensuring we were on the fast boat for the Sea Safari, and flying us back to Broome.

Air Kimberley’s Cygnet Bay Explorer tour price included the tours at Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm.

Pearl Farm Discovery Tour

My previous visit to Broome in 2021 included the Pearl Farm Discovery Tour at the family-owned Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm. However, I continue to be fascinated by the history of pearling in the Kimberley.

Reading tip: If you are interested in learning more about a significant chapter in the Kimberley’s pearling industry, I recommend reading The White Divers of Broome by John Bailey, telling the true story of a fatal experiment.

The tour commenced with an information session on the history of Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm and the pearling industry in what appropriately appeared to be an old school classroom. A live pearl harvest followed the history lesson.

A pearl in an opened oyster

I took this photo of the harvested pearl on my previous visit to Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm

 

The tour concluded with an in-depth session on how pearls are graded.

The Pearl Farm Discovery tour was followed by lunch at the onsite restaurant.

Twice I lunched at the Cygnet Bay Homestead Restaurant with a tour group when the set menu was seafood. On both occasions, Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm was advised of my seafood allergy, and, on both occasions, this information seems to have been lost in translation. The outcome was eating a meal after everyone else had finished because they had nothing prepared for me. I found the restaurant’s forgetfulness disappointing.

Sea Safari

After lunch, we climbed aboard the fast boat for our Giant Tides Sea Safari. During this cruise, we would “feel the power of the world’s largest tropical tides with giant whirlpools and standing waves” created by millions of tonnes of water squeezing between the rocky islands of the Buccaneer Archipelago.

Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm writes about their Sea Safari tour:

“Feel the power of the world’s largest tropical tides as you cruise amongst the giant whirlpools and standing tidal waves. Venture into Escape Passage, recently described by scientists as the fastest ocean currents in the world!

The tides on this section of the Kimberley Coast are particularly large due to the area’s geography. When the sun and moon align on a spring tide, the ocean is pulled towards the north-west of WA and Indonesia, gathering speed as it reaches the shallow continental shelf and bottlenecking as it passes between Australia and Indonesia, creating the exhilarating whirlpools and standing waves we see on the tour.”

My photos can’t express the sense of adventure experienced and don’t do justice to all you see. The whirlpools are probably best viewed from the air.

The Sea Safari was an experience I find difficult to describe as there just don’t seem to be the right words to express how I felt as we powered through the whirlpools and standing waves created by the forceful tides. But let me try. It was a thrilling, exhilarating, exciting, fun, and awesome adventure. To best sum up my feelings, I was disappointed when it was time to return to land. I immediately wanted to go back out again, but there was a plane waiting for me to take me back to Broome.

Beware: You will get wet. How much so will depend on where you are sitting in the boat. Two young girls sitting at the front of the boat got drenched. I was sitting at the back of the boat directly in front of the driver and experienced what I would best describe as several large, fat rain drops.

The flight along the Kimberley coast back to Broome took us over the magnificent red cliffs of James Price Point, famous for its 130-million-year-old dinosaur footprints (but that’s another trip).

Aerial view of red cliffs meeting sand and sea. Forest lies behind the red cliffs.

Scenic flight with Air Kimberley over James Price Point

 

It was a long (approximately 11 hours), enjoyable, satisfying, and exhilarating day providing several unique experiences and so worth it. I can not fault Air Kimberley’s relaxed professionalism, guiding, and communication.

The tour was an excellent itinerary, well organised, kept on time without feeling rushed, and value for money. Without hesitation, I recommend Air Kimberley to readers.

Before our transfer back to our respective hotels, Air Kimberley presented each passenger with special gifts as mementos of our Kimberley adventure – a tour photo, a souvenir Passport & Tour Map to the Kimberley, an Air Kimberley stubby cooler, and a complimentary beer voucher from Matso’s Brewery in Broome. I am not letting out any secrets here, as Air Kimberley lists the gifts on their website.

 

In this post, I have shared my experience of Air Kimberley’s full-day Cygnet Bay Explorer tour up the Kimberley coast over the Horizontal Falls and 1,000-islands Buccaneer Archipelago and onward to a fantastic sea safari adventure in the world’s largest tropical tides. It was a chance meeting with a brochure that brought me to Air Kimberley – one that was to my benefit and yours.

 

Disclaimer: This post contains no affiliate links. All views and opinions are my own and non-sponsored. All photos are my own and remain the copyright of Just Me Travel.

© Just Me Travel 2018-2022.

 

Please leave a comment below to share your thoughts. Does Horizontal Falls deserve Sir David Attenborough’s description of “one of the greatest natural wonders of the world”?

 

Like this post? Save it for later!

The image has two photos of aerial views of a horizontal waterfall and red cliffs meeting sand and sea.

 

An image with two photos. One is an aerial view of horizontal waterfalls and the other is a whirlpool in the sea.

 

Are you looking for more ideas on destination Western Australia? Then don’t miss these posts:

23 GREAT PHOTO SPOTS ON THE ROAD FROM PERTH TO BROOME, AUSTRALIA

7 TOP DAY TRIPS AND THINGS TO DO IN AND FROM PERTH, AUSTRALIA

15 PHOTOS TO INSPIRE YOU TO VISIT BROOME, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

SEE 7 BEAUTIFUL GORGES IN THE KIMBERLEY – the ultimate guide

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO 6 SAFE SWIMMING HOLES IN THE KIMBERLEY, AUSTRALIA

 

Author’s Note: Please check the latest travel restrictions before planning any trip, and always follow government advice.

No Comments on HOW TO SEE HORIZONTAL FALLS AND EPIC TIDES, AUSTRALIA

7 TOP DAY TRIPS AND THINGS TO DO IN AND FROM PERTH, AUSTRALIA

A visit to Perth, Australia, is a Journey of Discovery of Unique Things to Do.   Perth is the most isolated capital city in the world, with Adelaide, the nearest…

A visit to Perth, Australia, is a Journey of Discovery of Unique Things to Do.

 

Perth is the most isolated capital city in the world, with Adelaide, the nearest city, 2,104 kilometres away. Perhaps its isolation is part of its appeal. It certainly hasn’t limited what Perth has to offer the visitor for things to do in Perth and day trips from Perth – all unique to this beautiful city sitting on the Swan River. Discover, explore, and enjoy the world’s largest city park, the happiest animal on earth, a massive wave-shaped rock in the middle of nowhere, the largest dam mural in the world, one of the world’s biggest musical instruments, and more.

 

Perth, the capital city of Western Australia, is Australia’s fourth largest city by population. With a population of just over two million, Perth is small enough to feel personal; visiting the city feels like visiting family. I felt I was immersing myself in a community rather than losing myself in an urban jungle. Perth’s ranking as the sixth most liveable city in the world in 2021 was well deserved.

Perth enjoys more hours of sunshine than any other Australian capital city – reason enough to visit. Other reasons why you should visit Perth are:

  • It has a laid-back, relaxed, and welcoming vibe.
  • Being mostly flat, it is easy to walk around.
  • It is a spacious city where you don’t feel hemmed in.
  • As a solo traveller, I always felt safe.
  • Swim in the sapphire blue ocean and lay on beautiful white sand beaches.

My first and lasting impression of Perth is a city of green space, public sculptures, and beautiful architecture.

I stayed ten days in Perth in May 2022. The day trip destinations and things to do suggested in this post are from my own experience as a solo traveller to Perth. Read on to discover seven top day trips and things to do in and from Perth or jump straight to a specific activity.

Take a Perth and Fremantle city tour

When I visit a city I haven’t been to, I like to take an escorted city tour. Whether by foot or bus, a city tour is an excellent way to orientate to the city and check out the places I would like to revisit in more detail.

On my first full day in Perth, I took the Half Day Morning Perth and Fremantle City Explorer with Australian Pinnacle Tours. The drive around the city took us past the famous Western Australian Cricket Ground (WACA) and Optus Stadium. I was particularly taken with the architecture of Matagarup Bridge crossing the Swan River from East Perth to Optus Stadium and knew I would be back to photograph the bridge.

The tour also took in a drive through the more affluent area of Perth known as Millionaire’s Row, past Cottesloe Beach on the Indian Ocean, and the University of Western Australia. However, the highlights for me were the 45-minute stop at Kings Park and the one hour we had to explore Fremantle.

I couldn’t get enough of the spectacular river and city views at Kings Park and knew I would be back for more.

A picture of a view of city buildings on the shore of a river and with shrubs in the foreground

View of Perth City and the Swan River from Kings Park

 

While there, I found the meeting place for free guided walks in the park, operating daily at 10 am and 1.00 pm. I gathered more information at the Visitor Information Centre in the park and put the walk on my ‘must do’ list for another day.

After leaving Kings Park, we headed to the port city of Fremantle. With an hour to explore, I couldn’t resist the historic Fremantle Markets, especially as, by now, I was hungry. The markets have been operating in this heritage-listed building for over 100 years. Focused on food, I found plenty of culturally diverse options for lunch, but I was drawn to the colourful displays rendered by the fruit and vegetable stalls.

People buying and selling fruit and vegetables laid out in stalls

Fruit and vegetable stalls in Fremantle Markets

 

I particularly liked this tour because it wasn’t just driving around Perth and Fremantle, but we left the bus for a decent amount of time at strategic points of interest.

While I saw much more of Perth throughout my ten-day stay, I didn’t do Fremantle justice, only visiting again after this tour to catch the ferry to Rottnest Island and to have lunch with friends I met on the APT Kimberley tour last year. I would have liked to explore the port city in more depth, which is only half an hour from Perth by train and take a tour of the prison. With an area known as ‘Cappuccino Street’, it would seem Fremantle has a better coffee culture than Perth – definitely worth discovering.

Photograph a massive mural on a dam wall

A painting of several people on a dam wall

The magnificent Wellington Dam mural by Guido van Helton

 

When I first saw photos of Guido van Helton’s mural on Wellington Dam on Facebook over 12 months ago, I knew that if I ever got to Perth, I would have to see it for myself, and I wasn’t disappointed. Magnificent! The artwork is one impressive mural, and Guido is one of my favourite artists. [Check out his painted silos at Brim in Victoria and Portland in New South Wales.]

The mural covering 8,000 square metres of the Wellington Dam wall is the largest dam mural in the world. The mural took Guido van Helton, an internationally renowned Australian artist, four months to complete (in February 2021), with Guido camping in the bush for the duration. As with Guido’s silo artworks, local stories, and photographs inspired the Wellington Dam mural. Titled “Reflections”, the mural features images of two migrant workers who worked on the dam build, kids playing in the sand, Aboriginal children playing in the water and a boy with a fish, a dad with two kids, and, finally, an Aboriginal couple.

Wellington Dam is in Wellington National Park, just west of the town of Collie, about two hours from Perth. Rather than hire a car, I took a day trip to Wellington Dam with Australian Pinnacle Tours. The tour included morning tea at Harvey Cheese with a cheese-making demonstration, Wellington Dam, a two-course lunch at Dardanup Tavern (which was delicious), a wine tasting at St. Aidan winery, and a stop at Gnomesville before returning to Perth.

We spent over an hour at Wellington Dam, where I could view and photograph the mural from the specifically installed lookout and walk down to the dam’s base for more photographs.

A painting of children and a man on a dam wall

A section of the Wellington Dam mural by Guido van Helton

 

A painting of children on a dam wall

A section of the Wellington Dam mural by Guido van Helton

 

About Gnomesville

A photo of hundreds of garden gnomes on the ground and in the trees

A small section of Gnomesville

 

Gnomesville has to be seen to be believed. At the roundabout where Wellington Mill Road and Ferguson Road converge (about a 15 minutes drive from Dardanup) and extending along a creek and into the bush, you will find thousands of garden gnomes – over 10,000 at the last count. Legend has it that the first gnome was placed at the site in the 1990s.

Myths surround the creation of Gnomesville – that a single garden gnome appeared at the site and others followed suit or that the workers working on the roundabout created a Gnome Cricket Game and others joined in. The latter seems more fascicle than the former. However, according to the tour bus driver, the story of the creation of Gnomesville goes something like this:

A lady phoned a Perth radio station to say she had many gnomes she wanted to give to a good home, but no one wanted them. Other people then phoned in to say they had the same problem. A farmer, hearing about this, donated land for a home for the gnomes. And people have been leaving gnomes ever since. However Gnomesville started, a tourist attraction was born.

Most of the people on the bus tour had brought a gnome to leave at Gnomesville. I hadn’t, as I knew nothing about Gnomesville and obviously didn’t read the tour itinerary information to be curious enough to learn about it beforehand.

When I told my sister about Gnomesville, she thought it was great fun. Me? I found it bizarre and a bit tacky. Let me know what you think.

Walk over Matagarup Bridge

A black and white steel arched suspension bridge with a stadium behind it

Matagarup Bridge with Optus Stadium in the background

 

On the Perth city tour, I took a liking to the architectural style of Matagarup Bridge and wanted a closer look. So, catching the Blue and then the Red CAT buses (see ‘Getting around Perth’ below for more information), I made my way to Matagarup Bridge on the East Perth side of the Swan River.

Matagarup Bridge (completed in 2018) is a suspension, pedestrian-only bridge crossing over the Swan River from East Perth to Optus Stadium on the Burswood Peninsula. The arches are said to represent a pair of flying black and white swans, with the bridge arches representing the wishbones, a swimming dolphin, or the Wagyl, a water serpent of significant importance to the local Noongar culture – symbolising a coming together of diverse cultures.

Symbolism aside, Matagarup Bridge is a beautiful piece of architecture. You be the judge.

An information panel in the middle of the bridge provides building statistics and information on the design, name, lighting, and more.

A photo of a black and white arched suspension bridge

Matagarup Bridge

 

According to the Perth and Fremantle City Tour bus driver, the bridge was built to get people across the Swan River from East Perth to Optus Stadium. Now, there’s a dedication to football for you!

While I had only set out to photograph and walk across Matagarup Bridge, you can climb the bridge to an open-air viewing platform 72 metres above the river. From the viewing platform, you can ride the 400-metre-long zipline to Burswood Peninsula, reaching speeds of 75 kilometres per hour. The zipline looked like fun. If I had been with someone to share the experience with, I would not have hesitated to do it.

People on a zipline over a metal structure

Zipline from Matagarup Bridge

 

Take a free guided walk in Kings Park and Botanic Garden

A photo of a tree-lined street

Fraser Avenue, Kings Park

 

At 400 hectares, Kings Park is the world’s largest inner-city park – larger even than New York’s Central Park, which is 370 hectares. With spectacular views of Perth City and the Swan River, botanic gardens, walking and cycling paths, a tree top walkway, memorials, cafe, picnic and bar-b-que areas, children’s play area, and more, it is easy to understand why Kings Park sees over six million visitors a year.

Curved silver metal sculpture overhanging a path and surrounded on two sides by shrubs

Sculpture and mosaic at the entrance to the Western Australia Botanic Garden in Kings Park

 

The 90-minute free guided walk in the park is run by volunteers twice daily at 10.00 am and 1.00 pm and takes you through several sections of the wonderful 17-hectare Western Australia Botanic Garden, located within Kings Park.

Western Australia is home to half of Australia’s 25,000 plant species, most of which are found nowhere else on earth. The Western Australia Botanic Garden proudly showcases over 3,000 species of Western Australia’s unique flora in stunning garden displays.

While I am a terrible gardener (I can’t keep anything alive), I get a lot of enjoyment out of walking around gardens. There are interpretive signboards throughout the Botanic Garden. But I didn’t need those as my guide was a wealth of information on the numerous gardens we walked past, each dedicated to a specific region of Western Australia, thereby increasing my knowledge of Australian plants and enhancing my enjoyment.

Red flowers and pods on a red flowering gum tree

Red flowering gum endemic to Western Australia

 

The guided walk in the park included walking the 620-metre long Lotterywest Federation Walkway within the Botanic Garden – a combination of pathways, an elevated walkway in the treetops, and a glass bridge allowing uninterrupted views of the valley floor 16 metres below. The walkway’s highest point is on the glass bridge, providing a panorama of the Swan and Canning Rivers. The elevated section of the Lotterywest Federation Walkway is open daily from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm and is accessible by wheelchair.

A man standing on a metal bridge with glass sides that winds through the treetops

Lotterywest Federation Walkway’s glass bridge in the treetops

 

Kings Park and Western Australia Botanic Garden are free to enter and open 24 hours a day. A digital visitor map is available on the Botanic Garden and Parks Authority website. Printable versions are also available on the same website but will no longer be updated.

There are several means of getting to Kings Park:

  • Kings Park is an easy 1.5 kilometres from Perth CBD.
  • There are two options here, both free. Option 1 > Transperth Bus #935 travels from St George Terrace (Perth’s CBD) into Kings Park. This service operates every 10 minutes on weekdays and 15 minutes on weekends and is free for passengers travelling from the CBD to Kings Park. Option 2 > The Blue CAT Bus travels between Perth Busport and Kings Park via Perth Station and Elizabeth Quay Bus Station. The service is free and runs every 15 minutes. See ‘Getting around Perth’ below for more information on CAT buses.
  • Free parking is available only for park visitors. You are not allowed to park your vehicle and then leave Kings Park boundaries by any other means (on foot, by bus, or in another vehicle).

View a tsunami of a rock formation

A long rock formation with a man standing at its base that looks like an ocean wave

Wave Rock

 

At 15 metres high, Wave Rock towers over you like a tsunami ready to crash on the landscape. This extraordinary natural granite rock formation shaped like an ocean wave (but not in the ocean) was formed more than 2700 million years ago but only ‘discovered’ in the 1960s.

Wave Rock is about four kilometres from the small wheatbelt town of Hyden, but first, you must get to Hyden, which is a four-hour drive from Perth. Rather than drive myself, I decided to travel to Wave Rock in a more relaxed manner and go with Australian Pinnacle Tours on their full day Wave Rock, York, Aboriginal Culture and Seasonal Wildflowers tour.

Note: September is the best month in Western Australia to see wildflowers, and I was there at the end of June and saw no wildflowers.

Our first stop on the way to Wave Rock was in the town of York, where we had enough time for a coffee and a stroll along the main street. Situated on the Avon River and established in 1831, York is the oldest inland town in Western Australia. It is a pretty town renowned for its heritage buildings and colonial architecture lining the main street, and I couldn’t resist the old-fashioned lolly shop.

Having arrived in Hyden, we stopped at Hippos Yawn for a photo stop before lunch.

Hippos Yawn is a 12.6-metre-tall rock formation said to resemble a yawning hippopotamus. You can walk to Hippos Yawn from the Wave Rock car park on a flat, easy 1.7-kilometre return path.

A large rock that looks like a hippo yawning

Hippos Yawn

 

Australian Pinnacle Tours organised lunch at the Wildflower Shoppe Cafe in Hyden. Unfortunately, the buffet chicken and rice were disappointing.

After lunch, we visited Mulka’s Cave to view Aboriginal rock art and handprints significant to the Nyoongar people. In Mulka’s Cave’s three chambers, 452 handprints and paintings have been recorded. Legend has it that the handprints are those of Mulka the Terrible (an Aboriginal evil spirit) who was known as a murderer and cannibal and lived in the Mulka Cave. The tribe eventually killed him after he killed his mother for scolding him for eating children.

Several human handprints on a cave rock face

Aboriginal rock art (handprints) in Mulka’s Cave

 

Wave Rock is a unique and beautiful rock formation with its wave-like shape caused by the water below ground before the rock was exposed by erosion. The ‘wave’ is even more accentuated by the vertical orange, brown, yellow and grey streaks that stain the surface. The colours in Wave Rock, created by water runoff reacting with the minerals in the rock, are magnificent, and even more so when the sunlight hits the rock.

A low stone wall on top of Wave Rock was built by the Water Authority in 1951 to channel water into the Hyden Reservoir. Initially used as an emergency water supply for livestock, it became the town water supply for Hyden in the early 1960s. It is still used for this purpose but is now supplemented by a larger dam out at The Humps.

We had 60 minutes at Wave Rock which was plenty of time to walk along the 110 metres rock face and the top of the rock and to grab an ice cream at the caravan park store adjacent to Wave Rock before boarding the bus for the drive back to Perth.

A long rock formation with flora in the foreground that looks like an ocean wave

Wave Rock

 

Explore Rottnest Island

Rottnest Island is a major tourist attraction with over 500,000 visitors a year and is famous for its native quokka population, said to be the happiest animal on earth. So, I thought I better see for myself what all the hype is about.

Dosed up with sea sickness tablets, I caught the train to Fremantle, from where I took the 9.00 am ferry to Rottnest Island – a 30-minute trip across the Indian Ocean.

Quokkas are native to Rottnest Island but also, less commonly, found on mainland Western Australia. They are found nowhere else on earth. They are also known as the short-tailed scrub wallaby and are about the size of a domestic cat. In my opinion, they look like a cross between a large rat and a small wallaby. I can understand why the Dutch sailors who first landed on Rottnest Island reported to their captain that the island was infested with large rats and named it Rottenest Island (“Rat’s Nest Island” in English). The ‘e’ was later dropped.

A photo of a quokka

A quokka on Rottnest Island

 

Quokkas are mainly nocturnal animals, but tourism on Rottnest Island seems to have flipped their internal clock as they were everywhere around the cafes scavenging food. And no, I did not take a selfie with a quokka – apparently, this is THE thing to do on Rottnest Island!

Rottnest Island is 11 kilometres long and 4.5 kilometres wide at its widest point. Locals describe the island as a favourite holiday destination for Western Australians because of its pristine beaches ideal for swimming, beautiful bays to explore, coral reefs and shipwrecks to snorkel around, and cycle paths (cars are not allowed on the island) and walking tracks.

A photo of a sapphire blue ocean and a beach surrounded by rocks on three sides

Fish Hook Bay, Rottnest Island

 

My visit to Rottnest Island was organised through SeaLink, taking their Rottnest Bayseeker Package. The package included the return ferry with Sealink WA and a 90-minute bus tour of the island, disembarking briefly at a couple of viewpoints around the island. With my bus tour not until 1.45 pm and arriving off the ferry at about 9.45 am, I had several hours to kill. To fill in my time between arrival and the bus tour, I checked out the shops at Thomson Bay, the island’s central hub and referred to as The Settlement, had lunch in one cafe and coffee and cake in another, went for a walk, and visited Wadjemup Museum.

Wadjemup Museum

If you want to learn about Rottnest Island’s unique and diverse history, including its dark history as a penal settlement for Aboriginal prisoners, visiting the Wadjemup Museum is a must. The museum is a delight to explore as it is laid out in easy-to-follow themes, including cultural connections, early exploration, Aboriginal incarceration, and milestones such as how the island was used as internment camps in World War l and ll and as a COVID-19 quarantine station in 2020. A theatrette, audio interactions, an interactive touchscreen for kids, and outdoor sculptures complete your museum experience.

A photo of various sculptures outside on plinths

Wadjemup Museum outdoor sculptures

 

I enjoyed looking through Wadjemup Museum, finding it thought-provoking and engaging. Should you be on Rottnest Island, I recommend visiting the museum.

The museum is in the Old Mill and Hay Store behind the Rottnest Bakery and General Store in Thomson Bay Settlement. Opening hours are 10.00 am to 3.30 pm daily. Entry to the museum is by donation.

While I liked the Wadjemup Museum experience, I was, on the whole, disappointed with my visit to Rottnest Island and, frankly, bored. At one point, I asked myself why I was there. My disappointment stemmed from too much time around Thomson Bay Settlement waiting for the bus tour and a bus tour that made too few stops around the island with minimal time at each of those stops (never a good combination for a keen photographer). In hindsight, I would have been better off taking the Rottnest Express ferry from Barrack Street Wharf over to the island and then using Rottnest Island’s Hop On / Hop Off Bus to explore the island on my own, at my pace.

Chime a massive bell in The Bell Tower

A glass tower with other buildings behind it

The iconic Bell Tower

 

The distinctive design of the towering glass spire of The Bell Tower (resulting from an architectural competition and the world’s only bell tower) has become an icon for Perth and Western Australia. The Bell Tower was custom built to house the twelve historic 18th century Bells of St Martin-in-the-Field (one of London’s most famous churches) and five specially cast bells gifted to the people of Western Australia in 1988 in commemoration of Australia’s bicentenary. The Western Australian Government commissioned a sixth new bell to mark the second millennium, making a total of 18 bells in The Bell Tower.

Eighteen cast bells with rope pull wheels

Bells of St Martin’s

 

The Bell Tower, located in Barrack Square, is one of the largest musical instruments in the world and a unique, interactive Perth tourist attraction. Open Thursday to Sunday from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm, with the last entry at 3.45 pm. Tickets can be purchased online or directly at the Bell Tower.

A General Entry ticket gives you access to the Bell Tower’s six levels on a self-guided tour, with the opportunity to see the St Martin bells ring by the professional bell ringers if you time your visit between 12.00 pm and 1.00 pm on a Thursday or Sunday. The General Entry ticket does not include chiming the bells yourself.

Level 6 is the open-air Observation Deck, where you get stunning views of the Swan River and Perth City.

I chose the 45-minute ‘Bell Tower Experience’ tour because I wanted more than just to learn about the history of The Bell Tower and the famous royal bells. I wanted to step behind the scenes with access to the Bell Tower ringing chamber to chime the historic bells, and I have the certificate to prove I chimed a bell. I learnt that chiming a bell is not just a matter of pulling the rope, but it is about how the rope is pulled. I also discovered how hard it is to pull the rope to make a sound from the bell.

Don’t be disappointed; buy your ticket ahead of your preferred visit time.

For $35.00, couples can announce their everlasting love to the world with an engraved Love Lock and attach it to the chain fence at the entrance to The Bell Tower.

Five rows of love locks attached to chains

Chain of Love Locks at the Bell Tower

 

Australian Pinnacle Tours

You will have noticed I used Australian Pinnacle Tours on serval occasions for sightseeing trips in Perth and beyond. Their tours were well organised with appropriate timing at each stop to explore, discover and take heaps of photos, and the drivers a wealth of information. My only suggestion to Australian Pinnacle Tours is to change the lunch venue on the Wave Rock tour.

Australian Pinnacle Tours’ Perth office in Barrack Square was three doors from where I was staying. When I saw a poster in their window for a tour to Wellington Dam (a place I was eager to visit for its massive dam wall mural), which fitted in with the dated I was in Perth, I immediately went in to chat with the staff. I found the staff above and beyond helpful. Perhaps it also helps to have all your tours booked with one company? The staff rearranged my booked tours to enable me to join the Wellington Dam tour, they looked up the weather to ascertain which days would be best for which tours, and they gave me suggestions as to the best spots to take photos of the mural on the dam wall.

When Australian Pinnacle Tours cancelled my Margaret River tour due to not being able to get a driver because of COVID-19 depleting driver numbers, staff explored every possible avenue available to them to get me on the tour another day. Unfortunately, it was not to be, giving me another reason to return to Perth.

I can’t thank the Australian Pinnacle Tours staff enough for their undivided help and attention, friendliness and professionalism. I highly recommend doing business with Australian Pinnacle Tours.

Getting around Perth

In moving around Perth, I walked (Perth is easy to walk around) and used CAT buses. Transperth’s CAT (Central Area Transit) buses operate in the Perth CBD, Fremantle, and Joondalup. They are free and frequent and use a colour-coding system in each area to identify the different routes. You may get off and on them as often as you like without paying a fare.

Click HERE for CAT route maps and timetables, clicking on the PDF symbol next to the relevant timetable.

On two occasions, I needed to get to Fremantle, and I used the train at those times – a 30-minute ride from Perth Railway Station, leaving from Platform 7. Good to know when purchasing a train ticket: Fremantle is in Zone 2 from Perth. A ‘one-way’ ticket is good for one hour, and if returning more than one hour later, you must purchase a Day Pass.

Where I stayed

A photo of a large spacious hotel room with floor to ceiling windows, king bed, couch, and desk

My room for 10 days in the Doubletree by Hilton Perth Waterfront

 

While in Perth, I stayed at Doubletree by Hilton Perth Waterfront at 1 Barrack Square. I had a deluxe room with a king bed and panoramic river view. Being situated on the corner of the building on the 17th floor with large windows all around, I had fabulous views of the Swan River and Perth City.

The room was light, spacious, and comfortable, and I never tired of the views. It had everything I needed for a 9-night stay, except a microwave, and a microwave would have been useful given the length of my stay. When seeking information, I found the hotel reception staff helpful and knowledgeable.

I first visited Perth in 1981 on my way back to Namibia, where I was living at the time. It has taken me 41 years to return, and I certainly will not leave my next visit for so long as Perth has much more for me to discover, explore and enjoy.

 

Disclaimer: This post contains no affiliate links. All views and opinions are my own and non-sponsored. All photos are my own and remain the copyright of Just Me Travel.

© Just Me Travel 2018-2022.

 

Please leave a comment below to share your thoughts. Is Perth on your bucket list as my return is on mine?

 

Like this post? Save it for later!

A photo of a painting of people on a dam wall plus a photo of a city with new and colonial buildings

A photo of a beach plus a photo of a bridge

 

Are you looking for more ideas on destination Western Australia? Then don’t miss these posts:

HOW TO SEE HORIZONTAL FALLS AND EPIC TIDES, AUSTRALIA

23 GREAT PHOTO SPOTS ON THE ROAD FROM PERTH TO BROOME, AUSTRALIA

15 PHOTOS TO INSPIRE YOU TO VISIT BROOME, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

SEE 7 BEAUTIFUL GORGES IN THE KIMBERLEY – the ultimate guide

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO 6 SAFE SWIMMING HOLES IN THE KIMBERLEY, AUSTRALIA

 

Author’s Note: Please check the latest travel restrictions before planning any trip, and always follow government advice.

No Comments on 7 TOP DAY TRIPS AND THINGS TO DO IN AND FROM PERTH, AUSTRALIA

9 BEAUTIFUL BLUE MOUNTAINS WATERFALLS + PHOTOS

“Mother Nature is the greatest artist and water is one of her favourite brushes” – Rico Besserdich   During a wet summer, I took a road trip to discover and…

“Mother Nature is the greatest artist and water is one of her favourite brushes” – Rico Besserdich

 

During a wet summer, I took a road trip to discover and photograph as many Blue Mountains waterfalls as possible in a 5-day stay. This post is about the nine waterfalls I got to, all breathtakingly unique, and how to find them. Would you visit all or any of these waterfalls in New South Wales’s Blue Mountains? I will let my photos do the talking, and you be the judge.

 

By December 2021, New South Wales had come out of covid lockdown, and I needed to stretch my travel legs by taking a road trip. Having reached this conclusion, my next step was deciding where to go. At the time, New South Wales had been experiencing significant rainfall. So, I knew the Blue Mountains waterfalls would be more than a trickle and an excellent time to visit and photograph them.

My love of waterfalls began with Iguazu Falls in Argentina and was cemented with Victoria Falls in Botswana and Blue Nile Falls in Ethiopia. I feel a connection with waterfalls and am mesmerised by their power, majesty, beauty, and carefreeness. Thus, my decision to explore the Blue Mountains waterfalls was a logical one.

I had visited the Blue Mountains many times as a child but never been to any of its (according to Wikipedia) 48 waterfalls. While I am drawn to waterfalls, I wasn’t planning to visit that many. What I could see in 5 days seemed to be a good compromise. Despite the continuing rain and a pea-souper fog on one day, I discovered and photographed nine known Blue Mountains waterfalls. I say ‘known’ because the Blue Mountains Heritage Centre staff in Blackheath told me national park Rangers were finding waterfalls where none previously existed.

The Blue Mountains are renowned for incredible landscapes, undeniable scenery, and nature’s finest. Best known for the iconic Three Sisters rock formation in Katoomba, there is much to discover – lookouts with views over stunning valleys, spectacular waterfalls, historic walking tracks, Aboriginal culture, heritage villages, mountain biking, adventure sports, and camping.

Fun Fact: The Blue Mountains in New South Wales are so-called because of the blue haze blanketing the mountains created by the forests of densely populated oil-bearing Eucalyptus trees releasing droplets of oil that mix with water vapour and sunlight.

My road trip involved driving from Albury to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains, with a stopover in Sydney to visit family. I based myself in Katoomba for my five days of discovering and photographing waterfalls

Most of the waterfalls I checked out are in Blue Mountains National Park – a vast region of more than 260,000 hectares on Sydney’s doorstep and part of the UNESCO Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area (an area covering over one million hectares). The Blue Mountains National Park is New South Wales’ most visited national park.

It rained for much of the time I was in the Blue Mountains. But with a raincoat for myself and my camera, I was well-equipped and not deterred.

Getting to some waterfalls proved challenging because all the rain had made many tracks inaccessible, and some roads were closed. With the need, on occasion, to find alternative tracks and routes, Google maps became my new best friend.

A word of caution should you visit Blue Mountains waterfalls after significant rainfalls: Many walking tracks to the waterfalls were waterlogged and slippery due to recent and ongoing rain. So, take care. And all involved lots of steps.

Fairy Falls

A photo of a wide two-tier waterfall dropping onto rocks and surrounded by trees and shrubs.

Fairy Falls on the North Lawson Waterfall Circuit was not the most spectacular waterfall I photographed on my Blue Mountains waterfalls adventure, but it was the prettiest.

To get to Fairy Falls from the township of Lawson, turn off the Great Western Highway onto San Jose Avenue. Turn left onto Badgery Crescent and then right to resume travel on San Jose Avenue. Follow San Jose Avenue to North Lawson Park, where car parking is available. From North Lawson Park, take the Dantes Glen Walking Track to Fairy Falls.

The trek to Fairy Falls is a 400-metre return walk and well signposted. At the Fairy Falls signpost, turn off Dantes Glen Walking Track, taking the path down to the falls. However, upon returning to Dantes Glen Walking Track, I recommend you turn right and continue onto Dantes Glen before returning to North Lawson Park.

A sign showing the walking tracks to waterfalls and through the Blue Mountains National Park

Signage of walking track to Fairy Falls and Dantes Glen.

 

Dantes Glen

A photo of a waterfall dropping into a rock pool surrounded by ferns and other vegetation. There is a fallen tree trunk resting on the waterfall ledge.

Dantes Glen is about 200 metres further along Dantes Glen Walking Track from the turnoff to Fairy Falls (a 750-metre return walk from North Lawson Park) and well signposted.

As I approached the waterfall, a narrow wooden bridge seemed to defy safe crossing. Nevertheless, I crossed without incident while carrying a water bottle and large camera, and a daypack on my back.

From Dantes Glen, I retraced my steps back to North Lawson Park.

A wooden direction sign painted blue with whits writing and surrounded by ferns and grasses.

Adelina Falls

A photo of a waterfall dropping into a rock pool surrounded by ferns and other vegetation.

Leaving the North Lawson Waterfall Circuit, I didn’t travel far to join the South Lawson Waterfall Circuit to view Adelina Falls (signposted as ‘Adeline’ Falls).

There are four waterfalls on the South Lawson Waterfall Circuit, but I only walked to Adelina Falls. With thunder rolling around the valley and having had enough of walking up and down hundreds of steps for one day, I was eager to get to my accommodation in Katoomba.

To get to Adelina Falls from Lawson, turn off the Great Western Highway at Orient Street and onto Honour Avenue, parking at the South Lawson Waterfall Circular Walking Track carpark. Adelina Falls is a 600-metre walk from the carpark.

Katoomba Falls

A photo of a multi-tiered waterfall plunging down a cliff face and surrounded by bushland.

View of Katoomba Falls taken from the Scenic Skyway at Scenic Falls.

 

Located between Echo Point and Scenic World, Katoomba Falls, on the Kedumba River within Blue Mountains National Park, plunges approximately 152 metres over two main levels to the Jamison Valley below.

The best view I had of Katoomba falls was the day I joined my sister at Scenic World and took a ride on the Scenic Skyway, which travels over the top of the Jamison Valley.

We also had good views from Duke & Duchess of York Lookout, but trees obscured some sections of the falls.

A photo of a signboard of several walking tracks to waterfalls in the Katoomba area of the Blue Mountains.

Signage of walking tracks to Katoomba Falls and Katoomba Cascades

 

Scenic World provides perhaps the best views of the Three Sisters, the Blue Mountains National Park’s iconic landmark.

A photo of sandstone rock formations in the shape of three pinnacles.

To read the Aboriginal dream-time legend behind the Three Sisters, including an alternative tale, click here.

Katoomba Cascades

A photo of a waterfall flowing over multiple rock ledges, getting wider as the water tumbles from top to bottom.

Starting at Katoomba Falls Park on Cliff Drive, Katoomba, it is an easy, short walk to Katoomba Cascades, located a few hundred metres before the Kedumba River plunges over the cliff to the Jamison Valley below.

You can view the Katoomba Cascades from a small bridge over the river or walk right up to the cascades. I took the photo above from the rocks between the bridge and the cascades.

A map showing road and walking tracks to waterfalls, lookouts and other tours attractions in Katoomba.

Map courtesy of Aussie Bushwalking (https://www.aussiebushwalking.com/nsw/katoomba-cascades)

 

Wentworth Falls

A photo of a waterfall plunging over multiple levels down a cliff and surrounded by bushland.

Wentworth Falls is awe-inspiring as the Jamison Creek plummets 187 metres in multiple drops to the out-of-sight valley floor below. If Fairy Falls was the prettiest waterfall I viewed and photographed on my Blue Mountains waterfalls adventure, then Wentworth Falls was the most breathtaking, and no photo does it justice.

For the best view of the falls, continue down after Wentworth Falls Lookout (disappointing view) to Princes Rock Lookout. The walk is 20 minutes return, graded ‘easy’, with some steps. Access to the bottom of the falls was closed due to maintenance work on the path.

To get to Wentworth Falls, take the Great Western Highway to the town of Wentworth Falls, turning off the highway at Falls Road. Continue to the end of Falls Road, parking at Wentworth Falls picnic area.

Gordon Falls

Photo of a multi-tiered waterfall plunging down a cliff and surrounded by bushland.

Gordon Falls Lookout is 1.6 kilometres from the main street of the Blue Mountains town of Leura. To get there, head south on Leura Mall (main street) towards Megalong Street. Continue on Leura Mall to the end of the road (T-junction) and turn left onto Olympian Parade. The track to Gordon Falls Lookout commences at the corner of Olympian Parade and Lone Pine Avenue. It is about 163 metres along the walking trail to the lookout and includes negotiating a vertical metal ladder with handrails.

Gordon Falls is to the left of the lookout. I found it tricky getting a photo of the falls due to the angle of the lookout from the waterfall. At a drop of 200-metres, I could not see the entirety of the waterfall.

While in Leura, you must visit Leura Cascades and Leura Bridal Veil Falls

Leura Cascades

A photo of a creek cascading over multiple rock ledges, creating a waterfall.

Set in Blue Mountains National Park and surrounded by rainforest, Leura Cascades is a waterfall that tumbles down multiple rock shelves on Leura Falls Creek.

The walk to Leura Cascades starts at the Leura Cascades picnic area off Cliff Drive in Leura. However, due to road works, I could not access the picnic area. I eventually found an alternative track to Leura Cascades close to Solitude Restaurant and Cafe on Cliff Drive, near Kiah Lookout. The road at this point was closed to vehicles but open to pedestrians.

The 600-metre walk to Leura Cascades took me well over the suggested 15-30 minutes required as I spent time soaking in the views over the magnificent Jamison Valley, listening to the music of rushing water, taking heaps of photos, walking on to Leura Bridal Veil Falls, and climbing back up all the steps I had taken to get down to Leura Cascades.

A map showing road and walking tracks to waterfalls, lookouts and other tourist attractions in Leura.

Credit: Google Maps

 

Leura Bridal Veil Falls

A photo of a wide waterfall plunging down a rugged cliff face to the valley floor below.

Fed by Leura Falls Creek and downstream from Leura Cascades, the picturesque Leura Bridal Veil Falls was a fantastic climax to my Blue Mountains waterfalls experience!

Bridal Veil Falls is a permanent waterfall with a drop of 35 metres. The ideal times to visit are late autumn, winter, and early spring.

The day I decided to see Govetts Leap Falls (also known as Bridal Veil Falls and not to be confused with the falls in Leura by the same name), it was pea-souper fog on the drive from my accommodation in Katoomba to Govetts Leap Lookout in Blackheath. Even though at Govetts Leap Lookout I couldn’t see two feet in front of me, I decided I would walk down to the waterfall. For some reason, I figured the fog would lift the lower I descended the mountain. Not my best thinking! The fog made the descent treacherous, especially on uneven, slippery steps. When I finally got to the waterfall where it plunges over the cliff, I couldn’t see anything except the new waterfall created by the unprecedented rains the area was experiencing. It was a whiteout! For the first time, I considered the negative aspect of no one knowing where I was.

Where I stayed

For the five days I spent seeking and photographing Blue Mountains waterfalls, I based myself at Lilianfels Blue Mountains Resort & Spa in Katoomba, in the heart of the World Heritage Listed Blue Mountains National Park. This 5-star resort, 90 minutes from Sydney, is set in two acres of gardens overlooking the Jamison Valley.

Fine dining, spa treatments, high tea, and a large, comfortable room made Lilianfels the ideal place to come ‘home’ to after a day of trekking.

A photo of a room in a luxury hotel, showing the bed, cupboard, couch, desk and chair.

My room in Lilianfels Blue Mountains Resort & Spa

 

The nine Blue Mountains waterfalls I visited in December are just the tip of the iceberg. There are many more waterfalls to explore in the Blue Mountains, and I still have 39 to discover!

My focus on this road trip was on the waterfalls located in the Blue Mountains. But there is more to the Blue Mountains than just waterfalls. It is a playground for a variety of activities and a must-visit area.

Important Note: You must check the NSW National Parks and Wildlife website for park alerts to avoid disappointment and dangerous situations. Alerts can include track and road closures, fire bans, and safety alerts.

 

Disclaimer: This post contains no affiliate links. All views and opinions are my own and non-sponsored. Unless expressly stated, all photos are my own and remain the copyright of Just Me Travel.

 

Please leave a comment below to share your thoughts. How can you not love waterfalls! Which waterfall most inspires you to visit the Blue Mountains?

 

Like this post? Save it for later!

A picture of two waterfalls

A picture of two waterfalls

 

Are you looking for more waterfalls? Read these related posts.

Photo of a waterfall with a rainbow reflected on the rock cliff face.

SEE 3 OF THE BEST WATERFALLS IN THE SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS, NEW SOUTH WALES

 

A photo of multiple waterfalls taken from the air while in a helicopter and looking past the pilot.

THE SMOKE THAT THUNDERS FROM MY CAMERA’S PERSPECTIVE

 

Author’s Note: Please check the latest travel restrictions before planning any trip, and always follow government advice.

© Just Me Travel 2018-2022.

 

No Comments on 9 BEAUTIFUL BLUE MOUNTAINS WATERFALLS + PHOTOS

PLANNING A TRIP? GET THE BEST WORLD LONG RANGE CITY WEATHER FORECASTS [2022 UPDATED]

World Weather Forecast – Know Before You Plan, Pack, and Go.   The weather plays a crucial role in your enjoyment of your trip. Planning is essential and knowing the…

World Weather Forecast – Know Before You Plan, Pack, and Go.

 

The weather plays a crucial role in your enjoyment of your trip. Planning is essential and knowing the city weather forecasts informs your trip planning and packing.

 

Do you want to avoid, as much as possible, torrential downpours like this in southern India (below)? Read on to learn how.

A photo of heavy rain with trees in the foreground and a pool and building in the background.

Are you planning a trip but unsure what to pack because you don’t know the expected weather?

OR

Do you ask yourself which month will give you the best weather for that holiday at the beach?

OR

Do you want to go to Asia, missing the monsoon season, but don’t know which months have the highest rainfall?

I learned the hard way about this last question, travelling to Vietnam on two occasions in November and October, respectively. Vietnam’s monsoon season is May to November. On both trips, I found myself in Hoi An walking the streets in calf-deep water because the Thu Bon River had broken its banks. I’m obviously a slow learner! My third trip to Vietnam was at the end of December. No rain!

A photo of rain falling on a river that has flooded the street. People are transporting a motor bike in a boat along the flooded street.

The Thu Bon River breaks its banks and floods the streets of Hoi An during the monsoon season

 

My go-to resource to answer these and similar questions is the World Meteorological Organisation’s (WMO) World Weather Information Service.

Here you can access reliable weather forecasts and conditions for most world cities. Specifically, you will find:

  • current temperature;
  • 5/6-day weather forecast;
  • time of sunrise and sunset;
  • average minimum and maximum temperatures per month gathered over 30 years; and
  • average rainfall and rain days per month gathered over 30 years.
A map of Australia and a table of monthly temperature and rain forecasts

The World Meteorological Organisation’s long-range city weather forecasts for Broome in Western Australia (screenshot)

 

I am someone who loves the heat and hates the cold and rain. As such, my trip planning revolves around escaping my hometown’s cold, wet winter and seeking holidays in hot, dry places. The WMO’s long-range city weather forecast is a great asset in my decision making.

Having decided where and when I am going, the WMO’s World Weather Information Service then informs me as to what I pack, depending on the average temperature (minimum and maximum) and rainfall (how much and how often). I like to pack light, so I will not take a coat if the temperature at my destination does not drop below 25 degrees Celsius day or night. If the long-range forecast for the months I am travelling predicts no rain, I won’t take a rain jacket but will take a travel umbrella as mother nature can be a fickle mistress.

The “MyWorldWeather” is the mobile application of the World Weather Information Service and is available from the App Store and Google Play.

On a final note, I would like to leave you with the following image.

A four-wheel-drive vehicle crossing a flooded river.

It’s the dry season in the Kimberley, Western Australia, and this car (above) crosses the flooded Pentecost River. During the wet season, the river and much of the Kimberley is impassable.

Knowing long-range city weather forecasts before you go, you will likely avoid disappointment! Make the World Meteorological Organisation’s World Weather Information Service your new best friend.

 

Editor’s Note: This blog post was originally published in January 2019 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

 

Disclaimer: This post contains no affiliate links. All views and opinions are my own and non-sponsored. All photos are my own and remain the copyright of Just Me Travel.

© Just Me Travel 2018-2022.

 

Have you, or would you find this travel tip on city weather forecasts useful? Are there other weather tips you would like to share? Please leave a comment below to share your thoughts.

 

Like this post? PIN it for later!

 

Author’s Note: Please check the latest travel restrictions before planning any trip, and always follow government advice.

 

No Comments on PLANNING A TRIP? GET THE BEST WORLD LONG RANGE CITY WEATHER FORECASTS [2022 UPDATED]

OUIDAH VOODOO FESTIVAL IN BENIN – a joyous celebration with 13 photos to inspire [2021 UPDATED]

An Annual Celebration Not to Be Missed is Benin’s Voodoo Festival in Ouidah   Picture colour, music, singing, dancing, and a joyous party attracting national and international visitors. This is…

An Annual Celebration Not to Be Missed is Benin’s Voodoo Festival in Ouidah

 

Picture colour, music, singing, dancing, and a joyous party attracting national and international visitors. This is not Carnival in Rio de Janeiro or Venice. Add religion and culture, and you have Benin’s Voodoo Festival in Ouidah. With 13 photos to inspire your curiosity, wanderlust, and travel plans, join me in my experience of Benin’s Voodoo Day national celebration.

 

Voodoo Day in Benin falls on January 10 each year. It is a national holiday celebrating the country’s heritage of the West African religion of Voodoo.

Benin (officially the Republic of Benin) is a sliver of a nation in West Africa on the Atlantic Ocean. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. Ouidah is a city on Benin’s narrow strip of coastline and was the ancient port of the slave trade.

An image of a map of West Africa

Map of West Africa

 

Attending Benin’s Voodoo Festival in Ouidah was my primary reason for travelling to West Africa.

Voodoo is one of Benin’s official religions, while Ouidah is considered the birthplace of Voodoo. It is probably one of the most misunderstood religions in the world. West African Voodoo is a complex religion rooted in healing and doing good to others. It is not the stuff of Hollywood – of witchcraft and black magic or sticking pins in dolls.

I must admit it was curiosity that fed my travel plans to include the Voodoo Festival in Ouidah. I wanted to witness this annual celebration of Benin’s heritage and traditional culture and to experience a unique festival.

My participation at the Voodoo Festival commenced with a visit to Ouidah’s Temple of Pythons – one of Voodoo’s most revered places and home to some 60 pythons. The pythons are a significant symbol for followers of Voodoo. They are not feared but are revered and worshipped. These pythons were said to be docile, which was just as well because they roamed freely. It was here, through a break in the trampling crowd, that I momentarily sighted the Voodoo Pope who had come to pay homage at the Temple of Pythons.

a group of women dressed in multi-coloured clothing and each wearing many bead necklaces.

Female Voodoo devotees at the Temple of Pythons

 

From the Temple of Pythons, the Voodoo Pope led a procession along the historical, 3-kilometre Slave Road to the ‘Door of No Return’ (of slave trade infamy) on Ouidah’s beach on the Atlantic coast. It was on this stretch of sand that the celebrations of the Voodoo Festival truly got underway.

And what a celebration!

With the dignitaries’ speeches over (this took over an hour), it was party time. But first, the spirits and Voodoo gods needed to be appeased with the sacrifice of a goat. The Voodoo Pope carried out this ritual behind a circular wall of blue plastic away from public view. Animal sacrifice is a fundamental element in Voodoo. No Voodoo ceremony is worth its salt without an animal sacrifice in exchange for favours from the spirits.

Immediately following the sacrifice, the Voodoo Pope made his way to his throne in the shadow of the Door of No Return. I say ‘throne’ because the festival hosts referred to him as “His Majesty the Pope”.

A seated group of men and women dressed in multi-coloured clothing.

The Voodoo Pope (in blue robes) on his throne

 

With the Voodoo Pope seated, the atmosphere changed. The speeches gave way to vibrant displays of dancing and the throbbing of drums. I witnessed ‘exorcisms’ in which a seemingly possessed person would run away from a group of people, only to be caught, dragged to the ground, and sprinkled with powder. The crowd became particularly excited when coloured haystacks appeared, spinning around the grounds. I learned these ‘haystacks’ are Voodoo spirits known as Zangbeto and are the traditional Voodoo guardians of the night – the Nightwatchmen. They are the unofficial police force and dispensers of justice. I did not envy the human police who battled to keep the crowds from encroaching on dancers and Voodoo spirits.

With so much going on around me, I wandered around aimlessly. I didn’t know which group to stay and watch or where to go next. But I was intent on seeing it all. I moved around the festival for a couple of hours until I decided it was time to sit down and people watch.

Overall, the celebration at the Voodoo Festival in Ouidah was a hive of activity in which people would swarm from one dance display to another. A kaleidoscope of colour from the attire worn by attendees and a cacophony of noise from the frantic pounding of drums dominated the festival. The crowd was buzzing.

But perhaps, the best way to describe the Voodoo Festival and my experience is to share some of my photos with you.

 

Ouidah’s Voodoo Festival was a never to be forgotten experience.

 

Disclaimer: This post contains no affiliate links. All views and opinions are my own and non-sponsored. All photos are my own and remain the copyright © of Just Me Travel 2021.

 

Which festival have you attended that has been a ‘never to be forgotten experience’ for you? Tell us about it. Please leave a comment below to share your thoughts.

 

Like this post? PIN it for later!

 

Related posts

For more posts on Africa, visit Just Me Travel: https://justme.travel/category/destinations/africa/

 

Author’s Note: Please check the latest travel restrictions before planning any trip, and always follow government advice.

 

No Comments on OUIDAH VOODOO FESTIVAL IN BENIN – a joyous celebration with 13 photos to inspire [2021 UPDATED]

15 PHOTOS TO INSPIRE YOU TO VISIT BROOME, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

15 Photos for 15 Reasons Why You Should Holiday in Tropical Broome, the ‘Capital’ of the Kimberley Broome’s physical environment and cultural richness offer a wide variety of unique experiences…

15 Photos for 15 Reasons Why You Should Holiday in Tropical Broome, the ‘Capital’ of the Kimberley

Broome’s physical environment and cultural richness offer a wide variety of unique experiences for every visitor, whatever your budget. The photos in this post take you on a virtual tour of my experiences and discoveries over six days in Broome.

 

Broome is the gateway to the spectacular Kimberley region in tropical northern Western Australia – where one of the world’s last wilderness areas meets the Indian Ocean. Broome is about 2,048 kilometres northeast of Perth and approximately 1,871 kilometres southwest of Darwin.

Why should you visit Broome? Below I have focused on 15 personal reasons, presented through 15 photos to tempt you to visit this laid-back town that gets under your skin. With pristine waters, sandy beaches, abundant wildlife, tropical climate, breathtaking colours, and magnificent landscapes, Broome is a unique destination with so much to see and discover.

The Yawuru (pronounced Ya-roo) people are the traditional owners of Broome and surrounding areas.

Pearl Luggers

A mannequin dressed in an old pearl diver suit, including the weights the pearl divers carried on their feet, chest, back, belt and diving helmet

There is a local saying that Broome was built on buttons.

On Dampier Terrace in Chinatown, Pearl Luggers is a unique museum providing insight into Broome’s pearling industry – an industry that commenced life supplying mother-of-pearl for the European market for buttons, combs, and other high-end fashion accessories, to Broome now being the home of the South Sea Pearl.

Peal Luggers features two fully restored wooden pearling luggers (sailing vessel with specific rigging) and 150 years of pearl diving memorabilia. The divers would stay out to sea on the luggers for months at a time.

I was interested in the pearling history of Broome and found the Pearl Luggers tour was a great introduction to that history. It was educational, informative, entertaining, visual, tactile, and insightful. I learned pearl divers risked their lives due to drowning or decompression sickness (the bends) every time they dived for pearl shells. I learned the pearl divers wore 180 kilograms of weights each time they dived, which limited their diving life to 10 years due to carrying all that weight. Many divers now rest in the Japanese cemetery.

The 1.5-hour tour operates daily, concluding with a free sample of the rare pearl meat. I didn’t try this costly delicacy as I wasn’t game to test if my seafood allergy ran to pearl meat.

Japanese Cemetery

Grave headstones in a cemetery with Japanese script on the headstones

Pearling was a dangerous pursuit. The Japanese Cemetery on Port Drive in Broome is the largest Japanese cemetery in Australia. The memorial on the stone wall at the entrance to the Japanese Cemetery reads …

The Japanese cemetery at Broome dates back to the very early pearling years and bears witness to the close ties Japan has with this small north west town. The first recorded interment in this cemetery is 1896.

During their years of employment in the industry, a great many men lost their lives due to drowning or the diver’s paralysis [decompression sickness (the bends)]. A large stone obelisk bears testimony to those lost in the 1908 cyclone. It is also recorded that the 1887 and 1935 cyclones each caused the death of 140 men. In the year 1914 the diver’s paralysis claimed the lives of 33 men.

There are 707 graves (919 people) with them having headstones of coloured beach rocks.

The sheer enormity of the number of deaths among the Japanese pearl divers and the sacrifice they made with their lives to Broome’s pearling industry moved me. The serene beauty of the memorials created an atmosphere for reflection.

Willie Creek Pearl Farm

A pearl in an oyster

The pearl found in the oyster that was harvested on my tour and was valued at $750.00

 

Broome was built on its pearling industry. As such, you should not miss a tour of a working pearl farm.

Willie Creek Pearl Farm is a working pearl farm where you can learn all about the process of modern cultured pearl farming – from the birthing and harvesting of oysters through to valuing the pearls, the creation of jewellery, and how to care for your pearls. The tour includes a boat trip on Willie Creek to view the live oysters in panels suspended from lines. The tour finishes with morning or afternoon tea.

Roebuck Bay

Two bomb trees in red soil in front of mangroves, with the turquoise sea behind them

Roebuck Bay is a spectacular landscape

 

Roebuck Bay is one of Broome’s most beautiful and dramatic natural attractions. The bay’s colours are spectacular, and the enormous tidal variations (up to 10 metres between low and high tides) are remarkable. Town Beach is the best place to sit and observe the ever-changing Roebuck Bay.

Also worth noting: Roebuck Bay is Australia’s newest Marine Park and a national heritage site. Often seen playing, swimming, and fishing in Roebuck Bay is the Australian snubfin dolphin, recognised as a new species in 2005. The bay is also a bird lover’s paradise as it is a great place to view vast numbers of migratory birds.

Gantheaume Point

Vibrant red rock formations at the edge of a large expanse of water

Gantheaume Point is at the southern end of Cable Beach, six kilometres from Broome’s town centre. If you don’t have a car, a tour could be your best option for viewing Gantheaume Point’s vibrant red rock formations that drop down to the Indian Ocean.

Fun fact: Gantheaume Point is a national heritage site famous for its dinosaur footprints. If wanting to see the dinosaur footprints, check the tides. The footprints are only visible at low tides below 1.3 metres.

Matso’s Broome Brewery

A house surrounded by palm trees. The sign on the roof of the house and hanging on the fence reads "Matso's Broome Brewery"

Stop in for a drink at Matso’s Broome Brewery on Roebuck Bay – Australia’s most remote microbrewery and the only brewery in Broome. Sample Matso’s famous alcoholic Ginger Beer or try their Mango Beer or Chilli Beer.

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are available at this award-winning venue.

Also at Matso’s: Sobrane, the artist who painted the murals on the silos at Tungamah in North East Victoria, lives in Broome and has a gallery within Matso’s grounds. Her artwork is delightful and primarily focuses on Australian native birds. Take a wander through her gallery.

Town Beach Café

People eating at outdoor tables with a view of the beach

Town Beach Cafe – breakfast with a view

 

Town Beach Café has the best views in town. As the name suggests, the café is at Town Beach overlooking Roebuck Bay.

Broome is a bit short on cafés. However, Town Beach Café won me over with its beautiful view over the azure waters of Roebuck Bay and its excellent food. I ate here a couple of times for breakfast and brunch. My favourite meal was ‘Stacks on Shorty’ – fluffy pancakes, fresh bananas, syrup, berry compote, and mascarpone. Yum! It makes my mouth water just writing about it. An iced coffee completed my meal.

At the time of writing, Town Beach Café is closed for the wet season, reopening in March 2022.

Sunset Pictures

A picture theatre in an outdoor garden with a big screen and outdoor chairs

Sun Pictures is an outdoor cinema in Broome’s Chinatown. It is the world’s oldest operating open-air picture garden and is heritage listed (Western Australia).

Movies run nightly, but be warned, Sun Pictures is located under the airport’s flight path. It is not unusual for your movie to be interrupted by the sudden and loud noise of a plane flying over low enough to feel you can reach up and touch it.

Sun Pictures is a major tourist attraction. If you don’t want to see a movie but would like to check out the inside of the cinema, tours are available.

Fun fact: Sun Pictures is the only picture theatre in the world to be subject to continual tidal flooding. Until Broome’s levee bank was built in 1974, moviegoers would have to lift their feet as the tide came in. Rumour has it that you could catch a fish during a screening!

Cable Beach camel ride

A tourist camel train on a beach

No trip to Broome is complete without hopping on the back of a camel for a ride along Cable Beach as the sun goes down over the Indian Ocean. A sunset camel ride along Cable Beach is one of Broome’s most iconic experiences.

Cable Beach sunset

A sunset over water and reflected in the wet sand. A bird flies through the image.

Visit Cable Beach to watch the spectacular sunset over the Indian Ocean.

Gantheaume Point sunset

The sun sets over the ocean with rocks in the foreground. Two fishermen in a small boat are out to sea.

Gantheaume Point provides a less crowded alternative to Cable Beach for watching the sun drop below the horizon. With its rock formations, it also offers a different perspective from that of Cable Beach.

Unfortunately, on the evening of my sunset tour to Gantheaume Point, there was thick cloud cover. Even so, I found the sun escaping through the clouds to be visually pretty and quite different to that of Cable Beach’s lens-filling red.

Staircase to the Moon

The rising moon reflected on mud flats creating the illusion of a stairway reaching to the moon

Staircase to the Moon photo credit: Tourism Western Australia

 

Staircase to the Moon is an optical illusion created by a natural phenomenon. This spectacular vision occurs when a rising full moon is reflected in the exposed mudflats of Roebuck Bay at extremely low tide. Thus, creating the illusion of a stairway reaching to the moon.

Staircase to the Moon happens for 2-3 days each month between March and November. The best place to witness the Staircase to the Moon is at Town Beach.

Dates and times to observe Staircase to the Moon are available from Broome Visitor Centre.

Whale Watching and Sunset Cruise

An orange and red sunset over a body of water. On the water is a large boat.

A sunset cruise along Western Australia’s coastline with the chance to see Humpback whales is a relaxing way to spend four hours in the late afternoon.

The cruise I took was on a catamaran with a fully licensed and serviced bar onboard. Fresh canapes, fruit, cheese platter and non-alcoholic drinks were complimentary. Unfortunately, no whales were sighted.

Courthouse Markets

A group of market stalls selling crafts and other wares, with people wandering around them

The Broome Courthouse Markets are held in the heritage-listed gardens of the Broome Courthouse. The markets are a significant tourist attraction in Broome and host up to 115 creative stalls in the dry season.

Hours: The Courthouse Markets run annually on Saturdays from 8 am – 1 pm and the same hours on Sundays between April and October.

Town Beach Night Markets

People eating at an outdoor market with stalls selling crafts and other wares

The Town Beach Night Markets are held every Thursday night (4 pm – 8 pm) from June to September. The markets are located at Town Beach Reserve on Hamersley Street.

The day I arrived in Broome (3rd June) was the first Town Beach Night Markets held for the season. I wandered around the various stallholders displaying a variety of crafts and wares, checked out the food vans offering international and local cuisine, and listened to live music while I ate my dinner.

Getting around

Broome is flat and easy to walk around. When I wasn’t walking, I took the Broome Explorer Bus. The map and timetable are accessible online (and from the Visitor Centre and hotels). 24- and 72-hour passes are available online. I opted to purchase a single ticket on the bus for each trip I took. A single ticket (return tickets are not an option) costs $4.50 (adult) per trip for one to unlimited stops.

Take the time to visit Broome Visitor Centre at 1 Hamersley Street for all your travel needs: what to see and do, activities, tours, getting around Broome, and places to stay. I found the staff most helpful, friendly, knowledgeable, and willing to spend as much time with me as I needed. They suggested activities, booked tours for me, checked tours availability, and provided maps – all with a smile. In the Visitor Centre, you will find better quality souvenirs to take home.

I did buy myself a souvenir but not from Broome Visitor Centre. I purchased a traditional carved pearl shell (Riji) by indigenous Bardi elder and artist Bruce Wiggan. Each of Bruce’s carvings is unique and tells a story of culture through the red and ochre lines. My Riji is ‘Old People Teaching’. It is about the old people teaching the young ones the stories and traditions of making the raft (goolwa) – where to find the best mangrove wood and how to shape them. The outside lines depict the currents and tides best for riding. I bought the traditional carved pearl shell at Cygnet Bay Pearls in Broome’s Chinatown, 23 Dampier Terrace.

A carved oyster shell with brown and yellow lines

My Riji purchase: ‘Old People Teaching’

 

When to go

Broome has no summer or winter, just wet or dry due to its tropical monsoon climate. The wet season is November to April, and the dry season is May to October.

If you want to avoid oppressive heat and humidity, cyclones, and flooded rivers, then travel to Broome and the Kimberley in the dry season. Much of the Kimberley is impassable during the wet season. Flooded rivers isolate towns, accommodation, and inhabitants during the wet season.

 

Disclaimer: This post contains no affiliate links. All views and opinions are my own and non-sponsored.  Unless expressly stated, all photos are my own and remain the copyright © of Just Me Travel 2021.

 

Have you been to Broome in the Kimberley, Western Australia? Which activities would you like to share with readers? If you haven’t visited Broome, is this a destination that tempts your wanderlust? If you only had time for one activity, which would that be? Please leave a comment below to share your thoughts.

 

Like this post? PIN it for later!

 

Related Kimberley posts

How to See Horizontal Falls and Epic Tides, Australia

The Ultimate Guide to 6 Safe Swimming Holes in the Kimberley, Australia

See 7 Beautiful Gorges in the Kimberley – the ultimate guide

Are you looking for more ideas for destination Western Australia? Then don’t miss these posts:

23 GREAT PHOTO SPOTS ON THE ROAD FROM PERTH TO BROOME, AUSTRALIA

7 TOP DAY TRIPS AND THINGS TO DO IN AND FROM PERTH, AUSTRALIA

 

Author’s Note: Please check the latest travel restrictions before planning any trip, and always follow government advice.

 

No Comments on 15 PHOTOS TO INSPIRE YOU TO VISIT BROOME, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

SEE 3 OF THE BEST WATERFALLS IN THE SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS, NEW SOUTH WALES

“There’s no better place to find yourself than sitting by a waterfall and listening to its music” – Ronald R Kemler   Australia’s Southern Highlands in New South Wales is…

“There’s no better place to find yourself than sitting by a waterfall and listening to its music” – Ronald R Kemler

 

Australia’s Southern Highlands in New South Wales is a destination of scenic beauty. It is considered a foodie and wine region but is also renowned for its national parks and waterfalls. On a road trip around the Southern Highlands, I explored three waterfalls in two national parks.

 

‘Lush’ is the word that comes to mind when visualising the Southern Highlands in New South Wales. The landscape is green, painted with the odd red roof, black cows, and white sheep. Vineyards, forests, and skyscraper pine trees dot the rolling hills.

The Southern Highlands is around a 90-minute drive from Sydney and less than two hours from Canberra – 110 km southwest of Sydney CBD and 140 km northeast of Canberra. The Southern Highlands is an area centred around the picture-postcard heritage villages of Mittagong, Bowral, Berrima, Moss Vale, Bundanoon, and Robertson, and located in some of the prettiest landscapes I have had the privilege to see. Geographically, the Southern Highlands sits between 500-900 metres above sea level on the Great Dividing Range. The Great Dividing Range runs roughly parallel to Australia’s East Coast for 3,500 kilometres, from the tip of Queensland, through New South Wales and ending in Victoria’s Grampians National Park.

In the Southern Highlands, you will find three of the best waterfalls in two New South Wales national parks:

  • Carrington Falls in Budderoo National Park;
  • Belmore Falls in Morton National Park; and
  • Fitzroy Falls, also in Morton National Park.

All three waterfalls are within a few minutes drive of the historic village of Robertson on the lands of the Gundungurra Nation.

  • Carrington Falls is seven kilometres east south-east from Robertson;
  • Belmore Falls is approximately eight kilometres south from Robertson; and
  • Fitzroy Falls is about 15 kilometres southwest of Robertson.

I love waterfalls, but how do I describe why I love them. It’s not enough to say, “I just do”. I have travelled the world (well, some of it!), and I am obviously drawn to waterfalls when I look back through my photos. Waterfalls make me happy. Even though the cascading water can be thunderous and constantly moving, I find the sight and sound of waterfalls calming. I can sit and chill out for hours beside a waterfall.

New South Wales National Parks’ website provides up-to-date, detailed information on Carrington Falls walking track, Belmore Falls walking track, and Fitzroy Falls West Rim walking track. The website is a significant resource that provides trail maps and advises of park alerts, walking grades, safety, best times to visit, getting there and parking, accessibility, facilities, and the plants and animals you may see in each national park.

I recommend you call into the Southern Highlands Welcome Centre in Mittagong early in your visit to the area. I found them very informative and helpful about what to see and do in the area. They also advised on the best days to visit specific villages and towns so I wouldn’t be disappointed with closures. This latter made it easier to plan my days ahead, as I had come to the Southern Highlands with no specific itinerary in place.

Carrington Falls

A waterfall

Carrington Falls, Budderoo National Park, Southern Highlands, New South Wales

 

Carrington Falls is in Budderoo National Park, seven kilometres from Robertson. Entry is free to the falls and walking tracks.

Carrington Falls is a result of the Kangaroo River plunging 90 metres over the escarpment. It is considered one of the most impressive and beautiful waterfalls in and around Sydney. You be the judge of that from the three waterfalls presented in this post.

You can view Carrington Falls from three lookouts along a 600-metre loop walking track from Thomas’ Place picnic area – all giving a different view of the falls. The walk is a formed track and clearly signposted. But note, there is a steep metal stairway to descend and some short steep hills to ascend. Waratahs, an Australian native plant and the floral emblem of New South Wales, can be seen along the track in spring and summer.

Red flowers

Waratahs in bloom at Carrington Falls in Budderoo National Park

 

Thomas’ Place picnic area is the car park for Carrington Falls. Picnic tables and long-drop (non-flushing) toilets are available.

Getting there: In Robertson, take Jamberoo Mountain Road (opposite the famous Robertson Pie Shop) and continue for five kilometres. Turn right onto Cloonty Road at the Carrington Falls sign and continue for about two kilometres. Turn a sharp right onto Thomas Place Road and continue to the end, where you will reach the car park and picnic area.

Budderoo National Park is always open but may have to close at times due to poor weather or fire danger.

I saw people swimming at the top of the falls, but access to the base of the falls requires advanced navigation and bush survival skills. If you want a swim, make your way to Nellies Glen.

Nellies Glen

Water cascading over a rock ledge into a natural swimming hole

Nellies Glen swimming hole in Budderoo National Park, Southern Highlands, New South Wales

 

Nellies Glen is in Budderoo National Park, just 240 metres from Carrington Falls on the other side of the river. From Thomas’ Place picnic area, drive back to Cloonty Road heading north and turn left into Nellies Glen picnic area after crossing Kangaroo River. Entry is free. Facilities include car parking, long-drop toilets, and picnic tables.

The small waterfall and picnic area at Nellies Glen are just 100 metres from the car park on a flat, unpaved path. The natural rock pool, surrounded by ferns, is an idyllic place to swim.

NSW National Parks’ website on Nellies Glen provides directions, safety, and practical information, including the best time to visit and plants and animals you may see.

A small waterfall dropping into a rock pool

Nellies Glen in Budderoo National Park, Southern Highlands

 

If you haven’t brought a picnic lunch with you, then grab a pie at the famous Robertson Pie Shop – noted for its award-winning savoury and sweet pies. I had a steak and mushroom pie which was very tasty. However, I did not finish my apricot and cream pie because I found the pastry stodgy.

Belmore Falls

A picture of a waterfall dropping into a rock pool

Belmore Falls in Morton National Park, Southern Highlands, New South Wales

 

Belmore Falls is a two-tiered waterfall on the Barrengarry Creek. The waterfall’s overall drop is 100 metres, with the first drop plummeting 78 metres down the cliff face to a pool below before continuing its rush to the valley floor.

Located in Morton National Park, eight kilometres from Robertson, entry is free to Belmore Falls.

The Belmore Falls walking track is a 1.8-kilometre loop with three main lookouts. The dirt track is a Grade 3 with gentle hills and many steps.

Commencing at Hindmarsh Lookout (100 metres from the car park), this lookout provides spectacular, panoramic views of Kangaroo Valley.

A green forested valley with grazing land

View of Kangaroo Valley from Hindmarsh Lookout, Morton National Park, Southern Highlands

 

It is not until you reach the third lookout, Belmore Falls Lookout, that you are rewarded with the best views of the upper and lower falls.

Getting there: From Robertson, turn south on Meryla Street and right into South Street, then left onto Belmore Falls Road.

Fitzroy Falls

A waterfall surrounded by bush

Fitzroy Falls, Morton National Park, Southern Highlands, New South Wales

 

Fitzroy Falls is in Morton National Park, 15 kilometres southwest of Robertson or 28 kilometres south of Mittagong, where I was staying in the Southern Highlands. The waterfall walk starts at the Visitor Centre, 1301 Nowra Road, Fitzroy Falls. Parking at the Visitor Centre for Fitzroy Falls – your only parking option – will cost you $4.00 per vehicle, but entry to the falls is free. The parking ticket machine takes coins only. If wanting to pay by card, you will need to pay in the Visitor Centre.

You need to take the moderate West Rim walking track for views of Fitzroy Falls – viewed from three lookouts along the 3.5-kilometre return track. Unlike the loop tracks at Carrington and Belmore Falls, you must return the way you came on the Fitzroy Falls walking track. The track follows the western edge of the horseshoe-shaped escarpment. It is a well signposted, formed track with many steps and gentle hills. About 400 metres along the track, a family had abandoned their stroller, opting to carry their baby instead. I came across the family at the next lookout. They said it was too difficult managing the stroller up and down the steps and over tree roots along the track.

Your first view of Fitzroy Falls, and the best, is at Fitzroy Falls Lookout, 150 metres from the Visitor Centre. From this viewpoint, at the top of the falls, the waterfall cascades 81 metres over the rim to the Yarrunga Valley floor. The further you walk around the rim, to Jersey and Richardson Lookouts, Fitzroy Falls becomes more and more distant. From Richardson Lookout, the track continues to Twin Falls (600 metres return). I was disappointed with Twin Falls. On the day of my visit in October, it was just a trickle running down the cliff face.

If you still feel energetic after completing the West Rim walking track and want to see something other than a waterfall, take the East Rim and Wildflower walking tracks. Starting from the Fitzroy Falls Visitor Centre, the Wildflower walk is the first 1.25 kilometres of these joined tracks, totalling 6.7 kilometres return. There are several lookouts along the tracks, offering views over the Southern Highlands.

When to visit the Southern Highlands

The Southern Highlands has moderate summer temperatures and mild winter temperatures. The volume of water in waterfalls is dependent on rain. The Southern Highlands has moderate rainfall throughout the year – averaging 54 millimetres in July to 103 millimetres in February.

Where to stay in the Southern Highlands

You are spoiled for choice when it comes to accommodation options in the Southern Highlands, meeting all budget types. There are camping grounds, motels, hotels and B&Bs, as well as luxurious retreats on vineyards and in historic manor houses.

I stayed at the Fitzroy Inn Historic Guest House, 1 Ferguson Crescent, Mittagong. I was initially accommodated in a light, airy and spacious room in the main house. The room opened onto a wide veranda overlooking the rose garden, with dapple lighting created by old oak trees. I was very comfortable.

A house with veranda and gardens

Fitzroy Inn Historic Guest House, Mittagong, Southern Highlands

 

On my second day, I was upgraded (due to a plumbing problem elsewhere in the house) to an even larger room in the School Master’s Cottage. I soon discovered that an upgrade comes with a spa bath and a shower, bath sheets instead of bath towels, and up-market toiletries.

Whether accommodated in the main house or the School Master’s Cottage, the rooms comprise quality furnishings, tea and coffee making facilities (always a winner for me), and free WiFi.

Don’t forget to say hello to the resident miniature dachshunds, Jack and Jill.

Fitzroy Inn Historic Guest House offers boutique accommodation in an environment where history meets luxury.

Where to eat

Be warned; it is not cheap to eat in the Southern Highlands. A Chicken Caesar Salad, a coffee and a cake cost me AU$43.85 at Magpie Café in Berrima. A similar lunch at The Shaggy Cow in Mittagong cost me AU$45.70. While the food at both cafés was delicious, I found the cost staggering. However, if you forget the ‘recommendations’, you can come up with some gems if you are prepared to explore cafés in the area. The Vale Café in Moss Vale (8/256 Argyle Street) and the Exeter General Store in Exeter (corner of Exeter and Middle Roads) served some of the best lunches I had at AU$21.00 and AU$20.00 respectively.

Going against my own advice, I did have lunch one day at the recommended, award-winning Robertson Pie Shop (4400 Illawarra Highway, Robertson). My savoury pie was delicious, but my sweet pie was indigestible.

Avoid dinner at the Mittagong RSL Club. After one meal at the Club, I bought food at the supermarket for my remaining dinners.

Know before you travel

It is crucial to check NSW National Parks’ website for any park alerts to avoid disappointment. Alerts can include road closures, fire bans, safety alerts, and closed areas.

Due to COVID-19, it is crucial to check government and business websites for specific details on opening times and any restrictions before travel. Check the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service for their COVID-19 update.

Even though some of your travel in the national parks will be on narrow winding dirt roads, 2WD vehicles are suitable to access the waterfalls.

I found I was reliant on Google maps, connected through car play, to get around the Southern Highlands and ensure I arrived at the waterfalls with a minimum of fuss. Dora (my name for the lady speaking the directions on Google maps) led me astray only on the odd occasion. Dora loved Range Road. We seemed to travel it every day driving around the Southern Highlands.

 

Disclaimer: This post contains no affiliate links. All views and opinions are my own and non-sponsored. All photos are my own and remain the copyright of Just Me Travel 2021.

 

Comment below to share your thoughts on this blog post. Some consider Carrington Falls to be the most beautiful in the Southern Highlands. Of the three waterfalls featured in this post, which do you think is the most beautiful or most impressive?

 

Love this post? PIN it!

Related posts

While visiting New South Wales, consider travelling to see five fabulous painted silos, a sculpture trail celebrating indigenous culture, or nine beautiful waterfalls in the Blue Mountains.

 

5 OF THE BEST PAINTED SILOS IN NEW SOUTH WALES

THE UNIQUE YINDYAMARRA SCULPTURE WALK IN ALBURY, NEW SOUTH WALES

> 9 BEAUTIFUL BLUE MOUNTAINS WATERFALLS

 

Author’s Note: Please check the latest travel restrictions before planning any trip and always follow government advice.

 

Copyright © Just Me Travel 2021. All rights reserved.

No Comments on SEE 3 OF THE BEST WATERFALLS IN THE SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS, NEW SOUTH WALES

5 OF THE BEST PAINTED SILOS IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Join Me on a Road Trip as I Visit Painted Silos Around New South Wales’ Silo Art Trail in Australia   Follow me on a road trip with a purpose…

Join Me on a Road Trip as I Visit Painted Silos Around New South Wales’ Silo Art Trail in Australia

 

Follow me on a road trip with a purpose as I travel the Silo Art Trail in New South Wales. Learn the location of the painted silos, who are the artists, and discover what else you can do in the silo art towns.

 

Following Silo Art Trails provide a focus for your road trip and is a great way to see rural Australia.

See how grain silos have been transformed into amazing, towering art canvases. Each canvas is unique, with murals reflecting the people, landscape and culture of the communities in which they appear.

I need to admit, I have become somewhat addicted to silo art, having visited the Silo Art Trails in Victoria’s Wimmera Mallee region and North East Victoria.

Silo Art Projects (with the first being completed in 2015) have become a national phenomenon in Australia, appearing in Western Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, and Queensland. The silos provide a canvas for artworks that intend to boost tourism revenue in rural communities that have suffered from years of drought and other hardships. The silo murals take an average of six to eight weeks to complete.

Silo Art Locations in New South Wales

At the time of writing, there are eight painted silos in New South Wales. On a recent, extensive road trip through the Central West and Riverina regions of New South Wales, I deliberately made detours to include 5 of the silo artworks – at Murrumburrah, Grenfell, Portland, Dunedoo, and Weethalle.

The Central West region is west of the Blue Mountains, which are west of Sydney, while the Riverina is a region of south-western New South Wales. The painted silos in Murrumburrah, Grenfell, Portland, and Dunedoo are located in Central West New South Wales. The Riverina region is home to Weethalle’s silo art.

A map of a portion of New South Wales showing a route with the locations of 5 painted silos

Map of the painted silos locations I visited on my NSW road trip

 

Why You Should See the Painted Silos

  • This is street art at its best.
  • The murals are painted on an unusual ‘canvas’.
  • The painted silos are in a public space; in open-air galleries, open 24 hours a day / 7 days a week. And they are free to visit.
  • It is artwork on a massive scale. How many paintings do you know that require an extended cherry picker to complete?
  • The murals painted on the silos depict local history and landscapes, giving an insight into the community.
  • The silos themselves have ‘painted’ Australia’s rural landscape since the 1920s.

Jump straight to a silo art location, including learning about the artist and what else you can do in the silo art town:

Murrumburrah Silo Art by Heesco Khosnaran

Murrumburrah and its twin town, Harden are on Burley Griffin Way. The closest capital city is Canberra. Murrumburrah is approximately equidistant from Canberra, Goulburn, and Wagga Wagga.

I specifically detoured to Murrumburra to see the silo art on my way from Wagga Wagga to Cowra. Wagga Wagga to Murrumburrah Silo Art is 127 kilometres, while Murrumburrah to Cowra is 102 kilometres.

Google maps show the painted silos on Albury Street, Murrumburrah, but the murals face Lyons Street. It is from Lyons Street that you will get the best view of the artworks.

Street parking is available for cars. However, the trees that line Lyons Street make parking difficult for travellers with caravans. So, too, does the 45-degree angle parking on the town’s main street. But Roberts Park on the corner of Neill and Iris Streets may provide a better option for caravaners.

A fenced-off private property stands between the murals and the public, creating a barrier to getting up close to the silos. However, the private property does not impede your view of Murrumburrah’s silo art. There is a short steep incline between the private property’s fencing and the road. To view the silo art, you do need to get to the top of the slope. At times I had to hang onto the fence to keep myself on the incline.

A painting on grain silos of a boy, two ladies and a man holding bags of wheat, and a man ploughing a paddock with 2 horses

Murrumburra Silo Art by Heesco

 

The murals, completed in February 2021, depict people at work on a farm, reflecting the profound historical significance of the mills to the Harden-Murrumburrah community.

Who is Heesco Khosnaran?

Heesco Khosnaran, originally from Mongolia, is a Melbourne-based professional artist. Although his background is in fine art, illustration, graphic design, and print media, he has extensive experience in large-scale public murals. Heesco has an ever-growing national and international presence.

Heesco painted three of the five silo artworks I visited on my road trip through the Central West and Riverina regions of New South Wales – at Murrumburrah, Grenfell, and Weethalle. By the end of my road trip, I had become quite familiar with his style.

While in Murrumburrah

Call into the Visitor Information Centre for the story behind creating the Murrumburrah Silo Art – from the community’s involvement in the design to Heesco’s integration with the townspeople.

Murrumburrah is proud of its history as the birthplace of the Australian Light Horse. Staff at the Visitor Information Centre willingly chat with you about the significance of the town’s Light Horse Memorial, the bronze sculptures, and a horse named ‘Bill the Bastard’.

Murrumburrah is not short on choices for cafes. I had brunch at Barnesstore Emporium and Café at 356 Albury Street. Walking into the café, I thought it was pokey, with minimal seating. However, an opening to the left leads you into a substantial barn-like dining area with a warm ambience. Service was quick and friendly, and the food (poached eggs, bacon and tomato on toast) was excellent. I finished my meal with a coke spider – coca cola with ice cream in it. When I saw the coke spider on the menu, I happily forewent the coffee I thought I needed for the childhood memories this drink brought back for me.

From Murrumburrah, I took Wombat Road to get back on the Olympic Highway for Cowra.

Grenfell Silo Art by Heesco Khosnaran

From Murrumburrah, Grenfell is 83 kilometres. The closest town of note to Grenfell, at a distance of 56 kilometres, is Cowra. Cowra is on the Mid Western Highway, 160 kilometres from Canberra, the closest capital city.

I was staying in Cowra when I took a day trip to see the silo art at Grenfell.

Grenfell’s painted silos are located at 42 West Street, on the corner of South and West Streets. The silos, owned by Grenfell Commodities (a local grain trading business), commissioned Heesco to transform the silos into an impressive outdoor gallery. The artwork was completed in March 2019.

A landscape painting on grain silos of sheep, cattle and native birds. The painting has a mountain range in the background. A truck is receiving grain.

Grenfell Silo Art by Heesco

 

Painted on a continuous mural, the four concrete silos at Grenfell depict the local farming landscape. The artwork is a compilation of images taken by a local photographer. The Weddin Mountains National Park is shown in the background of the mural.

Parking is not an issue at the Grenfell painted silos, no matter what size your vehicle or caravan. There is space for many visitors at the same time.

Who is Heesco Khosnaran?

Heesco Khosnaran is a Mongolian-born, Melbourne-based artist who also painted the silos at Murrumburrah (above) and Weethalle (below).

While in Grenfell

A large white obelisk. A tall gum tree, a wooden seat and plaques.

The Henry Lawson Monument in Grenfell shaded by the sugar gum tree planted by Henry’s daughter

Grenfell is proud of its heritage as the birthplace of Henry Lawson, the famous Australian poet and writer of short stories, noted for his realistic portrayals of Australian bush life. Born on the goldfields at Grenfell, Henry Lawson can be seen around town. There is an interactive bust of Henry on Main Street, next to the ambulance station. Push the button and listen to some of Henry’s most famous poems. You can sit next to Henry (bronze statue) on a bench on the corner of Main and Forbes Street. There is a monument, the Henry Lawson Monument, marking the site of his birthplace, just a 2-minute drive from the town centre. A sugar gum tree, planted by Henry’s daughter Bertha in 1924, shades the area.

When I first drove up to the Henry Lawson Monument on Lawson Drive, Grenfell, I wondered why I had bothered because all I could see was a white obelisk. But I am glad I got out of the car for a closer look because the 12 interpretive plaques around the Monument tell the story of Henry’s life, his challenges and achievements, was very interesting. I did not know Henry was deaf!

I would have like to visit Wallangreen Sculpture Garden while in Grenfell, but, unfortunately, it was closed at the time.

Portland Silo Art by Guido van Helten

Portland is located just west of the Blue Mountains, with Lithgow being 25 kilometres to the east. The closest capital city is Sydney, at a distance of 163 kilometres.

I detoured to Portland on my drive from Bathurst to Mudgee. Bathurst to Portland is 49 kilometres, then the drive from Portland to Mudgee was 111 kilometres.

Officially named ‘The Foundations’, Portland’s painted silos are located in the centre of town on Williwa Street, where there is plenty of off-street parking available. The silos are accessible seven days a week, 10.00am to 5.00pm. During these hours, you can walk right up to the silos. When The Foundation’s gates are closed, you can still get a good view of the silos but cannot walk right up to them.

The Portland silos were painted by Guido van Helten, with completion in May 2018.

Five elderly men painted on five silos

The Foundations – Portland Silo Art painted by Guido

 

Portland was the site of Australia’s first cement works and became known as “the Town that built Sydney”. The Cement Works closed in 1991. The figures painted on the silos, five men and one woman, are former workers of Portland Cement Works. Guido immersed himself in the town, the people, their histories, and connections to the Cement Works. Guido’s visits with Portland’s residents and tapping into their memories influenced the design and resulting artwork.

Painting of a the face of an elderly man

Jack Abbot – the face on the Portland silo

 

Who is Guido van Helten?

Guido is a world-renown Australian street artist. Celebrating everyday characters in forgotten places, Guido’s monochromatic, photorealistic style offers an intimate glimpse into the lives of others. His large-scale portraiture murals are found across the globe throughout Europe, Scandinavia, the United States, and Australia. They tell stories of culture, history, and identity to capture the soul of people and place.

There is no denying the brightly coloured silo artworks have the wow factor. But there is something about Guido’s artwork that draws me in; that makes me stop taking photos to contemplate what I am seeing. For me, he captures the heart and soul of the people he paints. Now, in my opinion, that takes real talent when painting on such a massive scale. You be the judge! I felt the same way about the silos he painted in Brim on the Victorian Silo Art Trail.

While in Portland

Painting on a brick wall of a parrot eating a biscuit, and painting of a dog and a gramophone.

Signs of Yesteryear murals on a building in Portland

Take a walk down memory lane. To be specific, see the Signs of Yesteryear – murals of past advertising signs from historic brand names on the walls along Wolgan Street.

I recommend timing your visit to Portland on the weekend. I drove to Portland on a Wednesday and planned to have brunch in town. The only place open was The Corner Takeaway, where the coffee was undrinkable. The pub has a café, but the pub is only open from Thursday to Sunday. The museum was also closed.

In the yard of The Foundations, next to the painted silos, I could see some rusty iron sculptures. A Google search tells me these are the works of Harrie Fasher, the permanent Artist in Residence. I would have loved a closer look but was told at the café that the yard is only open to the public on the weekend.

From Portland, I continued my drive to Mudgee, where I stayed for six nights.

Dunedoo Silo Art by Peter Mortimore

Dunedoo, in Central West New South Wales, is 77 kilometres north of Mudgee and 97 kilometres northeast of Dubbo. From Mudgee, I was staying the night in Dubbo at Zoofari Lodge, Taronga Western Plains Zoo. My detour to see the painted silos at Dunedoo only added 41 kilometres to my trip, as Mudgee to Dubbo, without the detour, is 133 kilometres.

Dunedoo’s painted silos are in the centre of town, on the Castlereagh Highway, shown locally as Bolaro Street. There is generous off-street parking at the silo art. Toilets are available in the parking area.

The primary silo artwork honours local hero, champion jockey Hugh Bowman sitting on Winx, the Australian world record winning racehorse Hugh rode to fame. Hugh is shown with his winning, ‘she’s apples’ gesture – thumb and forefinger forming an ‘O’. Also featured in the mural is Winx’s trainer, Chris Waller.

Hugh Bowman was born and grew up in Dunedoo. Chatting to a Dunedoo resident while photographing the painted silos, it was evident she was proud of Hugh and what he has achieved in the world of horseracing. She told me how she remembers Hugh as a 3-year-old learning to ride in the local pony club.

The silo artwork also includes a mural of Dunedoo’s rural landscape, including black swans. The name ‘Dunedoo’ is derived from the Aboriginal Wiradjuri language for ‘black swan’.

What you see today was painted in July and August 2020. The artwork is yet to be completed.

Who is Peter Mortimore?

Peter is a self-taught Australian artist known for his Equine Art and ‘rural realism’ style. He has held successful exhibitions in Australia and overseas.

The painting of the murals on the Dunedoo silos was Peter’s first Silo Art Project, the first time he had painted anything on such a massive scale. Unlike established street artists, Peter used brushes and rollers rather than spray cans to paint the silo artworks.

While in Dunedoo

Dunedoo’s main street is lined by shops on one side and a narrow parkland, OL Milling Lions Park, on the other side, with the painted silos off to the side of the park. Displayed in Milling Park are several sculptures of local birdlife created from recycled metal and farm machinery parts. According to my local lady, “Sculptures in the Park”, which predates the silo artwork, was designed to get people to stop in the town. The sculpture of the Wedge-Tail Eagle in the photo below against the backdrop of the painted silos was created by Dunedoo Central School’s design and technology students.

A sculpture of a bird made from recycled metal. A painting on grain silos of flying black swans is behind the sculpture.

Sculpture of Wedge-Tailed Eagle in OL Milling Lions Park, Dunedoo with the painted silos a backdrop

 

A sculpture in a park of a black swan made from recycled metal

Sculptures in the Park: “The Swan” designed and constructed by David Sherlock

 

After viewing the sculptures, I suggest you grab something to eat from one of the cafés in town and eat at one of the picnic tables in the park.

Weethalle Silo Art by Heesco Khosnaran

I made a deliberate overnight stop in West Wyalong on my way from Forbes to Lockhart to give me time to view the painted silos at Weethalle.

Weethalle is a small farming town in the Riverina Region of New South Wales. It is a 59-kilometre drive from West Wyalong – a round trip of 118 kilometres as I had to return to West Wyalong to continue my journey to Lockhart. However, returning to West Wyalong allowed me to wander around the town; to check out its cafés and historic buildings.

The closest capital city to Weethalle is Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory, approximately 337 kilometres to the southeast.

Weethalle painted silos are on the main road through town, on Railway Street, along the Mid Western Highway. There is plenty of off-street parking at the silo, no matter the size of your vehicle or what you are towing.

Paintings on grain silos of a shearer shearing a sheep and of a farmer looking at his wheat

Weethalle Silo Art by Heesco

 

Completed in June 2017, the Weethalle silos were the first to be painted in NSW. The mural portrays a shearer, a grain farmer, and sheep up on the balcony. It is a tribute to the rich agricultural heritage of the small community of Weethalle and the surrounding communities.

Painting on a grain silo of some sheep

Weethalle Silo Art – sheep on the balcony

 

Who is Heesco Khosnaran

The Weethalle Silo Art was the third silos painted by Heesco Khosnaran that I visited on my road trip around New South Wales’ Central West and Riverina regions. I was, by now, familiar with his work.

Back in 2017, the Weethalle silos were the tallest ‘canvases’ Heesco had ever painted. He had previously painted on canvases four or five stories tall, but, at 21 metres high, the silos are close to eight stories. Using 200 litres of paint and 300 spray cans (for the finer details), Hessco took two weeks to complete the mural.

While in Weethalle

Have a meal at the roadhouse Road Kill Grillz at 13-15 Railway Street, Weethalle. I had the Hanky Panky hamburger with beetroot, tomato, onion, lettuce, and sauce. Delicious! Perhaps the best hamburger I have ever had! The coffee was also excellent. Friendly, helpful staff topped off my experience.

Someone at Road Kill Grillz is into boxing as there are posters all around the interior walls.

After a drive of 272 kilometres from Weethalle and one more overnight stop, I arrived home safe and sound. And so, my road trip came to an end. I had travelled 2,614 kilometres – through sun, wind and rain, on highways, country roads and dirt roads. I drove through a locust plague, slept in a mouse plague, and navigated flooded roads. I had lunch with a stranger, chatted to locals, slept in a zoo, and visited five incredible painted silos. It was all a great adventure and experience that I will be talking about for a long time to come. One that I encourage you to experience for yourself.

 

 

Disclaimer: This post contains no affiliate links. All views and opinions are my own and non-sponsored. All photos are my own and remain the copyright of Just Me Travel 2021.

 

 

Comment below to share your thoughts on this blog post. Tell me which silo artwork featured in this post is your favourite. While the brightly coloured murals have that WOW factor, my favourite is the Portland painted silos. The muted tones used by Guido van Helten capture the heart and soul of the people he paints. Do you agree?

 

 

If you like this post, PIN it for keeps

 

To read my other posts on silo art in Australia, open the links below:

UNIQUE SILO ART CELEBRATES LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND FAUNA

 

THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO ROAD TRIPPING VICTORIA’S SILO ART TRAIL

 

3 OF THE BEST THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN ROCHESTER

 

Author’s Note: Please check the latest travel restrictions before planning any trip, and always follow government advice.

No Comments on 5 OF THE BEST PAINTED SILOS IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Type on the field below and hit Enter/Return to search