QANTAS Founders Museum - Longreach - Queensland - Australia

 

While travelling in Queensland few years ago, I visited the QANTAS Founders Museum in Longreach. If you are driving here, it will take about 12 hours and 50 minutes to travel the 1177 kilometers from Brisbane.

101 years ago QANTAS or else Queensland And Northern Territory Aerial Services limited was actually started here in Longreach when it was registered on 16^th of November 1920. This museum was started on June 1996.

Site offers plenty of free parking, there is a gift shop and a café available and all the facilities are wheelchair accessible.

There are several tours you can do to explore the different aircrafts available like Boeing 707, 747, DC3, etc. Some of the tours will give you access to areas of the plane where you normally would not see in an airport. This is the Boeing 747-238B with the registration number VH-EBQ City of Bunbury. This used to fly for Qantas and Air Pacific from 10^th December 1979 to 2002.

Do you know what is the longest non stop airborne commercial passenger flight is, is it the Singapore Airlines flight 23 from New York to Singapore using Airbus A350-900ULR aircraft which takes 18 hours and 50 minutes?

No, it is something you will not believe, the longest flight airborne time is 32 hours and 9 minutes and was the Double Sunrise Service operated by Qantas which got the name because the passengers saw sunrise twice while airborne. It was the only regular air service to Australia across the Indian ocean. These flew between Koggala lake in Ceylon now Sri Lanka and Swan River in Perth Australia and used a plane called Catalina flying boats. The record holder longest flight took place on 30^th of August in 1943, I feel this flight which flew from Sri Lanka to Australia will hold the record for many years to come until we start inter planet commercial passenger flights. I am proud that this record is between my motherland and my homeland. Let this video be a tribute to Qantas for their 101 years of service.

			Score out of 5
1	Parking Availability	Adequate	4
2	Wheelchair Access	Easy	4
3	Accessibility	Sealed roads and easy walks.	5
4	Facilities	Toilets – Yes Barbecue – No Restaurant - Yes	4
5	Scenery	NA	-

For more details and pricing visit the Museum Web Site.

Hope you enjoy the video.

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Lobethal Lights 2020 - Lobethal - South Australia - Australia

Wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2021. 

With the interruptions from bush fires in 2019 and cancellation of many events due to the Covid 19 pandemic, I needed to see how the Lobethal Christmas decorations are done.

Lobethal is a city famous for its Christmas lighting for over sixty years and is located 35 KiloMeters from Adelaide city and will take about 45 mins to drive there. Lobethal is up in the Adelaide hills so you should expect to drive in winding roads and to encounter wildlife on road so take care when driving and better drive little bit slower than the allowed maximum speed.

In the true spirit of Christmas this lighting festival has become a tradition and now it has evolved into becoming the largest community Christmas lighting display in the Southern Hemisphere.

Lights will be displayed from 20^th December to 31^st each year, I encourage all of you to visit Lobethal and support this community event.

			Score out of 5
1	Parking Availability	When all events are happening it will bit hard to find parking.	3
2	Wheelchair Access	Easy	5
3	Accessibility	Most of the decorations can be enjoyed being inside the car.	4
4	Facilities	Lobethal city facilities will be available. Toilets – Yes Barbecue – Yes	4
5	Scenery	Nothing much when dark.	2

Below is a video I made from the visit.

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Sihala Kala Ranga 2019 (සිහල කළා රංග 2019)

These are some performances done in the 2019 concert by students of Sihala Kala Rangayathanaya in Adelaide Australia.

Little Crystal Creek Falls, Crystal Creek, Queensland, Australia

Another interesting waterfall in Queensland is the Little Crystal Creek falls in Crystal Creek. This is made out of 2 to 3 small cascades of water and a pool of water.

This waterfall is located about 75 kilometres North West of Townsville and is reachable in a hour of driving. The road is bit winding after turning from Bruce highway. But it is sealed all the way so a two wheel drive small car would take you there without any problems. When driving from Townsville there is a big car park about 200 metres before the bridge to the left. It can easily accommodate 15 cars so you do not have to worry about finding parking.

At the park there will be 2 boards with maps and details about the area. To reach the waterfall, you need to walk about 150 metres towards the arch bridge from the car park. The bridge is a 18.3 metre long bridge constructed in 1932. There is no separate path but can walk on the left side of the road so be careful if you are travelling with children. You can reach the bridge with a pram or a wheelchair and have a look at the waterfall. But to go anywhere near the water you need to walk down the stairs and some walking on the rocks depending on the side you start walking down. I would say it is an easy 15 minutes walk from the car park. Also you can reach the waterfall starting from any side of the bridge giving you different views of the nature, so you can start from one side and come up from another.

Once you walk down you will be able to see the creek. In the dry season there will be not much water so it will be safe to walk besides the water. Near the bridge there is a table and a bench to sit and relax and have a picnic near the water. Near the car park there are barbecue, toilet and waste disposal facilities as well as a park for children to run around so I would recommend enjoying some food over there.

			Score out of 5
1	Parking Availability	Adequate	5
2	Wheelchair Access	Main Viewpoint – No        Secondary Viewpoint – No Picnic Areas – Yes	1
3	Accessibility	Easy walk till the bridge and then stairs, total walk for about 15 minutes from car park.	3
4	Facilities	Covered Sitting Areas – No Toilets – Yes Barbecue – Yes Garbage Bins – Yes	4
5	Scenery	Waterfall          Stream Bridge	3

Hope you will enjoy the video.

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Cheap Direct Flights From Australia to Sri Lanka

Have you heard the good news that SriLankan Airlines is going to restart their direct flights to Australia. Yes it is true, SriLankan is going to start direct services between Sri Lanka and Australia from November 2017. They have decided to do this after acquiring brand new aircrafts from Airbus Industries. So when compared to other airlines, you will fly in more recently built modern aircraft with SriLankan.

With this new competition I think we will see better fairs to more Asian destinations. Introductory prices for the month of November 2017 from SriLankan seems very good as you see from some of the screenshots I have taken from the web site. Reserve your seats quickly by visiting SriLankan web site.

Genoa Falls, Genoa, Victoria, Australia

If you are interested in waterfalls and not too fussed about the height, I think you will like Genoa falls in Genoa in the state of Victoria, Australia. Belonging to the Croajingolong National Park, Genoa falls is a set of small cascades of water each with a height of no more than 3 meters, located near the Victorian and New South Wales border.
Genoa falls is located in about 488 kilometers East from the city of Melbourne and can be reached in about 5 and half hours’ drive. Access to the falls is via an unsigned dirt road which can be easily missed. I am sure there are many who are passing in Princess highway daily without knowing there is a small waterfall in this location. After turning to the dirt road, you just need to drive about 200 meters to reach the place to park the car. There is space to park 3 or 4 cars comfortably. This will not be a problem since this is not much of a famous attraction, so you will find space to park your car at any time of the year.
At the car park, there will be a small sign mentioning that you are in the Genoa falls in Croajinolong national park. Camping, open fires and pets are not allowed to make you and others safe at the location. You have to walk about 500 meters to reach Genoa waterfall from the car park, I would say the walk is moderately difficult because the last part descending to the Genoa creek is having one or two steep steps and path is narrow. Better look for reptiles such as snakes and lizards on your way. Keep a good eye at your children if you got them on your trip since the area is hazardous specially with uncovered waterholes.
Once you go down the final set of steps, turn left to reach the main attraction. It is a Basalt floor all the way to the waterfall with random water holes. In dry weather, you will be able to reach the waterfall without getting your feet wet.
After the waterfall the stream will divide into two parts, one will be going behind the boulders and hidden, the other smaller stream will be visible, follow it downstream. In about 30 meters, to your left you will see the other stream joining back with two small waterfalls.
Another good thing is that you can walk the breadth and length of the stream in dry weather without getting wet. When wet, be mindful, the area will be slippery with the algae build-up. I feel the water is bit Ionic from the slight Brown colour seen.
Apart from space to park the car, there are no facilities available on site. So, if you plan to have a barbecue or a picnic, this is not the place. Also, be prepared to carry your garbage out, since there are no garbage bins available.

			Score out of 5
1	Parking Availability	Adequate	3
2	Wheelchair Access	Main Viewpoint – No Secondary Viewpoint – No Picnic Areas – No	0
3	Accessibility	Moderately difficult walk of about 15 minutes from car park.	2
4	Facilities	Covered Sitting Areas – No Toilets – No Barbecue – No Garbage Bins – No	1
5	Scenery	Waterfall Stream Mountains	3

Hope you will enjoy the video.

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Agnes Falls - Hazel Park - Victoria - Australia

Today I thought to post an article about the highest waterfall in Victoria, which is Agnes Falls in Hazel Park, Hazel Park is a suburb in the state of Victoria in Australia. Agnes falls is located about 200 kilometres South East of Melbourne city, which can be reached in about 2 and half hours’ drive from Melbourne city.

At the end of the Agnes falls road you can park your car and walk for about 100 metres to reach the first viewpoint. This part is mostly downhill so is easily accessible. Walking further 200 metres will get you to the main 2 viewpoints to enjoy the beautiful Agnes falls. There will be bit of uphill walk involved. If needing a break there will be a seat on the way, but nice scenery will facilitate the walking and you will be there in no time

At the end of the short walk you will have to go down few steps, so wheel chair and pram access is not possible. After walking down turning left will take you to viewpoint 2, which overlooks the mountains and the distance Toora windfarm.

All viewpoints are well guarded and safe for little children, but if it is a rainy day, look for puddles of water in the main viewing area otherwise you will end up in wet shoes / feet.

Spanning 59 meters, Agnes falls becomes the highest waterfall in the state of Victoria and has 3 cascades of water. Due to the quality of the water in Agnes river, it is found ideal for domestic use and Agnes river is used as a source of water for the nearby Toora township. The 1924 proposed water supply scheme ensured year-round gravity fed water for the township, and the first part was completed on 1926.

There is wheelchair accessible toilets, few tables with benches and 2 undercover tables with seating to have a picnic. Remember to bring some bags to carry your garbage since there are no waste bins provided.

			Score out of 5
1	Parking Availability	Adequate	4
2	Wheelchair Access	Main Viewpoint – No Secondary Viewpoint – Yes Picnic Areas – Yes	3
3	Accessibility	Easily accessible within about 10 minutes walk from carpark.	4
4	Facilities	Covered Sitting Areas – Yes Toilets – Yes Barbecue – No Garbage Bins – No	3
5	Scenery	Waterfall Mountains	4

Watch the video and get a feel of the location before you plan your trip to Agnes Falls.

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Loy Yang Power Station – Traralgon Victoria – Australia

In my recent travels to Victoria I visited the Loy Yang power station. This power station consists of two sections named as “Loy Yang A” and “Loy Yang B” which was built in 1980s, both these plans are coal fired thermal power stations. Taken together these generate 4300 MW of power which is about 30% of Victoria’s current power needs and is the largest power station in Australia (when taken together). AGL owns and operates Loy Yang A and the adjacent coal mine.

There are no tours to look inside the power station but there is a picnic area where you can see the plants from a distance.

			Score out of 5
1	Parking Availability		4
2	Wheelchair Access	Easy	5
3	Accessibility	Easily accessible within about 3 minutes walk from carpark.	4
4	Facilities	No covered sitting areas. Toilets – No Barbecue – Yes	2
5	Scenery		2

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Port Willunga Beach – Port Willunga South Australia

While we were travelling with some of my friends, we did visit Port Willunga beach which I thought would be a good place to visit by any beach lover. It is about 45 km away from Adelaide city, which will take about 50 minutes if you are travelling by car.

There re two ways to get to the beach,

a. Go past the restaurant and head down to beach. – This is the quickest and shortest way to get to the beach. No stairs are there in this path so is wheel chair friendly.

b. Turn left before the restaurant – You need to walk for about 5 to 10 minutes depending on the pace you are walking to get to the beach and at the end there are some steps you need to go down. The short walk will reward you with the view of jetty pylons and the man made caves.

Facilities – There are toilet and shower facilities but no sitting areas, so portable table and chairs will be handy.

Port Willunga Beach

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Magnetic Hill – Black Rock South Australia

If you like to experience nature’s amazing things it has to offer, one place you should not miss is the magnetic mountain in Black Rock South Australia. What is interesting in this place is that natural (magnetic) forces will take your car up the hill without the engine power.

Normally if you switch your car off, put it to neutral while at the middle of a hill and release the brake, your car will start moving downhill, but in this mountain your car will start moving up the hill. When I read about the place prior to my visit I thought it is a illusion in the eye. But after visiting the place I got amazed by seeing the way it moved my vehicle up the hill. To experience this I would encourage you to visit this mountain.

Magnetic Hill is located about 260 km from Adelaide and will take about 3 hour 30 minutes. The road to the magnetic hill is a unsealed road, but you can use a 2WD car to reach there.

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Until you visit Magnetic Hill your self, enjoy me travelling up the hill while my engine is off.

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Harben Vale Cherry Farm – Balhannah South Australia

If you like Cherries like me, another orchard you should visit is Harben Vale Cherries in Balhannah SA 5242. Located on Altmanns road, this orchard is about 100 hectares and produce Beef cattle, Potatoes and Cherries. This is a family owned farm which was with Altmann’s family for some 160 years.

They have started growing Cherries for about 10 to 12 years now and has a very open rural outlook rather than the steeper more traditional areas around Lenswood. You will find ample free parking in the property. This orchard has about 8 main Cherry varieties grown in 3 Hectares. Picking is easy since the trees are well trained and you can easily pick Cherries without using ladders.

Cherry season is a short 2 month period normally from December to January each year. Produce might even finish before the end of the season depending of the number of people visiting farms, So always call or check their web site before visiting. Current farm managers, Wayne and Julie Altman are very friendly people and they would be happy to help if you contact them.

When visiting, it is better to wear shoes in which you can easily walk on grass. Since it will be summer, hats are also recommended. Buckets will be provided to all visitor groups to pick Cherries into so you do not want to take anything for collecting what you pick. At the time I visited, they did not charge any admission fee and one kilo of Cherries were sold for $ 5. These prices can always change so I recommend you to check with the owners before picking since whatever you pick, you should buy. Since these Cherries are fresh you can keep them for few weeks without any problems, if you freeze you may even be able to keep them for few months. But I like to consume them within 2 – 3 weeks from picking.

Address : Altmanns Road, Balhannah 5242.
Phone : 04 3900 1962
EMail : wjaltman@adam.com.au
Web : http://harbenvale.com/

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Ruston’s Roses – Renmark South Australia

If you like to enjoy visiting the Australia’s largest Rose garden then you need to travel to Renmark in South Australia. The place is named Ruston’s Roses, they maintain a Rose garden of 50000 bushes in 4000 varieties. I have been there in off peak season but there were few flowers blooming so I expect it will be full of flowers in season.

To make it an interesting place for everyone Ruston’s got a small car museum as well. Till the ladies enjoy the garden gents can enjoy the cars on display. Not to mention the gift / souvenir shopping possibilities at the place. When you are tired after all that you can enjoy a light meal from the restaurant.

You will find plenty of places to park your car freely. The place is pram and disabled friendly and in off peak season admittance is free. In peak season I think they charge $5 for an adult entry. Visiting them wont be a big issue since they are open everyday of the year from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Find out more by contacting them.

Address: Ruston's Roses, Moorna Street, Renmark SA 5341.
Phone: 08 8586 6191
EMail: anne@rustonsroses.com
Web: www.rustonsroses.com

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Mount Lofty Lookout

A place you would visit to enjoy great scenery while you are in Adelaide South Australia is the Mt. Lofty Summit Lookout. You will be able to see most of the Adelaide while being there. At 720 meters above sea level and 17 kilometers from the city is a good place to enjoy an evening.

To assist visitors there is an information centre to gather more information about the area and a restaurant (http://www.mtloftysummit.com) to enjoy a cup of tea. If you got some more time to spare you could also visit Cleland wild life park which is nearby.

Drive with care since the roads in the area are having bends, also be on alert since there are many cyclists active in the area. There s a big car park so you will find a space to park your car but it will cost (was $3 on May 2013) you since at all times parking fees do apply.

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Dolphin Cruises – Port Adelaide South Australia

Recently after a friend of mine told me about these cruses, we went for the cruise with few families we are friends with. In Port Adelaide 2 companies are offering Dolphin cruses. Namely they are Dolphin Explorer and Port Princess Dolphin Cruises. (For contact details please read on.)

In our cruise Dolphin Explorer took 2 and half hours to take us along the Port river. The ride is comfortable since it is not going to rough sea. On the way you will see big ships which comes into port. Unfortunately on the day we went it started raining so it was bit cold. Since the big boats are having fully covered restaurants no need to worry about the weather.

When talking about Dolphins it is bit frustrating since in our cruise we only saw few Dolphins at the start. But noting on our way, sometimes this might be because of the bad weather we had on the day. Since it costs $18 for an adult with meal I think it is value for money, so we thought to have another go later some day to check out more Dolphins. Until then I will post few photos I captured to make you interested.

There are plenty of free and paid parking in the area, so not to worry on parking. You will be able to find more information including the meal menus and other costs on their web sites.

	Dolphin Explorer	Port Princess Dolphin Cruises
Address :	Dolphin Explorer PO Box 177, Port Adelaide, SA 5015.	Port Princess Dolphin Cruises, Commercial Road, Port Adelaide SA 5015.
Phone :	(08) 8447 2366	(08) 8243 2757 (04) 1881 7837
Fax :	(08) 8447 1344
EMail :	info@dolphinexplorer.com.au
Web :	http://www.dolphinexplorer.com.au	http://www.portprincess.com.au

 

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Aviation Museum – Port Adelaide South Australia

If you are an aviation fan you might enjoy a visit to South Australian Aviation Museum. They do have some aircrafts on display where you can get on board to have a look without a passport. This is a non profit organization managed by aviation enthusiasts. There is also a shop for you to buy related things such as model aircrafts and magazines.

Entry tickets are priced at $9 per adult and free parking is available onsite.

Address: 66 Lipson Street, Port Adelaide, SA 5015
Phone: 08 8240 1230
EMail: saam@adam.com.au
Web: http://www.saam.org.au/

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Marble Hill Cherry Farm – Ashton South Australia

Like to pick your own Cherries, then good place to visit is the Marble Hill Cherry farm located in Ashton SA 5137. This family operated farm is usually a pick your own farm meaning most of their produce is picked and bought by people who visit the farm in Cherry season like us.

Ashton is hill country so on your way to the farm you will encounter great scenery, also be careful and drive safe since some roads are windy and narrow.

Cherry season is a short 2 month period normally from December to January and depending on the number of people visiting Cherries might finish even before the season end, so always call or check their web site before going.

Cherry orchard has uneven ground (slope), so make sure to wear something you can easily walk in slopes and grass. Hats are also suggested. If you are travelling with young children and like to stay behind, you can stay in the scenic shed. It is having plenty of chairs. The management is also very kind, they provide free cool drinking water and ice cream for a small amount. If you like to continue cherry picking with young children then a child carrier sling is suggested.

Normally entrance fee is $ 5 and they will provide a bucket as the container to hold the Cherries you pick. Whatever amount of Cherries you pick should be payed for ($ 8 per Kilo). On your entry it is better to check the price since it change every year. Since Cherries can be kept fresh for about 2 weeks in fridge make sure to pick only the amount you want.

Address: Marble Hill Cherries, 25 Marble Hill Rd, Ashton, SA 5137.
Phone: (08) 8390 0327, 04 1136 1651
EMail: marblehillcherries@cherriessa.com.au
Web: http://www.marblehillcherries.com

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Beerenberg Strawberry Farm – Hahndorf South Australia

If you like Strawberries and would like to pick your own, then there is a good place you can do it in Hahndorf South Australia.

It is called Beerenberg Strawberry farm, located on the Mount Barker road. If you are planning to visit them to pick your own strawberries you need to visit them from October to May which is the Strawberry season. Else you can buy their produce from the shop.

Normally they are open everyday except Christmas day from 9:00AM to 04:00PM. Anyway it is always good idea to give them a call before going.

There is enough parking on site and there will be a helper on busy days.

Once you are there you can visit the shop to get permission to enter the patch. When I was there entry was $ 3 per person. They will also provide containers to bring the Strawberries you pick. Remember to pick whatever amount of Strawberries you would like to buy. Normally you can keep them from few days to about 10 days in fridge (obviously you can keep bit more days than this but then they wont be tasting fresh). Once you have enough Strawberries picked you can bring them back to the shop where they will weigh it, so you can pay. While I was there they sold a Kilo of Strawberry for $ 9, but the price always changes from season to season, so it is always best to check the price they are selling before heading to the Strawberry patch.

If you are travelling with young children, I do not recommend a pram since the ride will be bumpy, best is to use a child carrier sling.

Address: Beerenberg Strawberry Farm,
Mount Barker Road Hahndorf,
South Australia, 5245
Phone: +61 8 8388 7272
Fax: +61 8 8388 1108
Email: admin@beerenberg.com.au
Web: http://www.beerenberg.com.au/

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