Local Legends RARE PLACES

In the shadows of Innamincka

Info courtesy of Kyle from Your Ghost Stories
Image courtesy of B. Forley and Deefer Bloomfield

in Min Lights have to be the most frightening experience ever yet. Around the Boulia region in south-west Queensland, mystical orbs roam the country side, scaring cattlemen and causing major accidents to drivers and truckies.

My experience goes like this.

I was driving from Innamincka, which is not so far from Boulia, to Boulia and up to a place called Mount Isa, when I noticed a pair of "headlights", tailgating behind me. It was getting really annoying after five minutes and I was begging him/her to overtake, but he/she wouldn't. So I decided to slow down to piss him/her off.

Then, all of a sudden, the so called "headlights" turned out to be "Min Min Lights". I stopped the car, hearing the screech of the tires behind me as the Min Min Lights flew around the car.

I was searching for my camera to take a photo when one of the Min Min Lights got closer to my car. It hovered closer and closer almost blinding me, then it just dissolved as the break of dawn was coming up.

I never ever want to go there again, and I'm sure you won't as soon as you have seen the Min Min Light.

Helen Springs Cattle Station, NT

Story and info courtesy of CP and Helen Springs Cattle Station

Helen Springs Cattle Station is one of the biggest and most active in the country. Not far north of Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory, it is an amazing site from any angle. From the air it is even more impressive.

There are interesting statistics regarding the Station and they are as follows -

* There are 17 trucks with 3 trailers and 2 decks per trailer;

* Therefore there are 102 decks of cattle and there would be approximately
28 cattle per deck;

* This totals 2,856 head of cattle;

* The cattle will weigh approximately 500kg each (1102.3 lbs.);

* The sale price for cattle at Longreach is approx. 165c/kg (75c/lb.);

* Each animal will therefore be sold at $825.00;

* Total revenue from this analysis is $2,356,200.00

Another interesting fact:

* Each trailer has 24 tyres plus a dolly with 8 tyres;

* The truck plus lead trailer have 12 tyres plus a dolly with 8 tyres and 10 tyres on the truck;

* For the 72 truck/trailer combos there are 6,192 tyres on the road.

Now that is a Road Train!

Legend of Yahoo Island

Story and Image courtesy of M. Murray

According to the quarterly bulletin of the Sutherland Historical Society, a Captain Collin and hand Massey came to the port to also gather shell in 1856, when they were approached by the Gogerly lads who told them of a giant hairy man in the area called "Yahoo" in an attempt to scare these intruders, for the boys considered the shell of Port Hacking as their preserve.

We wonder if the seeds of stories of the "Yowie" were not sown or given strength by the Gogerly's and their talk of a "Yahoo". Stories of the "Yowie" (the Australian equivalent of the "Abominable Snowman" of the Himalayas or "Bigfoot" of the USA) persist today in many parts of the country.

It is probably no coincidence that an island in the Wallis Lake, not far from where John Gogerly later settled, bears the name "Yahoo Island".

The picture above was taken in 2006 of Yahoo Island. Does the mysterious yowie/ yahoo still roam there?

The Shail Oil town of Joadja

Story and photos by Charles Silvestro

Nestled deep in the valley in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales lies the once thriving but now largely forgotten ghost town of Joadja. During the years 1870 to 1911 this magnificent place was home to as many as 1200 people.

Joadja was originally developed as a secondary industrial town (as opposed to primary industrial such as wool and gold), by the Australian Kerosene Oil and Mineral Company.
The township lived off the back of the large coal and shale deposits in the surrounding area, manufacturing candles, kerosene and even growing and distributing fruit to the markets in Sydney.

It was manned largely by Scottish immigrant labour, the majority of men seconded from Scotland were already experienced in shale oil extraction and their wages at 3 pounds per week were double what they were being paid back home.

Most of the equipment was also brought in from Scotland and the company even paid the workers passage to Australia, though it was deducted from their wages at about 5 shilling per week.

By the early 1900's American Oil companies began to infiltrate the Australian market with cheaper alternatives, helped along by the Government that removed import duties on kerosene and, by 1911 Joadja was shut down, succumbing to the ever increasing competition of imported goods.

In a hundred years, not much has changed...

Joadja is, to visit, an amazing place, it's now privately owned, however we were fortunate to be able to spend a day investigating the abandoned settlement thanks to the kindness and generosity of Val & Elisa who live onsite in the original Orchard Managers cottage built c1878.

The site itself is quite large, covering many acres of land, fortunately we were able to drive around the town using a map of bush tracks that Val kindly provided to us.
It is one of the most well preserved historic sites I've seen, in such original condition, you can almost feel yourself in the time, and some say, if you linger long enough in the ruins of the houses you may well feel another presence from that time.

Looking down from the Orchard Managers cottage at the head of the property you gaze over 60 acres of orchard ; pears, apples, cherries and blackberry still grow amongst the flats.

Just off to the east is the School of Arts building c1886, from where you can see the ruins of the railway bridge that spanned the creek. This narrow gauge railroad was constructed by the company, all the way to Mittagong, some 35kms away to solve some of the transport problems of negotiating the steep trip into and out of the valley.

Once you cross the creek, further to the east is the main street of the town, originally called Brick Row, after the many brick houses built along it to accommodate the working managers. Each house had two rooms out the front with a washroom and privy toilet out the back at a 'respectable distance'.

The name of the street was changed to Carrington Row after the then Governor of NSW, Lord Carrington took a 'leisurely stroll' on one of his many visits to Joadja.
Further again to the east following the creek, you come across a large clearing, called nursery flats, an area that was used for family picnics and kids playground.
Back tracking along Carrington Row and up to the north is the old Pub, boarding house and stables, if you keep going north at this point you will eventually join the road to Wombeyan Caves.

Significantly, the Pub was built right in the middle of the town, with easy access by the managers residing on Carrington 'Brick' Row in the east, and the workers who lived on Stringy Bark Row in the far west of the town.
Stringy Bark Row was so named because the houses were made of slab bark rather than the flashy bricks allowed the managers.

Again, in a hundred years, not much has changed in our society.

To the northwest are the old Retorts, now on the World Heritage List, these masterpieces of design lay in two rows about 100 yards long, and were used to fire the shale to 400 degrees, releasing oil saturated vapours that were then piped to a water cooled condenser unit. The raw shale oil was then piped down to the refinery area and distilled into kerosene.

The smell of kerosene at the Retorts is still in the air even after a hundred years of abandonment. It is a ghostly reminder of a time gone by as you walk among the ruins.
The Refinery area is just to the south of the Retorts and immediately to the east of the workers houses on Stringy Bark Row.

Standing on the refinery area today you can just imagine the conditions in the nearby houses, the whole area is black with ash, coal dust and burnt coal. Nothing like the nice oak, elm and sycamore trees lining Carrington Row.

From the Refinery you can cross the creek at the western most end, which brings you back around the western boundary of the vast orchard, and to the Mine Managers residence.

It was here Lord Carrington stayed and, standing on the front steps remarked to the Mine Manager on the beauty of the orchard and the 'splendid views to the valley below'.
Just to the south of the Mine Managers residence is the bottom of "The Incline".
It's a steep hill where the original railway track into the town was built to haul goods up the mountain for transport to Sydney and to bring travellers in to town.

With a grade of 1 in 2 and 600feet in length, it's said many a traveller had repented his sins on the trip down the hill in the carriage. Standing at the bottom and looking up, you can see why.

Before the Incline railway was built the only way into town was by pack horse and cart down the mountainside near where the road to Mittagong is today.
You could also walk in via the old Chinaman's Track, a steep path near The Incline, suitable only for foot traffic. It's said the Chinese travellers would pass this way with their baskets on poles to sell their goods to the towns people.

At the time, Town and Country Journal described it as follows :
"Chinaman's track is only for foot travel and has a turnstile to stop animals from passing. The road zig zags in every direction down the mountain and at each point the artist or poet would find a charming picture and food for his poetic imagination".

Just outside the main township is the School, built in 1883, which accommodated over 100 children. As it was some distance from the town (about a mile) children had to cross the often fast flowing creek reach it.

There were only a few ways to cross the creek, the railway bridge, creek bed stepping stones or fallen trees. Children were not able to use the railway bridge as the sleepers were over a foot apart, leaving no option but to chance the slippery stones or unstable trees.

The NSW Government eventually provided funding for a footbridge, but it was still not close enough to the school and children continued to risk their lives crossing the swollen creek. At least two children were killed when the creek was flooded and they slipped off the logs.

Further out along the road to Mittagong is the cemetery, which is also on private property, however the public have 'right of passage'. Unfortunately it is quite difficult to find, not really viewable from the road, and given my penchant for such things (not), we didn't stop there.

However from the records I have read, it seems Joadja was spared the tyranny of disease that so riddled other communities such as nearby Berrima and Bowral.
It's isolation is reported to have protected the community form outbreaks of cholera, diphtheria, typhoid and influenza that affected other settlements.

Nevertheless the standard of medical care in the settlement was less than desirable, with the general view of the people being to "get better or pass on"...

We finished our tour of Joadja back where we started, at the old Orchard Managers residence, and I took the opportunity to snap a shot of Val and Elise sitting on the front porch in the same manner as the original owners 100 years earlier.

People say the town is haunted now, a ghost town, relics of the past untouched for a century. It may be true ... though for us, it was hauntingly beautiful. We'll be back there again.

Willis Island

Info courtesy of P&O and Wikipedia
Image courtesy of QSL

Willis Island is an island in an external territory of Australia, located beyond the Great Barrier Reef in the Coral Sea some 450 kilometres (280 mi) east of Cairns, Queensland. It is the southernmost of a group of three islands, which with their associated sandy cays stretch in a NNE to SSW line for about 12 kilometres (7.5 mi).

Willis Island itself is aligned NW to SE and is about 500 metres (1,600 ft) long by 150 metres (490 ft) wide, 7.7 hectares (19 acres) in area, rising to about 9 metres (30 ft) above sea level. It is the only permanently inhabited island in Australia's Coral Sea Islands Territory.

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology has a weather monitoring station on the island. There are usually three weather observers, one of whom is Officer-in-Charge, and one Technical Officer (electronic engineering) living on the island.

The Willis Island weather monitoring station was established in 1921, mainly as an early warning station for cyclones, for which it was equipped with a radio transmitter. The first officer in charge was John King Davis.

The island is under going significant reconstruction after the devastation of Cyclone Yasi.

Volcanic eruption in the Pacific

Info and images courtesy of CP
Additional reporting courtesy of LL Staffers and NG

* The following images were sent through to us from CP. They depict a volcanic eruption and the flow on effect of this incredible phenomenon it has on the ocean surface.

Many volcanoes and arguably some of the largest mountains and ranges are under the sea. More specifically, scientists believe the Pacific - due in part to the Mariana Plateau and the depths of the ocean, lay claim to the largest of all mountains and volcanoes.

Volcanoes are awesome manifestations of the fiery power contained deep within the Earth. These formations are essentially vents on the Earth's surface where molten rock, debris, and gases from the planet's interior are emitted.

When thick magma and large amounts of gas build up under the surface, eruptions can be explosive, expelling lava, rocks and ash into the air.

Less gas and more viscous magma usually mean a less dramatic eruption, often causing streams of lava to ooze from the vent.

The mountain-like mounds that we associate with volcanoes are what remain after the material spewed during eruptions has collected and hardened around the vent. This can happen over a period of weeks or many millions of years.

Send us in more of your images and Aussie yarns today. It is the stories from average, everyday Australians that make this site what it is.

Thanks again folks!

Local Legends team

PS - Don't forget our photo competition in the RARE PIX section with the winner to be announced before Christmas due to an influx of late votes.

The Haunted Wreck of the Alkimos, Western Australia

Info and image courtesy of Wikipedia

The Alkimos was a merchant shipping vessel which was wrecked on the coast north of Perth, Western Australia, in 1963. It has earned the reputation as a Haunted, Jinxed or Cursed ship due to numerous, unusual events such as inexplicable accidents, recurring badluck and the appearance of an apparitions.

The Alkimos was constructed in ten days during the haste of WWII she was just one of the 2751 Congress approved American express Liberty ships. Originally named the George M Shriver in Baltimore in 1934. After the war she was later sold to Norwegian Hands and became the Viggo Hansteen, finally and lastly sold to a Greek shipping line she was named the Alkimos.

During 1944 then named the Viggo Hansteen the Alkimos was headed toward a Russian port when ahead of her 2 other merchant ships were bombed by German Uboats. The Viggo Hansteen was spared from attack but later became stranded on a reef not marked on any maps she spent six hours there, a sitting duck until she broke loose under her own power.

After nearly two decades on the high seas the Alkimos ran aground at Beagle Rocks south of Geraldton, north of Fremantle Western Australia on a journey from Jakarta to Bunbury. With her propeller badly damaged it was decided that she would be towed back to Fremantle for immediate help and then be towed to Hong Kong for permanent repairs.

The ship was somehow able to refloat itself and steamed under its own power to reach Fremantle.While awaiting repairs at Fremantle in 1963 the Alkimos was mysteriously set ablaze resulting in many thousands of dollars of repairs. When it came time to be towed to Hong Kong the seafaring tug called the Pacific Reserves tow line broke and the Alkimos drifted towards the coast and became beached near Yanchep.

On February 28 1964 another salvage was attempted the Alkimos was being towed by the Pacific Star when the Pacific Star was placed under arrest for monies owed to a company in Manila . The Pacific Star could no longer legally tow or offer aid to the Alkimos and she was set at anchor between the reefs off Eglington Rocks about 4 kilometers south of Yanchep Beach.

The Pacific Star was then set ablaze whilst in Port awaiting legal proceedings. Over the years the Alkimos had several salvage crews and caretakers living on board as any ship abandoned can be legally towed away by anyone.

Here is a list of inexplicable, unexplained and ghostly occurrences linked with the Alkimos -

* During the hasty construction of the ship welders were allegedly sealed between hulls, their ghosts are said to haunt the vessel.

* An alleged murder, suicide occurred on the ship.

* An apparition known as "Harry" has been sighted on the ship by various people. He is said to be seen dressed in rubber boots and a dark grey seaman's coat (oilskins).

* During salvage operations numerous tools were moved by unseen hands, the men were working on numerous jobs aboard the ship and would find that their tools would mysteriously reappear later.

* The Alkimos was bought and sold at least 8 times whilst stranded, each person or persons who purchased the ship inexplicable bad luck befell them from total bankruptcy to life threatening illnesses. Of which seemed to mysteriously disappear once the vessel was re-sold.

* At night salvage crews would not leave their cabins alone as ghostly footsteps would follow them. Footsteps were heard on ladders when all salvage crews were accounted for.

* Cooking smells and noises would emanate from the Galley, but upon investigation the smells and noises would cease. Only to begin again when the galley door was again closed.

* A married couple took over as caretakers of the ship, misfortune struck again when the lady caretaker took a serious fall she was pregnant at the time. After being rushed to hospital she gave birth to a premature stillborn baby.

* Herbert Voight, a Perth resident who was a long distance swimmer, it is said his training included swimming across Cockburn Sound towing a plastic baby's bath full of cans of Emu Export Beer. One unfortunate day he disappeared while trying to swim from Cottesloe to Rottnest Island , his skull was found washed up in the wreck of the Alkimos.

* Cray Fisherman working the area close to the Alkimos have often reported seeing a man in an oilskin coat aboard the ship, some believing he was the local “hermit” taking refuge for free aboard the ship, but subsequent searchings of the search have never been able to find anyone living aboard the ship.

*Ted Snider, a US navy submariner was called in to make preliminary assessments and measurements of the propeller and rudder for explosives. Later Tom Snider with two other men and a pilot flew in an Auster aircraft north bound for Onslow to make inspections on another job, North of Carnavon the Auster crashed killing Tom Snider and all occupants of the aircraft.

* Horses riding along the beach refuse to ride past the Alkimos they will not come within 500m of the wreck.

* Jack Sue author of the book "Ghost of the Alkimos" suffered from a strange respiratory disease and was not expected to live. For 10 months he was dangerously ill, and during much of this period he was hospitalized in intensive care.

*Plus numerous curious coincidences of near drownings, boat engines failing and visitors slipping and hurting themselves in and around the Alkimos wreck.

* A figure wearing oilskins matching "Harry" has been sighted on various occasions by numerous people. As of April 2007 the Alkimos is almost fully disintegrated above the water line to the point where it is no longer visible from the beach.

Sources:
http://www.hauntedaustralia.com
http://www.unexplainedaustralia.com
http://www.wikipedia.org
http://www.jackwongsue.com

Death March to the Bluff

Story by Elie Ruckus
Image courtesy of Wikipedia

Many decades ago, not long after the English first arrived here, Aboriginal groups still populated much of NSW. One of those places is what is now known as Tenterfield and the Tenterfield shire.

Not far from Tenterfield, south towards Glen Innes, is an impressive rock formation that has been a draw card for black and white man alike. It is called the Bluff.

Legend has it that not long after the English landed and began a sweep of mainland Australia, a battalion headed up towards the cold recesses of the New England with one objective in mind - wreak havoc. Indeed that was what this militant few did.

The Bluff shot to significance for all the wrong reasons when a cluster of white men sporting military garb, drove some Aboriginals unwittingly over the edge of the Bluff to their deaths. The Aborigines were convinced that as a result, the Bluff was cursed.

Many still feel the same and do not venture anywhere near the Bluff.

Can you blame them?

BLUFF ROCK INFO

Bluff Rock got its name as it is a very steep sided hill with bare rock at the summit. Walking the Bluff without one's bearings can and has resulted in people going straight off the edge to their death!

The Devil's Pool

* The Devil's Pool in Far North Queensland is a sacred Aboriginal site believed to be cursed.

Mount Isa's Underground Hospital

Info courtesy of Queensland Holidays and Mt. Isa Biz
Image courtesy of Globe Notes

The first hospital in Mount Isa was a row of tents operated by the company from the earliest years of mining operations. Mount Isa Mines opened a 40 bed Community Hospital on the leases in 1929. Eventually another hospital was built on the Hospital reserve in town.

With the expanded hospital complex it was realised with two competing hospitals and funding for both that neither could be run efficiently and residents were encouraged to use the state run hospital. The mine hospital was effectively reduced to a casualty and first-aid station.

With the advent of World War II the impact on Australia was not great until the bombing in 1942 of Darwin. The work on defending the top end of Australia caused the influx of thousands of American troops into Northwest Queensland from April 1942.

With the bombing of the Darwin Hospital, precautions were taken to protect the Mount Isa district hospital in the event of an air raid.

HISTORY
In 1923 John Campbell Miles discovered rich minerals and named the discovery Mount Isa. Miners and their families soon travelled to work this field.

The first hospital established in Mount Isa was two small tents, with Dr. Arthur Goode in charge in 1926. It was not until 1929 that a hospital reserve was proclaimed on 10 acres of land in Camooweal Street and a small building was completed but not used until 1930.

In 1931 a much larger hospital was moved from a closed mining town west of Cloncurry called Kuridala.

In 1942 Darwin was bombed by the Japanese Army and as Mount Isa was only producing lead, the small community of Mount Isa was very fearful that their town would be the next target.

The hospital doctor in charge Dr. Ryan set about providing a safe shelter. Mount Isa Mines gave equipment and a foreman Wally Onton and the miners freely gave their time after working an eight hour shift. The Underground Hospital was dug and set up in 15 weeks.

Most of the mining work was done by hand, bearing in mind that Mount Isa was a very small community of approximatly 5000. Water and electricity was also connected during this time.

During the war years 1942 to 1945 the town would have an air raid siren. This would be used to alert the community of a possible bombing. The nurses (all that worked at the hospital) would have to return to duty and evacuate the base hospital into the Underground. This sometimes happened several times a week.

In 1945 World War II ended. As history will tell, the Japanese did not reach Mount Isa, therefore the Underground Hospital was not used or needed. However, after 1942 right up to 1960, the nurses who worked night shift would sleep there as it was cool, dark and quiet.

As the new hospital was being built in 1959, the constructor took some of the hillside away and damaged the Underground Hospital. The local community protested and the remainder was saved and left to deteriorate.

Vandals burnt out the timbering and in 1994 the community had to decide what to do with this unusual hospital. A historian Dr. Peter Bell was commissioned to carry out a full study.

Dr. Bell found that the Underground Hospital in Mount Isa was the only structure of this type ever built in Australia, during war time for civilians by civilians.

A community group decided to restore and showcase this unique hospital. Mount Isa Mines was approached and supplied a foreman Palle Rasmussen and the miners volunteered their labour after working a 12 hour shift. This time there was no fear of emergency and the job took four years to complete.

Ghost Towns of Australia: Mount Mulligan, QLD

Info and image courtesy of Wikipedia

Mount Mulligan was a mining town in northern Queensland, Australia, the site of Queensland's worst mining disaster.

A railway connected Mount Mulligan with Dimbulah on the Chillagoe Railway. It opened on 7 April 1915 and was officially closed in January, 1958.

It was a coal mining town from 1910 until 19 September 1921 when an underground explosion killed 75 miners (all the miners in the town). The mine closed, but reopened in 1923 and continued in production until 1957 when a hydro-electric scheme eliminated the need for the coal.

The town's coal was mined from shafts dug into a Permian layer within the cliff face or escarpment of a large 18 km x 6.5 km free-standing conglomerate and sandstone massif (rising up to 400 metres above the township) known by the name given it by the small group of prospectors who first sighted it in 1874 while searching the Hodgkinson River for gold, under the leadership of James Venture Mulligan.

The conglomerate and sandstone massif known to local Djungan aboriginal peoples as Ngarrabullgan was given James Mulligan's surname. The name Mount Mulligan was later given to the township that grew in the shadows of the massif's escarpment.

The area of the township itself remains gazetted as a township, but is now a ghost town, with a single cemetery, a single occupied residence, a single chimney stack, and the overgrown remains of the once busy mining operations and electricity generator. At the 2006 census, Mount Mulligan and the surrounding area had a population of 55.

Nearby towns are Julatten, Dimbulah, Mount Carbine and Mount Molloy.

Flinders Ranges and the Wilpena Pound

Info and images Unexplained Mysteries

The Flinders Ranges is South Australia's largest mountain range which starts approximately 200 km north of Adelaide. The discontinuous ranges stretch for over 430 km from Port Pirie to Lake Callabonna. Its most characteristic landmark is Wilpena Pound, a large, sickle-shaped, natural amphitheatre covering nearly 80 square kilometres, containing the range's highest peak, St Mary Peak (1170m), and adjoining the Flinders Ranges National Park. The northern ranges host the Arkaroola wilderness sanctuary and the Vulkathunha-Gammon Ranges National Park. The southern part of the ranges are notable for the Pichi Richi scenic railway and Mount Remarkable National Park.

Several small areas in the Flinders Ranges are protected as National Parks. These include the Flinders Ranges National Park near Wilpena Pound and the Mount Remarkable National Park in the southern part of the ranges near Melrose. The Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary is a scenic protected area at the northern end of the ranges. In addition, the Dutchman's Stern Conservation Park, west of Quorn, and the Mount Brown Conservation Park, south of Quorn, are protected areas of the ranges. The Heysen Trail and Mawson Trail run for several hundred kilometres along the ranges providing scenic long distance routes for walkers, cyclists and horse-riders.

Wilpena Pound is a natural amphitheatre of mountains located 429 kilometres north of Adelaide, South Australia, in the heart of the Flinders Ranges National Park. The Pound is the most northern point with access via a sealed road in this part of the Flinders Ranges. The closest town to the north is Blinman and to the south, Hawker. Attempts at farming the pound failed during the early 20th century. Following this the tourism potential was recognised in 1945.

Grid 44

Info and image courtesy of Crystal Links

The Becker and Hagens' Planetary Grid system places 'balanced' Grid Point 44 in South Australia. It is considered the sacred lands of the Australian aborigines.

It is calculated to be connected to the 'yang' points of 27, found in the Gulf of Carpentaria and 54 at Kangaroo Fracture in the Antarctic Ocean.

The 'yin' points of 43 and 45, to which 44 is also connected, are located in the Indian Ocean and Loyalty Islands of the Pacific Ocean respectively. Evidence of ancient stone structures was found by Len Beadell in the 1950s, and was subsequently referred to as the 'Aboriginal Stonehenge.'

Planetary Energetic Grid Theory falls under the heading of pseudoscience. It operates through geometric patterns called Sacred Geometry. Grids meet at various intersecting points forming a grid or matrix. This is equivalent to the acupressure points on our bodies. These grid points can be found at some of the strongest power places on the planet.

Plato recognized grids and their patterns, devising a theory that the Earth's basic structure evolved from a simple geometric shapes to more complex ones. These shapes became known as platonic solids: cube (4), tetrahedron (3), octahedron (8), dodecahedron (12), icosahedron(20). In Timeaus, Plato associated each shape with one of the elements, earth, fire, air, ether, and water. The Earth's energy grids, from the beginnings of its evolutionary course, has evolved through each of these shapes to what it is today. Each shape, superimposed, one upon the other to create a kind of all encompassing energy field that is the very basis of Earth holding it all together.

Bill Becker and Bethe Hagens discussed the code of the Platonic Solids' positions on Earth, ascribing this discovery to the work of Ivan P. Sanderson, who was the first to make a case for the structure of the icosahedron at work in the Earth. He did this by locating what he referred to as Vile Vortices refer to a claim that there are twelve geometrically distributed geographic areas that are alleged to have the same mysterious qualities popularly associated with the Bermuda Triangle, the Devil's Sea near Japan, and the South Atlantic Anomaly.

Becker and Hagens' attention was drawn to this research through the work of Chris Bird, who punished "Planetary Grid" in the New Age Journal in May 1975. After meeting with Bird, they completed their Grid making it compatible with all the Platonic Solids, by inserting a creation from Buckminster Fuller's work.

They proposed that the planetary grid map outlined by the Russian team Goncharov, Morozov and Makarov is essentially correct, with its overall organization anchored to the north and south axial poles and the Great Pyramid at Gizeh. They believed the Russian map lacked completeness, which led them to them overlaying a complex, icosahedrally-derived, spherical polyhedron developed by R. Buckminster Fuller. In his book Synergetics 2, he called it the "Composite of Primary and Secondary Icosahedron Great Circle Sets."

Kapunda - the most haunted place in Australia

* Arguably the most haunted place in Australia - Kapunda.

Best Aussie Outback Pubs

Info courtesy of LL Staffers and Kim Wildman
Image courtesy of Kim Wildman

There's nothing we Aussies like more than to crack open a cold one on a hot summer's day. But when you're in the outback, stopping at a welcoming watering hole to wash down the taste of dust with an ice-cold beer is the closest sensation to heaven as you're likely to get.

The Club In The Scrub, Grawin, NSW
Not far from Lightning Ridge in northern NSW is a hamlet called Grawin. It has a 'golf course' called Glengarry Country Club and the Club holds the annual Ugliest Man in Australia competition. Full of character and characters, Grawin is an automatic selection for this list.

The Moo Cow Inn, Somerton, NSW
Formerly known as Cathy's Tavern, the Moo Cow Inn now has new owners and looks like a giant dairy cow. Cold beer, good food and great people are just some of the features of this classic little pub.

The Prairie Hotel, SA
You can't get more outback than the famous Prairie Hotel in South Australia. Built back in the 1890s, the pub attracts visitors from all over the world. So, what's its charm? Maybe it's the hotel's accommodation, or maybe it's the renowned Australian native cuisine, otherwise know as Flinders Feral Food. Or perhaps it's simply the bliss of having a quiet one while drinking in the magnificent Flinders Ranges in the distance.

Tilpa Hotel, NSW
One hundred and thirty kilometres north of Wilcannia, in tiny township of Tilpa in far west New South Wales there's a classic outback pub: the Tilpa Hotel. The interior of the 100-plus year old corrugated pub is plastered with graffiti from its many adorning fans. For a $2 donation towards the Royal Flying Doctor Service, you too can leave your mark on the pub's tin wall.

The Tourist Hotel, Sandy Hollow, NSW
Jillaroos, icy cold grog and death adder specimens are just some of the assets this little gem has on offer. Nestled about 36kms west of Muswellbrook, the Tourist Hotel in Sandy Hollow gets all types and is a haven for single sheilas!

Blue Heeler Hotel, Qld
Next time you're in travelling along the Matilda Highway through outback Queensland be sure to stop at the Blue Heeler Hotel in Kynuna and drink a toast to Australia's hardest working dog - the blue heeler. The 100-year-old hotel is also where Banjo Patterson observed the champagne being handed through the window to end the angry shearers strike of the 1800s. The famed billabong featured in our unofficial national anthem - the Combo Waterhole - is 20km south of Kynuna.

The Daly Waters Pub, NT
This colourful pub, clad in corrugated iron, is crammed with decades of Australian memorabilia and quirky nick-knacks. Once a popular drover's rest, the pub gained fame again as a stopover for pilots and passengers arriving on the new Qantas airline in 1934. Today, it is a pit-stop for thirsty tourists travelling the Explorer's Way between Alice Springs and Darwin.

Pub in the Paddock, Tas
Sitting smack-bang in the middle of a paddock in the Pyengana Valley, Pub in the Paddock has been a Tasmanian institution since 1880. Offering hearty country meals and comfortable accommodation, it makes a great stop en route to St Columba Falls. Today, the pub is more famous for its beer-drinking pig, Priscilla, who can scull a watered-down stubby in seven seconds. Also on standby is PB - Priscilla Babe - who eagerly laps up the attention.

The Camp Kitchen, Gunnedah, NSW
Established a number of years ago by a group of stagers who had been kicked out of nearly every pub in town, the Camp Kitchen on the banks of the Namoi may well be the only outdoor pub of its kind in Australia. This pub is open to invited guests only and even has a chook working the bar!

Innamincka Hotel, SA
Want to get in touch with your inner explorer? Then head to the Innamincka Hotel at Cooper Creek in South Australia. Right in the heart of Burke and Wills country, it once played host to early drovers who brought cattle down the Strzelecki Track. Nowadays, the pub's convivial 'Outamincka Bar' has become the stuff of bush legends and is must stop for anyone travelling in these parts.

The Pub With No Beer, NSW
As Slim Dusty once lamented 'There's nothin' so lonesome, so dull or so drear, than to stand in the bar of a pub with no beer'. But as legend has it that's exactly what happened at this historic pub in Taylors Arm on the north coast of New South Wales. While the debate still rages as to whether this pub was in fact the inspiration for the song, one thing is for sure - with the addition of a new brewery the pub's valuable liquid asset will never run dry again.

The Grand Hotel, WA
While over the years, the small goldmining town of Kookynie 200km from Kalgoorlie in Western Australia has declined to fewer than 10 people, the town's 1894 vintage Grand Hotel with its big verandahs and spacious rooms continues to survive. Once the favourite watering hole for local prospectors, it's an ideal base to explore the sites around the township including Niagara and Niagara Dam.

Mungerannie Hotel, SA
The Mungerannie Hotel in South Australia sits peacefully on the edge of the Sturt Stony, Simpson, Tirari and Strzelecki deserts and is nestled beside the Derwent River. This pub is an oasis in sharp contrast to its surrounds and is the only stopover on the 528km Birdsville Track.

Birdsville Hotel, Qld
Without a doubt one of Australia's most legendary watering holes is the Birdsville Hotel. Built in 1884 it has been witness to history being made, yarns being spun and the survival of Australian mateship. It epitomises the essence of the outback.

Abercrombie Caves

* See this rare video clip of the spooky hope of one of Australia's most organised and vicious gangs - the Ribbon Gang.

Pine Gap Paranoia

Story courtesy of APFN, The Oz Files and Bill Chalker
Image courtesy of APFN

The United States has three major bases in Australia. One is in South Australia (Nurranger, near Woomera, T.N.), another in New South Wales, and the third (and by far the largest) is located within about 230 km (143 miles) of the geographical center of the continent, not far to the west of Alice Springs (Northern Territory), at the foothills of the southern slopes of the MacDonnell Range. This base is completely underground, with barely visible entrances to the surface. "This 'Top Secret' base is entirely financed by the United States Government, and is officially known as the Joint Defense Space Research Facility.

Pine Gap (code named 'Merino') located near Alice Springs and described as a "Joint Defence Space Research Facility", has long been a subject of concern and attracted some mystique, principally because of its clandestine role in intelligence gathering. Much is known about its sensitive role as a ground station for the US defence satellite programme and its part in the NSA and CIA presence in Australia. With this sort of shadowy activity, it should not be surprising that Pine Gap has become a focus of a number of apocryphal UFO related stories.

The now defunct "Nation Review" reported on Pine Gap's role in "sci-fi research" in its "Spying Around" column, in 1974. William H. Martin stated: "The Pine Gap research facility near Alice Springs has managed to keep secret, until now, one of the most unbelievable research projects in the world. The United States has been carrying out continuous research into electromagnetic propulsion (EMP for short) at Pine Gap since it was established in 1966 ...

I understand that last minute flaws in the design and operation of the EMP vehicles have probably put the completion date back by four years (to 1979). Research into electromagnetic propulsion began in the United States soon after world war two. After some successful results it became necessary to move the experimentation from populated areas to more remote spots....Security aspects of the EMP project have included hypnotic and post hypnotic keys implanted in personnel prior to their acceptance into the project ...."

William H. Martin was apparently a pseudonym for a writer on intelligence matters and the name of a major NSA defector - perhaps the pseudonym was an inside joke. Nothing further appeared on that curious story, except for Stan Deyo's airing of the same story in his book "The Cosmic Conspiracy" in 1978. He was a proponent of top secret "flying saucer" research - or what he referred to as "electro-gravity propulsion systems".

Retired NASA scientist and UFO researcher Dr. Richard Haines alludes to an undated newspaper story, describing how a Perth newspaper received two visitors claiming to be Pine Gap employees. They allegedly spoke of "electromagnetic devices which manifested themselves as UFOs and even alien beings at Pine Gap."

Professor John Frodsham of Western Australia was told of the experience of three kangaroo shooters. They alleged that at about 4.30 am, one morning, from a ridge overlooking Pine Gap, they witnessed a camouflaged door open up within the facility. A circular metallic looking craft rose vertically and silently and then took off at high speed.

Australia's Wildest Places

* A montage of Australia's Wildest Places captured by some of the world's best photographers.

The Dive Of The Century - Fish Rock Cave

Info and image courtesy of AT

In Australia it’s almost too easy to become blasé about our abundant and fantastic water experiences. However, here is a true hidden and underrated gem. Reputedly one of the best ten dives in the country – if not the world – Fish Rock Cave is more like a 125m submerged tunnel.

Definitely not for casual snorkellers, and accessible from South West Rocks on the NSW North Coast, the Fish Rock Cave vanishes below a rocky outcrop and is home to one of the largest single collections of the highly endangered Grey Nurse Shark.

"SOUNDS LIKE AN ABSOLUTE DIVERS' PARADISE." – Sandra Sully

Starting at the deepest side of the tunnel, you traverse through a pitch-black chimney packed with fish and crustaceans. The little-known Hairy Reef Lobster is just one of five types of lobsters found here, and the dizzying array of fish and life as you burst through to the light is an overwhelming sensation.

Deservedly one of the greatest underwater experiences in Australia.

Ghost Towns of Australia: Radium Hill, SA

Info and image courtesy of Radium Hill Org & Wikipedia

Radium Hill is a former minesite in South Australia which operated from 1906 until 1961. It was Australia's first uranium mine, years before the country's next major mines at Rum Jungle in the Northern Territory (opened in 1950), and the Mary Kathleen mine in Queensland (1958). The associated settlement which once housed up to 1,100 people is now largely demolished and abandoned and is a ghost town. During its main period of production between 1954 and 1961 the mine produced nearly 1 million tonnes of davidite-bearing ore to produce about 860 tons of U3O8.

The site was first pegged for mining in 1906 after prospector Arthur John Smith inadvertently discovered a radioactive material at a location approximately 40 kilometres (25 mi) East South East of Olary. Smith mistook the dark coloured ore he found for tin oxide or wolfram (tungsten). His samples were sent to Adelaide University where young Sydney geologist and future Antarctic explorer, Douglas Mawson found the ore to contain radium and uranium. It also had traces of ilmenite, rutile, magnetite, hematite, pyrite, chalcopyrite intergrown with quartz and biotite, chromium, vanadium, and molybdenum.

Mawson named the ore davidite after geologist and Antarctic explorer, Sir Edgeworth David. The mine was initially called "Smith's Carnotite Mine" (a similar uranium-bearing mineral) and in September 1906 Mawson proposed the name "Radium Hill". Smith worked the mine for the next two years before allowing the lease to lapse. Adjoining leases stretched for 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) along the lode, with one being half-owned by Mawson.

The Radium Hill Company took over the lease in 1908 and more shafts were sunk.

Ore concentrate was transferred to refineries in New South Wales and Victoria. Radium had reached a price of ₤13,000 per gram in 1911, and in the same year, at a cost of ₤15,000 the company built a refinery at Hunter's Hill in New South Wales to produce radium compounds. 350 milligrams of radium bromide (RaBr2) and 150 kg of uranium were produced. The radium bromide was used for research in the emerging fields of radiation and radioactivity and some of the Hunter's Hill radium was sold to pioneering nuclear researchers Ernest Rutherford and Marie Curie.

Mining ceased in 1914 and the Hunters Hill refinery closed the following year.

The mine's second phase of operations started in 1923 when it was operated by the Radium and Rare Earth Treatment Company N.L. which continued operations there until 1931. The company also built a treatment plant in 1923 at Dry Creek near Adelaide to produce radium bromide for medical applications from the Radium Hill ore, however this proved to be uneconomic and both sites had ceased operations by 1932.

Activity recommenced after World War II, with a Department of Mines geological survey in 1944 and exploration and drilling work done in 1946-1947. In March 1952 the Commonwealth and the South Australian governments signed a cost plus uranium supply contract with the UK-USA Combined Development Agency, initially for defence purposes, for delivery over seven years. A section of Maldorkey Station was annexed and proclaimed a "Uranium mining reserve" in 1954 and the mine was officially opened by the Governor General of Australia, Field Marshall Sir William Slim on 10 November the same year.

The state government operated the mine and installed various infrastructure to support the operations. An 18 kilometres (11 mi) spur line connecting the site to the main Broken Hill railway line at Cutana Siding was built in 1954. An aerodrome was constructed and roads improved in the same period. The town to house mine workers and their families was built also. This included 145 houses: in 1961 a population of 867 was recorded. Other town facilities included a hospital, school, government retail store, canteens, swimming pool, a bus service to Broken Hill and recreation and commercial facilities.

The main shaft of the mine was 420 metres (1,380 ft) deep with a 40 metres (130 ft) headframe. Ore was crushed at a ball mill and treated on site at a surface concentrate mill using a heavy media separation and flotation process. It was then rail-freighted to the purpose-built Port Pirie Uranium Treatment Complex which processed ore from Radium Hill and Myponga (Wild Dog Hill), south of Adelaide. The Port Pirie complex was also operated by the state government.

The mine output was 970,000 tonnes of 0.09-0.13% ore and the ore concentrate produced a mix of about 150,000 tonnes of yellowcake which was then processed at Port Pirie where it was subjected to hot acid leaching, producing about 860 tons of U3O8 worth more than ₤15 million. After seven years of operations, the contract was filled and the plant officially decommissioned on December 21, 1961.

The Kimberleys

Info courtesy of Ava Look
Image courtesy of o2wa

The Kimberley region is located in the northern part of Western Australia, extending from Broome in the west to Kununurra and Lake Argyle in the east, from the sea to a bit south of the main Great Northern Highway (Route 1). It covers about 421,000 square kilometres - slightly larger than Japan and much larger than United Kingdom, New Zealand, or the Australian state of Victoria. It is bordered on the west by the Indian Ocean, on the north by the Timor Sea, on the south by the Great Sandy Desert, and on the east by the Northern Territory. Click on the map to see it larger.

The Kimberley has only three towns with a population of more than 2,000 (Broome, Derby and Kununurra), and the total population is only around 25,000. In addition to Route 1 (a sealed road), which runs along the southern part of the area, the unsealed Gibb River Road runs through the heart of the region from Derby to the highway near Kununurra. Access to much of the region is by dirt road (often impassable in the wet season), air (a helicopter is necessary for many parts) or sea.

The Kimberley region was one of the earliest settled parts of Australia, with numerous groups of people arriving over thousands of years from the islands of what is now Indonesia. European settlement, however, is quite recent, dating from around 1885, when the MacDonalds and the Duracks arrived to set up cattle stations, having spent several years droving their cattle from the eastern colonies. Many other Europeans arrived soon after, when gold was discovered around Halls Creek. Although the gold rush didn't last long, some people stayed.

Other industries have included pearling (a big industry in Broome for many years until the 1940s), mining (including the Argyle Diamond mine, which began operation in 1983 and is still producing about 1/3 of the world's diamonds), agriculture (centred on the Ord River Irrigation Area near Lake Argyle) and tourism. The geology of the area is varied and fascinating, as well as producing some spectacular scenery. You can also see some ancient Aboriginal rock art.

Chambers Of The Black Hand, Lightning Ridge

Chambers of the Black Hand - underground carvings and mine tours from Authentic Holiday Films on Vimeo.

Australian Deserts and Outback Facts

Info courtesy of Outback Travel
Photo by Paul Denham

The deserts of Australia are unique. Nothing compares. And nothing that's anything like them can be found anywhere else in the world.
Australian Desert Facts

* The Australian deserts listed below make up about 18% of this continent, but a full 35% of Australia receives so little rainfall, it is classified as desert.
* 70% of the country is classified as arid or semi-arid, which means it gets less than 500 mm of rain a year.
* That makes Australia the driest inhabited continent on Earth. Only Antarctica is drier.
* Only 3% of the Australian population live in those dry 70% of the continent, the rest of our people is concentrated on the coasts.
* The main reason for the formation of the Australian deserts is their location.
* Like most major deserts across the world the Australian deserts can be found around a certain latitude (roughly 30Â° north/south of the equator) where the weather phenomena create a dry climate:
* Hot moist air rises at the equator. It cools as it moves north or south, the moisture condenses and falls as abundant rain onto the tropical regions. Finally the now dry air sinks over the subtropical regions, warming as it sinks, which encourages evaporation, and voila: you get more evaporation than rain, perfect conditions for the formation of a desert.
* While climate change means most of Australia is experiencing the worst drought ever, it also means that rainfall in the Australian desert is increasing!

Alice Springs (Mpwante)

Info courtesy of Explore Oz
Image courtesy of EB News

The heart of Central Australia is comprised of cavernous gorges, boundless desert landscapes, remote Aboriginal communities and a charming pioneering history.

Alice Springs was established by the early explorers and remains as the centre of activity in this region. From the early 1900s, the vast desert of Central Australia was explored for its promise of rubies and gold. Today, north of Alice is an adventure travel destination where visitors can still fossick for gems and explore the Australian desert while trekking, camping or four-wheel driving.

North-west of Alice, along the Tanami Track and south of Alice Springs in the Simpson Desert, the art styles and stories of the Aboriginal people give meaning to the surrounding landscape.

The most well-known natural highlights of Central Australia are the East and West MacDonnell Ranges that straddle Alice Springs and run for 223 kilometres.

Visitors to the NT's Red Centre can enjoy views of dramatic scenery, bushwalking, swimming, four-wheel driving or quad-bike riding.

Framed by the MacDonnell Ranges and an intense desert landscape, the township of Alice Springs is Australia's most famous outback town.

Called Mpwante by the traditional owners, the Arrernte people, and situated just 200 kilometres south of the geographic centre of Australia, the town of Alice Springs began as a repeater station along the Overland Telegraph Line.

The introduction of camels, development of pastoral industry and discovery of alluvial gold, combined with the town's secluded location, has lead to the creation of an unrivalled community identity and a wealth of quirky festivals and events.

Alice Springs desert climate and landscapes encourage a healthy outdoor lifestyle and sets a great scene for outback adventure. Quad and mountain-bike riding, trekking along the Larapinta Trail, four-wheel driving, bush camping and swimming in lush waterholes are popular activities.

The stories of Australian history and heritage overflow in Alice Springs, with a rich cast of characters, Afghan cameleers, flying doctors and outback explorers. Today it is possible to pay homage to their legacy at various sites around the town and surrounding area.

Alive with culture and Aboriginal art, the pedestrian-only Todd Mall gives a sneak peek into the traditions and stories of the Arrernte people with water colours of desert landscapes and dot paintings of the seasons.

Ghost Towns of Australia: Broad Arrow, WA

Info courtesy of Wikipedia
Image courtesy of Travelpod

Broad Arrow is a ghost town in Western Australia, located 38 km north of Kalgoorlie and 633 km east of Perth, Western Australia. It is on the Kalgoorlie to Leonora Road.

Initially called Kurawah, gold was first discovered there in 1893 which triggered a gold rush in the region north of Kalgoorlie. The Broad Arrow Goldfield was gazetted on November 11, 1896, and in 1897 the municipality of Kurawah was declared.

The town derives its name from the markers, in the shape of a broad arrow, left on the ground by a miner, Reison, who left them to direct his friends who were following him to a gold discovery he had made. His mine was also named Broad Arrow.

Extensions to the Eastern Goldfields Railway line from Kalgoorlie to Menzies was begun in August 1897, and reached Broad Arrow on November 6 the same year. The railway station included a 350 ft (110 m) passenger platform.

At its peak the town had 15,000 residents, eight hotels and two breweries as well as a stock exchange. Other facilities included a hospital, three churches, Salvation Army Hall, a chemist, two banks, police station with resident magistrate, a mining registrar, a post office, a cordial factory, six grocery stores and two draperies, and blacksmith and bakers' shops. The town was the administrative centre for smaller settlements in the area including Ora Banda, Smithfield, Black Flat, White Flag and Grant's Patch.

A 10,000,000 imp gal (45,000 kl) dam was built for the Public Works Department in Broad Arrow in 1897.

By the 1920s the gold had run out and the town had been abandoned.

The movie Nickel Queen was filmed there in 1971, using the town's remaining hotel, the Broad Arrow Tavern. The Tavern remains open for travellers today and is noted for having almost every wall covered with handwritten notes from past visitors. In recent years the area has had renewed life with mining companies re-establishing operations, like the Paddington Gold Mine.

Gingkin (Beung)

Story courtesy of LL Staffers
Photo by Paul Denham

There is a small town not far from the Burragorang called Gingkin, that lay right on the point where three rival Aboriginal territories meet.

Specifically, Beung, Aboriginal for Field of Blood, was the name of the place where business acts, disputes, rivalries and tribal warfare were settled. Some Aborigines from the Gundangurra, Burra Burra and Wiradjuri believe that at various times there was blood coarsing the Earth giving Beung, the field of blood its name.

The Beung site still contains axeheads, skulls and other remnants from bygone generations and is a source of much angst for many Aborigines. Local Terry Behan, lives on an adjoined property and is thought by many in the area to be well versed on Beung.

"These people were warriors. They made their own weapons, lived off the land and protected their own. The single most important thing any man has is his name. For another man or tribe to threaten that meant that not everything at Beung was solved amicably."

There is one common local legend that often explains blood covering the fields after the smoke had settled from a large battle.

"Burra Burra from the south towards the highlands and Abercrombie and the Gundangurra to the north-east had decimated; ended each others ranks. It is alleged that on that day the blood ran like a river ..."

Bendemeer

Info courtesy of Trove and Wikipedia
Photo by Paul Denham

Bendemeer is a village of 485 people on the Macdonald River in the New England region of NSW. It is situated at the junction of the Oxley and New England Highways.

HISTORY
The original inhabitants of the land were Aborigines of the Kamilaroi clan. The first European settlement was in 1834, with the establishment of a sheep station at a river crossing on what would become the McDonald River. By 1851 a small village had grown around the station, which was known as McDonald River.

In 1854 the village was renamed Bendemeer after a line in the 1817 poem Lalla-Rookh by Thomas Moore:

There's a bower of roses by Bendemeer's stream; And the nightingale sings round it all day long."

Moore was referring to a stream that ran through the ruined city of Persepolis in modern-day Iran. The word "bendemeer" is a loose translation of the Persian bund (embankment) and amir (a local ruler). It was proposed as the village name by Thomas Perry, a local farmer whose grandfather had maintained a friendship with both Moore and the first New South Wales Surveyor General, Thomas Mitchell.

In 1864 the bushranger Captain Thunderbolt carried out one of his first armed robberies by holding up the northern mail as it passed through Bendemeer. Some locals claim Captain Thunderbolt was killed in nearby Uralla six years later, however many locals claim it was his uncle William (Harry) Ward and that the real "Thunderbolt" left for California a short time later.

The first bridge over the McDonald River was constructed in 1874, and the steel and timber truss bridge was opened on 29 September 1905. A historic engineering marker was erected near this bridge in 2005. The bridge now in use through the village is a low level concrete structure.

The Macdonald River Road Bridge and Bendemeer Public Cemetery, Bendemeer Watsons Creek Rd, have been placed on the Register of the National Estate.

Pardoo Station

Info courtesy of Pardoo Station
Additional info courtesy of Wikipedia
Photo by Paul Denham

Pardoo Station is a pastoral lease, formerly a sheep station, and now a cattle station approximately 120 km to the east of Port Hedland.

Originally of about 250,000 acres (1,000 km2) is size and is on the western end of the Great Sandy Desert where it meets the Indian Ocean at the southern end of the Eighty Mile Beach.

Mount Goldsworthy, located on the South Western side of the lease, is the site of the first iron ore mine in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The Pardoo mine, also an iron ore mine, is located in the region, too, and shares the stations name.

Pardoo was originally an outcamp of De Grey Station but became a separate entity owned by the Thompson family until 1963 when Frank Thompson sold it to Leslie (Les) Schubert.

In November 1965 Schubert swapped Pardoo along with a cash adjustment of $120,000 for Louisa Downs and Bohemia Downs stations in the Kimberley Region. Karl Stein took over the station in January 1966.

Sometime before 1977 Karl Stein retired and sold Pardoo to Russel Peake. The Leeds family purchased Pardoo from Peake and subsequently sold Pardoo to its present owners about 4 years ago.

Ghost Towns of Australia: Kookynie, WA
Koolkynie,-WA-WEB.jpg

Info courtesy of Wikipedia
Image courtesy of Farm3

Kookynie is a town located in the Eastern Goldfields region in Western Australia. The name of the town is believed to be an aboriginal word which means 'water hole' or 'spring'. From being a busy town with a population of around 1,500 in 1905, Kookynie has become a ghost town with around 77 inhabitants in 2006, decreasing to 13 in 2010.

The town originates from when gold was discovered close to the present townsite in 1895 by a group of prospectors including W.A. Miller who took up the lease of the Englishman mine in the same year. By 1899 the townsite was declared by the government and was gazetted in 1900. The town was named by Mr Beaumont, who managed the Lady Shenton gold mine. Kookynie grew at an impressive rate on the back of a gold rush and by 1907 the town had a population of well over 3,500, a public swimming pool, eleven hotels, a brewery and received four trains a day from Kalgoorlie.

Today Kookynie has one pub and hotel to serve the tourists. For a Western Australia ghost town (and there are many) it is surprisingly intact. A walk around the ruins reveals that Kookynie was once a surprisingly large town.

Located on the road to Kookynie from the Menzies end is Niagara Dam - a concrete gravity dam in the most unlikely of locations. During the usual dry periods the dam level can range from half-full to nothing more than a stagnant puddle of muck. However for a couple of years after some good cyclone activity in the region the dam is a popular destination for its cool waters.

Brewarrina

Info courtesy of Wikipedia
Image courtesy of Trip Advisor

Brewarrina is a small town in North West New South Wales, Australia on the banks of the Barwon River in Brewarrina Shire. It is 98 km east of Bourke and west of Walgett on the Kamilaroi Highway, and 808 km from Sydney. Brewarrina has had its population decrease from 1,197 persons in 2001, to 1,121 persons in 2006. Other towns and villages in the Brewarrina district include; Goodooga, Gongolgon, Weilmoringle and Angledool.

Brewarrina's most significant feature is its Aboriginal fish traps. Known in the local Aboriginal language as Ngunnhu, the traps are believed to be at least 40,000 years old, possibly the oldest surviving human-made structure in the world. Consisting of river stones arranged to form small channels, the traps directed fish into small areas from which they could be readily plucked. The traps were included in the National Heritage List on June 3, 2005 - the only such site in NSW outside of Sydney with a current application for World Heritage Listing. In recent years this precious cultural asset has been neglected and allowed to be obscured by a proliferation of river weed.

The town is located amid the traditional lands of the Ngemba, Muwarrari and Yualwarri peoples. The area has a long Indigenous Australian history and was once the meetings grounds for over 5,000 people. The Cafe Deluxe is a historic Brewarrina icon.

No one knows exactly what the word "Brewarrina" means. There are five competing interpretations of the name, several of them mutually exclusive. The most common translation is "clumps of acacias"; others are "where the gooseberry grows", "fishing", "acacia clumps" and, perhaps the most plausible, "place of gooseberries", coming from "warrina", meaning "place of", and "bre" or "burie" or "biree" meaning "gooseberries".

The first white settlers arrived in the district around 1839-40. The first people to own land where the town now stands were the Lawson brothers, who had two holdings - one called "Walcha" and another called "Moona".

The first name given to the settlement was "Walcha Hut" but this later changed to "Fishery" and finally to "Brewarrina". In 1859 a riverboat called Gemini, skippered by William Randell, reached the town. This opened up the possibility of developing the town as a port, and by the early 1860s Brewarrina was recognised as the furthest navigable point on the Darling River. The town was formally surveyed and laid out in 1861, and proclaimed on April 28, 1863.

The 1870s were something of a boom time for Brewarrina. The Mechanics Institute was formed in 1873. The following year two hotels, two stores and the Commercial Bank all opened, and in 1875 a public school was established. All this development was largely due to Cobb and Co, which had a number of coach services passing through the town. There was a service from Byrock, one from Dubbo via Warren and, in 1874, a direct service from Brewarrina to Enngonia, north of Bourke. The number of people moving through the town at this time would have been considerable and would have given rise to the increase in stores and hotels.

Longreach

Info courtesy of Longreach.net
Image courtesy of Australian Traveller

Prior to 1860, the land around what is now the Shire of Longreach, Queensland was peopled by the Iningai, Malintji and Kunngkari.

In 1860, William Landsborough and Nat Buchanan, searching for new grazing land, came upon this area and saw in it a potential not appreciated by former explorers. The verdant Mitchell Grass plains, interspersed with broken boree, gidyea scrub and Flinders grass, and the Thomson River, which had been named after Edward Deas Thomson by Edmund Kennedy in 1847, were deemed suitable for their pastoral aspirations.

In 1863 a pastoral lease was granted to the partnership of the Scottish Australia Company, William Landsborough, Nat Buchanan and Edward Cornish. This lease, named 'Bowen Downs', covered an area of approximately 2000 square miles and was eventually stocked with about 350,000 sheep and 35,000 cattle.

In 1872, following management difficulties, not the least of which was the infamous cattle theft by Henry Readford, the company divided 'Bowen Downs' in two. 'Mt Cornish' covered an area of approximately 2,500,000 acres, extending from near Muttaburra to below Longreach. It was first managed by E. R. Edkins (a family name synonymous with the history of Longreach), who had driven 10,000 cattle down from the company runs near Burketown, which had been wiped out by black fever in 1871.

In 1887 'Bowen Downs' was resumed and blocks of approximately 40,000 acres were thrown open for selection. Many of these selections have changed ownership a number of times since then, but descendents of the original selector families, such as Avery, Coxon, Coade, Edkins and Haywards, can still be found in the district.
In 1886 the railways were surveying for the rail line west of Rockhampton and found the present site of Longreach to be suitable for the terminus of the rail line.
In November 1887, the township of Longreach was gazetted. The name 'Longreach' had been used prior to the establishment of the town by an outstation of 'Mt Cornish', which was located in the vicinity of the present day 'Nogo'. This outstation, like the town, may have derived its' name from the 'long reach' of the Thomson River.
In December 1887, the first sale of Longreach town allotments was held at Barcaldine. The first sale was to the Queensland National Bank for 107 pounds. A block of land opposite was purchased by Mr J. M. Savage for 103 pounds, this site is presently occupied by the Video 2000 franchise.

Following the completion of the rail link in 1892, the growth of Longreach accelerated, soon boasting a post office, court house, police station and lockup, a state school, churches, businesses and residences.

Interesting note: all the streets in Longreach are named after birds. Streets named after water birds run east-west and those named after land birds run north-south.

Ghost Towns of Australia: Cookardinia, NSW

Info and image courtesy of Wikipedia

Cookardinia is a small and almost non-existent village 24km east of Henty. Its surrounding area has an approximate population of 283 persons.

The place name Cookardinia is derived from the local Aboriginal word meaning "the place of the giant kingfisher" - probably a reference to the Kookaburra and hence the phonetic similarity of the start of each word.

Only several small buildings remain, including the old 'Buckaringa' woolshed on the Cookardinia - Henty road and the Memorial Hall built in 1925.

On the intersection of the Henty, Culcairn and Holbrook roads can be seen the (rapidly deteriorating) ruins of the Squatter's Arms Inn which was built in 1848.

The Squatter's Arms Inn closed its doors to official trading in 1925 but then was briefly restored internally when it featured in the 1976 filming of Mad Dog Morgan, starring Dennis Hopper.

Cookardinia Post Office opened on December 1, 1873 and closed in 1976.

Normanton

Info courtesy of Wikipedia and Carpentaria Shire
Image courtesy of Amazing Australia

Normanton is a small cattle town in the Gulf Country region of northwest Queensland, Australia, just south of the Gulf of Carpentaria, on the Norman River. The town's population is 1,100, 60 per cent of whom are Indigenous Australians. The town is one terminus of the isolated Normanton - Croydon Railway, which was built during gold rush days in the 1890s. The Gulflander motor train operates once a week.

Normanton is the administrative centre of Carpentaria Shire Council. Among Normanton's most notable features is a statue of an 8.64 m long salt water crocodile, named Kris/ Krys, the largest ever shot back in July 1957. Barramundi and salmon may also be caught in the river.

The site for the town was selected because Burketown was abandoned due to fever and flooding. Settlers moved into the town in 1867. Normanton attracted people from a variety of cultures, including Chinese drawn to the gold fields. In the early years there was a large Aboriginal population as well. Some aborigines were moved to Mornington Island and Doomadgee in the early 20th century.

Like other Gulf communities the prawning industry makes an important economic contribution to the town.

What happened at Westall? New revelations.

* A new look at what happened at Westall. Arguably one of the greatest UFO mysteries of all time.

Bruny Island's Buried Treasure Mystery

Info courtesy of Wreck of the Hope
Image courtesy of Kingborough Tasmania

The historic Tasmanian shipwreck of the sailing ship "Hope" occurred in April 1827 at Storm Bay near the mouth of the Derwent River. The Hope was on her way from Sydney to Hobart and is Tasmania's greatest buried treasure mystery. The shipwrecked "Hope" was reputed to be carrying the quarterly pay, in coin, for the 40th Regiment of Foot garrisoned in Hobart Town, in the new Tasmanian Colony.

The "Hope" was originally owned by Hobart's Cascades Brewery founder Peter Degraves. Peter Degraves sailed her from England several years earlier, bringing corn and saw milling equipment to the new colony. Once in Hobart he sold the sharply built ship to Captain Cunningham.

Captain Cunningham was well experienced in sailing in Tasmanian waters and often sailed between Tasmania and Britian in the Hope and other vessels.

In the 1880's long lived Bruny Island resident Darcy Denne saw an Irishman searching for the treasure near Dennes Point (then known as Kelly's Point after Tasmanian whaling legend Captain James Kelly) on Bruny Island.

For more than one hundred years since people having been digging up the beaches of Bruny Island and Hope Beach (so named for the shipwreck of the Hope) looking for the buried treasure of the shipwreck of the Hope.

The Great Inland Sea

Info courtesy of Lauren Camp
Image courtesy of Goin' Off Safari

Given that every other continent worth its salt has a huge and intricate internal river system, early European settlers theorised that Australia must surely have one too. And since Australian rivers flowed inland, the question rang out: where was all this water being stored? There must be a giant Mediterranean-sized sea in the deep, dark interior.

This presumption was so great that it gave birth to dozens of failed expeditions into Australia's red centre on fruitless searches for water - none more foolhardy than that mounted by Charles Sturt, who departed civilisation with 15 men and a boat.
Sturt became trapped for six months near Milparinka, NSW, and got as far the Simpson Desert before giving up, broken, in temperatures so hot that the party's lead fell from their pencils, and scurvy blackened skin fell from their mouths.

Not to worry, though. The search continues to this day, but far underground. Speculators are eternally drilling in the hope of finding another Great Artesian Basin that could allow the desert to flourish with flowing water for generations to come.

The Great Inland Sea inspired several books on the subject, none more ridiculous than Thomas J Maslen's The Friend of Australia, which managed to contain maps, detailed advice on navigating the sea and rivers and local knowledge of the interior, despite the fact that the author never, EVER set foot on Australian soil.

The Comet Inn

Info courtesy of Comet Inn
Image courtesy of LIFE

The Comet Inn was first licensed to Thomas Thompson. It was named after the brand name of the kerosene which was produced from the shale.

The village was growing and in 1880 Jonathon Blinkensopp became the Comet's licensee and remained so until the shale mines closed.

There were twelve pubs in the space of about a quarter of a mile of the road into Hartley at the time. There were also dwellings for the miners and their families, a post office, the Company School, a Temperance Hall (much needed after the drinking marathons on payday!) an Oddfellows Hall and Mr. Skelly's butchery and bakery establishment.

Balmain's Store was said to be a miniature Anthony Horderns, supplying anything you needed. By the 1880's there were at least three bootmakers and a saddler named Mr. Madden.

By 1913 the mining operations ceased. The mining families moved away. Yet the Comet Inn remained.

In 1910 The Comet was advertised as the ideal retreat for rest and recreation. Guests would be met at the train by appointment and hunting and fishing were described as sports available.

"A fine table, with fresh vegetables, milk and eggs from the farm." It was a Guest House with charm. "The House for a Happy Holiday" T.F. Pettitt, proprietor (late of Hurstville).

Today - The Comet has retained its name and has been converted into a lovely Guest House. The verandah was added some years ago but it retains the character of an old colonial 'Pub'.

Interestingly, there is an alleged female ghost who haunts the building. It is stated that if a promiscuous woman boards at the Comet then the ghost takes a hold of her making her excitable and more promiscuous than normal. Not real good for any married man to hear but great news for the single bloke!

Ghost Towns of Australia: Gwalia, WA

* A great clip by Robert Martin Productions (Ballarat Slicker) on the Western Australian Ghost town of Gwalia.

The Wollemi

Info courtesy of Wikipedia
Photo of the Cat's Ears by Paul Denham

Wollemi National Park is the second largest national park in New South Wales, and contains most of the largest wilderness area, the Wollemi Wilderness. It lies 129 kilometres northwest of Sydney, and forms part of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area.

It contains the only known wild specimens of the Wollemi Pine (Wollemia nobilis), a species thought to have become extinct approximately thirty million years ago, but discovered alive in three small stands in 1994.

This park is located on the western edge of the Sydney Basin. It sits on four strata of sedimentary rock; the Narrabeen and Hawkesbury sandstone and shale, the Illawarra and Singleton Permian coal measures and the Wianamatta shales. The strata at this area of the Sydney Basin have an upwards tilt to the north-west. Throughout most of the park the Hawkesbury and Wianamatta series have been eroded away exposing the Narrabeen group. The landscape of the park is dominated by deep valleys, canyons, cliffs and waterfalls, formed by the weathering of the sandstone and claystone the Narrabeen group consists of. The parts of the park that lie on the Narrabeen and Hawkesbury sandstones generally have shallow soil with low nutrient levels while areas that lie on the Wianamatta shale usually have deeper and more nutrient rich soils allowing for a greater diversity of plant life. The coal measures are visible beneath cliff lines along river valleys. This layer is generally rich in nutrients and weathers to form deep clay loams. Tertiary basalt is common in the north west of the park. Basaltic peaks include Mount Coriaday, Mount Monundilla and Mount Coricudgy, the highest peak in the northern Blue Mountains. In some location the basalt in the core of extinct volcanoes has eroded faster than the surrounding sandstone.

The Wollemi National Park is key in maintaining the quality of many tributary rivers to the Hawkesbury River and Goulburn-Hunter River catchments. The national park incorporates rivers such as the Wolgan River, Colo River and Capertee River which arise from outside the park. The Colo River is regarded as the last unpolluted river in New South Wales because the majority of it flows through the Wollemi National Park.

There are many aboriginal sites within the park including cave paintings, axe grinding grooves and rock carvings. In 2003 the discovery of Eagle's Reach cave was publicly announced. This site was found by bushwalkers in 1995 but remained unknown to the wider community until a team from the Australian Museum reached the cave in May 2003. The art within this small cave is estimated to be up to 4,000 years old and it consists of up to a dozen layers of imagery depicting a wide variety of motifs rendered in ochre and charcoal. The team who recorded this site counted over 200 separate images, mainly of animals and birds but also stencils of hands, axes and a boomerang.

It is a very significant site and the remote location is being kept secret for its own protection.

Secret Creek

Story by Dane Millerd
Photo by Renae Powell

If you have ever been to the Northern Territory there is a great chance you have been to many more recognisable and renowned places then somewhere like Secret Creek. Secret Creek by name and Secret Creek to the masses.

For most of the year it is a pleasant watering hole but during the wet it is a sanctuary for crocodiles and other exotic wildlife synonymous with the Top End.

The trip itself is south of Darwin towards Adelaide River on the main highway and it is encouraged that you be well prepared when you go. A fair track from the main road along with sturdy bush clothing is recommended.

A short walk among rough red rocks is then interrupted by a stream that becomes a steady creek. Eventually this majestic inlet becomes a gushing gorge, as good as any in the Territory and a great swimming hole.

Secret Creek was also a famed and favourable waterhole for local Aborigines in the area. It's name translated to 'Secret Creek.'

Snowtown isn't known for snow ...

Story by Dane Millerd
Additional info courtesy of Wikipedia
Image courtesy of Time Out

The town of Snowtown is located in the Mid North of South Australia 145 km north of Adelaide and lies on the main route between Adelaide and Perth. It is not famous for snow, in fact it has never snowed there. Snowtown is renowned for something much colder than bleak weather however we will deal with that later.

HISTORY
The settlement of Snowtown by non-indigenous Australians initially grew up around a railway station on the Brinkworth-Wallaroo line. Located on what was traditionally the land of the Kaurna (indigenous) people, the first pioneers arrived sometime between 1867 and 1869 due to the rapid expansion of farming to the north of the area. During this period one of the first major structures, the old Snowtown Pub (1868), was built.

The Government only started showing interest in the settlement as late as 1869 when it planned to establish various new towns throughout the district and to divide the land into much smaller holdings.

Snowtown's charter was formally proclaimed by the then Governor of South Australia, Sir William Jervois, in 1878. Jervois named the town after one of the members of the Snow family who were his cousins and lived on Yorke Peninsula (which lies immediately west and southwest of Snowtown). Thomas Snow became Jervois's aide de camp when Jervois received his posting in South Australia and it is widely thought by the people of Snowtown that the town was named after him.

WHAT SNOWTOWN IS REALLY KNOWN FOR
In 1999 the tiny village of some 523 sprang to prominence with the unravelling of the chilling 'Bodies in the Barrels' case. The Bodies in Barrels murders, were the murders of 12 people in South Australia, Australia between August 1992 and May 1999. The crimes were uncovered when the remains of eight victims were found in barrels of acid located in a rented former bank building in Snowtown, South Australia on May 20, 1999.

Though Snowtown is frequently linked with the crimes, the bodies had been held in a series of locations around Adelaide for some time, and were moved to Snowtown in early 1999, very late in the crime spree that had spanned several years. Only one victim was killed in Snowtown; none of the victims or the perpetrators were from that town.

Eight bodies were found in plastic barrels in the disused bank vault on May 20. Three days later two bodies were found buried in a backyard in Salisbury North, a suburb north of Adelaide. By the end of June, nine of the ten victims had been identified. The discoveries followed a lengthy, covert criminal investigation by South Australian Police. During the investigation two mysterious deaths already known to authorities were found to have been murders perpetrated by the "Snowtown" murderers.

A total of four people were arrested and charged over the murders. All were convicted of the murders or assisting in the murders. This group was largely influenced by ringleader John Justin Bunting. Much detail was not made public with the cases having been subject to over 250 suppression orders, many of which have not yet been lifted.

The Mystery of Lake George

Story by Paul Denham
Image courtesy of John Lafferty and The Riot Act

Virtually half way in between Australia's first inland city - Goulburn and the place of "kiddy fights" also known as parliament house in Australia's capital city - Canberra, is a fresh water lake. It is known as Lake George.

This lake is known when full to be the largest natural expanse of fresh water in Australia and the fifth oldest fresh water lake in the world.

Scientists have great interest in this lake for many reasons. Some say plants like Southern Beech and tree ferns like those found in Tasmania have left fossils there. Yet many other unexplainable mysteries bring many to search for answers.

Weereewa or Lake George is a freak phenomenon. It has been known by many to fill with water or drain and disappear overnight. This has been going on for possibly thousands of years or longer. In fact along with the disappearance of it's waters, many human visitors have never been found nor seen again. Like a mysterious soak or evaporation it's disappearance can be as fast as it's filling without rain.

There are some legends that conclude the lake is mysteriously linked to other lakes in Peru, South Africa and New Zealand. While many scientists blow this off as a myth, none have arrived with a real answer.

The lake has supported steamboats, wind sailing with gigantic waves and then shortly after nothing but cattle grazing.

Yes Lake George is certainly a mystical wonder and one I doubt we will ever get to the bottom of anytime soon.

Sarah's Grave - UPDATE

Story by Dane Millerd
Image by Paul Denham

JANUARY 2011 - Local Legends Entertainment has been approached by Wayne Morris and numerous other readers of our site about Sarah's Grave. Since the time we first ran the story a number of years ago Local Legends has discovered some new information that certainly gives us more understanding of this famed and popular legend including -

* A magistrate buried not far from Sarah, by himself, symbolic of ostracism and societal discord arguably over the handling of either Sarah or her case;

* The fencing off of the cemetery largely to save young males from entering the site in vehicles;

* Efforts to contact Mark Stent that have gone unanswered prompting questions over whether he is still alive or too spooked by the incident that occurred involving he and his friends;

* The site becoming a more popular attraction for witches and pranks;

* People who were prepared to go on record about the legend of Sarah's Grave suddenly change their mind.

This, as well as the original story have prompted us to investigate further so watch this space for more updates and see below for the original story.

SARAH'S GRAVE - NEAR PENRITH, NSW

Story by Dane Millerd
Photo by Paul Denham

When Sarah Marshall arrived on the Convict Ship the Friendship from the United Kingdom more than 190 years ago she couldn't have foreseen the gruesome fate that awaited her.

Transported for stealing some apparel, Sarah served her sentence obediently and it was not long before she had earned her freedom. Around this time she met and befriended John Simpson, an independent, well-to-do man. Together they would have eight children out of wedlock. However, this was frowned upon at the time.

On her way home one night, Sarah was set upon by a group of men who had been following her in the shadows. Sarah was brutally murdered in a fit of lust, Her remains were left near her home in Castlereagh NSW, and the cowardly men raced off into the darkness.

It was a sad and sorry way to die. When her battered and scarred body was found, John Simpson was utterly devastated. He was now alone to search for answers to this horrendous crime, and to care for their eight precious children.

Sarah Marshall was buried as Sarah Simpson, and it is said that John married her at her graveside to allow her to pass without sin into the next life.
Sarah's story doesn't end there, her epitaph on the headstone reads as follows :

And am I born to die,

To lay this body down.

And must my trembling
spirit fly,

Into a world unknown.

A land of deepest shade,

Unpeired by human
thought.

The dreary regions of the dead,

Where all things are
forgot.

The legend goes that Sarah used to harass young men if they come near her graveside. While at the same time many young women claim to have seen her ghost appear in the trees above.

Do you have a story from Sarah's grave?

Sofala

Info courtesy of Old Sofala Gaol and Bathurst NSW
Image courtesy of Paul Dudley

Sofala is a small village located approximately 250km north west of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is located beside the Turon River. Originally settled during the Gold Rush in 1851, it is now Australia's oldest surving gold rush town.

Sofala is just off the main Bathurst-Ilford Road, with only local traffic through the town itself. Sofala is the perfect place to relax and enjoy the peace and quite of the countryside. The area is well know for attracting landscape artists and the occasional gold prospector. The Turon Hills were Australia's second biggest goldfield.

It was also the setting for some of the scenes from 'The Cars That Ate Paris' (1974) and 'Sirens' (1994).

The gold rush brought thousands to the area and the Royal Hotel and the old General Store were both built in 1851 with this influx. Of an original 40 hotels, the Royal hotel is the only one that remains. Quaint timber buildings dominate the two main streets of the village .

It is also the final resting place of Aboriginal warrior Windradyne. Yes, Sofala is a definite stop on any traveller's road map.

Come By Chance

Story by Ely Rassoms
Photo courtesy of Walgett Shire

We often knock Americans for weird town and baby names but this next one right here in Australia also takes some beating. Come By Chance as it is known, is a locality in the Pilliga district of northern New South Wales, Australia. It is located about 100 km north of Coonabarabran in the Walgett Shire. At the 2006 census, Come By Chance had a population of 187 people.

George and William Colless purchased a sheep station in the area, naming it 'Come by Chance' to reflect their surprise at being able to make such a purchase in this area. The town was later named after this property.

The town features in Banjo Paterson's wistful ballad Come-by-Chance:

But my languid mood forsook me, when I found a name that took me,
Quite by chance I came across it - 'Come-by-Chance' was what I read;
No location was assigned it, not a thing to help one find it,
Just an N which stood for northward, and the rest was all unsaid.'

In September Come By Chance comes alive with the annual Picnic Races held at the Come By Chance Race Course. It is definitely worth a look!

Hidden Streams and Hidden Footprints - Kincumber Mountain

Info and image courtesy of Bitey.com

Back then I lived about an hour’s drive north of Sydney on the New South Wales Central Coast. The suburb is called Green Point, and my house sat peacefully among others, at the foot of a mountain reserve called Kincumber Mountain. I signed over the house to my ex-wife when we split.

Back then, my job as an animator with Disney was in the heart of Sydney. The commute was two hours from door to door, each way. I had it all planned out: I needed to arrive at work early each morning so I could leave early in the afternoon. This would give me two hours to get home and disappear up into the forest for a few hours. I’d take nothing with me but a bottle of water and I’d arrive home at around 8 or 9pm. That was my routine for several years.

To be there in the forest at dusk, just listening to the creatures stirring and emerging from their holes is something I miss terribly. I usually left the track and walked into the thick scrub to explore, careful not to break anything or make too much noise. Often it was a bit of a challenge to find my way back to the track in the darkness.

One of the most enduring images I have of the place is from one particular evening, when I noticed a wall of thick fog gliding silently but very quickly through the trees towards me. It was simply a cloud moving over the mountain. Quite suddenly, the birds in the trees and the rustling in the grass seemed to stop and I just watched in amazement as this white wall came through devouring the forest, and me along with it. It’s not just the sight, but the whole experience that I long to have again.

Over the years a few things happened in that forest that occasionally come back and make me think. Some of them were perfectly normal things like the fog, but others were, to put it simply, a bit weird.

One particular evening I started a walk down into a low part of the forest where I hadn’t been before. It was a bit of a battle to get through the thorny scrub without breaking anything or getting scratched, but I descended into a small rocky clearing that had a little running stream. The water was only ankle-deep, and the rocks either side were covered with the thickest and softest moss I’ve ever seen. It was a nice place to rest, so I sat there and listened, pulling twigs out of my socks.

From where I sat, the stream trickled away from me and disappeared over a sharp drop, beyond which I could hear falling water. After a while I got up and went to the edge. I was surprised to see that the drop was about 8 feet and the water fell into a small sandy pool at the bottom. It was getting darker now and I knew that soon it would be difficult to see my way, but I climbed down the rock face using tree roots as hand and foot-holds.

I explored the area a bit, and it was one of the nicest little spots I’d seen there. I knew I’d like to come back, but the darkness was closing in so I decided to start home. I was about to climb back up when I heard a little rustling in the undergrowth, somewhere behind me. I hadn’t come across much wildlife as yet, so I decided to investigate. The rustling was accompanied by a grunting, snorting sound and after a little stalking, I saw an echidna. A few dead leaves were impaled on his spikes, which made me think he’d been rolling around in the undergrowth. He was minding his own business, turning over pieces of dead wood with his long nose and didn’t notice me, so I spent a few minutes just watching him eat ants and other insects.

Finally I decided that I really should get moving, the failing light was making it more difficult to see and I had a long way to go, uphill and through bramble and bracken in the dark. From where I had been watching the echidna, I had been standing on a fallen log that resembled a little footbridge over the stream. I looked down to watch my footing when suddenly I saw something in the wet sand that made me stop dead.

It was a tiny footprint, about the size of a two year-old child’s. At first I thought that this random depression in the sand looked a bit like a little footprint, but as I crouched closer I could see that this wasn’t random. This was a footprint, very real and very well defined to the point that I could see the chubbiness of each toe.

I stood up and held my breath, looking and listening around me, wondering if there could be a little child lost way down here in this part of the woods. Surely I’d hear something if there were, the footprint looked very fresh to me. I scanned the sand around for more prints, but there were none. The one print was very close to the water in the wettest part of the sand, which is probably why it was so defined, but it was the only one.

I wasn’t too concerned with getting back before dark, that night. I was more interested to see if there were little people in this untouched, deepest part of a suburban forest. For a while I regretted not having a camera on hand, but now I’m glad I didn’t. I would like to revisit the place one day though.

The Mystery behind the Standing Stones

Info courtesy of John Tregurtha and Tim the Yowie Man
Image courtesy of Pbase

The Standing Stones in Glen Innes have been covered already on this site. Some new information that has been brought to our attention explains the mystical hold these stones have had over locals and visitors alike.

"We've had people break down in tears here," said John.

"We even had a couple come from New York and they got freaked out because they saw their ancestors among the stones in the early morning fog.

"They didn't hang around."

It is presumed that these rocks have a had a hold over a number of people for a number of years and if this is the case, what hold will they have in 3000 years time?

"Interesting question that, by I assume nothing will change," said John.

Ghost Towns of Australia: Cowards Springs, SA

Info courtesy of Wikipedia
Image courtesy of Kate Hill and World Is Round

Coward Springs is a former settlement and railway station in the desert in outback South Australia. It is situated on the Oodnadatta Track adjacent to the Wabma Kadarbu Mound Springs Conservation Park, 236 km from Coober Pedy.

It was named in 1858 by Peter Warburton after Corporal Thomas Coward, one of the members of the exploration party.

Coward Springs had a school from 1888 to 1890. The government bore was 400 feet deep and the artesian water rose 15 feet into the air from the bore. The bore was completed on 16 July 1886.

Coward Springs currently provides pleasant camping facilities, an open-air spa, and historical features.

THOMAS COWARD

Thomas ('Tom') Coward was born 1834 in England, third son of John and Sarah, and arrived in Adelaide with his parents and siblings on the Fairlie in 1840. He joined the goldrush to Victoria in 1851, and then returned to Adelaide where he joined the South Australia Police in 1853, riding on four successive gold escorts between Adelaide and Bendigo.

He was then posted as mounted constable to Port Augusta, Kapunda, and other country police stations, being promoted to corporal. In 1858 he was stationed at Mount Serle when he accompanied the party of Peter Warburton on one of his explorations, during which they discovered and named Coward Springs. He then accompanied Richard Graves MacDonnell on his Central Australian expedition.

After being dismissed from the SA Police in 1860 for gross ill-treatment of his horse, he joined the Snowy River gold escort service in New South Wales. Coward was then sent into Queensland as detective in the manhunt for the bushranger Frank Gardiner. In 1864 he resigned his NSW post to take up the position of sub-inspector in the Queensland Native Police Corps, serving at various country postings including Burketown. In 1867 he was appointed goldfields warden at the Palmer River diggings, being involved in controversial actions regarding Chinese miners. He then resigned from policing and married at Brisbane in 1879 to Millicent Deagon.

In 1891 Coward returned with his family to Adelaide, where he became a publican, first of the Imperial Hotel, and then of the Prince Albert Hotel, where he died in 1905, aged 71. In 1893 he stood as candidate for the Northern Territory electorate in the SA House of Assembly election, but was defeated.

Biddy's Pinch

As retold by Steve Lang to Dane Millerd
Image courtesy of Bama Wester

Not far from Hampton Halfway Hotel in the Blue Mountains towards Oberon, there is a road known as Biddy's Pinch.

To the average punter it is just another road to work or Jenolan Caves but to the informed local, it is much, much more significant than that. For that stretch of road was named after a jilted bride known by locals as 'Biddy.'

Biddy the bride was left at the altar by her husband-to-be and she did not take it well. According legend she was killed along that stretch of road in her wedding dress and comes back to haunt the road now named after her.

RECENT ENCOUNTERS

"A group of blokes I know were driving through the Hampton fog one winter," said Steve Lang.

"For those who don't know what I mean - you could barely see your hand in front of your face.

"And these blokes were driving late one night after a few ales and it was then when they had to stop and move a log off the road. When they all returned to the car and were about to drive off it was then when they saw her," he continued.

"Biddy was standing right there in front of the vehicle still in her wedding dress but with her decapitated head under her arms.

"Suffice to say it frightened the shit out of them and now they take the back roads," he laughed.

"A lot of blokes steer clear of Biddy's Pinch if they can help it!"

Gundagai and the Dog on the Tuckerbox

Info and image courtesy of Wikipedia

The Dog on the Tuckerbox is an Australian historical monument and tourist attraction, located at Snake Gully, five miles (8 km) from Gundagai, New South Wales. It was sculpted by local stonemason Frank Rusconi and was unveiled by the then Prime Minister of Australia Joseph Lyons on November 28, 1932 as a tribute to pioneers. The statue was inspired by a bullock driver's poem, Bullocky Bill, which celebrates the life of a mythical driver's dog that loyally guarded the man's tuckerbox (lunch box) until death.

A dog monument had been first erected at a site nine miles from Gundagai in 1926.

Bullocky Bill was written by an otherwise unknown poet who used the pen name 'Bowyang Yorke' and first printed in 1857. A later poem by Jack Moses drew on the Bowyang Yorke poem for inspiration and was published in the 1920s. The latter poem was very popular and was the inspiration for the statue. Moses's poem, Nine Miles from Gundagai was first published in 1938, several years after the statue's unveiling. Jack O'Hagan's song, Where the Dog Sits on the Tuckerbox (5 miles from Gundagai) was published in 1937.

Frank Rusconi had suggested a memorial using the legend of the Dog on the Tuckerbox in 1928. However, in 1932 the proposal was taken up by the community. The Gundagai Independent of August 11, 1932 wrote:

"A Monument should be erected at the Nine Mile peg dedicated to the pioneers and bullockies, who made the highway of today possible. And there should be an unveiling ceremony during 'Back to Gundagai Week'."

The Dog on the Tuckerbox monument was erected as part of 'Back to Gundagai' Week in 1932 and a large crowd "gathered to her again" to witness the unveiling by the Prime Minister. It was planned to donate money placed in the wishing well at the base of the monument to the Gundagai District Hospital. A souvenir shop was also opened nearby.

The Back to Gundagai Committee had chosen the Five Mile camping site rather than the Nine Mile Peg as a location for the monument on the basis that it was more convenient to the Hume Highway and closer to the town, thereby more beneficial to tourism.

A nationwide competition was held to obtain the most suitable inscription for the monument. The chosen inscription on the base of the monument was written by Brian Fitzpatrick of Sydney. The inscription says:

Earth's self upholds this monument
To conquerors who won her,
When wooing was dangerous
And now are gathered unto her again."

An annual Dog on the Tuckerbox festival has been held each year since 1992, the 60th anniversary of the monument. In November 2005, the Annual Festival included a 2 day Snake Gully Cup Racing Carnival and festivities at the Dog on the Tuckerbox centre.

Mount Warning, QLD

Info courtesy of www.mtwarning.com
Image courtesy of Far North Coaster

Towering over Murwillumbah and the Tweed Valley in far north-eastern New South Wales, is Mount Warning, the central core of the Southern Hemisphere's largest extinct shield volcano.

Named 'Wollumbin', meaning 'cloud catcher', by the Bundjalung people who inhabited the region before European settlement, it is the first place on Australia’s mainland to be touched by the morning sun. A climb to the summit to watch the dawn of a new day is a must for the adventurous.

On June 15th, 2008, the Wollumbin Mt Warning Caldera was named on a list of 8 iconic sites across Australia under the National Landscapes Program, a tourism initiative for people interested in immersing themselves in the 'real' culture and surroundings of the country. Under the program the area is to be known as 'Australia's Green Cauldron'.

Mount Warning, a World Heritage Listed National Park (2210ha), is reached by leaving the Pacific Highway at Murwillumbah and following the Kyogle Road west for 12 kilometres. Turn onto Mount Warning Road and proceed a further six kilometres to the Breakfast Creek picnic area at the Park entrance.

In the surrounding Nightcap, Border Ranges, Springbrook and Lamington National Parks, species of the sub-tropical and temperate zones overlap in a unique environment to provide spectacular rainforest scenery with natural streams and brooks, abundant bird and wildlife.

The valley itself is a rolling patchwork of green, with farms, sugar cane fields and natural wooded areas delighting the eye at every turn. Charming country villages nestle against the hills or bask in the riverside sun.

The towering, cone-shaped peak of Mount Warning and its two 'shoulders' have become the trademark of the Tweed as from every point in the valley and beyond, the mountain dominates the landscape.

HISTORY

20 million years ago Mount Warning was the central vent of a large shield volcano with an area of over 4,000 square kilometres. It reached from Coraki in the south to Beenleigh in the north; westward to Kyogle and to the east its remnants occur as reefs in the Pacific Ocean. It originally reached nearly twice its present height.

Erosion over the millennia produced a unique and curious landform - the erosion caldera, which we today call the Tweed Valley. Mount Warning was the ancient volcano's magma chamber. Being composed of harder rocks which cooled underground, this massif resisted the forces which carved the surrounding erosion caldera down to bedrock. It stands as the dominant feature in the district’s landscape, and catches the first rays of the rising sun on the continent.

Mount Warning had deep significance for the Aboriginal inhabitants of the area. They called it 'Wollumbin', which means 'cloud-catcher' or 'weather-maker'. The mountain first made its appearance in recorded history when Captain Cook named it to warn future mariners of the offshore reefs he encountered on May 16, 1770.

Reserved for public recreation in 1928, Mount Warning was dedicated as a National Park in 1966.

Trial Bay Gaol

Info and image courtesy of www.trialbaygaol.com

Trial Bay Gaol opened in 1886 as a works prison and utilised in World War One as a German internment camp, closed in 1918. It is located in the Arakoon National Park just five kilometres east of the coastal town of South West Rocks.

Trial Bay Gaol is one of the most popular attractions on the mid north coast of NSW, Australia, with spectacular scenery ranging from the extensive gaol ruins, to the natural beauty of Trial Bay, the coast and beaches.

Trial Bay was named after a brig, The Trial, which was stolen and wrecked by convicts in 1816 in the bay that now bears its name.

Visitors can camp or use the barbeque's and picnic areas, tour the gaol and museum, go swimming or bushwalking.

Whatever your fancy, Trial Bay and Trial Bay Gaol are definitely worth a visit!

Ghost Towns of Australia: Golden Ridge, WA

Info and image courtesy of Wikipedia

Golden Ridge is an abandoned town in Western Australia located 615 kilometres (382 mi) east of Perth just of the Mount Monger Road in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia.

The town was originally designated as a business area through the mining act and was ironically known as Waterfall. The government gazetted the town-site in 1910 following a request by the local progress committee to make more land available for residential development.

Initially named Waterfall, the Commonwealth Government disagreed with the choice of name as another town with the same name already existed in New South Wales. The committee then chose the name Golden Ridge after the gold mine of the same name that lies adjacent to the town.

The name of the town was changed by gazettal in 1911. The Trans-Australian Railway built a station in the town in 1913-1914. Golden Ridge is the second station east of Kalgoorlie between Parkeston and Curtin.

Today it is little more than a ghost town.

* Photo - The golden days at Golden Ridge.

Where the stars shine brightest ...

Story by Millie Ford
Image by Steed Litten

They say Wycliffe Well in outback Australia is the hotspot for the most UFO sightings in Australia and this may be true. For it can be argued a whole lot more go unreported and as a result, we may never know the capital of such activity in this country ever. Still, while Wycliffe Well may be the eye of the storm so to speak, there are other honourable mentions in this category.

DARWIN, NT
Yes, believe it or not the Wycliffe Well is not the only place in the Top End that police receive a barrage of calls about strange lights in the sky and UFO activity. Darwin cops are inundated all year round with accounts of the strange phenomena.

BOULIA, QLD
Often Boulia, like Min Min and Winton is a hive for Min Min Light activity. Whether or not they are UFOs remains to be proven in the alien sense however Boulia qualifies because the reasons for and theories about Min Min Lights are as vast as the outback itself.

NIMBIN, NSW
We won't touch this one. However one gets the feeling that bright lights get brighter as each day passes the longer you stay there.

STAWELL, VIC
The starry nights at Stawell are famous. As mentioned in earlier reports, the light show at this tiny town rivals any Melbourne New Years Eve celebration.

CAPERTEE VALLEY/ GARDENS OF STONE, NSW
Everyone from Col Ribaux to Ray McMahon have seen lights out the back of Capertee. From Glen Davis and Rylstone to Tarana in the south, people have described seeing the phenomenon that is Paddy's Latern.

COONABARABRAN, NSW
More people have telescopes here than any place in Australia. It is little wonder that many people claim to have seen UFOs and strange lights in the night sky. 'Coona' is a thriving metropolis when it comes to space and light shows.

Got any more? Let us know.

Saumarez Homestead, Armidale

Story and photo by Dane Millerd
Info courtesy of Trish May (National Trust of Australia)

Although no one will admit it publicly or in a formal capacity, the real legend of Saumarez Homestead consists of the many spirits seen at the old house. The most notable is that of Mary White who has been seen sitting on the stairs and emanating a white flash from the darkened corridors of the homestead.

"While I haven't seen anything in the 23 years I have worked here, I have heard stories," said Trish May, tour guide for the Saumarez Homestead and National Trust of Australia.

"I have been told by workers and contractors of a whole range of things but my belief is that the many people who have resided or visited here over the years were happy people.

"Usually ghosts appear when there is an atrocity or unfinished business but none of that went on here," said Trish.

From 1835 Saumarez was a squatting run held by Henry Dumaresq and in 1856 H.A. Thomas bought the pastoral license and then sold the land to finance his pruchase of the core of the property. He sold it to Francis White in 1874.

White was 23 years old when he took over the property and married Margaret Fletcher in 1881. He prospered and ended up owning many properties throughout the New England, particularly up near Guyra.

In 1888 he built a new house and in 1906 added an upper level. After Margaret and Francis both died in the 1930s their unmarried daughters Mary and Elsie lived in the house until after Elsie's death in 1981. The house and old farm building were then subsequently donated to the National Trust.

Mary's death was anything but suspicious for she lived a wonderful and fulfilling life. Ironically, she was invited to be a board member at the newly established UNE despite her father Francis suppressing his daughters and their extra-curricular ambitions. UNE still recognises Mary White even today and her contributions to the institution.

Still, as this writer can testify upon a recent visit, there is definitely a presence in the homestead and standing in the drawing room one could overhear classical music being played on an old radio or record player. Strangely, I wasn't the only one to hear it!

Saumarez Homestead is certainly worth a visit.

* Photo - the design of pylons, balconies and ceilings is a real feature of the homestead.

Dead Filly Dam

Story by Dane Millerd
Photo by Paul Denham

Dead Filly Dam in the Pilliga is a daunting place. It is a sign of loved lost, from the run down old fences to the man-made stick holding yards and feeding lots. There is a presence and an atmosphere unlike any other place and that much is certain.

Dead Filly Dam in part got its name from the days of the holding yards that used to house not just livestock but young fillies and wild horses. It is said there was a huge tragedy at the site that resulted in the deaths of many horses hence the mysterious and unsettling name of the locale.

The Pilliga even today is still full of brumbies but you don't see them there in the flesh anyway so to speak.

For today Dead Filly Dam is not just a decrepit, decaying reminder of the love lost of days past but also if you look closely enough, you can see the spirits of the fillies that still roam down to the waters edge for a drink like ghosts on a landscape. So the legend goes it is the spirits of these dead fillies who as they drank were rounded up and lead away to a life of domesticity and discipline.

* Dead Filly Dam is just off the Western Way south of the township of Pilliga. It is advised that you take supplies and a map before going there. Be sure to check for fire bans and road closures.

Haunted Places

Info courtesy of Ghosts and Souls
Image submitted by Anon

Canberra – Duffy – There is a creek around, with a house right next to it or on top of it, where a little girl roams around. The former owners had visits from the little girl. She died in the late 1800′s/early 1900′s, by drowning in the creek.

Canberra – Kambah Wool Shed – Used in the 1900′s as a convict prison, where executions also took place. Many believe that there are hundreds of spirits floating around in the wool shed. There have also been reports from nearby houses that screams have been heard from the shed. There was a report of a man finding blood in a corner of the shed.

Canberra – Mount Cotton – There is a place called Spook Hill. Turn your car off in the middle of the hill, hop out and it rolls up all by itself.

New South Wales – Armidale – Armidale High School Auditorium – When in the auditorium alone, you can hear a faint evil laugh, like it’s trying to scare you. Occasionally, things will be hurled across the stage.

New South Wales – Asquith – Asquith Girls High School – At night, strange noises are heard near the hall and the oval of the school. People who’ve heard these noises say that they heard screams of teenage girls or younger girls. Various people say that they’ve been hit or nearly hit by large objects from off the top of the roof, such as bricks and roof tiles.

New South Wales – Bathurst – Machatti Park – When there is no one around, screams have been heard. – February 2007 Update/Additional Information: Machatti Park – The park is behind the local courthouse. The courthouse and the park were part of the jail in the old days(the jail is now long gone). Somewhere on the grounds of the park was used for the hanging of inmates. There is a lot of bad history there.

New South Wales – East Hills – Lucas Road/Henry Lawson Drive Creek – The road leads to the Georges River. It is haunted by an old local fisherman. He was a lonely man, whose only companion was his blue heeler dog. He kept to himself and liked to avoid contact with people. He would regularly be seen scavenging for bait in the creek. Then he would mysteriously disappear and wasn’t seen again. Many locals have reported that they have seen the old man around the creek, especially with the occurrence of a full man. Many residents nearby have reported hearing a dog howling at night in the creek. But no dog is seen.

That's just for starters ...

The Golden Gumboot - Tully, QLD

Info courtesy of Cardwell Council
Image courtesy of Tripandom

Why a Gumboot?

Originally a rubber boot was awarded to the wettest town in Australia, according to which had the most rainfall in the past year. Tully, Innisfail and Babinda vied for the prize.

The Dream ...

The idea of a Big Gumboot to enhance Tully’s image and welcome visitors was embraced by Tully community bodies in 1997 and funding was raised in 2002.

Tully Lions Club and Tully Rotary, under Ron Hunt, Community Service Director of Tully Rotary, obtained funding and donations from various sources. The Gumboot was designed, fabricated and installed by Brian Newell.

Gumboot Facts

* The boot stands 7.9 metres high which represents the record annual rainfall of 7,900mm (311 inches) in 1950.
* Made of fibreglass.
* Contains a spiral staircase and viewing platform
* In the floods of 1967 and 1973 this gumboot at this location would have been standing in 800mm of water.
* Project cost including in-kind contributions: $90,000.
* Official opening: 10th May 2003.

The Golden Gumboot was also one of the few structures to survive the horrific carnage of Cyclone Yasi in early February 2011.

Australantis - The Lost Civilisation of Uru

Info courtesy of Rex Gilroy
Image courtesy of Mysterious Worlds

URU: The Sunken City of the Pacific

Legend has it there was a sunken city in the Pacific Ocean known as Uru. Uncommon history tells us that the citizens of Uru were not stereotypical Polynesians or Asians but were a white-skinned race who built in stone, and whose ruined culture-centres now lie submerged beneath the waters of the Pacific Ocean. The Ngati-Kaiperu, both men and women, had the power of flight, and those who took to the air were given the name of 'Tui' or 'Fly as a bird without flapping the wings'; in other words they were users of primitive hang-gliders.

The Ngati-Kaiperu, or Uru were said by the Polynesians to have built large stone temples and other monuments, which were abandoned as the ocean rose over the land. Some of these monuments are said to survive above water today, on many of the Pacific Islands. Hotu Matua, the great blonde-haired, fair-skinned culture-hero of Easter Island, is said to have arrived there in a great 'feather boat' (ie. a vessel with sails), from a sunken land to the west. Hotu Matua subsequently introduced the art of stone building to the island. Obviously 'Hotu Matua' is symbolic of a whole people rather than an individual.

In the 'Codex Chimalpopoca', one of the sacred books of the Toltecs, written between 200 BC-900AD, there is reference to a 'rain of fire', being symbolic of a great disaster, in this case, the 'great flood.'

'Now, this was in the year Ce Tecpatl,
One Flint, it was the day, in which
men were lost and destroyed in a rain
of fire, they were transformed into
goslings, the sun itself was on fire,
and everything together with the
houses, was consumed'
(ie. flooded.)

The reference to men changed into goslings means that the survivors took to the ocean in watercraft to escape.

A study of ancient mythology and legend reveals Wainga-roa was formed of hills, mountains and rivers flowing through deep valleys populated with animals and birds of all kinds, and ruled over by the fair-skinned race created by Tane, the Ngati-Kaiperu or "People of Eru" (or Uru.) This people were composed of large tribes, or communities which covered the landmass to its southernmost limits, that is what is now South Island-Stewart Island.

The true dimensions of the sunken landmass of Wainga-roa may be deduced from geological evidence and the traditions of the Melanesian and Polynesian peoples. Extending north from New Zealand the land shelf on its western side roughly followed the Norfolk Island Ridge up to what is now New Caledonia and on to the south-eastern portion of New Guinea; and on its eastern side followed the Kermadec and Tongan Trenches, then eastwards perhaps as far as the Tuamotu Archipelago, its northern shoreline roughly including the Tokelau and Ellice Islands across to the Solomons.

Tambar Springs

Story by Millie Ford
Additional info courtesy of Wikipedia
Image courtesy of G'Day Pubs

Tambar Springs is a town in the North West Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia. The town is in the Gunnedah Shire Council Local Government area, 417 kilometres (259 mi) north west of the state capital, Sydney. At the 2006 census, Tambar Springs and the surrounding area had a population of 201.

Tambar Springs was opened up for grazing in the 1830s. Closer settlement began in 1868 and the village was proclaimed twenty years later in 1888. Tambar Springs claims to have the earliest memorial to World War I servicemen in Australia. The memorial was erected in December 1918 at a total cost of 400 pounds.

In addition, Tambar Springs also had the largest number of men per capita enlisted in the army in the commonwealth, over both world wars.

Nearby Tambar Springs is a significant palaeontology site; a typical Pleistocene assemblage. Between 1979 and 1984, the Australian Museum excavated a complete Diprotodon skeleton as well as a pelvis and femur.

Interesting side notes about the area include a cult based atop the nearby mountain range and the fact that despite its population and the fact it has the lowest median income in NSW of approximately $118 per week, about $10,000 per week is spent on poker machines at the local pub. If you haven't checked it out it is certainly worth a visit!

The Clown House of Blackwood Forest

Info courtesy of Eidolon at Eidolon Paranormal
Image courtesy of Raz Garuda

There is a haunted clown house in Blackwood Forest, South Australia and for those who do not know, something strange happened quite a few years ago in that forest.

I used to visit the video store in Blackwood quite a lot as one of my friends lived up there. There was always a party clown advertisement on the counter. The clowns name was Fritz Sandwich.

Now this itself did not mean much to me but still I thought the name was funny and mentioned it to the shop owner (made the typical paedophile joke that a teenager makes about clowns yadda yadda yadda)

The guy behind the counter told me that this guy apparently lived in the forest.

Before I go any further I do not believe Fritz ever lived in the forest. I think some stories such as the one below may have confused people as to what was actually in that forest.

I had a group of mates that used to as a part time activity make parody home videos of movies, people etc. Sometime after the Blair Witch project came out they thought the movie was not worth much except to be parodied. These guys proceeded to get drunk and create the Belair Witch project.

These guys grabbed a few cameras more beers and headed off into Belair Forest and proceeded to film. Late in the night they believe they saw a man dressed as a clown and started to stalk him trying to get him on video. I am not exactly sure of the details as no-one thought this was believable, they were known to get absolutely totalled and at most it was believed to have been Fritz Sandwich.

When they recorded the video there was nothing else said about that forest and from what I understand, no-one went back. Nowadays I hear the odd story about Fritz and the haunted clown house. Was he real? Was he a ghost? Who can say?

I'll let you know when I summon the courage to check it out myself!

Galston Gorge

Story by Dane Millerd
Photo by RTA

Galston Gorge is located north-west of Sydney and is threaded by a link road that joins onto nearby Hornsby. Notorious for its winding roads and urban legends, Galston Gorge was also the locale where two of the backpacker victims were found - James Gibson and Deborah Everest, who were both murdered by serial killer Ivan Milat.

One of the legends we have been told consists of young hoons blocking both the exit and entrance roads through the Gorge and holding up unsuspecting first time travellers often taking their money and vehicles. The road through the Gorge is also renowned for bad and aggressive drivers and tailgating.

Perhaps the scariest legend we have been told about Galston Gorge consists of the man who appears on the overhanging rocky cliff edge as if he is about to jump to his death. The sight of him on the edge has sent many bushwalkers and drivers insane with fear forcing more than one traveller to either lose control of their vehicle or injure themselves in the rugged terrain as they walk back to the car park through the scrub.

Galston Gorge is definitely worth a look if you can handle it, just don't go alone!

Cape Tribulation

Info courtesy of Amazing Australia
Image of Paul and Lawrence Mason and two others holding a giant scrub python - courtesy of Mason's Tours

Cape Tribulation has a colorful history, was known as Kulki by Aborigines for thousands of years and renamed Cape Tribulation by James Cook as this was the place where his tribulations (trouble) began. Then in the 1970's hippies discovered the place, followed by tourists and nowadays Cape Tribulation is in the top 10 of well known tourist destinations in Australia, known as "Where the rainforest meets the reef".

'Cape Tribulation' and 'the Daintree' are two terms used to describe the area north of the Daintree River. If you want to see the oldest rainforest in the world you will have to cross the Daintree river. You can do a detour to Daintree Village south of the river, it is a scenic drive and there are some accommodation places and wildllife tours but do not expect this to be the village in the rainforest. All the trees around here were cut down over a hundred years ago, in their timber museum you can see old black and white photos of the huge red cedar trees that were cut here.

Too many people only travel up to Cape Tribulation from Cairns and Port Douglas on day trips, this means you will spend six hours just in driving time, not leaving much time to actually see and fully experience this unique place. Surveys have found that a lot of daytrippers were not all that satisfied with their day. If you are running out of holiday time and simply can not afford more than a day before you have to go home, click here for more info on a day trip . Seeing it in a day is still better than not at all and it probably will convince you to return in the future for a longer stay.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF CAPE TRIBULATION

Aborigines - For many thousands of years, the Kuku Yalangi Aboriginal people lived along this coastline, foraging for rainforest fruits and hunting the rainforest animals, there is no evidence they ever permanently lived in Cape Tribulation but they used to camp here at times and travel back and forth between Mossman (70 km. south) and Wujul Wujul, (35 km. north). This was why there was already a well used track from Cape Tribulation to the Bloomfield River when white settlers arrived in the area. Some of the earliest settlers, the Masons, who lived just north of the cape where now the parking area for Cape Tribulation beach is, frequently had Aborigines passing by their kitchen window as they had, without knowing, built their house on an Aboriginal road. As early as the 1880s timber cutters called had already used this track to search for red cedar. For a while the cassowaries seemed to have disappeared but in recent years they have made a comeback in Cape Tribulation.

James Cook - The next chapter in the history of Cape Tribulation is James Cook. He had been sent out from England to Tahiti to observe Venus passing in front of the sun. Thanks to his measurements scientists could now work out the distance between the earth and the sun and a range of other things. But to justify the expense of the journey the British Crown had decided that he was also to take possession of New Holland to expand their empire. Cook sailed up the east coast and did quite a bit of surveying and drew up numerous charts, as so far he only had a fairly basic map from the Dutch explorers that had been here 160 years before him. Things ran fairly smoothly until one night after passing this area his ship struck the reef. The Endeavour came very close to sinking, luckily a large chunk of reef had broken off and remained in the hole and actually worked as a plug, this together with a sail covering the hole, the crew pumping like mad and the dumping of all non vital heavy things like cannons, they managed to keep the ship afloat. So when Cook looked out on the coast at first daylight he was not in the happiest of moods and named a few features with not the most cheerful of names; the cape he could see was named Cape Tribulation (tribulation means trouble) and the mountain behind it Mount Sorrow. The reef the ship had struck was named Endeavour Reef and a bay to the north where they rested while towing the ship up the coast with row boats was named Weary Bay. Finally they found a river to go up and beach the ship so it could be repaired, this one was then named the Endeavour River and that is where Cooktown is located nowadays. After seven weeks of repairs, some run-ins with Aborigines and discovering the kangaroo, they headed further north where they planted the Union Jack and officially took possession of this country. This makes the striking of the reef off the coast of Cape Tribulation all the more significant; had they sunk here they would not have been able to claim Australia later on and it could have still been New Holland nowadays. Cape Tribulation would look very different indeed with windmills instead of coconut trees along the beaches and coffee shops in the resorts instead of bars. And the moisture of the rainforest and the Australian termites would have made short work of the wooden clogs as well.

Cape Tribulation is definitely one to check out if you are in Australia ...

Ghost Towns of Australia: Amherst, VIC

Info courtesy of Wikipedia
Photo courtesy of Matt Ingbing

Amherst, a town in Victoria, Australia is now located in what is known as the Shire of Central Goldfields, northwest of Talbot. The town's location now resembles an uneven paddock of some 10 acres (40,000 m2), but has little showing of its startling and significant historical prevalence. The town began as a mining settlement which was referred to as Daisy Hill, or sometimes Daisy Hill Creek, and extended throughout the village. After a discovery of gold during the Gold Rush of 1853, the location became known as an extremely rich goldfield soon thereafter. Prior to this discovery, Daisy Hill had gained a particular notoriety, due to an illegal gold rush in February 1849, that was based solely upon the spurious claims made by on Thomas "Tommy" Chapman, a shepherd and former Parkhurst prison delinquent.

It has been said that Chapman sold a gold nugget substantial in size, and relative to that of an adult hand, to a Melbourne Jeweller, Mr. Bretani from Collins Street. Soon after this alleged sale, Chapman mysteriously vanished. Much confusion surrounds where Chapman actually found the nugget, or if in fact, he stole it, according to the March 1849 issue of the Maitland Chronicle newspaper. As for his disappearance, a number of shepherds used the alias of Thomas Chapman.

The two principal colonial towns of Geelong and Melbourne were involved in the gold fever hype, since the California rush had also started, with the discovery of Daisy Hill, as was reported in local newspapers between February and March 1849. Because the actual location of Daisy Hill is still unknown, it often gets confused with a land division nearby in the Paddy Ranges known as the Daisy Hill Block, which was an earlier squatter survey lease in the Pyrenees. In addition to this, the Colonial Police Troopers were stationed at a place that had been widely known to be to referred to as Daisy Hill in 1849, which is located on the highway to Maryborough. However, newspapers of the period often loosely referred to Cluned Station, some 10 miles (16 km) east as the "Pyrenees".

The village name actually comes from a mining camp which saw tens of thousands of miners rush the area, and changed the name from Daisy Hill to Amherst in 1855, after the area was surveyed. With a Post Office opening in January 1856, (closed 1963), Amherst eventually became a municipality in 1858, which included the town of Talbot (formerly known as Back Creek, for rioting miners in 1855).

Talbot increased in size and eventually replaced Amherst as the municipality. Much of the original township has been destroyed by bushfire, and little remains other than the Amherst Cemetery. Due to years of isolation, time stood still for Talbot as it exhibits the charm of restored buildings dating back to its thriving heyday.

Wondabyne Rail Station

Info courtesy of City Rail
Image courtesy of Walking Bush-wranglers

Wondabyne railway station is a railway station on the Newcastle and Central Coast Line in the CityRail network in New South Wales, Australia. The station is noted for its remoteness and having an extraordinarily short platform, which is less than a train carriage long. It is the only railway station in Australia which has no road access.

The station is an optional stop, and any passenger wishing to alight at the station must inform the guard of their intention to do so, and then travel in the last carriage of the train and exit through the rear door only. When a passenger wishes to board a train at Wondabyne, they must wave at the driver. The platform on the Mullet Creek side connects to a public pontoon. Six kilometres southwards downstream, Mullet Creek flows into the Hawkesbury River.

Equally as strange are the arrangement of sculptured artworks that hide among the mangroves near the platform. The average punter no doubt should he or she be in a boat, on train or bushwalking would no doubt get the shock of their life seeing such sights in the scrub. The area is also synonymous with the White Spirit that is said to haunt the inlets and estuaries of the Central Coast around the platform.

And we haven't even scratched the surface yet ...

The Twelve Apostles, Victoria

Story by Explore Australia
Image courtesy of FMA

The Twelve Apostles are located along the spectacular Great Ocean Road. They were originally named the 'Sow and Piglets'. Located near Loch Ard Gorge, the Sow was Muttonbird Island, with the piglets being the smaller surrounding rocks.

At first glance the Twelve Apostles may not appear to be 12 apostles. From the lookout, you can only see a number of the twelve apostles. The others are located behind the rocky headlands that line the Victoria coastline, or hidden by other rocky outcrops.

The Twelve Apostles were formed by erosion of the original coastline. The constant action of the sea on the limestone slowly wore down the rocky cliff, gradually leaving individual rocks.

The cliff is still being eroded at a rate of about 2cm each year, and in the future is likely to form more 'Apostles' from the other rocky headlands that line the Victorian coastline.

Tourism activities (including helicopter tours) are conducted from a visitor centre, situated on the inland side of the Great Ocean Road; with parking and viewing areas. Parks Victoria classifies the structure as nationally significant, with the area being one of Victoria's major tourist features; attracting approximately two million visitors a year.

Lonely Graves of the Top End

Story by A.P. Noonan
Photo by Roger Sales

Austere and awe-inspiring are the lonely graves of the interior. Along the overland line, often neglected and terribly isolated, they are reminders of the hard days when the overland telegraph line was built. Travelling under the sinewy finger of the line, one tries to imagine all that was. One looks into the east and imagines the fate of Burke and Wills and their colleaguesâ€”to the north, and considers the mystery that swallowed Leichhardt. At least half a dozen graves lie by the wayside along the north-south railway line to Alice Springs. Death is cold tragedy in the unfriendly desert of gibber plains and sand wastes out here in the Sahara of Australia.

Beyond, in the back country, is the story of Barrow Creek, told by its grave. Two telegraph operators died there at the hands of blacks. They were "new chum white fella," I was told by an old Barrow Creek tribes man who remembered the incident. Grim jests are told about the graves in the new mining centre of the Tennant, though they really concern the grave-diggers more than the graves. The ground around the gold town is exceedingly hard, for it is typical ironstone country. That is why graves in the Tennant's Creek cemetery have to be blasted out for the greatest part of the way. The standing joke is that after blasting there is said to be scarcely enough earth left to fill the grave in properly.

On one occasion a fellow was given a couple of pounds to sink a grave. But he "got the call," 'as they say up in the north country, and adjourned to the hotel before starting his task. When the cortege reached the cemetery there was no grave, and the friend who had handed over the Â£2 to his supposed grave-digger had to dig it himself.

Towards the "Top End" of the line (as the northern coastline is known) quite a few graves could almost be termed historical; for instance, that of the Fizzer on Elsie Station, mentioned in "We of the Never Never." Another tells the fate of a mail driver north of Daly Waters, in the proximity of a gorge west of the over land line.

Perhaps the best grave in the north is "Boomerang" Brady's. Famous horseman and rough rider of former days, he got his sobriquet from his bowlegs. Brady is buried on the east side of the Overland in the heart of the great Gulf country. His sister in Melbourne heard of his fate, and going out to the spot she erected to the memory of a bushman the most lasting monument in the whole of the back country. These graves that chill the heart make one think of others in this spacious land, so solitary and mysteriousâ€”other men lonely and companionless, who died in a harsh, inhospitable land.

Lake Eyre

Info courtesy of Please Take Me To
Photo courtesy of Peter Dobre and Wrights Air

LAKE EYRE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA

This huge, remote and arid 1,349,251-hectare park (includes Elliot Price Conservation Park) incorporates Lake Eyre north and south, as well as a portion of the adjoining Tirari Desert. Lake Eyre Basin, the watershed of Lake Eyre, is one of the largest internal drainage systems in the world and overlies the Great Artesian Basin.

Normally dry, Lake Eyre is an extensive 'salt sink' deriving its mineralisation from countless years of floodwater evaporation. Lake Eyre has had water in it a number of times in the last century but has filled to capacity only three times in the past 150 years. The most extensive flooding occurred in 1974 after exceptional rains in inland Australia. Prolific bird life abounds when the lake is flooded.

Vegetation is generally sparse with cane grass and scattered clumps of mulga and acacias on the red sand dunes. Nitre-bush, Samphire, Needlebush and native Willow are also present. The unique Lake Eyre Dragon is a highly specialized lizard, which has adapted to live on the margins of salt lakes.

The lake was named after Edward John Eyre who was the first European to sight it in 1840. It is located in the deserts of central Australia, in northern South Australia. The Eyre Basin is a large endorheic system surrounding the lakebed, the lowest part of which is filled with the characteristic salt pan caused by the seasonal expansion and subsequent evaporation of the trapped waters. Even in the dry season there is usually some water remaining in Lake Eyre, normally collecting in a number of smaller sub-lakes on the playa.

Ghost Towns of Australia: Crotty, TAS

Info courtesy of Wikipedia
Image courtesy of www.tasminerals.com.au

Crotty was a gazetted townsite in Western Tasmania, which had a smelter and railway connection with the North Mount Lyell mine in the very early twentieth century. The North Mount Lyell smelters failed, and the company was absorbed by the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company. The townsite soon lost population, and the North Mount Lyell Railway which serviced Crotty's connections with Gormanston (and Linda) and Pillinger (Kelly Basin) remained in service for a couple of decades before closing.

Most historical photos of Crotty show the smelters, the hotels, and the very small houses/huts. The most iconic photograph is that found in Geoffrey Blainey's 'The Peaks of Lyell' dated 1902, which was taken from the embankment just east of the railway line, looking west, up the main street with the smoke from the smelter in the air, and Mount Jukes in the background.

During the late 1970s and at an early stage in the No Dams or the Franklin Dam campaign, a small group of musicians in Queenstown formed a group called the 'Crotty Ditty Band.'

In the 1990s the townsite was inundated by Lake Burbury which was the result of the completed King River Power development scheme by the Hydro. Despite this, the Tasmanian 1:25000 Owen map still identifies the Proclaimed Town of Crotty.

On the eastern shores of Lake Burbury, the land south of the Lyell Highway, and adjacent to the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park, is known as the Crotty Conservation Area. This has an area of 44.2 km² and was established on December 27, 2000.

Henty

Info courtesy of Wilmap
Photo by Farm One

Henty is a small town on the Olympic Way with a big history.

In 1914 the first mechanical harvester was created by Headlie Shipard Taylor and used on his property where he stripped 200 acres in this first harvest. The machine revolutionised grain harvesting and led to worldwide acclaim. In 1916 H.V. Mackay saw tests of the machine and bought the patent rights leading to the mass production of what was to become the 'Sunshine Harvester' which sold to an international market.

The initial demonstrations and subsequent education and training sessions in the use of the new harvester led to the renowned Henty Field Days, held east of the town annually in September and attended by thousands.

The inventor was born in Henty in 1883 and lived there until 1915 when he moved to Melbourne to supervise the building and promotion of harvesters. He was named 'Inventor of the Year' in 1928 by the Institute of Engineering in the USA and died in 1957.

Henty region was originally known as Dudal Comer (Doodle Cooma) the aboriginal for 'Sweet Water'. In 1880 the railway between Wagga Wagga and Albury passed through the centre of the town and the station was called Doodle Cooma. In 1889 the Doodle Cooma Hotel was built and confusion over the two names, East Doodle Cooma and West Doodle Cooma, and the village name Henty, led residents to accept either name for their small and attractive town.

South of Henty on the highway is a small rest stop with the 'Henty Man'. The original was carved from a tree by Mr Aubrey Prior who, in the 1930s, noticed a tree with a likeness of a man pointing to Henty. Over a period he sculpted and painted the tree and it became a landmark for the road. This original tree was destroyed by fire and in 1985 a similar tree was added to the stump to re-create the original and the council financed the wayside stop where the sculpture stands as part of Henty's Centenary Celebrations.

Henty is also in an area known as 'Morgan Country' noting the activities of bushranger 'Mad' Dan Morgan. Morgan's Lookout is now a favourite picnic spot

The Cape: Cape York

Info courtesy of Cape York Info, Australian Traveller and CFYE
Image courtesy of Bart's Bush Adventures

The land north of the Jardine river, the True Cape York, is a narrow peninsula with the Coral sea to the east the Arafura sea and Gulf of Carpentaria to the west and the Torres Strait to the north. Only 80 miles south of Australia’s nearest neighbouring country Papua New Guinea the land is traditionally owned be the indigenous Australians of the area.

Cape York has two seasons, the Dry Season and the Wet Season. The "Dry" Season is between May and November. The "Wet" Season is between November and April.
Although thunderstorms and monsoons are common during the wet season, the period between December and April is also known as the "Green" Season.

The first undisputed recorded European sighting of the Australian continent was made by the Dutch navigator Willem Jansz, who sighted the coast of Cape York Peninsula in 1606, although it is claimed that sailors from he fleet of the great Chinese admiral Zheng He made landfall in the early 15th Century. During the seventeenth century, the Dutch charted the whole of the western and northern coastlines of what they called New Holland, but made no attempt at settlement. In 1770, James Cook sailed along and mapped the east coast of Australia, which he named New South Wales and claimed for Britain, planting the Union Jack on an island he named Possession Island, near Cape York.

The first European settlement in Cape York Peninsula was proposed by Sir George Bowen, the first Governor of the Colony of Queensland. His vision for this northern outpost included the provision of harbour of refuge for shipwrecked sailors, a supply depot and a coaling station to service the major international shipping route. He believed that, as an administration centre, it would encourage the growth of commercial activity and provide a settlement that maintained friendly relationships between settlers and Aborigines.

After first selecting a site on the western side of the island of Pabaju (Albany Island) ten kilometres south east of Cape York, it was agreed that the settlement should be set up on the mainland opposite the island. Mr John Jardine was appointed as Government Resident and established the settlement of Somerset in 1864. The need for a supply of fresh meat prompted Jardine to establish the first cattle station at Vallack Point five kilometres south of Somerset with some 200 head of cattle.

Mining brought further European settlement to Cape York Peninsula. In 1873, James Venture Mulligan led a party of 100 Georgetown diggers with 300 horses and bullocks to the Palmer Goldfield. At the same time other prospectors came by sea to the estuary of the Endeavour River. From there a trail to the Palmer was cleared under the direction of the surveyor A.C. Macmillan.

Police and staff from the Goldfields Department accompanied these miners and established the township of Cooktown in 1873. The gold rush continued up to Coen five years later. The rapid population growth created an increased demand for meat production, resulting in the establishment of many cattle stations over the following twenty years.

In 1885, John Embley, a Licensed Surveyor attached to the Queensland Department of Lands, surveyed an area to make York Downs his headquarters. From there he conducted surveys on the Peninsula for twenty years, setting the boundaries of many pastoral leases.

Following the collapse of gold mining during the early years of this century, the population of settlers rapidly declined and the pastoral industry diminished. Cooktown supported a population of 7,000 only a year after gold was discovered on the Palmer River in 1873. By 1880 there were 24 hotels and several banks and the population reached a peak of 30,000 in 1884, only to gradually dwindle to 400 by the outbreak of World War II. The town survived mainly through small scale tin and gold mining and the reduced cattle industry.

The war years saw a rapid increase in development on Cape York Peninsula. A new aerodrome was built at Cooktown, and other military aerodromes were constructed at Coen, Iron Range, Higgensfield (near Bamaga) and Horn Island. The influence of the war effort with the temporary increase in population and the resultant infrastructure development should not be underestimated. The provision of these aerodromes enabled the establishment of regular public transport, and DC3 aircraft made the remote communities more accessible. The Cape is definitely worth a visit!

Ghost Towns of Australia: Hill End, NSW

Info and image courtesy of Wikipedia
(Photo of German prospector, Bernhard Otto Holtermann with a mass of nearly all solid gold, from Hill End, New South Wales in 1872, weighed 630lb & valued at 12,000 pounds.)

Hill End is a former gold mining town in New South Wales, Australia, in Bathurst Regional Council. It owes its existence to the New South Wales gold rush of the 1850s, and at its peak in the early 1870s it had a population estimated at 8,000 served by two newspapers, five banks, eight churches, and twenty-eight pubs. Its decline when the gold gave out was dramatic: by 1945 the population was 700. At the 2006 census, Hill End had a population of 166 people. The wealthy Scott Pearson had the foresight to employ Beaufoy Merlin to record daily life in the town at its peak; his photographs can be found in the town museum/visitor information centre. The glass plate negatives are held in the State Library of New South Wales.

In the late 1940s it was discovered by artists Russell Drysdale—who painted possibly his best known work, The cricketers here—and Donald Friend, and quickly became an artists' colony — the Hill End artist-in-residence program aims to ensure the continuity of this connection. Today, Hill End is a popular tourist destination and the locals are always willing to tell newcomers the story of Christopher Charles.

Modern Hill End is classified as a Historical site by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), however it is still home to a handful of residents operating the local pub, general store, cake store and antique store. The National Parks and Wildlife Service runs a museum just off the main road which contains many original photos and items of equipment from the busy days of the gold rush.

NPWS has installed signs around the town to give visitors an idea of what was once in place on the now empty lots of land. Currently only a handful of buildings remain in their original form. However most of those buildings still serve the purpose they did back during the gold rush. Access to the town's lookouts is via gravel roads. A walking track in the town leads to a mine and other ruins.

The most popular tourist activity in Hill End is gold panning, with some of the older members of the community running gold panning tours in the very same fossicking areas that yielded the gold which brought on the gold rush. Metal detectors or gold panning are not allowed within the historic site, however there is a fossicking area just past the cemetery, off the Mudgee Road. Fossicking equipment and tours can be hired from Hill End township.

Due to the extensive mining in the area, it is advisable to stay on marked walking tracks or roads as mine shafts and unstable ground may be found.

Ghost Towns of Australia: Cracow, QLD

Info courtesy of Wikipedia
Photo courtesy of The Grey Roamer

Cracow is a gold mining town in Queensland, Australia, in the Banana Shire Local Government Area. The town is located on the Theodore - Eidsvold road, 485 kilometres north west of the state capital, Brisbane. The town was named for a pastoral run, named in 1851 by pastoralist, John Ross, presumably for the Polish city of Krakow. However, in a book detailing the town's history, which was published in/around 1992/1993, Cracow got its name from the sound a whip makes 'cracko.' At the 2006 census, Cracow and the surrounding area had a population of 123.

Gold was first discovered in Cracow in 1875 by itinerant fossickers and a further discovery of a nugget was made by an Aboriginal man in 1916. In 1931, the Golden Plateau mine was established and it operated continuously until 1976.

At its gold mining peak, the town included five cafes, barber shop, billiard saloon, two butchers, a picture theatre and a soft drink factory. The closure of the mine led to Cracow becoming a ghost town with many deserted houses and shops. The local hotel is one of the only remaining retail businesses, as it attracts a lot of tourists due to its unusual array of strange artifacts adorning the ceilings and walls. The other business was the General Store, which doubled as a post office and video store. In 2004, Newcrest Mining re-established gold mining in the town, leading to hopes the town may recover.

It hasn't yet.

Black 'Cat' Mountain

Story by LL Staffers
Image by Dan Ledlimer

For those who have never travelled to the New England and through the picturesque mountain town of Guyra, the place is renowned for many things - shearing, potatoes and having the highest caravan park in Australia. It is also known for the Guyra Ghost and was once hit by a meteorite.

It is now known for something else.

As reported by the Argus in May 2008, Rotary District 9650 Governor Ian Dyball was passing through Guyra following an evening in Dorrigo and was staying overnight along with Frank Presnell at the home of Liz and Alan St Clair in Black Mountain. He also had Frank with him for the return journey from Dorrigo.

Ian advised that as he drove into the St Clair's house yard at around midnight he saw a strange animal quickly move out of his car's headlights. The animal was described as being jet black in colour, around 500 mm high, 800mm long with a sleek long straight backed body and a feline shaped head.

"It had a tail around 400mm long which was slightly upturned as it ran. Its gait was smooth and it ran quickly with its head at about the same level as its back," said Dyball.

Now we understand that Ian had not been drinking and he said that the animal was definitely not a house cat, nor a fox, pig or dog. It just so happened that unfortunately Frank had been talking so incessantly all the way from Dorrigo that he didn't have time to notice the animal himself!

So Ian came in and asked the St Clairs what was the animal that he had just seen and were they common?

Well its funny what comes to mind, and both Liz and Alan blurted out that it must have been the 'Black Panther' which is well known in the Guyra district but rarely seen. Unfortunately there was no spore on the driveway next morning to back up these claims.

"What else could it have been?" asked Dyball.

And did we mention Guyra is also known for bear sightings?

The Pub In The Paddock: Pyengana, Tasmania

Info and image courtesy of Take Me To

Licensed since 1880, the Pub in the Paddock is one of Tasmania's oldest country pubs. Literally sitting in the middle of a paddock in the verdant Pyengana Valley, the Pub offers hearty country meals or morning and afternoon teas along with comfortable pub accommodation. Call in for a cool drink and meet the locals or stay a little longer and explore the local area.

You can taste award-winning, traditionally-made cheddar cheeses at the nearby Pyengana Dairy Company, or visit some of the area's waterfalls including the cascading St Columba Falls-plunging nearly 90 metres (295 feet) from the Mount Victoria foothills to the South George River valley. Pyengana is an Aboriginal word meaning the meeting of two rivers.

Pyengana is a half hour drive from the north east coastal town of St Helens (27 kilometres/17 miles) and an hour from Scottsdale (73 kilometres/45 miles).

An interesting side note is the existence of the 'Princess of the Paddock,' a pig named Priscilla, who is a hit with locals and tourists alike. You can pat her if you like but ask the owners first!

Island Lagoon Space Station

Info courtesy of Wikipedia
Photo by Snoopy Mars

The Island Lagoon Tracking Station (Deep Space Station 41) was the first deep space station to be established outside of the United States, near Woomera, South Australia in November 1960.

This area was chosen as the Australian government was working with the government of the United Kingdom on rocket and satellite research close by.

The tracking station began as a trailer installation, and was operational in time for the International Geophysical Year of 1957. By the 1960s, the station consisted of permanent buildings and was a major unit in the network.

The station was operated by the Australian Department of Supply and provided support for deep space missions until December 22, 1972.

Subsequent tracking stations built by NASA in Australia were:

* Carnarvon, Western Australia
* Muchea, Western Australia
* Cooby Creek, Queensland
* Honeysuckle Creek, ACT
* Orroral Valley, ACT
* Tidbinbilla, ACT

Of course as the footprints above in this picture also reveal, maybe the station should have been tracking things closer to home!

Wolfe Creek

Info and photo courtesy of Outback Australia Travel

The Wolfe Creek Crater in Outback Australia used to receive very little attention from travellers, the tourism industry and the media.

Well, didn't that change!

At the moment the meteorite crater gets more publicity than any other national park in Australia.

But the jury is still out on whether that's good or bad publicity for us West Australians...

Wolfe Creek in Australia was formed by a giant meteorite that crashed into the earth 300,000 years ago. The 50,000 tonne meteorite impacted with a speed of 15 km a second (!), leaving the second biggest crater in the world from which bits of meteorite have been collected. The crater measures 880 metres across.

I'd say the forces and the event are well beyond our imagination...

A lot of the immense energy of the impact was instantly converted into heat. They melted, pulverised and atomised the meteorite itself and the ground underneath, deformed rocks and shot debris everywhere.

The crater that was left was probably about 120 metres deep. Over the next 300,000 years the wind gradually filled it with sand and today the Wolfe Creek crater floor is 50 to 60 metres below the rim, which rises 25 metres above the surrounding flat desert land.

Evidence of the impact, other than the crater itself of course, can be seen everywhere. Fragments of iron meteorite have been found kilometres from the crater. The western slopes of the crater and the floor are littered with more iron meteorite: rusty balls, some of them fused to the rocks.

Wolfe Creek meteorite crater was discovered during an aerial survey in 1947, and scientists have intensively studied the crater. But the Djaru Aboriginal people, the original inhabitants of the area, have known the crater for thousands of years. They call it Kandimalal and have their own dreamtime story about its creation:

Two rainbow serpents formed Sturt and Wolfe Creek as they crossed the desert, and Kandimalal is the place where one of the serpents emerged from the ground.

Wycliffe Well - the UFO capital of Australia

Info courtesy of Australian Traveller
Photo by Percy Warrul

The cynical among us may question why, if super-intelligent beings from another planet were to come to earth in order to check out what humans are up to, they'd choose a tiny roadhouse in the middle of the desert as their main point of reference. Perhaps try a big city, fellas; you'll probably get a much better idea of things. Watch all the films those aliens have got the right idea. Smash a few major icons, pulverise a couple of famous suburbs - we'll soon know who's boss.

However, even the most ardent non-believer would have to admit that, over the years, a disturbingly high amount of UFO sightings have been reported from one little Northern Territory outpost on the Stuart Highway. Whether this is due to people in the middle of nowhere tending to go a little stir crazy or the fact that pretty much the only thing to do out this way is drink copious amounts of alcohol is unclear. There has to be some explanation, however UFO nuts have rated Wycliffe Well as the fifth biggest hotspot in the world.

To say that the owner of the local roadhouse has leapt on this gimmick with enthusiasm is a categorical understatement. Lew Farkas has turned his modest establishment into a hilariously garish holiday park.

Just in case you weren't aware that there might be a bit of extraterrestrial activity, Farkas has plastered his property with alien paraphernalia. The walls are covered in UFO, planet and night sky murals, and there are big plastic green men all over the place. There's a decidedly manmade looking 'spaceship' on what passes for a lawn, and cautionary road signs warn that potential UFO landings might present a slight hazard. Whether it's genuinely where aliens are planning to take over the world from or a stroke of marketing genius, if you're taking on that long, lonely trip up the middle of Australia, Wycliffe Well's flying saucer shrine provides a welcome source of light relief.

Wycliffe Well is 375km north of Alice Springs and 135km south of Tennant Creek on the Stuart Highway in Central Australia.

Wave Rock

Info courtesy of waverock.com
Photo courtesy of Tostao Meravigliao

Wave Rock is an unusual landform in southwestern Australia. It looks like a giant wave of water that is about to crash. This feature was caused by the erosion of soft rock below the harder top. It measures 14 metres high and 110 metres long.

The Wave on Hyden Rock is one of Australia's most famous landforms, a giant surf wave of multicoloured granite about to crash onto the bush below. Stand under it and feel rock power from over 2,700 million years ago, before dinosaurs roamed the earth! It really is a must experience for any tourist, local or visitor.

There are other rock formations within the Wave Rock Reserve including Breakers, Hippo's Yawn, and the Humps. There is also some fantastic Aboriginal rock paintings within the Mulka's Cave, and an interesting museum inside the caravan parks small kiosk.

Ghost Towns of Australia: Hoffnungsthal, SA

Info courtesy of Wikipedia
Image courtesy of Graeme Moad

Hoffnungsthal (Valley of Hope) is the location of a former German pioneer settlement, located in South Australia's Barossa Valley. Founded in 1847, it was located in an ephemeral lagoon which was dry for the first years of settlement.

Local Peramangk people warned the settlers that the area was prone to flooding, but this advice was ignored. In October 1853, after a week of heavy spring rains, the village was flooded and many of the houses were evacuated.

After the cost of a proposed drain was seen as prohibitive, the village was eventually left deserted. Most of the settlers moved to the new Barossa village of Bethanien as well as further a field.

Built on higher ground, the Lutheran church was still used until 1867, when the building was also abandoned.

In the local Peramangk language, Hoffnungsthal was named Yertalla-ngga (flooding land) and between the years 1917 to 1975, it was called Karawirra as part of the changes to German sounding place names during World War I.

All that remains of the village today are the foundations of the church with a commemorative plaque honoring those buried in the now unmarked cemetery

The Standing Stones

Info courtesy of Glen Innes Tourism
Photo by Dane Millerd

The Australian Standing Stones began as an ambitious project by a small, dedicated group of citizens who wanted to mark Glen Innes's Celtic heritage.

It was in Australia's 1988 Bicentenary Year that the Celtic Council of Australia developed the idea of erecting a national monument to honour all Celtic peoples who helped pioneer Australia. Glen Innes responded with a 46-page submission for Australian Standing Stones, inspired by the Ring of Brodgar in Scotland's Orkneys.

In announcements from Scotland by David Donnelly, then Glen Innes's Mayor, and from Sydney by Peter Alexander, then convener of the Celtic Council of Australia, it was official: Glen Innes was chosen. But no money came with the right to build the Stones.

John Tregurtha, a pharmacist, chairman of the committee delegated to build the array, and Lex Ritchie, then the town's tourist officer and an expert bushman, spent three months scouring the bush within 50km of Glen Innes for the stones. They had to stand 3.7 metres from ground level, which meant each to be 5.5 metres in total length.

They found only three stones which could be used in their natural state - others had to be split from larger rock bodies. A former Snowy Mountains Scheme worker and local alderman George Rozynski, who at 17 migrated with his family from Poland, came up with the solution. He remembered his rock drilling work on the Snowy and heard of a new expanding compound which could split rocks without using explosives.

With another alderman, Bill Tyson, he spent hours in the bush drilling massive granite rocks. "The compound was a powder which was mixed to the consistency of a slurry and poured into the drill holes," Mr Rozynski recalled. "When we returned the next morning the rock was cracked..."

It took more than six months of further effort, spearheaded by Bob Dwyer, who went on to become Glen Innes's Mayor, and businessman Ted Nowlan, using a 12 tonne forklift and other heavy equipment to load and transport the stones on a timber loader to the Centennial Parklands site. The weight of the stones averaged 17 tonnes.

* Watch this space for the follow up on the Mystery behind the Standing Stones.

Gins Leap

Info courtesy of Narrabri.net
Photos by Geoff Eather

Gin’s Leap has been known by many names over the years. The Aboriginals knew it as Cooloobindi whilst in the times when Sir Thomas Mitchell was exploring the Namoi Valley, it was refereed to as Bullaballakit. In Cobb and Co coach days it was known as “The Rock” and is now recognised by its name, Gin’s Leap.

The best known reason for the name is that a young Aboriginal girl, promised to an elder of her tribe, the Kamilaroi, ran away with a young aboriginal man from another tribe. Hotly pursued by Kamilaroi tribesmen, the lovers jumped to their death from somewhere along the top of this rock.

A Mr “Baldy” Adams, obtained a grant of land in the vicinity of Gin’s Leap to build a hospital but he changed his plans and in 1854 the structure opened for business as a hotel known as The Rock Inn. This became a vital stopover point and renowned landmark over the next 20 years until its closure around 1875, after the hotels were built in Boggabri.

Mr David Grover, his wife Maria and family, operated the Rock Inn for many years. Parts of an old outside lamp from the Inn is housed in the Historical Museum in Boggabri.

Gin’s Leap stands as a silent sentinel over the grave sites to the right. The four people buried in the vault are Mrs Russell, her 2 year old son, John James and Mr David and Mrs Maria Grover.

Mrs Russell, the 21 year daughter of Mr and Mrs Grover, had an unfortunate accident involving the handling of bulk spirits in the cellar of an Inn in Mungindi one evening, with them igniting from an open slush lamp. Mrs Russell and her son received fatal burns in the inferno which resulted.

Word was brought back to the Grover family of the tragedy by a man on horseback. A horse team set out to meet the coach carrying the bodies back home to Boggabri.

Twenty five years later, Mrs Grover was buried next to her daughter and grandson in November 1891, and then Mr Grover in October 1892.

Ghost Towns of Australia: Yerranderie, NSW

Story and photo by Bruce Elder

Bruce Elder takes a long drive through wilderness to find a privately owned ghost town.

Not many Australians can say they own a town. Now 85, the tiny and endlessly energetic Val Lhuede, AM, Barch (Restorer), can look back on a 60-year love affair with the charming old silver mining town of Yerranderie, nestled in the hills above the Burragorang Valley only 100 kilometres, as the birds fly, from Sydney's CBD.

"In 1947," Lhuede explains over a cup of tea in the town's old post office, "Dad bought, with some friends, the estate of which Yerranderie was part. At the time I used to go bushwalking in the Burragorang Valley. It is an extraordinarily beautiful area. In 1947 you could drive a car through the Burragorang and up to Yerranderie. After he bought the town I used to take my bushwalking friends and we'd camp in the little old houses that had been left by the miners.

"Quite literally I fell in love with the place and in 1956 I bought shares in the small company Dad had set up. By 1959, because Dad refused to go to court, I was the one who argued for compensation from the Water Board when our access was drowned under Lake Burragorang. We were completely cut off from the outside world and we were compensated with a little over ?3000. At the time the only route in was the Oberon-Colong stock route."

Yerranderie is on the edge of an extinct volcano. In 1871 a part-Aborigine, Werriberri (also known as Billy Russell), found galena - from which silver and lead can be extracted - three kilometres from the town site. From 1899 to 1914 the town prospered. A road from Camden was built and mining machinery, much of which now lies rusting in the bush, was brought in by wagons.

Between 1900 and 1912, 152.5 tonnes of silver, 280 kilograms of gold and more than 12,000 tonnes of lead were extracted. Many miners left at the outbreak of war - many never to return - and Yerranderie became a ghost town in the 1930s when the price of silver dropped.

In its heyday, between 1900 and 1914, the thriving mining town had more than 2000 residents, a school, three churches, two butchers, one hotel, a police station, a court house and a silent-movie theatre. On top of the hill was the small "Government Town", where one of the churches, the courthouse and the school still stand. Below it was the more populous "Private Town".

As a result of Lhuede's hard work and keen eye for preservation, the private town has been carefully and tastefully restored. The post office has been converted to bunk-style accommodation. S.C. Meldrum's tailor shop is now a gift store, the bank is a museum and the old bakery exhibits Lhuede's personal Aboriginal art collection.

The Great Barrier Reef, Queensland

Story and photo by Percy Warrul
Extra info courtesy of barrierreefaustralia.com

It is alleged that the world's first coral reefs occurred nearly 500 million years. By comparison, the Great Barrier Reef is relatively young at just 500,000 years old. The current reef's structure is much younger still at less than around 8,000 years old.

The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef in the world, roughly parallel to the coast of Queensland, Australia, for almost 2,000km. Australia has almost 1/5th of the world's reef area.

Reefs form where temperatures don't fall below 18 degrees Celsius (64 degrees Fahrenheit) for long periods, so are usually found between 30 degrees north and south of the equator. Most require very saline water, also the water must be very clear so light penetrates.

Corals found in the Great Barrier Reef contain algae and the relationship between the algae produce oxygen and help the coral to remove wastes. When this relationship breaks down, the coral suffers and becomes bleached. Bleaching is a major worry for those looking after reef health, as coral dies if bleaching is prolonged.

Washed by the warm waters of the South-West Pacific Ocean the perfect environment is created for the world's largest system of coral reefs. The Great Barrier Reef is of such pristine condition that it was listed by the World Heritage Trust as a protected site and is therefore managed by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority to ensure that its beauty is maintained for many holiday makers and siteseers to come.

Visitors in their thousands come to the Great Barrier Reef to marvel at the spectacular sight seeing opportunities that is unique to our area. The Wet Tropics World Heritage listed Rainforest on one side and the Great Barrier Reef on the other. No other place in the world offers such diversity so close to each other.

Aboriginal Sacred Sites

Info courtesy of Lauren Camp
Image courtesy of Tourism NT

Rainbow Valley
An important area for the Southern Arrernte of Central Australia, Rainbow Valley lies just under 100km south of Alice Springs and helps form the James Range. Its sandstone cliffs, shaped by water erosion, also hide countless petroglyphs (rock engravings), paintings, relics of stone tools and a large outcropping called 'Ewerre', which is of particular significance and is a registered scared site.

Cave Hill
Straddling the boundary of SA and the NT in the Musgrave Ranges, Cave Hill is in Anangu land and is the site of the Seven Sisters Tjukurpa creation story. Considered one of the most spectacular sites for rock art in Central Australia, the ceiling of the cave is covered in vibrant motifs that are to this day carefully and precisely retraced by traditional custodians to preserve their stories. The top of Cave Hill also provides excellent 360-degree views back to Uluru and distant Mt Connor.

Ubirr, Nourlangie Rock and Injalak Hill
Like Mount Borradaile, Ubirr, Nourlangie Rock and Injalak Hill in Kakadu feature breathtaking rock art that details ancient works of animals and tools, overlaid by more recent scenes of first contact. They're also home to excellent examples of 'x-ray' paintings, as well as sacred creation beings like Ngalyod (the Rainbow Serpent), Namarrgon (the Lightning Man) and his wife, Barrginj.

The MacDonnell Ranges
The Eastern Macs (to the east of Alice Springs) is home to rock art sites sacred to the Arrernte in Emily Gap, Jesse Gap and Trephina and N'Dhala Gorges, while the Western Macs is home to the famous Larapinta Trail, as well as a myriad of other easily accessible highlights (Ormiston Gorge, Standley Chasm, Palm Valley etc). Of particular interest to rock art-hounds are the Ochre Pits about 65km west of Alice, near Serpentine Gorge. Easy to access from the road, they were once an important source of paint and medicine. And while you're in the area, definitely consider a stay at the Gunya Titjikala community 120km south of Alice Springs for its deluxe tents, evening Dreamtime stories and valuable art collection.

Ghost Towns of Australia: Wittenoom, WA

Info and photo courtesy of Wikipedia

Wittenoom is a ghost town located 1,106 kilometres (687 mi) north-northeast of Perth in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. It is the site of Australia's greatest industrial disaster.

The area around Wittenoom was mainly pastoral until the 1930s when mining begun in the area. By 1939, major mining had begun in Yampire Gorge, which was subsequently closed in 1943 when mining began in Wittenoom Gorge. In 1947 a company town was built, and by the 1950s it was the Pilbara's largest town. During the 1950s and early 60's Wittenoom was Australia's only supplier of blue asbestos, the town was shut down in 1966 due to unprofitability and growing health concerns from asbestos mining in the area.

Today, eight residents still live in the town, which receives no government services. In December 2006, the Government of Western Australia announced that the town would be degazetted, and in June 2007, Jon Ford, the Minister for Regional Development, announced that the townsite status had officially been removed. The town's name was removed from official maps and road signs and the Shire of Ashburton is able to close roads that lead to contaminated areas.

However, opinion is not unanimous on the danger posed. Mark Nevill, a geologist and former Labor MLC for the Mining and Pastoral district, said in an interview in 2004 that the asbestos levels in the town were below the detection level of most equipment, and the real danger is located in the gorge itself which contains the mine tailings. Residents operate a camping ground, guesthouse and gem shop for passing tourists.

Is Richmond Hell?

Story by Brad B.
Photo by Paul Denham

For the uninformed, Richmond in New South Wales Hawkesbury region is one of the older and well-established Macquarie towns in the state. After Windsor it was one of the first founded by white settlers.

Today, it is a progressive area and homes a wing of the University of Western Sydney among many other things for visitors and locals alike to see and do. it is also a gateay to the Blue Mountains.

If you go up to Cherry Tree Hill at Kurrajong Heights in NSW at 3 am Richmond will reveal itself in a way that not many have ever known or seen. It is a spectacular sight.

Many used to say Magnetic Mountain near Bowen Mountain was cool but since they knocked down the Witches house the magnetism that would draw vehicles uphill towards her gates has diminished.

The new tip is Cherry Tree Hill. Cherry Tree Hill was the old school and some say there is a ghost that plays on the swings. The old swings, seesaw and ring pole is still hidden in the undergrowth and the area is not for the faint of heart, particularly at night.

But this is a place where you can witness something quite amazing for yourself. So if you can brave the supernatural and navigate your way through the tall grass you will find the exact and only spot where Richmond is Hell.

A Million Wild Acres: The Pilliga Forest

Story by Dane Millerd
Photo courtesy of Visit Narrabri

The Pilliga Forest covers over 3000 square kilometres and has many amazing features including 300 native animal species, 900 plant species, numerous lookouts, fantastic shrubbery from ironbark and cypress pine to eucalypt and spring wildflowers. It is a sight to behold unlike any other.

Other notable places of interest in the area include the ghost town of Wooleybah Saw Mill near Kenebri, Pilliga Pub, Adams Well and Running Bare nudist colony. Of course some places require permission to visit.

An interesting sidenote is that the Pilliga sits above numerous gas reserves - enough to power NSW at its current level for the next 50 years! And did we mention the Cuttabri Wine Shanty that has the oldest wine shanty license in Australia which it obtained in 1882. It is another place certainly worth a look in this natural paradise.

Yes, the Pilliga is much more than yowies and princesses ... much more!

Mount Bindo, NSW

Info courtesy of Wikipedia
Photo by Paul Denham

Mount Bindo is a mountain located on the Great Dividing Range in New South Wales, Australia close to the hamlet of Hampton. Rising to 1363 metres above sea level, it is one of the highest points on the Central Tablelands and attracts regular light snowfalls in winter.

Nearby towns include Jenolan Caves and the town of Oberon. As with nearby Mount Trickett and Shooters Hill, Mount Bindo is a popular destination for 'snow chasers' during the winter months.

From the town of Oberon, the Oberon Road heads east for 26 km until it meets the Hampton-Jenolan Caves Rd. There is a roadside rest area here on Hampton State Forest.

A dry-weather forest road, the Tea Tree Road, turns left here and heads through the pines to the summit of Mount Bindo, from where there are fine views over the Megalong Valley, taking in Oberon to the west, Lithgow to the north, Blackheath and the Hydro-Majestic Hotel at Medlow Bath to the east and two towers to the south.

Nimbin, NSW

Info courtesy of Wikipedia
Image of Dave and Wally courtesy of 420 Magazine

Nimbin is a village in the Northern Rivers area of the Australian state of New South Wales, approximately 30kms north of Lismore and 70kms west of Byron Bay.

The area is part of what is known as the 'Rainbow Region' and is culturally important to the Bundjalung Aboriginal Australians and has become a haven for Australia's counterculture in recent decades.

At the 2006 census Nimbin had a population of 352, compared to 321 at the 2001 census. However Nimbin's 'head count' did not include the many Multiple Occupancy rural properties, the hippy communes for which it is most famous. The region's high rural population (35 percent of Lismore residents according to the census) means Nimbin services a surrounding rural area of around three thousand people.

Nimbin was a sleepy dairy village until 1973, when the Aquarius Festival, a large gathering of university students, practitioners of alternative lifestyles, 'hippies' and party people, was held in the village.

After the festival many participants and festival goers remained in Nimbin to form communes and other multiple occupancy communities. Since the Aquarius Festival, the region has attracted many writers, artists, musicians, actors, environmentalists and permaculture enthusiasts.

The most prominent recreational substance of choice in Nimbin is cannabis. Writer Austin Pick described his initial impressions of the village this way: "It is as if a smoky avenue of Amsterdam has been placed in the middle of the mountains behind frontier-style building facades. ... Nimbin is a strange place indeed."

Binoomea (Jenolan Caves)

Story by Dane Millerd
Photo by David Wall

The word Binoomea is the Aboriginal word for Jenolan Caves and means 'dark places.' While many marvel at the amazing collection of caves just outside of Oberon in central west NSW, many don't know the history behind Binoomea.

The creation of Jenolan Caves in Aboriginal mythology is said to lie witht he famous battles between Mirragan, a hunter and a half fish, half snake named Gurangatch.

Mirragan tried on numerous occasions to catch the illusive Gurangatch but each time he got close enough, the creature would burrow into the Earth, creating new river channels on its way. Legend has it that's how the Cox's River was first created.

On one particular afternoon when Mirragan had the Gurangatch cornered (like a fish out of water), the creature spiralled into what is now known as Jenolan Caves and stayed there.

Folklore tells us that the Jenolan and Wombeyan Caves as well as the many deep waterholes in the Wollondilly shire are a direct result of the endless battles fought between these two foes.

The Pacific

Story by Dane Millerd
Image courtesy of Doyle Reddin

In Latin America they use a phrase to describe the Pacific Ocean. It is as apt as any other description I have ever heard - El Pacifico no memoria. It means the Pacific has no memory and there are many things about this ocean that many would not know.

* The Pacific is the largest of all the oceans.

* About one percent of it has been discovered and it houses the deepest darkest recesses on Earth - the Mariana Plateau.

* The Plateau is home to a variety of unique and exotic wildlife.

* The world's biggest living organism - the Great Barrier Reef, is in the Pacific and it is visible from space.

* Like its other companions the Atlantic and the Indian, it also has its fair share of missing ships at sea and tales of woe. The most notable being a ship called the Dunbar.

Yes, the Pacific has an interesting history that also includes the staging of key battles during two World Wars and is the watery grave for many an unfortunate soul.

If you have any stories or additional info about the Pacific from missing ships or tales of survival let us know.

Jacob's Ladder, Tasmania

Story by Percy Warrul
Photo by Yegor Korzh

Tasmania is home to some fo the most spectacular wildness in Australia. Mesmerising beaches, plush forests and extravagant peaks, you can literally be snowboarding in the morning at the only ski resort before swimming in the ocean by late afternoon - weather permitting.

Situated on the ascent to Ben Lomond about 50kms from Launceston is the famed 'Jacob's Ladder,' a series of winding, zig-zag roads that finish at the ski resort and peaking at an incredible 1572 metres.

As captured above by renowned travel photographer Yegor Korzh, Jacob's Ladder is not to be taken lightly nor should one get too distracted by the scenery while driving up the treacherous slopes. Winter time is especially dangerous as the road often has snow and dreaded black ice.

Still, if you ever venture to the apple isle be sure to take the journey. It is a right of passage everyone should try if they plan to travel around Tassie.

Mount Kaputar, NSW

Info courtesy of www.narrabri.net
Photo courtesy of NSW Dept. Water and Conservation

Mt Kaputar National Park is part of a volcanic skeleton of a once active volcano, which rises to the Nandewar Ranges.

It now provides a picturesque background for the residents and visitors of the North Western Slopes and Plains.

The Nandewar Volcano is only one in a diminishing chain of volcanic centres formed as the Australian plate moved over a hot spot in the earthâ€™s mantle. The others, forming afterwards, have left an intriguing arc-like trail extending from the Nandewars through the Warrumbungles and Mt Canobolas.

The Nandewar volcano grew over an initial burst of melting under the lower crust and then later by the eruptions of lava from a large molten chamber centred under the volcano at a depth of about seven km below the surface.

The whole volcano grew during a period when the earthâ€™s magnetic field had the same NS direction, as does the present magnetic field.

The Nandewar Range forms remnants of a large volcanic complex built up by repeated eruptions during the Miocene Epoch, between 21 million to 17 million years ago.

The activity started in the northern part and built up a large cone of rhyolitic lavas and feeder pipes in the area of Killarney Gap. This now makes up about a quarter of the whole volcanic shield.

The activity then moved south and built up a second centre, in which a greater range of volcanic rock types were poured out into the local drainage, overlapping the older cone and building the main shield.

The lavas included the darker looking basalt and a variety of lighter coloured trachytes and rhyolites and rarer rocks called tristanites.

This stage erupted between 18 to 17 million years ago. The last activity lingered on in the south part when the pulses of trachytes lava were pushed up through the structure in the last half million years of the volcanoâ€™s life.

Altogether about 400 cubic kilometres of lava was erupted to form a volcano 500 metres high and 50 kilometres across.

Some eruptions were undoubtedly violent and highly explosive, but these deposits have been largely eroded from the upper part of the volcano.

In reality the plains where Narrabri is standing today would have been much, much higher. Considerable erosion of both mountains and plains has occurred since the volcanos ceased their rumblings.

Although considerable amounts of the original superstructure of the Nandewar volcanos are lost; we can still gain a good impression of their former glory by studying comparable volcanoes elsewhere.

Each volcano, even if starting from a similar form, is shaped by later events to give a unique landform that reflects the local geological conditions of its area sometimes over many millions of years.

Another interesting side note about Mount Kaputar is the fact that it is the only mountain in the southern hemisphere that contains three different types of environments (temperate, tropical and tundra). The 1510 metre mountain is certainly a sight to behold and is definitely worth a look.

Ghost Towns of Australia: Joadja, NSW

Info courtesy of Wikipedia
Photo by Paul Dudley

Joadja is a ghost town in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, in Wingecarribee Shire.

It was a thriving mining town between 1870–1911. It was home for approximately 1100 people, many of Scots ancestry, and was connected to the nearby town of Mittagong by a narrow gauge railway that terminated adjacent to the main Southern Railway line in Mittagong. The town existed to mine shale from which kerosene was extracted by the Australian Kerosene Oil and Mineral Co. The process was superseded by conventional kerosene production from oil and the shale mining technique became uneconomical. By 1911, the town had become deserted as inhabitants relocated in search of work.

Situated in a deep valley, the town had limited access by road but this has improved in the last thirty years although much of the access road is unsealed. There are the remains of the old school, the mine, houses and retorts and several graves.

Local lore is that the old town is haunted by at least two ghosts.

There have been attempts in recent years to establish a tourist facility in the valley along with a boutique distillery. Large parts of the valley have now been sub-divided and sold for hobby farms.

Glengarry Golf Course

Story and Photo by Dane Millerd

Glengarry Golf Course near Grawin is not your average championship layout. It doesn't have a Greg Norman design seal of approval, it lacks greenside bunkers and the only water that meanders through the course comes when it floods and even then no one plays when it does anyway.

And did I mention the manicured dirt greens?

No 'Royal Glengarry' as it is affectionately known by locals and travelling professionals alike, is a test of far different skills, with golf only making up a modicum of what is needed to negotiate the treacherous goat track in north-west NSW.

The course consists of untouched rugged terrain and the probability of getting swooped by a birdie is more likely than making one. It all starts from the first tee as pictured above. From an elevated vantage point on the back of an old paddock bashing ute, one must navigate the first 'fairway' and pray that they are hitting in the right direction. Errant tee shots have seen some social golfers go missing for days.

Yet Glengarry is not just for show. For each year the course homes the most prestigious of all events, a litmus test of any golfers skill, the one and only Glengarry Cup.

See you there!

Skellatar House, Muswellbrook

Info courtesy of Jen Willetts
Photo by Dane Millerd

Skellatar House was designed by Edmund Blacket in 1883 and built on one of the first local land grants, made in 1825 to Francis Forbes. The house was once part of a 270-hectare estate.

Skellatar was named after the family estate near Aberdeen, Scotland. Forbes was appointed first Chief Justice of NSW in 1823. He was also an MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly) and a member of the executive council until it was decided these positions clashed with his judicial duties. He clashed with Governor Darling on a number of issues during his tenure.

It was later sold to the Bowman family, who built themselves a grand home there. The Forbes sons created Forbestown on part of this land - it is today’s South Muswellbrook - while the Roman Catholic Church own the former residence.

Today it is believed that the house is haunted and tours are not for the faint of heart. Sightings occur all over the property from inside the homestead near the staircase, to the surrounding yards. It is a legend that has intrigued locals and ghost hunters alike for decades with no sign of abating.

The Nature Territory

Info courtesy of About Australia
Photo by Snoopy Mars

The Northern Territory or Nature Territory as it is also known is one of the most beautiful places in Oz. It is home to some of the most amazing locations on Earth including Kakadu, Katherine Gorge, Uluru and many more.

According to About Australia, the Northern Territory covers about one sixth of the Australian continent with an area of 1.35 million km2 which is equal to the combined areas of France, Spain and Italy. About four-fifths of the Territory (1.09 million km2) lies within the tropics and the 6200 km coastline is generally flat and backed by swamps, mangroves and mudflats, rising to a plateau no higher than 450 m.

In central Australia, the Territory is crossed by the east-west ridges of the Macdonnell Ranges, which reach heights of more than 600 m. The well-known monolith, Uluru (Ayers Rock), 348 m high, is near the south-west corner of the Territory.

The northern quarter, known colloquially as the "Top End", is a distinct region of savannah woodlands and pockets of rainforest. In the north-east, the Arnhem Land plateau rises abruptly from the plain and continues to the coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria. Much of the southern three-quarters of the Territory consists of desert or semi-arid plain.

While it is a well known fact the Territory houses some of the most dangerous wildlife on the planet, don't let it deter you from enjoying its many wonders. It really is an experience of a lifetime.

Ben Bullen

Info courtesy of OzRoads and Wikipedia
Photo by Paul Denham

Ben Bullen is a small mountain village in the Central West of New South Wales, Australia. The cool community is located on the Castlereagh Highway (almost) halfway between the small towns of Cullen Bullen and Capertee.

The place name Ben Bullen is derived from the local Aboriginal word meaning "high, quiet place".

The village was formed when the railway was constructed in the early 1880s. While goods trains still use the railway line the small railway station is closed.

Since the closure of the railway station a bus service serves the community.

Ben Bullen is surrounded by picturesque cattle grazing land and the Gardens of Stone National Park, a part of the vast tract of land that joins the Wollemi and the Blue Mountains.

Tinkers Hill

Story by Dane Millerd
Photo by Paul Denham

Arguably one of the most condemned locations in Australia, the infamous Tinkers Hill certainly has a colourful history - depending on who you ask.

It was relayed to Local Legends recently that Tinkers Hill has seen many a landowner come undone by the incredible bad luck that seems to encompass the property from mysterious deaths, unexplained absences and raging fires that have seen many a man lose everything including his marbles.

Coming soon to this site will be an exclusive interview with a descendant of Tinkers Hill and we promise you it won't disappoint.

Did we also mention the strange happenings and hauntings that occur at this locale?

Watch this space for a rare insight into one of the scariest places in Australia.

The Wishing Well near Capertee

Story by LL Staffers
Photo by Snoopy Mars

If you have ever stood by a Wishing Well and thrown coins in, chances are you aren't the only one. In the UK in November 2006 the "Fountain Money Mountain"it is estimated some $3 million pounds are retrieved from wishing wells each year and the word 'Wishing Well' derives from European folklore to describe 'wells where it was thought that any spoken wish would be granted.'

According to Wikipedia, the notion that a wish would be granted came from the idea that water housed deities or had been placed there as a gift from the gods, since water was a source of life and often a scarce commodity.

The Germanic and Celtic peoples considered springs and wells sacred places. Sometimes the places were marked with wooden statues possibly of the god associated with the pool. Germanic peoples were known to throw the armour and weapons of defeated enemies into bogs and other pools of water as offerings to their gods.

Water was seen to have healing powers and therefore wells became popular with many people drinking, bathing or just simply wishing over it. People believe that the guardians or dwellers of the well would grant them their wish if they paid a price. After uttering the wish, one would generally drop coins in the well. That wish would then be granted by the guardian or dweller, based upon how the coin would land at the bottom of the well. Traditionally coins were made of copper or silver and had biocidal properties which kept the water from going sour (bacteria produces various acidic compounds which affect the taste, notably Hydrogen sulfide). It was thus lucky to throw coins in the well.

The tradition of dropping pennies in ponds and fountains stems from this. Coins would be placed there as gifts for the deity to show appreciation.

The Dish

Story by Wikipedia
Photo by Dane Millerd

The Parkes Observatory is a radio telescope observatory, 20 kilometres north of the town of Parkes, New South Wales, Australia. It was one of several radio antennas used to receive live, televised images of the Apollo 11 moon landing on July 20, 1969.

During the Apollo missions to the moon, the Parkes Observatory was used to relay communication and telemetry signals to NASA, providing coverage for when the moon was on the Australian side of the Earth.

The telescope also played a role in relaying data from the NASA Galileo mission to Jupiter that required radio-telescope support due to the use of its backup telemetry subsystem as the principal means to relay science data.

The observatory has remained involved in tracking numerous space missions up to the present day, including - Mariner 2, Mariner 4, Voyager, Giotto, Galileo and Cassini-Huygens.

The observatory and telescope were featured in the 2000 film The Dish, a fictionalised account of the observatory's involvement with the Apollo 11 moon landing. Ironically, Parkes was not the town used in the film with producers opting for neighbouring and picturesque Forbes as the town of choice to portray Parkes.

When Buzz Aldrin switched on the TV camera on the Lunar Module, three tracking antennas received the signals simultaneously. They were the 64 metre Goldstone antenna in California, the 26 metre antenna at Honeysuckle Creek near Canberra in Australia, and the 64 metre dish at Parkes.

In the first few minutes of the broadcast, NASA alternated between the signals being received from its two stations at Goldstone and Honeysuckle Creek, searching for the best quality picture.

A little under nine minutes into the broadcast, the TV was switched to the Parkes signal. The quality of the TV pictures from Parkes was so superior that NASA stayed with Parkes as the source of the TV for the remainder of the 2.5 hour broadcast.

Villa Fortuna

Story by Derek Ballantine
Image by Dane Millerd

Fortuna, an ornate mansion in Bendigo, has generated so many sightings that something must be afoot, supernatural or not.

Built by a gold magnate in 1855, Fortuna was bought in 1871 by George Lansell, known as the Quartz King for the money he made from deep mining after the earliest alluvial gold was exhausted.

He expanded the house and his family lived there until 1935.

Occupied by the Australian Army's survey regiment for more than 50 years, the magnificent Fortuna's ghosts have been recorded by many soldiers and civilians over that period.

There is Mr Lansell, who appears as a bearded figure, and the voice of a woman, supposed to be Bedillia, his second wife, who died in uncertain circumstances. Mysteriously, locked doors are found open.

Temperatures fluctuate wildly. And duty officers long ago refused to sleep there.

"I know they are there. I have seen them," says cartographer Richard Arman.

He was new to Fortuna in 1986 when he saw a dark shape, a head and torso without legs, passing through the banister of the main staircase. There have also been reports of a soldier wandering the premises near the stairs.

He and his colleagues continue to experience strange events, from footsteps heard at night, the tapping of a cane and, in some rooms, cold spots that make the hair on their necks stand on end.

Mr Arman says Fortuna at night occasionally smells of roses, though there appears to be no source.

A girl in her teens appears as a spectre, asking visitors to leave.

And a boy in a sailor suit revealed himself to a female soldier, disappearing when she called out for help.

"No one here ridicules you if you say you have seen a ghost," says Mr Arman.

"There have been too many sightings to leave anyone in doubt."

Hampton Wind Farms

Story by Dane Millerd
Photo by Paul Denham

Hampton, near Oberon in central NSW is a beautiful hamlet nestled among the mountain tops. Like other villages in the region it gets extremely cold during the winter months.

Another interesting feature of the place is the high prominence of wind farms. The wind farms can be seen from across the mountains even as far asunder as Mt. Victoria.

For those not familiar with wind farms, they provide a clean air solution and minimise health and environmental impacts upon societies. They are a clean and effective way of energy generation.

Doomsayers point out the noise and minute real assistance these turbines provide as being reasons for not using wind farms.

Still, the wind farms at Hampton are certainly one of the many features of the Oberon plateau and are definitely worth a look.

Of course, you can always go to Jenolan Caves or Kanangra Walls while checking out the Hampton Wind Farms on your journey.

Stanley, Tasmania

Info courtesy of www.circularhead.tas.gov.au
Photo by Paul Denham

The historic town of Stanley, population approximately 575, is situated on an isthmus approximately seven kilometres long between the West and East Inlet and is nestled around the base of the Nut.

From the Nut summit, spectacular panoramic views can be seen. On a clear day, you can see the furthermost tip of North West Tasmania, the hills of Devonport, The Tamar Heads, the farmlands and bush of Circular Head and the Islands close to Smithton including Three Hummock Island 50 kilometres away.

The Nut is a geographical feature rising 152 metres sheer on 3 sides surrounded by the sea and claimed to be 13 million years old. It is 35 hectares in area on the summit. The formation of The Nut is from lava that solidified into a thick layer of coarse-grained basalt known as Teschenite.

An important aspect of The Nut is its use by migratory birds. The fascinating short tailed shearwater and the rare orange-bellied parrot are known visitors. For many years, the only way to enjoy the magnificent view from the top was to climb the steep path, which takes approx. 15 minutes. In 1987, a Chairlift was installed offering an effortless five-minute ride to the summit.

Stanley was settled when the Van Dieman's Land Company was given a grant to cultivate the area in 1825. The Company built its headquarters at Highfield on Green Hills overlooking the Nut. The construction of the present Highfield was thought to be designed by Henry Hellyer for Edward Curr as his new home in May 1832. Later additions to Highfield were designed by John Lee Archer, an important Tasmania colonial architect, and built during 1844-1845. Convict barracks, barns, stables, chapel and large ornamental gardens were features of the home.

Falling Mountain

Story by Ed Di Mallren
Photo by Snoopy Mars

In the Blue Mountains there are many spectacular sights and mysterious locales from the Three Sisters to the Lost City of Lithgow. Falling Mountain also fits under both these descriptions.

Situated not far from Hartley, Falling Mountain is doing exactly what its name suggests - falling, or should we say crumbling. It is a dangerous location even for the most seasoned bushwalker.

The mountain itself makes up a popular and picturesque area that also includes the magnificent Hassan's Walls and Mount York among many others and if you get the chance you should check them out.

As for Falling Mountain - the picture above says it all. Notice the cracks and the separation in the rock formation and you will soon realise it is not a place to go or to be taken lightly.

Brisbane City Hall Clock

Story by Dane Millerd
Additional info courtesy of John Pinkney from the book 'The Book of Australia's Ghosts'
Image courtesy of slv.qld.gov.au

In February 1982 Brisbane's City Hall clock failed to chime for the first time. Ironically, the malfunction happened at the exact same time the clock's designer and builder, 93-year-old Arthur Appleton Jackson was being buried.

Was it just an eerie coincidence or did Jackson's ghost return to arguably his greatest creation and silence the immense four-dialled timer?

It was the first time in 53 years that the enormous clock failed to ring since its activation in 1929 and the clock was considered Jackson's pride and joy. He had been contracted in 1926 as a then 37-year-old to complete the task of building it.

Arthur Appleton Jackson's son and successor Bill Jackson told Pinkney that he believed the clock went out in sympathy to his late father and City Hall staff agreed.

The incident exemplifies a strange phenomenon that has been internationally recognised for as long as clocks have existed.

Minyon Falls

Info courtesy of www.byron-bay-beaches.com
Photo courtesy of Naida Chowdry

Minyon Falls plunges a depth of around 97-104m into a deep palm-shaded gorge below. Everyone has an opinion on how high the falls are - all we really know for sure - it's a long way down.

You can drive to the top of these beautiful falls and admire them from above and look down into the rain forest below. The tops of the cliffs are forested with Blackbutt and Scribbly Gum - very Australian bush.

You can follow the rainforest trail to the bottom of the falls, walking through subtropical Booyong Rainforest and Brush Box which occupies the gully beneath. The change of vegetation as you wander down is very obvious with the gorge having it's own microclimate which is dramatically different to the rest of the area.

Follow the signs for the footpath from the top of the falls. There are actually 2 walks you can do. The second one takes you around to Quandong Falls and is called the Minyon Loop.

This path takes in a lookout over the Falls and follows the rim of the escarpment and takes you to Quandong Falls - named after a local rainforest tree.

There is a pool at the foot of Minyon Falls where you can swim. You will feel like you are a million miles from anywhere here.

The walks are quite easy going down - a bit tougher on the way back up.

At certain times of the day and in winter especially the valley can have pockets of mist and with the vegetation it gives it all a very 'Jurassic Park' feel. You half expect to see a T-Rex at any second. It's magical.

Toilets and picnic/barbecue facilities are provided at the top of the falls where you get a view of the ocean in the far distance on clear days.

The walk down to the base of the falls and back is a 4 km round trip and can take up to 2 hours.

The Minyon Loop is 7.5 km and takes 4.5 hours.

Lake St. Clair, Tasmania

Lake St. Clair (extract from A Tour of Tasmania)
By Mike Tatlow & Charles Wooley
Photo courtesy of Mike Tatlow

Your authors regularly brace the bar, dine and stay at the Derwent Bridge Wilderness Hotel (in Derwent Bridge, Tasmania). The bar, lounge and dining room are in a cathedral-like room of vaulted native timbers, divided by two whopping great fireplaces.
Leeawulenna, the sleeping water, is the apt and romantic name Aborigines had for the enchanting lake you really should explore by taking the bitumen road north for about 10 minutes through bushland from beside the bridge. Members of the Big River tribe moved here and built huts of bark thousands of years ago as glaciers from the last ice age retreated. The huts and their charcoal drawings were destroyed by red-neck bushmen. This is Lake St Clair.
With an arrogance that rivalled place-name champion Governor Macquarie, surveyor William Sharland named it this in 1832 to flatter a family of Scots, the St Clairs, in the colony where Aboriginal monikers were largely ignored. The lake is an immense natural impoundment of deep, clear and usually sparkling water, home to a million trout, set among alpine peaks clothed in snow for much of the year. It even has little beaches of white sand near the visitor hospitality and information complex that includes a Parks and Wildlife Service centre, near where cruise boats operate. It is the destination for hikers between November and April on the popular Overland Track from Cradle Mountain, which is on our Tour route later. Powered camping sites are among the trees near the lake. The Hydro Electricity Commission built a weir across the lakeï¿½s southern outflow in 1937 to raise the water level 2.4 metres. Take a stroll, see some wildlife beside pristine Leeawulenna, brooded over from the west by the bulky, often cream-coated cake, Mount Olympus. At dawn or dusk it can be breathtaking. A theatre of awe.
In the highland hush when the air is still the lakes look polished beyond manï¿½s skill. In mountain shade or orange demise. Of the sun on its wane a trout will rise, rippling the sheen of the watery pane in a humbling theatre of awe.

Go to www.walkguidesaustralia.com for more information and how to purchase other Walk Guides products.

Myall Creek and the massacre

Story by Dane Millerd
Image courtesy of www.siv.vic.gov.au

The infamous massacre of Aborigines at Myall Creek near Bingara in June 1838 occurred in the fifty-first year after the British began their penal colony and subsequent settlement near Sydney cove.
The encroachments of the British brought years of destruction and despair for the Aboriginal peoples of Australia, who had lived undisturbed on this land for thousands of years. Demoralised and debauched, they were coming to be seen by the British as a doomed race even though they had and still have so much to offer.
In the early part of 1837 Henry Dangar established Myall Creek Station and it became part of his pastoral empire. It was managed by William Hobbs, a young freeman from Somerset and his personal staff consisted of three assigned convicts – Charles Kilmeister the stockman, George Anderson the hut keeper and Andrew Burrowes, who was responsible for the horses. The group had a constant fear of the Aboriginal people both real and imagined and all men were armed when they left the shelter of the station. Ironically, there were no Aborigines to be seen and some believe that many Weraerai and Wolroi tribes people had been swept clear of their traditional lands even by this stage of the British settlement.
By mid 1837 there had been a number of incidents in which white people or livestock had been killed and this resulted in large scale killings of Aboriginal people despite the fact there were known convicts and outlaws in the area.
Major James Winnett Nunn arrived from Sydney at the end of 1837 with a party of about 30 troopers and some volunteer stockmen conducted an unprovoked and murderous campaign extending over nearly two months.
One particularly tragic incident occurred at Snodgrass Lagoon on the Waterloo Creek on what is now deemed ‘Australia Day’ in 1838. Oral history gathered by the late Len Payne of Bingara describes these violent outbursts as the ‘Drive’ and up to 300 Aborigines were killed in a surprise attack at the lagoon.
At the end of May in 1838 a group of about 50 Aborigines moved to Myall Creek Station at the invitation of Charles Kilmeister. They had been living at McIntyre’s, a station about 30kms upstream from what is now known as Bingara. The Aboriginal peoples had been urged to move on by Andrew Eaton, a hut keeper at the McIntyre’s, who feared for their safety. Some of the whites like Eaton had struck up unlikely friendships with the Aboriginal peoples and close bonds had been forged among not only the men of both races but also the women and children.
The next morning about ten of the Aboriginal men, representing just about all of the able bodied males, including ‘King’ Sandy, accompanied Thomas Foster, the superintendent of the Newtons, a neighbouring station, to assist him cut bark. They arrived at four in the afternoon only to learn that a party of armed stockmen had visited the previous day had plans to go on to Dangar’s. Foster explained to the Aboriginal men that they should return immediately to Myall creek via ‘the mountains’ and by half past four they were on their way. They were already too late.

About an hour earlier, a group of roughly 12 stockmen brandishing guns and swords came galloping into Myall Creek Station. The men knew that William Hobbs and Andrew Burrowes were absent from the station such was their cunning.

The horsemen herded the Weraerai into the workmen’s’ hut with only two boys able to escape. The stockmen lead by the monstrous John Fleming and John Russell, began to tie the defenceless Aboriginal people’s hands together. Worse still was that Charles Kilmeister, who had invited the Aboriginal peoples to the station in the first place, joined in the activities. George Anderson refused.
Anderson managed to save a little boy by pushing him back into the hut when the others were dragged out.
Over the ensuing two and a half days, the marauding gang not only annihilated this peaceful group but also visited McIntyre’s and then returned to Myall Creek. On their return they caught up with and killed King Sandy and his men.
When Hobbs returned he was already armed with some information of the horrific events that had transpired. He had been told that the stockmen came not once but twice and that they had rejoiced in their shocking deeds and when he questioned Anderson he accepted his denial of complicity and sadly, that of the tyrant Kilmeister as well.
Hobbs was then lead to the site and after fifteen minutes he became stricken with nausea.
The following morning he inspected the site again but this time with Thomas Foster and the men agreed the atrocity should be reported. Unfortunately, he continued to believe Kilmeisters' denial of involvement in the events.
By Sunday June 24, Fredrick I. Foot, a landholder, set off to Muswellbrook to report the matter to the nearest police magistrate, Mr. Edward Denny Day. When he arrived he missed Day and set forth onto Sydney.
A subsequent investigation on site that included Hobbs and Day found that the area had been swept more than likely by those involved.
Of those named by Anderson during Day’s investigation of the incident only Fleming was never apprehended.
Sadder still is the fact that the defence of the accused was funded by Hunter and Gwydir landholders including Mr. Robert Scott and by November of that year public opinion was running in favour of the accused.
After all the evidence was heard the jury were back within 15 minutes and the accused were pronounced not guilty to rapturous applause but Attorney-General, John Hubert Plunkett was not to be deterred and immediately asked the prisoners be reprimanded as he wished to prepare another indictment. Chief Justice James Dowling granted the application.
The second trial had Judge William Burton presiding and only seven of the original group were tried. The jury was asked to consider whether the accused had been involved in the murder of an Aboriginal child. Five of the 20 charges nominated the precise victim as ‘Charley’.
Despite protestations by the defence that the boy may not have even been killed the jury announced that the accused had been found guilty of the murder of the Aboriginal child whose name was unknown. The seven men were executed at 9am on December 18, 1838.
While justice and closure was still to be served in totality, many, including Governor Gipps, who was committed to Aboriginal protection, continued to fight a losing battle against bureaucracy in the struggle to save Aboriginal people from extermination. Even into the 1900’s many Aboriginal people were still poisoned with arsenic and killed off in appalling numbers.
On June 10, 2000 some 162 years after the massacre, a Memorial to the Aboriginals of Myall Creek was erected and dedicated.

The Mahogany Ship - Warnambool

Story by A.K.MacDougall from his book 'An Anthology of Classic Australian Folklore'
Photo by Millie Ford

Beneath the shoreline near Warnambool on Victoria's south-east coast lies arguably Australia's most enduring maritime legend - the Mahogany Ship, said by some to be either a Spanish galleon or Portuguese caravel dating from the 1500s. Unless it is a hoax willing promoted by sailors and locals alike, then beneath the sands may well lie a small fortune yet to be claimed.

The wreck was first sighted in 1836 by sealers who reported seeing a ship stranded on the beach to the harbour master at Port Fairy, who then verified its existence. According to descriptions, it was a ship of 16th-century design, lying broadside on her stern amongst the sandhills.

A decade later a bunch of keys of Spanish design and similar vintage were found under five metres of earth on the shores of Corio Bay, further giving weight to the legend. Some puzzling early maps also added fuel to the fire and only created more rumours that a Spanish or Portuguese vessel indeed sailed to Australia's great shores centuries before the Dutch and the English.

Even as recently as 1880, folk at Warnambool maintained they had clambered over the remaining timbers of the ship's deck while sheep grazed near the wreck. Within a few years the encroaching sandhills had buried the last remnants and all recent excavations have failed to unearth so much as a single nail.

Old Dubbo Gaol

Info courtesy of Old Dubbo Gaol
Photo by Dane Millerd

The Old Dubbo Gaol was a courthouse lockup in 1847, was proclaimed an official Gaol in 1859 and closed operations as a penal institution in 1966. Officially re-opened as a tourist attraction in 1974, the Old Dubbo Gaol is now fully restored and is home to a large display of animatronic models and holographic displays which provide a realistic and fascinating insight into a bygone era of barbaric prison life.

Wandering around this unique collection of 19th century buildings and artefacts, learning the stories of prison life, and spending a moment in the pitch black of the solitary confinement cell, will be certain to send a chill up your spine.

DID YOU KNOW?
That there are at least 3 bodies buried in the grounds of Old Dubbo Gaol! Two men who were hanged in Old Dubbo Gaol, Thomas Newman (1877) and Albert (1880), were unceremoniously laid to rest in unmarked graves after their execution. The last, Mary-Ann Wilson (1885) who was not a prisoner but was ill and being treated in the Gaol Hosptial, passed away from natural casues and was also buried in the grounds. The locations of their graves in the Old Dubbo Gaol are unknown.

The Parkes Elvis Festival
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Info and photo courtesy of www.parkeselvisfestival.com.au

In the second week of January every year, the town of Parkes in Central NSW comes alive to the sounds of hip-swivelling Elvis Impersonators and Tribute Artists. It attracts the creme de la creme of Elvis fans and impersonators with events such as Elvis Idol and poetry competitions.

It is also a place for couples to renew their wedding vows - Elvis Vegas style!

Parkes is a modern regional centre with a population of 12,000 and is underpinned by mining, agriculture, industry, transport logistics, government services and tourism.

From a gold rush town of the last century, Parkes has progressed to become a thriving commercial centre. Parkes is most famously known as home of 'The Dish' - the CSIRO Parkes Radio Telescope featured in the Australian hit movie of the same name.

The 2011 staging of the event will be no different, running from January 5 to January 9 so do yourself a favour, especially if you are an Elvis fan and come to Parkes and enjoy the fun!

The Gardens of Stone

Story by Dane Millerd
Photo by Paul Denham

The Gardens of Stone takes in the Wollemi and Blue Mountains among many other areas in central west NSW. Among its many attractions is the Lost City of Lithgow and the Three Sisters. It is rugged, unforgiving country.

Within its parameters lie stories of heroism and struggle, from Jessie Hickman, the Wild Woman of the Wollemi, the Barking Owl of Newnes and the Blue Mountains Yowie just to name a few. It is one of the last untouched wilderness areas in the state encapsulating hundreds of thousands of hectares.

The weird rock formations that make up the Gardens of Stone came about thousands of years ago and are made up of ironstone and sandstone forming impressive pagoda structures for as far as the eye can see. These formations harbour idyllic walkways, caves and forests as creeks meander throughout the natural landscape.

Yes, the Gardens of Stone is a great place to visit but be prepared, it is tough bushwalking in some parts.

Old Mystery Face Rock

Story and photo courtesy of Jan D. Smith and Virtual Tourist

North east of chilly Glen Innes, approximately 50 kilometres away and near a one store town called Torrington there are some interesting bushwalks.

The most famous drawcard is "Old Mystery Face", an odd-shaped block of sandstone whose outlines were only noticed after a bushfire went through the place late in the 20th century.

The peculiar rock formation stands well over three metres high and appears rather daunting when up close and side on. Some have even drawn the parallel to the equally impressive rock formations on Easter Island near Chile.

Though there's also a carpark, there's little else at the site so you should bring some drink (especially in summer) and some food if you tend to get hungry like I do.

The walk to see this oddity isn't long or arduous but you could certainly work up a sweat in summer.

Check out Old Mystery Face Rock next time you're in the area.

* Do you have anymore information about the Old Mystery Face Rock? We'd like to know so send us an email or go to the contact section of the website.

The Empty Farmhouse - Narromine

Story courtesy of Adam Phillips at www.bitey.com
Image by Dane Millerd

For a long time my father worked for a man who owned a lot of land. One particular property of his is called ‘Arrabree’. 3,000 undulating acres with a huge, old but well-kept house, machinery sheds, stock yards, shearing sheds, grain silos and more. The farm needed caretakers, and since it was only a few k’s from the boss’s place, Dad agreed to move us all out there.

I loved it. At a time when most of my friends were playing football and following their dicks around, I was spending days and nights alone in the pine forest on the next property, making campsites, sharpening knives, tracking foxes and fantasising that I was the only person ever. I was a bit of a strange kid I guess, but I wouldn’t change those years for anything.

So one day, I set out on a long walk across to the far side of the farm. I left at around 11, took lunch and water, but not really planning to go anywhere in particular. I did a lot of thinking and planning on these long walks. Thinking about how I wished we had forests like European forests in the stories. Dense and black with trees you can live in. There was no way I could get lost on this farm, I could only dream about it.

After some hours, probably around 3 in the afternoon I came to the back fence of the property. From there I could see the neighbour’s farmhouse and a dog tied up near the fence with a half 44gallon drum for shelter. It was a female blue cattle dog and she didn’t say anything to me. Her bowl was overturned so I thought I’d go and put some of my water in there for her. I walked closer and she looked at me without getting up, just a slight thump of the tail on the ground. I flipped the bowl over, emptied my water in there and she came over for a drink. As she drank I looked up at the house and there was no movement or sound. I thought I’d just go to the gate and fill up my water at the tap.

I walked toward the house and noticed that the front door was open, but no sign of movement coming from within. I refilled my water bottle at the front tap near the gate and stood for a moment, waiting for some sign of life. None. The only sound was an old windmill rattling in the breeze nearby, and the occasional truck on the road not far from the house.

I went to the door of the house and called inside. No answer.

It stank in there, sort of damp and mouldy but some other nameless stink, I couldn’t think what it was. I called out a few more times before I stepped inside. There were clothes and papers everywhere, and some cardboard boxes. They were all dry so I thought maybe some plumbing might be leaking under the house and rotting the timbers or something because that smell was all I could think about. Urk. I came to a room at the back where the sun was streaming through a large window. The window was broken but there was no glass inside. I walked over to it and looked outside and the glass was all over the ground out there. Something had smashed the window from the inside.

I was looking at the yard which was overgrown with grass, thistles and weeds. There was an old lawnmower amongst the grass but its days were over. I was already feeling quite a bit uneasy, but now the feeling that crept over me intensified, becoming unbearable. I wanted to turn and run. The smell seemed worse in this room, despite it being almost empty, save for an old vinyl armchair. I was about to turn and leave when something on the concrete path, outside caught my eye. It was a solid black line of ants marching. With my eyes I followed the line of ants to where they disappeared under a low shrub.

In the grass under the shrub I saw the ants crawling. They covered a person’s face. It was an old man lying on his back, his face turned up with his eyes open. He was dead, probably for a couple of days. My body tingled all over and I turned and ran. As I fled from the room, I crashed full-faced into something soft. It was an old lady and she stank. The smell, it was her all along. She cried out as we both fell on the floor in a heap. I got up and bolted outside, across the yard, past the dog and jumped the fence. I ran for home.

I ran for as long as I could and eventually slowed to a walk. I forced myself to calm down and to stop reliving the whole thing over and over in my head. I don’t know why, but didn’t want to tell anyone. It was probably about 5:30pm when I saw the headlights of dad’s Land Rover coming towards me. Mum had been worried about me (again) and when dad got home from work, she’d asked him to go looking for me. I got in the Land Rover and he asked about my day. I didn’t tell him what happened, I told him that I’d just done my usual wandering and exploring.

Some days later, dad mentioned that the old man’s body had been found but the old lady and her car were missing. The farm was searched but she was nowhere to be found, and the car is still missing to this day. I told mum and dad. We went to the police and gave a statement, some investigations were held and I told my story to a local journalist on the condition that she kept my name out of it.

As far as I know, the case remains unsolved. The old lady was never found and it’s one of the big unsolved mysteries of the region.

The Lost City of Lithgow

Story by Dane Millerd
Photo reconstruction by Paul Denham

During WWII Lithgow and Marangaroo homed an array of small arms factories paramount to Australia's war effort. At one stage, the factories had a greater demand for .303 rifles then the means in which to meet that demand.

There was also the worry of an invasion at home and everyone was nervous. They believed an enemy attack was imminent.

Legend has it that just outside Lithgow at rare rock formations known as the Lost City, the towering pagoda rocks were allegedly wired with lights.

This plan was designed to make any potential enemy aircraft believe Lithgow was located there instead of its actual site further south.

Concurrently, if an attack had occurred this plan could only succeed if Lithgow residents turned off as well and community leaders and police were sent around to enforce such rules during drills.

Fortunately the worst case scenario never happened.

The Barrington Tops

Story and photo by Dane Millerd

The Barrington Tops are certainly one of natures rare sights to behold. Nestled in the Great Divide separating Scone from Gloucester and extending as far down as the back of Maitland, the Tops exceed 1600 metres at certain peaks.

Aside from being a popular travelling route for the likes of Thunderbolt, the Tops also hold other mysteries. A VH-MDX 210 went missing over the Barrington Tops on August 9, 1981. Inside was a group returning from a fishing and sailing trip to Queensland.

They were experienced pilot Michael Hutchins and Sydneysiders Noel Wildash, Rhett Bosler, Ken Price and Philip Pembroke.

No wreckage or bodies have ever been found despite extensive searching.

Peter Anforth, a former Newcastle police squad rescue chief who lost close friend Ken Price on the flight, probably describes the Tops best when he said -

"It's tough country; the forest is so thick you are lucky to see a few feet in any direction."

To give one an idea of just what it is like, sometimes the Tops are closed off to travellers from April to October because of snow and then there is the invisible, omnipresent danger of black ice.

And did we mention it is also freezing most of the year and nearly always covered by low lying cloud?

Burning Mountain

Story by Daniel Dreml
Photo by Danny Oz

For as long as anyone can remember Burning Mountain near Wingen in the NSW Hunter Valley has been burning.

The aroma is an acrid sulphuric smell that emanates from the fumes.It comes from cracks along its precipice. First Australians had known about this burning mountain for many years before the white settlers reached the area, but soon after they came this spectacle attracted scientific attention.

The earliest European visitors to describe the phenomenon, Reverend C.P.N. Wilton (between 1828 and 1832) and Sir Thomas Mitchell (in 1829 and 1831), correctly recognised its cause, although this burning mountain became widely known overseas at that time as a volcano or pseudo-volcano.

It is steeped in aboriginal mythology connected with the Stone Woman of Wingen. Known as the 'Wingen Maid' this interesting rock formation can be seen clearly when travelling north on the New England Highway. It is the southern face of a mountain spur with the upper part of the cliff resembling the outline of a seated woman. The name Wingen is of Aboriginal origin, and even means 'fire'.

Yes, Burning Mountain is definitely one to add to your to-do list.

Black Mountain near Cooktown

Story and photo courtesy of cooktownandcapeyork.com

Located 25 km south of Cooktown on the Mulligan Highway, the mysterious Black Mountains were originally formed from magma that slowly solidified under the Earth's crust about 250 million years ago. The mountains consist of huge boulders of grey granite, which have been blackened by algae growing on the exposed surfaces. They are very unstable and should not be climbed, as rain causes the boulders to fracture, break and slowly disintegrate, sometimes explosively.

The mountains are a place of cultural significance for the Kuku Yalanji people, who call them Kalkajaka, or 'place of the spear'. They contain at least four sites of religious or mythological importance - Kambi, Julbanu, Birmba and Yirrmbal - each having its own story.

There are many non-Indigenous stories about the mountains too, with tales of people, horses and whole mobs of cattle disappearing into the labyrinths of rock, never to be seen again. Indeed, when the Cooktown Local News ran a story on April 1st about a giant black panther being caught there, the majority of people believed the story, failing to realise it was an April Fool's joke!

The park is home to some unique wildlife - one species of frog and two lizard species are found nowhere else. Godman's rock wallabies and ghost bats also live here.

There is a lookout and viewing platform signposted from the highway, and information boards giving more information about this amazing place.

Visit the magical Black Mountains with Cooktown Tours.

Got any more info about Black Mountain? We'd love to know. We have heard numerous other reports as well so watch this space for more on this mystical, exotic wonder of the far north.

Australia loves 'Big Things'

Story by Dane Millerd
Additional info courtesy of Australian Explorer
Photos submitted by Radi Mendell

A number of years ago, the Dunedoo District Development Group (DDDG) came up with the idea of building a giant rustic outdoor dunny in Dunedoo. You see, like many country towns, Dunedoo was dying a slow painful death and the idea was seen as a way to drive more tourists to the town.

Lead by then President, Sue Stoddart, the group proceeded and the town became divided.

At the time Stoddart said - "Yes, you've got to agree it is tacky but if it attracts attention and we don't have to go out and advertise then we'll use it!"

Eight years later there is still no loo in Dunedoo yet commercial plans have been drawn up and should the DDDG launch another campaign to get it going then the giant dunny will house the tourist information centre, a viewing platform and hopefully a radio station.

It also made us think of other places renowned for big things and in Australia there are heaps!

The Big Apple - Stanthorpe QLD
The Big Apple in Queensland is a tribute to all the apples grown around the Stanthorpe area! It can be found approximately 2.5 hours south-west of Brisbane, on the Cunningham Highway.

The Big Arch of Victory - Ballarat VIC
The Arch of Victory was opened in Ballarat in 1920, funded by female staff at Eleanor Lucas' Lingerie Factory. The Arch of Victory stands 17 metres high and can be found on Sturt Street.

The Big Axe - Kew NSW
The Big Axe is located about 2km north of Kendall, at Kew, NSW. The Big Axe resides above the Tourist Information Centre!

The Big Banana - Coffs Harbour NSW
The Big Banana is one of the most famous residents in Coffs Harbour. Standing 5m high by 11m long it would be hard to miss it! The Big Banana is suitably located out the front of a Gift Shop surrounded by a Banana Plantation. This 40+ year old sculpture was the very first of Australia's “Big Things.”

The Big Barramundi - Daintree QLD
The Big Barramundi in QLD is a testimonial to the most desired fish in the State. The Big Barramundi resides above the entrance to the Big Barramundi Barbeque Gardens in Daintree.

The Big Bottle - Mangrove Mountain NSW
This “Big Thing” is a bit mysterious compared to the others. Nestled away in the idyllic Mangrove Mountains, New South Wales is statue in the form of a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon.

The Big Buffalo - Adelaide River NT
The Big Buffalo, “Charlie,” (star of Crocodile Dundee I and II) can be found at the Adelaide River Inn in the picturesque town of Adelaide River in Northern Territory.

The Big Bull – Rockhampton QLD
Queensland's Capricorn Region, Rockhampton, is renown for its beef production! Down the Southern end of the city a Big Bull replica resides above a shopping centre.

The Big Captain Cook - Cairns QLD
The big Captain Cook, in Cairns, has stood tall above the plants on the Captain Cook Highway for almost forty years. Initially the statue was designed to be used as a mascot for a public bar however the measurements were mixed up and the statue turned out a lot bigger than expected! The fate of Captain Cook is in limbo at the moment because of redevelopment – it seems likely the James Cook University will propose to acquire the statue.

The Big Cassowary - Mission Beach QLD
The Big Cassowary at Mission Beach is a tribute to the endangered bird that can be found in the gorgeous World Heritage Rainforest in the area. The Big Cassowary can be found at Wongaling Beach as part of the Shopping Complex and stands 5m high!

The Big Cheese – Bega NSW
The Big Cheese can be seen as you enter Bodalla from the North. It doubles as a tourist service and you can purchase food and other items from the cheese and honey staff; ice-cream parlour; gift shop and the luncheon.

The Big Cherries - Young NSW
The Big Cherries can be found in Young NSW which is known as the Cherry Capital of Australia! From the 1st November through to New Years people flock to Young to pick and pack the tiny fruit! The Big Cherries were unveiled in 1987.

The Big Chook – Moonbi NSW
The Big Chook can be found in Moonbi, NSW. Moonbi is approximately 21km north-east of Tamworth. The Big Chook can be attributed to Moonbi being the largest poultry producing area in NSW outside of the capital city.

The Big Crab - Miriam Vale QLD
The people of Miriam Vale have honoured the famous Queensland Mud Crap by immortalizing one in the form of a sculpture to adorn the local petrol station. The Big Crab has proved to attract even greater attention to the delicious seafood.

The Big Croc - Humpty Doo NT
Standing proudly outside a service station in Humpty Doo, NT is the Big Croc. Geared up with boxing gloves and a fighting stance he is a humorous landmark for the town.

The Big Dog on a Tuckerbox - Gundagai NSW
The Big Dog on a Tuckerbox monument was built in 1932 and can be found on the Old Hume Highway, Gundagai. The Big Dog was in tribute to the famous lyrics of Jack Moses' song “Five Miles from Gundagai.”

The Big DNA- Perth WA
The huge staircase, adjacent to the Pioneer Womens' Hospital forms the appearance of a Double Helix of DNA and can be found in Kings Park which overlooks the CBD in Perth.

The Big Earthworm - Bass VIC
The Big Earthworm can be found at the Wildlife Wonderland 10 minutes before Phillip Island. The Earthworm represents the Endangered Giant Gippsland Earthworm that is renown in the Bass area.

The Big Easel - Emerald QLD
The Big Easel is the second in a series of “Big Easels.” There are American and Canadian versions of this Big Thing! It took two and a half months to be completed in Emerald, QLD. It was finished in 1999 and can be found in the centre of the city, at Morton Park.

The Big Fruit Bowl - Bilpin NSW
The Big Fruit Bowl can be found in Bilpin, a town famous for its apples, 93km from Sydney. For most travellers Bilpin is the town where, having driven Richmond up to Kurrajong, they stop to purchase either apples or apple juice – by the Fruit Bowl!

The Big Galah - Kimba SA
The Big Galah can be found outside the front of the Halfway Across Australia Gem Shop on the Eyre Highway. In a town famous for its Australian Wildlife this tribute to the Australian Galah stands an impressive 8m high!

The Big Gold Panner - Bathurst NSW
The Big Gold Panner can be found in front of the Gold Panner Motel on the Great Western Highway in Bathurst, NSW. The statue is resides appropriately in the town that recorded the first discovery of gold way back in 1823! The statue presents a gold-panner looking somewhat hopefully at his pan!

The Big Golden Guitar - Tamworth NSW
Australia's country music capital, Tamworth, is home to the Big Golden Guitar. Standing 12m high and weighing half a tonne, the statue was unveiled by Australia's reigning King of Country Slim Dusty in 1988.

The Big Guitar - Narrandera NSW
The Big Guitar can be found at the visitors centre in the rural town of Narrandera. It stands nearly 6m long and is the World's Largest playable guitar.

The Big Gumboot - Tully QLD
The Big Golden Gumboot can be found in Tully, QLD. Originally a rubber boot was awarded to the Wettest Town in Australia, a title hotly competed by Tully, Innisfail and Babinda! The Big Gumboot, now firmly secured in Tully, stands 7.9m high (which represents the record annual rainfall of the town (7,900mm) in 1950! The Gumboot contains a spiral staircase and viewing platform and opened on the 10th May 2003.

The Big Koala - Dadswells Bridge VIC
The Big Koala can be found 27km north-west of Stawell upon entering the small township of Dadswells Bridge. The Koala stands 14m high, weighs 12 tonnes and is made of bronze set on a steel frame. The sculptor Ben Van Zetton was hired to design and construct the piece in 1988.

The Big Lobster - Kingston SA
Kingston, a well-known port, is famous for its lobsters and also the Big Lobster that resides there! Standing an impressive 18.2m high it houses a restaurant AND gift shop underneath! It is a must see sight if in the area!

The Big Macadamia - Woombye, (Near Nambour) QLD
The Big Macadamia can be found on the Sunshine Plantation, a tourist theme park. It is located just off the Bruce Highway, along Nambour Connection Road at Woombye. Here you can eat nuts, ride the Macadamia Nutmobile and is right next to the Big Pineapple.

The Big Mandarin - Mundubbera QLD
The Big Mandarin can be found in the small township of Mundubbera, the self-titled the Citrus Capital of Queensland! The Big Mandarin is also the town's tourist information centre and stands an impressive 9m high!

The Big Merino - Goulburn NSW
The Big Merino in Goulburn is a testament to the huge wool-growing industry in the Goulburn area. It stands 15m high and 21m long and can be found beside Hume Street, on the Canberra side of town. There are different wool products for sale as well as information on the production of wool etc.

The Big Milkshake - Warrnambool VIC
The Big Milkshake in Warrnambool resides in a town famous for delicious milkshakes and its dairy industry. Standing 8m tall the Big Milkshake can be found at Cheeseworld in Allansford, Victoria and is said to be a highly photographed attraction.

The Big Miner - Rubyvale QLD
The Big Miner in Rubyvale can be found at the Bobby Dazzler mine which is also home to three other “Big Things” the Big Spanner, Big Sapphire and the Big Pick and Shovel.

The Big Miner – Kapunda SA
The Big Miner is the first visitors see upon entering Kapunda. The statue depicts a “Cornish Miner.” This statue is in tribute to the Kapunda Mine established in 1844 which was the first successful metal mine in Australia. The statue was unveiled in 1988 and is called Map Kernow, which in Cornish translates to 'Son of Cornwall'.

The Big Murray Cod - Swan Hill VIC
At Swan Hill in Victoria the Murray river provides great fishing and water sports – hence the Big Murray Cod. The giant fish stands 11m long and 6m wide adjacent to the railway station on Curlewis Street. The Murray Cod was once a movie prop but is now set to live out its days at Swan Hill as a popular tourist destination.

The Big Ned Kelly – Glenrowan VIC
The town of Glenrowan was the place where Ned Kelly, the infamous Australian bush ranger, had his last shootout. The town approximately 220km north of Melbourne is home to a striking 7m high statue of Ned Kelly with his rifle at the ready.

The Big Orange - Berri SA
The Big Orange can be found on the Old Sturt Highway, just outside Berri. The area is home to the Berri Fruit Juice manufacturers hence the Big Orange. Set amongst the citrus orchards, the Big Orange is a popular photo opportunity for tourists.

The Big Orange - Gayndah QLD
Gayndah is home to another Big Orange. Gayndah is known as the Orange Capital of Queensland and known for it's Big Orange. At Gayndah's Big Orange you can find tourist information, a gift shop and you can purchase free juices and local produce.

The Big Orange - Harvey WA
The Big Orange in Harvey, Western Australia has been restored by Harvey Fresh and now sits proudly upon a 10 metre tower. An extra 4 metres must be climbed to reach the viewing platform. Inside the Big Orange, local history and photos can be viewed. The Big Orange is located at: Third Street, Harvey, WA.

The Big Oyster - Taree NSW
Just outside the town of Taree, at Fotheringham Park, sits a Big Oyster on top of a building. The company that created this unusual sculpture were also the creators of the Big Prawn at Ballina!

The Big Peanut – Atherton Parklands QLD
Thought of as one of the cornier “Big Things” in Australia, the Big Peanut in Atherton fronts a Peanut Fruit Shop just north of Tolga QLD. It is not so much big, as peanuts are small and is wearing a hat and a big smile!

The Big Pelican - Noosa QLD
The coastal town of Noosa is famous for its gorgeous beaches – and its Big Pelican! This huge structure has movable parts that can be operated from the inside. Most tours and bus trips include a stop at the Pelican, which is a great photo opportunity.

The Big Penguin - Penguin TAS
The coastal town of Penguin in Tasmania is a popular tourist attraction and is home to hundreds and hundreds of fairy penguins. The Big Penguin sits in the beach front park and is rumoured to be the largest penguin in the World!

The Big Pineapple - Gympie QLD
Gympie, an old gold mining town, is home to the Big Pineapple. Perched on the roof of a vacant petrol station, this Big Pineapple is well known in the surrounding area.

The Big Pineapple - Woombye, (Near Nambour) QLD
Another Big Pineapple can be found at the Sunshine Plantation, a tourist theme park - alongside the Big Macadamia Nut in Woombye (near Nambour). This Big Pineapple is made of fiberglass and stands 12m tall at the entrance to the plantation. Information can be found about the tropical fruit industry within the Big Pineapple as well as an awesome view from its summit!

The Big Potato - Robertson NSW
Robertson is a small township near the end of the Southern Highlands and is reknown for its rich soils and its rolling landscape. The good soil, rainfall and winter climate has made Robertson a prominent potato growing area in NSW – hence the giant concrete representation of a potato!

The Big Prawn - Ballina NSW
The Big Prawn in Ballina stands 6m x 9m and encompasses a gift shop and eateries. It is a tribute to the big seafood market in the area.

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Wagin_Giant_Ram,_Western_Australia-WEB.jpg

The Big Ram - Wagin WA
One of Australia's Big Ram's can be found at Wagin in WA. This Big Ram stands 7m high and 15m long!

The Big Rock - Barrington Tops NSW
The Big Rock in Barrington Tops is a unique “Big Thing” in the sense that was not man-made. The unusually large rock can be found at the Barrington Tops National Park.

The Big Rock - Pacific Highway, Tea Gardens NSW
Originally built by the Leyland Bros, the Big Rock is now owned by Outdoor Education - a charity organisation which runs Bushcamps for Australian Youth. The Rock houses 'The Pieman' which is an awarding winning, 24 hour, gourmet pie shop and service station.

The Big Rocking Horse – Gumeracha SA
The World's biggest Rocking Horse is located on the main road in Gumeracha, South Australia. Appropriately located by an expansive Toy Factory the Rocking Horse stands 18.3m high and contains three observation decks!

The Big Shell – Tewantin QLD
The Big Shell is home to a collection of shells, corals and even coloured sand. It is just a short drive from the Sunshine Coast and its displays will keep your occupied for hours. There is also a Gift Shop so you can take home a physical reminder of your day spent at the Big Shell.

The Big Stubbie – Tewantin QLD
Tewantin wasn't content with a Big Shell so they have also put another “Big Thing” on Australia's Map! The Big Stubbie was created from thousands of beer bottles and stubbies being concreted in to the shape of one Big Stubbie!

The Big Tassie Devil – Mole Creek TAS
The Big Tasmanian Devil can be seen guarding the entrance to the Trowunna Wildlife Park at Mole Creek, Tasmania. These formidable looking creatures, among other Australian wildlife, are on show at the Wildlife Park.

The Big Trout - Adaminaby NSW
The town of Adaminaby in the Snowy Mountains, is a highly popular destination for trout fishing. Accordingly a Big Trout statue has been positioned in tribute to the fruitful pastime.

The Big Wine Cask – Buronga NSW
This Big Wine Cask can be found at the BRL Stanley Winery in Buronga. The Cask is 8m high, 11m long and 7m wide and could hold up to 400 000 litres of wine if desired! It was originally a water-purifying plant for the winery but with a tap and new paint job it has been transformed into a renown “Big Thing”!

The Big Wool Bales – Hamilton VIC
The Big Wool bales can be found 3km west of the city centre at Coleraine Road on the Henty Highway in Hamilton amongst native red gums. The five structures replicate five wool bales, representing the value of the wool industry in the area. The five wool bales form a building which has an array of wool-related displays.

Monte Cristo, Junee

Info and image courtesy of www.montecristo.com.au and Reginald Ryan

This historic two-story house in Junee with its wide verandahs and beautiful wrought iron work is now open to thousands of visitors each year - and they all want to know about the ghosts and tragedies associated with this sprawling mansion.

The original occupants were William Crawley and his family in 1884 and it would appear that from the Crawley family most of the stories of ghosts and hauntings and many other tragic happenings seem to originate.

In fact the ghost of old Mrs Crawley has been seen many times in her former room and in recent years. It is believed that after William Crawley died in 1910, from a carbuncle on his neck becoming infected by his starched collar, Mrs Crawley only left the house on two occasions in the remaining 23 years of her life: no wonder her presence still lingers. Then there are the mysterious lights, apparitions. Not without cause is Monte Cristo a favorite Australian tourist attraction for a great number of Australians and other visitors.

The following stories are told by Reginald Ryan, owner of Monte Cristo Homestead -

MYSTERIOUS LIGHTS

"We moved into Monte Cristo on June 3rd 1963 blissfully unaware of the Homestead's often gruesome history, those dubious revelations would be some time off.

We had been in residence about three days when we ventured downtown one foggy evening for supplies, on the return trip we turned the bottom corner of the driveway and straightened up towards the house, as we did we saw light streaming out of every door and window; we got such a shock I stopped the car and we sat staring up at the brilliantly illuminated homestead dumfounded.

Olive didn't want to continue, felt sure there must have been a burglar up there, I replied to the effect we hadn't been away that long and had better go and investigate.

As we drove cautiously through the gateway the lights abruptly disappeared, again Monte Cristo was lost in fog and darkness.

We tried desperately to rationalize it, different people suggested the source of light was our car headlights shining onto windows of the house; but there wasn't a single pane of glass in the entire house, electricity hadn't been connected and the only source of light was a kerosene lamp not left lit.

This was the first of many strange, puzzling and sometimes frightening experiences that have occurred over the intervening years we have not found answers for.

Our first experience was eerily replayed 27 years later when our 21 year old son Lawrence was driving home one night the rest of the family were at a ball in Wagga, as he turned into the driveway he discovered all the lights of Monte Cristo ablaze but as he passed through the gates they disappeared again without explanation."

THE ENTRANCE HALL

"A local Council worker, I will call John R., came up to the homestead on Council business one afternoon and entered Monte Cristo in good spirits, suddenly he backed out and left. I later spoke to him downtown and his explanation was that he didn't like Monte Cristo and would never go up there again - he never has!.

THE STAIRS

"On one of the house tours I was showing a mother and daughter through, having covered the ground floor without any problem I preceded to lead them upstairs and waited for them to catch up in the hall.

After waiting a few moments I peered over the banister to see where they were, finding both appearing to have trouble moving and on reaching the landing midway seemed incapable of ascending further. Both said in a worried tone some unseen force was stopping them going up, however once they moved down and away from the steps the problem disappeared.

The stairs often cause us problems, especially with children. Little children around the ages of three or four continually cause an uproar on or near the staircase, I've often wondered since learning about the death of a child on them if there's a connection?".

GHOSTLY VOICES

"Neil, a nephew of my wife Olive, and his girlfriend attended the 1992 Monte Cristo Ball and after it concluded in the early hours of the morning the lass wanted to use the toilet before retiring, however feeling frightened by the dark house asked Neil to escort her.

After waiting in the hallway for her Neil proceeded to escort her back towards the stairs which lead to their room, suddenly from the top of the darkened stairs a voice seemed to drift from nowhere, looking up they both saw a young woman dressed in white who said softly twice: "Don't worry, it will be all right" and vanished before their eyes.

THE DINING ROOM

The presence of Mrs Crawley is strongly felt in this room by psychic's, when the ABC brought a group here for the "Big Country" we served them lunch and diner in the room. On several occasions during meals medium Van Blerk got up and left the room without explanation, waited outside a few moments and returned to his seat.

He later told us Mrs Crawley had ordered him out of the Dining Room, so for harmony sake he waited until her "presence" had left the room before returning to his seat.

BREAKFAST ROOM

When we moved into Monte Cristo this room served as our kitchen, it was in this room Olive found dead and mutilated kittens.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cPbIb5fXSE

Silverton

Story by Dane Millerd
Photo by Paul Denham

About 30 bumps from Broken Hill is a little hamlet called Silverton. Famous for its movie set qualities, the town has housed such productions as Mad Max and Razorback among many others.

It also contains rare displays of magnificent Peter Brown artwork and is a place that has inspired many artists.

Once a bustling home to 3,000 people, residents began to leave in the 1880s when the nearby mines of Broken Hill surfaced. Many took their houses with them to the new locale.

These days less than 50 people call Silverton home and only a handful of buildings dot the landscape.

The Street With No Name

Story and image by Daniel Dreml

It's location is as mysterious as its history. The Street With No Name as it has been dubbed throughout the annals of time is home to some of the most unspeakable crimes and horrific murders that have ever taken place.

Annandale locals claim there is something unnaturally evil about the whole area. Some will testify to an eerie presence and bizarre behaviour displayed by children and dogs at the park while others claim the railway viaduct is equally as frightening. Sixth sense anyone?

A flirtation with the past uncovers a web of tragic and terrifying tales. Reports and articles date back to 1968, when the remains of a three-year-old boy was discovered at the site. No one has ever been charged for the murder. Several years later, the corpse of another boy were noted along the railway embankment. He had been bludgeoned savagely to the head.

Six months later and only a stones throw away from that very location, the body of another boy the same age was found. He too had endured a vicious attack. In 1977, a man was arrested, tried and found guilty of the murders of the two young boys.

Yet the eerie presence of ghosts of yesterday's past continue unabated. Of more pressing concern for many though is whether or not the murders will stop. We can only hope.

Coober Pedy

Story and photo by Paul Denham

Coober Pedy is a small town in northern South Australia. At the last census in 2006, the population of the town stood at 1,916 with roughly 15% of those indigenous.

It is called the 'Opal Capital of the World' because of the large quantity of precious opals mined at the site and is famous for most of the residents living underground. Many live underground to escape the oppressive heat.

It comes from the Aboriginal word 'kupa-piti' which means 'whitemans hole' or 'waterhole.' Yet Aboriginal people have a long-standing association with the area. The first explorer was Scottish born John McDouall Stuart in 1858 however the town was not established until 1915 after Willie Hutchinson discovered opals. Miners moved in a year later and so began the legend of the town.

The town also has some interesting attractions with underground homes and churches, the graveyard and the first tree ever welded together with scrap iron. Yes, Coober Pedy is a popular stop between Alice Springs and Adelaide for a reason so be sure to add it to your list.

Scratching the surface of Fort Scratchley

Story by LL staffers
Image by Scott 'Spock' McAndrew

Recent scans underneath Fort Scratchley have uncovered a map and its hidden tunnels. The convict-built mines are alleged to be the first in the country's short colonial history.

Andrew Weatherstone of Macquarie University will use a gravity scanner to unearth clues from the site.

‘‘I live in Newcastle, and am aware there are series of tunnels around Fort Scratchley from old mine workings,’’ he said.

‘‘I’m going to try to identify where the old mines are located.’’

The mines were carved by convict labourers in 1804, sealed over 80 years later and rediscovered by a team of geoscientists in September 2005.

Gionni Di Gravio, a researcher, said the latest survey could add texture to the city’s knowledge of the site.

‘‘These mines were the first in the southern hemisphere and of great significance to our history, being the site of the first return or profit of the colony,’’ he said.

‘‘So we would like to encourage this student’s research, especially since no original surveys conducted in the 1880s have been located or are known to survive.’’

Mr Weatherstone hopes to have the results in time to write a report by early November 2010.

* Photo - inside the site could look something like the tunnels pictured above however it is not known how much damaged has been caused over time.

Strange Australian town names

Story by Dane Millerd
Photo by Percy Warrul

They say Punchbowl isn't famous for punchbowls and Rope isn't famous for rope and Tabletop isn’t famous for Tabletops. Bobbin Head isn't renowned for bobbin heads and Bald Knob isn't ... well, you get my drift.
But we do have some strange names and many have totally unrelated meanings. Often having nothing to do with their name. A select few do and we have compiled a mixture of rare places and some honourable mentions.
Fiddletown, NSW - No Fiddletown is not known for fiddles, fiddle players or having a fiddle. Fiddletown is a small town in NSW and that's about it.
Linger and Die Hill, NSW - One legend we've heard is that if you stay long enough atop Linger and Die Hill you will do just that.
Come By Chance, NSW – First discovered by George and William Colless as they traipsed through the Pilliga region in north-west NSW. It got its name after the duo found a clearing of land in the middle of the forest they happened to come by chance.
Scented Knob, WA – lets leave this one alone.
Wanka Creek, QLD – and this one too.
Big Dick Bore, WA – not going here either!
The Gunbarrel Highway, NT, SA & WA - Gunbarrel Highway received its name from the chief surveyor, Len Beadell, who liked to draw as many double straight lines as possible to maximize fuel efficiency and joked that his team would be called the “Gunbarrel Construction Company.” The name stuck. Many legends try to purport the myth that it is famous for highway robberies and hold ups but this is not true.
Snowtown, SA - Don’t go to this place with your snowboard or skis as they will stay in the car. It was named on a whim by the then State Governor in 1878, after his friend, Thomas Snow. Now more famous for bodies in barrels.

TEN OTHER CRACKING GOOD NAMES
1. Lake Disappointment, QLD
2. Little Mount Horror, TAS
3. Useless Loop, WA
4. Bong Bong, QLD & NSW
5. Dunedoo, NSW

PS – And to all you Rum drinkers, Rum Jungle isn’t famous for Rum and Batchelor isn’t famous for batchelors.

Alive - 43 days in the Great Sandy Desert

Story by LL Staffers
Photo courtesy of Absolute English

When Robert Bogucki decided he wanted to be alone and make peace with God no one envisaged what was about to happen next. For what Bogucki was about to embark on was without a doubt one of the most dangerous odyssey's known to man - a trek through the Australian outback.

The then 33-year old firefighter from Alaska was finally rescued from the Australian outback after a trek lasting 43 days. Bogucki was weak when he was found in a creek bed by a TV crew in one of Australia's harshest deserts.

"I just wanted to spend a while on my own, just nobody else around, just make peace with God I guess," Mr Bogucki said.

"I promise I won't do anything like it again though," he said at the time.

Bogucki left the Sandfire Roadhouse, 1,000km (610 miles) north of Perth, the capital of Western Australia, on July 11, 1999 intending to ride his bike across the Great Sandy Desert to Fitzroy Crossing. He would never make it.

A search was launched on July 26, two weeks after he was last seen after tourists found his bike and camping gear just a few kilometres along a track into the desert. Aboriginal trackers joined police planes and four-wheel-drive vehicles in the search.

Police called off the search after 12 days, presuming that Mr Bogucki had perished or had hitched a ride without alerting authorities that he was safe.

A news helicopter carrying a television news crew found Mr Bogucki in a state of bewilderment and disorientation in a maze of gorges in Western Australia's remote Edgar Ranges, some 400km (250 miles) away from where he set off.

He had lost around 20kgs and had been surviving on plants, flowers and his own urine.

The Yarralumla Diamond Tree

Story and image by Deefer Bloomfield

Yarralumla is a beautiful suburb in Canberra in the ACT. Quiet and friendly, it is also one of the biggest southern suburbs of the capital.

Like most places it also has a history and it is for the most part, largely politically entrenched. This story however is much more different.

There is an old legend that rocks many even to this day and involves a man seen digging under a tree. Apparently the nameless, faceless man is looking for the diamond dropped there by a convict who had stolen it from a Mr. James Cobbitty in 1826.

In 1842 the stone was discovered but whilst on his way to Sydney his man, an aborigine, swallowed the stone for safe-keeping. The joy was not to last however when the young aboriginal man was shot by bushranger's and buried under the tree.

To this day a ghost can be seen digging profusely for the illusive diamond.

Lunatic Lookout and the $6 million Black Opal

Story and photo by Dane Millerd

Lunatic Hill Open Cut or Lunatic Lookout at Lightning Ridge is the largest open cut opal mine in New South Wales, Australia. It is one of the richest sources of precious black opal ever found.

In the early 1900s mining was concentrated on Three Mile Flat, 250 metres north east of the lookout. The miners dug by hand and hauled dirt to the surface in buckets. It was tremendously difficult and many who tried it were labelled 'lunatics' hence the name. A common term used at the time was - 'only lunatics would go up there.'

In this area a man had to dig three times as deep as he would on the Flat!
But for a select few the move paid serious dividends and soon the skyline was crowded with the silhouettes of mullock heaps and windlasses.

In 1986 a Lunatic Lookout syndicate mined Halley's Comet, the largest Black Opal nobby on record. At the time it was valued at $6 million. Today the area is preserved as a monument to the mining heritage of Lightning Ridge.

The Black Horse of Sutton's Forest

Story and photo by Daniel Dreml

Sutton's Forest is little more than a pub, a few buildings, a couple of antique/gift shops, a riding school and a church. Located 130 km south-west of Sydney and five km from Moss Vale, this tiny village can be missed if you blink as you drive through.

The early history of the village is much more impressive than its current size would suggest. The first European party to investigate the district was that of ex-convict John Wilson in 1798.

But the luxurious area is now renowned for something far different than the educated observations of Throsby and Meehan, early travellers through the region. It is known for something far more sinister - the Black Horse that traverses the countryside. Strangely, it is fixed with saddle and full kit but has no rider.

The riderless horse is known far and wide as the Black Horse of Sutton's Forest. Seeing the horse was often regarded as a sign of coming disaster. It has been known to pass right through houses.

Ironically, one of the earliest sightings of this equine phantom occurred not long before the murderous rampage of Australia's most prolific serial killer, John Lynch a.k.a The Berrima Axeman, in 1840/ 41.

While sightings nowadays aren't as frequent they still happen and as we all know it is only a short drive down the Hume Highway to Belanglo State Forest - the scene of carnage made infamous by Australia's second most prolific serial killer, Ivan Milat.

If history isn't your thing you can always stop for a drink at Sutton's Estate Wines. After seeing the Black Horse of Sutton's Forest you may need a bottle!

The Termite Gravesite

Story and photo by Dane Millerd

The Top End is filled with exotic landscapes, rare wildlife and wholesome adventures.
Recently, on a trip to Litchfield, I encountered termites nests as far as the eye could see.
Intricately constructed over prolonged periods, the Termite Gravesite as it is known by some locals, is certainly a sight to behold. For nowhere else in the world can such a construction be seen.
There are some interesting facts about termites that many do not know and that may help understand this extraordinary locale and these strange creatures. They include -

* Termites have been around since the time of the dinosaurs.
* Termite colonies eat non-stop, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
* Termites have wings that they shed once they have found a good place to build a nest.
* Termites cause up to $2 billion in damage per year.
* All Termites are social insects and raise their young as a group.
* The total weight of all of the termites in the world is more than the weight of all the humans in the world.

Yes the Termite Gravesite is not to be missed.

Single-town

Story by Ed DiMallren
Info courtesy of amazingaustralia.com
Photo courtesy of Paul Denham

Acclaimed demographer Bernard Salt spent a bit of time going through the 2006 census figures and worked out where the biggest concentrations of single blokes were located. The conveniently named town of Singleton in the New South Wales Hunter Valley was found to have the widest choice of blokes for single sheilas to choose from, although some Singleton sheilas that were interviewed reckoned that while the quantity might be there, the quality was not.

These are the single stats:

1) Singleton, New South Wales - 180 males per 100 females

2) Burdekin / Ayr, Queensland - 171 males per 100 females

3) Mackay, Queensland - 156 males per 100 females

4) Griffith, New South Wales - 141 males per 100 females

5) Gladstone, Queensland - 141 males per 100 females

6) Wollongong, New South Wales - 140 males per 100 females

7) Lithgow, New South Wales - 139 males per 100 females

8) Bunbury, South Australia - 139 males per 100 females

9) Whyalla, South Australia - 137 males per 100 females

10) Ballina, New South wales - 136 males per 100 females

Some other interesting singles statistics: Australian singles prefer to date tradies like carpenters, tilers and painters rather than professionals according to a recent survey of 950 people by Linkme.com.au. Professions in order of desirability to date:

1. Carpenter
2. Tiler
3. Painter
4. Builder
5. Plumber
6. Banker
7. Doctor
8. Lawyer
9. Accountant
10. Psychiatrist

In other words; if you are an accountant or a psychiatrist living in Singleton then your chances of getting laid are about the same as winning first prize in Powerball, and you are better off joining one of the online dating sites to find your sheila elsewhere in this world.

The Blue Lake

Story and photo by LL Staffers, additional reporting Ed Di Mallren

One look at the Blue Lake, particularly on a beautifully sunny day, is truly an amazing sight. It is so blue it actually defies belief. The lake itself is allegedly 75-80 metres deep and fills a dormant volcanic crater. It is claimed that the lake is only intensely blue between November and March each year. During colder months it is a more natural grey, dull colour and lacks vibrance.

Still, evidence suggests that the Blue Lake volcano last erupted about 1500 AD. It is about 20 metres above sea level and, because of its great depth, its bottom is about 30 metres below the level of Mount Gambier's main street and 60 metres below sea level.

There is a local legend that occurred there between 1853 and 1867 when the renowned poet Adam Lindsay Gordon lived in the area. He worked as a mounted policeman, a drover and a horse breaker. As legend has it, Gordon, a brilliant horseman and bushie, took a horse and hurdled the rail fence to win a bet with the boys. The challenge was that the area of land beyond the post and rail fence was no more than a metre (three feet) across. For beyond lay a 60 metre drescent into the lake. It is said that not only did Gordon leap the fence on his horse and land it safely but that he managed to get the horse to leap back across the fence - such was his sublime horsemanship and incomparable skill.

Why is the lake blue?
No one knows for sure why the Blue Lake changes colour. There are a number of theories most of which have merit. In times past, when blue dye was used extensively to clean clothes, it was believed that the blue was filtering through the limestone and appearing in the lake. This reached its most amusing highpoint when people started accusing Mt Gambier locals of putting blue into the water so it would become a tourist attraction.

Another theory argues that the water is home to microscopic blue organisms which rise to the surface in the warmer months.

A third explanation, offered in an old brochure on the town, argued as follows: 'The most likely theory is that light is scattered by calcium carbonate which saturates the lake. As the temperature rises at the surface level it causes them to precipitate out as extremely fine particles of a similar wavelength to blue light. This causes a scattering of the light at the blue end of the spectrum, making the lake appear blue.

A Man's home is his castle

Story by LL Staffers
Photo by Percy Warrul

Bernie Havlik was born in Czechoslovakia in 1912 and upon his arrival in Australia he worked in various industries in Victoria and Queensland. He tried his hand at prospecting in the Territory before commencing work at the Rum Jungle Uranium Mine in 1954.

In the beginning, he worked underground in the mine at Rum Jungle. Following the closure of the mine in 1971, Bernie became a member of the town gardening crew until his retirement in 1977.

Retirement did not mean the end of Bernie Havlik’s work: in fact it was a new beginning for him. In 1978 he commenced construction on the unique structure in the picture above left known by locals as Bernie Havlik’s Castle.
In Bernie’s working years on the gardening crew, he was frustrated by a large rocky outcrop on this site which was too large to move and was difficult to maintain in tidy condition. He solved the problem by covering it with a replica of Karlstein Castle, the original of which still stands today in Bohemia.

Havlik worked on the project for five years to get it to its current form. Even in ill-health, Bernie was completing finishing touches and repairs. The park at Batchelor is dedicated to the memory of the life and indominable spirit of Bernie Havlik.

AMIGO’S CASTLE
Story courtesy of Bob Clarke
Photo by Dane Millerd

Despite a whole range of frustrations, this incredible building truly expresses the eccentricity of the people of Lightning Ridge. Amigo, the tortured soul who created it, had been building this larger than life castle for over 25 years and carted rocks great distances to the current site. It is rumoured he had initially planned to make a castle out of opals for his lover but had been unsuccessful.

When one part was completed, Amigo always seems to feel that the monstrosity required another section or watchtower. It is not known if he ever finished.

Terror near Top Springs

Story by Dane Millerd
Photo by Paul Denham

In 2005 Ricky Magee set out on a drive from Sydney to Port Headland. Magee was due to start a new job and a new life in Western Australia.
By his own admission, it was a long drive. He would skirt up through Top Springs and in roughly a week or so would meet his ex-girlfriend on the other side.
But things don't always go according to plan.
Magee pulled over to help stranded motorists halfway between two towns in the middle of the desert. It would be a decision he would regret for the consequences were almost disastrous.
For Ricky Magee was drugged and robbed and left for dead in the Australian outback - the Australian desert, one of the most unforgiving and uninhabited places on Earth. A place where any creature with a choice would not be out in the open. Magee wandered the harsh scorched land for 71 days and lost 59kgs; he even dug his own grave such was the peril of his plight.
Tired and hungry, he found a dam and lived on insects in the wild. When he was found he was so exhausted and close to death many thought they were identifying a corpse rather than helping a victim to recovery. Magee was lucky and his tail was certainly amazing.
His is just one of many incredible Australian survival stories that we will continue to bring you only on local-legends.net

Bracken's Hut

Story and Photo by Snoopy Mars

From 1919 to 1972 the Traill family of "Tuwinga" held grazing leases over much of the Coolah Tops. This hut was built in 1937 by Charles Elsley, who was employed by the family.

Apparently, all the corrugated iron was bought to the site on pack horses and would have been extremely difficult up from the Cox's Creek valley. It is certainly rugged country.

The Traill family were certainly an organised lot. In the open forest and swampland surrounding the hut, the family would run up to 3,000 sheep culminating in a muster at the end of March that would see the herd moved to the valley to be shorn.

This photo depicts Bracken's Hut as it is today at the Coolah Tops National Park. The hut has now been upstanding for 73 years.

The Forest of Faces

Story by Dane Millerd
Photo by Paul Denham

Not far from Manilla in the north-west of NSW, there is a mystical forest that wouldn’t be out of place in a JRR Tolkien book. Eerily real, disturbingly human, the forest of faces has long been a roadside attraction for many a passerby as they negotiate their way from Tamworth to Manilla – the paragliding capital of the world. There are also many theories as to why and how the forest of faces came about.
Some claim that the forest is a hand-sculptured attempt to scare the living daylights out of travellers and backpackers as they pull over on the highway to ogle at these marvellous timber statuettes. Many a name has been bandied about as to the source of the abstract art while others believe it is simply a natural attrition firmly created by forces of nature.
Whatever the case, there is no doubt that the Forest of Faces is certainly not a place for the faint of heart or for those with no appreciation of nature art.

The Breeza Bolter

Story by Ed Di Mallren
Image submitted by Ed Di Mallren

For years there has been talk of a phantom that stalks the Kamilaroi Highway near Breeza, a sleepy village in the north-west of NSW. Breeza is famous for Ben Hall's Wall and the Breeza Bolter and that's about it.
The story first came to light in the 1960s when people described seeing a strange phantom appear at the roadside trying to run out in front of or beside a vehicle as it proceeded towards Quirindi. Reports have been sporadic since, but others claim that the phantom menace has been known to cause accidents.
Only a few short years ago there was a a torrential storm near the site that resulted in a utility filled with propane tanks crashing into a ditch and killing the male driver inside. Other tales consist of similar disturbances almost resulting in fatalities.
Whatever the case, no one is sure as legend has spread from a range of yarns from the ghost of a run over Aboriginal boy to a Caucasian running man in big boots. Nothing has been confirmed however we welcome your tales and feedback.

*Note: Claimants have stated they see an image similar to the one attached to the story through their window or in rear vision mirror. Certainly a strange sight on a dark country road late at night.

The Blowhole

Story courtesy of KT
Photo by Ed Di Mallren

The main Kiama Blowhole was discovered by George Bass on his voyage of coastal exploration on December 6, 1797, after anchoring his whaleboat in the sheltered bay which became Kiama Harbour.
The shore Bass wrote, showed evidence of considerable volcanic fire and on the point he found: "The earth for a considerable distance round in the form approaching a circle seemed to have given way; it was now a green slope.....Towards the centre was a deep ragged hole of about 25 to 30 feet in diameter and on one side of it the sea washed in through a subterraneous passage...with a most tremendous noise..."
Bass was not, in fact, the first to discover the Kiama Blowhole, as local Aboriginals had for generations referred to it as Khanterintee.
In January 1889 a performer by the name of Charles Jackson attracted large crowds to see his crossings of the mouth of the Blowhole on a tightrope.
A smaller "little Blowhole" is located a few minutes south of the main Blowhole & performs best under moderate seas.

Bombed beyond recognition

Story and Photo by Dane Millerd

On February 19, 1942 Darwin was changed forever.
Japanese air strikes over the ensuing annum would result in 243 deaths and 400 wounded – a sad chapter in Australia’s military history.
The Stuart Highway that runs south out of Darwin to Katherine and beyond was still being built and was bombed by the Japanese 60 times even as our own forces struggled to construct it.
Air strips Strauss, Livingstone and Pell among others were set up along side the highway for our own Allied Forces to counter the burgeoning attack from the Japanese. Attacks that showed no signs of relenting.
US aircraft arrived in July 1942 and marked a huge turning point in the battle for Darwin.
Yet it was on that first day when most of the damage was done as over 180 Japanese aircraft flew over Darwin beginning a sustained attack on our northern most capital. By the time Darwin was last bombed in November 1943 the city had taken some 160 bomb attacks right to its very core. Saddest of all were the deaths of the Bald family, local postmasters. Equally as sad was the fact that many of the buildings destroyed in a horrendous 1937 cyclone were again decimated forcing many northerners to rebuild again for the second time in only five years.
And they still had Tracy to come …

A Very Big Little Secret ...

Original article and image first published at - http://naturalplane.blogspot.com/2010/06/westall-1966-suburban-ufo-mystery-video.html
More information and clips can be obtained from the site.

The following is in reference to the April 6, 1966 UFO incident at Westall High School, in the Melbourne suburb of Clayton South, in Victoria, Australia. It couldn't happen here? Most people would say it couldn't happen anywhere! But more than 100 witnesses to one of the world's biggest UFO mysteries are adamant that it did, in broad daylight in Clayton South on April 6, 1966.
And 44 years after the event, many are still fuming that the military they say were swarming around the scene for days have offically denied the incident and no record appears to exist.
They say they spent their lives being doubted and want some official acknowledgment that something weird happened above and behind Westall high and primary schools that morning.
London's Telegraph newspaper rates it as the fifth-greatest UFO mystery of all time, but another mystery is how little-known the episode is here.
A documentary - Westall '66: A Suburban UFO Mystery - premieres on Austar and Foxtel's Sci-Fi Channel at 8.30pm tomorrow.
Producers hope it will flush out an official who can say what the military were doing and what they found.
Researcher Shane Ryan has spent five years tracking 110 witnesses, many found through an appeal in the Herald Sun in 2006, but could find no military officials, and no record of a military response.
But locals remember it vividly, saying it lasted days.
The 110 Mr Ryan has found who say they saw saucers include professionals, tradies and a Ministerial Adviser, but not one military official of the time.
He says time is running out for them to come clean.
"Whatever security concerns there were at the time, they are redundant now,'' he says.
A TV crew covered the incident and it screened on the 6pm news, but the film canister from the job was recently found empty in the station archives.
Several witnesses say they were warned off speaking by sharply-dressed men in dark suits, in the principal's office and at home.

Others recall school threats of detention for UFO talk. But talk there was, and coverage.

The Dandenong Journal reported the incident on its front page for consecutive issues and ran interviews with witnesses.
Many were school pupils who say they saw flying saucers from their school yards. Some ran to Grange Reserve, where the craft appeared to have come down.
Terry Peck, 56, was among them. She says she was playing cricket on the oval, saw the saucer and chased after it to Grange Reserve.
"Two girls were there before me. One was terribly upset and they were pale, really white, ghostly white. They just said they had passed out, fainted. One was taken to hospital in an ambulance,'' she says.
Ms Peck says she saw a silver, classic-shape saucer rise up.
"I was about 6m away from it. It was bigger than a car and circular. I think I saw some lights underneath it.
"We all got called to an assembly ... and they told us all to keep quiet.
"I'd absolutely just like someone to come forward from the services just to say 'yes, it did happen, and it landed and there was a cover-up'.''
Jacqueline Argent, 58, in Form 3 then, says she saw a UFO from the oval and was one of the first three kids over the fence looking for where it came down.
"Originally I thought it must have been an experimental-type aircraft, but nothing has emerged like that after all these years,'' she said.
She says she was called into the headmaster's office and interrogated by three men: "They had good-quality suits and were well spoken. They said, 'I suppose you saw little green men'?
I spoke to my parents about it at the time and they were pretty outraged.''
Retired engineer Kevin Hurley, a Monash Uni student then, missed the saucers but saw the aftermath.
"There were army or air force people in the area,'' he said.
"I'm pretty sure they were going around the area with geiger counters or metal detectors.
"I'm not a freak that thinks Martian people are coming. I don't think that kind of stuff, but it's bugged me.
"After 44 years, I reckon they need to come clean on this.''
Over 200 students and teachers witnessed an unexplained flying object on Wednesday 6th April 1966 around 11.00 am. They reported it descended into a nearby open wild grass field adjacent to a grove of pine trees in an area known as The Grange. The object then ascended in a north-westerly direction over the suburb of Clayton South.
Shane Ryan is a researcher looking for eyewitnesses. "It happened on the Wednesday before Easter, April 6, 1966, about 11 0’clock in the morning.
Around about 200 people, most of them students at what was then called Westall High School, were out for morning recess", says Shane. "Many saw the strange object descend behind pine trees in The Grange Reserve, and then later ascend and fly away at great speed.
The people who ran over to the reserve found a huge ring in the paddock where the object had been seen.
Some people reported up to five light aircraft following or chasing the object.
Just what did flash out of the sky and into the lives of hundreds that April day?

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Spectral Highways

Story by Ed Di Mallren
Photo by Dane Millerd

A little over a decade ago a sales rep by the name of Geoff Robinson made his way from the Mid-North Coast back to the Tablelands toward Armidale, his home. He had made the trip many times before, too many times and he knew it would take him no longer than three hours.
As Geoff meandered through the Sunday afternoon traffic of holiday-makers all he could think of was getting home to his wife and kids. There was also a range of things at home to get done before a barbeque dinner the family had slated for that night and the pending arrival of neigbours and guests.
Geoff would never make it home.
It has long been debated why so many people go missing in the Northern Tablelands of NSW and there are a number of theories. The region has one of the highest rates of missing persons per capita in Australia but that still doesn't explain why Geoff Robinson disappeared.
Some days later his car was found with all his personal effects still in tact but there was no sign of the man despite an extensive search. A search that bore no fruit.
One interesting theory is that Geoff may have diverted onto a wrong turn having become encompassed in a parallel universe or phantasmagorical dream. Others call them spectral highways and even a greater minority like those from Kingman in Arizona call them a Blood Alley due to an unusual amount of deaths or disappearances on their road.

It wouldn't be the first time this has happened. 'Time Slips' as they are also known occur more frequently than one might think.

On April 20, 1981 in Linhares, Brazil, Jorge Ramos, who was a representative for a chemical company, left his home at 6pm to travel a few miles to a meeting. He never arrived. His Volkswagon was found on a side road a few miles from his home; the key was still in the ignition and all his business and personal effects were in the car. Police investigations could not account for what happened to Jorge or where he was. Five days later, his wife received a frantic call from Jorge. He said that while driving his car he was covered in a strange white glow after which he found himself in a dreamy, floating state. He came to standing by an unfamiliar road and sought help. To his shock, he discovered that the date was now April 25 - and he was 600 miles from home!
Geoff Robinson however was never found and his wife received no such phone call.

The Bermagui Five

Story by LL Staffers
Photo by anonymous

Not all those that have gone missing in our country occur on land, in fact one of the strangest disappearances occured in 1880 off the coast near Bermagui in NSW.
Local worker William Johnston discovered a shipwreck washed up at Mutton Fish Point. Careful not to disturb the vessel, he rode quickly to a neighbours residence before both men returned to canvas the wreck and investigate. Both men noticed there were no footprints from the boat aside from Johnston’s and ascertained that anyone aboard must have drowned. Local police were then notified of the unusual abandoned ship.
Upon inspecting on board, Senior Constable Berry was disturbed to find the diaries of a man he had recently met, a geologist, Lamont Young, near rocks and pillows that had been packed into the stern. The stern’s damage had been the preliminary determining reason for the crash. Yet what was more disturbing was that not only was Lamont Young missing, but so was his assistant Max Schneider, and three other colleagues William Lloyd, Daniel Casey and boat owner Thomas Towers. Lamont Young had hired the boat to complete an expedition.
As the mystery intensified, the state even offered a reward for the discovery of any of the men dead or alive but it has never been claimed by anyone. The legend of the Bermagui Five is as alive as any of our nations local legends.

Never been sorer than I was at Laura

Story by LL Staffers
Photo by Dane Millerd

Many hold a severe fear of public toilets. Others hold an even greater fear of longdrops - just ask Roy Arrow. Yet this story is a little different again.

It was the day the day a one-eyed snake met a two-eyed one and there could only be one winner.

At a public toilet near Laura 300km north-west of Cairns a tourist got the shock of his life when he sat down on the long drop only to get bitten on the one-eyed trouser snake by a two-eyed brown one.

It certainly wasn't a place for the faint of heart.

An ambulance spokesman stated to the NT press that -

"The snake did not ‘envenomate’ as both snake and man got the shock of their lives.

"The victim had a scratch, severe vomiting and abdominal pain and spent the night in Cooktown hospital with other conditions including a severe case of embarrassment."

I suppose things could be worse - you could be bitten on the funnel by a finger-web!

What lies beneath

Story and Photo by Dane Millerd

The beautiful Adelaide River is nestled just south of Darwin. For many it represents great barra fishing yet beneath the surface and along the banks there are approximately 2500 saltwater crocodiles that call the inlet home and they are among the biggest in the world.
And where there is plenty of barra and plenty of crocs there are also plenty of stories and the Adelaide River is no different.
Take the dominant male saurian of the river aptly named Jesus for arguments sake. At six metres long the reptile got its name because all one can do is bellow ‘Jesus’ when they see it.
Yet the strangest of all tales occurred a little over two years ago when a group of men picked up two Thai prostitutes. Phuangsri Kroksamrang and Somjai Insamnan, about 40 and 20 respectively, were driven the 64kms to the Adelaide River bridge and thrown off still alive. The men didn’t have the money to pay the women and foolishly panicked, bound the two women and then pushed them over the railing into the murky waters below.
The women weren’t eaten and their bodies were found within the next 48 hours intact. They had drowned police said. The men were later located with one having killed himself and the other subsequently arrested.

Lightning Ridge Goat Races

Story and photo by Dane Millerd

Stawell may have the Gift but Lightning Ridge has the Goats.
Every year Lighting Ridge holds the annual Easter Goat Races and every year people come from far and wide in a bid to win the prestigious title as the best.
‘The Ridge’ as it is affectionately known is renowned for having more post office boxes, millionaires and missing people per capita than Mosman on Sydney’s north-shore and possesses such famous landmarks as Lunatic Lookout – home of the infamous $6 million black opal in the mid-1990s. It is also the birthplace of one Paul Hogan.
The last census stated there were roughly 2800 people in the desert strip though estimates believe this is closer to 8000. At Easter though the number was nearly double that amount.

Contestants and curious onlookers came from Gunnedah to Goulburn with a smattering of interstate contenders and local hopefuls. Everyone was ready to line up for this the 34th running of the championships.

The wild goats, many of which had been missing for days in waist high wilderness after recent floods came down from St. George, also had the names and temperament to match their riders. Many a pundit put money on Thor the Thunder God to win the chocolates in what has become a flagship national event each Easter even if the Ridge has had its annual rainfall in just three months.
Yet despite the title being claimed by Wild Billy Down Under in one of the closest contests in years with Emily a tight second, the crowd was the winner on the day with some great live entertainment, stalls, and action for everyone.
The winning jockey was local lady Amy Ellis while Emily was ridden well by Keira Paul into second.
The day began with nine races and some 60 entrants all vying for the coveted crown. In the end it was local knowledge, luck and a good dose of ‘goatswomanship’ that saw Amy Ellis and her mount get over the line.
The Junior Wheelybin title, another feature of the day, was taken out by V8 Super Jesus in a scintillating display. Some say he had God’s speed as he pushed the bon from the local church to victory in emphatic fashion.
If you haven’t been to Lightning Ridge now is the time to start training the goat for next year’s event which promises to be bigger and better still. A friendly reminder to all, watch your step and don’t fall down a hole!

The Club in the Scrub

Story and Photo by Dane Millerd

For many Grawin is a place only spoken by people with a hair-lip trying to say Darwin. Not so. In fact Grawin is roughly 44kms south-west of Lightning Ridge and home of the famous Club in the Scrub.
A quick tour and you can meet locals like Sharkey the red cattle dog or his owner Dingo, you can also enrol in TAFE or enter the World’s Ugliest Man competition – a testimony to men of the area and an annual internationally-renowned event.
Yet if these things don’t whet your appetite you can have a game of pool with Fluff, a coldie or even sit on a car seat in the alfresco beer garden of the club. It really is a must for anyone looking for a unique outback experience.
The club is also known for its challenging golf course, which despite fairways that have never been manicured, offers a stern examination for even the most seasoned golfer. If that isn’t enough you can always drown your sorrows in Pin-head corner or have a delicious meal cooked by the range of volunteers that keep the club afloat.
Yes, the Club in the Scrub really is a site and a once in a lifetime bush experience. They serve cold beer and are open to any traveller.

The Bylong Mouse Races

Story and Photo by Dane Millerd

It was obviously the 22nd staging of the Bylong Mouse Races because there was not a pussy in sight.
The annual event attracts a who’s who of the mouse racing industry including luminaries such as Gay Watermouse and she, like the 3000 on site, were united by the love of this four-legged vermin on what’s affectionately referred to in these parts as ‘Cup Day.’
There was a Calcutta, novelties and Fashions of the field that was dominated by a mixture of fluffy tails, painted faces and mouse ears.
Competitors on the day were also stars of the sport that included My Face, a crowd favourite and Phart Lap, the bookies fancy.
The program got off to a hot start with Randy Racer winning the steeplechase in race one in a scintillating display. The mouse is a frisky little filly who had been fed on a strict diet of Gouda in preparation for this flagship event. A big reputation around the traps ensured the nimble varmint went to the blocks in blinkers. It reaped the ultimate reward.
Randy Racer was joined by Lolly Pop, Slip It In, Test Tickle, Hooter, Angels Wings, Princess Hobbs, Rat, Fernhill Flyer and Winnie Mouse in the final that had a $2300 winners cheque attached to it as well as the prestige of being 2010 champion. Defending champ Italian Stallion failed to qualify for the penultimate race.
With red lights flashing and the crowd in raptures, Princess Hobbs showed a clean pair of paws to take line honours in the 2010 running of the cup from Fernhill Flyer and Angels Wings. Slip It In never got a chance while Lolly Pop was sucked into a tangle and couldn’t get back into contention.
Test Tickle, from the furball stables by Hair Trigger from Soft Spot had good form and had only been beaten this season by Protecting My Assets. Test Tickle had hoped for a stiff breeze but it didn’t come as he failed to deliver on all the hype in a disappointing display.
Hooter was another that failed to inflate.
It mattered little in the end, the day belonged to Princess Hobbs who if indications from the winning connections mean anything, will be back to defend the title this time next year.

Stardust: The Murchison Encounter

Story by The Lizard King
Photo by Joe Lattanzio
Information source: CSIRO

A little known Australian local legend has emerged again in the 2010 world wide scientific papers in the search of ‘who and where we all came from.’

Only two months after all the human eyes in the world who could find someone lucky enough to own a TV set, glued themselves on possibly the worlds biggest media event; Man walks on the Moon, a falling star arrived in Victoria, Australia.

Strangely, On Sunday 28th September 1969 10:48 am, a meteorite shower fell on the town of Murchison,Victoria and with it fell many clues to the overall scheme of things. Scientists now believe that the elements found in the particles far exceed interest in the moon dust brought back to earth from the NASA space frontier astronaughts.

Witnesses of the Meteor were as far away as Canberra, 360km to the north and Mildura, 410km to the west. Many claim a sonic boom was heard and the meteor broke into 3 pieces. A tremor was felt shortly after.

Meteor fragments were found over an area of 11km long and 3.2 km wide. One 680g fragment pierced through a farmers hayshed roof.

Luckily for the farmer he was doing something else that morning.
We would love to hear from the family or the farmer who caught a falling star and put it in his pocket as his catch could possibly explain everything.

The Devil's Waterhole
Story & Photo by Dane Millerd

It was the last day in January and we were amidst a stinging summer. We, as in my guide Dwayne Pullem and I. We set forth on our adventure to the mystical Warrumbungles, a land rich in history and yet shrouded in secrecy. There are legends omni-present and tales that were never told - of that Dwayne was sure and we approached with trepidation and fear.

Yet this was no ordinary voyage, for we were marching into the vestiges of the unknown. This is a sacred land and thousands of years ago was once part of a giant volcano. From those ashes rose Coonabarabran which to this day still has black soil and is littered with remnants of volcanic glass. Still, that was not why we had driven out into the oppressive heat either.

No Siree, this was about a trip to Tricky's farm and a gander at Devil's Waterhole - an exotic and complex system of ironstone caves and chilly aquatic freshwater inlets culminating into a gaping mouth at the cliff face. It is a place Dwayne and his friends tell me where women shouldn't swim and where many have gone missing.

"The Devil's Waterhole received its name when Coonabarabran's first priest went swimming there with some friends in the 1860's. The water was so cold and cumbersome that to stay afloat for only ten minutes was a task for the moderate swimmer. The holy man watched half of his party vanish that day, never to be seen again," explained Dwayne.

"He named it out of fright!" he continued.

Other legends have also made the public domain such as the vacuous underwater blowholes that gobble unsuspecting divers and then there is the prominence of the human-faced rock known as Mao (see below). It gives further weight to the historical debate that many Chinese graced this country - long before those from the West who claimed to have discovered it. This was the country of the notorious bushranger known as Sam Poo!

Poo it is recorded, shot Sgt. Ward, a local cop back in 1865 not long after killing another cop and a bank clerk while stealing gold from the Coonabarabran Bank. Poo it is claimed objected to how the officer treated a young boy and yet others say it was Poo who in fact injured the child. Either way Poo killed Sgt. Ward and headed to Scabby Rock. Some believe Sam Poo's gold is still buried in an old asbestos mine there - long covered by the naturalised flora and protected by some of Australia's more dangerous and ominous creatures.

The Devil's Waterhole is without doubt a rare place with a revered reputation and a fascinating aura. Swim there if you dare!

Ghost Towns of Australia: Linda, TAS

Story and Pic By Paul Denham

The Tasmanian town of Beaconsfield is renown for it's mining disaster, but few realise the lesser known town of Linda had it's own underground mining disaster in 1912, when 42 miners were killed by a fire deep within the mountain.

Considered as the tropics by those who live in Antarctica, The once thriving mining camp in SW Tasmania is now a Ghost Town.

On a hot day in June temperatures could reach a scalding 12 degrees C. So I guess the beer was always cold. The Royal Hotel in Linda was only 2 years old when the disaster happened, and the establishment prospered until it served it's last drinks in 1952. It was the last pub in town.

There are stories of ghostly miners returning to the Royal with a hard earned thirst. Some claim singing may be heard at night time but no-one has ever been able to find out where it comes from.

Do you have a story from Linda ? Have you seen or heard the miners singing ?

Drop us a line at Local Legends and tell us your story.

The Rising of The Stone Men

Local Legends photographer Paul Denham and legendary bushman Yabby Mick ventured out on another investigative assignment recently to Australia's High Country in search of a secret place known only in legend by the old gold seekers.
What did they find ?

After a weekend of heavy snow out of season in November, Mick and I trudged down from our base camp above the snow line in search of the legendary place of "Four Mile".

The boulders jutting from the ground like monoliths, stone heads and fingers trying to crawl out.

We were not really sure where the legend of this secret place came from, but we knew it would be a task to find it, all we had to go on was the name, Four Mile, we weren't even sure who told us about it, we just had that name ringing in our heads..
It was late on a Wednesday, and the storms and lightning were building, our thoughts turned to pictures of us waking up in our swags next morning and digging out of the snow.. the wind was picking up and the temperature was dropping faster than the setting sun. The chards of sleet melted against Micks hat as we pressed on.
Mick froze the night before, he only packed a flannelet shirt and one jumper. "You knew we were coming here, it's above 1500 metres" I said, "Yeah, but it's November ! " he replied. "I was more worried about the ice melting in the esky" he said.
If the weather turned too nasty, I'd thought we could set our swags on the floor inside one of the Snowy Mountains emergency refuge huts, like Sawyers Hut, it was then I realised, looking at the map, there was Four Mile ! "Mate, I think I've found it". "Found what ?" Mick barked in a semi frozen voice. "Four Mile" I said, I was grinning now..

It took just a little imagination, a cross between Easter Island and Stone Henge. Optimus Prime and the Transformers. The boulders jutting from the ground like monoliths, stone heads and fingers trying to crawl out.

It seemed like these Giant Stone Men were rising slowly from their ancient graves as the earth was eroding away. But what was the secret of Four Mile ? Why is this place shrouded in mystery ? What are these Stone Men telling us, as they flee their earthly captive ?

The Most Isolated Places On Earth...
By Dane Millerd

Australia has been isolated from the other continents for over 45
million years. As a result of this, over time, it has developed its
own unique and distinctive breeds of flora and fauna.
From the early years of the Megalania, Moa and Procoptodon goliah
(the largest ever kangaroo that grew up to three metres tall and over
300kgs in weight, with forward-looking eyes) to Palorchestes azael, a
bull like beast with long claws and a large trunk and considered by
many modern researchers to be the inspiration for the Aboriginal
bunyip; Australia has an evolutionary history unlike any other place.
Couple this with rugged landscapes, barren and arid deserts, alpine
forests and our aquatic perimeter and you soon get the feeling that
the land we call home was and in some cases still is, the most
isolated place on Earth.
At one time in our development we had Mihirung Birds - flightless
birds that included Genyornis newtoni and Dromornis stirtoni,
otherwise known as a giant emu or more commonly a Moa. There were
giant killing possums, rhino-sized wombats and most dreaded of all,
Thylacoleo carnifex, the so-called 'Marsupial Lion', that was a
leopard-like animal, carnivorous and a tree-dweller. Some believe it
to be the origin of the Thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger).
Aboriginal cave paintings, stone arrangements and other artefacts
also detail as much. For it is in these annals of time that we have
come to learn about other strange and exotic beasts that roamed the
vast Australian hinterland. Wonambi was a python up to seven metres
long and Quinkana was a land crocodile known to be up to four metres
in length and faster than a horse over a short distance!

The remains of a Zaglossus hacketti, a sheep sized echidna were discovered in Mammoth Cave in Western Australia and it is considered the largest monotreme ever and on and on it goes.

Many archaeologists initially believed the demise of these
super-sized creatures was because of climate and swings in patterns of
conditions but by the 1960's a new theory emerged. The theory of the
day was that human settlement and particularly migration of human
beings from Asia to Australia was largely to blame. Scientists
continue to debate this point and there is still a popular belief that
drought was the pre-determining factor for the extinction of these
creatures.
Whatever the case, more research is still needed to get a clearer
picture of the diversity of megafauna and their disappearance during
the Pleistocene Epoch in Australia and we'll be sure to cover it on
Local Legends!

When The POMS Nuked Oz at Totem 1

Story by
Dane Millerd
Photo by
Paul Denham

Five...
four...
three...
two...
one...
zero..

plus one, turn and look!

In the post WW II era many nations began to advance their atomic testing capabilities. For the British Armed Services, a large portion of these were carried out in the Australian outback. Emu Field in South Australia was one of the earliest atomic tests on our soil, in 1953.
Many soldiers had been sent from the Old Dart not so much to monitor the experiment but more so, to be part of it! Many wondered why there was so little to do at the time.
The mushroom cloud from the atomic test hovered in the Great Victorian Desert sky for over 24 hours after the initial blast and fallout was seen over much of the Australian mainland. The cloud drifted offshore upto Townsville in far North-Queensland!
Even today, a trek around the old Totem I site can yield many artifacts of the British Defence Dept, from army kits and copper, to canned food and mechanical skeletons of yesteryear’s technology. Totem I is abuzz with history.

*Picture of Ground Zero at Totem I

The Treasure Of Scotland Island

Story & Pic By Charles Silvestro

With a hidden history and a little known background, this tiny island near South Pittwater in Sydney was once of great importance to the fledgling colony of NSW.

A pot full of holy dollars is said to have been buried there by men who had stolen them from the mainland.

A small shipbuilding industry and salt works are its main claim to fame, but few of us know the first owner of the island, a convict, Andrew Thomson, from the Windsor area, was instrumental in it's ascension to notoriety.
Thompson named the island after his native land, Scotland, built himself a home, and began a prosperous farming business, which included the building of ships. All this from a convict transported to NSW when he was just 15 years old for setting fire to a haystack!
However the real story of Scotland Island is not the Andrew Thompson story, it's the story of a woman known as the Queen of Scotland Island.
After Thompson’s death in 1810, the island was uninhabited for many years until a strange man by the name of Arnbrof Diersknecht came along. Together with his wife, the couple from Belgium rebuilt the old cottage and established a home on the island.
To the people of the district they were better known as Mr & Mrs Benns, with Mrs Benns striding around wearing majestic jewellery and earrings that earned her the title 'The Queen of Scotland Island'.
Just before her death, the story is told that Mrs Benns buried her collection of valuable jewellery on the island, where it has never been found and this isn't the only story of buried treasure on Scotland Island.

A pot full of holey dollars is said to have been buried there by men who had stolen them from the mainland. Holey dollars were a product of Governor Macquarie, who reacted to a scarcity of coins in the colony by having all five shilling Spanish coins punched. The small punched out piece called 'The Dump' was then made a coin worth fifteen pence, while the remaining portion was known as the 'holey dollar'. Well, have to go now, I'm going to pick up my boat …

Sarah's Grave - Near Penrith NSW

Story by Dane Millerd
Photo by Paul Denham

When Sarah Marshall arrived on the Convict Ship the Friendship from the United Kingdom more than 190 years ago she couldn't have foreseen the gruesome fate that awaited her.

The legend goes that Sarah continues to harass young men if they come near her graveside

Transported for stealing some apparel, Sarah served her sentence obediently and it was not long before she had earned her freedom. Around this time she met and befriended John Simpson, an independent, well-to-do man. Together they would have eight children out of wedlock. However, this was frowned upon at the time.

On her way home one night, Sarah was set upon by a group of men who had been following her in the shadows. Sarah was brutally murdered in a fit of lust, Her remains were left near her home in Castlereagh NSW, and the cowardly men raced off into the darkness.

It was a sad and sorry way to die. When her battered and scarred body was found, John Simpson was utterly devastated. He was now alone to search for answers to this horrendous crime, and to care for their eight precious children.

Sarah Marshall was buried as Sarah Simpson, and it is said that John married her at her graveside to allow her to pass without sin into the next life.
Sarah's story doesn't end there, her epitaph on the headstone reads as follows :

And am I born to die,

To lay this body down.

And must my trembling
spirit fly,

Into a world unknown.

A land of deepest shade,

Unpeired by human
thought.

The dreary regions of the dead,

Where all things are
forgot.

The legend goes that Sarah continues to harass young men if they come near her graveside. While at the same time many young women claim to see her ghost appear
in the tree's above. This story is a local legend which has been reported for as long as the locals can remember right up to modern times.

Do you have a story from Sarah's grave ?

Lake St Clair - Monster from Down-Under

Lake St Clair in chilly Central Tasmania is considered to be the deepest lake in Australia.
There are many cold climate inland lakes around the world, with the most notorious being Loch Ness in Scotland.
But there are some mysterious similarities between our own Lake St Clair and Loch Ness. None the least of which are the constant reported sightings of a gigantic long necked creature in the lake.

Before you pass that off as yarns from fisherman who've had a little too much port or whiskey... there may be evidence to support such claims that science cannot explain just yet.

In our episode Monster From Down Under, Local Legends reporters visit some of the Lake St Clair eyewitnesses, what will they find ?

Coming Soon.. Only on Local Legends.

Missing Madagascar

Story by Uncle Leo

In 1853, the British Frigate Madagascar disappeared shortly after leaving the port of Melbourne. Controversy surrounding the ships demise was compounded by the fact the vessel had stores of wool, grain and two tons of gold on board.
The value of this gold in those days was around 250,000 pounds, making the Madagascar a target for would be thieves.
One of the passengers on board, as she was about to sail was the notorious bushranger, John Francis, who was suspected of holding up the Private Escort coach from the Victorian Gold Fields a month earlier.
The next day, Francis’s accomplices were also arrested on board the ship, the delay causing the Madagascar to sail two days later than intended.
On 12th August, 1853, the Madagascar set sail and was never seen again.
Many historians believe poor weather to be the best explanation for the disappearance of the old ship, others say it was “spontaneous combustion” of the wool stores, and still others claim it was an iceberg.
Whatever the reason, the Madagascar remains missing with a possible fortune in gold still on board.

Thornton's Scent Bottle

Story & Pic by Charles Silvestro

Visitors to Sydney will have no doubt driven or walked right past one of the City’s most innovative objects without even realising it.
Right there on Elizabeth Street, at the junction of Bathurst Street lays a tall structure known as "The Hyde Park Obelisk."

It was the very first sewer vent in the Sydney sewerage system and the only one made of sandstone.

To the passer by this tall spire is of little interest and indeed to the avid traveller who may have seen a similar structure in Paris, London or New York it would seem no different.
However this sandstone monument hides a secret that literally reeks with Australian pride.
Erected in 1857 by then Sydney Mayor George Thornton, and modelled on the famous Cleopatra's Needle of ancient Egypt, with a beautiful sandstone base and fine-filigreed bronze pyramid at the top, it was known in earlier times as Thornton’s Scent Bottle.
For you see, it was built over the top of Sydney’s main sewer line, to be used as a vent to eliminate noxious gases.
Paris, London and New York all have Obelisks that were presented to each city by Egypt, but Australia has the only one that is on top of a sewer, surely a testament to the ingenuity of a fast growing colony in the antipodes.
It was the very first sewer vent in the Sydney sewerage system and the only one made of sandstone.
The system, then known as Bennelong Sewerage Works, was a combined waste water and stormwater system, which drained to an outlet at Bennelong Point where the Sydney Opera House now stands.
In the late 1880's the Bondi Ocean Outfall was built, and all dry weather flow was diverted to the Bondi Treatment Plant, but wet weather flow was still into the harbour via Bennelong Point.
The Hyde Park Obelisk was integral in stopping gas build up in the underground sewer and in fact one account from around 1894 suggested the following:
"The Obelisk causes a splendid draft in Pitt-street sewer - the foreman reports it is difficult to keep a candle alight when working in same. The work done by the small staff is considerable (the staff consisting of a plumber and a youth."

The Tank Stream
Story & Pics by Charles Silvestro

A hidden water stream under the roadway of modern Sydney is testament to the proximity of the city.
The little known Tank Stream that flowed from a marshy swamp to the harbour in colonial days was the reason why Captain Arthur Phillip decided to build Sydney where it now stands.

For many years the little stream provided fresh drinking water to the people of Sydney, and anyone caught polluting it was flogged, however, a severe drought in the mid 1800's reduced the stream to nothing but a trickle, so Phillip ordered three tanks to be excavated from the sandstone to hold water, thereby naming the stream forever as 'The Tank Stream".

A map of the Tank Stream, on the wall, shows the catchment area and it's original course.

Phillip was sent back to England and it was then that his fierce protection of the stream was gradually dropped, and the stream became polluted, eventually turning into an open sewer.
As a result the stream was covered over at some places, and in the pursuing years it was fully enclosed.
In modern Sydney, nothing remains of the stream at street level, but it still is in use as a stormwater drain under the city.
In 1999, Sydney commissioned the artist Lynne Roberts-Goodwin to install six separate works in the pavement to mark the location of the Stream. Originally designed to glow at night, only one is currently working, however all are plainly visible if you care to look for them.
They start at Pitt Street at the intersection of Alfred Street, and are represented as two long strips in the footpath crossing over each other at a slight angle.
Each artwork has an inscription that reads as follows :
"Into the head of the cove, on which our establishment is fixed, runs a small stream of fresh water, which serves to divide the adjacent country to a little distance, in the direction of north and south." (Captain Watkin Tench, 1788)
At night the glass modules are supposed to be illuminated with blue light, imitating the flow of water. This, however, does not work anymore. Only one of the artworks is illuminated now.
The next one is in Bridge Street, so named because of the wooden footbridge that was constructed by the people of Sydney (not convicts) to cross over the stream.
Just off Bridge Street is a laneway, called Tank Stream Way, which is the location for the Tank Stream Bar, one of modern Sydney’s additions the Tank Stream legacy.
Back onto Pitt Street going south, across Bond Street, there is another small street named Curtin Place, here you will find a map of the Tank Stream, on the wall, which shows the catchment area and it's original course. It's thought he original tanks were carved right here at Bond Street.
On the street, outside the GPO in Martin Place, you can see the another artwork, and if you go inside the GPO down the staircase to the bottom floor, you will see the permanent exhibition of the Tank Stream. There is even an excavated part of the original pipe there, and an exposed part that is still being used today !
Tankstream Marker.jpg

The final artwork of the Stream is in Pitt Street Mall, with another plaque nearby explaining more about this vital piece of Sydney history.

A Trip Down The Tunnel
Story & Pics by Charles Silvestro

During Sydney Open 08 I had the unique opportunity to tour the Tank Stream. It didn't take long to decide this one, neither rain, nor sleet nor snow was going to stop me, well, actually rain would have, as the stream is now an active stormwater drain, that expells into Circular Quay just like it did at the start of the colony in 1788 and perhaps for many years before that.

The entry to the Stream is via an inauspicious doorway leading down a flight of stairs, we could have of course taken the tradesman's entrance, which is a steel grate in the middle of the road, but thankfully Sydney Water, (who are custodians of the Stream), have installed a "gentlemen's entrance".

The stream was named Tank Stream after three tank wells were constructed in the sandstone in 1790

Nevertheless, we were still required to don a safety harness, boots and hard hat as there are many hazards to encounter underground.

After shaking out the cockroaches from the boots provided by Sydney Water, (the guide insisted they are the inhabitants of the tunnel and shouldn't be disturbed too much) it was off down the 3 metre drop into the abyss.
The stream was flowing surprisingly fast, so fast in fact that the drop down shook off my glasses, and it was all I could do to stop them from being swept out to the Quay.
Ego intact, (thankfully no-one saw that incident) we proceeded into the murky depths of the tunnel, following this famous water course on it's journey through the ages.
Along the way we noted various markings on the walls, a triangle, a letter M, or a letter A, all indicated where the individual stone masons who carved out the tunnel left their daily mark. This was how they were paid, for at the end of each days work, they would mark where they were at so the foreman could establish how much they progressed.
Other features loomed as we sloshed through the water course, holes in the side wall where the pick axes were stuck in so they could be used as levers for pulling along equipment, as well as numerous other markings as yet unidentified, yet speculated on by everyone.

The tunnel narrows at one point to an oval shape, and our guide explained that this shape is ideal for stream flow variations due to weather. This means that when there is very little rain, the stream is little more than a trickle, and the smaller part of the oval at the bottom accommodates the flow more easily, but in heavy rain, the stream can turn to a torrent, and then the higher water level through the upper part of the oval tunnel allows more volume of water through at a given time.
As we inched our way through half crouching and balancing between the slippery walls, I couldn't help but wonder of the people walking above us, blissfully unaware of the historic water course that flowed beneath their feet. It made me think of other hidden treasures under the city, a labyrinth of tunnels and traverses that once existed and now forgotten.
All too soon we reached the end of our journey, a short trip down the tunnel, a short trip in time, and as we headed back from where we came, the question of the location of the tanks was raised. The stream was named Tank Stream after three tanks or wells, were constructed in the sandstone in about 1790, in order to hold more water in times of drought. These tank locations have never been found, and speculation is scattered as to their exact whereabouts. Our guide seemed to think they were somewhere underneath the Australia Square building, buried in the foundations of the monolith.
Wherever they lay, it seems unlikely they will be found. The stream is now heritage listed and is very well maintained by Sydney Water, a testament to the days of the growing colony, truly a marvel of our forgotten past.

Crayfish Creek Tasmania
By Paul Denham

When I announced my impending trip to Tasmania to the Local Legends team for a four day look around central, west and north of the stunning Apple Isle, Yabby Mick asked me about the protected metre long yabbies that exist in these hidden waters. I wanted to get the shot (photo) for him.. I wanted to see these clawed monsters for myself.

So after the airline hostess showed us how to wear a life jacket and blow the whistle (about over Nowra) I was focused immediately on the map of Tassie.

I knew many of the places as this wasn't my first trip down there. However, with my trusty sharp pencil I marked a circle around Crayfish Creek. Somewhere I had never been before.

By the third day I finally reached the place in our little hire car, (scuffed underneath, I wish I had my Landcruiser down there!).

Mick, I searched the creek mate.. I searched all the creeks I could, and the only thing I found at Crayfish Creek was this weird factory.

I'm really not sure what they do there mate. But to me, the first and last thing that crossed my mind, was Rupture Farms. Like from Abe's Oddworld. It really is eerie and strange. I can't explain it. You just have to go.

So I made you a postcard from Crayfish Creek.
This you tube link may explain what may go on there! Abe's Oddworld-Rupture Farms

Cheers,
Paul.

Emily Bollard and The Picton Tunnel

Story by Andres Gironda
Photo by Paul Denham

The Picton Tunnel is located near the historic township of Picton, 70km from Sydney, in the foothills of the Southern Highlands. The tunnel was first used as a railway thoroughfare, and some time later for growing mushrooms, when the double rail track was built.
For years the tunnel has been the subject of countless reports of unexplained phenomena; eerie floating lights and sudden drops in temperature are regular occurrences.
As baffling as these phenomena may be, there is one incident that, while not explaining the supernatural, does certainly give food for thought.
One day in 1916, a middle aged lady from the local area, Emily Bollard, came to a grisly end in the tunnel. Her brother lived on the family’s farm on the other side of the hill, and rather than walk over this hill, Emily would take a shortcut through the tunnel. On this fateful day Emily clearly hadn’t checked the timetable and as she was halfway through a train struck her, and scooped her up, taking her corpse all the way to Picton Station.
It is said that there were State Transit Officers waiting to book her for fare evasion when she arrived, but these reports are mostly folklore.
Heartless government employees aside, ever since that day, those with the nerve to brave the inky depths of the Picton Tunnel have reported strange happenings – tales of a woman acting bizarrely in the tunnel, and then mysteriously disappearing when approached. The feeling that there is some kind of ‘presence’ in the tunnel is an old favourite.
One group reported that as they passed through they turned to look back at the stragglers of the pack, counting 5 lights approaching them. When they finally caught up, there were only four
members of the group to be counted. So who was the fifth? Emily Bollard? If not then who? To add to that, the four stragglers all reported that they felt like someone or something was following them, but when they turned to look there was nothing.

Does Emily Bollard walk the tunnel in death as she did in life? Tales such as these only serve to fuel speculation.

But one thing is for sure – even in the daylight the Picton Tunnel exudes a foreboding aura, and it would take a hardy soul indeed to brave its murky depths.

Marree Man

MARREE MAN

Story by Staff Reporters

The discovery on a sandy plateau outside the town of Marree about 800 kilometres from Adelaide of a giant drawing of a man holding a woomera hit the local headlines in July 1998. It was the world’s largest geoglyph (a man made drawing cut into the earth). The figure is about 4 kilometres long however speculation is that it was created by the removal of grass and shrubbery using a bulldozer or other large piece of machinery. The creators would have used Global Positioning System (GPS) technology for measurements and guidance.
As described in the news at the time, the so-called Marree Man first gained popular attention when the publican at the Marree Hotel started getting mysterious faxes about the figure and reported it to South Australia’s daily newspaper, (The Advertiser.) An article appeared in The Advertiser on 15 July.
Once reported, Marree Man drew many sightseers to the town. Members of the two Aboriginal tribes in the area were concerned about the damage cutting the figure into the land had caused and also what further damage the influx of people might do.
Anthropology experts from the South Australian Museum claimed the figure was not an accurate representation of the indigenous people of the area, but bore the features of a mixture of peoples and eras. This added to the speculation that “foreigners” to the area had created the geoglyph.
Theories abounded of who was responsible for the creation of the Marree Man, including Marree businesses which would benefit from the charade.
American military personnel stationed nearby and eccentric Adelaide Hills artist Bardius Goldberg were frequently mentioned. Goldberg died in 2002, but in September 2006 several of his friends announced that they were certain that he was responsible for the creation of the Marree Man, however, no one has assumed responsibility for the unusual artwork and, in spite of investigation, the artist(s) has never been found.

The Bouncing Stones

The Bouncing Stones

Story by Martin Zavan

Whether visiting the Eiffel Tower or the Big Banana we like to prolong the memories of our holidays by buying souvenirs.
But when visiting sites of natural beauty preserved to maintain their original tranquility there isn't always a gift shop nearby. So some self-reliant tourists opt to take matters into their own hands.

He was tormented by recurring nightmares imploring him to return the stones to their rightful place.

One couple visiting the idyllic Daintree rainforest in tropical North Queensland decided to do just that, unaware of the repercussions their actions would cause for themselves and the disturbed ancient spirits.
The Daintree is home to many natural wonders but one which stands out for its puzzling beauty and spiritual importance is the Bouncing Stones Site. Although described as a beach this definition lends itself to false impressions as it is unlike any other beach in the world.
The site gets its name from the many grape fruit sized black stones which occupy the space space normally reserved for sand. But not only is the beach's geological makeup unusual when compared with the surrounding area but the rubber like properties that give the balls their bounce is also something without precedent in the rest of the world.
Aboriginal people from the area say that the stones, which bounce like tennis balls, contain the souls of departed elders as the site was originally an area designated for "women's business". The exact details of what occurred at this place remain shrouded in secrecy and being a male I was doubly disadvantaged as, in accordance with local tradition, men should not know about what happens there.
However this did not stop one uninformed couple from calling in to the site. A move that would later cause them to rue their decision not to have researched the local traditions more thoroughly.
Like most who come to the Daintree they were captivated by the site's unique beauty and like most they wanted a souvenir to remember it by. Thinking nothing more of it they pocketed a few stones, probably thinking they would look good on the mantle piece and wouldn't break if they fell down.
The couple returned home and went to bed and that is when the trouble began, not for the woman but her husband, a man who had taken stones from the sacred Aboriginal site for women.
He was tormented by recurring nightmares imploring him to return the stones to their rightful place. The nightmares persisted until he finally sent the stones back with a letter expressing his regret and the exact location where the stones should be returned.
Immediately after returning the stones the nightmares ceased, as did the ritual of changing sweat soaked bed sheets every morning.
You are entitled to read these claims as the assertions of a madman or desperate attention seeker so go ahead and visit the site yourself and take home your own bouncy memento. But be prepared for night terrors said to be more vivid and disturbing than any nicotine patch you can buy on the open market !

ARKSTONE BOUNCERS

Story by Paul Denham.

Other Bouncing Stones have been discovered out the back of Arkstone NSW. We are not sure about the curse. Although different rock curses spring up around Australia. (See our TV episode on THE SORRY ROCKS)

CLICKING STONES
Other reports nearby in the remote Abercrombie River area are of the clicking stones.
The rocks click here and there for no apparent reason. Ray McMahon from Oberon NSW claims the sound is made by a large colony of black snakes which flip the rocks over to chomp the many frogs near the creek. The flipping of the rocks could well be the sound of the clicking stones.

The Boab Prison Tree

Story and Photo by Paul Denham

Before Derby was established in 1883, Aboriginals native to the West Kimberley region were often kidnapped. As stated in a plaque at the site, the kidnappers, known as Blackbirders, were settlers that wanted divers and workers for their pearling boats. So they rounded up the Aborigines, put them in chains and marched them to the coast. Some held their captives in the Boab Prison Tree while they waited for a boat. Early pastoralists helped the Blackbirders because they thought that removing the young men would guarantee peaceful behaviour from the older one’s left behind. The Aboriginal people resisted. After a white settler named Anthony Cornish was killed in December 1882, more police came from Roeburne. As beautiful as the Boab Tree is, it has many haunting memories for some people.

Sturt's Australia

Story by Dane Millerd
Photo by Paul Denham

For all the accomplishments of modern man, the desert has always retained a mystery many do not dare discover. Others have failed trying. It is also home to some of our most revered legends.

Ships of the Desert

Many people say that the camel is the ship of the desert. Yet a brief look at colonial history in Australia reveals they are not the only ones!

Captain Charles Sturt set off in August 1844, with an excited yet cumbersome collection of sixteen men, hundreds of stock, carts and bullock wagons, including one hauling a 27-foot whaleboat. Sturt’s mission was to discover the location of a mysterious “inland sea.”

Sturt would later go on to say in regards to his historic voyage - “Justice and humanity have been my guides, but while I have the consolation to know that no European will follow my tracks into the desert without experiencing kindness from its tenants, I have to regret that progress of civilized man into an uncivilized region is almost invariably attended with misfortune to its original inhabitants.”

Still, Sturt and his colleague Eyre were both recognised for their compassion and sensitivities in dealing with the indigenous peoples of this dry, arid land. These relationships inevitably opened up much of South Australia and New South Wales to new settlement. Despite this, Sturt always felt a sense of failure at his inability to find the inland sea and six months after arriving at Preservation Creek he sent a small group back to convey his findings.

The trip home was lead by a Sturt confidant James Poole, whose grave still bares the marks Sturt left as a tribute.

For Sturt and the remaining men, an odyssey into the great unknown beckoned and they proceeded with fear and trepidation. With animals falling and the men suffering the effects of scurvy, Sturt reluctantly makes the decision to turn around having been in the field for fifteen months. However he is plagued by a sense of failure. Why should Providence who has saved him time and again allow him to fail in his ultimate goal? This is the reality though and the whaleboat is finally abandoned! It was to be Sturt’s last voyage into the Australian outback.

Captain Charles Sturt’s influence on European-Australian history is immense. Sturt was not only largely responsible for providing a gateway to inland parts of Australia including being the first European to scale the Murray River, but there are remnants of his work still visible today. Charles Sturt University, the Sturt Stony Desert and Sturt’s Desert Pea (pictured).

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Talia Caves and the phantom in the swell
Info courtesy of Trove and Tim the Yowie Man

For those of you who have never travelled to the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, Talia Caves is the scene of an horrific event that befell a young nurse in the 1960s. The nurse, who got pregnant to a married man in town, was thrown from the cliff near the ocean and drowned in a rising swell.

Some time later a photo was taken there at Talia Caves and it is not your standard picture. What could this mean?

Michael Leyson, who now has the rights to the photo, said that a story had circulated at the time that it was the ghost of the young nurse.

"She seems to be standing there in the swell, totally unperturbed," he said.

Another theory is that an apparition may take an air form after a victim has died a sudden and violent death and occasionally appear in photographs.

Either way, the ghost of Talia Caves and its legend remain very much alive!

Stuart Town's Missing Gold
Stuart Town (near Orange) is a tiny hamlet that is more of a thoroughfare than a destination. Yet it houses one of the great modern day mysteries, a mystery that has never looked like being solved.
As the legend goes, apparently there was a bloke who found a huge quantity of gold there. Unable to contain his excitement he blabbed and blabbed to anyone who would listen. Turns out someone was listening.
The treasure finer obviously told the wrong person because his body was found in a field by a farmer and the dead man had heaps of gold on him but the giant nugget was taken. There was a bag there - leather - that was moulded to the point of breaking right beside him and his killer/s were never caught.
The moral to the story? Even if you tell one person it is no longer a secret.

The Licking Hole
Story by Paul Denham.

After spotting this location on the map and then hearing the obvious and predicted dirty remarks over the CB radio by our crew as to the meaning of this place, I really wanted to know. I couldn't help it. The name of this remote location prompted me to ask the question, why?

I researched the area and found from the Australian Government it was a place of rare volcanic's and was seen to be of no real value to the geotechnical scientists. As usual the real value remains in mining treasure and thank goodness for that as I guess and hope the place won't be dug up.

The answer came to me from some talented mates of mine who live and breathe the bush in the surrounds of Oberon NSW.

It is claimed that the story of the Licking Hole comes from the mystery of animals.
Now really inquisitive I pushed for more information.

The general opinion of the bushies collectively is about many different types of animals both native and exotic who mysteriously wander down to the licking hole for a lick.
It seems as they have an amnesty at this place as predator animals and their equivalent in game can lick from the licking hole next to each other without fear or attack.

It seems as these animals are sick and have a natural sense of healing and this can be brought to them by licking the rare minerals at the licking hole. The bushies went on to comment that the only way to see this phenomenon is on horse back and in silence as the sick animals would spook at mankind in the area on foot.

The Hawkesbury Hand

Sightings through generations have been reported about a mysterious hand that appears in the Hawkesbury river between Wisemans Ferry and Gunderman in NSW. It is claimed by some to be the ghostly hand of a man who drowned whilst attempting a rescue in flood. Witnesses are usually fisherman and claim the hand reaches out of the murky depths at night and occasionally during daylight.

Photo reconstruction by Paul Denham.

The Disappearing Kids

One afternoon in 2004 John and his mother were on their usual walk in Greenfield Park NSW. Upon the walk approaching the swings that are hidden in the surrounds of trees, John noticed a bunch of kids all wearing white and all were blonde. The kids who were playing on the swings were really loud. At a second glance, mysteriously the kids disappeared with a blink of the eye. John, thinking his eyes were playing tricks on him was silent and a moment later John’s mother asked him if he saw those kids. John replied, “Yes I definitely saw the kids”. On close approach to the swings John and his mother claimed the temperature suddenly dropped. It was the last time John and his mother walked through Greenfield Park.

Story submitted by John S of Bossley Park NSW.