vehicular migrations

the sky is grinning,
beaming rays of warmth.
the red earth reciprocates,
sending a smile back.

green life can linger,
sustain itself with secrets,
underground tunnels,
give shade a chance.

hot, arid, dry. desolate, deserted desert. rain, rain, please come and wet me before i dry into redness.

the center of oz has natural beauty so distinct and rare it is hard to take it all in. the past few days in the outback have been full of wonderful treats. torrential downpours, a rainbow, camels, thorny devils, a fire extinguisher in the bush, icy cold watering holes, roos, emus, a sunset from heaven. the list will continue. my time wandering around the red rocks that draw tourists from all over the world was stellar. the contours of uluru and king's canyon were breathtaking upclose, and learning about the aboriginals that survive in the bush was even more startling. the roads around uluru and king's canyon were full of impressive scenery, a grand treat after driving in nothingness in south australia. photographs below will surpass my descriptions.

ULURU ROCK ART

KATA TJUTA

THORNY DEVIL

SWIMMING HOLE

KING'S CANYON

MACDONEL RANGES

prior to entering the northern territory, i accompanied my dutch friend through the flinder's ranges in south australia and made a brief stop in coober pedy, the opal mining capital of the world. the flinder's were brimming with wildlife, including kangaroos and emus that ran across the road with reckless abandon. we set up camp and enjoyed a marvelous sunset before hitting the dirt track in the morning. coober pedy is famous for its underground homes, and we decided to set up camp 5m under the earth. one hotel had camp spots in the cool caverns that were once mined for opal. it was the best night of sleep i've had on our five-day journey.

ROOS

CAMELS

FLINDERS

OUTBACK

UNDERGROUND CAMPING

UNDERGROUND CHURCH

OPAL MINING SITES

PLANE WARNING IN THE OUTBACK

BUS

the trip materialized at the fruit shack, where i departed with a german girl at the beginning of december. we took a train from the fascinating town of wagga wagga and found ourselves in melbourne in search of a hotel and a car. the first night in town we were without accommodation, and it seemd that most hostels were full. a flip of a coin determined that we would sleep in fitzroy gardens, which turned out to be a very pleasant experience. it certainly will come to mind next time i see a homeless person sleeping on a park bench. my back forgave me after a few days, and the rest of our time in melbourne was spent at a gracious couchsurfer's home. we cruised the city for a few days and found a suitable car to tour the great ocean road.

the touristic road, which winds along victoria's coast is dotted with parks and sublime beaches. a sore throat caught me at an inopportune time and my time at the beaches could not be fully appreciated. nonetheless, the famous twelve apostles, stone statues in the sea, were worth the wait. we even spotted some tree-dwelling marsupials in a forest. the melbourne-adelaide leg of the trip finished with a day meandering around the adelaide hills, which are lined with grapes and cherries. we spent a night in a cricket ground before heading into adelaide, where i switched travel companions and shot up north.

MELBOURNE

KITESURFERS

APOSTLES

GREAT OCEAN ROAD

ADELAIDE CRAB FISHING

KOALAS