These photos were taken between June 13th and June 16th, the first leg of the safari. (Good Ole') Alice took us from Sydney into the southern and western portions of New South Wales, the northwestern tip of Victoria, and eastern end of South Australia.
Now I don't have a picture of it, but I saw one of the funniest things a few hours into the trip, just outside the city of Yass. A plain black billboard depicting the McDonalds' Golden Arches (M) followed by the name of the city (Yass) with how many kilometers (30) to go. MYass. 30km. Anyway...
Hangin' at the Brewery+
Our first stop along the way was in Goulbourn, New South Wales, home of the oldest brewery in Australia. This gallows area was basically the first thing we saw, if you don't count the mossy moat that bordered the place. Needless to say, we didn't get drinks...
Somewhere Over the Rainbow...+
It was fairly rainy the whole drive from Sydney to Mildura and on into the Barossa Valley in South Australia, but heaps of rainbows just like this kept our spirits up along the way. This is what the land looked like in and around the city of Hay in western New South Wales.
...There's a Dog on a Tucker Box?+
First thing. Tucker means food here. This heralded statue at a gas station outside of Gundagai, New South Wales, celebrates the Australian folklore of a dog that was left to guard his master's tuckerbox (read "foodbox", or lunchbox) while he was away.
There are two variations to the legend, however. One has it that the farmer got killed, but the dog is still waiting for him. (Awwwww). The other has it that the minute the farmer took off, the dog ate the lunch and then shit in the tuckerbox. (Whoa!) I guess there's something for everyone in that legend, huh?
Orange World, Party Time+
Having never been to Disney World as a child, a misfortune I'm still struggling to come to terms with, I decided to give Orange World a try. Located in Mildura, Victoria along the mighty Murray Creek, er, River, Orange World seriously had some of the best oranges I've ever tasted, but no Magic Mountain.
Barossa Valley+
Located in the rolling hills just west of Adelaide, the Germanic Barossa Valley is home to a number of small but popular wineries. We hired mountain bikes and toured a handful of them on the day that this photo was taken. Much like our Sonoma valley, it's a beautiful and peaceful getaway.
Get Thee to a Winery+
This is the Basedow winery in the Barossa. Most of the wineries are close enough that you can bike through the valley from one to another without having to go too far to get back to your cabin when you're good and hammered.