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Australia Day Collage

Australia is a bloody big country

January 26, 2016 By Jan Robinson 20 Comments

This post may contain compensated links. We may earn a small percentage if you book through a compensated link, but it won’t cost you any more by doing so. You can read our full disclaimer here.


Marty and I have travelled around Australia.  Not in one long drive, but a bit here and a bit there, mostly in Queensland because that is where we live.

We’ve lived in Perth the Capital of Western Australia, but those were pre-blogging and pre-digital days so the photographic proof is sketchy to non-existent. Landing there after nine months overseas we were skint and desperate to find work.  Two years later we had accumulated loads of Sandgroper travel memories in our E20 Campervan, which eventually took us on a giant road trip back to Queensland.

On the way home over the top easy going Broome entranced us as did a humid post Tracy Darwin. We felt privileged to see the indigenous rock art at Geike gorge in Western Australia and Katherine Gorge in the Northern Territory.

I’ve lived in Melbourne too, as a teenager and we’ve revisited my old stomping ground of St. Kilda Road and Beach and Prahan markets a couple of times in recent years.

We towed my Dad’s van from Townsville to the Barossa Valley back when our first born was 8 months old. I’d spent a fair bit of time visiting the Clare and Barossa Valleys whilst living in Melbourne and it was exciting to get back there and visit a few wineries and catch up with old friends.

Australia Day 2016 has dawned overcast and rainy in our town which boasts over 300 days of sunshine each year. This is going to be an extra special day and I’m sharing some of my Aussie Instagram favourites to celebrate.

 

On #australiaday there is nothing like a Vegemite in your ice-cream. #budgettravel #australia #vegemite #yummy #icecream #australian #australiana #australia_oz #ig_australia #iloveaustralia

A photo posted by Jan Robinson (@budget_jan) on Jan 25, 2016 at 1:29am PST

Seagulls under lights night swimming at the Strand #townsvilleshines. Full moon tonight too.

A photo posted by Jan Robinson (@budget_jan) on Jan 24, 2016 at 3:13am PST

Spent the morning at the Strand beach in Townsville this morning. #budgettraveltalk #abouttownsville #townsvilleshines

A photo posted by Jan Robinson (@budget_jan) on Jan 21, 2016 at 7:39pm PST

Nature Photo Challenge Day 6 Collecting Seashells in North Queensland. I was challenged by Jo at @lifestylefifty to post 7 pics over 12 days. Normally it is 7 pics in 7 days. I got more time because of Christmas. I challenge Alison from @feetonforeignlands if she’s up for the challenge.

A photo posted by Jan Robinson (@budget_jan) on Dec 31, 2015 at 10:48pm PST

Late afternoon on the Port Inlet taken onboard the Lady Douglas. This 1.5 hour trip has some great photo opps.#exploreTNQ #thisisqueensland @Queensland

A photo posted by Jan Robinson (@budget_jan) on Nov 8, 2015 at 3:15pm PST

LabelTraders market #TownsvilleShines under the trees collectibles @queensland at Mundingburra State School 3rd Subday of the month.

A photo posted by Jan Robinson (@budget_jan) on Oct 17, 2015 at 7:01pm PDT

#TownsvilleAus is known for the rock face of Castle hill and it’s goat track – Townsville’s favourite exercise ground for walkers and joggers. While the rock face overlooks the ocean and Magnetic Island, this photo is taken from the road overlooking the suburbs and looking toward Mount Stuart in the background. Castle Hill provides wonderful views to the Palm Island group and Cape Cleveland. Everyone (or maybe just our family) loves finding their house and other landmarks from this vantage point. Visitors should make the pilgrimage to the top – twice. Once on the track and once by road at night to take in the city lights. Maybe you’ll spot a whale too! #feetonmyhometown #TownsvilleShines #AboutTownsville #CastleHill @queensland

A photo posted by Jan Robinson (@budget_jan) on Oct 15, 2015 at 7:06pm PDT

Yoga with the elephants in Townsville for #recreation #feetonmyhometown #AboutTownsville #hometownlove @queensland

A photo posted by Jan Robinson (@budget_jan) on Oct 12, 2015 at 8:21pm PDT

Fishing is big in Townsville. This Barra was released back into the Peter Faust dam. #feetonmyhometown @queensland #recreation @adriftnq

A photo posted by Jan Robinson (@budget_jan) on Oct 12, 2015 at 6:39pm PDT

#feetonmyhometown #streetart #Australia #TownsvilleShines #eventsqueensland Art by Belgian artist ROA in Denham Lane carpark Townsville. We saw more of his art in Rome. Find a new post on Coffee and Street art in Townsville on the blog today.

A photo posted by Jan Robinson (@budget_jan) on Oct 11, 2015 at 6:00pm PDT

#feetonmyhometown Townsville Theme Religion

A photo posted by Jan Robinson (@budget_jan) on Oct 9, 2015 at 9:05pm PDT

Sugar Cane Farm Ingham North Queensland. 112km North of Townsville. #TownsvilleShines #AboutTownsville #Australia @queensland

A photo posted by Jan Robinson (@budget_jan) on Oct 9, 2015 at 4:50am PDT

Leafy Strand colour in Townsville.

A photo posted by Jan Robinson (@budget_jan) on Sep 7, 2015 at 7:39pm PDT

#townsvilleshines #corellas on fences #thisisqueensland Another sight on the #Riverway loop. #runningtocatchup #fun and #fitness.

A photo posted by Jan Robinson (@budget_jan) on Sep 3, 2015 at 8:49pm PDT

Gold Coast walking track otherwise known as Miami Beach 🐾🌴🌊 We walked for two hours on the beach yesterday and it was perfect walking weather. Luckily we came across Nobby’s Beach SLSC when we were famished and thirsty. Rinsed our feet at the shower station, threw on my dress (the one my kids gave me for Mothers Day) and signed in. I ate far too much. Gorgeous meal. I had the Barramundi which was cooked to perfection and no coating at all. Usually I can’t eat Barra because I have had ciguatera poisoning twice. This Barra however was farmed in New Zealand which means no chance of Ciguatera. So lovely. Marty had rump steak cooked perfectly medium. Of course we had the gorgeous beach and ocean as blue as Croatia’s as a backdrop. 💗

A photo posted by Jan Robinson (@budget_jan) on Aug 19, 2015 at 9:05pm PDT

On the road to Notch Point near Illbilbie Queensland. Fall in love with Australia at Notch Point on the blog. Their were cows mooing in the night, kangaroos watching us in the afternoon and a blue mirage of ocean. Free camping is a great way to save money travelling in Australia.

A photo posted by Jan Robinson (@budget_jan) on Aug 20, 2015 at 2:36am PDT

Tea Plantation Atherton Tablelands #roadtrip #northqueensland

A photo posted by Jan Robinson (@budget_jan) on Jul 18, 2015 at 10:57pm PDT

 

SHARE YOUR INSTAGRAM LINKS IN THE COMMENTS BELOW. WOOHOO!
[pinit]

St. Lawrence in Queensland Australia is a tiny town with a great wetlands and early settler history.

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Filed Under: Australia Travel Blog, Road Trips

About Jan Robinson

Jan Robinson writes about travel on her Budget Travel Talk blog. A solo traveller in her teens, for the last 40 years Jan has travelled through Australia, Asia, Europe, Turkey and New Zealand with her husband. They specialise in road trips, caravanning and Independent travel without spending a fortune. Her favourite destination is Turkey and she is currently dreaming of Myanmar and Mexico.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jo

    January 26, 2016 at 5:44 pm

    What a wonderful bunch of memories and photos! Happy Australia day! Ps How did you share your insta photos and captions to your blog?

    Reply
    • Jan

      January 26, 2016 at 7:22 pm

      Hi Jo. We just got home from the day at Paluma. Sent you a message with the instagram info.

      Reply
  2. Toni | 2 Aussie Travellers

    January 26, 2016 at 8:40 pm

    It’s such a beautiful country and an honour to now be celebrating as an Australian, love your photo collection. That photo of you coming down the road at Notch Point with the van pretty much sums up what we want to be doing very soon.

    Reply
    • Jan

      January 26, 2016 at 9:08 pm

      Did you become an Aussie this Australia Day Toni? We want to do more trips like Notch Point too!

      Reply
  3. Anabel

    January 27, 2016 at 7:42 am

    Gorgeous photos! Happy Belated Australia Day.

    Reply
    • Jan

      January 27, 2016 at 8:30 am

      We had a blast thanks Anabel. Went road tripping in the rainforest, had a devonshire tea and listed to Triple J’s top 100 countdown 🙂

      Reply
  4. Pinky Poinker

    January 27, 2016 at 9:47 am

    I absolutely loved seeing all those photographs of my home town, Jan. I think my favourite was the seashells. Where is that church? Wulguru? I can’t place it.

    Reply
    • Jan

      January 27, 2016 at 1:42 pm

      I am very proud of that seashell photo Pinky, so you did well to chose it as your favourite. That is our daughter having collected seashells by the seashore at Balgal. The Church is at Stuart on the right just before going over the hill toward Oak Valley and Mount Isa lol.

      Reply
  5. Trish

    January 28, 2016 at 12:42 pm

    Hi Jan
    I walked that same stretch of Miami beach yesterday morning before we headed home to Dubbo.
    I love QLD, pity it’s so far away.
    I’d love to take the caravan there next time for a roadtrip.
    We did WA 4 yrs ago and it’s time to set off again.

    Reply
    • Jan

      January 28, 2016 at 3:26 pm

      WA is a place we can’t wait to return to Trish. Miami is a great beach to walk on, it seems like it goes on forever. Marty walked all the way from there to Surfer’s paradise and back again. It took him all day lol.

      Reply
  6. Michele {Malaysian Meanders}

    January 29, 2016 at 3:15 am

    Happy Australia Day! I’m trying to wrap my head around the vegemite in ice cream idea. Is there caramel in there, too? Wondering because of the Cara- in the name.

    Reply
    • Jan

      January 29, 2016 at 4:27 pm

      Yes Michele, It was caramel which is what I was after. The saltiness of the vegemite compliments the caramel flavour, but it is still weird lol.

      Reply
  7. Lisa Wood

    February 1, 2016 at 7:07 pm

    I really don’t think anyone could see all of Australia, there is way too much to see and do!
    Love your Australia Day pics from Instagram, gorgeous Photos Jan.

    Reply
  8. Rachel

    February 3, 2016 at 9:21 am

    These photos are so beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing. Australia just has so much to offer.

    Reply
    • Jan

      February 3, 2016 at 1:39 pm

      Thanks for visiting and commenting Rachel.

      Reply
  9. MyTravelingJoys

    February 8, 2016 at 2:19 pm

    Well as an American, I still can’t get behind the vegemite thing. Yuck! 😉 Lovely collection of photos though! We’ve really enjoyed roadtripping around Australia so far and can’t wait to explore some more while we live here.

    Reply
    • Jan

      February 8, 2016 at 6:51 pm

      Vegemite in icecream is a bit of a leap – even for an Aussie. Australia is a great place to roadtrip – plenty of time for reflection in between towns and landmarks 🙂

      Reply
  10. Kathy Marris

    February 9, 2016 at 11:48 am

    Lovely Aussie pics Jan.I was missing my home very much on Australia Day. I was somewhere in South East Asia and we did get to celebrate on the ship with fellow Aussies.

    Reply
    • Jan

      February 9, 2016 at 1:47 pm

      That’s great Kathy, there is nothing like finding other Aussies overseas to celebrate with.

      Reply
  11. Ralph Quito

    April 28, 2017 at 5:57 pm

    Another great read thanks to you Jan! I am always amazed at how you are able to write and make your readers feel that they are just talking to a friend. My favorite part is Nature Photo Challenge Day 6 Collecting Seashells in North Queensland. Keep writing please!

    Reply

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