The JaYmes Escape

A ‘little island’ as far as Australia is concerned, Tasmania covers some 90,000 square km - larger than Ireland, Scotland, The Netherlands or Belgium. There’s the real sense of identity here that comes with being an island state; the distinctive outline is proudly displayed everywhere from beer bottles to builders vans. People describe themselves as Tasmanians rather than Australians, and love their natural environment in a similar way to New Zealanders.

Tasmania describes itself as ‘The Natural State’; big beautiful mountains, lakes and waterfalls are densely populated with unique species like the strong-jawed Tasmanian Devil (although only the size of a small pig, it can sever your leg with one bite) and the Tasmanian Beetong joining the more familiar Kangaroos, Wallabies and Wombats common on the mainland. I have some amazing photographs waiting for upload.

Before I left Melbourne I managed a trip up the Great Ocean Road, home of the Twelve Apostles rock formation, and out to Melbourne’s best-known fictional suburb, Erinsborough, where I met fictional characters Dr Karl Kennedy and Toadfish. Pictures of these are also on the way.

If Adelaide was busy with festivals and concerts, Melbourne is absolutely manic with sport. Not only am I in the midst of the Commonwealth Games, but the Australian Grand Prix follows shortly afterwards. I was hoping to avoid all this; accomodation is expensive and the place is crowded beyond belief. However it isn’t so bad. There are dozens of free concerts and shows taking place daily in the city’s parks, and some of the tickets to the sporting events are cheap enough to be tempting.

Pictures from my trip to Victor Harbor in South Australia are now online in the gallery. Thanks to Mac and Rob for taking me there as well as putting up with me for a week at their place in Adelaide.

The occasional screech and clatter reminds me that the Indian Pacific is rattling on through the night. The more I sleep in strange positions the easier it gets; the next time I find myself in a proper sleeper I’ll have no trouble at all. It’s been five weeks since I travelled in the other direction; the Nullabor plain is still as large and as barren, and about 30 hours after leaving the brothels and gold mines of Kalgoorlie we trundle back into Adelaide.

Everything’s happening here at the moment, the festival, the fringe, the Adelaide Cup and WOMADelaide, the local incarnation of the world music festival WOMAD. Maybe I’ll get to see some culture.

Photographs from Western Australia have now landed in the gallery. Start with Bunbury (currently on Page 2) and work upwards. The most interesting album is probably Margaret River. There are 159 pictures in 7 albums since my last update in Perth, so don’t be afraid to use the slideshow feature.

… but it was just for a tour. Kalgoorlie has the oldest working brothel in Australia. Prostitution has been tolerated here since 1907.

For those of you waiting for pictures from the last few weeks, they’re on the way, I hope to have them up at the weekend.

Esperance is one of those rare places that’s welcoming without being intrusive and relaxing without being dull. The natural beauty of the semi-arid coastline is incredible, and the serene calm of this remote town is addictive. Time passes slowly here; you don’t want to rush, and by the time you’ve seen everything you wanted to see and done all you wanted to do, you realise you’ve been here almost a week.

Tomorrow it will be time for me to head north into gold country.