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| Everyone's First Choice for a Holiday Destination, no? Mr P. and my BIL went there! |
Mr P. had a holiday recently with his brother, for the first time in, well, Forever! This is a satellite image of where they went. Can you guess where this is, Dear Reader?
The Sahara Desert, perhaps? No, cold ...
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| The Eye of Africa in the Sahara Desert Photo Credit: ESA Astronaut, Thomas Pesquet |
Gosh, it does resemble our ol' favourite Dream-Job Destination, the Moon, but, No, colder ...
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| Crater Daedalus on the Far Side of the Moon Photo Credit: NASA |
It seems even reminiscent of Mars' lovely moon, Phobos! Again, No. Cold, cold, cold ...
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| Martian Moon Phobos Photo Credit: Hubble Space Telescope |
Give up? The land formations in the photographic Clue at the top are not craters, but geographic folds, specifically a geosyncline. Formed about 500 million years ago, the whole area has: enjoyed a bit of dunking under the sea a few times; had a bit of glacial scraping during an ancient Ice Age; been given a good whack with a meteorite; then had some several kilometres shaved off the top from erosion and what not and is a mere husk of its former self. Yes, we're looking at South Australia!
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| Behold, the Stobie Pole Photo Credit: via Alchetron |
Hotter than Hades in summer and as freezing in winter as its nearest neighbour, Antarctica*, South Australia is famous for its sophisticated tourism catchphrase, "S.A. Great, Mate!" and its world renown & enviable Stobie Poles. It is also the birthplace of Mr P., whose family arrived there by ship from Italy in 1957. I had never been to South Australia or its capital city Adelaide before meeting my husband but have been there Many Times since, so was quite happy for Mr P. and his brother to go off and hang about with friends and Do Stuff while I stayed at home, ahem, polishing the silverware.
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| The natural amphitheatre known as Wilpena Pound Photo credit: Flying With Hands |
They hired a 4WD and went to the Flinders Ranges National Park, about 5 hours drive from Adelaide; their destination: The Pound! They walked the trail up Mount Ohlssen Bagge, (where according to his iPhone's pedometer he climbed 101 flights of stairs); stayed in the Aboriginal-owned resort (nota bene: Sydney prices); walked some more; drove around even more; saw emus, kangaroos, feral goats and a couple of lizards and came back in a much dustier car.
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| Hundreds of millions of years have shrunk our mountain ranges Photo Credit: Flying With Hands |
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| Nature Notes: A Lizard! Photo Credit: Flying With Hands |
You will be pleased to know that they had a great time!
* As declared by me, so all true.
This was a fascinating post. Somehow I'd never heard of the Eye of the Sahara. So that was a fun rabbithole to go down.
ReplyDeleteAnd I know very little about Australia. I only just learned that it snows there. I thought the whole place was tropical/subtropical. And now this! The area looks very rugged but beautiful.
Do I detect a hint of sarcasm, though, in the reference to Stobie Poles? or in the Many Times (perhaps "more than enough")?
Only do I fondly poke a bit of fun! It's always nice to visit friends and family in Adelaide but we've never actually chosen to have a holiday there. Mr P. does prefer the greener pastures of eastern Australia, as do I...South Australians are very proud of their Stobie Poles!
ReplyDeleteMY guess YOU were NOT polishing the silver!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI bet you READ A LOT and had some GIRLFRIEND TIME?
DO TELL!!
XX
Your posts are so unique...I love how you weave so many interesting factual tidbits (with wonderful archival photos) into the tale du jour... along with your distinct sense of humor : ) Reading your blog is like going on a mini travelogue with the best tour guide, who mixes wry humor with fact. Reminds me of a good gin and tonic, the perfect combination of juniper and bubbles!!
ReplyDeleteNow I am going to attempt to post my comment..quite a tricky business : )
Contessa, you may be surprised to hear that I did indeed spend the time in the gainful employment of polishing, but of a slightly different nature ... I have a New Interest which shall be fleshed out in all its glory in due course about these pages but I shall leave you with the tidbit headline: Singer 99!! xx
ReplyDeleteDear Anon, I'm so glad I could even provide some tonic water to refresh you with, haha!! Your words of praise have given me quite a thrill this morning and am very pleased you do enjoy my scribblings. It is enormous fun for me - when I find the time to get around to putting it together - and am perfectly content to engage in blogging solely for my own amusement, but to have a Reader or two to come along for the ride is quite the Bonus! If you comment again, don't be shy to attach a moniker, real or otherwise!
Why am I not notified of your posts? I subscribed and can't even comment when traveling. Must be some Bermuda Triangle/Equator nonsense which always pisses me off. We'd all be much better off with you in Northern Hemi where Santa doesn't wear board shorts.
ReplyDeleteBaffling, GSL! And eminently frustrating when one thoughts cannot be transferred to the page when one chooses. Are you an email subscriber or a blogger follower? I guess if it's the latter and you don't check in on blogger very often then you won't see who's been busy with posts. Posting in the Wrong timezone never helps...Board shorts. Horrible creatures.
ReplyDeleteI have no clue how I missed this post. But I have had a rather hectic schedule these past 2 weeks. This part of Australia reminds me a bit of the American south-west. I enjoy your photos of Australia as I doubt I will ever make it there. The length of the trip would drive me nuts. I get fidgety after just 4 hours on a plane and don't have the ability to knock myself out by sleeping. Anyway, when I was 16 I had read 'A Town Like Alice' and I was fascinated by Australia. I probably should have made the trip back then (but I didn't have the money, of course).
ReplyDeleteAh, the distance, Loree - forces a great many to remain Armchair Travellers rather than make the long slog out here. When Mr. P's parents came by ship, it still took weeks to get to Australia! Rather a different sort of slow to being confined in a plane for 24+ hours. Of course, the inverse is true for us; long flights are the norm if you ever want to get Somewhere Else, New Zealand being the exception.
ReplyDeleteAs to Alice Springs, I've not been there, nor have I read the book and there is still a vast swathe of the country I've not seen. Shamefully, I'd never been to Melbourne until after living in London for 3 years! You may be too young for the old TV-series The Flying Doctors, which had a successful international syndication. It inspired more than one European to become a doctor, for the sole purpose of coming to Australia to work in the outback Flying Doctor Service! I'll keep more Australian-flavoured photos coming...