Pichi Richi Railway, Quorn, South Australia

Here's a mini adventure where you can stick your head out the window, get a puff of smoke in your face, a tiny cinder in your eye and know exactly what you're on.

A steam train! The Pichi Richi heritage steam railway, based at Quorn in the Flinders Ranges, South Australia.

No adults are allowed on the train - only little kids and big kids! And the big kids in my carriage were definitely acting like little kids.

All excited to be on a train, swaying side to side, and doing a hopeless job of trying to take videos and photographs.

The round trip of about two hours stops at Woolshed Flat for about 40 mins (enough time for a piping hot pasty or pie, and a cuppa) then returns to Quorn.

The train winds its way through open country, then rolling hills, past creeks, dams, gum trees and ever so many people stopping to wave at the lucky ones.

Read more about it at http://www.prr.org.au/cms/index.php

You can contact me here.

Car Wash Country Style

On the way home from "Off the Beaten Track", I stopped to photograph some sheep in a paddock not far from Melrose, in the Southern Flinders Ranges.


Above the chorus of bleating lambs I could hear the sound of running water and went to investigate.

The side road crossed the creek and there in the middle of the crossing was a man cleaning his car.

Just goes to show how resourceful country people are. Not a "loo with a view" this time, but a "car wash with a view"!

Two different photos at one stop (I won't show you the photo of the road kill, 2D not 3D rabbit).

You can contact me here.

Off the Beaten Track DVD coming soon

"Off the Beaten Track" DVD will be released shortly. It contains several hundred photos taken on the recent trip to Outback Australia for
The World By Web - http://theworldbyweb.com.

As well as the magnificent scenery of the Flinders and Gammon Ranges, there are photos of the wildlife, wildflowers, buildings, people and activities. A true Outback experience.


The photos (without captions or narration) are made into a movie presentation suitable for playing on your TV (in PAL or NTSC).

Only AUD$25.00 (free postage), so order NOW by contacting me at fran@franwest.com.

Off the Beaten Track to Outback Australia - what an adventure!

What an adventure to Outback Australia! Not everything went according to plan because of the rainy weather. The driest state in the driest continent had floods which made some of the roads impassable.


We had rain and more rain and it was very windy as well. When we stopped at Port Wakefield it was blowing a gale as you can see by the palms.





Nevertheless, I was still able to photograph some of the buildings, like the pub.






Port Wakefield is at the top of Gulf St Vincent and is the jumping off point for the north and also the Yorke Peninsula. Here's some more about Port Wakefield http://www.southaustralia.com/9002396.aspx

Call back during the next few weeks for more pics, links and diary of the trip.

The DVD of this trip, "Outback Adventure", is available now. Click here.

Off the Beaten Track to Outback Australia - 1 day to go

One more day before I head Off the Beaten Track
to Outback South Australia.

The white 4 wheel drive looks sparkling clean at the moment (clean cars travel faster than dirty cars!) but should end up a different colour once we hit the dirt roads. Hope it stops raining enough for the roads to dry out.



Day Four is Marree to Cooper Creek or a Lake Eyre flight depending on the weather.

I'll post when I can.



If you'd like to see more of these places you can join me on my trip, by remote via the web, by going to this site
http://theworldbyweb.com/global/blogs/entry/Fran-West-Off-the-beaten-track-1-week-till-launch

The DVD of this trip, "Outback Adventure", is available now. Click here.

Off the Beaten Track to Outback Australia - 2 days to go

Only 2 more days before I head Off the Beaten Track
to Outback South Australia.










Day Three is Rawnsley Park Station to Marree.

After a hot air balloon ride early in the morning (weather permitting) we'll call in to Wilpena briefly, head up to Blinman via some of the valleys and on to Parachilna.

The next stops are Leigh Creek, Lyndhurst and then Marree for 2 nights.

If you'd like to see more of these places you can join me on my trip, by remote via the web, by going to this site
http://theworldbyweb.com/global/blogs/entry/Fran-West-Off-the-beaten-track-1-week-till-launch

The DVD of this trip, "Outback Adventure", is available now. Click here.

Off the Beaten Track to Outback Australia - 3 days to go

Just a few more days before I head Off the Beaten Track to Outback South Australia.



Day Two is Quorn to Rawnsley Park Station. Not so far to travel after an exciting ride on the famous Pichi Richi Railroad at Quorn.




There'll be a bit more time to explore around Wilpena Pound and Rawnsley Park. The following day will be longer, starting with a hot air balloon ride early in the morning (weather permitting).

If you'd like to see more of these places you can join me on my trip, by remote via the web, by going to this site
http://theworldbyweb.com/global/blogs/entry/Fran-West-Off-the-beaten-track-1-week-till-launch

The DVD of this trip, "Outback Adventure", is available now. Click here.