The McKay Patrol is a remote-area aerial padre service run by the Uniting Church of Australia, based in Cloncurry (northwest Queensland). It is named after the Reverend Fred McKay. In 1927 Fred was appointed by Reverend John Flynn to oversee the formation and operation of the aerial medical service that later become the Royal Flying Doctor […]
Fiona Lake Blog
Uniting Church McKay Patrol (Cloncurry) and the RFDS
January 5th, 2011Travel accommodation & meals – outback & in town
October 5th, 2010I don’t mind paying a fair price for a good feed but there’s nothing worse than coughing up the hard earned readies for plastic sandwiches or those hideous frozen hamburger patties, when on the frog & toad. Nor is it good to be kept awake all night by passing semis or the partying of neighbouring […]
Have a gallop in Cobb & Co Coach at Longreach, Queensland
June 1st, 2010Cobb & Co. was the Australian equivalent of Wells Fargo, the horsedrawn stagecoach company made famous worldwide many decades later, via a myriad of American western films. Australia’s most famous coach business was created in Victoria in 1853 by Freeman Cobb and three other Americans who had migrated to Australia. Cobb & Co commenced services […]
Australian Outback Maps
April 6th, 2010Topography, Road & Station Maps of Inland Australia The cattle stations I visit are situated along good quality bitumen roads such as the Flinders Highway, Barkly Highway, Stuart Highway, Arnhem Highway, Victoria Highway, Great Northern Highway and Gulf Development Road; and bitumen roads that are narrow, with edges not always in ideal condition, such as […]
Flying in the Australian Outback
March 6th, 2010To fully appreciate the vastness of the Australian outback, it is best to see it from the ground and from the air. Most northern inland charter companies rely on aerial mustering work for the bulk of their business. However many also offer tourist flights as well. Charter Companies North Australian Helicopters North Australian Helicopters, based […]
The Atherton Tablelands & tourism authorities penchant for changing place names
February 21st, 2009I received an email newsletter from a Cairns (far north Queensland) marketing firm, talking about the ‘Cairns Highlands’. They are referring to what has always been known as the Atherton Tablelands, named after John Atherton who founded the town of Mareeba in 1877, and after whom the town of Atherton is named. The Reef & […]
‘Australia’ Film Travel
February 6th, 2009Travelling to the locations where ‘Australia’ was filmed ‘Strickland House’ – heritage listed property in Vaucluse, Eastern Sydney, NSW: Built in the 1850s, Strickland House was owned by William Charles Wentworth and originally called ‘Carrara’. The extensive grounds include a two-storey coachhouse and stables. It is registered by the National Trust and publicly owned. Strickland […]
Australian Outback Farm Stays & Station Stays
September 10th, 2008‘Farmstays’ are bed and breakfast type places that are located on farms (some may only be hobby farms). They are found all over Australia, even in very remote areas (‘station stays’). Bookings in advance are usually essential. If you are interested in a specific area but can’t find any nearby farmstay properties, it is worth […]
Travelling In The Outback
June 17th, 2007Organised Tours visiting the Outback Few outback cattle stations are open to public visitors however AgTour runs unique organised tours that visit some of the largest Australian cattle stations. They also run overseas farm tours, in particular to Canada, North and South America, Africa and New Zealand. (A visit to the website always makes my […]
Safe Outback Travel
June 11th, 2007Flying over remote Australia gives travellers a good overview, but you can’t beat driving from one side to the other at your own pace, to get a real feel for the country. With careful driving at a speed adjusted to suit to the specific road conditions, standard suburban 2wd cars will get to most places without difficulty. A 4wd […]