Travel Diaries of an Australian - 1988 - 2000

  10 July 1988 Written as a 16 year old. At 10am my parents and I left our Morphett Vale home.  We were to be travelling to Mount Gambier for two full days to visit my relations that have just moved there.  As we entered into the country side I began to take descriptive notes about the scenery.  These came out in short jottings about items that I saw as we travelled. Twisted silver-blue gum trees. Holiday makers in cars. Farming a way of life. Neighbours miles apart. We stopped at a parking bay just outside Tailem Bend.  Dad's fascination with birds found him looking at small finches in gums.  An old rusted out white Falcon lay desolated not far from the area. Windmill rusty and worn. Hay sheds scattered every mile or so. Carpeted green grass. White gravel on the side of the road that kicks under the car tyres. Long dirt/gravel driveways leading to homesteads. Our next stop was just before Willolooka.  Dad went for a walk.  Later he came back to t...

  4th January 1988 Left Brisbane early. Wrote to Nicky and Ben. Passed through Broken Hill.  Stopped Gilgandra. Gilgandra in January 1988 5th January 1988 Reached Brisbane around 3pm. Looked for Warren's cricket on a Boundary Road - couldn't find it - it was actually another road.  The one we went to was an industrial area.  Got to Paramount Motel.  We liked the convenience as soon as we got there - shops, chemist, on a main highway etc. Took off to Warren's cricket after getting a room - had to choose between upstairs with phone etc or downstairs - opted for downstairs convenience. Found Warren's oval eventually and it rained almost as soon as we arrived.  Apparently the weather was like that - often raining, then hot, tropical. Paramount Motel, 649 Main Street, Kangaroo Point, Brisbane 6th January 1988 Windsor Park, McDonald Road, Albion. First day spent at cricket. Met a little girl called Helen - a sister of Alan Read (vice captain).  Very hot weat...

 Back when I was younger, I kept records of the places I travelled to. My daughters probably won't keep these diaries.  Will most likely throw them out when I die as a lot of younger people do. Here they are in case anyone is interested.