TOAL-Trip of a Lifetime

Basalt columns near Vik, black sand beach, legend states that the rocks in the water were trolls turned to rock when the sun came out

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Sea angling Old Harbor Reykjavik, saw puffins, caught cod Pollock and wolf fish…note the teeth….

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Supper in Reykjavik. Spicy herring, cheese, bread, crackers, cookies coffee and water……delicious..very expensive to buy food in Iceland.

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Butchart Gardens Victoria B.C.

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Subiaco Abbey

Roman Catholic Benedictine Monastery and Academy in Arkansas. It offers college prep classes for grades 7 thru 12. Beautiful place.

Crossing the Nullarbor Plain, Australia

The train trip crossed the Nullarbor plain which is latin for nothing (nullus) and tree (arbor). This is flat arid, 7 inches rain per year average, desert. The worlds largest exposed limestone bedrock about 100,000 square miles. It appears to be miles of flat nothingness. The world’s longest straight section of railway, about 400 miles of straight, flat rail. Temperatures range from 50 to 60’s F at night and 90 to 120 F daytime. Vegetation is mainly salt bush and blue bush

The 1984 Biological Survey of the Nullarbor identified:

794 vascular plant species
56 mammals – with one of Australia’s largest populations of southern hairy-nosed wombats
249 bird species – including the endemic Nullarbor Quail and Nareth Blue Bonnet
86 reptile species and 1 frog

dingo

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Rawlinna Australia

One of the off train excursions from the Indian Pacific tran from Sydney to Perth was a stop for supper in Rawlinna. Rawlinna is a remote sheep station in the nullabor plain. The station raises approximately 80,000 merino sheep over 2.5 million acres of land. One paddock alone takes 8 hours to round up for sheering by plane.

Merino sheep have the finest and softest wool, highly prized for clothing. Their wool coat does not stop growing so needs to be sheared every 6 months. Photos of a sheep shearing. 61810_10__TN1000x800

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Rawlinna-Tables

Indian Pacific Train, Sydney To Perth Australia

We boarded the train in Sydney, traveled 3 nights and 4 days on the Indian Pacific. A total of 2700 miles across Southern Australia. We had two single berths, including comfortable chairs and beds. The food in the dining car was fabulous. A little room at the end of the hall had hot coffee and tea available 24 hours a day. There were showers and toilets close to our cabins. Australian wines and beers were included, as well as soda pop.