LONG DUSTY ROADS

Posted on June 28, 2019 by splashingpaint

All Text and Images © John Lovett 2019

After 660 kms of dusty corrugations down the Gibb River Road, we enjoyed a brief stretch of bitumen across to Halls Creek. An overnight stop and we were off down the Tanami Road to Alice Springs. The Tanami Road is 1100kms of mostly well graded dirt with some patches of bulldust and rough corrugations. The Aboriginal Communities of Billiluna and Yuendumu sell expensive diesel.

After stocking up in Alice Springs, we spent a couple of days in the Eastern MacDonnell’s before heading East along the Plenty Highway – a long strip of corrugated dirt that cuts straight across the Northern Territory into Queensland

Freshwater Crocs are thriving at (an almost dry) Windjana Gorge

The Tanami Road cuts through the Tanami Desert from Halls Creek WA to Alice Springs NT

We spent a night at Wolf Creek Crater – Dianne, having not seen the movie, was pretty relaxed about camping there under a full moon, I had a bad nights sleep with a wheel brace under my pillow.

Believe it or not, this piece of corrugated iron architecture was on wheels.

Tanami Roadtrain

Finches at a rare waterhole along the Tanami.

Billiluna Community

Billiluna Footy Field – all dust and rocks

Can’t drive past a wrecked car without stopping to take a photo. This one was so good we camped the night to get the early morning sun.

Wedgetail enjoying breakfast.

After stocking up in Alice Springs, we headed out to the Eastern MacDonnell’s for some pretty spectacular walks.

Not far down the Plenty Highway we came across this rolled Toyota. It must have been there a couple of days because all the wheels were gone. Judging by the scattered debris, it must have been some Japanese Tourists heading off on an adventure.

The white dot in the middle is our camp . Huge amounts of nothing through the middle of the Northern Territory, but when you stop and look around the scenery can be spectacular.

Budgerigars

Stockmen at Tobermorey Station

Tobermorey Horse Breaker

Tobermorey Sunset

Red dust

Crossing into Queensland, the Plenty turns into the Donohue. This was the smoothest dirt road we encountered

Donkeys watching Humans come to a sudden halt in a big cloud of dust.

LOWELL and BISBEE

Posted on June 16, 2018 by splashingpaint

Bisbee is a copper mining town that has, some how, flourished since the mine closed. The steep landscape and opulent architecture, from the boom days, make the town uniquely attractive. Lots of interesting pubs, bars and restaurants, and an atmosphere of 1960’s counter culture, have given Bisbee a whole new life.

Just outside of Bisbee is, what’s left of, the town of Lowell. In the 1950’s the mine pit was expanded to extract more copper and most of the town was consumed in the expansion. What is left (Eire Street) appears to have been frozen in time. Crumbling buildings, closed businesses, old cars, weeds and debris. A fantastic and confusing place.

Reflections in a junk shop window

Bisbee graffiti wall

Chainsaw on a roof

Rustys Snacks

Main Street Bisbee

Captivating display of ancient dentistry.

Bisbee mine head

Mine Site

Shell servo, Lowell

Cadillac from space

Outside Lowell Gym.

Welcome

TOWNS AND VILLAGES

Posted on September 16, 2016 by splashingpaint

The towns and villages of Puglia are similar in style to the villages of Northern Italy, but the earthier colored sandstone and marble is replaced by lighter, often whitewashed surfaces. The most obviously different architecture is found around the town of Alberobello in the Itria Valley.

Martina Franca – a labyrinth of pale marble and white walls.

Autobianchi

Main Square – Martina Franca

Dry stone walled and conical roofed Trulli buildings of the Itria Valley

Immaculate old Fiat.

Trulli houses, Alberobello.

Well worn stairs – Alberobello

Rain in Lecce

Lecce Piazza

Cruising the hills around Pisa in a Fiat 500 driven like a Ferrari – What a lot of fun.

Barga – back street bikers

Herbs and spices and a blue Vespa.

Retired Fiat Fire Truck

Down the mountain to Monterosso

KAKADU

Posted on September 9, 2015 by splashingpaint

We entered Kakadu National Park from the south, via Pine Creek with a 3 day permit to enter Koolpin Gorge. After collecting keys from the ranger station, we bounced our way down the road towards Gunlom. Crossing the South Alligator River, we turned South East to Koolpin. The road was badly corrugated with some nasty twists and turns.
This poor guy found out the hard way that taking it easy gets you there quicker.

Koolpin Gorge is a string of waterholes linked by waterfalls in the wet season. The three lower pools are the home to salt water crocodiles, but beyond those it is safe to swim.

Walking up through the gorge is spectacular. The track cuts up over the ridge in places with great views of the surrounding country.

From Koolpin we moved on to Red Lily Billabong. There are no facilities there, and the track in is pretty rough at the moment, so not many people head out that way. We had the place to ourselves. A young couple with a tent called in, and seeing the number of crocs there, decided it wasn’t the place for them.

The billabong is a large expanse of water and covered with huge red water lilies. Lots of bird life and numerous large crocodiles.

Sandy Billabong is a favourite spot. The early morning light, rising mist and lurking crocodiles make the twisted old paperbarks look kind of creepy .

Yellow Waters Cruise on Jim Jim Billabong at sunset is one of the highlights of Kakadu. This is the fifth time we have done the cruise and it is always spectacular.

Afternoon fires turned the setting sun into a glowing red ball.

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Kakadu Birds Slide Show Not Working?

We saw a number of small herds of water buffalo scattered through Kakadu. They had almost been eliminated but over the past few years are breeding up again.

This old landcruiser was used to chase down buffalo back when they were in large numbers.

Kapok Flowers

SAN FRANCISCO

Posted on October 24, 2014 by splashingpaint

San Francisco was a busy couple of weeks – 10 workshop days and plenty of good restaurants, bars, shows and museums to see. Fantastic catching up with old friends and meeting new students from all over the US and beyond – a great couple of weeks.

Powell street cable car

Union Square

Bay Bridge

Fire Boat under the Bay Bridge

Red’s Java House

Jimi Hendrix’s Red House, Haight Street Haight Street power pole – staples accumulating since the 60’s.

Medicinal Dope – Haight Street

Skull Exhibition – San Francisco Academy of Science

Air Show over Alcatraz celebrating Fleet Week. Blue Angels – doing crazy things very fast.

The Stinking Rose – Garlic seasoned with food.

Under the Golden Gate Bridge.

USA16497 San Francisco is dotted with (mostly) immaculately kept Victorian architecture. Some awesome, but not so immaculate. How to squeeze more into a pickup truck than should really be possible. Jack’s Bar – Cannery building Fisherman’s Wharf.

Fog over the Golden Gate.

NEW YORK

Posted on October 12, 2014 by splashingpaint

After our workshop at Dillmans we went New York to rest and relax before two San Francisco workshops. We didn’t do too much resting and relaxing, but had a mighty week with Dane and Zoe, visiting bars, galleries and restaurants all over Brooklyn and Manhattan.

Greenpoint mural

Black Cadillac

Metropolitan Ave

Dealers Merc

Brooklyn Mustang

New York Dolls

Murray’s Cheese Bar

Commute

Home Sick

Under Williamsburg Bridge

$399 Divorce

Halloween

Bridge across the Hudson

Manhattan Kindergarten

Brooklyn cat yard

Dome headed policemen

MOMA PS1 Retrospective – Xavier Le Roy

Time Square selfies

Birthday Beers

Brooklyn campervan

Airstream

BACK FROM TASMANIA

Posted on March 31, 2014 by splashingpaint

Our last week in Tasmania was spent along the north coast. We camped on the beach a few kilometres east of Stanley. What an amazing sight early in the morning as the sun came up.

We met Gus in Bothwell. He is from Bend in Oregon where we have conducted a couple of workshops with Art in The Mountains.

Gus came to Australia, got himself a 1956 Landrover and is in the process of taking it to all the extremities of the country. Cape Byron, Mt Kosciusko and the Southern tip of Tasmania have been ticked off the list so far. When he leaves Tassie, he’s off to Cape York via Shark Bay, WA. Good luck Gus!

This outdoor kitchen seems to have escaped all the workplace health and safety restrictions. They did save a lot of space by installing it the electricity metre box.

Oatlands cricket nets

Sunrise Reeds

Tasmanian Lawnmower

Camped by the river in Ross

No matter how hard we looked, we couldn’t find a Thylacine, but we did stumble across these little critters in our search.

Shooting things is popular in some areas of Tasmania – maybe thats why we had such trouble finding a thylacine.

Back across Bass Straight, we spent a few days in Melbourne before heading home via the Hay Plains, One Tree Hotel and Bourke.

The weather turned foul north of One Tree. Pulling off the road quickly bogged us down to the axle. A shovel, frantic digging and a lot of encouragement and advice from the passenger window, soon saw us on our way

The further east we travelled the more saturated the country became. From Brewarrina home all unsealed roads were closed so it was a quick trip back along the bitumen.

Splashing Paint

Paintings, photograph's and thoughts of a wandering artist

Category Archives: Vehicle

LONG DUSTY ROADS

LOWELL and BISBEE

TOWNS AND VILLAGES

KAKADU

SAN FRANCISCO

NEW YORK

BACK FROM TASMANIA

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