Are we there Yet?

Aboriginal map Australia
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Our Journey Jottings Australia road trip is coming to an end.

We’ve travelled from the rugged red rock of Uluru in central Australia

and crossed half the continent to the

             lush green rainforest and reef of tropical north Queensland.

This wonderful image by Lin Onus perfectly reflects our trip – A magical tour of unknowns and unexpected delights around every mysterious corner ;)

Painting by Lin Onus 'Are we there yet?' Australia map

Lin Onus (1948 – 1996) was a self-taught artist who combined a western art style with imagery from traditional Aboriginal sources.

He was the only child of a Scottish mother and Aboriginal father (Yorta Yorta people, Victoria) who began painting at the age of 26, in 1974.

The painting illustrated (183cm x 183cm) was painted in 1989 after he’d spent some time at Maningrida in the Northern Territory of Australia.

I love the way it combines a portrayal of the Arnhem Land landscape and an essence of local painting techniques.

Mum, when do we get there? Lin Onus detail

I also love the parallel landscape representations by two different cultures.

I have lots of photos and travel journal entries to be shared over the coming weeks about where we went, and what we can recommend regarding places to see when travelling Australia -

 Come along for the ride

and share your experiences as we go :)

Journey Jottings... highlights your holiday adventures

Post Office Stamp Map

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Look at this amazing Post Office stamps map of Route 66 in the USA

Route66_500

It took Ken ‘TheLandrunner’ Turmel two years to traverse the route and collect all the commemorative Post Office stamps created for the 70th anniversary of Route 66, in the USA.

He has now reproduced the artwork for resale as a Post Office Stamp Map limited edition

With the Australian school holidays in full swing this map is great inspiration…

Route66_420

If you’re heading off on a car trip this school holidays and want a great way to keep the children occupied?

Play eye spy for the Australia Post symbol

aus_post_symbolor the Visitor Information symbol

Visitor Info symbol

and when spied, take a (well earned) break to go in and ask for a stamp!

Stamps_on_JJ_crop2_500

Not all Visitor Information Centres have their own stamp, but as seen from this example compiled by my good friend Sam (age 6 years) on a recent trip down to Sydney, NSW, they usually have some kind of either rubber or sticky stamp they can improvise with :)

Stamps_on_JJ_500

If you’re on Facebook, Route 66 Artwork have a fan page.

Consider creating your own Post Office Passport this school holidays :)

We’d love to see your efforts ~

Either upload to our Facebook Wall or

Send us a photo so we can share it here, on our blog

[Editor's Note:

Many thanks to Amanda Markham of Travel Outback Australia who drew my attention to the amazing Route 66 PO Stamp Map :) ] 

21st November 1878 – 56th day

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“A grand sea on today; one moment we are in a valley & the next on a mountain. It is also considerably colder now. Our friend was quite near us this morning & we found by looking through the glass that she had got a lot of horses on board. Yesterday afternoon Ada had a fit of some sort or another (I suppose through the change in the weather) & is now in her bunk not feeling over bright. Daisy is helping Sails while the guv’nor is lying down for a rest, Clara & Brown are doing a little in the spooning line & I am enjoying myself by watching Joey write his diary from my bunk. Of course not much can be done but play cards etc of which luckily we have a small stock as we brought our box of games with us. After a smoke we turned in at 10.

Celestial map Frederik de Wit

We saw the southern cross to-night for the first time but it is nothing grand.”

Extract from A.Whelen’s travel journal aboard the Hesperides sailing from England to Australia in 1878