Truckies Motel, Mt. Remarkable.

On the road again.

There seems to be no end to what is possible in the world of "movable" housing. It seems as though

half the country is driving around in ever bigger circles. In Australia this new generation are called "gray nomads", not that they are all that "new" being mainly retirees. But one of the great delights of such an activity is the discovery of the unexpected. While travelling to the Flinder's Rangers in South Australia, I ventured into the town of Melrose at the foot of Mt. Remarkable National Park, only to discover a most extraordinary collection of ancient truck accommodation. They were part of a hotel complex, and from what I could gather, were available to wayward travellers. All these "motel rooms" were built on top of old trucks of various vintages. What a wonderful example of what the creative imagination can think up to add to a towns tourist potential. Most trucks were from the 1930's through to the 50's, and had been reborn as kinky, and most unusual  accommodation in an array of colours. Who ever thought up the idea deserves full marks for originality, it is only a great pity that these workhorse of yesterday can not take to the road again.

Diggers Dream, an old army truck.

Melrose is the oldest town in the Flinder's Ranges sitting at the foot of Mt. Remarkable National Park. The park itself offers a wide range of hikes across its  hills and gullies .

Hills of Mt. Remarkable

It is possible to walk for hours on end through this park, and unlike our Tasmanian parks the country is fairly open. There are both short and three day walk, often through a vista of wild flowers in Alligator Gorge not that I saw any fortunately. The energetic may climb to the top for Mt Remarkable [ 960m] for the view across the ranges. As usual I spent the best part of several days drawing up in the hills. Strangely the vegetation was very green due the recent heavy rains, and not at all like Central Australian colours. Hans Heysen, the pioneer Australian artist who first painted the outback had to create a new colour pallet for himself in order to record this new environment. It is only since the Second World War that artists have discovered this image of "true" Australia.

Afternoon stroll, Melrose

Child's Delight.

Graveyards- A window on both the past and soul.

Often when travelling, I take the opportunity to visit small country graveyards. At the time, I always intend to return and make some rubbings of various grave stones, to record their weathered faces before the ravishes of time obliterate their existence. One of my favourites is the early settlers burial ground at Ross, an early Tasmanian town in the midlands. The last time I visited, the sky was bleak and overcast reenforceing its feel of Scottish heritage. This picturesque Georgian village, built from hand cut sandstone is both historic, and a living testerment of the pioneering spirit of its early settlers. The substantional European trees that line the main street add to the impression of  permanence and Scottishness.


My purpose at the time was to climb the hillock behind the town  and visit the original early settlers burial ground. Perched on top of a rocky hill ,it was only accessible via a narrow stone walled track. The wind blows with force up here, so  many grave markers acti as weather vanes. The graves date from the early 19th cent., when death during childbirth was very prevelant, plus a good overlay of accedental death suffered by settlers extending their strength beyond endurence. One feature of interest, was that all the grave stones facing the prevailing wind had their faces eroded, while the lee sides were still able to tell their stories.These were mainly on the southen side were text and textured stone jostled to make their presence felt.


One grave stone caught my eye, it had a relief sculpture of the "Tree of Life" with an ax embeded half way through the trunk. It is possible to speculate about the meaning as the text had gone, did the relief refer to a life cut short or the finality of life itself. It could have refered to the life and effort of the early settlers, and the long back breaking work required to carve out a farm for themsleves. In many ways these stones are a symbol of the earth itself. After all the disintergation of matter is what provides us with the soil to mantain life.


When I make rubbings of these monuments to the past, I rework both text and abstract stone pattens to try to express the meaning of the present. To contemplate on the journy of life. To conect past,  presnt, and future. This morning I visited our local village graveyard, only to discover that someone had removed the heavy marble cover off a recent dug grave. I am puzzled as to the reason, I only hope grave robbing is still not alive!