I Love a Sunburnt Country.

#N is for Nowhere Else.

We were driving through Tasmania on our way to Sheffield, the town in Tasmania that is an outdoor art gallery because of all the murals painted on the walls of the town, when we saw the sign to Nowhere Else. Crazy little name really because regardless of where we are in life at that particular time we are at Nowhere Else.

So for this blog I thought I would write about a few of the N locations of interest in Australia; and while you are in any one of them you would be in Nowhere Else.

#1) Australia’s Nullarbor Plain stretches from Ceduna in South Australia and covers about 1000 kms to Norseman in Western Australia. The name comes from the Latin null meaning none and arbor meaning trees. So The Nullarbor is literally a highway, through an area of no trees and not much else either, which forms part of the 2,695.5 km National Highway from Adelaide to Perth.

Even today it is an expedition to cross the Nullarbor by road. The Indian Pacific Train which travels from Sydney to Perth crosses the Nullarbor; but my favourite way to get from one side of Australia to the other is by air.

#2) Nambour is a sweet little town nestled in between the mountain ranges that make up the Sunshine Coast Hinterland and the beautiful Sunshine Coast. The area was once a sugar cane growing district but now has a heritage-listed tourist attraction in the shape of the Big Pineapple landmark. The Big Pineapple opened in 1971 and has just celebrated its 50th birthday.

#3) Nimbin is a perfect picture village situated in the Northern Rivers district of New South Wales. It is approximately 70 km west of Byron Bay and the whole area is known for its alternative flair and lifestyle; where as the rich and famous tend to congregate around Byron, the slightly more alternative and less rich and famous gravitate to Nimbin.

Just popping in a couple of local quotes; Nimbin is known the world over as Australia’s most famous hippie destination and alternative lifestyle capital. Nimbin – Nimbin – Lismore & Nimbin Tourism (visitnimbin.com.au)

Nimbin is a lush hinterland town located 1 hour and 15 minutes inland from Byron Bay. Known as a hub for counterculture and alternative social activities,… Nimbin NSW | Official byronbay.com Guide. I think you get the picture. Nimbin was a prosperous dairy farming and timber area before becoming a magnet for alternative recluse. It is now a popular location for tourists to visit.

Some other Ns to Google; Noosa on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast which is a popular surfing spot and its main street; Hastings Street, where an eclectic mix of high cafe society , sophisticated shopping and just going to the beach collide.

Nambucca Heads on the mid northern New South Wales coast is a relaxed seaside town so named because the tranquil Nambucca River flows into the ocean here. Nambucca boasts lovely, lazy beaches and a sparkling estuary filled with bird and sea life as well as nearby rainforest.

#4) My final N is for Nobby a little village which is home to Rudd’s Pub, and the birthplace of the On my Selection novels and radio serial of Dad and Dave by the author Steele Rudd. Steele Rudd’s family had settled on a selection near Nobby in Queensland and it is said that he found inspiration for his writing among his drinking mates at the Nobby Pub. The best part about Nobby is that it is just a 20 minute drive from home. We often take our visitors there for lunch; it is a step back into another time and a showcase for good old Aussie history.

Of further interest at Nobby is the Sister Elizabeth Kenny memorial. Sister Kenny, a Nobby resident, was recognised globally for her revolutionary treatment of polio victims in the early to mid twentieth century. Rather than accepting the common method of immobilising muscles as treatment for polio, she proved that exercising the muscles improved patient recovery. https://www.queensland.com/

My goodness, the interesting things one can find and learn right at their doorstep. All I know is that for me I am happy to be Nowhere Else!