An 'art-led recovery' in the Australian bush of Victoria

This is the amazing bush 'Silo Trail; we have just visited - various artists have put up epic artwork on grain silos, over hundreds of kilometres of the Victorian outback.

The phenomenon has resulted in an art-led recovery for many small and dying outback towns - it attracts streams of visitors as we witnessed.

Here are 5 examples from the 7 towns we visited.

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE ULTIMATE ESCAPE... from apocalypse...

(In a departure from Roy's ancient Egypt fiction... the mysterious island continent of Australia...)

THE HERO VIRUS (Amazon Kindle and paperback)

Fear spreads like a disease, but what if heroism swept the population like a contagious virus that eliminated caution, the basic survival switch in the amygdala of the brain?
The contagion began with the arrival of meteorites that flashed down around the globe, spreading clouds of dust and a mysterious agent.

Those infected rise up and challenge the law and the system. They run suicide gauntlets across busy highways, stand high on ledges and tops of buildings, front enemies they once feared, spark reprisals, conflict and bloodshed in the streets - and raise the threat of reckless wars between nations.

One man – a rarity – is unaffected. He is a frightened man, an anxiety sufferer and returned Afghanistan war hero recovering from serious post traumatic stress syndrome. He decides to flee crazy civilization in an RV motorhome, along with his wife and children, and journey across the rugged wilderness of Australia to find a safe haven - a sanctuary, where people shelter in dug out dwellings beneath the ground. He keeps a secret Treatment Journal and photos of how he is traveling with his condition.

Can a frightened former hero save his loved ones in a world where the brave end up dead? And will the world find an answer to the ‘hero virus’ from space?

2 NOVELS IN A DIFFERENT MYSTERIOUS SETTING... 'The Hero Virus' and 'The Poisoned Well'

THE POISONED WELL (Amazon Kindle)

Beneath the most parched continent on earth, Australia, lies a great freshwater ocean bigger than South Africa or Iran.

But it becomes a poisoned well for one family when a high-powered and ruthless overseas company plans to build a nuclear waste dump on their property and tempts them with an offer of money they desperately need.

Can a rebellious daughter and her mysterious new allies prevent a disaster?

And what is the deep secret from long ago that poisoned the family well? 

Amazon Kindle

 

Mission Beach N.QLD. Cassowary Casserole a local delicacy. Not.

Summer in winter

Scary bird, but striking - our first Cassowary spotted

3 of us on the beach in the shadow of Dunk Island

"Whatever happened to Aussies' relaxed dress code?

"

Werribee Victoria escape from NSW heat

We don't follow the sun so much as follow the cool...

Back to the same Toowoon Bay, NSW, site where we began our new on the road life over 5 years ago

Nubie and Roy...

an ongoing bromance

Delightful Mullumbimby (near Byron, NSW)

Great place to sit out those pesky and expensive school holidays

Friday market day at Millumbimby Showgrounds

'NEWBY' Our beautiful bichoodle companion on the road

SPOT what's wrong in this lovely pelican shot? (Port Macquarie, NSW)

A fishing spindle hooked in a wing

Eagle-eyed Brenda spotted more than a beautiful photo opportunity in this pelican.
Walking down the breakwater to town, I stopped to take my first photo.
Hours later, on the way home, I was surprised to see the bird in the same position.
A closer look revealed the poor bird's condition.
I wonder how many others noticed?
(I popped into the nearby police station and asked them to call WIRES).
Bird has gone now.
Hope he's flying high.

"I'd rather see a sermon than hear one any day.." A 'sermon' in the form of a Big Red Bus, Port Macquarie

Ian Rosendahl, modest, unassuming man who helms this admirable project - a heart as big as a bus

Holidaying at Port Macquarie on the North Coast of NSW, we came upon the Big Red Bus.
Free BBQ, espresso coffees, conversation (if you want it). All welcome, families, backpackers, pensioners, especially youth....
This is enlightened outreach. 
No agenda. No pressure. No sermons. 
Some people come along for weeks before asking Ian and his team: "Why do you do this for others?"
Big Red Bus is there at the main beach every Tuesday afternoon (except school holidays).
Supported by several organisations, but they need all the encouragement they can get.

THE BIG RED BUS reminded us of the classic poem:

I'd Rather See A Sermon
Edgar A. Guest 

I'd rather see a sermon
than hear one any day;
I'd rather one should walk with me
than merely tell the way.
The eye's a better pupil
and more willing than the ear,
Fine counsel is confusing,
but example's always clear;
And the best of all preachers
are the men who live their creeds,
For to see good put in action
is what everybody needs.
I soon can learn to do it
if you'll let me see it done;
I can watch your hands in action,
but your tongue too fast may run.
And the lecture you deliver
may be very wise and true,
But I'd rather get my lessons
by observing what you do;
For I might misunderstand you
and the high advice you give,
But there's no misunderstanding
how you act and how you live.

WHY AN RV IS THE PERFECT WRITER’S CABIN in the mountains, desert, forest, at the beach...

A guest blog by my husband and author Roy:

The moving pen writes...

It works.

The moving pen writes...

Or the mobile MacBook does, in my case.

I have successfully made my literary journey a literal journey.

We sold a five-bedroom house and hit the road a few years ago.

With an Internet connection, hotspotting our iPhones, we can function on the dark side of the moon.

Or even in the Australian outback, about as close as you can get to a moonscape.

As well as writing and publishing some twenty novels on Amazon Kindle, it has even inspired me to write an Australian outback escape novel that includes an RV motorhome, a world apocalypse and a family’s escape into outback Australia!

It’s called THE HERO VIRUS

I can also happily write fiction about ancient Egypt on the road – the Egypt of the Mind doesn’t require me to be in Egypt, although we’ve made numerous research visits and I’ve been studying the subject for most of my life.

Oh, and the perfect writer’s cabin also makes the perfect reading room – a chance to read those books on your Kindle or iPad.

In fact, I call this mobile lifestyle 'iPad Living'. Compact, imagination-friendly, clever.


Remember when computers were socking big boxes on your desk?

How much space do you really need in your life?

The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van (long wheel base) has front seats that swivel around to make soft armchairs and there’s a club lounge and table at the back. The double bed comes humming down from the ceiling at a press of a button – no making up a bed, or living around one. And the club lounge ‘downstairs’ spreads out to become another double bed at the press of a button.

As for the view from my itinerant writer's cabin – that changes at will to a mountain vista, a desert landscape, or a tropical beach.

Not for everyone, I suppose, if you’re tied to possessions. But hey, that’s only stuff...

Experience is more inspiring.

An Australian outback escape novel, an RV motorhome, a world apocalypse - "THE HERO VIRUS"

On Amazon Kindle (click here to sample)

it was amazing

Hero Virus

GOODREADS: "THE HERO VIRUS" “5 stars for being so different from other apocalypse books."

“What an interesting story. Reading their blogs and each viewpoint was unique. I felt like I was with them on their journey.”

AMAZON KINDLE

And now a new Australian novel from Roy Lester Pond (on Amazon Kindle)

Underneath the most parched continent on earth, Australia, lies a great freshwater ocean of aquifers larger than South Africa or Iran.

But it becomes a poisoned well for one family when a high-powered and ruthless overseas company plans to build a nuclear waste dump on their property and tempts them with an offer of money they desperately need.

Can a rebellious daughter and her mysterious new allies prevent a disaster?

And what is the deep secret from long ago that poisoned the family well?

“A huge idea... with a monstrously current and entertaining premise.”

Gramp and Gram in the Grampians, Victoria

Grampians Jazz Festival, Hall's Gap

emu for our camp lunch

Roy has written a new novel - an apocalyptic on the road adventure!

It's on Amazon Kindle (click here)

I suppose in a sense this new book has taken Roy five years to write as we traveled around the rugged continent of Australia.

It's quite a diversion from ancient Egypt!

In Richmond NSW, caught up in 40s Time Warp with Mel Gibson's movie shoot

Back to the 40s as Richmond morphed into smalltown America for scenes from "Hacksaw Ridge" movie shoot with Mel Gibson.

Roy thought Mel might call him over to give a hand with the shooting script, but no, Mel's apparently managing quite well on his own.

In fact, we never saw him.

Newbie got tired of waiting for Mel

48th Anniversary yesterday turned into a Nannaversary with 3 of our grandkids - at Toowoon Bay, NSW