eTripping.au

Formerly: Tesla Tripping

Come along on our EV road trips around Australia and Europe, and follow as we progressively electrify our home in Emerald, Victoria.

Join us on the road. We set off in late 2022 and drove eastern Australia in our Tesla Model 3 — Sydney, Dubbo, Armidale, Brisbane, Cape Tribulation, then down through Queensland and back. We've since upgraded to a Model Y.

We've kept exploring — Uluru, the Snowy Mountains and Gippsland, and a longer run through Europe in 2024. There's plenty more on the map, so come along for the next leg.

At home in Emerald, in Victoria's Dandenong Ranges, we're progressively electrifying everything: rooftop solar, a home battery, a hot water heat pump, air conditioned heating and cooling, and EV charging straight from the sun. We're going fully electric, off the gas.

Got questions, or insights of your own? We'd love to hear them — please drop a comment on any post.

Maps: Australia Europe
Dec 2022 Oct 2026
Trips 633 Europe 110 Uluru 66 Snowy Mountains 27 Cape Tribulation 10 Charging 485 Home 207 Solar 136 Home Battery 24 Off Gas 11 Air Con 8 Heat Pump 7 Food 69 Software Update 52 Expos 46 Camping 33 Car Climate 26 Service 13 Test Drives 13
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    Not all sub trunks are created equal

    Some only fit a licence plate. Some can fit a spare tyre. We’re at the Casey Electric Vehicle Expo. Casey is a council region, near us. The Future Drive Australia EV show was supposed to be running this weekend in Melbourne, but they cancelled it just a few days ago, presumably leaving ticket holders and exhibitors out of pocket with no event. They run a range of car shows, not just EVs. I think they’ve gone bust. I thought the Casey show would not be able to compete. But now, they’re the only show in town. Put on by AEVA Australian Electric Vehicle Association. Lots of EVs. Lots of attendees. Lots of questions. I overheard “I’d like to get an EV but I like to go for a drive [a long way]”. I had to bite my tongue “It’s not an issue. We do it all the time”. And some helpful stands, such as ZECO Energy, to help households to get off gas.

    24 Oct 2026 Bunjil Place post 1634
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    Health danger to kids if we keep using gas

    The Eastern Melburnian has written about the health risks of household gas. The story includes a mention of our move off gas here in Emerald, along with our own unflattering photo of Tom. The angle is health rather than cost. It quotes Australian modelling from 2018 that attributed 12.3 per cent of childhood asthma to gas cooking, and a 2013 study that found children in a home with gas cooking were 42 per cent more likely to develop asthma. About 80 per cent of Victorian homes still have gas piped in. https://www.easternmelburnian.com.au/p/kids-asthma-coalition-one-nation-gas-plans

    22 Oct 2026 post 1631
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    A month of cooking on induction

    We have cooked on gas and on electric elements for years. This is our first month with a Westinghouse full induction cooktop in place of the gas. We had trialled induction on a small scale first. We bought a portable hotplate last year (also Westinghouse), as a spare in our kitchen — on the bench at home, and in the back of the car on road trips. Induction still gets confused with the electric cooking most people remember, a metal hotplate or a coil glowing red, sometimes under glass. Induction works differently — it makes the pan itself the heating element, so nearly all the energy goes into the pan rather than into the kitchen, and the glass beside the pan stays cool enough to rest a hand on. Here is what a month of it has been like. What stands out is how fast and how responsive it is. It comes on instantly, goes off instantly, and changes power the moment you ask. It boils faster than the gas did. CHOICE's testing has induction boiling a litre of water in about half the time gas…

    24 Aug 2026 post 1557
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    Did going all-electric cause our mould?

    We spent 2025 and 2026 getting off gas — heat pump hot water, a multi-head air conditioner replacing the ducted gas heater, and finally an induction cooker. Then we found mould on the bed slats. Was it due to electrification? We first found this same mould, on these same slats, in December 2024 — fourteen months before the air conditioners went in, while the gas ducted heater was still doing all the heating. Whatever causes it was here first, and it was here while the gas was. Gas cooking turns out to actually make it worse. Burning gas makes water: roughly 1.6 kilograms of water vapour for every cubic metre burnt. That is on top of the water coming out of the food or boiling water, which happens whatever you cook on. Going induction removed the extra moisture. Not to mention the benzene, which is a known carcinogen. What did change is the ventilation. The old ducted system leaked, and those leaks quietly brought in outside air. Reverse-cycle doesn't leak. Better heating, staler air.…

    6 Aug 2026 post 1549
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    Off the gas for good

    91.16 cents a day for a pipe we no longer used. Cancelling it took a chatbot, a $9.13 fee, and a question about whether the house was being demolished.

    30 Jul 2026 post 1534
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    Rebate for replacing our gas stove

    The rebate is worth about $200. I'll get $120. You cannot claim it yourself — and the app only accepts documents from your phone's photo gallery.

    28 Jul 2026 post 1533
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    Installing our induction stove

    The crew arrived at seven. By lunchtime the gas was capped, the old Smeg was gone, and 40 amps of new circuit ran from the switchboard to the kitchen.

    27 Jul 2026 post 1532
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    Quotes to install an oven and induction cooktop

    I thought connecting an oven was an afternoon and a few hundred dollars. The first quote was $3,014 — so I went looking to understand why it's such a big job.

    20 Jul 2026 post 1529
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    Oven bought in March, arrived in July

    The docket said “ETA 3 weeks”. It took 106 days, six phone calls, and an oven posted back to the warehouse because nobody read the email saying hold it.

    12 Jul 2026 post 1530
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    Our last gas appliance

    Our Smeg 90cm oven and cooktop. We’re replacing it with a Westinghouse 90cm oven and induction cooktop, from The Good Guys. Then we can finally get off the gas.

    30 May 2026 post 1524
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    Goodbye gas — disconnecting the ducted heating

    Goodbye gas! I finally organised disconnecting the ducted gas heating at our home. If only we could see the burnt gas pouring into the air, all the time, and not just when the condensation highlights it (as in the photos). Pumping carcinogens and greenhouse gases into the air that we breathe. It’s nuts. It was costing us up to $528 per month to run the heating in winter. Our replacement air conditioning will be closer to free, thanks to our solar and battery. We recently also replaced our gas hot water with a heat pump. Our one remaining gas appliance is our stove top. Once that’s gone, we will save $35 per month just for the connection fee. And no more gas! We’re replacing the gas heating with some split air conditioners. For those who might say “what about in a blackout”? Note the power point connection on the old gas heating. Our old gas hot water heat pump had one too. They both needed electricity to run. In fact, in addition the gas consumed, the heating used about 1kW of…

    4 Feb 2026 Emerald, Victoria post 465
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    First Tesla service call: a new wheel

    First service call for our Tesla Model Y. Replacing our loaner wheel with a new wheel. As you can see in our posts from a few weeks ago, we hit a pothole, damaging our left rear wheel. At the time, we only knew that we had a slow leak. We logged the problem in the Tesla app. They arranged for roadside assistance to come to us, in about an hour, to install a loaner wheel, and take ours away to diagnose. Today, Tesla replaced the loan wheel with a new wheel, costing a whopping $1319. I asked them to clean the damaged wheel and put it in the back of the car. In the photos, you can see the buckle and crack. I am wondering if it is fixable. When I booked this service in the app, I also asked them to fix the water in the light bar, and some issues with the steering wheel buttons. They replaced both. I’ll discuss the steering wheel buttons in a separate post. All covered under warranty. I had a bit of trouble figuring out where to leave the car. Several after me also mistakenly parked in…

    7 Jan 2026 Oakleigh South, Victoria post 474
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    Bonang Road brought back my motorcycle days

    Harkening back to my motorcycle days, enjoying the endless curves along the Bonang Road from Tubbut to Orbost, Victoria, leaving the Snowy Mountains. The Tesla handled the drive beautifully. FSD off, for some driving fun. I had to watch out for quite a few sharp dips, barely marked with crayon width paint on the road. This road has stopping spaces specifically for motorcycles (pictured). Yesterday, I grabbed some groceries in Bombala and noticed the "Welcomes Motorcyclists" sign. Before we bought our first EV in 2022, we did a lot of motorcycle road trips. As you can see from the photos from a decade ago, we haven't aged at all! 😉. I'd love to see some "Welcomes EVs" signs in regional places. My stay last night in Tubbut was thanks, in part, to the simple EV changer provided by Gippsland Climate Change Network. They are on to something!

    31 Dec 2025 Nurran post 484
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    Misty drive from Tubbut to Orbost

    Heading south, out of the Snowy Mountains, from my overnight camp near Tubbut, towards Orbost. Beautiful mist topped mountains, after last night’s rain. After about 20km of dirt road, I spotted tar, and another sign warning that there’s no petrol around here.

    31 Dec 2025 Bonang Highway post 485
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    Creekside car camping in the Snowy Mountains

    Car camping in my Tesla, beside a creek, off the beaten track in the Snowy Mountains. It took me a while to find the site. Earlier, in my search, I pulled off onto two tracks that ended up in someone’s property. At least it gave some local kids an excuse to run outside to see what the UFO sound was I did a three point just outside their gate. I waved and grinned. A cup of tea and a snack from my Teraglide drawer, sitting in my camp chair, watching the bush life. Until the bush life started eating me (just a few bugs), signaling time for bed. I again wished I had remembered to pack a collapsible stool, to help climb into the back of the car. Followed by the commando crawl to get on top of the Snuuzu mattress and Teraglide platform. This is the highest sleeping option, which gives lots of storage space and a very comfortable bed. The only down side is requiring more effort getting in and out. Once I’m in, it’s great with plenty of room to move. Please forgive the “Tesla Tripping – after…

    30 Dec 2025 Tubbut post 487
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    The best rest stop in the middle of nowhere

    Wow, possibly the best amenities for a road trip, at this spot in the middle of nowhere (in the Snowy Mountains). Seats and tables, beautiful location, playground, water, toilets, WiFi. Even has a shower and laundry tubs. Oh, and a pizza oven. Hard to beat! Gotta love the various signs on the amenities (see photos). Thanks to Gippsland Climate Change Network and Chargefox for the destination EV charger here. It’s probably the only public fuel source (of and kind) for over 100km. There are no shops or food outlets here. Fortunately, I grabbed some supplies when passing through Bombala and Cooma, over the past few days. Instant kitchen: pop the Tesla tailgate, pull out the Teraglide drawer and table, flip up the lid to reveal the fridge in the sub trunk. After a couple of hours to eat and chill, off to find a campsite for the night, nearby along the river. I’ll come back in the morning to use the shower.

    30 Dec 2025 Tubbut Hall post 488
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    A creekside lunch in Delegate

    Creekside stop in Delegate. Pop the tailgate, pull out the kitchen drawer and dining table, grab some sustenance from the fridge. Chilling in the shade, on my collapsible camp chair. Nice. Right next to a camp site, complete with amenities. I need to find a campsite for tonight, but I’ll go further south west.

    30 Dec 2025 Delegate, New South Wales post 490
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    Across the high plains of the Snowy Mountains

    Heading further across the high plains in the Snowy Mountains. Not a lot of trees around, but a few wind turbines and windmills, not bothering the livestock or mobs of kangaroos.

    30 Dec 2025 Boco Rock Wind Farm post 491
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    No petrol in Dalgety, but plenty of power points

    No petrol, no worries. The small town of Dalgety has no working petrol station. The last working bowser I passed yesterday was about 50km away in Cooma, along with the nearest fast EV charger. But Dalgety does have hundreds of power points, including the powered camp sites at Snowy River Holiday Park. I could have used any one of them to fill up my car. It’s a beautiful spot. I car camped there last night. This morning, I pushed the Teraglide kitchen drawer back in, pressed the Deflate button on my Snuuzu mattress, flipped back the top (pictured), and moved the drivers seat back into my preferred position by hitting the Restore button in the Tesla. Super quick transformation, ready to drive on to the next camp site today.

    30 Dec 2025 Snowy River Holiday Park post 492
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    Breakfast routine, Tesla-style

    Good morning! Time for breakfast, after a great night’s sleep in the Tesla. “Siri, open Tesla boot”. The tailgate opens to reveal a beautiful day, beyond my bare feet. Breakfast mode: 1. Pull out the Teraglide drawer and table. 2. Flip open the Teraglide rear lid. It’s assisted by gas struts, so it’s easy to lift and stays up, even with bedding on top of it. 3. Open the fridge in the subtrunk to get brekky supplies. This morning, that’s eggs, butter and milk. 4. Use the kitchen drawer bits to crack and whisk the eggs, add milk, soak some bread, ready to make French toast. 5. Stroll over to the camp kitchen. Fry the toast and boil some water for my thermos. Return to the Tesla. Enjoy my French toast, with a cuppa tea, overlooking the Snowy River. Nice.

    30 Dec 2025 Snowy River Holiday Park post 495
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    Photo op in Bredbo, campsite hunt in Cooma

    Photo op in Bredbo, before stopping in Cooma to figure out where to camp tonight. On the way, I used the Tesla’s navigation to search for “campground” and similar. One option was The NRMA park in Jindabyne. I tapped the phone icon, to make a call. Handy to do it all from the car’s controls. Unfortunately, all their powered and unpowered sites were booked for tonight. This looked like a job for WikiCamps. Since Tesla doesn’t support Apple CarPlay, I needed to pull over to use my phone. Whenever parking, I aim to charge, so I don’t lose any time. So, I pulled into the new-ish Tesla Superchargers in Cooma. This is the second site in Cooma, with more chargers and faster speed. But the only service nearby seemed to be KFC (again 🤔). No matter, I just wanted time to access my phone. Snowy River Holiday Park looks great. I rang them, gave them my ETA, entered it into the navigation, added Cooma Coles as the first destination, so I could grab some supplies. Cooma Coles also has Tesla…

    29 Dec 2025 Cooma, New South Wales post 499
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    Dinner by the Snowy River

    Dinner next to the Snowy River. I grabbed soup and butter from the fridge in the sub trunk. Heated the soup and toasted bread at the camp kitchen. Enjoyed the simple meal as the sun set, listening to the river. Happy place. My 35L Kings fridge is in the sub trunk. It’s powered by the car’s 16V supply, with an outlet available in the boot and driver’s console. The 16V in turn is powered by the car’s massive 60kWh battery. No need to run an engine, with noise and fumes, to keep it going.

    29 Dec 2025 Snowy River Holiday Park post 497
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    Setting up the Teraglide bed in the Model Y

    Setting up the Teraglide platform and Snuuzu mattress in the Tesla Model Y. Steps: 1. Folded back seats down, using the buttons in the Tesla. 2. Slid the interleaved top of the Teraglide platform onto the folded down rear seats. 3. Moved the front seats forward. 4. Unfolded the top hinged bit of the Teraglide. 5. Clipped on the side supports of the Terglide, near the doors. 6. Placed the Snuuzu mattress bag on the Teraglide platform. 7. Unzipped the bag, unrolled the Snuuzu mattress. Unclipped the mattress and opened it up flat. 8. Pressed the `Inflate` button on the mattress. Waited a minute for it to finish, then turned it off. 9. Added bed linen, blanket and pillow. Gotchas: 1. Teraglide (the business) had warned me, after seeing earlier photos of my installation a few months ago, that I had neglected to strap down the front of the Teraglide. With this in mind, I brought along the supplied straps, but I hadn’t yet installed them. When I fully extended the kitchen drawer without…

    29 Dec 2025 Snowy River Holiday Park post 498
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    Just me, the Tesla, and brown snakes

    Just me, the Tesla, and some brown snakes, along Lake George, near Canberra, on the way to The Snowy Mountains.

    29 Dec 2025 Lake George, Peter Badcoe VC Rest Area post 500
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    A quick stop at Erina Fair

    A quick shop at Erina Fair, on the NSW Central Coast, before heading south to The Snowy Mountains, where I will car camp tonight.

    29 Dec 2025 post 502
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    Savic test rides through the Dandenongs

    While driving in our town of Emerald to get some Emerald Thai for dinner, I did a double take when I saw a Savic Motorcycles sign, randomly on the footpath. It turns out that they were running test rides today “winding through the beautiful Dandenong Ranges”. What a great idea! Test drives at dealerships and even EV shows tend to be within urban sprawls, which doesn’t offer much of a driving or riding experience. We’ve seen Savic at a few EV shows, including the recent Everything Electric in Melbourne (pictured). I wish I had known it was on, and that we weren’t recovering from a cold right now. Hopefully next time. Savic is an Australian company building electric motorcycles.

    5 Dec 2025 Elevation at Emerald Restaurant & Bar post 538
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    Heat pump installation

    We finally got around to installing a hot water heat pump, to replace our gas hot water system. We were paying about $40 per month for our instant gas hot water (plus $40 connection fee). Now we’re paying nothing, because the heat pump is just using our excess solar power. Without solar, I estimate it would be costing us $8 per month to power it from the electricity grid. There are a few incentive schemes around to replace gas (or other old inefficient systems) with a heat pump. An installer will factor these into their quote. The subsidies can be significant. In our case, the total price was $4480, but it was reduced to $1650 for us to pay, after subsidies were subtracted. A hot water heat pump uses the same principle as an air conditioner (which is also a heat pump). It “pumps” heat from one side to the other. In this case, it pumps heat from the outside air into the tank of water. The basic physics is that when you compress air in a confined space, it gets hot, and when you expand…

    3 Dec 2025 post 483
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    Final day at Everything Electric Melbourne

    Starting and ending with Jack Scarlett. Test drives, a panel talk about road tripping, EV conversions, and a flux capacitor, some of the highlights.

    16 Nov 2025 Melbourne Showgrounds post 542
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    Snapshots from Everything Electric Melbourne

    Some random shots from Everything Electric Melbourne today. After a few years in Sydney, this is their first showing in Melbourne. It’s noticeably smaller, but understandable for the first appearance. Interesting panel talks. Informative staff at product booths. Huge variety of test drives available, including self driving Tesla cars. A few food truck offerings. They need more undercover seating (from sun or rain). We recommend the falafel wraps.

    15 Nov 2025 Melbourne Showgrounds post 543
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    A $25k BYD Atto 1 is closing in on ICE prices

    About $25k for a new BYD Atto 1. Wow. EVs are now approaching the price of comparative ICE vehicles. Unfortunately, BYD couldn’t get their Atto 1 prepped in time for the show, but they did have the Atto 2 on the floor (pictured). At Everything Electric Melbourne.

    15 Nov 2025 Melbourne Showgrounds post 544
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    Camper vans and EV utes at Everything Electric

    Checking out the Farizon electric van, decked out as a camper. Also the popular BYD Shark electric ute (plus hybrid range extender), and some towing options. At Everything Electric Melbourne.

    15 Nov 2025 Melbourne Showgrounds post 545
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    A peek inside the Geely EV

    Nice interior of the Geely EV, at Everything Electric Melbourne. So many EV options available now.

    15 Nov 2025 Melbourne Showgrounds post 546
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    A flipping, rolling cat robot at Everything Electric

    Dancing, flipping, rolling cat robot at Everything Electric Melbourne was a crowd pleaser. No litter box!

    15 Nov 2025 Melbourne Showgrounds post 547
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    Goodbye Gas, helping homes electrify

    Nice to see some services (like Goodbye Gas) available to help homes get off has, upgrading to electric. Better for health, monthly bills, and clean air. At Everything Electric, Melbourne.

    15 Nov 2025 Melbourne Showgrounds post 548
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    Two-wheel EVs at Everything Electric Melbourne

    Some of the many scooters, motorbikes and e-bikes at Everything Electric Melbourne.

    15 Nov 2025 Melbourne Showgrounds post 549
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    Electric police cars at Everything Electric

    A Tesla Model X and Kia EV6, I think.

    15 Nov 2025 post 550
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    Behind the wheel of an electric big rig

    Big wheels keep on turnin’, electrically! Trying out a big rig at Everything Electric show Melbourne

    15 Nov 2025 Melbourne Showgrounds post 551
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    Silo art on the Mallee Highway home

    August 10-11: We initially stumbled upon some silo art, then looked for more, on our way home from South Australia, starting along the Mallee Highway. Amazing.

    11 Aug 2025 Lameroo, South Australia post 576
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    Last overnight stop, in Sea Lake

    Part way through one of the Silo Art trails, yesterday, the sun was setting, so we booked a room at the next town, at the Sea Lake Motel. This is our final overnight stop before driving the remaining 450km to home, today. Last night, almost everything in this small town was closed. The motel stocks refrigerated meals in a vending machine, for people like us stopping in at the last minute. Great idea. We chose a curry, microwaved it in our room, but then realised that the used by date on the two packets was months ago, even though the used by date on the outer packet was fine. We decided not to risk it, and happily made a picnic tea out of our car travel food. We informed the host, just so they knew. It’s the fault of the food company, not the host.

    11 Aug 2025 Sea Lake Motel post 574
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    Bakery breakfast, and a coal-fed NRMA charger, in Wycheproof

    Breakfast and coffee stop at this enticing bakery in Wycheproof. Nice place. The NRMA charger up the road conveys “welcome”. The banners on the fence next to it imply “as long as your electricity comes from coal or gas”, perhaps. Let’s Google it: https://www.google.com/search?q=wind+turbines+generate+intense+electromagnetic+radiation+true+or+false

    11 Aug 2025 Bakery on Broadway post 572
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    The world's smallest mountain?

    I think I saw a sign on the way in: “The world’s smallest mountain”. It’s 42m above the surrounding terrain, and only 147m above see level. But, it still gives a good view of the surrounding countryside.

    11 Aug 2025 Mount Wycheproof post 571
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    The last Anzac slice, near Bendigo

    Our last piece of Anzac slice lasted until the last day of our road trip. Range anxiety – averted. Just passed Bendigo, this view over the “valley of a thousand hills” seemed appropriate.

    11 Aug 2025 Murchison Gap Lookout post 570
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    In a Tesla to Uluru and back: a 5500 km recap

    July 23 - August 11: We drove to the centre of Australia and back in an EV. Using the shortest range EV that Tesla currently builds. If you like a long drive, the scenery is spectacular and sprawling. Wandering the sand dunes and spinifex plains is very peaceful. Sunsets and Uluru are otherworldly. The charging infrastructure in Australia is getting better, but the drive up the Stuart Highway isn’t quite there yet. Thanks to RAA / Chargefox and The NRMA for your work so far on chargers along the Stuart Highway. We need improved reliability. We luckily dodged a few outages. Pimba lost power for a couple of days that made the EV charger unusable, but it fortunately worked during our time there. Glendambo (between Pimba and Coober Pedy) has only a 7kW charger that runs off the town’s diesel generator, and would not initially start, both times we passed through. The NRMA charger at Erldunda Roadhouse, in Ghan, died a couple of days after we visited. But, there’s almost always a plan B for…

    11 Aug 2025 Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park NT post 566
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    From the Barossa to a Singapore chat in Tailem Bend

    We plotted a rough course from the Barossa Valley towards home. First stop at Palmer Lookout, then Tailem Bend, home of a raceway and drag strip, I believe, for “the best coffee in Tailem Bend” from Revival Cafe. At the Tesla super chargers, a couple from Singapore chatted to us about travelling. They hired their Tesla Model Y in Melbourne, drove through South Australia, and are next headed to Sydney in NSW. They have previously hired an EV from Perth and driven down to around Esperance. I told them I’d post their photo to encourage Australians to road trip in EVs in their own country.

    10 Aug 2025 Palmer lookout post 577
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    Lunch at Demi's Kitchen in Pinnaroo

    We took the Mallee Highway to exit South Australia, stopping in Pinnaroo for lunch. Country town, after 2pm, on a Sunday, not much was open. Typing “lunch” into the iPhone’s Maps app, and filtering for “Open Now”, showed Demi’s Kitchen, a few blocks from the center of town. Time for a wander, through the town green. Cute food truck style caravan in her front garden. We took our “super veggie fried rice” and “curry vegetable dumplings” down the road to the Pinnaroo Wetlands park, around the corner from the tractor dealership. All in all, a pretty nice town. Glad we had the chance to explore.

    10 Aug 2025 Pinnaroo, South Australia post 575
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    A sixties throwback at the Lyndoch Motel

    Our home for a couple of nights at The Lyndoch Motel, in the Barossa Valley. Super cute sixties retro theme. The plumbing might need an update, however. We hear the neighbour’s drain through our own. White sneakers from the frunk still have a shade of red earth from the outback.

    9 Aug 2025 The Lyndoch Motel post 581
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    Lunch at Maggie Beer's Farm Shop

    Lunch and a stroll at Maggie Beer’s Farm shop in The Barossa Valley.

    9 Aug 2025 Maggie Beer's Farm Shop post 579
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    Numb Skulls at the Barossa Sculpture Park

    We were exploring the Barossa Sculpture Park, when randomly the Variety Bash cars turned up, including the “Numb Skulls” with the skulls on the boot, whom we met a week ago in Glendambo, on our way to Uluru. Big country, small world.

    9 Aug 2025 Barossa Sculpture Park post 578
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    Topped up in Glendambo — return trip

    Having topped up in Glendambo (see our previous post), we finally made it to Pimba. “Let’s check out Woomera first” – so we turned left and kept driving. The “Pimba” showcase sign featured a train crossing. Living up to the promise, we were immediately stopped at the rail crossing by a long freight train headed south along the Ghan line. At about this point we thought we maybe should have charged up before going exploring, but 10% seemed fine. We followed the GT to overtake the road train, and then turned off into Woomera. We did a lap of the town, with a stop by the rockets and relics of years gone by. This used to be an active RAAF base, with a mixed history of rocket testing and sadly affected lives from radiation exposure. We only saw about three people in the town. We headed back to Spud's Roadhouse in Pimba, plugged into the RAA/Chargefox fast charger, used the facilities, bought a chocolate bar, drank some tea, then decided to keep driving, to stay in Port Augusta tonight.

    8 Aug 2025 Woomera, South Australia post 586
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    Green lawns and EV chargers at Port Augusta

    Leaving the outback behind, we stayed last night at the Standpipe Golf Motor Inn, in Port Augusta. This is the first green lawn we’ve seen in many days. Part of the reason we picked this place is because their online profile says it has EV chargers on site. In our booking comment, we mentioned that we’d want to use the EV charging, since that often helps a host allocate a nearby room. Shortly after, they rang us to say that the chargers were out of action. According to PlugShare, they’ve been offline for a long time. Please get them fixed or remove the listing from your booking profile. In the morning, we crossed the river to the esplanade to grab some breakfast supplies. While parked, we plugged into the RAA/Chargefox EV charger. Very convenient, next to the shops and foreshore, Moreso than the Tesla chargers up the road, which we used last time. We also gave a brief interview to Nick from Yahoo News Australia, about our recent EV charging experience in the outback. I hope the…

    8 Aug 2025 Standpipe Golf Motor Inn post 584
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