AMPOL BATLOW - Before & After

Just a brief post as I am far from motivated to really do anything at this moment in time.
I worked for AMPOL, in a servo near Sydney Airport, for numerous years. Despite those years not being the happiest moments of my existence, I did develop a long held interest in the company (especially their rail operations).
Had previously heard that this little gem still existed in Batlow, so, while in the area checking out the old railway line back in 2013, I stopped by to get a few photos.

Turns out that it was a good decision.
The recent bushfires that ravaged 'New South Wales', destroying so much bush and property, didn't spare beautiful Batlow.
The following shots, taken by Andrew Lawson (and used with permission) show the site soon after the fires ripped through the town.
I believe the servo had seen some changes following my shots above. Regardless, another link to the original AMPOL was lost.
I say original, as the name is about to make a comeback here in Australia.

Thanks to Andrew Lawson for the photos.

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Other Posts Of Little Or No Interest.

Fiji Part 2
Roxas City Sunset - Philippines
Mahon Pool - Maroubra, Sydney

“If you’re being chased by a police dog, try not to go through a tunnel, then on to a little seesaw, and then jump through a hoop of fire. They’re trained for that!”

Roxas City Revisited

Howdee.
Back in the earliest days of this blog, which really wasn't all that long ago, we visited locales of Roxas City (Baybay Beach Sunset) and nearby Panay (an amazingly old church).
Last week, while ferreting through the ridiculously oversized photo collection, I came across a few random (very random) Roxas City shots that were taken during my first visit in 2007.
For want of anywhere else to put them, I decided to throw them up here for the world to endure.
Don't mention it, my pleasure.

Map: Google Maps. Used as per their terms and conditions.

1) The 'View Deck Inn', in lovely downtown Banica, was our choice of residence for our brief stay in Roxas.
Given it was twelve years ago, I struggle to remember much of our stay. However, I do remember there were great views to be had (though this involved climbing up onto an old rooftop deck), a rather large spider in our room, weekend fish market on the street outside (Roxas City is the seafood capital apparently) and a small internet shop downstairs where your checking email becomes the biggest attraction for the local kids. Looking at Goolgly Streetscape, it would seem that the internet shop may have closed down in the years since this visit.
The hotel is also conveniently located across the road from Banica Wharf, where one could catch a Bangka (a scarily old, but awesome sounding, large boat) to other nearby islands. For us, this was to be Jintotolo and Masbate Islands.

2: The view from the deck of the 'View Deck Inn'. This is looking southish, over a relatives house, and what I suspect is a rice plantation at the end of the side street.
The Panay River can be seen dividing the dirt side street and the rice plantation.

Masbate Islands.r view from the inn, this time looking north over Banica Wharf.
The Bangkas can be seen down the road behind the Shell service station (which is still there today). On the left are a few small sari sari stores and a larger dried fish market.

4: 'View Deck Inn' again.

5: 'View Deck Inn' yet again.

6: Older residents, and fellow railway researchers, may be aware that there was once a railway that linked Iloilo City to Roxas City on Panay Island. The main building of Roxas station still existed back in 2007, being reused as a day care centre apparently.
I could only get a couple of photos before being approached by irate locals who took it upon themselves to accuse me of being there to put the railway back. Apparently, in their view, a railway had no place being put on railway land. A view that continually gets in the way of returning a proper transportation service to the island in 2020.

Sadly, I was unable to find any trace of the building in 2020.

7: This old building in Punta Tabuc took my interest, thinking it would be perfect for a model railway (another interest of mine) layout based on the island.
Locals mentioned that it used to be a bank. However, I have not been able to find out anything more.
ADDITIONAL: According to Sir Acevedo Bobsky the bank was built around 1977.
Does anyone know when it closed, or what bank it was?

8: Cassandra Crossing.

The sari sari store in the distance marks where the Panay railway ended, part of a triangle where trains could run around, or locomotive turned. The dirt road is the old railway formation.

9: Cassandra Crossing.
Looking back down the old railway formation towards Roxas City station and eventually over to Iloilo City.

Hope these old shots are of some interest.

I returned to Roxas in 2017 and will cover 

that at another time.

Fiji Part 2

The second installment in our 2006 trip to Fiji.

It is becoming readily apparent that I aimed my camera at many a passing bus, at the expense of photographing much else (other than cane trains).
  Anyway, it is what it is. I desperately wish to go back and see how much it has changed.

One of my favourite shots of a cane train bridge and it does not even include a train.
But how could you not love that old Toyota truck.
Model: DA116
Rego: BT-482

Spent the whole trip looking around for a Bure to take a photo of. I remember my grandparents often talking about staying in one during their regular visits.
I was of the belief that I would see them everywhere, I guess like many tourists expect to see kangaroos roaming Sydney streets :-)
But, it was not until our last day, and through sheer luck down a back road, that we came across the one above. A quick stop of the car, window down, and a fast photo grabbed so as not to freak out whoever was living there.
I could happily return home now :-)

Despite appearances, the bus is passing over another road/rail bridge, on a road that Google does not seem to have named. That is the Queens Road (Saweni) in the background, and we are a few kilometres out of Lautoka.
If I recall correctly, and I very well may not, this was a circular cane line that junctioned (I have a shot of said junction somewhere) closer to Lautoka, served farms on the east side of the Queens Road, before swinging back over the road here, and rejoining the mainline a kilometre or two behind me.
  It had not seen use for some time when we visited, and I am doubtful it has since, with cane fields all but disappeared from the area.
As always, if the last 14 years have clouded my memory, please feel free to let me know and I shall update.

Yet another classic old Fiji bus.
If 'Unicom Network' are still in the same location, this is Naviti Street, Lautoka.
Oh, and if you happen to pass there, you may wish to tell them that their website is not working :-)

Now, one for the Avgeeks.
ZK-PBB was three years old, having been delivered to Virgin Blue (in Pacific Blue livery) as VH-VOP.
Named 'Whitney Sundays', it would operate in Australia until early 2005, when it was ferried to Christchurch and entered the New Zealand registry as ZK-PBB and leased to Pacific Blue.
It would be renamed 'Indian Head' in 2012 and continue in the New Zealand registry until early 2015, when it returned to Australia and it's original registry of VH-VOP.
Today, she remains in service with Virgin Australia. Although, very likely now grounded due to the Coronavirus.

Koronubu Village. Can't remember much about this place, other than we stopped between cane trains and, most importantly, thy had an extra cheesy type of Twisties that I can't recall ever seeing in Australia.
Oh yeah, it was not far from the Toyota truck at the top of this post.

Naickers CY-740 on the Nadi Back Road near the turnoff to the Hotel San Bruno Ltd (believed to now be the Bluelight Village).

DEE CEE's DP-716 departing Lautoka headed to Vuda Marina apparently.

Nothing like an ol Leyland Bus.

A railway hopper, presumably used for perway duties, looks like it has partied a little too hard at the last staff party.

Still a third part to come.

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Fiji Transportation SIG