Visiting South West WA ............

Once the washing was done and on the line we decided that we would take a walk into town to have a look.  We walked in along the beach front but the freezing wind made this a fairly unpleasant activity.  We did get a surprise though when we saw a young man with his pig playing in the shallows.  Yes, Pig, just like a dog but he didn't seem to like the waves!  No photos sorry.

Leaving the beach we walked up to the Main Street where we found the very old Norfolk Island Pine tree and we read all the inscriptions on the circular seat.  A lovely way to interpret the past.

We continued along the Main Street and soon found our way into a coffee shop out of the wind.  I loved their wall.  How can you not love coffee shops with originality!

We took ourselves home again and settled inside for the rest of the afternoon out of the wind until it was time for dinner.  We had decided that since we were here we would try the fish and chips.  The Red Emperor caught that day was delicious and the chips were good too.

The next morning we had a few things to find to sort out our grey water hose so it was off to a caravan supply shop and Bunnings.  Once that was all sorted we got into tourist mode and went in search of the sights.

Our first stop was Lake Warden were we had a wander along the shore, no birds to speak of and no water just here though in the distance a pink glimpse could be seen.

Next stop was Woody Lake Nature Reserve and as we arrived so did the rain.  Not very pleasant so we left.  Our next stop for lunch was Lake Monjingup and here we found a fabulous park and nature reserve.  The boardwalk track took us through Salt Water Paperbark forests and then into dry area plants.  The Banksia here were lovely.

From there our next stop was the famous Pink Lake.   Not pink at all today but dull grey.  Obviously had something to do with the weather but we were not the only disappointed tourists there that day.

Driving on from there we continued on the coast drive and stopped at 11 mile beach, Ten Mile Lagoon and the Wind Farm lookout.  I was surprised to read that this wind farm was the first commercial facility in Australia.

We continued on to Observation Point and climbed to the top fighting against the roaring wind all the way.  Great views but oh so cold.  This is meant to be summer!  I can see now why it gets the title of the second windiest place in Australia.  No idea who wins first place!

Our last stop was at the beautiful Twilight Beach.  Still cold but we just had to get out of the car and have a look.  With the sightseeing finished we returned to town and did some shopping at the supermarket and returned home again for a quiet night in.

The next morning we packed up and were soon on our way towards Albany.  We had been going to stay in Ravensthorpe but decided instead to keep going and stay in Cheynes Beach for an extra day.  We stopped at Ravensthorpe for a look at the old flywheel in the Lions Park before continuing our journey on.  

Our lunch stop was in a park at Jerramungup where we sat in the van and watched the pouring rain.  No sightseeing here!  We continued on our way with the rain continuing as well and a couple of hours later we had arrived at Cheynes Beach Caravan Park which was to be our home for the next three days.  It seems there are no other options here as every possible camp site has a no camping sign up.  A bit different to home where free campers are catered for very well.

Our first look at Cheynes Beach was as we drove in and it looked spectacular even with the rain.  What a gorgeous little spot, now if only the rain and the wind would stop we could really enjoy it.  We got set up again and settled inside for another quiet night.

Still not used to daylight from 4.30am we were awake early and Bill took his camera for a walk to see if he could find any of the birds known to be in the area.  Emu Wrens, Bristle Birds and Western Whipbird.  No luck this morning but lots of other pretty birdies.

After breakfast we went for a walk down to the beach and with the sun shining today the colours were just beautiful.  

A little later we did the 4 km walk which takes you into Waychinicup National park along sandy tracks to the Back Beach coastline.  From various vantage points you look over Bald Island then coming a bit further around you find The Three Sisters and lastly the Tourist Rocks - why - I've no idea who named them this.  

The first part of the walk is a bird watchers paradise apparently though we did not see any of those pesky little devils.  The coastal parts of the walk are just spectacular and makes you forget how far there is still to go.

Back at home we had lunch and whiled away a couple of hours under the awning.  From my porch I could see the waves through a gap in the trees.  Very therapeutic watching the waves on a lovely sunny day.

A little later we were off again in birdwatching mode again trying to get a photo of the Noisy Scrub Bird.  These little birds run across the road every morning and evening in the same spot so you should be able to just stand and wait.  Well stand and wait we did, for nearly two hours, and did it cross.  Of course it did but not until we had packed up and started to walk home - we did see the two of them racing across the road but only from a distance.  We'll get the little devils tomorrow.

After such a lovely day we hoped the weather would stay like that and the next morning it did.  I got some washing done and on the line before we went out to have a look in another part of the Waychinicup NP.   We drove to the end of Waychinicup Rd and was surprised to find a camp ground but only for tents.  Walking through on a walk trail we found the mouth of Waychinicup River where the river meets the ocean.  It was just beautiful again and a little further along you could look back at the river as it came down to meet the sea.

Leaving here we drove into Albany for Bill to get his hair cut.  As we arrived here so did the rain - again - just like our last camping visit here many years ago.  The Town Hall looks very stately standing on its corner in the older part of town.  

We had a quick drive around but as it was still raining we decided to return home.  A little detour on the way to Betty's Beach where we found another little piece of Fishermans paradise.  A tiny little beach and a few shacks were all that was there.  We braved the very chilly wind to eat lunch and then it was back in the car and home again.

That evening we went back for 'take 2' with the noisy scrub bird.  This time we didn't have to wait long before we saw the first one streak across the road.  Before Bill could get the camera pointed no. 2 followed just as quickly so no pictures again that night.  We will just have to revisit this beautiful little place and try again.

The next morning we packed up and said goodbye to Cheynes Beach and set off on our journey towards Pemberton where we were staying for two days with Rob and Jill.  We had a quick rest stop at Mount Barker before continuing on to Manjimup for lunch.

As we arrived we were surprised by all the traffic and people there.  Seems we had turned up right in the middle of the Cherry Festival.  We had a wander enjoying the fun atmosphere of the festivities before grabbing some lunch and finding somewhere to eat it.  Once finished it was back in the car for the last part of our journey to Pemberton.

We arrived soon after and found a spot to park the van and then we enjoyed an afternoon on the verandah catching up on each other's news.  Bill and Rob got straight into cameras and picture taking while I just chilled out enjoying the quiet.  I even got to pick raspberries the next day though Jill did manage to pick three times more than this learner picker.  Jill certainly spoiled us with a delicious dinner on Saturday night and of course breakfast lunch and dinner on Sunday were fabulous too. And most home grown in her own garden.

After Breakfast on Monday morning we said goodbye to our gorgeous hosts and were on our way again.  We decided that we would drive straight up to Perth and get in one day earlier than planned and so now here we are all set up in Banksia CP in Hazelmere.

Tomorrow we will see the kids and finally meet our new little Grandson, Noah.  We can't wait to see everyone again.

until then.......

To the Nullabor and beyond.......

Waking up bright and early we had breakfast and hit the road again stopping at Iron Knob for a look and a loo.  The little town was quiet and tidy with a great campground, in the memory banks for next time, and with the mines still operating it seems it will survive for a while longer.

Many kms later we arrived at Kimba and found it's claim to fame is that you are halfway across the country.  The board also tells the story of how in 1908 the first permanent settlers planted the first grain and grew the first crops in the district.  As more settlers came to grow crops Kimba was proclaimed a town in 1915.  It goes on to tell us that the surrounding district is now the largest wheat growing area in the driest state, in the driest continent, in the world.

I must say that as we drove that day approaching Kimba and for many hundreds of kms after I was surprised at the amount of grain crops we passed.  Acre after acre of grain and nowhere in sight was any visible means of watering them.  At the SA/WA border Bill read that the average property is one million acres.  I would not to guess how many million acres of grain we had passed but it all looked very healthy and ready to harvest - what a huge job!

One other sight Kimba had to offer was the 'Big Galah' out the front of the Tourist Gift Shop and Bakery.  Why, because they could apparently, there was no explanation anywhere but of course I couldn't not take a photo could I!

Back in the car we drove to the Wundinia where we found another 'Big' thing, a marble sculpture paying homage to the Australian Farmer.  It was impressive to say the least.

We drove on for a while then stopping next at Minnipa for lunch in a local park.  The storyboards here were all about the Gawler Ranges and the Gateway to Minnipa.  Somewhere to put in the memory banks for another time.  Another very quiet and tidy little town.

A couple of hours later we were arriving at our final destination for day 5, Ceduna, and we found a lovely little caravan park on the beach and set up quickly.  We walked along the Main Street and back down to the foreshore and the jetty.  It was terribly windy here and I did not follow Bill out to the end of the jetty once the rail ran out.  I was convinced I would be blown off.

Ceduna seemed to be a lovely town on the coast with plenty of accomodation to cater for the summer holidaymakers.  During the offseason it seems fairly quiet though our park had lots of overnight vans making their way East 

Leaving reasonably early the next morning we headed west for a long day across the country.  We still had fields of wheat either side as we travelled and still not a sprinkler in sight.  Our first stop was at Penong, a very little town but the general store/cafe had a coffee machine - bonus!

Each time I thought we had left the fields of wheat just a bit further on there were more acres upon acres but finally we came across the sign stating 'Eastern edge of Nullabor Plain' and there was no more grain.  In fact not much of anything, though unlike what most people think, it is not bare, the ground is covered by low bushes.  We drove on and on only stopping for lunch at one of the many truck stops along the way.

Our next stop was to follow a sign to a lookout over the Great Australian Bight.  We had stopped here on our last trip in 1977 and there was just a low fence and signs warning of the danger.  Now it is a National Park and fenced safely with a walkway out to the edge and the view is just magnificent!  Standing right on the edge of Australia in the middle of nowhere is another just do almost equal to visiting Uluru.

There were two more lookouts along the way to the border, one 37 kms and the other 96 kms.  We stopped at both and they were set up the same with paths and safe viewing areas.  They all had amazing views.  A third unmarked one also had great views but it was now time to continue on and cross the border.

Of course the border has a quarantine check for any fruit and vegetables and it was only on the way that day that I realised I had a fridge full of these.  I had been so intent on not taking anything into SA that I totally forgot WA had the same restrictions. I had shopped in Adelaide catering for five days meals and we had eaten out twice.  We had eaten some along the way that day but I had to hand over the rest.  Strangely enough they let me keep the carrots and so I managed to throw together something for dinner that night.  Thank goodness for frozen beans and frozen chips!

Crossing the border here is a big non event.  The only sign is very old and looks like it.  We parked here to have a look then walked back over to Border Village which is essentially a roadhouse and truck stop.  The big kangaroo and the signpost invite a photo and once done we crossed back to WA and drove the 12 kms into Eucla where we set up camp for the night.

The Campground here is right on the coast and that night was very cool and blowing a gale.  We stayed inside to keep warm and had an early night after our big drive.  

One thing that did confuse us was the time.  Knowing that WA is 3 hours behind Vic during daylight savings we put our time back but the clocks in both Border Village and Eucla Roadhouse had another time.  Known as Central West Time this is a third unofficial Timezone and is 45 mins ahead of WA time.  We just worked on the time as we know it so got an early start the next morning.

A quick getaway in the morning saw us at Mundrabilla by 7.45am or was it 8.30 am.  And the road trains were getting bigger.

Another quick stop at Madura Roadhouse before driving through Madura Pass and stopping a the lookout at the top for a sweeping view of The Roe Plains.

We continued on stopping at Nullabor Station and then Cocklebiddy to stretch the legs and have a drink.  I loved the population sign here, one of the eight obviously has a sense of humour!

Soon after we passed another sign on the roadside telling us that we were on the 90 Mile Straight.  Australia's longest straight road!  146.6 kms and it seemed to go on forever!

We had stopped for lunch along this section of road at a big truck/van stop and Bill filled the car here from the two jerrycans we had saving us the expense of buying fuel we we got to Balladonia.  It was $1.95 per litre here, the most expensive we had seen so far.  We did stop and grabbed a coffee here and were happy to see that we were all on the same time again.

Back in the car we drove another 100 kms to a campsite Bill had picked out from the camps book.  Ten Mile Rocks is a large free camping area and we settled in for another quiet and early night.  Two big days on the road had tuckered us out.

Up and out early again we were soon in Norseman for fuel, coffee and a look.  I loved the roundabout with the herd of camels. And especially liked the sign at the Post Office - Eyremail!

Leaving here we continued our journey on to Esperance where we stopped.  On the way we passed this tiny little town called Grass Patch and this sign caught my attention.  

In Esperance we found our home and set up for two days here. While Bill got us settled I got the washing done and the wind took care of the rest.  We will explore later.

Until then..........

Westward Ho.....

At last the big day dawned and we were off on our journey west.  With most things packed already it was just a case of putting away our clothes and food while Bill hitched up and then it was farewell to Melbourne for the next couple of months or so.

We were travelling just out of peak hour so had a good run along the freeways and were soon out of the metropolitan area and on our way towards Adelaide.  We stopped for lunch at a park in Beaufort and then continued on our way to our first overnight stop.

We stayed at Little Desert Nature Lodge for the night and were the only people camping there.  Arriving with a couple of hours daylight left it gave us the opportunity to have a walk and we wandered down to Big M's waterhole where Bill had a great time with the many birds coming in for their evening drinks.  A bit like the six o'clock swill really!

On our way early the next day we continued on towards Adelaide stopping at Tintinara for lunch.  I loved the windmill and sculptures in front of the community store.  

We arrived in Adelaide later that afternoon and found our home for the next two days.  Brownhill Caravan Park in Mitcham was a lovely little park beside a creek with good facilities and owners that were right into Christmas.  The whole park was decorated even the trees between our vans had not missed out on her attention.  Very festive.

The next morning we made our way to Flagstaff Hill as we were having brunch with our friends Jill and Grant.  It was good to see them again and we enjoyed being able to relax at home with them.  Our next stop was a shopping centre to stock up for the next few days travels.  Back at home we just chilled out until it was time to walk down the road to The Edinburgh where we were meeting Andrew and Kathy with their daughters Rebecca and Olivia for dinner.  Andrew and Bill worked together for many years.  We had a nice meal and enjoyed seeing them again.

Day 4 saw us leaving Adelaide for the long haul across the country.  In need of a coffee our first stop was a tiny town called Dublin.  Lots of Road trains here.  Great coffee and a friendly guy and it was back in the car to clock up the miles.  We continued on to Redhill, another small country town with an old Pub and not much else.  We found a shady spot and ate our sandwich.  The old school bell outside the Museum was a nice piece of memorabilia.

Driving on we had a quick detour for a drive through Port Pirie, looked like a nice town but we didn't stop until a little bit further down the road we found Harry's place.  This had been recommended to us by Nolan and Josie as having great sauces, pickles and jams and yes we did succumb and left with a jar of Blackberry jam.

Not long after we reached our final destination of the day, Port Augusta Motorhome Park, and settled in for the night.  This is a freecamp run by a local sporting club for self sufficient campers.  $7.00 gives you a place to park safely in an area that does not have too many other options.  

Of course being a 'club' there is a bistro so we decided not to cook and support the local business.  My Chicken Neo was just about the best Parma I have ever eaten!  As usual far too much and I had to leave half, such a shame they all do this, there is so much waste.  The view across to the Southern Flinders Ranges was pretty good too.  Not that my phone photo does it justice!

So I'll say goodnight here until tomorrow's journey.........

A short sojourn at home.....

Back at home the next day we started to sort out all the things that needed attending to during our eight days here.  For the next week we sorted bills, banking and shopped for bits and pieces to make life on the road a little easier.  Bunnings seemed to be Bills favourite shop of the week.  Nothing for me in this lot!

As for the car it went in for a regular service and back the next day to have some super dooper towing mirrors fitted.  Boy are they big!  And it had to have new rear tyres as well the following Saturday.

We also had to organise our Christmas presents to take with us on our journey to Perth so there was some shopping and finally some wrapping done as well.  

Finally we were ready to pack and we took everything down to the van and spent a couple of hours stowing it away ready for a quick getaway on Monday morning.  All we needed now was the food.

The next three days were spent catching up with friends and family.  On Friday we drove to Chum Creek and had a pre Christmas lunch with Astrid and Hans.  A roast turkey dinner at the RAC Club was very Christmassy and very yummy too.

On Saturday we met Joy in the city and we all enjoyed lunch at Lorca's in Central Place.  It was lovely to see her again after so long and we had lots of fun exchanging photos and stories of our grandchildren.  A bit scary isn't it, once it would have been what we did last weekend!

Sunday was Ethan's 10th birthday and the family met at Faye's place for a barbie and we all enjoyed a fun day of food and celebration.  

On Sunday night after dinner we wandered into town to have a look at the Myer Christmas windows.  Since we would be leaving the next day this was our last chance to have a look at them.  We expected that Sunday night after 9.00pm should be quite but were very surprised to see a long queue waiting.  

We lined up and finally got to see Santa Claus and The Three Bears.  As usual it was very well done and I'm glad we made the effort to go.  I'm sure that queue will get longer and longer as it gets closer to the big day.

Walking home past the Town Hall we found a huge crowd and realised the light show must be about to start.  We waited and watched an amazing 10 mins of Christmas around the world.  Once again Melbourne has excelled.  

After the light show we walked across the road to the city (Christmas) square and found the big Christmas Tree and the cute colourful candy canes.

And of course not forgetting the true meaning of Christmas we found this Nativity Scene at the other end.  

It was then we decided it was time to head for home and bed.  Tomorrow it was up early and time to begin our big adventure. We are off to Perth to spend Christmas with the kids and grandkids.  

So until next time from somewhere across Australia...........