The Pilbara - Part one

In no hurry to leave Exmouth we dawdled out of the van park and made our way to Charles-Knife Lookout, a great vantage point to farewell the town. After a steep climb (read slow) we were rewarded with an amazing view of the coast each side of Exmouth, as well as the stunning gorges to the sides of the lookout. We once again enjoyed some scones, jam and cream – decadent I know – and then ambled back down the hill and onto the main road. We stopped briefly at Learmonth Jetty; a jetty is the middle of nowhere, for lunch and to repair a ‘no-camping’ sign. Then we hit the highway and travelled some 350kms to House Creek Rest Area with very little to see in between (Michael saw a guy walking a goat – the highlight of this road).  Though there was no creek in sight there was a rather bunged up fourby that had hit a donkey that morning (a testament to Toyota that it was still running).  

Charles-Knife Gorge

The next morning we continued our trek inland towards Tom Price in the East (it sounds weird that inland is east to us East Coasties). We took the shortcut into Tom Price via the dirt road that bypasses Paraburdoo, the first 40kms treated us well, however with a massive mining camp just out of town the last bit of road was rough to say the least. When we finally found the tar again we were quite happy! We raced into town to get to the information centre before closing time at 12:30 – it is a Sunday after all – however being a Sunday they decided to be closed by 11:30 instead, despite their brochure’s advertising and front door stating elsewise. Disappointed, we wandered over to Coles to do a quick shop and somehow ran into our long running travel companions, Shannon and Angie. After a quick carpark catch up and with rain looming, it was time to head bush – Karijini National Park here we come! From the outset we were slightly disappointed with Dales Campground after being delegated where to stay by the slightly grumpy camp host and also having the park fees increased , however one look at the nearby Dales Gorge lookouts was enough to lift our spirits. Fernhook Falls, Circular Pool and the surrounding gorge were stunning, the water also looked extremely inviting, despite the weather starting to head south. The night was fast approaching so we surrendered to usual duties and decided to explore the next day.

Cliche picture at Tom Price - mining country! PS notice how white the hulk is  at the beginning of this trip.

Needing to get our money’s worth due to the increased fees, we decided a camp oven meal was in order. Usually relegated to the coals of a campfire (but not allowed in the N.P.) the obvious choice was to use the gas burners supplied in the communal picnic area. A stunning beef stroganoff made its way to our plates and ended a long day.

Fernhook Falls

We awoke bright and early and despite impending rain clouds packed a backpack and walked to Dales Gorge. Here we began our descent into the gorge on our way to Fernhook Falls. A few photographs followed, however with prior knowledge we knew the place to go was Fern Pool, hidden behind the waterfall and approximately 1km upstream. The clear, still waters was easily accessible with a boardwalk and ladder into the deep. The water was so clear we could see the bottom, as well as small fish just near the ladder. After feeling the water’s temperature we ummed and aahhed about hopping in, eventually deciding it was too beautiful not to. Respecting the wishes of the locals written on a sign, I slowly descended the ladder into the cold. Michael, however, opted for the simpler approach of jumping straight in after his depth gauge (me) had entered. We swam over to the waterfall feeding the pool where we chilled out for a little while. With a few rock platforms we were able to experience the waterfall up close, including the warmth (relative only to the rest of the pool) of the entering water and the power of the water falling – resulting in a great massage. With the cold reaching our bones we felt it time to hop out and continue our adventure.  

Fern Pool

Michael and I enjoying the cool waters of Fern Pool.

 Waiting to warm up a bit more, and for a light drizzle to pass over as we huddled under a tree, we sat and ate some Shapes and a muesli bar, then it was time to head back to the main falls. From here, we could opt to either head back the way we came, or follow the gorge through to Circular Pool. Always the adventurer, we edged our way down the slippery rocks to the gorge floor. The next two hours saw us weaving through the gorge from side to side in an attempt to avoid the water. The walk varied from grassy straights through to rock hopping across the water, edging along the base of the cliff and climbing boulders. By the end we were running low on energy, having hugely underestimated how long we would be, but the view of Circular Pool was stunning and well worth the effort. What we expected to be the worst part of the walk played up to expectations; however seemed to pass by relatively quickly as we powered our way back up the side of the gorge to the top. Now somewhat late for lunch, we walked back to camp and settled in for the afternoon. Once again the meal plan called for a camp oven meal and we were standing by the gas burners that evening – mmm casserole.

Circular Pool

That night we received over 40 mm of rain in the park, causing some of our fellow campers some discomfort, however we were high and dry and ready to explore the rest of the park. After a chat with the campground host and ranger to check the park was all still open we were off to check out some more gorges. Before heading out we went for one last look at Fernhook Falls and decided that our decision to swim and explore the day before had been a great move, as with the rain came a red sediment that turned the once crystal clear waters a murky brown. After listening to a number of grey nomads complain about the state of the gravel road compared to the (longer) bitumen road, we decided not to take their advice and once again decide for ourselves. This resulted in a large number of corrugations, however with the numerous washouts and dry creek beds that were no longer dry and now somewhat of a hazard, the road became far more interesting and our car became far more dirty/ruggedly handsome. After 30km we had managed to cover the car in red mud right the way from the tires up to the top of the camper thanks to a couple of high speed puddles.

Mud!

Our first stop was Joffre Falls, a stunning piece of nature with a lookout viewing the waterfall and river/gorge below. A bit further up the road was Knox Lookout with a view not suitable for those with a fear of heights or vertigo. This lookout gave us a glimpse onto the spectacular gorges found in the western side of Karijini. Michael and I found ourselves wishing we had abseiling tickets with some great tracks on offer. Instead we settled with a few photos and were on our way to the next collection of gorges.

Knox Lookout.

We visited Oxers Lookout after a brief look at Junction Pool. Oxers Lookout is often referred to as one of Australia’s best lookouts, with a vantage point allowing you to look over the junction of four gorges. In just one single viewing you can get an idea of how hard Mother Nature has worked to form the land we live in. Each crack, crevice and colour represent thousands of years and make you appreciate the scene in front of you and how it was formed. Wanting to get up close and personal, we went for a walk through nearby Weano Gorge. This ended up being a smaller, easier and not quite so majestic version of Dales Gorge, however was well worth the effort. The trail saw us once again hugging cliffs, rock hopping and barely keeping our shoes dry as we avoided the swollen waters of the river below. Seeing debris stuck in the trees at shoulder height provided an indication of how high the water level can get and how dangerous these gorges can be in poor weather.

One of the views from Oxers Lookout.

After enjoying some reheated stroganoff for lunch it was time to hit the road with an ambitious target of reaching Millstream Chichester National Park for the next couple of days. With Hammersley Gorge just a couple of kays off the road we had a quick stop in and wandered up the waterfall. We were tempted with a swim at the base of the falls, however the murky water and lack of sunlight within the gorge detracted from its glory and encouraged us on our way before it got dark. I heard it said once that no gorge in Karijini is like another, that each has its own special thing and they are all worth a look. I agree with this sentiment ten-fold and now believe that the epic drive in was well worth it.

The crossing that stopped us in our tracks - no way were we crossing this large and flowing river at night!

The road to Millstream Chichester N.P. was rocky, rutted, wet and corrugated, making for a great drive. A random patch of reception had the phones going crazy, however allowed us to book in with mates in Karratha for a couple of days’ time. The overnight rains continued to hamper our progress as we slowed for each washout, and as the sun started to set the road became almost treacherous in parts as we headed west. A swollen river crossing spelt the end of the journey for the day, however was a welcome excuse to pull up on the side of the road and call it a night. Luckily another caravan had done the same, confirming that the wait till morning would be the best option. Millstream Chichester N.P. will have to wait another day…

Look at some of the mud we've collected!

Lesson of the Week: Sometimes you have to put in the hard yards (or kms), but in the end you are rewarding for your efforts.

Exmouth and Whale Sharks

We arrived in Exmouth bright and early, took the camper off and drove Bruce to the mechanic, all by 8.30 in the morning.  We were once again legging it, however it was a lot easier in Exmouth given the size of the town. We spent the majority of the day lazing around and utilising the kitchen. I made some chocolate muffins, we ate some chocolate muffins and before long it was happy hour. We did manage to go for a stroll along the beach that day, which was nice.

Three Islands Tour Boat and us snorkeling!

The next day we were up at the crack of dawn and soon found ourselves waiting at reception for the courtesy bus to our Whale Shark Tour. That’s right folks we were going to swim with the largest fish in the sea! Soon after we were at Tantabiddi Boat Ramp, being ferried over to our cruise ship for the day by a glass bottom boat, with a very eccentric skipper. We had already met Meg and Alex on the bus ride out and were shortly greeted by Josh, Nat and Tom, our crew for the day. I should also mention we met Neville, our tender (boat) for the day. It didn’t take long before we were kitted out in wetsuits, flippers and snorkels, which meant time for our first snorkel. As the weather conditions were perfect (what a change!) we were able to go to the outer reef, where more soft corals and bigger sea creatures, eg sharks, can be seen.  The water on the outer reef was also a stunning 27 degrees!

Getting ready to go - gosh we look good in wetties!

Our first swim heralded some stunning scenery with beautiful bright corals and fish in abundance. Eventually it was time to reboard the boat and start the real adventure! Spotter planes were sent up to start looking for whale sharks whilst we had the staff explain all the safety instructions as a puppet show. Part way through we were rudely interrupted by a whale shark swimming under the boat – a fair uncommon occurrence! It didn’t take long before another whale shark was spotted and then we were off trying to find its location. Along the way we managed to spot a Manta Ray and a Sea Snake.  This “little guy” (roughly 6 metres)  was found near the reef, this does not usually happen as they prefer the deeper waters of the open ocean. Before long we were swimming next to this gentle giant and absolutely gobsmacked by the majestic scene in front of us. Suddenly from out of the blue a logger head turtle appeared (roughly 1.5 metres) we were all taken aback by this, including the Whale Shark who took a double take before continuing on its way. I will say that flippers are a must when swimming with these guys as then can move very swiftly. You seem to forget how much you’re swimming to keep up as the sight is mesmerising, you also forget about any possible dangers such as sharks, who pale in comparison to the size of a whale shark.   

Sometime later saw us back of the boat trying to avoid the wind at all costs, wetties are great for the water, not so good for the wind. Our previous conversations with tourists on these tours were generally about two things, the whale sharks and the food, morning tea certainly didn’t disappoint and had us full of energy ready for our next venture. The spotter planes had found something not to be missed – a pod of Orca Whales, rarely seen on Ningaloo reef. With the crew as excited as we were (they hadn’t seen the orca whales on Ningaloo) it was full speed ahead to try and catch these guys in action. Luckily we didn’t see them in full action, as apparently they come to the reef to hunt baby humpback whales to eat their tongues and play with their carcasses. That lovely thought aside, we eagerly watched them show off.

Part of the Orca pod, with Neville the Super Tender in the far left.

There were two males with the pod, another anomaly.  They had massive dorsal fins and at times had us thinking we were a part of the next free Willy film. We continued watching these guys for a while, as they scare off wild life on the reef, and enjoyed eating lunch heading northward towards other marine life found by the spotter plane. So far it’s felt like we’ve been on our own in the waters, to begin with there was not a boat in sight and eventually when they were spotted they were so far from the action – the benefits of a company utilising their own spotter plane.

Free Willy eat your heart out!

Along the way we saw a hammerhead shark and even some humpback whales, one springing into the air and swiftly snapping back into the water – amazing, though impossible to photograph! Next up, more swimming with Whale Sharks.  The shark was spotted surfacing in the deeper waters off Ningaloo. When we hopped in the water we found out that the shark was circling in an attempt to catch its feed – krill.  Turns out some of these guys mistake the bubbles made by swimmers as schools of krill, which was the case when we entered the water – our bubbles look delicious. This made for a much easier swim, although a tad confusing of who was following who. After what seemed like ages it was time for the next group to have a go, however the shark decided it liked us and had to be persuaded by one of the instructors to go the other way. It didn’t take long before we were back with the whale shark again. Whale Shark, being negatively buoyant,  tend to drift downwards as then swim, often not rising again for several hundred metres, this one however found ten seconds enough – she seemed to be as scared of the dark as we were, which resulted in a long swim, some awesome photos and an amazing glimpse of how huge a whale sharks mouth is!

With the day drawing to a close this turned out to be our last swimming with these fascinating creatures. This was our chance to get out of our wetties, into some dry clothes and enjoy our final feast – afternoon tea. On our way back to the boat ramp we kept our eyes peeled and were rewarded with the sight of a humpback whale and her calf, this was once again a great sight, and was also nice knowing the orca whales were several kilometres to the south.  We said goodbye to the reef, wonderful staff and all the animals we saw.

We were dropped back at the van park and were exhausted. After a lovely long shower and a quick feed we were off to bed.

The next day we picked up Brucie, did some more cooking – Devonshire tea was in order – and just enjoyed the laid back feel of Exmouth. We absolutely enjoyed our time here and will happily return one day.

Lesson of the week: Sometimes you need to splurge. 

Coral Coast Part 2

Arriving in Denham saw us hit the net first thing (it had been a couple of days) followed by a visit to the information centre once it had opened (early mornings and W.A. towns don’t exactly go hand in hand). Finding out that Francois Peron National Park had been closed due to the rain was not exactly what we wanted to hear, however seeing and hearing the distaste of the German backpackers next to us that there is NO free camping anywhere on the peninsula made us feel like we could be doing a lot worse. Also turns out that the previous nights rain was the most rain this year. Our fate chosen, we continued on to Monkey Mia where we chose to book into the caravan park early to avoid disappointment. Relieved to hear that it was normally quiet this time of year, we settled in early to do some washing, sorting and chilling out. By the evening however, the unpowered campsites had turned into more of a caravan park with all the backpacker vans piling in with no other options (and the odd troopy and 4wd in the same boat as us having been denied access to the N.P.).

Randy the resident Green Sea Turtle

Turns out Monkey Mia is not just about feeding some dolphins for the tourists, but instead a major hub for scientific research on all marine animals in the region, including turtles, dugongs, tiger sharks and of course the bottlenose dolphin. That night one of the researchers put on a talk about the current research on the local turtles, including Randy who we had seen earlier in the day chilling out by the jetty. It was really cool to learn about these chilled out creatures of the sea and how they behave, with an interesting analogy to the wolves and elk of Yellowstone National Park in the USA (farfetched but actually relevant, trust an American to make it all about themselves). It was also awesome having access to “turtle cam” – a go-pro camera temporarily glued to a turtle’s back. I cannot remember laughing so hard at something so simple. Oh as a result of our new found love of turtles we now have a new travelling companion – Mia the green sea turtle – Russell and Hubert weren’t fussed at first about another girl, but they’ve come around after a few happy hours and now fight over who gets to stay in the cabin with her.

Resident Emu at Monkey Mia Caravan Park - obsessed with The Hulk, and a Border Collie pup (not in a friendly way)

The famed dolphin feeding of Monkey Mia was first thing the next morning and saw us getting up bright and early to make sure we didn’t miss a thing – another good reason to stay in the caravan park. After a slow start with the dolphins having a scratch on the nearby moorings they eventually decided they would grace us with their presence. Up to three times a day dolphins are fed from the shorelines and visitors are allowed to walk into the shallows of the ocean and watch as the dolphins playfully swim by and bid for viewers’ affections. Three out of the six dolphins that are fed appeared and came right up to the shore, presenting a great opportunity for some photos. A few other dolphins showed up but didn’t get a feed, just some much wanted attention. Eventually it was time to pry ourselves away from the water and pack up with no idea about where we were heading, except away from our expensive $30 accommodation.

Dolphin feeding at Monkey Mia

We first stopped in at little lagoon and followed a track to the mouth, the water was crystal clear and you could understand why people loved swimming here. We then started toward Denham, however noticed a car slowing down in front on the N.P. entrance. Suddenly there was a small ray of hope, we slowed down and discovered that the park was open – Huzzah! We went in and were eager to start the sand driving before the dream would end and rangers would close the park again. We let the tyres down low (best facilities around – the park supplied deflating and inflating equipment for free) and chatted to some people leaving the park to find out the best spots and to surprise them with the fact that the park had been closed. They laughed and were on their way, soon we were too. We drove for quite some time through soft sand, corrugated sand and small patches of clay pans, great stuff. We checked out the camp grounds along the way and then headed to the Tip, Cape Peron. Although this was a beautiful place, the highlight was around the corner at Skipjack Point where there was a boardwalk and platforms on the edge of the cliff face above the ocean. We spotted fish, a small tiger shark and a pod of manta rays, which was awesome. Fast fact – manta rays like to leap from the water and dive back in again, kind of like dolphin but with less grace. Eventually we tore our eyes off the water and headed to South Gregories, after a quick chat with Shannon and Angie who we met on the cape and had previously spotted at Cape Le Grand N.P. and Pemberton.

South Gregories was a nice camp, right next to the water. The contrasting red sand/rocks with the blue of the ocean was surreal but oddly beautiful. The one thing that wasn’t so lovely however, was the sand-flies lurking in that red sand. By the end of the night we were covered in bright red splotches. Being the master chef that I am I occasionally get a bit distracted and drop a few scraps here and there (sometimes on purpose to see what’s around). On our way to the bathroom (surrounding scrub) to brush our teeth, we noticed our scraps being clawed at by a rather large and funky looking crab. We harassed him for a while with the camera, however the rain set in and we quickly went inside. Another wet and windy night ensued. In the morning we said our goodbyes to our neighbours and set off towards civilisation. Once again we had to skirt around a road closed sign to exit the park. We felt very privileged to be able to get into the national park in the first place, and although we only had a brief visit it was stunning and removed that “what if/if only” factor. 

At least he's eating his vegetables?! Crab at South Gregories Camp.

We did miss out on a last look over the crystal clear water, however the weather once again had other plans and that mill pool we were looking for was choppy, hiding the animals and beauty below its churning waves.  We stopped in at the info centre to confirm our suspicions that the wet weather had once again closed several roads and activities, and as a result we decided it was time to leave Shark Bay in search of sunnier pastures up north.  A long drive followed and we found ourselves in need of a place to sleep, we first stopped in at a rest area with an impressive vista, being the only hill in the region, but feeling a little exposed we chose to move on. However we first took a look at the couple of random piles/sculptures previous travellers had left, including a newly formed gnomesville.  We ended up at a rest area roughly 80 kms out of Carnarvon, not too shabby for a free camp.

Gnomesville lookout!

The next day we headed into Carnarvon. We stocked up and then caught up with an Alice mate – Kerri/Kez. Kerri, true to form, was drinking a beer when we arrived, pondering over her new noise abatement order given to her by the police the night before. Kez gave us a leisurely tour of Carnarvon taking in the jetty, a quaint café, the small big banana, a giant satellite dish (supposedly used to supply Carnarvon with porn) and to Bumbaks a seriously wicked plantation with the best smoothies in Australia, potentially the best ice-cream too.  We headed back for a couple of drinks, talked about the good old days of Alice (even though they aren’t that old) and wished we had mmore time in town, however with the silly season up north we had to prebook our campsites in Cape Range N.P. and as a result had no time to linger. We said our goodbyes and left for another long journey with a late night stopover in a rest area. Credit goes to W.A for supplying great rest areas along their highways.

Michael, Kez and I. 

The next morning we were in Coral Bay, anticipating a 4x4 track we had read about and had been warned about “the dreaded Yardie Creek Crossing” at the end, a soft sand tidal crossing. We let our tyres down and prepared for the worst, knowing there had been a lot of rain recently in the area that would make the track tricky. Turns out our fears were unjustly brought upon us, 4 hours of corrugations later (bit monotonous eventually) we found a bit of mud and then crossed the river mouth, little more than a dry sandy track. We were gobsmacked for the next couple of hours over how easy it was.  We did enjoy seeing the ocean and the goats along the way, some camp sites also looked stunning and will be a must do next time. We had a brief look at the creek then settled in for the night at Yardie Creek Camp Ground in Cape Range National Park. The camp host encouraged us to attend a camp happy hour at 5 and we chatted merrily as the sun slowly dropped into the ocean.

Our Setup at Yardie.

A Whip Snake found at camp.

Next door to us was a Dutch couple who were seeing Australia the real way, in a kitted out troopy, not a backpacker van that sleeps 12. It was great talking to some likeminded people with similar plans, shame they were on a tight time schedule or we would have had some tour buddies.  I also spoke with a family who had been out on Ningaloo Reef with the Whale Sharks who had booked with the same company we would soon be going out with. I’m glad we had already booked because the swim was the talk of the camp for the next few days. I found it hard to keep my excitement at bay. Turned out this family also lived on the Central Coast – Peach Orchard Road Fountaindale – currently the closest yet that we have met on the road.

Yardie Creek Gorge

The next morning we strolled along Yardie Creek and followed the gorge to find rare rock wallabies and osprey. We then headed to Kurrajong Camp to spend the night, we tried our hand at fishing (no luck, but at least no one else was catching either), walked along the beach and had another lovely happy hour with the neighbours. We spent the next day meandering along the coastline of Cape Range. We looked at the picture perfect waters off Turquoise Bay and eventually stopped at Mesa Camp for the night. Another beautiful spot, with the beach beside us and the ranges in the background. We wandered the beach and Michael practised casting whilst I tried to catch glimpses of the brightly coloured green crabs on the rocks. We absolutely loved our time at Cape Range and found it impossible not to relax with the beautiful beaches, stunning gorges and surrounding rocks, however all good things must come to an end. We needed to get to Exmouth for The Hulk to have yet another “doctor” visit and more importantly to go swimming on Ningaloo Reef with Whale Sharks and who knows what else! Can not wait!

Crabs near Mesa Camp.

Lesson of the week: Don’t take people’s word on everything – experience it for yourself, even if corrugations aren’t your thing

Coral Coast Part 1

The next morning we packed up early and headed north. Firth stop was Lancelin, a town that’s not much of anything, but is well recognised for its surrounding sand dunes that tower over everything nearby. We explored the dunes, ran down several and wished that we had a boogie board with us to slide down them (there’s always next time!). After being sufficiently covered in sand we decided that it was time to move on and headed to The Pinnacles. The Pinnacles Desert is roughly 190 hectares and contains thousands of limestone pinnacles (weird tall rock heebys), some are up to 5 metres high, and is absolutely stunning to look upon. The stark relief of the pinnacles against the backdrop of the sand dunes creates a mesmerising landscape, where the colours are constantly changing. We felt dwarfed at times walking through these huge stones and also took great delight being able to take the Hulk winding through the desert.  The Pinnacles is definitely worth a look, be it at sunset, sunrise or somewhere in between. As quite often happens, plans to return at sunset were hampered by the cloud cover, however with a dozen or so 'sunny' pictures from lunchtime on the camera we were happy with our visit.

That night we headed to Sandy Cape Recreation Park – quite a way from The Pinnacles, however in Western Australia everything is pretty far from everything else so in comparison it was just around the corner.  Of course we couldn’t settle without checking out the WHOLE site and exploring the various tracks that arose, but that turned out to be for the best. We met a lovely couple who admired our rig whilst we admired theirs and then we all started to talk about where to go and what to see (the Camps books were out in seconds!). It was nigh on dusk before we settled and finally went for a walk on the beach. The coastline of Western Australia is beautiful; we are yet to find a beach we don’t like.

The next day we decided to head inland to Stockyard Gully National Park – well known for its caves. Now that Michael and I have traversed several caves we think we are budding young cavers who should explore these dark mysterious places where ever possible! The main cave was amazing as it followed the course of a river (but currently dry). We were able to walk through the cave from one side to the other immersing ourselves in complete darkness – though thankfully we took some torches with us and avoided being lost in the cave forever. Once out we also looked at a couple of the surrounding caves. The curious thing about caves in the outback is bees go wild for them and you often spot hives along the cave entrance walls. Well we found one cave with literally thousands of bees on its walls. It was spectacular yet also quite scary. Although 4wd is recommended, we found the way in was fine, the way out to the north however was quite sandy and needed all four wheels spinning to get us through. We took a few quick photos and set off to spend the night at Green Head North, a camp spot that came highly recommended.

We were soon nestled in amongst some trees with a fire blazing, oh and did I mention that we were only metres from the ocean?! Pretty sweet. The next day we were in Geraldton, poor Brucie had to go to the mechanics (we’d already racked up enough km’s for a full service) and we were legging it around town for the rest of the day. For some silly reason we thought it would be a pleasant walk from the mechanic back to town, some 5+ km’s of noisy main roads later, slightly sunburnt I might add, we made it to town and headed straight to maccas :/ We explored Geraldton and then eventually taxied back to Brucie and left town. Geraldton 4x4 are now my favourite mechanics – they leave a tub of lollies on your dash to thank you for going there (and a sneaky bumper sticker on the tow bar)! That night we rolled into Coronation Beach rather late, searched for a site by torch light and were soon in bed.

The next day we were up early as we had a lot of ground to cover – the story of W.A. We followed the coast for a while and soon were in the country, still driving. We briefly stopped at a couple of rest areas and then eventually turned off into Shark Bay World Heritage Site. First stop was Hamelin Pool, a truly bizarre place in the middle of nowhere that provides a window into our past and possibly our existence. Hamelin Pool is home to a large population of Stromatolites, considered living fossils since they have not really changed in the last 3.5 billion years of existence as the world’s first single celled organisms, that are also believed to be the cause of oxygen in the atmosphere and are consequently the reason for our being. After a relatively lacklustre appearance by them at Lake Thetis (Cervantes) (there were a couple of colonies that looked like pebbles…) Hamelin Pool’s population was far more interesting, complete with Mr Stumpy the resident Stromatolite on the interpretive signs talking about his “cousins” and “dead ancestors”.  A pretty strange idea when they look like this:

On the way out we briefly stopped at the caravan park (term used loosely) and talked to one of the fellows there. Word on the street is that there is currently a ten month wait to camp at Steep Point (western most point of Australia) and the ferry trip to Dirk Hartog Island will set you back several hundred dollars and also a lengthy wait (operates once a day, if you have a trailer you are too long). Turns out our noncommittal approach to this optional extra worked well, and so we settled for the most westerly town in Australia instead (Denham). Maybe next time we’ll come prepared?!

Our 'camp site' at Whale Bone Bay.

That afternoon saw us settle in one of the council administered camp grounds, Whale Bone Bay. Although not necessarily part of the grounds we locked the hubs, followed a track around the headland and found ourselves our own slice of paradise, just ten metres from the water. Absolutely stunning. That night saw a massive downpour of rain and huge gusts of winds. In the morning our track had turned into a small river and we were trudging the Hulk through several puddles, much to his and our delight.  The road closed sign was easy to skirt around on our way out, albeit a bit troubling. We decided we’d figure it all out at Denham.  

Lesson of the week: Once is never enough, another trip and another season is in order.

Perth and Surrounds

First stop was Donnybrook, a town that was known for their apples and maybe went a bit overboard telling people this with apple street lights, apple pictures everywhere, apples carved into the park bench and the largest free playground in the southern hemisphere peppered with apple icons eg when going down the slide it split into three sections Granny Smith, Fuji or Pink Lady, not to mention the giant welcoming apple mascots.  Anyway I made use of the slide, swings and multiple climbing gyms and then it was time to go.

Next stop Bunbury, a town to stock up and move along from. Well that was the plan, however whilst walking down ‘cappuccino strip’ we spotted a blackboard advertising a Gyroscope gig that evening. Michael and I decided this was not a chance to be missed so set up in the van park nearby and wandered into town for the show. Turns out even though the doors opened at 8 and there was a supporting act, Gyroscope didn’t start playing until 10.30 - almost three hours past our usual bed time and long enough to have the pub full of rowdy young fans! The gig was awesome! We walked back to the hulk quite merry at some ungodly hour of the night (not to mention that it was less than 10 degrees).  Continuing the party in the camp kitchen with some wine, crackers and cheese complemented the night perfectly.

We're practically famous! This is us with Daniel Sanders - Gyroscope Front Man!

The next morning we wandered over to the beach and saw dolphins frolicking in the water nearby. After a heap of photos we headed north to Rockingham. Here we went to Penguin Island and traversed the seas on a glass bottom boat looking for Dolphins and Sea Lions. We only saw one lonely Sea Lion who was too fat to be interested in the female of the species (currently breeding season up north), however we did see a pod of dolphins in the bay who chose to surf in the wake of the boat, this was especially fun when the skipper put his foot to the floor doing “wheelies” and playing the Beach Boys. We also got to see little penguins being fed. Fun fact the penguins at Penguin Island are fed dead fish because they are too scared of the live ones.

We left Rockingham and headed north to Michael’s Uncle Keith’s place in South Perth. It was great to catch up/meet Keith, Ann, Matthew and Nicholas. It was also good fun to watch the local soccer game, go to the local Chinese Restaurant and sleep in a real bedroom. Yay. We also got addicted to a new game – Spot It – although potentially aimed at the young ones this game is seriously addictive and we will be investing in a deck in the near future.

Michael, Keith, Matthew and Nicholas.

The next day we visited our mate Caragh, who we met in Alice Springs. Her guest house was a welcome respite from camping and the city bustle. What was a couple of days turned into an almost week long stay as we got side tracked by the city and not completing our odd jobs. We caught up with another Alice mate – Celeste – and we all had a night on the town, side note I ate potentially the world’s best pizza that night. We visited Hillary’s Boat Harbour and explored the jetties, then went to Kings Park for amazing city views and also explore Perth.  We also went on a cruise to Fremantle (thanks Anna for the awesome birthday present!) and went on a tour of the World Heritage Listed Freo Prison. The prison was originally built by the first convicts to arrive in Western Australia and from then on was a functioning prison until 1991 when the prison was finally deemed unsuitable for inmates. Caragh also had a couple of kayaks so Michael and I went for a paddle on the Swan River – Superb. 

Caragh, Celest, Bonzai and Liora Reporting for duty!

After far too long sitting on our backsides enjoying the “finer things in life” we decided that we needed to rough it in the Swan Valley Wine region. So we said our farewells to our Perth mates, to the guest house and to Caragh’s amusing pets (Ella the hyper Labradoodle, Molly the clothes wearing elderly pup and Stew the rabbit that thinks he’s a dog) and set off. Swan Valley didn’t eventuate in any more wine( not through a lack of trying!), however our food stores are now brimming with delightful dukkah, rich rocky road, charming cheese, meaty olives and a bottle of smooth Canefire Bourbon. That night we camped by Moore River Bridge, thus ending our fancy week with a free campsite on the side of the highway and a drop toilet that was quite on the nose. Woohoo!

Goodbye Perth!

Lesson of the week: Two is company, but three (four or even five) is definitely not a crowd, It just makes more fun!