Our four-wheel drive trip to Tunnel Creek was cancelled as our advice from the other happy campers around us was that the road was rough and even though we'd make it, they wouldn't take their good four-wheel drives in, plus the aboriginal guy that runs the Tunnel Creek entry point isn't always there if the mood takes him. So we decided on a day of rest and relaxation at Fitzroy Crossing. And as the town doesn't offer very much action, and the Information Centre was closed that could have advised us on any possible activity that might have been happening, we didn't have much choice than to put our feet up and chat to the neighbors (Kevin is really getting good at this).
We did discover a Bower Bird that had built a nest on the ground in the park. Apparently they gather heaps of bits and pieces and build a 'bower' to attract the ladies. This one spent hours and hours decorating and redecorating with heaps of shells, feathers, polystyrene, a small medicine cup and several cable ties. He put stuff in and then would rearrange and move it all around until he was happy with it's placement (I thought he acted like a very frustrated interior designer but Kevin insists this is normal Bower Bird behavior). Kevin reckons he's coming back as a Bower Bird because all they have to do is a bit of housework, mate with whichever and however many ladies they choose, then they send the girls off to rear their children, and they don't even pay any maintenance! What a life!! The only drawback is that he does have to do a very silly dance to attract the ladies, and Kevin doesn't dance!
I'd like to make a statement at this point in the trip as to an issue that I have identified about the caravanning life. We (I) have decided that a few adjustments need to be made to certain caravan behaviour! If Kevin leaves the door open one more time and let's insects in, I will be chasing him with the can of fly spray instead of the thousand insects that invade through the crack in the ajar door! Last night I was in fact chased by a very large insect with extremely lengthy, pointed and (I'm fairly positive) poisonous stingers attached to its rear. This insect had managed to enter the caravan through the open fly screen door, and had made a bee line for me. It took half a can of fly spray and a lot of jumping and squealing on my part to exterminate the enemy! My question is, "why pay for screens for the door if you don't intend to close them?" I just thought this issue needed to be aired.
And so it was time to leave Fitzroy Crossing and head towards Kununurra. We'd been told by quite a few people not to stop at Halls Creek, which would have broken up the trip, so we had a very long day ahead to drive 629 Ks to the next safe place to stop overnight.
As we passed through Halls Creek we pretty quickly identified why we'd been advised to keep going at Halls Creek! To say the place was dodgy would be an understatement. We got fuel, after lining up at the one bowser that was working along with about 10 other cars, and then we high-tailed it out of there. Lunch was on the side of the road at a rest stop, and we made another fuel stop at Turkey Creek, an ice-cream stop at Doon Doon Roadhouse, and then we headed down the final 111 Ks to Kununurra.
We arrived at the Caravan Park, and thank goodness I had booked, as the park was completely booked out!! The staff were really helpful and we even managed to book some tours before they closed for the night. We plan to spend about 5-6 days here doing all the Kimberley sightseeing stuff before we head across the border to the Northern Territory.
Sunday, 26 June 2011
Friday, 24 June 2011
Goodbye Broome, hello Fitzroy Crossing
We've been on the road now for nearly seven weeks and I think I'm slowly becoming accustomed to the BumbleF**k life. You know you've been in the wilderness too long when the sign on the toilet wall "please close the lid to keep the frogs out" doesn't fase you any more, and you no longer go looking for every little bug that might be lurking when you do in fact use that toilet!
We have spent the last eight days in Broome, so it was finally time to say goodbye and head out towards Fitzroy Crossing and the Kimberley region.
Our last day in Broome was pretty cruisey, we did our small shopping run, had our normal coffee requirements for the day, Kevin did his normal chatting to the neighbours thing and we generally relaxed. Then as the sun started to get lower in the sky, we headed to the Sunset Bar on Cable Beach (along with a couple of hundred others who had the same idea), and with a glass of wine in hand, I watched the last sunset on Cable Beach.
Kevin decided he had a burning desire for fish and chips from Blueys, so we headed into the town to get a modest order (as opposed to the total overindulgence of the last fish and chip effort). So with fish and chips under our belts (which have been let out a few notches) we decided on an early night so we can get away early for our trip to Fitzroy Crossing.
It was an early start to get to Fitzroy Crossing. We headed off after saying goodbye to the friends we'd made. The road to Fitzroy Crossing provided us with some amazing scenery. Boab trees, ant hills, lots and lots of green everywhere, and river crossings with water in abundance. We crossed Cockatoo Bridge and a huge flock of cockatoos, as if on cue, flew across in front of us. Two brolgas were just randomly standing on the side of the road and then we crossed a one-lane bridge where a crocodile had just been sighted in the river below -we really are in Kimberley country.
We stopped off at the Willare Bridge Roadhouse for fuel, but as the toilet was full of dear little old ladies off a bus tour who were flat out discussing the lack of locking facilities on the toilet doors, and how they had timed their 'wee stop' for the window of opportunity after their morning tea and before the next bus arrived, I made my excuses and used the loo in the van instead.
We turned off and onto the Great Northern Highway to Fitzroy Crossing, and we came to another photo opportunity at a giant boab tree, where we had a slight issue over whether or not it was actually worth photographing -and where I swear Kevin shook his head at me (right up there with rolling his eyes). So with a chilly silence filling the vehicle, we hit the road again.
All was forgiven by the time we stopped for lunch - not forgotten just forgiven. We pulled up at a 24hr parking spot and it looked like Central Station there with heaps of caravans and tour groups. I think I'd rather park in a Caravan Park, it is almost less crowded. A quick drink, and lunch and then we're on the road again. We needed to get to Fitzroy River Lodge in time to get a powered caravan spot - damn battery!!
We managed to secure the last powered site available at Fitzroy River Lodge and then headed in to check out the information centre in town. Then centre was closed and wouldn't re-open for three days, so we figured we'd have to do our tour information online. We noticed a tour of Geikie Gorge was happening in 20 minutes, so we headed out in the hope of catching the last trip of the day. Success, we set off up the Gorge with an aboriginal guide doing the commentary. It was a fantastic trip, with crocodiles watching us from the bank, it was great fun. The scenery was amazing and the light at this time of the day was great.
So then back to the caravan to prepare for our trip to attempt the 4-wheel drive track out to Tunnel Creek tomorrow. We've decided to test out the Navara and the nerves. I'm guessing there will be head shaking, rolling of eyes and several expletives before tomorrow is over!!
We have spent the last eight days in Broome, so it was finally time to say goodbye and head out towards Fitzroy Crossing and the Kimberley region.
Our last day in Broome was pretty cruisey, we did our small shopping run, had our normal coffee requirements for the day, Kevin did his normal chatting to the neighbours thing and we generally relaxed. Then as the sun started to get lower in the sky, we headed to the Sunset Bar on Cable Beach (along with a couple of hundred others who had the same idea), and with a glass of wine in hand, I watched the last sunset on Cable Beach.
Kevin decided he had a burning desire for fish and chips from Blueys, so we headed into the town to get a modest order (as opposed to the total overindulgence of the last fish and chip effort). So with fish and chips under our belts (which have been let out a few notches) we decided on an early night so we can get away early for our trip to Fitzroy Crossing.
It was an early start to get to Fitzroy Crossing. We headed off after saying goodbye to the friends we'd made. The road to Fitzroy Crossing provided us with some amazing scenery. Boab trees, ant hills, lots and lots of green everywhere, and river crossings with water in abundance. We crossed Cockatoo Bridge and a huge flock of cockatoos, as if on cue, flew across in front of us. Two brolgas were just randomly standing on the side of the road and then we crossed a one-lane bridge where a crocodile had just been sighted in the river below -we really are in Kimberley country.
We stopped off at the Willare Bridge Roadhouse for fuel, but as the toilet was full of dear little old ladies off a bus tour who were flat out discussing the lack of locking facilities on the toilet doors, and how they had timed their 'wee stop' for the window of opportunity after their morning tea and before the next bus arrived, I made my excuses and used the loo in the van instead.
We turned off and onto the Great Northern Highway to Fitzroy Crossing, and we came to another photo opportunity at a giant boab tree, where we had a slight issue over whether or not it was actually worth photographing -and where I swear Kevin shook his head at me (right up there with rolling his eyes). So with a chilly silence filling the vehicle, we hit the road again.
All was forgiven by the time we stopped for lunch - not forgotten just forgiven. We pulled up at a 24hr parking spot and it looked like Central Station there with heaps of caravans and tour groups. I think I'd rather park in a Caravan Park, it is almost less crowded. A quick drink, and lunch and then we're on the road again. We needed to get to Fitzroy River Lodge in time to get a powered caravan spot - damn battery!!
We managed to secure the last powered site available at Fitzroy River Lodge and then headed in to check out the information centre in town. Then centre was closed and wouldn't re-open for three days, so we figured we'd have to do our tour information online. We noticed a tour of Geikie Gorge was happening in 20 minutes, so we headed out in the hope of catching the last trip of the day. Success, we set off up the Gorge with an aboriginal guide doing the commentary. It was a fantastic trip, with crocodiles watching us from the bank, it was great fun. The scenery was amazing and the light at this time of the day was great.
So then back to the caravan to prepare for our trip to attempt the 4-wheel drive track out to Tunnel Creek tomorrow. We've decided to test out the Navara and the nerves. I'm guessing there will be head shaking, rolling of eyes and several expletives before tomorrow is over!!
Thursday, 23 June 2011
Last days in and around Broome
Day five in Broome and after doing the normal ablutions run and laundry duties (sigh) it was time to decide what little activity we might do today. Not too energetic, just some low level activity to while away our time here! We decided to take a trip about 50 Ks out to catch up with a mate of Kevin's who's staying at a station further out from Broome proper.
Temperature around 27 (nothing new there), and a slight breeze (a little un-seasonal). It looks like the biggest decision of the day might be which pair of shorts and what tshirt to wear, and will I need a light jacket by the end of the afternoon- pretty stressful decisions I know!!
Had a great few hours at Barn Hill. The road in was rough, and there were three gates that needed opening (my job apparently) but the beach was beautiful with a rugged red coastline that met the white sand on the beach. The amenities were an experience, lots of corrugated iron, red dust cement, and plenty of fresh air round the ankles - in fact there was quite an 'alfresco' feel to the toilet!!
Back to Broome and it was time to get ready to head out to dinner - feels like we drift from one eating session to the next - and then an early night ready for our big trip to Cape Leveque.
The big trip to Cape Leveque meant an early start and out to the bus by 7.00AM. When the four wheel drive turned up looking less than average, with bits that looked like they might fall off, I thought we were in for a repeat of our 'Barry an Betty' bus trip to Ayers Rock! But it was too late to back out, and we'd paid our money, so it was grin and bear it and get on the bus.
When we headed off down the road at 100Ks an hour and hit the red dirt at exactly the same speed I was sure we were in for a treat! I calculated thatvwe had to survive for the next twelve hours because that was our estimated return time should we survive! Of course survival wasn't guaranteed and when we were asked for contact numbers of our nearest and dearest should an accident befall us, to say i was nervous was a huge understatement.
So with red dust flying and bottoms bouncing wildly on seats, we carreered off down the road. And in a manic sort of way I was actually starting to enjoy the trip.
Our first stop was a beautiful little church at the aboriginal settlement at Beagle Bay where we had morning tea offered to us, should our stomachs settle enough to eat it. We were all starting to joke amongst ourselves about the ride, one guy insisting that any gold that was found on the bus floor was certainly out of his teeth!! It was either very nervous laughter, or we were all starting to enjoy the ride.
After morning tea it was back in the bus and off to the marine hatchery were we had a tour and had the opportunity to hand feed a Barramundi. We were told the huge fish would just suck the food from our fingers very gently.. We were told wrong. After the first big splash and grab of the food we realized we'd been 'had'! The barramundi jumped out of the water and snatched the fish and generally scared the living daylights out of everyone. And yes Kevin got it all on camera and has refused to allow me to delete the hideous photo of my face in shock after the barramundi assault!! The hatchery tour was a great success, except for the fish scare, then it was back on the bus and off to Cygnet Bay to the pearl farm.
Lunch was waiting for us at the Pearl Farm and we were all pretty hungry by this, so jumped into some pretty nice food laid on at the little cafe onsite. Then it was off to learn all there is to know about pearls. The tour was pretty good and I'm sure Kevin was keen to buy me the $13,000 pearl at the gallery there, but i said I was happy to wait for a diamond from the Argyle Diamond Mine instead!!
After our tour it was back on the bus (which wasn't half as scary now) and off to the beach at Cape Leveque). Our driver deflated the tyres, put it into four wheel drive, suggested we fasten our seatbelts tight (like they weren't already) and we headed off through the soft sand hills to the beach. We got there safely with a few prayers being said, and them spent the next hour walking the beach and generally soaking it in. Afternoon tea was tea and bickies on the beach. Then it was back on the vehicle and over to the west beach to watch the sun setting on the red rocks of the beach. It was quite spectacular and a great way to end our visit to the Cape.
So with the tour over it was back on the bus for the bone-shaking three hour journey back to Broome. My back may never be the same again, and I've never been more pleased to have the extra padding on my butt, but all in all it was a great day and we were really pleased we did it! Tomorrow we intend to just draw breath, put our feet up and generally relax before we head off from Broome on Friday.
Temperature around 27 (nothing new there), and a slight breeze (a little un-seasonal). It looks like the biggest decision of the day might be which pair of shorts and what tshirt to wear, and will I need a light jacket by the end of the afternoon- pretty stressful decisions I know!!
Had a great few hours at Barn Hill. The road in was rough, and there were three gates that needed opening (my job apparently) but the beach was beautiful with a rugged red coastline that met the white sand on the beach. The amenities were an experience, lots of corrugated iron, red dust cement, and plenty of fresh air round the ankles - in fact there was quite an 'alfresco' feel to the toilet!!
Back to Broome and it was time to get ready to head out to dinner - feels like we drift from one eating session to the next - and then an early night ready for our big trip to Cape Leveque.
The big trip to Cape Leveque meant an early start and out to the bus by 7.00AM. When the four wheel drive turned up looking less than average, with bits that looked like they might fall off, I thought we were in for a repeat of our 'Barry an Betty' bus trip to Ayers Rock! But it was too late to back out, and we'd paid our money, so it was grin and bear it and get on the bus.
When we headed off down the road at 100Ks an hour and hit the red dirt at exactly the same speed I was sure we were in for a treat! I calculated thatvwe had to survive for the next twelve hours because that was our estimated return time should we survive! Of course survival wasn't guaranteed and when we were asked for contact numbers of our nearest and dearest should an accident befall us, to say i was nervous was a huge understatement.
So with red dust flying and bottoms bouncing wildly on seats, we carreered off down the road. And in a manic sort of way I was actually starting to enjoy the trip.
Our first stop was a beautiful little church at the aboriginal settlement at Beagle Bay where we had morning tea offered to us, should our stomachs settle enough to eat it. We were all starting to joke amongst ourselves about the ride, one guy insisting that any gold that was found on the bus floor was certainly out of his teeth!! It was either very nervous laughter, or we were all starting to enjoy the ride.
After morning tea it was back in the bus and off to the marine hatchery were we had a tour and had the opportunity to hand feed a Barramundi. We were told the huge fish would just suck the food from our fingers very gently.. We were told wrong. After the first big splash and grab of the food we realized we'd been 'had'! The barramundi jumped out of the water and snatched the fish and generally scared the living daylights out of everyone. And yes Kevin got it all on camera and has refused to allow me to delete the hideous photo of my face in shock after the barramundi assault!! The hatchery tour was a great success, except for the fish scare, then it was back on the bus and off to Cygnet Bay to the pearl farm.
Lunch was waiting for us at the Pearl Farm and we were all pretty hungry by this, so jumped into some pretty nice food laid on at the little cafe onsite. Then it was off to learn all there is to know about pearls. The tour was pretty good and I'm sure Kevin was keen to buy me the $13,000 pearl at the gallery there, but i said I was happy to wait for a diamond from the Argyle Diamond Mine instead!!
After our tour it was back on the bus (which wasn't half as scary now) and off to the beach at Cape Leveque). Our driver deflated the tyres, put it into four wheel drive, suggested we fasten our seatbelts tight (like they weren't already) and we headed off through the soft sand hills to the beach. We got there safely with a few prayers being said, and them spent the next hour walking the beach and generally soaking it in. Afternoon tea was tea and bickies on the beach. Then it was back on the vehicle and over to the west beach to watch the sun setting on the red rocks of the beach. It was quite spectacular and a great way to end our visit to the Cape.
So with the tour over it was back on the bus for the bone-shaking three hour journey back to Broome. My back may never be the same again, and I've never been more pleased to have the extra padding on my butt, but all in all it was a great day and we were really pleased we did it! Tomorrow we intend to just draw breath, put our feet up and generally relax before we head off from Broome on Friday.
Monday, 20 June 2011
More Broome
Day three in Broome, and I started the day with several loads of washing just to remind myself that even though it feels like paradise, some things still need to be done!!
Downtown, and there was a great need to head to our favorite cafe and have a mango muffin and cappuccino. We then headed to book a tour to Cape Leveque. We ran into a snag at the booking office, as all the big tours were booked. We headed off to the Information Centre to check out what else we could do. The info Centre was great and after 20 minutes holding up the line of people waiting to speak to a consultant, we left the centre with a sunset cruise booked, and a Cape Leveque tour pending confirmation - not bad for 20 minutes work.
We then headed off to do groceries, and headed back to the caravan park. We were meeting up with one of Kevin's old work mates for dinner, so needed to get ready for that. We started off with heaps of time to spare, but Kevin does love to talk, and when our neighbor at the caravan park came over for a chat, we ended up 40 minutes behind schedule!!
The 40 minutes ended up being an hour, as even though the address we were looking for was only 2 minutes away, we had a few navigation issues. The GPS was absolutely no help whatsoever and actually headed us in completely the wrong direction. If it wasn't for the iPad, we'd still be wandering in the wilds of Broome completely lost. We found the target address, but not before one small disagreement and the threat of 'never navigating again'!!
It was a great night, and after more food we headed off and took the direct route home rather than the scenic version earlier.
Day four in Broome, and we planned for an easy morning and then a Whale Watching Sunset Cruise to end off the afternoon. So we ran around in the morning, doing our stuff including, car washing, gas bottle changing, re-stocking supplies and of course we managed to fit in a coffee and muffin too.
Back at the caravan park all was running to schedule to get us to the boat trip on time, however someone does love to talk, and when another camper walked past our site and asked where in Tassie we were from, I knew the schedule would be out the window. As it turned out, it ended up being an old work colleague's husband, so by the time we caught up, the time had escaped so it was a last minute scramble to get organized and out to the gate.
The bus picked us up pretty much on time, and then we headed out to the end of the beach to the boat. We started to consider removing our shoes to hop in the boat that would ferry us to the bigger boat, but in the meantime, the little boat grew wheels and dropped onto the sand and drove straight up to where we were standing. It looked like we wouldn't be getting our feet wet after all!
The cruise was great - no whales, but we saw dolphins and fish jumping from the water, and enjoyed nibbles and drinks and some great company with the people who were also on the boat. Then we watched the sunset on Cable Beach as we motored back into the bay. It was a great end to another good day in Broome.
Downtown, and there was a great need to head to our favorite cafe and have a mango muffin and cappuccino. We then headed to book a tour to Cape Leveque. We ran into a snag at the booking office, as all the big tours were booked. We headed off to the Information Centre to check out what else we could do. The info Centre was great and after 20 minutes holding up the line of people waiting to speak to a consultant, we left the centre with a sunset cruise booked, and a Cape Leveque tour pending confirmation - not bad for 20 minutes work.
We then headed off to do groceries, and headed back to the caravan park. We were meeting up with one of Kevin's old work mates for dinner, so needed to get ready for that. We started off with heaps of time to spare, but Kevin does love to talk, and when our neighbor at the caravan park came over for a chat, we ended up 40 minutes behind schedule!!
The 40 minutes ended up being an hour, as even though the address we were looking for was only 2 minutes away, we had a few navigation issues. The GPS was absolutely no help whatsoever and actually headed us in completely the wrong direction. If it wasn't for the iPad, we'd still be wandering in the wilds of Broome completely lost. We found the target address, but not before one small disagreement and the threat of 'never navigating again'!!
It was a great night, and after more food we headed off and took the direct route home rather than the scenic version earlier.
Day four in Broome, and we planned for an easy morning and then a Whale Watching Sunset Cruise to end off the afternoon. So we ran around in the morning, doing our stuff including, car washing, gas bottle changing, re-stocking supplies and of course we managed to fit in a coffee and muffin too.
Back at the caravan park all was running to schedule to get us to the boat trip on time, however someone does love to talk, and when another camper walked past our site and asked where in Tassie we were from, I knew the schedule would be out the window. As it turned out, it ended up being an old work colleague's husband, so by the time we caught up, the time had escaped so it was a last minute scramble to get organized and out to the gate.
The bus picked us up pretty much on time, and then we headed out to the end of the beach to the boat. We started to consider removing our shoes to hop in the boat that would ferry us to the bigger boat, but in the meantime, the little boat grew wheels and dropped onto the sand and drove straight up to where we were standing. It looked like we wouldn't be getting our feet wet after all!
The cruise was great - no whales, but we saw dolphins and fish jumping from the water, and enjoyed nibbles and drinks and some great company with the people who were also on the boat. Then we watched the sunset on Cable Beach as we motored back into the bay. It was a great end to another good day in Broome.
Sunday, 19 June 2011
Beautiful Broome
Our first day in Broome was a balmy day 27 degrees, it was also my 54th birthday, and what a place to spend it!
The day proved to be a pretty special birthday. It started off with a trip into Broome town centre starting with a coffee and muffin to provide sustenance for shopping. Then it was time to hit the shops and look for a birthday present. I think I made a pretty good effort, although Kevin reckoned that browsing through two shops in half an hour was not what he called real 'power shopping', and that he could get through way more shops than that in the allotted time. He doesn't really get the idea of 'browsing'.
We took a break for lunch and then shipped the boys off to the museum while Beth and I did some more 'browsing'. The boys decided to take the vehicle to their destination, and we decided to walk to the shopping centre just up the road. We did however mis-judge the distance of 'just up the road' and as we walked and walked and walked, we were concerned we might expire on the way, or at least suffer severe heat exhaustion, dehydration, or multiple blisters! We hoped the boys were comfortable in the air conditioned car - actually we hoped they had at least got lost. As it turned out they did get lost, however they spent several hours laughing at our expense before they finally admitted that they had in fact hit 6 dead-ends before Kevin finally asked directions.
Dinner was at a restaurant on Cable Beach with friends from home. We had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed the company, the meal, and the sunset over the beach. It was a good 54th birthday!
Day two in Broome and Kevin felt the need for a big breakfast as it was the weekend and he hadn't had a cooked brekkie for a whole week! We then headed off to check out the Courthouse Market that is a regular Saturday morning event in Broome. It proved to be a mix of jewelry, clothing, the Kimberley inspired art work and trinkets, food, drink, tourism operators etc etc. It was a real mix of different cultures and was a pretty good way to spend a Saturday morning.
After the market, we headed off to check out Cable Beach. I was almost inspired to take a swim! The weather was brilliant and the water was extremely inviting. I got in up to my knees, but then I got cold feet and chickened out on the swim - it might have been the 'beware of stingers' sign as we came onto the beach that made me have second thoughts about a dip!!
We wandered over to check out the camels, and Kevin met up with an old work colleague who now owns the Red Sun Camels. Next thing I knew, we were joining the sunset camel tour along Cable Beach! Our camel was very cute in a furry, smelly, camel sort of way. We spent the next hour riding along Cable Beach on top of Wun (our camels name) taking heaps of photos and generally having a great time.
After our camel ride, we headed off to get some dinner. Dinner ended up being Fish and Chips from Blueys (had been recommended as the best fish and chips in Broome). We had not been warned however about portion sizes, so our modest order ended up being way too many fish and chips for two people to make their way through! Needless to say we gave it a very good attempt anyway. It was a great way to end our second day in Broome.
We've decided to stay on for a week here, so plans are underway for a few tours and some more fun stuff to come.
The day proved to be a pretty special birthday. It started off with a trip into Broome town centre starting with a coffee and muffin to provide sustenance for shopping. Then it was time to hit the shops and look for a birthday present. I think I made a pretty good effort, although Kevin reckoned that browsing through two shops in half an hour was not what he called real 'power shopping', and that he could get through way more shops than that in the allotted time. He doesn't really get the idea of 'browsing'.
We took a break for lunch and then shipped the boys off to the museum while Beth and I did some more 'browsing'. The boys decided to take the vehicle to their destination, and we decided to walk to the shopping centre just up the road. We did however mis-judge the distance of 'just up the road' and as we walked and walked and walked, we were concerned we might expire on the way, or at least suffer severe heat exhaustion, dehydration, or multiple blisters! We hoped the boys were comfortable in the air conditioned car - actually we hoped they had at least got lost. As it turned out they did get lost, however they spent several hours laughing at our expense before they finally admitted that they had in fact hit 6 dead-ends before Kevin finally asked directions.
Dinner was at a restaurant on Cable Beach with friends from home. We had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed the company, the meal, and the sunset over the beach. It was a good 54th birthday!
Day two in Broome and Kevin felt the need for a big breakfast as it was the weekend and he hadn't had a cooked brekkie for a whole week! We then headed off to check out the Courthouse Market that is a regular Saturday morning event in Broome. It proved to be a mix of jewelry, clothing, the Kimberley inspired art work and trinkets, food, drink, tourism operators etc etc. It was a real mix of different cultures and was a pretty good way to spend a Saturday morning.
After the market, we headed off to check out Cable Beach. I was almost inspired to take a swim! The weather was brilliant and the water was extremely inviting. I got in up to my knees, but then I got cold feet and chickened out on the swim - it might have been the 'beware of stingers' sign as we came onto the beach that made me have second thoughts about a dip!!
We wandered over to check out the camels, and Kevin met up with an old work colleague who now owns the Red Sun Camels. Next thing I knew, we were joining the sunset camel tour along Cable Beach! Our camel was very cute in a furry, smelly, camel sort of way. We spent the next hour riding along Cable Beach on top of Wun (our camels name) taking heaps of photos and generally having a great time.
After our camel ride, we headed off to get some dinner. Dinner ended up being Fish and Chips from Blueys (had been recommended as the best fish and chips in Broome). We had not been warned however about portion sizes, so our modest order ended up being way too many fish and chips for two people to make their way through! Needless to say we gave it a very good attempt anyway. It was a great way to end our second day in Broome.
We've decided to stay on for a week here, so plans are underway for a few tours and some more fun stuff to come.
Friday, 17 June 2011
Comments problem
Hi everyone just letting you know there's a problem with the comments not showing up on the blog. It might be easier to comment on Facebook instead or email me, then I'm sure to get them!!
And so to Broome
We did an overnight stop at Eighty Mile Beach as a stop over before we reached Broome. The road in was an experience and we did an egg on the way (we smashed an egg in the fridge getting in there). The beach was beautiful, it went on for miles - I'm guessing around eighty, but could be wrong! The tide was a fair way out, so we walked out (Kevin went the whole way and I chose the shorter version as the crabs running at my feet put me off a bit)!
We've been having battery problems, and have realized that the battery is not charging as we're driving as we suspected it wasn't. Luckily we parked alongside an electrician at Eighty Mile Beach and he charged the battery for us. I'll be ringing our battery man in Hobart once we get to Broome to discuss the problem!
Kevin's services were required last night as a young guy opposite us cut his leg open. He was a 'bit of a girl' about it apparently (Kevin's terminology) but it was a pretty nasty gash in my 'non-paramedic' opinion. Anyway, Kevin patched him up and made him feel better with a few reassuring words and a little white bandage!
This morning we headed off for Broome along the very dusty, very bumpy road. A few spots on the road were really bad and I was guessing we'd do another egg along the way (like the egg we smashed in the fridge getting in here).
We stopped at Sandfire Roadhouse to re-fuel and did a quick check in the van. I discovered that we had in fact done three more eggs on the road out from Eighty Mile Beach and in the shaking process after the eggs had smashed, they had whisked themselves into a frenzy in the fridge, covering the ham, milk, tomatoes and cheese in a lovely frothy egg mix. I'm sure if I'd left the mess in there and turned the fridge off, the heat of the van would have cooked us a lovely omelete for lunch!! So after soaking up the egg with several metres of paper towel, half a bucket of water and a sponge, we headed off once again in the direction of Broome.
We arrived in Broome to some beautiful weather. We missed the turn to the Caravan Park (and no Kevin it was not my fault). So after a few quick GPS calculations, we started in the right direction and doubled back around the corner. The park is huge, but our little spot was waiting for us and after a few manouvres (the man opposite moved his car out!!) we got it backed in and sorted.
We headed in to Town Beach -across the other side of town- and watched the Stairway to the Moon, which happens on a full moon when the light of the moon on the mudflats, creates a stairway effect. How lucky that we were here for it, it was pretty special.
So today we head into the town to check it out. Kevin has some retail therapy planned for my birthday, so I'll update on my success (or otherwise) in my next blog.
We've been having battery problems, and have realized that the battery is not charging as we're driving as we suspected it wasn't. Luckily we parked alongside an electrician at Eighty Mile Beach and he charged the battery for us. I'll be ringing our battery man in Hobart once we get to Broome to discuss the problem!
Kevin's services were required last night as a young guy opposite us cut his leg open. He was a 'bit of a girl' about it apparently (Kevin's terminology) but it was a pretty nasty gash in my 'non-paramedic' opinion. Anyway, Kevin patched him up and made him feel better with a few reassuring words and a little white bandage!
This morning we headed off for Broome along the very dusty, very bumpy road. A few spots on the road were really bad and I was guessing we'd do another egg along the way (like the egg we smashed in the fridge getting in here).
We stopped at Sandfire Roadhouse to re-fuel and did a quick check in the van. I discovered that we had in fact done three more eggs on the road out from Eighty Mile Beach and in the shaking process after the eggs had smashed, they had whisked themselves into a frenzy in the fridge, covering the ham, milk, tomatoes and cheese in a lovely frothy egg mix. I'm sure if I'd left the mess in there and turned the fridge off, the heat of the van would have cooked us a lovely omelete for lunch!! So after soaking up the egg with several metres of paper towel, half a bucket of water and a sponge, we headed off once again in the direction of Broome.
We arrived in Broome to some beautiful weather. We missed the turn to the Caravan Park (and no Kevin it was not my fault). So after a few quick GPS calculations, we started in the right direction and doubled back around the corner. The park is huge, but our little spot was waiting for us and after a few manouvres (the man opposite moved his car out!!) we got it backed in and sorted.
We headed in to Town Beach -across the other side of town- and watched the Stairway to the Moon, which happens on a full moon when the light of the moon on the mudflats, creates a stairway effect. How lucky that we were here for it, it was pretty special.
So today we head into the town to check it out. Kevin has some retail therapy planned for my birthday, so I'll update on my success (or otherwise) in my next blog.
Wednesday, 15 June 2011
BumbleF country
So I have now officially discovered my new favorite food. Chocolate-coated frozen bananas are right up there on my list! In fact they are so nice, we still have one in the teeny freezer of our fridge, and although it is legally Kevin's, I feel it may become mine!
So Carnarvon is behind us and we are now moving further north, with Karratha the next big stop along the way.
We had a few hairy moments on the road to Karratha. A mis-calculation of fuel meant we needed to top up on the road out of our spare 20 litres, just to get us to the next roadhouse. However, a small disaster when we arrived at the roadhouse to an 'out of diesel sorry for the inconvenience' sign on the bowser started a brief moment of panic! 'Sorry for the inconvenience' didn't quite cover it really! Kevin was able to sort it out, and after filling up from the high-flow truckies bowser, we headed off again. Just get me to civilisation!!
Karratha proved to be a large town, with a shopping centre, lots of well maintained houses, and a large amount of 'fly in fly out' residents. There appeared to be way more males around than females, as I'm guessing it's not easy to get your partner to live out here, and many would do their shifts and fly back out again. So for any single girls out there who don't mind 'roughing it' I can recommend Karratha! Apparently the airport is one of the busiest in Australia because of the mining personnel who move around, so there is an escape clause if you need it!
Because of the long distances we drove to get here, we decided to spend time around Karratha. We even managed a sort of sleep in and then headed out to find the Nissan dealer to get some assistance with an oil leak that Kevin had noticed. We drove up and down the street it was in, until after a phone call, we found it at the beginning of the street!! Turns out the leak was OK and so after chatting with the guy there (well Kevin was chatting and I was waiting in the car) we headed to Karratha Centro Shopping Centre to do some re-stocking and for me to get just a few hours pretending I was near some sort of civilisation.
We took a late drive out to Roebourne and then around Wickham. I could not possibly live out here. The shuttered buildings, grating over the house windows, wrecked buildings are just so depressing, there is obviously some sort of social problem happening out here! Makes me pretty happy to live where I live.
Tomorrow we head further north.
So Carnarvon is behind us and we are now moving further north, with Karratha the next big stop along the way.
We had a few hairy moments on the road to Karratha. A mis-calculation of fuel meant we needed to top up on the road out of our spare 20 litres, just to get us to the next roadhouse. However, a small disaster when we arrived at the roadhouse to an 'out of diesel sorry for the inconvenience' sign on the bowser started a brief moment of panic! 'Sorry for the inconvenience' didn't quite cover it really! Kevin was able to sort it out, and after filling up from the high-flow truckies bowser, we headed off again. Just get me to civilisation!!
Karratha proved to be a large town, with a shopping centre, lots of well maintained houses, and a large amount of 'fly in fly out' residents. There appeared to be way more males around than females, as I'm guessing it's not easy to get your partner to live out here, and many would do their shifts and fly back out again. So for any single girls out there who don't mind 'roughing it' I can recommend Karratha! Apparently the airport is one of the busiest in Australia because of the mining personnel who move around, so there is an escape clause if you need it!
Because of the long distances we drove to get here, we decided to spend time around Karratha. We even managed a sort of sleep in and then headed out to find the Nissan dealer to get some assistance with an oil leak that Kevin had noticed. We drove up and down the street it was in, until after a phone call, we found it at the beginning of the street!! Turns out the leak was OK and so after chatting with the guy there (well Kevin was chatting and I was waiting in the car) we headed to Karratha Centro Shopping Centre to do some re-stocking and for me to get just a few hours pretending I was near some sort of civilisation.
We took a late drive out to Roebourne and then around Wickham. I could not possibly live out here. The shuttered buildings, grating over the house windows, wrecked buildings are just so depressing, there is obviously some sort of social problem happening out here! Makes me pretty happy to live where I live.
Tomorrow we head further north.
Saturday, 11 June 2011
Carnarvon beckons..
Today we headed off from Denham on the road to Carnavon. Kevin told me that we could listen to my music today. This may have something to do with the fact that i shared his taste in music with our traveling buddies yesterday while they were in our car - I'm not sure if their hysterical laughter was due to the genre of the music or the fact that I was bopping wildly in the front seat in time to the 'yeehaa' beat.
Another beautiful day in paradise with blue sky, red earth, and the road stretching out in front of us - very poetic I know, but that's exactly what this is like!
Kevin is starting to have some serious issues about his expanding waistline. Not serious enough to kerb his eating, but serious enough for him to make me set up a shot to send home of him sucking in his stomach prior to the photo being taken. So on the picturesque banks of Shell Beach, I took a magnificent photo of a very trim looking Kevin. Of course he wasn't aware that I was also going to take a follow-up shot when he let his breath out! So on the picturesque banks of Shell Beach I also have a magnificent (unofficial) shot of a little pot tummy! Silly Kevin, fancy trusting me with a camera - what fun can I have with those shots .. The Internet awaits!!
So after the photo shoot, we were back on the road and heading North!
By the time we got to 160 ks along the road, we had seen lots of bitumen, shrubs of varying sizes, several million hectares of red dirt (informal estimation of course), and a couple of roadhouses which had provided us with rest rooms of varying quality and the usual refreshments to sustain us on our journey. At this point in the journey however, there was still no sign of Carnarvon, and I had resorted to Kenny Rogers and 'The Gambler' to relieve the boredom of this part of the journey!
We arrived in town around 1.30 and did the usual book in and set up routine. We then headed off to see what the town of Carnarvon had to offer. Apparently not much on a Saturday afternoon, and I have a sneaking suspicion that on Sunday there will be even less to do. It looks like a very lazy day in the caravan park for tomorrow and then an early start the next day to get to Karratha.
Another beautiful day in paradise with blue sky, red earth, and the road stretching out in front of us - very poetic I know, but that's exactly what this is like!
Kevin is starting to have some serious issues about his expanding waistline. Not serious enough to kerb his eating, but serious enough for him to make me set up a shot to send home of him sucking in his stomach prior to the photo being taken. So on the picturesque banks of Shell Beach, I took a magnificent photo of a very trim looking Kevin. Of course he wasn't aware that I was also going to take a follow-up shot when he let his breath out! So on the picturesque banks of Shell Beach I also have a magnificent (unofficial) shot of a little pot tummy! Silly Kevin, fancy trusting me with a camera - what fun can I have with those shots .. The Internet awaits!!
So after the photo shoot, we were back on the road and heading North!
By the time we got to 160 ks along the road, we had seen lots of bitumen, shrubs of varying sizes, several million hectares of red dirt (informal estimation of course), and a couple of roadhouses which had provided us with rest rooms of varying quality and the usual refreshments to sustain us on our journey. At this point in the journey however, there was still no sign of Carnarvon, and I had resorted to Kenny Rogers and 'The Gambler' to relieve the boredom of this part of the journey!
We arrived in town around 1.30 and did the usual book in and set up routine. We then headed off to see what the town of Carnarvon had to offer. Apparently not much on a Saturday afternoon, and I have a sneaking suspicion that on Sunday there will be even less to do. It looks like a very lazy day in the caravan park for tomorrow and then an early start the next day to get to Karratha.
Friday, 10 June 2011
The dolphins
Next stop was Denham and the dolphins of Monkey Mia. The wind was up, and the early morning was pretty fresh, but it was set to be a beautiful day with very few clouds and a possible 24 degrees. The road to Denham was fairly long, I had to endure quite a few renditions of Banjo Patterson along the way.
We made a stop at Billabong Roadhouse and then on the road again, but only after Kevin held us up talking to random travelers at the fuel pumps!! I'm sure he's intent on talking his way round the country!
After taking the turnoff to Denham, it was my very first turn at driving the van. I'm sure Kevin has been putting off letting me behind the wheel! It was a bit scary and the cross-wind swayed the van a bit, but all in all I think I did a pretty good job for the whole 30 kilometers I drove!!
We arrived in the township of Denham, found our caravan park, set up, did the washing (well I did the washing) and then set off on foot to explore what the town had to offer. Steven and Kevin spent the next two hours checking out the Marine Interpretation Centre (I'm not sure what you can do for two hours in a Marine Interpretation Centre), while Beth and I wandered around the town.
We spent the night doing some serious map studying, and tried to put a timeframe on Broome, so that I can start to ring the Caravan Parks and see if we can get in anywhere. Then it was off for an early night with a very early start for the dolphins the next day.
Friday, and it was up and out early for the trip to Monkey Mia, and what a day we had!
Up early and on the road to Monkey Mia at 7AM, we stopped on the road to get a shot of the sunrise which was magnificent, but left dots in front of my eyes for the next half an hour! Probably shouldn't have looked straight at the sun in my attempt to get a professional sunrise shot.
We reached Monkey Mia and then made our way down to the beach where we waited ankle deep in chilly water for the dolphins to turn up. And turn up they did!! They splashed around in the shallow water and checked us all out. The wait in cold water was well worth it, when I was invited into the water to feed one very cute dolphin a fish.
After my close encounter with the dolphin and our even closer encounter with hypothermia, we then headed up the beach and into the nearest coffee shop to get some warmth in the form of comfort food. Kevin was very disappointed that he had already had cereal and was therefore ineligible to have the big breakfast that was on offer on the coffee shop menu.
A quick change in the carpark (actually it was a struggle out of wet pants while hiding between the open back and front car doors) and then we headed off from Monkey Mia back to Denham. Once back, we decided to visit the Shark Bay Aquarium, which was great - and the young guys who ran the tour were great also!
The afternoon was spent soaking up the sun, walking along the beach, and generally relaxing under the awning watching the comings and goings in the caravan park - actually to be more accurate, the boys were doing all the people watching while Beth and I dealt with the washing and ironing.
We leave Denham tomorrow and head to Carnarvon.
We made a stop at Billabong Roadhouse and then on the road again, but only after Kevin held us up talking to random travelers at the fuel pumps!! I'm sure he's intent on talking his way round the country!
After taking the turnoff to Denham, it was my very first turn at driving the van. I'm sure Kevin has been putting off letting me behind the wheel! It was a bit scary and the cross-wind swayed the van a bit, but all in all I think I did a pretty good job for the whole 30 kilometers I drove!!
We arrived in the township of Denham, found our caravan park, set up, did the washing (well I did the washing) and then set off on foot to explore what the town had to offer. Steven and Kevin spent the next two hours checking out the Marine Interpretation Centre (I'm not sure what you can do for two hours in a Marine Interpretation Centre), while Beth and I wandered around the town.
We spent the night doing some serious map studying, and tried to put a timeframe on Broome, so that I can start to ring the Caravan Parks and see if we can get in anywhere. Then it was off for an early night with a very early start for the dolphins the next day.
Friday, and it was up and out early for the trip to Monkey Mia, and what a day we had!
Up early and on the road to Monkey Mia at 7AM, we stopped on the road to get a shot of the sunrise which was magnificent, but left dots in front of my eyes for the next half an hour! Probably shouldn't have looked straight at the sun in my attempt to get a professional sunrise shot.
We reached Monkey Mia and then made our way down to the beach where we waited ankle deep in chilly water for the dolphins to turn up. And turn up they did!! They splashed around in the shallow water and checked us all out. The wait in cold water was well worth it, when I was invited into the water to feed one very cute dolphin a fish.
After my close encounter with the dolphin and our even closer encounter with hypothermia, we then headed up the beach and into the nearest coffee shop to get some warmth in the form of comfort food. Kevin was very disappointed that he had already had cereal and was therefore ineligible to have the big breakfast that was on offer on the coffee shop menu.
A quick change in the carpark (actually it was a struggle out of wet pants while hiding between the open back and front car doors) and then we headed off from Monkey Mia back to Denham. Once back, we decided to visit the Shark Bay Aquarium, which was great - and the young guys who ran the tour were great also!
The afternoon was spent soaking up the sun, walking along the beach, and generally relaxing under the awning watching the comings and goings in the caravan park - actually to be more accurate, the boys were doing all the people watching while Beth and I dealt with the washing and ironing.
We leave Denham tomorrow and head to Carnarvon.
Wednesday, 8 June 2011
Amazing Kalbarri
Today we headed to Kalbarri. We got an early start and were booked out at 8AM. A quick check of the iPad and we plotted our direction, then headed up the North West Coastal Highway towards Northampton. Beautiful sunny day, but at this hour of the morning, still a bit chilly around the ears! Steve and Beth were still coming, but we headed off first as we have the big van so we go slower, plus Steven was on the phone to Qantas, which was proving to be a marathon effort.
We arrived at Kalbarri around 11:30 and positioned ourselves on our sites. Kevin had assistance from some of our friendly neighbors who were quite impressed that he managed to back the van into such a tricky spot, actually I was fairly impressed too.
All set up, and a quick study of the maps of the area, and we headed off to find the inland gorge. We were entertained on the way with some fairly dodgy bush poetry from Steven, who still has not recovered from being fleeced of $10 by our friendly bush poet at Geraldton. I did suggest that Steven shouldn't bother trying to market his poetry, as I'm sure I remember some of those ditties from the schoolyard.
The gorges proved to be absolutely sensational. I've never seen scenery quite like it. We walked to lookouts, took heaps of snaps, and simply sat and soaked in the views. It was a brilliant afternoon. Then after taking in the inland gorges, we headed back to Kilbarri township and were amazed by more sights from the coastal gorges too.
Dinner was at the Black Rock Cafe, next door to the caravan park. A great end to a fantastic day. Tomorrow we head to the town of Denim, and the Dolphins of Monkey Mia.
We arrived at Kalbarri around 11:30 and positioned ourselves on our sites. Kevin had assistance from some of our friendly neighbors who were quite impressed that he managed to back the van into such a tricky spot, actually I was fairly impressed too.
All set up, and a quick study of the maps of the area, and we headed off to find the inland gorge. We were entertained on the way with some fairly dodgy bush poetry from Steven, who still has not recovered from being fleeced of $10 by our friendly bush poet at Geraldton. I did suggest that Steven shouldn't bother trying to market his poetry, as I'm sure I remember some of those ditties from the schoolyard.
The gorges proved to be absolutely sensational. I've never seen scenery quite like it. We walked to lookouts, took heaps of snaps, and simply sat and soaked in the views. It was a brilliant afternoon. Then after taking in the inland gorges, we headed back to Kilbarri township and were amazed by more sights from the coastal gorges too.
Dinner was at the Black Rock Cafe, next door to the caravan park. A great end to a fantastic day. Tomorrow we head to the town of Denim, and the Dolphins of Monkey Mia.
Fun in Geraldton
We left Cervantes headed to Geraldton. I must say the Cervantes caravan park wasn't absolutely sensational, so I'm not sad to say goodbye. The shower this morning was like showering in a shoebox under a dripping tap, so I'm hopeful that Geraldton will provide more space and significantly increased water pressure. And hopefully as this was the last day of the long weekend, the Caravan Parks from now on, should be a little less busy!
Along the road the first available place for cappuccino that didn't come out of a push button machine or rather dodgy urn, was a place called Dongara. So of course we stopped there for coffee and the usual accompanying refreshments. Sun was shining, coffee was great! So brief stop and then off to next stop, Geraldton.
Once there we did the usual unpacking and general stuff then headed off for a sight see round the town. There was some slight disagreement on directions and which way was left or right, however once I took over the driving, we managed to negotiate our way round with very little argument!!
The monument to the sailors who perished on the HMAS Sydney, sunk off the Western Australia coast was absolutely amazing, probably the most tasteful and thoughtful memorial I've ever seen. And the sunset on the beach was also up there with amazing too.
Another highlight was the guy we met on the beach who insisted on entertaining us with poetry he'd written and then required $10 for the privilege. I'm not sure why i doubted his authenticity, it was probably the alcohol smell that came with the poetry. He did leave with $10 of our money, and Kevin and Steven are now proud owners of a photocopied leaflet of 'authentic' bush poetry.
Dinner was in the van with Steven and Beth, where we spent time looking at maps and deciding where we head next. Tomorrow we do a big breakfast (Kevin's request) and then various jobs in Geraldton before we set off for further up the Coral Coast.
Tuesday, and as predicted, the first stop is a big breakfast! Two medium breakfasts and two 'don't bother with lunch' breakfasts down, and Steven and Kevin went to the museum, and Beth and i took off for retail therapy. Therapy successful, we met up again with the boys around lunchtime. There was a slight discrepancy as to the directions I'd given Kevin as to our whereabouts, however we met up again with the boys taking the 'scenic route' to get there.
We did our various jobs we needed to do: haircut for Kevin, tyre checked off caravan, groceries re-stocked, fuel in car and headed off to find Bunnings. After driving in completely the wrong direction, we gave up the search and returned to the caravan park minus the hooks we were searching for -Geraldton Bunnings has missed out on a sale!
Early night, as we leave early tomorrow for Kalbarri National Park.
Along the road the first available place for cappuccino that didn't come out of a push button machine or rather dodgy urn, was a place called Dongara. So of course we stopped there for coffee and the usual accompanying refreshments. Sun was shining, coffee was great! So brief stop and then off to next stop, Geraldton.
Once there we did the usual unpacking and general stuff then headed off for a sight see round the town. There was some slight disagreement on directions and which way was left or right, however once I took over the driving, we managed to negotiate our way round with very little argument!!
The monument to the sailors who perished on the HMAS Sydney, sunk off the Western Australia coast was absolutely amazing, probably the most tasteful and thoughtful memorial I've ever seen. And the sunset on the beach was also up there with amazing too.
Another highlight was the guy we met on the beach who insisted on entertaining us with poetry he'd written and then required $10 for the privilege. I'm not sure why i doubted his authenticity, it was probably the alcohol smell that came with the poetry. He did leave with $10 of our money, and Kevin and Steven are now proud owners of a photocopied leaflet of 'authentic' bush poetry.
Dinner was in the van with Steven and Beth, where we spent time looking at maps and deciding where we head next. Tomorrow we do a big breakfast (Kevin's request) and then various jobs in Geraldton before we set off for further up the Coral Coast.
Tuesday, and as predicted, the first stop is a big breakfast! Two medium breakfasts and two 'don't bother with lunch' breakfasts down, and Steven and Kevin went to the museum, and Beth and i took off for retail therapy. Therapy successful, we met up again with the boys around lunchtime. There was a slight discrepancy as to the directions I'd given Kevin as to our whereabouts, however we met up again with the boys taking the 'scenic route' to get there.
We did our various jobs we needed to do: haircut for Kevin, tyre checked off caravan, groceries re-stocked, fuel in car and headed off to find Bunnings. After driving in completely the wrong direction, we gave up the search and returned to the caravan park minus the hooks we were searching for -Geraldton Bunnings has missed out on a sale!
Early night, as we leave early tomorrow for Kalbarri National Park.
Monday, 6 June 2011
Heading North ...
so the first stop up the coast was a little place called Ledge Point. A bit sad to say goodbye to Trevor and Margaret, we'd had a fun week with them, but the time had come to move north to the heat. We phaffed around a bit in the morning - Kevin phaffed more than me of course - but we managed to head off about 11.45AM. The GPS and iPad took us round Perth City and we headed up Indian Ocean Drive until we came to Ledge Point.
Huge coincidence, our friends we met in Perth were also booked into the same caravan park so we spent a great afternoon and evening enjoying some great company and some very very nice food!! We had our first experience of a South African dish, a Bunnychow, which is like a curry in a hollowed out bread. It was absolutely amazing and the smell alone was to die for. I've never enjoyed a curry like this before. in fact it smelled so good that random campers kept coming over just to check out the cooking pot. Of course I made sure Kevin studied the cooking process so he knew how to attempt a similar dish at a later date! The company and hospitality was fantastic and we and a great night. I laughed so much my cheeks were aching. Great company.
The next day, we said goodbye to Ledge Point and headed to Cervantes.
The scenery has definitely changed. The sand dunes appear from nowhere and rise out of the grassy side of the road as well as the ocean side. Funny little black trunked trees and grasses sit amongst the white sand. Well that certainly sounded like something out of a travel guide, but I must say I'm very impressed!!
The sun has been shining and the weather is on the improve. We arrived at Cervantes and set up, taking a few swings at the caravan before we managed to get it centered on the block in the very first spot Kevin attempted. Then it was off to the laundry to work on the washing that had a mange to grow in the few days since I last did it.
Friends from home have now caught up to us. Steve and Beth arrived and we headed off to try and locate a good coffee and some lunch. We did a lap of the town (not a very big lap - it's not a very big town) and then ended up back at the caravan park. We took off to see the Pinnacles (rock formations) but left it a bit late, so were content to take some pictures of the little ones we could see from the car.
We headed back and took a walk on the beach where we got some brilliant shots of the sunset on the water. We got a Skype call from Barry and Julie in England, so were able to show them the sunset first hand from the phone!
We hosted our first 'dinner party' in the van with Beth and Steven, which was great fun.
Next stop on the road north will be Geraldton.
Huge coincidence, our friends we met in Perth were also booked into the same caravan park so we spent a great afternoon and evening enjoying some great company and some very very nice food!! We had our first experience of a South African dish, a Bunnychow, which is like a curry in a hollowed out bread. It was absolutely amazing and the smell alone was to die for. I've never enjoyed a curry like this before. in fact it smelled so good that random campers kept coming over just to check out the cooking pot. Of course I made sure Kevin studied the cooking process so he knew how to attempt a similar dish at a later date! The company and hospitality was fantastic and we and a great night. I laughed so much my cheeks were aching. Great company.
The next day, we said goodbye to Ledge Point and headed to Cervantes.
The scenery has definitely changed. The sand dunes appear from nowhere and rise out of the grassy side of the road as well as the ocean side. Funny little black trunked trees and grasses sit amongst the white sand. Well that certainly sounded like something out of a travel guide, but I must say I'm very impressed!!
The sun has been shining and the weather is on the improve. We arrived at Cervantes and set up, taking a few swings at the caravan before we managed to get it centered on the block in the very first spot Kevin attempted. Then it was off to the laundry to work on the washing that had a mange to grow in the few days since I last did it.
Friends from home have now caught up to us. Steve and Beth arrived and we headed off to try and locate a good coffee and some lunch. We did a lap of the town (not a very big lap - it's not a very big town) and then ended up back at the caravan park. We took off to see the Pinnacles (rock formations) but left it a bit late, so were content to take some pictures of the little ones we could see from the car.
We headed back and took a walk on the beach where we got some brilliant shots of the sunset on the water. We got a Skype call from Barry and Julie in England, so were able to show them the sunset first hand from the phone!
We hosted our first 'dinner party' in the van with Beth and Steven, which was great fun.
Next stop on the road north will be Geraldton.
Out and about in Perth
Out and about in Perth and beyond.
We had a great time in the big city of Perth. I shopped, we ate, we laughed, we met up with some of our wonderful friends, we saw the sights, I shopped (oh did I say that already?) and Kevin carried the bags!!
We did have a little trouble with navigation around the city. GPS says go one way, and true to form, the IPad says go the other way, so with not enough time to navigate left, we went right and ended up off the freeway and into the city. I felt that Kevin's reaction to the incident was a little excessive in relation to the event, although he now insists he didn't actually swear AT me, my recollection of the event is entirely different. Needless to say, we did arrive home safely, just a little later and a little more stressed than planned.
I am amazed at the opulence of some of the areas of the city. The size of some of the houses,I figure a husband and wife would hardly have to see one another in a house that size, not like the compact inside of our snug little van!! Still there would be times that the option of an escape clause from a husband might be slightly attractive!
The weather in Perth was not that kind to us. We had various weather warnings for rough nights, thunderstorms, mini tornados, strong winds and extreme weather conditions We slept through some pretty wild weather and torrential rain but no major damage to our van or us, which was a relief.
In an effort to avoid a GPS mishap a second time, we took a trip on the public transport and caught a train to Perth City. It was an experience .........and we did have to stand all the way, but it was OK. The problem came when we got off the train and as true tourists, we stood at the station and debated which way was going to get us out of the building. With a bit of help from the railway staff, we exited and walked into a huge Myer - what a bonus!
We were sad to say goodbye to Perth, and to Trevor and Margaret who had looked after us so well, but if we are to get to Darwin in time, we need to head off. So its off to Ledge Point and head to the Coral Coast.
That story is on its way in my next installment.......
We had a great time in the big city of Perth. I shopped, we ate, we laughed, we met up with some of our wonderful friends, we saw the sights, I shopped (oh did I say that already?) and Kevin carried the bags!!
We did have a little trouble with navigation around the city. GPS says go one way, and true to form, the IPad says go the other way, so with not enough time to navigate left, we went right and ended up off the freeway and into the city. I felt that Kevin's reaction to the incident was a little excessive in relation to the event, although he now insists he didn't actually swear AT me, my recollection of the event is entirely different. Needless to say, we did arrive home safely, just a little later and a little more stressed than planned.
I am amazed at the opulence of some of the areas of the city. The size of some of the houses,I figure a husband and wife would hardly have to see one another in a house that size, not like the compact inside of our snug little van!! Still there would be times that the option of an escape clause from a husband might be slightly attractive!
The weather in Perth was not that kind to us. We had various weather warnings for rough nights, thunderstorms, mini tornados, strong winds and extreme weather conditions We slept through some pretty wild weather and torrential rain but no major damage to our van or us, which was a relief.
In an effort to avoid a GPS mishap a second time, we took a trip on the public transport and caught a train to Perth City. It was an experience .........and we did have to stand all the way, but it was OK. The problem came when we got off the train and as true tourists, we stood at the station and debated which way was going to get us out of the building. With a bit of help from the railway staff, we exited and walked into a huge Myer - what a bonus!
We were sad to say goodbye to Perth, and to Trevor and Margaret who had looked after us so well, but if we are to get to Darwin in time, we need to head off. So its off to Ledge Point and head to the Coral Coast.
That story is on its way in my next installment.......
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