Bali

So we have 10 days in Bali to relax, explore and enjoy our lovely hotel we are booked into.
The Maison at C boutique Hotel is a small place with a large pool in the centre and a smaller one at the back. It's on two levels and we were on the second floor in a massive room, really really nice.
Seminyak is our nearest main town but still all the hassle and bustle of a bigger town. All the sellers trying to get you into their stalls and the taxi drivers honking their horns every time they pass you. The next main town is Kuta which is more lively, we took the local bus there. Kuta is where they had the bombings in 2002 and we payed our respect to those who lost their lives that day at the monument in the centre of town. The beach is packed with traders and surf guys wanting to give you a lesson or hire you a board, much more busy than our beach.
The only place I really wanted to visit was the Monkey Forest at Ubud, we were going to get the local bus there but we met a driver and struck a deal with him to take us. So Made picked us up at 8.30 and like all drivers they want to take you everywhere as if you buy something they get a cut, well he wasn't going to make much commission from us today.
First stop was a weaving shop where we watched locals weaving from real basic foot operated machines, they were very good but too colorful for us. We then headed for the Tegenungan Waterfall which is meant to be a holy place and people come to bath in the water but it looked like a rubbish dump but still a nice waterfall. Then onto the Batuan Temple where we had to cover our legs to be able to enter. It's the most famous temple in Bali and the most impressive.
Luwak Coffee is the worlds most expensive coffee, also known as "crap coffee" due to the fact that it comes from the Luwak wild cat. This animal eats the berries and their poo which contains the berry nut is then ground down into the coffee. Very expensive and not very nice either. Also on this trip our driver took us to a Polo factory, a silver shop, wood cravings and the local market before he took us where we wanted to go. Finally we get to Ubud and the Monkey Forest, this place is kinda enclosed but the monkeys are everywhere mainly looking for food from the tourist. The monkeys are very clever as they jump on your back and undo the Zips on your backpacks to get the food out. It was late afternoon once we were done in the forest and we agreed to be taken to a place overlooking the paddy fields for lunch. And so finally our tourist day was over and we were glad as we don't normally get caught in the tourist trap but the day was fun.
On route to the beach was a massage spa where we went for a back, shoulders and neck massage, was ok but I like it a little harder but for £3.00 I can't complain. In Seminyak square we went for a foot massage which was good and still so cheap, also wanted to put our feet in a tank of doctor fish but run out of time.
Our treat for this holiday was to have high tea at the Metis Lounge which has the best reputation in Bali, well it was nice but I think the cakes in the local bakery were nicer.
Not much else to say about this trip now, we spent the rest of our 10 days walking around the markets in town or laying at the pool. Bali is a nice place to waste some time in with a place that has old and the new all in one street. In our little street we had beautiful hotels and between them were the locals working their padding fields everyday.
I had a great time here but wouldn't come back, I would maybe go to the mainland.

Great Northern Highway

The Fremantle prison is a great place to stay, they haven't really changed anything here since its closure in 1991. Main improvement is two cells have been knocked into one to accommodate bunk beds for two people and thats it, windows, doors, landings and walls all remain the same.
The prison itself offer lots of different tours but we decided to do the Tunnel Tour which takes you 20 meters below the prison to a labyrinth of tunnels dung by the inmates to get fresh water into the prison. The tour lasts 2.5hrs and it's quite tiring up and down the ladders and creeping along the narrow tunnels, we even paddle in small boats along the flooded tunnels.
As the van is parked quite away from the prison we walked down to check it was ok and to get some stuff from it, as its parked at the beach we opted for a beach walk and a pub lunch.
Wanted to head into Perth so we got the train as it would be easier than messing about with the van and trying to park. Perth has three free bus routes around the city which is great and they run every 10 minutes. We did the Royal Mint tour and watch a gold bar being made, that was fascinating to watch and of course had to buy a gold coin as a souvenir. Perth has the huge Kings Park which overlooks the city and a great place to explore and relax. While walking back to the station there was a Christmas show going on with singers and dancers, kinda put you in the Christmas spirit.
Christmas Eve we stayed in Fremantle and went to the San Churro Chocolateria for bunch, nice but had better. Fremantle has a huge harbor and the Ecuadorian navy was in town with their training ship Guayas which is a 5 mask sailing ship and they took as on a guided tour of their ship. Great tour with really nice sailors and very proud of their ship and loved showing people around it.
That evening we headed out o a pub crawl which started at the Little Creatures Brewery then the Monk and finished off at the National Hotel.
After our chips from the local kebab shop we went to midnight mass where a lady fainted and the service carried on around her and at the end the priest throw out chocolate Santa's to everyone, very bizarre service.
Christmas morning we opened our presents wrapped in plastic bags and it's amazing what $20 buys you. Off to the beach where thousands of Aussies were also but still room for us, once a bbq was free I cooked our huge steaks that we had for our dinner. We had a really good day but I did manage to burn my shoulders at the beach first time I've burnt on this trip. We had our Christmas pudding and cream waiting for us back at the prison. Was good to FaceTime the family that night which is their day, first time I've felt homesick.
Not good news for us as our house sit in Perth has fallen through due to the chap being rushed into hospital so now we are rethinking our plans and where we are now heading.
So Boxing Day we left Fremantle and Perth to start our great journey north.
The Great Northern Highway links Western Australia's capital city Perth with its northernmost port, Wyndham. With a length of almost 3,200km its the longest highway in Australia and we were going to drive the whole length of it.
Just inland from Perth is Swan Valley, a smaller and not as fancy as Margaret River but still lots of wineries, cheese and chocolate places to visit. Due to it being Boxing Day a lot of the area was closed but the police were out in force setting up road blocks. I was called into one for a breathe test but all was good and we were sent on our way. We made it to a small coastal town called Lancelin where we needed fuel so we also stopped on the beach for a light lunch.
Due to the remoteness of Western Australia you have to rely on the free 24hr camps along the road, some are very poor maintained but others are better than some sites you pay for. We headed for Point Louise at Billy Goat Bay where there was a great site right at the beach, brilliant camp.
We made our way to Geraldton and found a beach with free showers, it was so hot driving we quickly got changed and headed for the water, ah it was lovely. Although the showers are meant to be cold they are always warm due to the heat, very hard to find cold water here unless it's in a bottle. So nicely refreshed now we head to the HMAS Sydney memorial, this is monument to the 600 sailors who lost their lives on that ship in WW11. Geraldton has the amazing St.Francis Xavier cathedral which has a Spanish feel to it due to the priest who designed it being from Spain. So after an ice cream from Mc Donald's we head off along this massive highway. Got to Galena Bridge free camp by Ajana River quite early which meant trying to find some shade and get away from the flies. Tent was pitched by the river among the trees which was cool and quite until a mad man started shouting and throwing stuff out of his tent and truck, very strange and a bit worrying.
Finally made it to Denham which is the hub of the national park and where the information center is, again Denham is a small place with really just one road and a few shops. After chatting with the lady in the center we decided to go out to Monkey Mia and camp there. Wow very busy place and only one camp site but as we got there by lunch time we got to pick our spot but later in the day tents were all over the place. Went for a swim but the sea had a really strong currant but it was nice to be in the water. It was a nice place but just too busy with everybody wanting to see the dolphins in the bay.
Quite a windy night and not as hot as the night before so only needed the sheet over us. We set the alarm for 7am to see the dolphins but awake like the rest of the camp around 5.30ish. With my cup of tea and a biscuit we head for the beach and at 7.20 there was 3 dolphins in the bay waiting for their breakfast. The rangers are strict and will not feed them until 8am and they only get 4 fish each, this is so they don't rely on this feed as their main source or lose the skill for hunting their own food. So about 300 people all stand at the waters edge and only 8 people are chosen to feed the two female dolphins, " the lady in pink tee shirt" that's me, I was the first one to be chosen and like the gentleman I am I let Sally feed the dolphin while I took the photos. It was a real experience to see this as I have seen on the television many times but I must say the beach didn't match what you see on TV. Once the show was over we went for breakfast and left the camp for the 20km drive to the Small Lagoon just outside Denham. They call it small but it's a big round shallow lagoon with lovely clear water. When leaving 5 Emu's just walked out of the bush and casually crossed the road. Staying in a camp on the beach front in Denham and once the tent is up we grab our snorkel gear and head for the beach. I was expecting something great but the water was a a bit of a let down with few fish and sea grass everywhere, but still we paddled for an hour then headed to the cafe for a coffee and plate of wedges.
Very windy night and it kept us awake and we were up at 6am packing up and ready to move on.
On route out of the park we stopped at Eagle Bluff which is a cliff top walk way which over looks a massive bay which if your lucky you will see sharks, turtles and rays but as normal we were not lucky today. From there it was Shell Beach which as the name states is made up of tiny shells and the water there is twice as salty as normal sea water. You could swim or float but as there was no showers there we decided not too. Hamelin Pool is another nature reserve as the bay is covered by Stromatolites which are basically small rocks formed millions of years ago, very impressive. You are not allowed to swim here which is a shame as the water was crystal clear and we were very hot. Lunch time and driving along the North West Coastal Highway and we are melting in the heat but still have 200km to go before we reach Carnarvon.
Carnarvon is a large town with 8 camp sites but the place is dead and everything has been closed since Christmas but we got booked in a site and found a garage to do our oil change. This place is famous for its mile long jetty and it's OTC dish and that's about it. Jetty was a nice walk but the thing is falling apart with the boards loose or missing. Found the only shop that was open and it's good old Woolworths so did enough shopping for the next few days as we are going to be isolated.
The town has a memorial to the Sydney that was sunk in WW11, it's a stretch of road with plaques along the edge which we believe to have the names of all that were lost at sea in that battle. Every single plaque has been taken maybe they were bronze and worth something, such a shame.
Had a really nice meal in camp as we were the only ones we had the kitchen to ourselves, shame the TV didn't work. So up early to get the van into the garage for its 5000km service, while this was being done we went and had breakfast in the bakery opposite and one hour later van was ready to go. On our way out of town we stopped at the OTC dish which was pretty amazing thing to see up close. It was a hard drive to Coral Bay due to it being so hot and it being one of those endless roads that goes on and on. Coral Bay has only two camp sites and both were fully booked so we were going to stay on the beach that night. The little town of one road and can be walked in 10 minutes and for a small place I have never seen so many people in one place. Surprisingly the beach wasn't that packed so we got our kit on and dived in. The water was really warm as its a lagoon and you have to swim out quite away to reach deeper water. Not many fish in the shallows but did see two blue spotted rays in the sand. As the camp sites were so busy and no one really cared we just walked in and had a shower for free. We parked the van up in the car park right by the beach and had some dinner then a nice walk up the sand dune to watch the sun set for the last time this year. While sitting on the beach with our bottle of pop and some chocolates the police turned up doing their patrol and we got chatting as one of them came from Liverpool.
We heard the pub do the count down to midnight and 10 minutes later I was in bed asleep. Awake at 7.20 to yet another beautiful day and the tide was out a really long way and like a mill pond.
We put our wetsuits on as we were going to snorkel in deeper water and being out for over an hour you can start to feel cold also they protect you from the sun. Amazing reef but not a lot of fish except parrot fish eating their way through the reef but still a great morning. Once again into the camp site for a free shower and wash the kit out ready for the off to Exmouth.
It takes a couple of hours to Exmouth and we check into a site around 3ish and decide to stay a couple of days as the reef here is meant to be the best. The site as well as the town has Emu's wondering round freely, they seem to be ok but you have to be on the look out for them all the time.
Had a nice evening in the camp as the kitchen area had sitting and a tv with air con.
Called into the info center to buy the park entry ticket and decided to do the Yardie Creek cruise at 12.30. Headed off into the park which has a sealed road for about 100km then it stops at the creek but all the way driving through are fantastic beaches which we will visit on route back. The cruise lasted an hour and the guy was very knowledgeable about the area and we even got to see some rock wallabies. On the route back we stopped at Turquoise Bay which is meant to be the best one and it was beautiful there. Went snorkeling for a couple of hours as the water was very clear but not much fish life around but did see a blue spotted ray. Finally dragged ourselves away from the beach around 5.30 as we wanted to stop at the lighthouse on the way back, also they have a turtle beach here where now is the time for them to be laying. We sat there for 2 hours in the dark, saw a couple of turtles in the waves but they didn't come in and then as we were going to leave one tried to come ashore but couldn't get past the rocks so returned to the sea. While driving back to the camp loads of kangaroos were on the road side but thank god done decided to run out into the road.
We had one of our longest drives of 555km to Dampier, no real reason to go there but the further north you go you have to stop in these remote places as there is nothing else out there. Dampier is an iron mining town and that's it, nothing else just mining but we did find a camp site in the dock area that was only $20 so cheap but very basic. What I did find out was that Red Dog was from here and there was a monument to him in the town so he deserved a visit. The next town Karratha again was built up from iron and gas mining industry but it did has a supermarket and a Mc. Donald's for a coffee. We also found the leisure complex so Sally went for a swim while I sorted out my videos with a latte. Leaving town at lunchtime we didn't have a long journey Port Hedland about 2hrs but the heat was unreal again but we got there and booked into a miners camp site called Black Rock, we were the only campers. Nothing in this mining town apart from the salt mountains and the turtles. Once the tent was pitched we headed for the turtle beach and to our surprise there was half a dozen flat back turtles either dragging themselves up the beach, down the beach back to the sea or were digging their holes ready for their eggs to be buried. I had never seen this before and just sat there for hours watching these creatures and amazed by their struggle to preform this yearly task. The town has volunteers that look after the turtles and advise the public on what to do, was chatting with the lady and she said that around 7am the hatchlings start their way down the beach to the safety of the sea and we could help to keep the seagulls away from them.
7am we were there and sure enough there was only one tiny hatchling heading for the sea so we helped to keep the birds and crabs away and the little thing made it to the sea. Made my day seeing this and when you are told that only 1 in 1000 make it I wonder if our little guy was the one.
We left Port Hedland at 9am as we had a 600km drive to Broome and we really wanted to do it in one day. Very hot and such a boring road with only 2 road houses for coffee and fuel stops but we made it and at 4pm we were in McDonalds drinking a latte. The camp sites here are all $40 plus so we had a look at the hotels to see if the prices were much different. We found the 5* Kimberley Sands Spa and Resort for $30 more than a camp site so we thought what the heck and booked in for 4 nights of luxury. A massive bed, our own bathroom with a stand alone bath, a shower, a tv and we don't have to share any of it, we even had a plunge pool in our court yard, heaven.
As we still had some meat to cook we headed for the beach to cook it up from the cooker in the van, so still slumming it.
We booked a tour to see the stub tail dolphins in Roebuck Bay which is the only place you can see them but unfortunately we didn't see any. It was a nice morning on the boat and we did see lots of bottle nose dolphins, turtles and a sea snake.
Went to the town beach to watch the sunset and see the camels that give sunset walks along the beach. Cable Beach is 23km long sandy beach but been told not to swim due to jelly fish so we just had a paddle instead. The beach was named after the cable that is laid from there to Java.
Alarm goes off at 5.30am as we are booked on a flight tour, picked up at 6.20am and taken to the airport where our light air craft is waiting, our first stop is Cape Leveque where a hot breakfast and fruit is waiting for us. Once breakfast is finished we head for the beach for a play in the surf but was warned that salt water crocodiles have been seen in the area, we still went in and it was great.
Back on the plane and we head out to the Buccaneer Archipelago to view the Horizontal Falls, all the islands of the archipelago are incredible against the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean. The flight back was a bit rocky and I felt really sick so I missed most of it as my eyes were shut but it was overland so not as impressive as the flight going over the sea. Once we had landed I couldn't wait to get back to the hotel for a lay down which I did for a couple of hours. Once I had rested I felt better so spent the rest of the day at the pool.
Saturday morning sad to leave this lovely hotel but felt rested and ready for the 1,000km we have in front of us up to Kununurra. Before we left town we went to the local arts and crafts market at the old court house. Another very hot day but we managed to drive 500km in very lush surroundings, the land is quite mountainous but very green due to it being the wet season. No kangaroos to dodge on this road just very large lizards, lots of cattle that just stand in the road, goats and even a few horses. Fuel prices were up and down but generally it was expensive, very much like when we were on the Stuart Highway. We spent the night at a 24hr rest stop at the Ngumban Cliffs on the Mueller Ranges with one other van. Lovely place to stop but far too many flies and they drove us insane, we slept in the van but it was so hot we didn't really sleep that good. I woke with the sun rising at 5am so got out the van and in minutes I was smothered in flies. Kettle on for some water for a quick wash and by 5.30 we were driving as you just couldn't stay there.
We arrived at Kununurra by lunch time and got checked in the a camp for a couple of nights.
As this town is the gateway for the Kimberly's and as they are closed so does the town close down with only the food shops open but we didn't mind as we just spent the days around the pool. The first night here it was so hot and humid the tent was unbearable and you just laid there in a paddle of sweat, by midnight I had enough and left the tent and just sat in a chair, a bit cooler. At this moment I'd had enough and hated Australia and just wanted to go home then a cockroach landed on me, after that I sat in the van and cooked but did sleep for a couple of hours. Today went into town for a look around but only brought some food and then headed back to pool, tonight is a bit cooler and there is a little bit of a breeze. I'm getting a bit grumpy now with this heat and just continuously dripping with the humidity.
70km outside Kununurra is Lake Argyle which was formed when they dammed the Ore River, there is only one camp site there and it has an amazing infinity pool which over looks the lake. They allow you to buy a day pass if you don't want to stay overnight and at $10 it's well worth it. We finally left around 2pm which was a little late but was having a great time in the pool.
Knowing we wouldn't make it to Katherine we headed for Timber Creek where there is a road house we could camp at, I don't like the road houses as they are very rough with bad facilities but sometimes you have no choice.
After another crap night in the tent where you just lay in a puddle of sweat all night and when you leave the tent the flies attack you. Even after a cold shower you still feel dirty as by the time you leave the shower room you are dripping in sweat again, I've had enough. So we reach Katherine where the lady in the information center informs us that due to heavy rain all the parks are closed and not worth staying in town. After a coffee and something to eat we leave town and head to Darwin and hope that on our return the parks will be open. We make it to Pine Creek which is a one street town with nothing in it but 2 camps. We stayed in the Railway Resort, named because of the old railway that used to run through town, we were the only ones there surprisingly. The best thing about this camp was the fruit bats that live in the trees and at sunset thousands of bats flew over us. Just outside the camp are the towns power cables and a bat must of hit one of the lines as it was like a fire work display with the cables arcing. Woke to everything wet from the drizzle we had in the night so we laid the tent out in the sun to dry while we had breakfast. It's only a couple of hours to Darwin and we have decided to find a hotel and chill for a few days before flying out to Bali. Found a hotel in the center of town and cheap too as out of season at the moment and funny as I think we had the place to ourselves. Darwin is no different to all the other cities here just hotter and less people due to who would want to live in this heat. The hotel had a bbq in the pool area so we could still cook and not have the expense of eating out, also we got breakfast in the price. Due to the salt water crocs and the box jelly fish you cannot enter the water so by the beach there is a wave pool area. £3.00 for as long as you like riding the waves, great fun but did feel a bit out of place with all the kids in the water. When Darwin was bombed by the Japanese they dug oil storage tunnels by the harbour as their above land storage had been bombed. Only 2 tunnels remain now and for a fee you can visit them, they weren't very successful as they leaked, fumes were bad and the war had finished by the time they were finished. We also finally booked to go to Bali for 10 days from Darwin as it's very cheap and very close to get too. The suburbs of Darwin seem more alive with local markets (Parap) and nice parks to walk (Fannie Bay and East Point)
Qantas had an hanger just outside town that was used prior the war and after they sold it to the NT car enthusiast who display and work on anything old. As everyone kept telling us about the storms up at the Top End we were surprised we hadn't had any but we did get caught in a heavy downpour one afternoon. Along the coast line is Bicentennial Park which overlooks the ocean and has lots of monuments to the people that lost their life's when Darwin was bombed.
Our last day after we checked out we headed out of town to NT biggest shopping mall and spent a few hours strolling around the shops. Also there is a cinema so we went and watch The Revenant and it's a very good film that lasts 2.30hrs From there a quick bite to eat and off to the airport and Bali here we come.

Onwards to Perth

Finally we are on the south coast at the town Esperance, we are staying for a couple of nights as they have some great beaches and National Parks to keep us busy. We decided to sleep in the van as it was pretty cold and very windy when we arrived. When we woke it was raining a bit so instead of going to the national park we did the tourist loop around the coast line. This circular route takes in some fantastic beaches, a wind farm and the pink lake. The lake is only sometimes pink due to the algae and bacteria that builds up in the lake. We walked around the town and stopped for a coffee after we did some food and beer shopping. We headed back to the site to relax and watch some programs we had downloaded from iTunes.
Still very windy and overcast in the morning but we still went to Cape Le Grand National Park.
On route there we saw the damage the bushfires had caused and how close to the town they had reached. This is a beautiful park with some stunning beaches, Lucky Bay is famous for the kangaroos sun bathing on the white sands. Hellfire beach is my favorite, a small cove with blinding white sand. Le Grand beach is a really long part of the coast and again has brilliant white sand.
Frenchman's Peak is a huge rock with a beak like summit, local folklore say it was a huge eagle that took children because they stole the Eagles eggs. You can climb this peak, it takes about 2hrs but it's very steep and not for the faint hearted. Once at the top the views are amazing and all that effort was worth while. Due to how long we stayed at the park we decided to stay another night in Esperance as it was a long drive to Hyden and we were both tired.
Up at 7am as we wanted to get driving early today but we still didn't hit the road until 8.45. The day was hot which makes the drive harder but we arrived at Hyden camp site at 1.30. All checked in so time for a cuppa and something to eat then we view the rock. The Wave Rock is part of a huge mass of granite that covers a massive area. The rock is 15 meters high and 110 meters long The town has a dam at the end of the rock and they have built a small wall at the base to collect the rain water and funnel it into the dam. The wave is a curve in the granite formed by the elements over the years, there are also lots of other Rock features here. They have the Hippo Yawn Rock which basically looks like a head of a hippo with its mouth open. There is also a rabbit proof state barrier fence which spans 1827km, built in 1901 to prevent the invasion of rabbits.
Woke early to lovely sunshine so we did the 3.6km rock walk before breakfast and my cup of tea, once back we had some breakfast and left for the long journey south. We drove a different route as we wanted to go to Tin Horse Highway which is a stretch of road just past Kulin. For about 20km there are objects made from tin cans, barrels and anything else that is tin, well worth the excursion.
Our camp for tonight is in the Porongurup Range where we are going to climb up to the granite skywalk. Amazing how cold it was last night and this morning had to put on trousers and a sweatshirt but weather report said its due to warm up and be 18 degrees today.
The Porongurup Range are the oldest granite mountain range in the world and the most famous in Australia. So after breakfast we head for the granite skywalk or Castle Rock, it's a 3km walk uphill and then a crawl through some large bounders then up a 7 meter ladder until you reach the platform. The views are amazing looking out 360 degrees across the area, the floor is a mesh so you can look through down to the rocks. Just before you reach the platform there is the Balancing Rock which is a huge rock that just balances on a ledge. This walk took us 2hrs to return to the car park, I found it a hard walk but the views are always worth that bit of effort.
The tea room in the village was highly recommended so we went and had a cream tea before we started the next walk/climb/trek. The walk starts with the Tree in the Rock which is a huge tree growing out of a granite bounder. This trek is a combination of huge bounders, thick forest and open ground that covers 5.5kms. The trek takes you to Mandy's peak, Hayward peak and Morgan's view all amazing view points. The walk took us 3.30hrs and I must admit I was shattered afterwards and my knees were hurting bad. A cup of tea and a hot shower and I felt much better. We went for a quick drive to the field opposite before the sunset to watch the kangaroos and there was lots of them. That night is was a clear night and bloody cold again so we slept in the van again.
So our next stop is Albany with its great beaches and military history. We drove to Emu Point where it was lovely and calm and the place where all the mums seem to meet up for a chat.
The next beach is Middleton Beach but it was so windy we couldn't stay there so just went for a walk along the boardwalk. During WW1 it was the safe waters of Albany that all the ships anchored and got ready to depart for war. There is the Anzac Memorial on Mt.Clarence and the National Anzac Centre on Mt.Adelaide both are very moving places.
Time for the weekly shop and fuel tank to refill then it's off to Denmark.
Denmark is another small coastal town with a few tourist highlights mainly beaches. The camp we choose was near the coast and full of kangaroos just wandering around caravans and tents. It was a nice camp because of that reason but we are learning that site owners don't cater well for campers and we always seem to have rubbish facilities. We sat for a while and watched the surfers on the Ocean Road beach before heading into town for a coffee and a walk along the river. The weather turned so we decided we would not spend the day at the beach instead we headed for Walpole, another small coastal town.
On route you past the Green Pool which is a part of the coast that has a lot of bounders in the water so it creates warmest calm pools of water. It was a lovely place and great to swim in but it was too cold for us. Another place we called in was the toffee and cider factory, toffee was mouth watering but the cider was disgusting. So after tasting quite a few samples of toffee we had to buy some.
We arrived at Walpole late afternoon and picked another campsite on the coast, the weather had warmed up so we pitched our tent for the two nights we were staying here. This site also has kangaroos wandering around but also a lot of loud birds. Early hours of the morning it started raining heavy but our tent survived yet another storm. That morning we were booked on the WOW cruise around the coast line and into some inlets. The guy who runs it is Gary and he is such a character and so knowledgable it seems about everything. We learnt about how the continents were formed and the history of Walpole. It lasted 2.30hrs so afterwards as it was still quite early we went to the Giant Tingle Tree which is in the forest full of huge tingle trees but this one is hollow and you can get a car through it. From there we went to the Circular Pond, had no choice really as it was a one way road in the forest. Not much to say about it apart it is circular and has a river running into.
Back at camp for some lunch and some laundry needs doing so hope the rain holds off while it dries. Not a good night as it rained most of it but luckily the washing got dry earlier in the day but table and tent fly sheet are soaked. Drove most of the day with the rain, it seems to follow us but we made it to Margaret River and our camp site for the night. It's a working sheep farm so very rustic but although it's cheaper its a bit far out of town so will look for another one.
Once again we woke to drizzle so headed south to Hamelin Bay where the string rays swim in the wake and around your feet if you go in. As we were so close we went down to Augusta to see what was there but nothing so brought a pie for lunch and turned around.
This area of WA has a huge amount of caves so we decided to visit the Jewel Cave which is the largest in WA and quite impressive.
So Margaret River has the largest concentration of wineries in a area of 25km in the world. So it would be rude not to visit a few of the 128 of them, we booked a tour with Maggie's Tour which takes you to 3 wineries, 2 breweries, a cheese factory and a chocolate factory. For the whole day it cost $80 and you get a really nice lunch, it was a good day and well worth doing.
Stayed in a site by the river for our last night in town which was ok and nice walks along the river. Popped into Woolworths to replenish our fridge before we left but we also headed for the towns fudge shop and we couldn't leave without purchasing some. We stopped at Cowaramup where they are famous for their full size cows along the road side, this comes from their name also being a farming area. Heading north and towards the coast we came to the Canal Rocks, which are rocks that are just off the coast but have the ocean rushing in between them. We read about a pub in Yallingup so we headed there for a massive bowl of wedges and a beer, very nice. Moving further around the coast we come to stop at a camp site on the beach in between Dunsborough and Busselton called Siesta Park, where we are going to stay for 2 nights.
2 nights became 3 as it was such a nice place and the beaches were beautiful with crystal clear water but bloody cold. Dunsborough is a small coastal town with lots of coffee and surf shops, what else do you expect here. Busselton is a larger town that holds an Iron Man contest every year and guys come from all over Australia to compete, we missed watching it by one day. It also has a jetty that is 1.8km long with an underwater observation room that for $32 you can go down and look, we didn't go as think it's a rip off.
After leaving this area which we really liked our next stop was Bunbury. We booked into a site outside of town for 3 nights, we were the only campers there but again a lot of permanent residents. Bunbury is famous for Koombana Beach and it's visiting dolphins but the three days we were there none, even the locals thought it strange. We were told of a nice 5km walk around the mangroves where we might see string rays but we didn't but we did see a flock of rare black Cockatoos. After the walk we came to a park with an outside gym where you use your own body weight on the machines, good fun but hard work.
Our site was opposite the race course and they had a trotting night on so the lady in the info center gave us some free tickets and off we went. Good night but didn't win anything.
When we can we find the local swimming pools and Bunbury had a great center and for £2.50 we had an 50m pool, sauna, steam room and jacuzzi. That afternoon Bunbury had its Christmas parade and carol service, while we were there we were interviewed by the local paper and our photo taken and then we met the deputy major of Bunbury. The next morning I was folding the metal table up to leave and I dropped it on my leg which gave me a 2 inch cut on my shin, bloody painful for days.
Leaving Bunbury we took the inland route so we could visit some small towns on the way. First stop was Harvey and their cheese factory where we sampled and brought some specialized cheeses, also had a coffee and cake. During WW2 Harvey had an internment camp where there is a shine to the POWs and the Italians the camp housed during the war. Harvey also has its own dam and amphitheater by the side of the dam, again a very nice area.
Just before you get to Waroona there is Drakesbrook Weir which is a lovely peaceful lake where we had some lunch and a paddle in the cool waters. This area has a few lakes so we decided to stay at a bush camp by Lake Navarino, the lake is beautiful but the camp is awful. That morning while have breakfast a kangaroo and her Joey jumped right by us, stopped and checked us out then hopped away, magical.
We left the camp quite early for another short drive to Pinjarra, on route we stopped at all the little villages as they all seem to have something to offer the travelers who are passing through. Pinjarra is a small expanding town with a new shopping centre, so we had all the shops we needed. The camp site is within a farm of horses and cows, it was basic but had some really nice people on the site. Another English couple from Brighton came the second day and we got on really well and it was Glen's 60th in a few days, so 1 day camp became 4 days in Pinjarra. They are also traveling around but in the opposite direction to us.
We drove to Dwellingup which is in a National Park and had some lovely walks with pools to swim in, very warm so only walked for a couple of hours. A short drive away is Mandurah which is a costal town with lots of water inlets, I loved this place and we spent all day there. They have lots of new areas around the water which are being developed and you get a place for your cruiser on the waters edge too. Decided to spend another day at the camp as it was Glen's 60th and he asked us to stay so we could help him celebrate. So with Anne, Owen and us spent the evening playing cards, eating and drinking.
So moving on from Pinjarra we headed only a short way to Rockingham where we are staying a couple of days as there is a few things to do there. We are staying in a camp besides two big lakes that they do water skiing on, so entertaining to watch. Went to the headland point where we had lovely views of the coast line as well as Penguin and Seal Island.
Took an early ferry across to the island which only takes 5 minutes and in fact a lot of people walk across the sandbar even though they are warned not too. The island is very small and we walked around and across it within an hour. It's home to a lot of breeding birds and has a pelican rookery.
We paid and took the Seal Island cruise which lasted 45 minutes and take you around both islands where we saw a pod of about 6 dolphins, a huge string ray and just 4 sea lions on the beach.
After our little cruise we headed to the north side to do some snorkeling and try out our new wetsuits as the water so far has been too cold for us. Also used my GoPro and got some good video of the fish and an octopus. Although the island has a large population of the little blue penguins it also has 10 orphan or injured penguins that cannot be release back into the wild so they are kept and looked after by the staff on the island. The last ferry back was at 4pm so we headed back to the jetty and still people are walking back across the sandbar, apart from the strong current there is also the warning of sharks.
Christmas shopping day, a budget of $20 to spend in the shopping mall, difficult task this will be.
Once shopping is complete we head to Fremantle to sort out our accommodation for the next 3 days and after phoning 3 campsites we decided to book into the YHA at the prison, so now we are here for 5 days until Boxing Day.
.