Journey to the East Coast

After our 2 hour no hassle flight back to a hot and sticky Darwin we decided to sleep in the airport carpark as it was too late to drive anywhere and this carpark is as good as any other. Once back at the car we discovered that the fridge had been invaded by ants due to some cheese being left in it while we were away. It took an hour to clean it up and spray the back of the van.  While the spray was doing its thing we went back into the airport for a coffee and a cool down. What with the rain, the heat, the security guard asking if we were ok I never slept at all that night but at least it was free. What I did discover was that the airport had showers so that morning we went in search for them and success a nice free shower.

Today is my birthday so we are off to see the jumping crocs in Adelaide River, this is only an hour out of Darwin so once the show was over we are off to Katherine for the night. The jumping crocs was a great river experience, basically the guy hangs a large lump of meat over the side and a croc appears and boy can they jump. The cruise lasts an hour and we saw quite a few crocs in their natural habitat which is good even though they were baited to perform for us.

We drove onwards to Katherine where we camped just outside town and at the back of the camp was a hot spring but due to the heavy rain the river had flooded it so a no go area.

From leaving Katherine all along the route were hot strings or thermal pools but all were flooded except the one at Mataranka. What a beautiful place, the pool was heaven and the walk to it was like a jungle and thousands of Little Red Fox Bats lived there. So I'm in this pool in a jungle setting and the bats are flying all around me, crazy. Due to our stop at the pool we were still driving at 7pm when we came across a outstation called Banka Banka, like a working farm that lets you camp in one of its fields. The place had loads of frogs and as I ran the tap in the sink one jumped out nearly gave me a heart attack.

So we reach the cross roads on the Stuart Highway, Tennant Creek is a smaller version of Alice Springs so not a great place to stay. 100km out of the town are the Devils Marbles, which are amazing huge bounders across a massive area, a must is your in that area. So 100kms back into town and the swimming pool for an hour to cool off before we hit the road again. On the way out of town we called in to see Lake Mary Ann, this is a pretty place but too many drunk Aboriginals there for as to stay. While we were there we did walk across the bridge that was covered with massive spiders, not sure what they were but who cares they are spiders.

That night we stayed at a road house which I hate as I think they are a rip off but this one was ok, had a nice pool and we had a great meal in there restaurant and watched the ladies tennis final.

Was up really early as it was so hot we couldn't sleep so at 5am we were jumping in the pool to cool off. We had 240km to the state bolder then 420km to Mt Isa and we arrived at 1.30pm so did well with that long drive. Like always we head for the information center where we found out about the tour at the School of the Air which is a school for kids that live in the outback. A teacher is in a room with a computer and she has about 8 kids on air, a bit like Skype and that's their schooling.

So moving on across the country towards the east coast we now reach Julia Creek another small  ranching town but what it does have is a small campsite with a huge pool next door so we couldn't resist a dip that afternoon and the next morning before we hit the road again. Cane frogs are everywhere and this is more and more regular now, they are a pest in Australia and you are encouraged to kill them as they kill anything that eats them.

Our next little town is Charters Towers which is slightly larger, also had a pool but it was closed which was a shame as it was mega hot. We stopped in the famous Holden Cafe which is like a mini museum to Holden cars and also a cafe.

Finally we reach Townsville on the east coast, we found a nice site at the far end of town and near the beach. There is view point on top of a hill in town which we drove up and walked around the edge of it so you get a 360 degree view of the town. As we arrived in town quite early we had enough time to explore and to go for swim at the beach. We walked to the enclosure to be told the beach was closed due to a 4 meter salt water crocodile was in the bay and they were trying to catch it. We went for a nice meal as it was Sally's birthday and then heard that the croc had been caught around 8pm Our van is booked in for its service the next morning so while that was being done we headed for the shopping mall and wasted a few hours. Townsville is a lovely coastal city and we could of stayed longer but as we were now heading north we knew we would be back in Townsville later on our return journey.

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.
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Around the South West

So from leaving Adelaide we headed back up to Port Augusta, it was a horrible journey as the heat was unbearable and when your in a city it always feels a lot worse. We didn't want to stay at Port Augusta again so we turned left and started our long trip to Perth. We only got a short distance when we came across the Nuttbush Retreat campsite with a small pool. Very basic but ok for the night, it was part of a working sheep station so quite rough and ready.
The Eyre Highway (A1) is the only road that heads west so it's very remote and you have to rely on roadhouses for supplies, accommodation and fuel. On route we came to the town Kimba which has a look out at White Knob and a sculpture of Eyre the chap that crossed the Nullarbor and paved the way for the rest of us.
Next stop is Wudinna which is another small town with a roadhouse but it has a giant granite Farmers Sculpture which off course you have to stop for a photo.
When we reached Poochera we had some lunch and decided that we would head to the coast and stay at Streaky Bay for the night. Streaky Bay is a lovely place, right on the beach and has a sea pool. Once we checked in we headed for the sea pool which is a deep enclosed area along side the jetty, basically it's protection from sharks and rays. One of the worlds biggest sharks at 5m was caught just off shore here and a local guy told us that the local seal that lived in the bay was eaten by a shark only last week. Once we had packed up to leave the next morning we headed to the blow holes and the whistling rocks, they were about 20km out of town and to be honest not worth the trip. We noticed that these big fat lizards with no tails just sit in the road and move slowly daring you to run them over, we found out later that they are called Bobtail Lizards.
We decided we didn't want to drive very far today so we stopped at Smokey Bay for some lunch, and swim in their sea pool and a bit of sun bathing. Late afternoon we then drove to Ceduna where we stayed at a really nice site called Shelley Beach, very friendly place and had a nice walk along the beach. We put the tent up but wished we hadn't as another storm was brewing but luckily it didn't come to anything.
Next stop was Head of Bight which is a marine national park due to the fact that every year hundreds of Southern Right Whales come there to give birth and nurse their young. Unfortunately we were about 5 weeks to late to witness this but the area is well worth a look. Staying at the Nullarbor Roadhouse tonight, it's a bit of a dump but we didn't want to drive another 200km to the border as it was getting late. When you cross from south to west you have to go through a quarantine border control where they check for fruit, vegetables, honey, plants and all kind of stuff.
Back on the road and heading for the border, we knew we had some veg and a bottle of honey they would take from us so we got it already for them and then hopefully they wouldn't strip the car down looking. No hassle at the border they just looked around and took the couple of bits we had. We stayed at a free bush camp after driving 536km with lots of other campers, it was a very cold night so we stayed in our van and that morning saw some dingo's walking around. Once you cross the border into west you gain 2.30hrs which throws you a bit. The drive across the Nullarbor is very much the same but we did see some emus and a wedge tail Eagle on the road with its road kill kangaroo. On the Nullarbor it has a straight stretch of road that lasts for 146.6km the longest in Australia, there is also a museum in one of the roadhouses on the NASA Skylab that landed in that area. Also surprisingly the RFDS have 3 landing strips on the Nullarbor where the Stuart Highway to Alice Springs only has 1
Finally arrived in Norseman and was due to head south to Esperance but due to the bush fires still out of control we decided to head north to Kalgoorlie the gold mining town. We booked into a camp site for 2 nights as there was quite a lot we wanted to do here and we also wanted a rest from driving.
Kalgoorlie is a fascinating town full of history and character, its roots are in gold when it was first discovered. An area of the town got named the "Golden Mile" due to gold just laying on the ground but that has all gone now so the big mining companies have moved in with their huge pit. The pit tour takes you around the edge and a bit inside the massive hole, the guide knew everything there is too know being a miner himself. The town has a museum with all the history of the town and how it grew to what it is today. On display are some gold nuggets that had been found around the town and a replica of the "Golden Eagle" nugget. Due to the thousands of lonely miners in the towns hay day lots of brothels started up. At one point there were 18 all located in Hay Street but now only 2 remain, the oldest and still in the original building and frontage is the Questa Casa Brothel. The madam of this 100 year old brothel gives daily tours of her house to boost income due to the lack of demand in the town now.
We also got our car serviced at a local garage and they did it there and then, all ok but had to buy a brake light bulb as ours had blown. Brought some new flip flops as mine had spilt and now useless, food shopping also done before we leave town and head for Menzies and Lake Ballard.
That afternoon as we left town a huge storm hit town with bolt lightening and thunder so we're glad to leave but unfortunately it followed us all the way for 180km. Saw our first flooded road, it was like a river flowing through it but we managed to slowly cross it.
Once we got to Menzies we then had 50 km of unsealed road which at first was ok but after an hour of going just 20km an hour got really boring. We finally got to the lake just as it was getting dark but the storm was still ragging all around us. I was glad to see some other campers already there, safety in numbers so they say. Any how we cooked some dinner just as the heavens opened and we hid in the van while the storm raged all around us. Finally it stopped to reveal a clear sky and a full moon, I was happy it was over.
That morning where the salt lake should be white it was a deep red color and we knew it was going to be very wet and muddy. We came prepared with some plastic bags to go over our boots but they soon spilt and we got caked in mud. The lake has 51 steel sculptures by Antony Gormley standing on the salt lake, they consist of men, woman and children. They look impressive but would have been better if the lake was white from the salt instead of red mud. On leaving the lake we came across 2 kangaroos and their Joey, first live ones we had seen for ages.
We had to retrace our tracks back down to Kalgoorlie and then to Norseman as we are now heading down to the coast and Esperance but as we left quite late we decided to camp at Kambalda. This is a free camp site in the town by the sports center which for $2.50 could get a nice long hot shower. It was really quite with only one other camper there. After the morning shower we drove to the Red Hill Lookout which has fantastic views of the whole area and even more salt lakes. Breakfast done and now for the 300km to Esperance and the seaside.

Adelaide

So finally we get to Adelaide where Leah, Phil and Gribbs are waiting for us with the kettle on and ginger nuts in the biscuit barrel. It was really good to see them again and nice of them to open their home up to us for the week. Spent the rest of the day chatting and just chilling in the garden, we had a lovely chicken dinner that evening, perfect Sunday lunch.
Monday was another chill day, we emptied the van out and gave it a good clean as the inside had a coating of red sand. Leah booked for us all to go to Moana Beach for a 2 hour surf lesson on the Tuesday and kayaking on the following Sunday, living the Aussie dream.
I love surfing, still can't stand up but I nearly made it, the waves last so long and the speed they bring you in is amazing if not a little scary. Only Phil managed a semi stand up but we all had great fun and that's what it's all about.
All the time we have been here in Australia we finally found an Ikea store as we were in need of some cooking bits and they are cheap in Ikea and I wanted a meatball lunch. Here they have some amazing camping stores and I'm like a kid in a sweet shop, I just have to go in and browse. So far I have brought a self inflating pillow, a camping table and a new tee shirt to replace my stolen one.
We managed to book a Haigh's chocolate factory tour for that afternoon, it's a free 20 minute tour of the oldest chocolate factory in Australia. Lots of free samples while we watched the ladies hand make and wrap all their chocolates, they even hand wrap their Easter eggs in foil.
5 minute walk from Leah's home is an 50m open air pool so Sally and I made use of the local amenities a couple of mornings. Leah took us on a guided tour of Adelaide where we watched the
Remembrance service as it was 11am November 11th. We then went to the Botanic Gardens where they have fruit bats living in their trees, strange things to watch. The city library was impressive but we have seen better while we have been here but the museum was impressive and for once I actually enjoyed walking around. The beaches all along are the best we have seen so far, the water is cold but they are great for walking along and ending up in a happy hour pub.
Adelaide Gaol is a infamous prison which only closed in the 80's, it's a small prison with lots of history. The last woman ever hung in Australia was hung and buried there along with other inmates that met their faith within this prison.
Saturday was a weird day as we got up early for the Christmas Parade that lasted a couple of hours which is not right watching this in 30 degree heat. That night we were back in town for the Gay Pride Match which only lasted about 30 minutes, not quite as big as the British parades.
Finally we had a bbq with kangaroo steaks cooked by Phil but as the bbq caught on fire they had to be finished off in the kitchen. Kangaroo steak is a very rich and tender meat and I'm not sure I will have again but at least I've tried it now.
We had a great morning kayaking in Port Adelaide, went into the mangroves and paddled around a couple of ship wrecks. The biggest thrill of the day was seeing some Dolphins just swimming around and not at all worried about us being there. Afterwards Leah took us to a pancake shop where the pancakes are to die for, I think the best I've ever had. Our time is running out in Adelaide so our final day we went to Harbour Town outlet shopping center and then onto Mt Lofty.
Now Mt Lofty was a climb and a half, although it was only 700m it was extremely steep and it wore me out. Once at the top the views were amazing and once I had finished my ice lolly I was ready for the walk down which was just as hard on the knees as going up.
So Tuesday morning it time to say our goodbye's to Leah, Phil and Gribbs, we had such a great time and enjoyed all the home comforts we had in their home.

The Red Centre

So here we go, off into the unknown outback along the Stuart Highway which is the longest road without any traffic lights or stops in the world. We have a full tank of petrol, tons of water, fridge full of meat and a box full of food. First stop is the sign just outside town pointing us in the right direction and how many kilometers we have to do. The traffic starts to thins out the further you drive and at every rest stop you meet the same people all heading to the same place as you. There are lots of salt lakes on route, the biggest being Lake Hart where they attempt speed records and in the past rocket launches.
Our first big stop was Pimba where there is just a roadhouse, petrol, toilets and showers, but 6km to the right is Woomera which is an Army base but in the past was used for rocket launches by the British. So in the town center they have lots of rockets and other military hardware.
It's starting to get really hot and the air con like most other things in this car doesn't really work and the left side wing mirror has decided to fall out so its held in with tie clips.
We drive onto another small town called Glendambo where we fill up at $1.56 so it's getting more expensive the further in we go. We made a sandwich and had a drink and because the town wasn't up too much we drove onto Coober Pedy which is another staging post. We roll into the Big 5 site about 4.30 and headed for a shower to cool off and we have to pay for it 20c for 2 minutes, but it was a good 2 minutes. They have a great lounge cook area so it's nice for cooking a meal and then relaxing. For dinner tonight it's steak and jackets with cake for pudding washed down with a Beck's, well earned after driving 340 miles.
Both of us are feeling the effects of the heat and constance driving but there is nothing we can do about it but keep going. We had decided not to do as much this day and just head over the Northern Territory border to Kulgera but when we arrived at the Kulgera roadhouse we both weren't  happy about staying there. It was only another 60 miles to Erldunda so we pushed on and so glad we did cos for another $2 we got a great camp with a lovely pool and wifi. On the road to there we past an accident that involved an army truck that had turned over so a little hold up. We decided to put the tent up in the belief that it will be cooler than the van. That night we had a thunder storm with heavy rain and but we survived in our tent, but yet again a restless sleep. So after 304 miles and a very hot day I'm desperate for a good sleep.
So on the third day and 167 miles and fuel costing $1.81 we make it to Yulara camp site, nothing special but it's home for the next 3 days. Once the tent is put up we decide to drive to Ayers Rock to see what it's all about. It had been overcast all day but still very hot so when we arrived at the Rock we decided to do the base walk which is 10.6km and it took us 3hrs. Ulura (Ayers Rock) is a special and an amazing place, you do feel a sense of peace there. It's amazingly quite there, even with other people it's still quite. The climb is currently closed as the chain needs replacing, this then doesn't give us the dilemma of whether to climb or not.
Once the walk was finished we drove to the sunset viewing area and waited, not impressed and not sure what all the fuss is about.
So in the tent with wild dingos around for our neighbors and it rained in the night for a couple of hours, so no sleep also I woke up feeling dizzy and sick. Think I'm getting to old for this type of traveling, so up at 5am feeling like crap but we head for the sunrise viewing area with hundreds of others. And again not sure what all the fuss is about, the Rock looks no different from the sunset. We sat in the carpark with Ayers Rock in front of us and had our cup of tea and bowl of cereals, good start and I'm starting to feel better.
From here we head the 50km to Kata Tjuta to do a couple of the walks, arriving there around 9 it was getting really hot, but we did see a camel in the scrub. Started the Valley of the Winds walk ok but we soon got lost and couldn't find the track at all so we retraced our tracks back and after 3 hours we were back at the car both feeling tired and hot. The other walk we wanted to do there was the Walpa Gorge Walk which is an hour long. I'm feeling really rough and not at all well but I make it there and back in one piece. Once back at the camp site I headed for a cold shower to try and bring my temperature down and it worked as I started to feel better. We are allowed to use the facilities at the hotels and the Sails hotel was recommended as having the best pool. The pool is really big and not at all busy so getting two beds in the shade I was set for a snooze. After a gentle swim, a lot of water drank and a sleep I was feeling much better, just need a decent nights kip now.
The weather is not being kind to me as tonight we have another thunder storm with heavy rain and hail stones to follow but it has cooled it down a bit. Looking forward to doing nothing tomorrow before we start driving again to Kings Canyon. Up with the raising sun and I slept pretty well and no storms. After breakfast we drove into the park for another walk around the Rock as its a beautiful blue sky and we hadn't seen it in that light. It's mega hot today so I'm making sure to drink more as I don't want to feel ill again. A quick trip to the supermarket for some drinks and then spending the rest of the day lazing by the pool. Really nice time at the pool and now back at site cooking dinner and sharing our bench tonight apart from the mice, flies, moths we now have a lizard.
Awake really early so went to the camp view point to see the sun rise in our pjs and already the temperature was rising quickly. Shower and some breakfast and we were on the road to Kings Canyon. The road was pretty much the same as the last 1000km we had done and the heat was again unrelenting. We arrived at the camp site at 2pm and headed straight for the pool, not the best pool but it was ok. Run into a couple from the pervious camp and then met some Aussies and we chatted for about an hour, while we talked a dingo just walked past us without a care in the world. Pretty chilled afternoon and a nice dinner with no flys around to hassle us just the odd dingo walking past. Alarm set for 5am as we wanted to be starting the rim walk early mainly to avoid the crowds and the heat. That night it was extremely windy and we wondered if the Rangers would close the walk but it was still open and at 6.10am we started the climb up. Once we were at the top the views were amazing and so was the wind, at times you felt as if you were going to be blown over the edge. The walk took us 3.10hrs and we were both very hot and tired by the time we got back to the car. Sally was feeling very unwell so I drove for that day, I think the heat had got to her even through we had both drank a lot of water on route.
Right after we had finished the trek we started our drive back to the Stuart Highway where we were going to stay at Erldunda, the main junction and staging post for Ayers Rock, Kings Canyon and Alice Springs. From there it was another 200km to Alice Springs so after some lunch we decided to make the drive to Alice. Arrived quite late but there was still time for a quick dip in the pool to cool down, the site was really nice and the guys who run it were very helpful. G'day Mate site was 6km outside of town and a bit concerned when they said the site it all locked up at night. That night we had the worst thunder and lightening storm I have ever experienced and it lasted 4hrs. In the morning the site was a mess and our washing was all over the place. While there a family that had finished their trip gave us a ice box full of food and some noddles for playing in the water. As it was so nice at the site we decided to stay an extra night so before going into town we did some washing and dried it in the dryers as it was still raining a little. All our domestic chores done we headed into town and now I know why they lock the site down. The Aboriginal presence is very clear with groups of men, woman and children hanging around in group on grass verges, street corners and anywhere they can sit. I felt uneasy walking around Alice maybe also because Alice does have that bad reputation. Called in at the tourist center for some local maps and off we went exploring. There is Anzac Hill with memorials to those that had fallen in all the conflicts over the years. Driving around we came across the Telegraph Station within the Larapinta Trail and the start of the West MacDonnell National Park. Walking around we came across rock wallabies and some kangaroos, we walked along the river bed to where they had dammed the river. As it was a really hot day we went back to the camp site to relax by the pool for the rest of the day. Before we left for the West Macs we paid a visit to the Flying Doctors museum, which gives you the history of the service and how they help people from all over Australia not just the outback. On the way out of town we stopped at John Flynn memorial and grave, he was the Australian that started the flying doctors service.
We decided to go to the furthest point possible with our vehicle along the West Macs which is Glen Helen. Not much there but nice helpful people in the office as there is a camp site there. We walked to the gorge and sat by the pool, this is a lovely place where you can swim in clear water.
1km further on was Mt Sonder, a look out right across the ranges, so beautiful that we had lunch there and stayed quite awhile. The next gorge is Ormiston Gorge and it was so nice that we decided to camp there, once we paid and picked our spot we headed for the pool with our noddles in hand. Floating around with our noddles between two huge mountains is magical, it was so peaceful. They have a look out on the top of one side which we walked too, the colors the sun casts on the gorge just can't be captured by a camera. That night apart from the ants we had the dingo's wandering around but they were more scared of us than we are of them. The next morning awake at 5.30 so we watched the sun rise which was more magical that sunset. Was sorry to leave this place and hoping the other gorges are just as great. The next stop isn't a gorge but the Ochre Pits, this is where the Aboriginals cut away at the rock face to get the colored paint for their arts.
The next gorge is Serpentine Gorge but it was down an unsealed road and we tried but it shock the van too much so we gave up and headed for Ellery Creek Big Hole. This is a lovely place with a great pool to swim in and a nice gorge walk which we did even through it was extremely hot. We had an hours drive onto the next gorge which is just outside Alice, Simpsons Gap is the most spectacular gorge but you are not allowed to swim in the pool due to the Rock wallabies being protected in that area. There is some lovely walks in this area but a couple were far too long for us to do that day. Well I think we have now seen what we wanted to see in our unexpected trip to Alice Springs and now it's time for the dreaded trip back through the center of Australia. Before we left we had to have a Mac latte to see us on our way and our last bit of wifi for a few days. We decided that we would only go as far as Erldunda as the next stop after that is Coober Pedy and that's too far in one day. Once there we were straight into the pool to cool down as temperatures were still high, had a lovely sunset there, a decent meal and good sleep. I was up and drinking my morning cuppa when the sun rose and before all the other campers were up. We hit the road quite early as we wanted to visit the town of Coober Pedy as it has a lot of history with its Opal mines and underground living. We stayed in a different site this time as this one had water in its pool even through it was tiny and freezing but we still went in. While there we paid Faye's underground house a visit which took her 10 years to dig out and for $5 you get to walk around her 3 bed home. The town also has 2 underground churches and they say that 80% of the town lives underground due to the heat. Australia is the biggest supplier of the worlds Opals with Coober Pedy being the biggest.
The next morning before leaving we drove out to the Breakaways which is 20km out of town across unsealed road, this area you find the worlds longest dog fence which is suppose to keep the dingo's from heading south. This area is where lots of films are made like Mad Max so lots of  memorabilia around town.
So leaving Coober Pedy we are now heading to Port Augusta and the same site we stayed at on the way north but this time the site was really empty compared with before. On route down we stopped at the salt lakes again as this time due to the rain fall they actually had water in them. I have never walked on a salt plain before, very strange. We a couple of girls on route who had a kitten that was only a couple of weeks old that they got from a local who was selling him for gambling cash, they paid 70 cent for the kitten. They were heading to Adelaide and we're going to take the kitten to a cat shelter as they couldn't look after him, I gave them $5 to buy some kitten milk for him. We left Port Augusta for our final leg to Adelaide and our friends Leah and Phil but we had to stop at Port Wakefield for a pie and coffee first.