30^th September: Ceduna

A big trip today and we just steadily wore the kilometres down. The countryside changed from trees and bush to true Nullarbor at the Nullarbor Roadhouse for a short time but the treeless plain is mostly north of here.

 We saw a lot more on the train. But the road is straight and mostly flat as this is the largest flat limestone plain in the world. As Karst country, it is full of caves and underground streams and supports very little vegetation. Trees are small mallee forms and inedible salt bushes and so there is not much pastoral industry out here. But as we drove towards Ceduna, the wheat fields and silos started to appear.

We have encountered the same people over and over again, all travelling eastward. Not as many trucks today but lots of caravans! There are also a few mad people pedalling push bikes across. Economical, I guess, as one uses a lot of fuel, but somewhat hazardous as there large trucks push a large volume of air and a cyclist could be in danger of being blown off the road! We saw the first bike ridden across the Nullarbor by a helmeted cyclist at Nandroo. It looks like a child's bike and I can't imagine doing it!! Absolute madness!! A woeful lack of toilets on SA section as well as non-equiped Rest Areas ie no picnic table.

 

(The yellow Torana we keep seeing has just left: it took 5 minutes to get it started!! Very noisy at 6.30 am!)

The highlight of the trip was the Great Australian Bight. We pulled in twice to view points to see it. The first place there were two rows of rolling sand dunes down to the water's edge.

 It was very cloudy at this stage!

 The second was the cliffs proper! 200 – 300 ft straight down into the pounding surf!

It was an awesome sight!! There were many other places we could have gone to see the bight but most were crowded as I think a good number of people camped out there but the wind was so fierce and I don;t fancy it myself, as beautiful as it is!! I thought we might go to the Head of the Bight where there 20 or so whales playing but then we discovered it cost $15 each to do so and it was 15 kms down. We've seen lots of whales and so we gave that a miss.

But the Bight is spectacular.

 Once the seabed, the plain is so flat and it just drops into the sea, creating wonderful cliffs! We parked the vans and wandered around and it was easy to see where the limestone had been eaten away. One doesn't stand too close to the edge!  

Thereare some interesting signs along the road:

We did see a dead youngcamel, lots of kangaroos and three wombats.  All road kill!

 

One thing I did discover was that there is a golf course across the Nullarbor – 18 holes from Ceduna to Kambalda, north of Norseman, one every so often at little settlements and roadhouses. Apparently, some people travel across just to play the 18 holes!

We couldn't get into the park I had thought would be good but it was packed and when I had tried to book, I kept getting the fax machine. A sure way of not having to answer the phone and turn people away. But this one is the same price and better. We will walk to the beach! We stay for a rest day tomorrow (Yes, I know; the itinerary doesn't say that but the drivers need a break before we do a couple more long stints!)

29^th September: Eucla

Still in WA – just! We cross the border and go through quarantine tomorrow morning. I am sitting in the camp kitchen watching the shenganians in the park. A guy with a Jayco van and a Prado has been hanging around just waiting for something. The van was not unpacked at all and they went nowhere. Well, a flat top truck with a old Land Cruiser on it just arrived and the prado and van took off out to the truck. It looks as if the Prado is broken and has been replaced by the Land Cruiser and the Prado is on the flat top! We await developments.

There really isn't anything to say about the trip here. We just trundled down the road for over 300 kms and arrived in Eucla. A very long escarpment followed us from Matura where we went down it and drove along the plain beside it. Limestone, of course, as the whole of the surface of this country is. It is dry but it obviously supports some trees and shrubs with underground streams. The treeless Nullarbor is actually further north around the railway line.

Once here, we had a rest and then drove to the old Telegraph station which was established in 1877 . Having beeen abandoned for a long time now, the ever advancing sand dunes have taken it over. It is full of sand, crumbling and a shadow of its former self. I remember this as we had taken the children here. We walked to the beachg, some distance over sand dunes. The sea was flat as the wind was coming from the North, off the land. But it was clear, azure and torquoise in the shallows. I photographed the remnants of a wooden jetty that was covered with pied cormorants. I suppose that in its heyday this was how goods and materials were transported in. The Telegraph station is constructed out of square cut sandstone and that certainly wasn't local. All limestone here! Once, 100 people lived here but there is no evidence of that.

The caravan park is again behind the Service Station and there is also a motel here – a rather new one. These parks are cheap at $25 a night and the facilities at this one are good. ($1 for a shower – coin in a slot!) Not as cheap as camping out but the hot shower was lovely. There are 18 vans etc here so far tonight as it is a half way stop. I'd hate to be putting up a tent – driving pegs into limestone is not easy!! We are far enough away from the main road and the Service Station that we shouldn't hear the very large trucks all night as we did last night!

We lost ¾ hour today as we reached central WA time. But it hasn't helped. At 8 pm, I want to go to bed! We are becoming real grey nomads and going to bed early! Problem is that I wake up at 4 am then!! Nothing much to do at that time!

28^th September: Caiguna

Where, you ask, is Caiguna? The answer: Half way between Norseman and Eucla! We travelled 575 kms today to stop here behind a roadhouse for the night. The road is good, straight (with one stretch 146.6 kms without a bend – the longest straight stretch of road in Australia) and well surfaced (no rain to cause road break up). There was no traffic except for cars (mostly 4WDs) and caravans and large trucks, road trains and B-doubles.

From Esperance to Norseman, a strong westerly buffeted the van which made driving hard work! We have only stopped for coffee and food except for a photo opportunity under the sign announcinmg the straightest piece of road. Gail wanted a photo of her van and car under it I don't understand why as she has driven harder roads before this! It is akin to the desire of some to play golf right across the Nullarbor!

Clear skies and little breeze. It will be cold tonight – another reason to have power and a hot shower! Intrepid, hardy and self-denying nomads we are not!!

Next morning: Dawn broke at about 4.15 am.The sun is rising now at 5.15 am. There are 12 caravans here, 1 tent (driving pegs in was hard work!) and 1 roof top camper (no crocodiles!). It is a popular stop, not expensive ($25) and the showers are hot. Better than camping out although many do! It is very cold this morning, dry and still. I have the pensioner plate on to warm the van!! The crows outside are going berserk!

27^th September: Esperance

I always think that one should finish a holiday, especially one as long as this, on a high! Well, what a fizzer today has turned out to be! We are sitting inside a closed up van with fierce wind and driving rain outside. The awnings are folded up, the chairs and table are in the car. It has become a very unfriendly day.

It started so well. I washed (for the last time this trip, I hope) and all was dry before 10.30 am.We walked down to the waterfront and heard the sailing boats singing in the breeze and jostling on their moorings. Three new ships were in port and seeemed to loading wheat and nickle. Then we went and explored the shopping centre (nothing exciting!) and I had my nails done while Glen tried to buy a little fan heater – without success. (Ours started making a noise and so he cleaned it. It got such a shock it died. We sent it to the rubbish bin! Well, it was over 20 years old. Nothing lasts these days!)

We had a phone call from Cherie. She and Jeff were at our place. She was threatening to make some space in our wine collection! However, they were mowing!

I bought a newspaper and so we have been reading and sitting out the storm raging outside. Winds are supposed to die down by 6.00pm. I hope so as we are going out to dinner tonight and I booked for 6.30 pm.

I will save reflections for another day. It is not the reflective type of weather!!

Next morning: The rain cleared as the wind dropped right on cue at 6.00 pm and we went out to a Chinese restaurant recommended by the park owner. (Always ask the locals!) Lovely food! The sun is rising in a clear sky but it is very cold!  At least it will be easier to pack up.  Now, I have to put the dream pot on as who knows where we will be tonight and when we will get there.

 Homeward Bound!!

26^th September: Esperance

Our last day of being tourists! And we spent it visiting the beaches west of here. With a bright sun in the sky, the water was lovely – clear, really blue and green, with surf rollingin constantly. It was truly beautiful and now I feel we have really been to Esperance! The beaches epitomise this place. We didn't get to Cape Le Grand NP but as I have never been there,I don't know what I am missing!! But I did so enjoy being on the beaches and walking in the sand today! The water wasn't cold either and for the first time for a few weeks, I wore shorts again! We saw a large pod of dolphins from the cliffs, fishing in a bay inside the reef.

There are two big wind farms here. In fact,this was the first place in Australia to use wind energy. It makes sense as the wind blows constantly and now nearly 40% of the power here is created by the wind!! And they are not noisy – over the sound of the surf, who would hear them!!

On our way home, we saw the Pink Lake (about which on the map, it is noted “which isn't pink by the way.” We had a laugh about that!). It is actually pale blue-green as the micro-organisms are not in the right balance at the moment. It is a saltlake and one of those extreme environments – 43% saltier than sea water. We then went to the waterfront in town where they are doing a lot of beautification . And it is lovely with lots of green grass, new plantings and new shelters with tables. I watched a ship load wheat while the others walked on the jetty. They didn't see Sammy the Seal who used to live under the jetty but they did spot 4 more dolphins close in at the shore.

Esperance is named after a French ship that sheltered in the bay during a storm. It means “hope” and there is also Hopetoun just west on the coast. Mainly a port for the Kalgoorlie- Coogardie area, wheat has always been one of the main exports. Now, nickle from Kambalda is the big product and a new wharf and infrastructure has been built to accommodate that. (Hence the big over-pass.) There are trains coming in loaded with pelletised ore and at the moment there is a ship in harbour loading and three standing offf port waiting. Once again, I have chosen a park next to a busy train line and trains have trundled in all night. But they are relatively quiet compared to Geraldton!!

Now that we are heading East, I have mixed feelings about our itinery. There is so much to see and we might not come this way again. However, it has been 4+ months and I am becoming anxious to come home. And I am tired! Tomorrow is a rest day but we will be busy with final preparations.

25^th September: Esperance

Boy! Have I had a difficult time with the internet! It has taken me 3 hours to post the last blog with added photos!! I have just about thrown in the towel!!

500 kms from Albany to Esperance. It is over a month since we have travelled that far in a day! But the skies cleared as we came east although Glen tells me he heard that another front is passing over SW WA next Sunday. Hopefully we will be in front of it!

We stopped for lunch at Ravensthorpe, a smallish town in the wheat belt that we drove through down here. Road trains carrying half sized containers lumbered through the town while we were there, obviously very heavy loads. I asked as we wondered: there is the now – closed Galaxy spogine mine just west of the town. (Spogine is the mother ore of lithium apparently. I will check!) The view of the Visitor Centre lady was the stockpile is being transported to Esperance for export. There is also a large nickle mine on the western side.

We drove past very large wheat fields, sometimes with sheep eating the stubble. It seems to be country that has to be carefully farmed with a three year rotation and awareness of the fragility of the soils. We saw evidence of sand and salt break-outs. However, lots of huge silos and fields of canola as well.

Interesting getting to this park. I selected it because it was easy to get to, protected and close to town. Well! There has been a road redirection and a huge overpass built in the recent 12 months! (Not even the Garmin showed it – we checkedd later!) Fortunately, I guessed what was happening and, using my well-honed sense of direction, we arrived here. It is now down a little side street and hard to find! But it is protected – by the very large overpass!!

I am looking forward to exploring the beaches here, especially as the weather has cleared.

24^th September: Albany

Today dawned fine and the sun shone brightly until about 11.00 am. Then the weather reverted to cold and damp! Nevertheless, we had decided to go to the Pornogorups, a granite outcrop, to climb up to the Sky Walk which is advertised in the brochures. (We had taken the children to the Porogoups but at a different point where we had climbed up high to a ledge and had vegemite sandwiches!) This was a hard 2.2 km climb up to it but both Glen and I were driven by the desire to conquer Castle Rock. In the cold and the dampo, my lungs protested frquently and Glen had to let his heart slow down a number of times. But we made it and really wanted to achieve the reward at the end- the Sky Walk.

However, the 65 m scramble up to the viewing platform was built by a 6 ft climber who didn't consider short people. The sign down the bottom said it was for people who were “agile” (well, I had spent 4 days climbing in and out of the gorges of Karijini) and “capable of pulling oneself up with arm and legs” (which presupposes that one could reach the embedded rungs to pull oneself up. I couldn't!!) It was impossibly difficult for those with short legs. Glen had difficulty! There were 3 short people there who couldn't do it. I was so angry and disappointed. I had really extended myself to climb up there only to be denied success at the end because of my short legs! And well-meant but patronising comments by others who were able to do it did not lessen my sense of failure. The thing that makes me angry is that it is so unneccesary – a ladder could have been installed instead of hand holds too far up and apart for the likes of me! Karijini has ladders! I was almost crying with disappointment as I came the 2.2 kms down. It was just so unfair! I shall write a letter!!!

The view accross to the Stirling Ranges

The Balancing Rock

Glen going up the Scramble

Glen's photos: Kris on first landing

The Sky Walk - suspended out from Castle Rock

We came home via “The Tree in a Rock” which demonstrates the resilience of nature – a karri is growing in a crevice in a granite boulder, and Mt Barker, a little town on the intersection of major roads, to The Great Southern Whisky Distillery on the road out of Albany on the Torndirrup Peninsular. I wanted to do something different to ease my unhappiness! I thought that if Glen liked it, I would buy him a bottle for his birthday. When it cost $5 for each standard taste of 15 mls, I should have known it would be out of the question! $135 for the cheapest bottle of standard whisky and $435 a bottle for the Directer's Cut. That one cost $10 a taste! We didn't taste that one and we each paid for one taste and shared. Well, we bought a cup of coffee instead. At 2 ½ times the cost of Glenfiddich, it was a bit like barbed wire for me! Because they are very small, it is a costly process and for my money, not worth it!! But a local comes in every afternoon to buy a dram of whisky “to taste”! (It's called Limeburners because convicts used to burn lime for mortar here.)

So, that was not successful either! We left there and went out to Natural Bridge and the Gap. I wanted to see the massive 4,000 million year old granites of Gondwana Land that is Albany as far as I am concerned. It was fantastic! Quite awesome!! The sea was pounding in and the rock stood impassive and solid! I loved it! Nature had not let me down and was seemingly untouched by time and man – except for a couple of necessary fences!! (I know of course the Bridge will eventually fall down but not in my lifetime! It is so much more solid than the sandstones on the Victorian Great Ocean Road! (London Bridge has fallen down!!)) 
 The Natural Bridge:

 The Gap

 

I now feel as if I have been to Albany!! Tomorrow, we will make ourlast stop at Esperance!

23^rd September: Albany

This morning dawned grey and dreary. But, nevertheless, we packed up to move on. I realised that I had taken a photograph of the place we were staying at: Fonty's Pool. It is a really pretty caravan park, 8 kms out of Manjimup. The facilities are great and it seems it is very popular in the holiday season as there is plenty to occupy the children with and the parents can walk to wine and truffle tasting. We didn't: truffles are fungi and none of us fancied them. But, despite the rain, we did enjoy our stay here.

We drove, once again, thrrough pouring rain all the way to Walpole and the Valley of the Giants. Amazingly, there is no cafe there! We'd have loved to sit in the warm and have coffee. Glen went back to the car and made himself a 43 beans while Gail and I had a machine coffee while wandering around the gift shop which was small but packed with good stuff!

Donning rain coats and taking umbrellas, we walked through the rain and mist on the tree walk. We'd been there before but Gail really wanted to do it as she was held up by bush fires last time! It was really eerie walking through those giants in the mist but again, really beautiful. 

These are Tinglewoods – Eucalyptus jacksonii. They are very old, some 500 years, and are relics of the ancient times of Gondawana, like the Boab and Nothifagus in Tamborine Mtns. They are huge – very wide at the bases which are often burnt out and hollow, but not as tall as karri trees. They grow only in a small band of country of about 6000 hectares and these days there are boardwalks all around so that people don't trample on the roots which are fragile and near the top. Again, I had a sene of the amazing diversity and longevity of nature and how very precious these things are. 

 

We passed through Denmark. What a pretty town. I hope it is fine tomorrow and that we can go through it again.

After setting up camp at Albany, we went sight seeing – in the rain again. (That just means that we pull up, dive out and take photos or read information boards and then jump back into the car and ssit and contemplate!) What a magnificent natural harbour this is! I was a bit ambiguous about the piles of woodchip ready for export but I do like my newspapers! 

 

But this is the port from which the first Anzacs all left, including the lighthorse brigades. As a consequence they have built a stunning memorial, opened only this year, on the top of Mt Clarence. It is very different to the Geraldton memorial but almost as stunning! Not as moving but still very evocative! The names of many of the WA soldiers are at the bottom of trees forming an avenue as you drive up to the walk up the hill through a paved walk with evocative memories on plinths both sides. Then at the top is a big paved area (all granite of course) with a large plinth on which is the restored memorial to the Lighthorse men and horses. (It was originally at Sinai but was pulled down and almost destroyed during the Suez Canal uprising!) A pine tree grown from seeds found in cones gathered from the trenches (the Lone Pine was actually destroyed by shelling!) and almost 100 yrs old sits there at the side. It is a wonderful memorial!

We came home through town. A really interesting day!

22^nd September: Manjimup

The internet is rather diffficult here and the Telstra phone is a bit dodgy. The posts will be late as I will have to do them in Albany on Tuesday night!

When I woke up this morning, it was fine. I put the first load of washing in and the clouds descended and it rained – heavily! Thus, I was in a quandry: do I continue and hope that it was just a passing morning shower? Or do I try to store dirty washing for yet another two days? It stopped raining and so I washed!

We went on the Karri Trail today. They are stunning trees. The Hundred Year Forest is now 140 yrs old. The experts know exactly how old these trees are because the wheat field that was created in 1863 was burnt in 1875 and the Karris germinated in the ash of the fire. They are bigger in girth now and yet to reach their maximum height. It is a lovely area. 

We drove past many areas that are 60 – 80 yr old regrowth forests, tall, straight smooth trees that have grown after the loggers had been through. Fire helpos regenerate these forests.

We visited all three climbing trees, the Gloucester, the Diamond and the Bicentennial trees. Originally, all were part of a network of 8 fire towers used to spot fires by being above the canopy. Glen has climbed the Diamond (once) and the Gloucester (2 ½ times – he forgot his camera and had to come down to get it!) on previous occasions but it was raining today and a bit dangerous. Now there are metal spikes spiralling up the tree and a light wire safety fence of sorts. The first time there were wooden spikes and no fence. I have learnt to differentiate the karri, the marri and the jarrah as we saw examples of all three today.
The Gloucester Tree:

 The Diamond Tree (the one in the middle)

A stump of a felled giant.

Other than these specific trees, we also visited the Beedelup Falls and the Cascades,both were in full power because of the rain in the last few days. Both were rather spectacular as the water was rushing and tumbling noisily over the escarpment.
 The Cascades:

 Beedelup Falls

 Obviously very well developed as was Big Brook Dam, with excellent facilities for day visitors. I am told these feature attract large numbers in summer and I can believe it.

 
 224,000 people have visited the Gloucester Tree and 22,00 have climbed it in the last 12 months! I just love being in these forests.The trees are so majestic and the environment is so calm and so peaceful. I love that despite all that man does, these giants just regenerate and keep growing. Glen saw kangaroos and the birds are everywhere. The business of life, wars and terrorism all seem so far away and so irrelevant in the face of God's creations!

I returned home to find my washing had dried, got wet and was drying again. So the drier went on and I managed to dry everything for $4. A successful day!

Next morning: I managed to post yesterday's blog early this morning. I will try to do this but might add the photos tonight!

21^st September: Manjimup

Well, the front did hit us but 2 hours earlier than predicted at 7.00 am. The wind woke me at 3.00 am but it was mainly the sound of it in the trees. We felt very little. But then the rain came: torrential, gusty and loud on the roof. We rang Gail next door and said we were staying inside until it passed. So we left a bit later than normal!

We came across to Manjimup in constant rain. I think we passed the front. But this was a new, good, straight road and we trundled along at about 80 kph, seeing only ½ dozen cars forr 120 kms! We had Morning Tea under a shelter as the rain fell at Nannup. (SW WA is full of places which end in “up”. It means “place of” ) This park at Fonty's Pool is almost empty but it is lovely with a large dam (the pool) and a green hillside. We didn't feel the wind here either but it is in the trees. It is cold and wet and I felt like Minestrone Soup but I had no vegetables. So we went for a drive through the dripping and bark-shredding karri forests, firstly to Manjimup.A very large Coles and a new Woolworths, neither were open, and an independent which was defunct (probably because of the other two). Nothing else was open and so we drove further to Pemberton where a very large IGA was open and trading well. This town actually showed signs of life whereas Manjimup didn't!

The minestrone was good, filling and warming! It is still raining and cold outside. Let's hope it is fine tomorrow. We have to wash and dripping trees don't make for great tourist visits!!

  

20^th September:Margaret River

The Margaret River Region hassuch a variety of things to explore. There are the wineries, oodles of them – half a dozen or more down every side road – and the dairy farms producing milk, cheese and butter. However, as well there are the forests, mostly protected now, and the beaaaches which are beautiful.

We drove to Busselton this morning. There is a very long jetty there – 1938 metres long, extending into Geographie Bay. No longer used as a port, there is an underwater observatory there and a little train that runs out to the end. But it all costs: $14 to ride the train, $6 for children and $4 to walk out! (Even the cost of camp sites around here double in school holidays which start in a week's time. So unfair for families!) But the beach is free and it is lovely and the parks are great! We said goodbye to Murray and Lorraine today as they were taking the Bitz van back and flying home on Sunday – Murray's birthday.

We then drove down the Caves Road to Augusta, calling in at Mad Fish to buy something I had decided I wanted and some of the beaches. We stopped at Gracetown which is on a little protected bay, and given that a fierce wind was blowing, it was lovely to sit at a picnic table that was buried up to the seat in sand in the sun. People were swimming and snorkling; the waves were crashing on the cliffs to the north and south but not here.  It is quite a sizable village with a number of larger weekenders I think!

 

Then we went to Hamelin (through the beautiful forest of karri trees at Boranup) where there had been a jetty to export timber, karri, in large quantities to England and Europe. Did you know that some of the streetgs in iknner London are still paved in Karri from these forests here! What a waste! The jetty is gone now but it is a pretty place with Foul Bay around the corner behind protecting hills. People were swimming there too. It was a bright sunny day – if you could get out of the wind. 

The Boranup Karri fores

 All that remains of the jetty at Hamelin Bay.

We then went to Augusta and Cape Leeuwin. We had afternoon tea in a little park beside the Blackwood River where we learnt that a pelican is called the Pelicanus conspictulatus and the Black Pacific Duck is a Anas supercilliatus!! We then went on to the Cape. It was stunning there but so windy, I was nearly blown off a rock! I wanted to photograph the meeting of the Great Southern Ocean and the Indian Ocean which I did by climbing around the rocks outside the fence. You have to pay here too even if you just want to walk to the lighthouse to take a photograph. They say it is for the maintenance of the grounds etc but $10 just to take a photo is a bit much! So we climbed around the rocks! We didn't get to the end but I was able to take some photos!

The meeting of the oceans.

 Cape Leeuwin from a distance!

 Flinder's Bay - the start of the Great Southern Ocean in Australia.

We drove home then and battened down the hatches as thunderstorms, high winds and rain are predicted as a cold front moves over early tomorrow morning. I hope it is not as bad as the one we had at Gingin but we are more protected here!