Tuesday, 30 July 2013
Loving El Questro Resort in the middle of nowhere!
Anthony and Rhianna are swanning it around the El Questro Resort! They will be there tomorrow and then the next morning will be heading of again to Warmun. What a lovely spot.
Still having trailer brakes problems but are hoping to get this fixed in Kununurra . Anything can happen over these rough outback roads.
Rhianna will update when they get to civilisation.
Best wishes,
Dell.
Safe at Ellenbrae.
Day 23.
Rhianna and Anthony are safe at Ellenbrae where it is like an oasis in the desert. Apparently they also have amazing scones!
The first damage for the trip has occurred. A smashed reverse light on the camper trailer. Probably a flying rock! Also lost the brakes on the trailer but Anthony has that under control with his capable hands and knowledge.
Rhianna thinks that the road between Manning and Ellenbrae are the worst so far. She is hoping for lots of improvement on the next leg of the journey.
Everything else is fine and they head off to El Questro tomorrow and that means we cross the mighty
Pentecost River in the morning. What a great name for a river!
And so as the intrepid travellers set up camps and battle flies and dust, we are living the good life in Alice Springs. We visited the old Stuart Jail that houses the Pioneer Women's Collection. Well worth the visit and there are lots of chairs to sit and read all the info.
I bought Diva a little squeaky toy and her antics with it would make a great video....
She is not game to bite it to make a noise but likes me squeezing it and then tries to nudge it with her nose to get a noise from it.
Best wishes,
Dell.
Rhianna and Anthony are safe at Ellenbrae where it is like an oasis in the desert. Apparently they also have amazing scones!
The first damage for the trip has occurred. A smashed reverse light on the camper trailer. Probably a flying rock! Also lost the brakes on the trailer but Anthony has that under control with his capable hands and knowledge.
Rhianna thinks that the road between Manning and Ellenbrae are the worst so far. She is hoping for lots of improvement on the next leg of the journey.
Everything else is fine and they head off to El Questro tomorrow and that means we cross the mighty
Pentecost River in the morning. What a great name for a river!
And so as the intrepid travellers set up camps and battle flies and dust, we are living the good life in Alice Springs. We visited the old Stuart Jail that houses the Pioneer Women's Collection. Well worth the visit and there are lots of chairs to sit and read all the info.
I bought Diva a little squeaky toy and her antics with it would make a great video....
She is not game to bite it to make a noise but likes me squeezing it and then tries to nudge it with her nose to get a noise from it.
Best wishes,
Dell.
Sunday, 28 July 2013
More news from the Intrepid Travellers.
DAY 22...
Rhianna and Anthony set up camp at Manning Gorge for two nights. The plans is to go visit the gorge today. They are in need of a day of relaxation. Visited Adcock Gorge but the water was scarce, then we called into Galvin's Gorge! Stunning cascading waterfall and the gorge has really beautiful swimming area. Yes.... they are swimming. Don't they know it's winter in Australia and the southern tribe are freezing. No need to rub it in, is there??? (A little envy showing here.)
The plan is to head off to Ellenbrae on Tuesday.
Love from Rhianna and Anthony. xxoo
All is going well and I'm sure we all wish them more fabulous adventures.
Best Wishes
Dell.
Rhianna and Anthony set up camp at Manning Gorge for two nights. The plans is to go visit the gorge today. They are in need of a day of relaxation. Visited Adcock Gorge but the water was scarce, then we called into Galvin's Gorge! Stunning cascading waterfall and the gorge has really beautiful swimming area. Yes.... they are swimming. Don't they know it's winter in Australia and the southern tribe are freezing. No need to rub it in, is there??? (A little envy showing here.)
The plan is to head off to Ellenbrae on Tuesday.
Love from Rhianna and Anthony. xxoo
All is going well and I'm sure we all wish them more fabulous adventures.
Best Wishes
Dell.
Saturday, 27 July 2013
Updates via Satellite Phone!
Day 21
Rhianna and Anthony have started their Kimberley run!
The weather is lovely and the days of packing up a cold wet trailer have gone for a while.
They are safe at Silent Grove. More gorges have been visited. Lennard and Bell Gorge.
There was swimming at the waterfall at Bell Gorge The mountain ranges are the Napier Ranges and are beautiful.
The next stop will be Manning Gorge tomorrow and camp there the night.
The vehicle and camper trailer haven't missed a beat.
There will be another update when more information comes in.
Rhianna and Anthony have started their Kimberley run!
The weather is lovely and the days of packing up a cold wet trailer have gone for a while.
They are safe at Silent Grove. More gorges have been visited. Lennard and Bell Gorge.
There was swimming at the waterfall at Bell Gorge The mountain ranges are the Napier Ranges and are beautiful.
The next stop will be Manning Gorge tomorrow and camp there the night.
The vehicle and camper trailer haven't missed a beat.
There will be another update when more information comes in.
Thursday, 25 July 2013
Day 18 - Broome - Derby - The Final Day of Civilisation!
Hello!!
Today we were lucky enough to have relaxed our itinerary for once in the entire trip and only had a two hour drive to Derby from Broome, this allowed us to have a sleep in, relax and laze around for part of the morning and permit us some time to have a small look around Broome. This included a visit to the famous Cable Beach :) Photos are below.
There is nothing better than walking on a beach with crystal clear blue waters and clean, bright white sand. After digging our toes in the sand and standing in the freezing ocean (or in Anthony's case, running away from it as he was in runners and socks) we headed back to the car on our way to Derby.
The scenery is a little better on the drive from Broome to Derby as it is from Mount Magnet, Newman and Port Hedland into Broome which have all been very plain, boring and nothing much to see except a few cows sunbaking in the afternoon sun.
We were surrounded by beautiful trees with vivid yellow flowers covering them, although not overally exciting and they are all the same after the first 20 minutes it was better than nothing. Also there are a few bridges from about 40km out of Derby that merge the road from 2 lanes to a 1 way/lane bridge, I think we passed 3 of them in total, it is strange as they do have other 2 lane bridges throughout, but the 1 lane ones just cause hold ups because everyone has to stop for everyone... Oh well, it kept us on our toes, and we got a view of the Fitzroy River which was awesome.
The caravan park we have set up in is called the "Kimberley Entrance Caravan Park" and the name couldn't suit any better for our trip, because as of about 9am tomorrow morning we will be heading off into the Kimberley's, onto the Gibb River Road. Our first stop is Windjana Gorge where we will be setting up camp for the night, but we will be driving off to see Tunnel Creek and walking through the Tunnel that is full of water, fish, eels and so we found out yesterday freshwater crocs! Everyone we have ever spoken to has always mentioned it and it is one of those destinations that should be added to everyone's list of things to see, so we will do it and let you all know how it is, with photos of course, and hope that the crocodiles aren't hungry tomorrow...
As of tomorrow morning we will be out of reception when we leave Derby for the full week. We will gain reception again upon arriving in Kununarra, where we will be briefly stopping to do some washing and shopping and then off again to Bungle Bungles. We will hopefully find some time to catch up on the back log of stories and events that have happened over the last week and upload some photo's of what we have seen and experienced.
Dell will be looking after and updating the blog for us while we are in the Kimberley's, we will send her a message each afternoon to let her know where we are and that we are safe and she will let you all know. If anything exciting happens that really needs to be mentioned she will do that too!!
For now, we will leave you with some photo's of Cable Beach and the famous Prison Boab Tree located just out of Derby where they used to hold prisoners many years ago until they could be transported elsewhere. The aboriginals of the area have fenced off the tree now to keep it protected and historical so we couldn't get any closer than we were but it is still interesting to see, and we had no idea it would have been as large as it is.
We hope everyone is well and we will make contact upon returning to normality once again in a week's time!
Lots of Love, Rhianna and Anthony.
Today we were lucky enough to have relaxed our itinerary for once in the entire trip and only had a two hour drive to Derby from Broome, this allowed us to have a sleep in, relax and laze around for part of the morning and permit us some time to have a small look around Broome. This included a visit to the famous Cable Beach :) Photos are below.
There is nothing better than walking on a beach with crystal clear blue waters and clean, bright white sand. After digging our toes in the sand and standing in the freezing ocean (or in Anthony's case, running away from it as he was in runners and socks) we headed back to the car on our way to Derby.
The scenery is a little better on the drive from Broome to Derby as it is from Mount Magnet, Newman and Port Hedland into Broome which have all been very plain, boring and nothing much to see except a few cows sunbaking in the afternoon sun.
We were surrounded by beautiful trees with vivid yellow flowers covering them, although not overally exciting and they are all the same after the first 20 minutes it was better than nothing. Also there are a few bridges from about 40km out of Derby that merge the road from 2 lanes to a 1 way/lane bridge, I think we passed 3 of them in total, it is strange as they do have other 2 lane bridges throughout, but the 1 lane ones just cause hold ups because everyone has to stop for everyone... Oh well, it kept us on our toes, and we got a view of the Fitzroy River which was awesome.
The caravan park we have set up in is called the "Kimberley Entrance Caravan Park" and the name couldn't suit any better for our trip, because as of about 9am tomorrow morning we will be heading off into the Kimberley's, onto the Gibb River Road. Our first stop is Windjana Gorge where we will be setting up camp for the night, but we will be driving off to see Tunnel Creek and walking through the Tunnel that is full of water, fish, eels and so we found out yesterday freshwater crocs! Everyone we have ever spoken to has always mentioned it and it is one of those destinations that should be added to everyone's list of things to see, so we will do it and let you all know how it is, with photos of course, and hope that the crocodiles aren't hungry tomorrow...
As of tomorrow morning we will be out of reception when we leave Derby for the full week. We will gain reception again upon arriving in Kununarra, where we will be briefly stopping to do some washing and shopping and then off again to Bungle Bungles. We will hopefully find some time to catch up on the back log of stories and events that have happened over the last week and upload some photo's of what we have seen and experienced.
Dell will be looking after and updating the blog for us while we are in the Kimberley's, we will send her a message each afternoon to let her know where we are and that we are safe and she will let you all know. If anything exciting happens that really needs to be mentioned she will do that too!!
For now, we will leave you with some photo's of Cable Beach and the famous Prison Boab Tree located just out of Derby where they used to hold prisoners many years ago until they could be transported elsewhere. The aboriginals of the area have fenced off the tree now to keep it protected and historical so we couldn't get any closer than we were but it is still interesting to see, and we had no idea it would have been as large as it is.
We hope everyone is well and we will make contact upon returning to normality once again in a week's time!
Lots of Love, Rhianna and Anthony.
Wednesday, 24 July 2013
Day 17 - Port Hedland - Broome - Staircase to the Moon
Good Evening Everyone!
Thanks again to Dell for updating the blog for us while we were out of reception.
We had a fantastic time last night at Indee Station, it was $10 per person per night to stay there and some of the friendliest people you will ever meet. We checked in and within only a few minutes there were people walking around and having chats to everyone, it was really great to see.
Basic camp ground and no power but toilets and showers and everything you need.
At 5.30pm until 6.30pm the owners of the Station invite everyone to come up to the Homestead for "Happy Hour" where they share all their stories and allow all the campers to spend time together and meet everyone and just have a really good time. We went up and met a few couples and had a really great time, its very open and welcoming. We met a old fella that has lived on the station for years, he took us out the back to meet "Wonky the Donkey" He was given to the owners of the station as a wedding present many years ago. We fed him some carrots and watched as Wonky and their dog stirred each other up. The dog barks and barks until the Donkey gets fed up, then Wonky grabs the fence with his mouth and shakes it to stir the dog up :) HA-HA it is fantastic to watch because he turns around and acts like he is completely innocent afterwards.
We had to head off early this morning to leave for Broome, 7 hour drive to arrive and we wanted to have some time in the afternoon to relax. We arrived in Broome this afternoon at about 4.30pm.
At 7:17pm the moon was due to come up and the phenomenon of the "Staircase to the Moon" was tonight! We headed down to the Broome Markets as we had heard that it is one of the best places to watch it and you get to have a browse at all the paintings etc.
We managed to get a front row seat at the fence of the lookout for the moon over the mud flats as we arrived fairly early. Then we saw the most amazing thing EVER! the way that it appears exactly on time, how amazingly deep red it's colour is as it rises, and the absolutely incredible view that it gives you of the "Staircase" is nothing you can ever imagine! The amazing thing is the perfect straight line on light that is presents. Photo's just do not show it justice but we have attached some anyway. We are so glad and privileged that we got to see and experience it and highly recommended that if you are ever in the area when it is expected that you go and see it! :)
Now we are back at camp and a fully booked caravan park it is, makes us happy that we booked as early as we did... Now its time for bed.
We are only travelling to Derby tomorrow which is about 2 hours away, so in the morning we are going to head off to Cable Beach and have a look and then keep going onto Derby. Derby is the Entrance to the Kimberley's and as of Friday morning we will be entering into the wild land, we are so excited.
We will most likely have no reception for majority of the travelling through the Kimberley's but we will be contacting Dell and asking her to update for us and we will do a bulk catch up when we do get reception and time, and of course we will upload photos for you all.
Anyway until tomorrow.
Rhianna and Anthony.
Staircase to the moon just after the moon rose
Thanks again to Dell for updating the blog for us while we were out of reception.
We had a fantastic time last night at Indee Station, it was $10 per person per night to stay there and some of the friendliest people you will ever meet. We checked in and within only a few minutes there were people walking around and having chats to everyone, it was really great to see.
Basic camp ground and no power but toilets and showers and everything you need.
At 5.30pm until 6.30pm the owners of the Station invite everyone to come up to the Homestead for "Happy Hour" where they share all their stories and allow all the campers to spend time together and meet everyone and just have a really good time. We went up and met a few couples and had a really great time, its very open and welcoming. We met a old fella that has lived on the station for years, he took us out the back to meet "Wonky the Donkey" He was given to the owners of the station as a wedding present many years ago. We fed him some carrots and watched as Wonky and their dog stirred each other up. The dog barks and barks until the Donkey gets fed up, then Wonky grabs the fence with his mouth and shakes it to stir the dog up :) HA-HA it is fantastic to watch because he turns around and acts like he is completely innocent afterwards.
We had to head off early this morning to leave for Broome, 7 hour drive to arrive and we wanted to have some time in the afternoon to relax. We arrived in Broome this afternoon at about 4.30pm.
At 7:17pm the moon was due to come up and the phenomenon of the "Staircase to the Moon" was tonight! We headed down to the Broome Markets as we had heard that it is one of the best places to watch it and you get to have a browse at all the paintings etc.
We managed to get a front row seat at the fence of the lookout for the moon over the mud flats as we arrived fairly early. Then we saw the most amazing thing EVER! the way that it appears exactly on time, how amazingly deep red it's colour is as it rises, and the absolutely incredible view that it gives you of the "Staircase" is nothing you can ever imagine! The amazing thing is the perfect straight line on light that is presents. Photo's just do not show it justice but we have attached some anyway. We are so glad and privileged that we got to see and experience it and highly recommended that if you are ever in the area when it is expected that you go and see it! :)
Now we are back at camp and a fully booked caravan park it is, makes us happy that we booked as early as we did... Now its time for bed.
We are only travelling to Derby tomorrow which is about 2 hours away, so in the morning we are going to head off to Cable Beach and have a look and then keep going onto Derby. Derby is the Entrance to the Kimberley's and as of Friday morning we will be entering into the wild land, we are so excited.
We will most likely have no reception for majority of the travelling through the Kimberley's but we will be contacting Dell and asking her to update for us and we will do a bulk catch up when we do get reception and time, and of course we will upload photos for you all.
Anyway until tomorrow.
Rhianna and Anthony.
Staircase to the moon just after the moon rose
Tuesday, 23 July 2013
Day 16.....NEWMAN to PORT HEDLAND.
Rhianna and Anthony are camping at Indee Station about 30 ks south of Port Hedland.
They are safe and sound. They will be heading up to Broome tomorrow, the home of pearls and Cable Beach.
They will update when they get reception.
All is very well on the Alice Springs home front too.
Diva is clever!
I placed the hose on some plants to water them while I drank my coffee but decided not to because Diva would want to play with it. She ran to the hose, found that there wasn't any water coming out, came and stood by me then ran over to the tap and gave me a look that said , 'Come on, turn the tap on. I want to play!' Lovely dog.
Best Wishes,
Dell.
Monday, 22 July 2013
Day 15 - Mount Magnet - Newman
Hello everyone,
We are safely in Newman after another long day's drive. There aren't too many long day left as we are starting to get closer to the days where we will only be traveling 3-4 hours but will be offroad.
Nothing to report today, the road is still straight and boring though we did see a lot of cows! There were also a few loose goats and sheep roaming around but not causing any trouble which is good.
Did a shop for the next few days and dinner tonight, nice and easy tonight cooked chook and salad rolls. We were a little unlucky in Mt Magnet and Rockingham as all shops shut at 5pm and we pulled up too late to shop, leaving us with no option but to have 2 minute noodles from the pantry. Newman is open until 7pm which is better for us. We are just used to having a midnight close or 10pm so it caught us out.
On the road again early tomorrow morning, we will be in Port Headland tomorrow afternoon. We are staying on a station just out of town, should be good. Will update when we arrive :)
That's it from us until tomorrow
Anthony and Rhianna.
We are safely in Newman after another long day's drive. There aren't too many long day left as we are starting to get closer to the days where we will only be traveling 3-4 hours but will be offroad.
Nothing to report today, the road is still straight and boring though we did see a lot of cows! There were also a few loose goats and sheep roaming around but not causing any trouble which is good.
Did a shop for the next few days and dinner tonight, nice and easy tonight cooked chook and salad rolls. We were a little unlucky in Mt Magnet and Rockingham as all shops shut at 5pm and we pulled up too late to shop, leaving us with no option but to have 2 minute noodles from the pantry. Newman is open until 7pm which is better for us. We are just used to having a midnight close or 10pm so it caught us out.
On the road again early tomorrow morning, we will be in Port Headland tomorrow afternoon. We are staying on a station just out of town, should be good. Will update when we arrive :)
That's it from us until tomorrow
Anthony and Rhianna.
Sunday, 21 July 2013
Day 14 - Rockingham - Mount Magnet
Hello Again :)
Well this morning we headed off early from Rockingham on our new adventure toward the Kimberley's, first stop, Mount Magnet.
This morning was absolutely freezing, the tent was totally soaked from dew which made it not only heavy to pack up but totally freezing making it hard as both our hands were numb and frozen trying to pack it down.
Once we left Perth and headed toward Mt Magnet we ended up back on the highway with the big mining trucks again carrying all the large machinery and parts for them, had not seen many if any at all for the last few days.
We were about 20km out of Newnorcia and we fell behind 2 massive trucks carrying 4x tyres for machines each. We switched on the UHF radio to hear if there was anything important we needed to know and we found out they were 3.8 metres wide which put them just over the center line on the road. We had seen bigger ones but never following them.
Soon after we caught up with them, the entire road slowed to a crawl and a new message was being blasted over the UHF radio... this caught our interest instantly and soon after we finally got our first glimpse... photos are below but really you needed to be here to understand the pure size of it.
There were 2x trucks carrying a house or a building we aren't sure which, 1 truck was carrying the entire building and the other was carrying the roof. Measuring 8 meters wide they completely took over the whole road and the message being sent across the UHF was "Get off the road if you are heading South" there was just no way anyone could fit past them and especially not trucks. Because they were so large they were travelling extremely slow and within no time at all there was a freight train of cars, over sized trucks, delivery trucks and anything else you can think of piling up behind us.
We have seen large buildings and things being freighted but generally something as large as this would be split into 2 or 3 parts to be just over the lane not taking over the whole road! It was quite a sight. They were going to pull into a truck bay just further up as the traffic started to build but they couldn't fit! So eventually they pulled over on the edge of the road on the intersection coming into Bindi Bindi where there was lots of space for them to safely get off the road.
That was the only excitement for the entire trip, the road to Mount Magnet from Perth is straight and boring so we were very much looking forward to pulling up for the night.
We arrived safe at about 4pm this afternoon and have set up camp, once again it is just hovering above freezing so once again we are planning how to tackle a cold, wet tent first thing in the morning... Hopefully we find a trick some time soon!
We are heading to Newman tomorrow and no doubt we will have something interesting happen again, but for now, dinner and bed are the only plans :)
Hope everyone is well.
Rhianna and Anthony.
First glimpse
The trucks pulled over to let traffic past
Looking back at the trucks :)
Well this morning we headed off early from Rockingham on our new adventure toward the Kimberley's, first stop, Mount Magnet.
This morning was absolutely freezing, the tent was totally soaked from dew which made it not only heavy to pack up but totally freezing making it hard as both our hands were numb and frozen trying to pack it down.
Once we left Perth and headed toward Mt Magnet we ended up back on the highway with the big mining trucks again carrying all the large machinery and parts for them, had not seen many if any at all for the last few days.
We were about 20km out of Newnorcia and we fell behind 2 massive trucks carrying 4x tyres for machines each. We switched on the UHF radio to hear if there was anything important we needed to know and we found out they were 3.8 metres wide which put them just over the center line on the road. We had seen bigger ones but never following them.
Soon after we caught up with them, the entire road slowed to a crawl and a new message was being blasted over the UHF radio... this caught our interest instantly and soon after we finally got our first glimpse... photos are below but really you needed to be here to understand the pure size of it.
There were 2x trucks carrying a house or a building we aren't sure which, 1 truck was carrying the entire building and the other was carrying the roof. Measuring 8 meters wide they completely took over the whole road and the message being sent across the UHF was "Get off the road if you are heading South" there was just no way anyone could fit past them and especially not trucks. Because they were so large they were travelling extremely slow and within no time at all there was a freight train of cars, over sized trucks, delivery trucks and anything else you can think of piling up behind us.
We have seen large buildings and things being freighted but generally something as large as this would be split into 2 or 3 parts to be just over the lane not taking over the whole road! It was quite a sight. They were going to pull into a truck bay just further up as the traffic started to build but they couldn't fit! So eventually they pulled over on the edge of the road on the intersection coming into Bindi Bindi where there was lots of space for them to safely get off the road.
That was the only excitement for the entire trip, the road to Mount Magnet from Perth is straight and boring so we were very much looking forward to pulling up for the night.
We arrived safe at about 4pm this afternoon and have set up camp, once again it is just hovering above freezing so once again we are planning how to tackle a cold, wet tent first thing in the morning... Hopefully we find a trick some time soon!
We are heading to Newman tomorrow and no doubt we will have something interesting happen again, but for now, dinner and bed are the only plans :)
Hope everyone is well.
Rhianna and Anthony.
First glimpse
The trucks pulled over to let traffic past
Looking back at the trucks :)
Day 13 - Perth Zoo & The City at night!
Hello,
Apologies about the delay in posting yesterday's post, we had a hectic day which turned into a late night and were off again early this morning to head to Mount Magnet. Now for the update of events....
Saturday at Perth
Saturday morning we got up early and went into the Perth Zoo for the day. The zoo is amazing, there are so many animals there, some were very active and therefore creating some amazing photos, others were just lazing around sleeping so unfortunately we didn't get photo's of all of them. We had an absolute ball though.
We saw the Tigers and one of them came right up to the glass and roared at us, it was the closest we had ever been and we were all glad that the glass is as thick as it is ha-ha. Just some photos below of a few of the animals. We were very lucky, at the time we walked past the Tree Kangaroo's they were sleeping, within about 5 minutes, one of them got up, climbed the tree and bashed the other one over the head, causing a fight between them. Quick on the camera Anthony took some action photos (below), truely amazing, it was almost like they were showing off for us.
Once we finished off at the Zoo, we met up with a family member for a few hours and had dinner at a magnificent Italian restaurant which we all stuffed ourselves silly at, but that's all part of it hey?!
After dinner we headed back into the City to Kings Park to take some photos of the City lights at night. WOW what a sight! Coming from a small town, Perth certainly puts on a show with lights! Photos below again... We ventured back to camp about around midnight to get a few hours sleep before waking at 6 to head off.
We had a really great time at Perth and the surrounding areas. Unfortunately the weather didn't want to be kind to us until the last day where we had a beautiful clear day all day yesterday, made a perfect day for the Zoo. We got to see some amazing things, learn a lot of new things and we will be able to go home with some unreal photos that we will cherish for a lifetime. But we know we need to come back to WA at some point and see the rest because we have barely touched the surface... BUT the important thing is, we are on this trip to see the Kimberly's as well and now the time has come where we are not far away!
I will keep this uniform so Today's post will be separate, please go back to the menu to read Sunday's (today's) :)
Anthony and Rhianna.
Tree Kangaroo's
A Tree Kangaroo
Tiger close up :)
Cheetah
Perth City at night
And again just moved over a bit :)
Apologies about the delay in posting yesterday's post, we had a hectic day which turned into a late night and were off again early this morning to head to Mount Magnet. Now for the update of events....
Saturday at Perth
Saturday morning we got up early and went into the Perth Zoo for the day. The zoo is amazing, there are so many animals there, some were very active and therefore creating some amazing photos, others were just lazing around sleeping so unfortunately we didn't get photo's of all of them. We had an absolute ball though.
We saw the Tigers and one of them came right up to the glass and roared at us, it was the closest we had ever been and we were all glad that the glass is as thick as it is ha-ha. Just some photos below of a few of the animals. We were very lucky, at the time we walked past the Tree Kangaroo's they were sleeping, within about 5 minutes, one of them got up, climbed the tree and bashed the other one over the head, causing a fight between them. Quick on the camera Anthony took some action photos (below), truely amazing, it was almost like they were showing off for us.
Once we finished off at the Zoo, we met up with a family member for a few hours and had dinner at a magnificent Italian restaurant which we all stuffed ourselves silly at, but that's all part of it hey?!
After dinner we headed back into the City to Kings Park to take some photos of the City lights at night. WOW what a sight! Coming from a small town, Perth certainly puts on a show with lights! Photos below again... We ventured back to camp about around midnight to get a few hours sleep before waking at 6 to head off.
We had a really great time at Perth and the surrounding areas. Unfortunately the weather didn't want to be kind to us until the last day where we had a beautiful clear day all day yesterday, made a perfect day for the Zoo. We got to see some amazing things, learn a lot of new things and we will be able to go home with some unreal photos that we will cherish for a lifetime. But we know we need to come back to WA at some point and see the rest because we have barely touched the surface... BUT the important thing is, we are on this trip to see the Kimberly's as well and now the time has come where we are not far away!
I will keep this uniform so Today's post will be separate, please go back to the menu to read Sunday's (today's) :)
Anthony and Rhianna.
Tree Kangaroo's
A Tree Kangaroo
Tiger close up :)
Cheetah
Perth City at night
And again just moved over a bit :)
Friday, 19 July 2013
Day 12 - Margaret River - Rockingham Via Busselton Jetty :)
Hello,
Well today we packed up from Margaret River and headed back to Rockingham for a few more days before taking off up North to see the real stuff!!
On the way we called into Busselton as we wanted to do the Underwater Observatory at the end of the Busselton Jetty. Unfortunately due to the recent rain and rough waters, the ocean is far too churned up and not very much visibility so it was closed. It just means we have to come back in summer!
Rather than turning around and leaving we decided to make it worth while and walk the jetty from start to finish, at the cost of $2.50 per person to enter we had no reason not to :)
1.8km jetty which makes it the longest wooden jetty in the Southern Hemisphere. Took us just over an hour return to walk up and back, including spending some time reading the many different information plaques spread throughout the length of the jetty. We also passed the last remaining part of the original jetty, now known as the "Skeleton Jetty" over time it has been damaged by weather, cyclones and fires, that burnt 65m of the jetty, but a small amount of the original still stands today next to the new one, looking very old and has a few rotted pillars which will no doubt in time come away as well leaving nothing of the past.
It was a great walk and with the option of catching a train from start to end and return makes it very accessible for everyone. The train runs every hour on the hour, straight down the middle of the jetty showing everyone the gorgeous waters of Geographe Bay and the extreme length of this jetty.
There is a sign part way up that mentions the bend in the jetty and says, although it appears you are reaching the end, the end is much much further than you think, the jetty goes on and on and on. Once you reach the corner you understand exactly what it was referring to, on all photos and even standing at the start it appears that the bend is near the end and there isn't much left afterward, you are sorely mistaken as it is an optical illusion like nothing you have seen before, once around the bend you can see you have only just touched the half way mark if you're lucky. Truely amazing, and we are both very glad we walked it and experienced it.
Photo's are below of the jetty at the start, at the end (you are not able to pass through to the very end of the jetty unless you have paid for the underwater observatory) and a photo of the start of the jetty looking back from the end, not one of these photos show the true length but it is recommended that if you ever have the opportunity to walk or ride the train, do it!. Also attached is a photo of the Skeleton Jetty.
Now safe in the town of Rockingham once again, and still covered by an awful grey sky, threatening us with more rain yet again, we are relaxing and preparing for the next part of our adventure.
We leave Rockingham early Sunday morning and will be heading for Mount Magnet for the night.
Tomorrow we are going into the City once again to see the Perth Zoo and King's Park and that will probably be it for us in Perth, so much more to see but will need to be another time as our plans and itinery isn't permitting this time!
Until tomorrow :)
Rhianna and Anthony.
The start of the Busselton Jetty
The Skeleton Jetty
The end of the Jetty
The Jetty, looking back to the start from the end.
Well today we packed up from Margaret River and headed back to Rockingham for a few more days before taking off up North to see the real stuff!!
On the way we called into Busselton as we wanted to do the Underwater Observatory at the end of the Busselton Jetty. Unfortunately due to the recent rain and rough waters, the ocean is far too churned up and not very much visibility so it was closed. It just means we have to come back in summer!
Rather than turning around and leaving we decided to make it worth while and walk the jetty from start to finish, at the cost of $2.50 per person to enter we had no reason not to :)
1.8km jetty which makes it the longest wooden jetty in the Southern Hemisphere. Took us just over an hour return to walk up and back, including spending some time reading the many different information plaques spread throughout the length of the jetty. We also passed the last remaining part of the original jetty, now known as the "Skeleton Jetty" over time it has been damaged by weather, cyclones and fires, that burnt 65m of the jetty, but a small amount of the original still stands today next to the new one, looking very old and has a few rotted pillars which will no doubt in time come away as well leaving nothing of the past.
It was a great walk and with the option of catching a train from start to end and return makes it very accessible for everyone. The train runs every hour on the hour, straight down the middle of the jetty showing everyone the gorgeous waters of Geographe Bay and the extreme length of this jetty.
There is a sign part way up that mentions the bend in the jetty and says, although it appears you are reaching the end, the end is much much further than you think, the jetty goes on and on and on. Once you reach the corner you understand exactly what it was referring to, on all photos and even standing at the start it appears that the bend is near the end and there isn't much left afterward, you are sorely mistaken as it is an optical illusion like nothing you have seen before, once around the bend you can see you have only just touched the half way mark if you're lucky. Truely amazing, and we are both very glad we walked it and experienced it.
Photo's are below of the jetty at the start, at the end (you are not able to pass through to the very end of the jetty unless you have paid for the underwater observatory) and a photo of the start of the jetty looking back from the end, not one of these photos show the true length but it is recommended that if you ever have the opportunity to walk or ride the train, do it!. Also attached is a photo of the Skeleton Jetty.
Now safe in the town of Rockingham once again, and still covered by an awful grey sky, threatening us with more rain yet again, we are relaxing and preparing for the next part of our adventure.
We leave Rockingham early Sunday morning and will be heading for Mount Magnet for the night.
Tomorrow we are going into the City once again to see the Perth Zoo and King's Park and that will probably be it for us in Perth, so much more to see but will need to be another time as our plans and itinery isn't permitting this time!
Until tomorrow :)
Rhianna and Anthony.
The start of the Busselton Jetty
The Skeleton Jetty
The end of the Jetty
The Jetty, looking back to the start from the end.
Thursday, 18 July 2013
Day 11 - Margaret River - Wine, Chocolate, Cheese & Caves!
Hello again,
Well today we spent the day being very typical tourists and calling into all the major sites and of course the food and wine factories for taste testings!
First stop was the Cheese Factory where we went and tasted many different types of cheeses, we liked all of them which certainly wasn't expected but was a pleasant surprise. We went home with a block of Vintage Cheddar and a block of Sweet Chilli Club Cheddar which were by far our favourites. They had others such as Brie, a type of mozzarella which was beautiful, a marinated fetta and a few others. Margaret River did have 2 Cheese Factories but recently one has burnt down.
After the visit to the cheeses we went to the Mammoth Cave which is just out of Witchcliffe, it is completely self-guide, upon arrival they provide you with a headset and a machine that as you input the numbers throughout your walk, it gives you all the information about what you are seeing.The cave is amazing! It is the size of an 8 story building and is the home of some of the rarest fossils found from many extinct animals. The pure size of it is where its name originated from.
Photos are below of just some of the cave, it took nearly 2 hours to walk right through and just jaw-dropping. At the very end of the cave you have the option to take the long or short walk back to the start both providing stunning views of forestry and rare wildflowers ,we chose to take the short walk as the recent rain has caused the river to come up and the stepping stones were wet and slippery on the big walk, regardless still a perfect ending to a cave walk.
Home for lunch and a bit of a rest before heading off to the Chocolate Factory!! It is a chocoholics delight by far.. we had a ball. You are greeted with piles and piles of chocolates on tables right through a massive shed and the front a counter which sells you any chocolates you may want and offers tasting of most chocolates there. We scooped up a handful on the Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate and White Chocolate but didn't worry with the others, they are different chocolates made locally but have Cocoa from different countries providing many different flavours.
We ended up buying the Milk, White and Macadamia and Milk Chocolate Bars, so we should be all chocolated out by the end of the trip ha-ha.
When we checked into the caravan park we were given a voucher for a free bottle of wine from one of the wineries so we headed down there to collect it, They make the "Mad Fish" Range as well as a few others. We called in and tasted a few of their wines as well as the one we were able to take home, they have amazing wines we both enjoyed many of them. We ended up buying their Sparkling as well.
Headed back to camp as the final winery we wanted to try is just next door, so we walked over, nice wines but no purchases this time.
Now sitting back watching the sun set and the kids in the park running a muck on the jumping pillow, surrounded by chocolate, cheese and wines :)
Tomorrow we head back to Rockingham for a few more days and then the trip North to the Kimberley's begins with the first stop being Mount Magnet on Sunday.
Bye for now!
Rhianna and Anthony.
Well today we spent the day being very typical tourists and calling into all the major sites and of course the food and wine factories for taste testings!
First stop was the Cheese Factory where we went and tasted many different types of cheeses, we liked all of them which certainly wasn't expected but was a pleasant surprise. We went home with a block of Vintage Cheddar and a block of Sweet Chilli Club Cheddar which were by far our favourites. They had others such as Brie, a type of mozzarella which was beautiful, a marinated fetta and a few others. Margaret River did have 2 Cheese Factories but recently one has burnt down.
After the visit to the cheeses we went to the Mammoth Cave which is just out of Witchcliffe, it is completely self-guide, upon arrival they provide you with a headset and a machine that as you input the numbers throughout your walk, it gives you all the information about what you are seeing.The cave is amazing! It is the size of an 8 story building and is the home of some of the rarest fossils found from many extinct animals. The pure size of it is where its name originated from.
Photos are below of just some of the cave, it took nearly 2 hours to walk right through and just jaw-dropping. At the very end of the cave you have the option to take the long or short walk back to the start both providing stunning views of forestry and rare wildflowers ,we chose to take the short walk as the recent rain has caused the river to come up and the stepping stones were wet and slippery on the big walk, regardless still a perfect ending to a cave walk.
Home for lunch and a bit of a rest before heading off to the Chocolate Factory!! It is a chocoholics delight by far.. we had a ball. You are greeted with piles and piles of chocolates on tables right through a massive shed and the front a counter which sells you any chocolates you may want and offers tasting of most chocolates there. We scooped up a handful on the Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate and White Chocolate but didn't worry with the others, they are different chocolates made locally but have Cocoa from different countries providing many different flavours.
We ended up buying the Milk, White and Macadamia and Milk Chocolate Bars, so we should be all chocolated out by the end of the trip ha-ha.
When we checked into the caravan park we were given a voucher for a free bottle of wine from one of the wineries so we headed down there to collect it, They make the "Mad Fish" Range as well as a few others. We called in and tasted a few of their wines as well as the one we were able to take home, they have amazing wines we both enjoyed many of them. We ended up buying their Sparkling as well.
Headed back to camp as the final winery we wanted to try is just next door, so we walked over, nice wines but no purchases this time.
Now sitting back watching the sun set and the kids in the park running a muck on the jumping pillow, surrounded by chocolate, cheese and wines :)
Tomorrow we head back to Rockingham for a few more days and then the trip North to the Kimberley's begins with the first stop being Mount Magnet on Sunday.
Bye for now!
Rhianna and Anthony.
Wednesday, 17 July 2013
Day 10 - Rockingham - Margaret River
Hello hello,
Well this morning we left Rockingham and headed for Margaret River.
On the way we wanted to see Bunbury and Busselton so we drove into the towns and spent some time looking around at all the shops and everything.
We arrived at Margaret River and drive through the town and pointed out the Chocolate Factory, Cheese Factory, Fudge Factory and the many wineries and restaurants in the area. Then set up camp at Taunton Farm Holiday Park. Really nice park and they gave us a beautiful big site to set up on. They have animals the kids can feed and sheer etc and a jumping pillow to use up all their energy!
There is a winery right next door and the Cheese factory only just down the road so we will certainly be busy tomorrow.
There are also some amazing caves close by that we are planning to go and see tomorrow as well. Hopefully we have time, though we won't get to see them all.
Margaret River also has a large garden maze just out of town, we have never been to a maze before so for a bit of fun we have added that to the itinery for tomorrow as well.
Today we did get some time to take a quick visit to the beach closest to the caravan park, Gracetown. It was overcast and blowing a gale but nice to see they have rocks near the shore and we watched the waves hit and shoot up over the rocks for a while before heading back to camp again.
That's all our news for today but no doubt with so much in store for tomorrow we will have lots to update tomorrow evening!
Cya tomorrow!
Anthony and Rhianna.
Well this morning we left Rockingham and headed for Margaret River.
On the way we wanted to see Bunbury and Busselton so we drove into the towns and spent some time looking around at all the shops and everything.
We arrived at Margaret River and drive through the town and pointed out the Chocolate Factory, Cheese Factory, Fudge Factory and the many wineries and restaurants in the area. Then set up camp at Taunton Farm Holiday Park. Really nice park and they gave us a beautiful big site to set up on. They have animals the kids can feed and sheer etc and a jumping pillow to use up all their energy!
There is a winery right next door and the Cheese factory only just down the road so we will certainly be busy tomorrow.
There are also some amazing caves close by that we are planning to go and see tomorrow as well. Hopefully we have time, though we won't get to see them all.
Margaret River also has a large garden maze just out of town, we have never been to a maze before so for a bit of fun we have added that to the itinery for tomorrow as well.
Today we did get some time to take a quick visit to the beach closest to the caravan park, Gracetown. It was overcast and blowing a gale but nice to see they have rocks near the shore and we watched the waves hit and shoot up over the rocks for a while before heading back to camp again.
That's all our news for today but no doubt with so much in store for tomorrow we will have lots to update tomorrow evening!
Cya tomorrow!
Anthony and Rhianna.
Tuesday, 16 July 2013
Day 9 - Rockingham - Visit to the BIG smoke!!
Hello,
Well today we travelled into the city to have a look around and see all the sights.
On the way into the city we hit a massive rain storm that came down so hard you couldn't even see the taillights of the car in front of you. Everyone slowed down from 100km/h to about 50km/h and most people ended up putting on their hazard lights to show where they were, good idea but something we had never seen in practice before. Eventually it settled down and we arrived and found a park.
Walked through the many shopping centres and in and out of shops, spent a little time in Myer but didn't spend any money!
Then we walked down to the Swan Bell Tower where we went in and had a look. There are 18 bells in total in the tower, only 16 can be rung at the same time. 12 of the bells were given to WA from the famous church "St Martin-in-the-fields which is in Trafalgar Square in London.
We arrived at the exact time for the guided tour and were lucky enough to be able to ring the bells ourselves and then the whole group rang all 16 together it was really special to be a part of that!
Once we did that we went up to Level 4 of the tower where the bells are on display in the centre of the tower behind glass, while we were watching it, the tour guide rang the bells so we could watch what happens. It was amazing watching bells so large swinging around and chiming in a glass tower, the bells are all different weights and sizes, the largest being 459kgs.
After watching this we went up to Level 6 which is the highest you are able to go to in the tower, this takes you outside to a 360 degree view of Perth City and the Swan River.
The tower goes much higher than this but they don't permit you to travel any higher.
There are photo's below of the tower and us ringing the bells.
Once we visited the tower we headed back to camp.
There is a severe weather warning in place at the moment for majority of the south of WA which expected winds up to 125km/h... we are hoping this doesn't actually hit as not sure how camper will hold up against winds like that! It has been raining all day and has been very windy as well so no change in weather conditions no matter where we have travelled so far....
Tomorrow we are travelling to Margaret River and hoping to pass through Bunbury and Busselton to have a look as well, this will depend on the weather and the conditions of the roads etc.
Hopefully the plan is to visit the Busselton Jetty and the Underwater Observatory off the jetty but if the winds keep up we may not be permitted to do so.
Will keep you all updated.
In the mean time we are going off to hold the tent down!!
Until tomorrow, from your very wet, wind-burnt campers, Rhianna and Anthony.
Well today we travelled into the city to have a look around and see all the sights.
On the way into the city we hit a massive rain storm that came down so hard you couldn't even see the taillights of the car in front of you. Everyone slowed down from 100km/h to about 50km/h and most people ended up putting on their hazard lights to show where they were, good idea but something we had never seen in practice before. Eventually it settled down and we arrived and found a park.
Walked through the many shopping centres and in and out of shops, spent a little time in Myer but didn't spend any money!
Then we walked down to the Swan Bell Tower where we went in and had a look. There are 18 bells in total in the tower, only 16 can be rung at the same time. 12 of the bells were given to WA from the famous church "St Martin-in-the-fields which is in Trafalgar Square in London.
We arrived at the exact time for the guided tour and were lucky enough to be able to ring the bells ourselves and then the whole group rang all 16 together it was really special to be a part of that!
Once we did that we went up to Level 4 of the tower where the bells are on display in the centre of the tower behind glass, while we were watching it, the tour guide rang the bells so we could watch what happens. It was amazing watching bells so large swinging around and chiming in a glass tower, the bells are all different weights and sizes, the largest being 459kgs.
After watching this we went up to Level 6 which is the highest you are able to go to in the tower, this takes you outside to a 360 degree view of Perth City and the Swan River.
The tower goes much higher than this but they don't permit you to travel any higher.
There are photo's below of the tower and us ringing the bells.
Once we visited the tower we headed back to camp.
There is a severe weather warning in place at the moment for majority of the south of WA which expected winds up to 125km/h... we are hoping this doesn't actually hit as not sure how camper will hold up against winds like that! It has been raining all day and has been very windy as well so no change in weather conditions no matter where we have travelled so far....
Tomorrow we are travelling to Margaret River and hoping to pass through Bunbury and Busselton to have a look as well, this will depend on the weather and the conditions of the roads etc.
Hopefully the plan is to visit the Busselton Jetty and the Underwater Observatory off the jetty but if the winds keep up we may not be permitted to do so.
Will keep you all updated.
In the mean time we are going off to hold the tent down!!
Until tomorrow, from your very wet, wind-burnt campers, Rhianna and Anthony.
Day 8 - Northam - Rockingham
Today we left Northam and headed for Rockingham to set up camp for the next few days.
We had a leisurely drive to Rockingham via Mandurah and Midland to have a look around.
Set up in the Rockingham Holiday Village, and we just happen to be the only campers around in tents or campers, everyone else is smart and in the warmth of their caravans or cabins.
Caught up with a very good friend for the afternoon and talked about the adventures so far and learnt about the spots to be in Rockingham, then went to Sunset's restaurant for dinner right on the foreshore, it was a very nice restaurant with amazing food.
After dinner we went for a walk along the beach and down the pier which is a big change from Alice!!
Not much else to report.
Anthony and Rhianna,
We had a leisurely drive to Rockingham via Mandurah and Midland to have a look around.
Set up in the Rockingham Holiday Village, and we just happen to be the only campers around in tents or campers, everyone else is smart and in the warmth of their caravans or cabins.
Caught up with a very good friend for the afternoon and talked about the adventures so far and learnt about the spots to be in Rockingham, then went to Sunset's restaurant for dinner right on the foreshore, it was a very nice restaurant with amazing food.
After dinner we went for a walk along the beach and down the pier which is a big change from Alice!!
Not much else to report.
Anthony and Rhianna,
Sunday, 14 July 2013
Day 7 - Northam and Surrounds
Hello,
Today we spent the day touring around the towns of Northam, York, Beverley and Toodyay.
First stop was the suspension bridge in Northam, we walked across it, had a look around the other side and then walked back again. It was cool and you don't really feel it move unless you are stopped and someone else is walking.
It's interesting that the water in the Avon River isn't allowed to be touched and is certainly not drinkable, the signs around the area say that human interference has caused issues with the water and it is no longer able to be swam in or anything, however they do still do the Avon Descent which is on 3rd-4th August so we will miss it but we did see the start line and the best spot to watch (so they say) which is the weir.
We then headed off to York where we walked down the main street and checked out all the little shops and old buildings around the area, then we went into the York Motor Museum and had a look. Anthony found some very interesting cars that caught his interest and many photos were taken! The favourite is the Rocket fueled Go-kart, powered by Hydrogen Peroxide and was recorded completing the quarter mile in 5.97 seconds at 253mph. They never raced it in Australia as the US authorities wouldn't approve the export of the fuel into Australia because the material used could be used in wars.
They also have the oldest known popcorn machine in the museum, very interesting to look at something that would be many many years old, still in pretty good condition too!
After we had finished at the museum we went and got coffee and muffins from a cafe down the street, most amazing muffin we have ever eaten!! Glad we stopped in there.
Headed off to Beverley and had a look, small little country town, lush green rolling hills and a nice little town with all the essentials you need, only 20 minutes away from York and about 40 minutes from Northam.
We came back to camp for some lunch and then off to Toodyay we went. Very hilly area but quite a busy little town, there were people everywhere, which was a change from Northam and the other towns, everything was pretty much shut and no one was around. We went up to the lookout that gives you a beautiful view of the town and the hills around the area.
Again drove through the main street and back to Northam we went.
Now back at camp discussing where to visit tomorrow, looks like it will be Midland, Chittering and Rockingham tomorrow and we will be setting up camp at Rockingham for a few days, giving us time to head into Perth City for a look and anything else that catches our fancy!
We have attached some photos of the suspension bridge and the Go-Kart for you to have a look at :)
Will update again tomorrow.
Bye bye for now.
Rhianna and Anthony.
Today we spent the day touring around the towns of Northam, York, Beverley and Toodyay.
First stop was the suspension bridge in Northam, we walked across it, had a look around the other side and then walked back again. It was cool and you don't really feel it move unless you are stopped and someone else is walking.
It's interesting that the water in the Avon River isn't allowed to be touched and is certainly not drinkable, the signs around the area say that human interference has caused issues with the water and it is no longer able to be swam in or anything, however they do still do the Avon Descent which is on 3rd-4th August so we will miss it but we did see the start line and the best spot to watch (so they say) which is the weir.
We then headed off to York where we walked down the main street and checked out all the little shops and old buildings around the area, then we went into the York Motor Museum and had a look. Anthony found some very interesting cars that caught his interest and many photos were taken! The favourite is the Rocket fueled Go-kart, powered by Hydrogen Peroxide and was recorded completing the quarter mile in 5.97 seconds at 253mph. They never raced it in Australia as the US authorities wouldn't approve the export of the fuel into Australia because the material used could be used in wars.
They also have the oldest known popcorn machine in the museum, very interesting to look at something that would be many many years old, still in pretty good condition too!
After we had finished at the museum we went and got coffee and muffins from a cafe down the street, most amazing muffin we have ever eaten!! Glad we stopped in there.
Headed off to Beverley and had a look, small little country town, lush green rolling hills and a nice little town with all the essentials you need, only 20 minutes away from York and about 40 minutes from Northam.
We came back to camp for some lunch and then off to Toodyay we went. Very hilly area but quite a busy little town, there were people everywhere, which was a change from Northam and the other towns, everything was pretty much shut and no one was around. We went up to the lookout that gives you a beautiful view of the town and the hills around the area.
Again drove through the main street and back to Northam we went.
Now back at camp discussing where to visit tomorrow, looks like it will be Midland, Chittering and Rockingham tomorrow and we will be setting up camp at Rockingham for a few days, giving us time to head into Perth City for a look and anything else that catches our fancy!
We have attached some photos of the suspension bridge and the Go-Kart for you to have a look at :)
Will update again tomorrow.
Bye bye for now.
Rhianna and Anthony.
Saturday, 13 July 2013
Day 6 - Kalgoorlie - Northam
Well we had a nice sleep in this morning, much needed. Started
the day refreshed and ready to go.
Had breakfast of bacon and eggs, which I was unfortunate enough to have to
share with the birds after tipping most of it on the ground while trying to get inside
the camper.
Headed off to the Super pit to have a look, I was there in
2000 with mum and dad and it was big then. Now it’s just MASSIVE! and nearly at
its maximum. According to the internet the maximum measurements allowed for the
pit is 3.9 km long, 1.6km wide and 500m deep. The super pit is at 500m deep,
1.5km wide and 3.6km long. Totally amazing and very worth the stop. We took a bunch of photos (below) however due
to our small limit of data on the blog for photos we can’t upload too many.
Left Kalgoorlie at 10am to head off to Northam, we stopped
at Cunderdin and Merriden to have a look, at about 20km before Merriden is the start
of the number 1 Rabbit Proof Fence with a sign outlining the information
regarding it. It was the longest fence in the world, unfortunately there was
only a “tourist attraction” sign so we went past it too fast to pull up and
have a look and take photos.
A little later on we passed another sign for the Number
2 Rabbit Proof Fence which read “Number 2 Rabbit Proof Fence crossed here”
however we aren’t sure why it was pulled down, perhaps due to interference with
train tracks or the road. It was interesting to pass by them all the same.
We arrived in Northam at about 4pm and checked into the
caravan park and set up. Again another nice park and we should enjoy our stay
for the next few days.
We are planning to visit Toodyay, York and Chittering
tomorrow for a look around and hopefully find some time to actually have a look
around Northam’s town centre as well, from what we have been told they have
some amazing restaurants and cafe’s and are famous for the hot air ballooning - somehow I don't think that will be on the agenda though, sadly. We will update with all the gossip of the townships around WA tomorrow!
Expected low of 8 tonight, already quite cool but at least we are now dry and no forecasted rain in sight.. at least for a few days, which is great!
T-bone steak, veggies and Mac cheese for dinner tonight –
yum! Better get off here and go and cook it :)
Until tomorrow.
Rhianna and Anthony.
Anthony standing in a bucket from a digger that is on display at entry to pit.
Friday, 12 July 2013
Day 5 - Let's Get Outta Here! - Tjukayirla R/House - Kalgoorlie
We survived the Great Central Road and everything it had to throw at us :)
Left Tjukayirla at 6:55am this morning,
The roadhouse/camp
ground is really good, we decided if we are ever travelling down the Great
Central again we will definitely stop there.
Road report wasn’t going to be updated until 8am and we
decided that as long as the road is still open we are going before it is closed
again and just hope for the best.
We had a huge amount of rain last night that pretty much
stuck around all night so we just had to think positive and hope that it was
only at Tjukayirla and not further up.
Travelling down the road which turned back to dirt just past
the Roadhouse, the edges of the road were covered in water, puddles and puddles
from where rain has been. Taking it steady we kept on moving, there were a lot
of slippery parts of the road and water over the road in some sections. It was
really clear to us at this stage why the road was closed yesterday, it must
have been so much worse then. Photo's are attached below of the water on the roads edge.
We spotted a roo at the last minute on the side of the road,
quick learning curve for us both WA have grey kangaroo’s not red ones...
luckily he hopped back into the bush which was good because I’m not so sure we
could have pulled it up in time if we needed to with the trailer on the back
and a wet, muddy dirt road.
Had been travelling for a few hours, and for the first
time since the start of the trip we have 360 degree views on clear blue skies,
here’s hoping it stays as the camper definitely needs a dry out and we are
waterlogged! We also found that the camper has a leak just above the bed, so this morning our blanket and mattress were wet, not sure why, perhaps needs re-waterproofing or stitching has come loose.
10:30am we reached the end of the Great Central
Road and are back on the black top again.
10:45am drove into Laverton and fuelled up to continue onto
Kalgoorlie. Fuel is 171.9c per litre, we couldn’t decide who would be cheaper
between Laverton and Kalgoorlie so just filled car completely up there.
As mentioned on the first blog for Great Central, there were
hundreds of dead, burnt out, rusted old cars all over the road... We were
curious as to just how many so when we left Warburton I started to keep count,
I counted all the way to the end of GCR from Warburton and in total we counted
140 cars. We would, at a guess assume there would be about 300 cars in total
from start to finish of that road. Just an interesting little fact for you all :)
Also some more photos attached below for you of the car and camper just after we got off the Great Central Road, no matter how hard we tried to avoid water over the road we hit some puddles and the road was just so wet that every time the wheels went around the mud flicked up, needless to say completely covering every last inch of camper and car. After a 45 minute stop at the car wash most of it is off but no doubt we will be leaving a trail of red mud for the next 6 months!
Now safely set up in the comfort of a very nice caravan park - Prospector Holiday Park. Washing on, shopping done, and blog updated :) We have decided to have take away for dinner tonight, we deserve it after the last 24 hours.
Off to Northam tomorrow, 5.5 hours from here, will probably get going about 9am. Will update blog again tomorrow evening.
Weather looks like it is starting to clear for us, very good news, we only hope that report remains accurate!
Until tomorrow, we hope you are all well.
Rhianna and Anthony.
Another water photo...
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