Author: Freya1

I can’t believe a month has gone since I last blogged.  So much has happened!

After a wonderful time with family on Willow’s first Christmas,  Andy and I headed off on Boxing Day for a week’s trip south.  We stayed the first night at one of my favourite places, the Estuary out of Mandurah where the crabbing is reknowned.  I’d bought Andy a little scoop net at Christmas time, thinking we would just have a bit of fun and never thinking for a moment that we would actually catch any crabs;  however, we managed to snare 17 blue swimmers to both Andrew’s and my (and perhaps the crabs’ too) sheer amazement.  It was soooooo much fun but … when we both thought about killing, cooking and eating them, well, we unanimously decided to let the poor little beggars go.

After such a fun time, we headed off to see the thrombolites (which, according to Pa, are ‘ancient orgasms’ – no, he will never live that slip of the tongue down) on Lake Clifton.  Such a beautiful place and so quiet and peaceful.

 

We had been told by some other happy campers that, if we were heading Margaret River way, we should stop off at Cowaramup – otherwise known as ‘Cow Town’.  Yep, the council has put all these beautifully designed cows in random positions throughout the little village.  What a great idea to stop the tourists who just might also have a coffee, go into the gift shops etc etc.  Well done, Cow Town!

 

We stayed right in Margaret River for a few days and travelled from there to Prevelly, a fabulous coastal area where the surfers, kite boarders and windsurfers make the most of the perfect conditions.

 

Then on to Lakes Cave for a fabulous experience although the 300 steps down, but more importantly the 300 steps back up, were a little ….. daunting …

 

through Headache Rock and on to Splitting Headache Rock

and then, wow, freaking wow!

 

I had been told of a winery in the Margaret River which was owned by a very rich fellow who, well, kind of overindulged his wife who was a serious feminist.  So, off we went to Laurence of Margaret River (not to be confused with Laurence of Arabia).

The toilets in the winery are the source of much interest.  They are as big as most bathrooms, have beautiful original artworks on the walls, lovely antique furniture etc etc.  Can I just say from the outset that it’s difficult to take photos inside a toilet – for obvious reasons – however, this will give you some idea –

 

The sign inside the toot says, “Please don’t steal our things, we believe in karma.”  I’d love to meet that gal.

What a fun, fabulous winery this is.  As you enter the driveway, there is a sculpture of the Tree of Knowledge which sits beside a lake within which is a wonderful sculpture of a woman atop a very high beam – and I think the ideaology behind it is all about freedom for women.

 

 

However, could I draw your attention now please, back to the wonderful Cow Town and their cow sculptures?  Well, obviously someone had a wonderful sense of humour –

As you enter the town, in the park on the left hand side is this fabulous sculpture.  I wonder if the lady from Laurence of Margaret River thinks it’s as amusing as the rest of us do?

New Year’s Eve was spent at Busselton (yep, that place with the really, really long jetty).  I went all out with champagne, candle, silk place mats and barbecued sausages cooked by Andy.  By 9pm I was in bed!! What a wild night.

 

Andy had to leave on Sunday, 4 January so back we headed to Perth but on the way we caught a boat from Rockingham out to Penguin Island, just a mere 5 or so minutes boat ride from the shore.  What a beautiful little island this is which is home to around 1,000 penguins and thousands of other seabirds.

 

 

We had dinner with Summer, Bradley and Willow on the Saturday night and then I dropped Andrew off at the airport the followin day for his flight home.

What a great trip we had, Andy.  Miss you and love you heaps.

Forgive me, Father, it has been many weeks since my last blog.  Sound familiarish to all the Catholics out there?

It has been a while since I blogged but I’ve been travelling lots, seeing lots and generally having a really wonderful time.

After I last wrote, we drove over to Albany where we went on a river cruise up the Kalgan river (complete with stowaway),

 

after which, we drove on to Frenchman’s Bay – just gorgeous!

 

 

We did some bushcamping at Torbay Inlet where the flies and mosquitoes nearly carried us away.

It sounds pathetic to say but we saw so many magnificent, pristinely white sanded, crystal clear watered beaches that …… we actually stopped taking photographs!  Not that we didn’t appreciate them – loved them all – absolutely fabulous places – but it seemed pointless to take more of the similar.

Then on to Denmark.  Quaint little town, great things to see and lovely scenery.  Had a wonderful lunch at Single File Winery

where the locally made Dellandale cheese was absolutely superb!  Yes, Summer, I’m bringing some for Christmas.

Kirsty had heard that Parry Beach was a great place to camp ($10 a night, right on the beach), so off we went.  Only problem was there was a height restriction.  Betty, at 2.8m high, set the 2.7m height limit sign a-swinging as we squeezed in.

 

From Parry Beach on to Walpole and the Valley of the Giants –

 

Although it was wet and cold, the forest was absolutely amazing just the same.

Following the coast around, Windy Bay and Point D’Entrecasteaux were also stunning.

 

Kirsty needed to be in Bunbury to catch the train to Perth airport so she could fly up to the Coral Coast to see her daughter and grandkids for their birthdays and Christmas so we headed inland to Pemberton.  What a really lovely little town that is.  We stayed at the one and only caravan park in town and the birdlife was plentiful and oh so very friendly.  I also managed to see my first Quenda (yes, it’s a real animal) on my way back from doing the dishes in the camp kitchen.

 

Between Pemberton and Bunbury we came across the Diamond Tree Lookout.  Now what sort of idiot would climb up there?

 

Then on to Bunbury to stay with a friend of Kirsty’s and, next morning, a sad parting of the ways.  Thanks so much, Kirsty, for being my travelling companion for part of the way on the maiden Betty voyage.  What a fabulous time we had and so much fun!

I need to blog more often.  I’ve struggled to remember where I’ve been.

 

We’ve been out of range for sometime now.  Happily I don’t know what day it is or how many days we’ve been out of range.  It just doesn’t seem to matter.

However, after Wave Rock we travelled south to Kulin (a great little town with wonderful free camping and facilities) and then along the Tin Horse Highway.  What an amazing community effort has been put in to this place.  It started out as a community campaign to promote the Kulin Races but now every farmer along the way has a different tin horse in his paddock.   They provide a lot of laughs along an otherwise pretty dull highway.  This is just a very small example.  There was one about every kilometre.

 

Then on to Bremer Bay.

Such a beautiful place and the caravan park was just over the road from the water.  Great amenities and very friendly people.  However, Kirsty and I went walking along a bush track down to the beach and a snake crawled across the track in front of us.  We turned around to head back the way we had come but a bigger snake crawled across the track right behind us.  What a fun day!

We stayed at Bremer Bay a few days and travelled to the very very beautiful Fitzgerald River National Park.  I’ll let the photos speak for themselves other than to say ‘Wow!!!’.

(that’s Kirsty down there on the beach in the red shirt) and back to Bremer Bay

Aaahh, yes, the flies.  We have ingested more flies over the past few weeks than ever in our lives.  They get into your ears, eyes and nose. It’s gross to say, but I blew my nose into a tissue the other day and a fly flew away out of it.  Yes, I know, eeeewwww!!!!

Now, on to Albany.

 

 

 

With a very fond farewell, we left the Bay of Isles, Esperance

and took off for Wave Rock.  However, not too far along the way, we decided to head back to the coast to Hopetoun instead.  Well, that’s what it’s all about really, isn’t it?  Doing whatever the heck you want to at the time?

Stayed in a little caravan park right on the beach and, although it was old and rundown, we made some lovely friends there

and had a great Surf n Turf at the local pub which consisted of half a cow with 12 king prawns on top (the Surf n Turf that is, not the pub).

 

Then today, we drove via Varley and the Rabbit Proof Fence (and a very cute rabbit cemetery)

 

to Wave Rock

the Hippo’s Yawn

and Mulka’s Cave where there is some of the oldest Aboriginal art in WA.

Yes, I’m going in and no, I don’t want to!

There are still plenty of wildflowers out along the way although it’s clear the best of them are finished.

 

We left Norseman

and headed for Salmon Gums where we’d been told about a good little community run caravan park and a great pub for countermeals within walking distance.  Both of us were salivating at the thought of a pub steak!

Disappointingly, the pub is shut on Mondays and, yep, that was when we were there.

However, we continued on the next day to Esperance which is in the Bay of Isles.

Although the weather wasn’t the best, we took a boat cruise out to see some of the islands.  There are 105 islands in the Recherche Archipelago and over 1200 rocky outcrops.  It is really stunning.

We saw seals, sea lions, sea eagles, dolphins trying to race the boat, and lots of beautiful birds.

Afterwards, we took off to Cape Le Grand where we camped in the national park, firstly at Lucky Bay

 

 

which claims (sorry Whitehaven) to have the whitest sand in all of Australia.  Whether or not that’s true, the colour of the water and sand is truly beautiful.

Then on the next day to camp at Cape Le Grand

where, sadly, it teamed with rain most of the time.

Well, it’s been 5 days since I last blogged, because we’ve been out of range, and during that time, Kirsty and I crossed the Nullarbor – and we have the certificate to prove it!

We were going to play the Nullarbor golf course but at $140 for the 2 of us plus hire of golf clubs, we decided to do it our own way – and I reckon we had more fun!

Where’d the ball go?

 

The Nullarbor can be quite spectacular in places –

 

but also a little monotonous in others –

I think we were very lucky to see a storm over the Nullarbor.  Now that wouldn’t happen every day.

We also took off down a dirt track to see an old telegraph station which the sand dunes are gradually taking over.

 

We free-camped all the way and there are some quite good places off in the scrub.

but we were glad, nevertheless, to get to Norseman caravan park for a long shower, a hair wash, to fill up the water tanks and get the clothes washed.

.

We’re off tomorrow for Salmon Gum and then to Esperance.

 

 

Took off from Adelaide about lunch time and headed to Clare.  We stopped off at the Seven Hills Winery where they make the altar wine for the Catholic Church.

Then we drove to Mintaro to look at the Mortlock Mansion where Kirsty brought me up to date with the family history.

The home was also used in the film ‘Picnic at Hanging Rock’.

Then, through Clare to Crystal Brook where we free camped for the night – but we were comfortable – if a little cold (initially) –

The following day we headed for another free camping spot at Kimba, the home of the Big Galah.

 

And, Kimba is half way across Australia.

Finally, we hit the coast at Venus Bay –

and settled for a couple of nights at beautiful Streaky Bay to get ready for the Nullarbor crossing.

So, we’re stocking up on fuel, food, water and beer because we’ll start across the Nullarbor tomorrow.

The forecast for Friday is 40 degrees.  We should be about halfway across.  Great timing!

I had a great time driving along the beautiful Coorong.  Would like to go back and spend a couple of weeks there.  The place is chocoblock with birdlife.

Spent a night at Narrung, free camping but was very happy to have my own loo because a red bellied black snake decided to set up home in the ladies at the site.

 

I was also very happy to have the comforts of Betty because a lady, much older than me, set up camp beside me in this –

 

After Narrung, I choofed off to Murray Bridge where I stayed in a caravan park, gave Betty a wash and got her organised for 2 people to live in instead of just one.  Then, on Saturday, ducked into Adelaide and picked up Kirsty.  Welcome onboard Kirsty!

 

Since I last wrote, I’ve been to Echuca where I met with the lovely Barb for a great catch up

and then Sue drove down from Barham and met us for lunch.  We haven’t all been together since 2009 in Kaifeng, China.  Echuca is a pretty little town but very touristy so on Monday, I bid a fond farewell to Barb and headed West.

 

I had intended to get a few Ks under the belt that afternoon;  however, an almighty wind blew up (75kpm according to my weather app but 90 kpm according to the bloke in the caravan park)  either way when the gusts hit Betty on the side it whacked her all over the road.  I thought I would end up with shoulders like Arnie trying to hold the wheel to keep her on track.  Scary to say the least.  So when I saw a sign ‘Lake Boga Caravan Park’, I hit the brakes.

!)

This lovely, tiny little caravan park is run by a Hollywood star gorgeously good looking hunky bloke (I might be old but I’m not dead yet!).  I could stay there again!

Next morning, the wind wasn’t so bad, so westward bound was I.  Sadly, the wind picked up and blew all heck out of us again so I stopped at a place called Nhill.  Nothing further needs to be said about that.

This morning, it’s just ‘windy’ which is a very pleasant change.  (I forgot to add that I’ve got a ripper bout of hayfever from all the wind and dust, can’t breathe, coughing, blowing, sneezing –  but that’s just by the by.)  So I took the back, slow, long way round to Kingston SE.  What a lovely place this is and, not only that, but the council must be lovely too because, along the foreshore, they’ve provided free camping for self-contained motorhomes and caravans.  Onya Kingston Council!

 

Although the weather’s not the best, I’m warm and comfortable, I have a lovely view, I’m talking to you and there’s a big pot of curry simmering on the stove.  Am I living the dream or what?

Off to explore the wonderful Coorong tomorrow.

After a really lovely time in Barham catching up with Sue, I’m off tomorrow to Echuca where I’ll meet  Barb (aka Maude) who’s driving up from Melbourne.  Sue is coming too.  Lots of reminiscing about China will be done over lunch which, naturally, will involve lots of laughter. I can’t wait!