We had another deadline...so we took to the road to get to Perth.
We left the very lovely Ningaloo and headed a few hours south to Coral Bay. It was jam packed with families for the school holidays and we only just got a site. I spent a busy few hours washing 3 loads and cooking up a couple of curries while Paul took the boys down to the beach for a fight. Well, they went for a swim and to get out from under my feet, while I worked, but they managed the former admirably as well. Paul and I managed ours after he returned tired and overdrawn, to a wife in the same condition! So Coral Bay - work stop really for us, not a rest stop or a see things stop!
The next day we headed to Denham, the most western town in Australia. It was as windy as all get out and I was pretty jack of holding down my skirt and trying to stay warm by the end of our afternoon outside. I had another unhappy time in Denham trying to back the caravan into our site. It is not really in my make up to be a great driver, but I was hoping I could be competent enough to to keep us all alive and moving while Paul is in Rome, but after that little performance I wasn't sure I would manage either of these goals! So I was not impressed with Denham but the next day in less windy conditions we made better friends.
We headed over to Monkey Mia to see the dolphins early the next morning. I had super-low expectations about that tourist trap, which was great as I was actually pleasantly surprised. We learned a lot, the dolphins were well protected from us by the rangers and the current feeding regime. In the past they were touched and overfed and most of a generation of babies died as they never learned to fish from their mothers. The dolphins were also obviously curious about us, simming along the crowds with one eye out of the water having a really good look at us, and were most enchanting. Luckily out of the about 50 or more people there, Paul got picked to feed Puck, one of the dolphins, and took the boys out. By the time Dom got out after mucking around with rolling his shorts up Isaac had caved under the pressure of the open dolphin mouth and lots of people watching and got the job done on his own! Needless to say there were a few ruffled feathers and glass half empty moments! We stayed around for a while at the resort and saw a couple more feedings and left feeling that we had had our fill of the lovely wild dolphins. We headed back to Denham for a bakery morning tea then made the spur of the moment decision to take a cruise to see the dugongs that afternoon. So back we went to Monkey Mia and headed off on the Aristocat2. The boys had great time in the boom net, we saw a black pearl farm in action, then the gentle dugongs and a couple of dolphins to round out the day. So for us Monkey Mia got a tick. Done in a day! There was lots of other things to do - could have filled a week but we didn't have a week and headed out the next morning to Point Quobba, north of Carnarvon.
Point Quobba was windy, windy, windy and rough. There are a whole lot of corrugated iron shacks people use for holiday houses there. Paul got bitten by a dog on one of his walks (like I said, rough!). He enjoyed the snorkling but it was too cold for me and by nature of it not being Ningaloo, I wasn't into it. The blow holes were pretty great but not Bicheno! I think I am really starting to get spoiled for Australian sights!! The kids had fun running around with the Spence offspring building forts in the sand to hold back the waves and other such important work. A highlight for me was the movie night with all of the travellers in our van on two separate screens!! I think a highlight for Paul was some crab hunting and fishing with Shannon.
The next day we headed to Denham, the most western town in Australia. It was as windy as all get out and I was pretty jack of holding down my skirt and trying to stay warm by the end of our afternoon outside. I had another unhappy time in Denham trying to back the caravan into our site. It is not really in my make up to be a great driver, but I was hoping I could be competent enough to to keep us all alive and moving while Paul is in Rome, but after that little performance I wasn't sure I would manage either of these goals! So I was not impressed with Denham but the next day in less windy conditions we made better friends.
We headed over to Monkey Mia to see the dolphins early the next morning. I had super-low expectations about that tourist trap, which was great as I was actually pleasantly surprised. We learned a lot, the dolphins were well protected from us by the rangers and the current feeding regime. In the past they were touched and overfed and most of a generation of babies died as they never learned to fish from their mothers. The dolphins were also obviously curious about us, simming along the crowds with one eye out of the water having a really good look at us, and were most enchanting. Luckily out of the about 50 or more people there, Paul got picked to feed Puck, one of the dolphins, and took the boys out. By the time Dom got out after mucking around with rolling his shorts up Isaac had caved under the pressure of the open dolphin mouth and lots of people watching and got the job done on his own! Needless to say there were a few ruffled feathers and glass half empty moments! We stayed around for a while at the resort and saw a couple more feedings and left feeling that we had had our fill of the lovely wild dolphins. We headed back to Denham for a bakery morning tea then made the spur of the moment decision to take a cruise to see the dugongs that afternoon. So back we went to Monkey Mia and headed off on the Aristocat2. The boys had great time in the boom net, we saw a black pearl farm in action, then the gentle dugongs and a couple of dolphins to round out the day. So for us Monkey Mia got a tick. Done in a day! There was lots of other things to do - could have filled a week but we didn't have a week and headed out the next morning to Point Quobba, north of Carnarvon.
Point Quobba was windy, windy, windy and rough. There are a whole lot of corrugated iron shacks people use for holiday houses there. Paul got bitten by a dog on one of his walks (like I said, rough!). He enjoyed the snorkling but it was too cold for me and by nature of it not being Ningaloo, I wasn't into it. The blow holes were pretty great but not Bicheno! I think I am really starting to get spoiled for Australian sights!! The kids had fun running around with the Spence offspring building forts in the sand to hold back the waves and other such important work. A highlight for me was the movie night with all of the travellers in our van on two separate screens!! I think a highlight for Paul was some crab hunting and fishing with Shannon.
We stayed just outside of Kalbarri township in a horsey farm stay called Big River Ranch. It was flooded with tween and teen girls of all descriptions getting their fill of trail rides. We just used it as a base. We spent the afternoon in the playground at Kalbarri, ironing out fights and trips to the toilet with broken plumbing and sewerage coming up from the drain in the floor. A not altogether happy time was had by all! Actually, the park was mostly pretty fun for the kids, especially at the start, but the bad bits are always so much more memorable! We felt a bit stuck as the road into Kalbarri National Park was closed due to the rain the night before. Luckily we were free to go in and see Nature's window and the Z bend the next day, over about 30km of unsealed roads. Kalbarri was pretty and you could easily spend a week relaxing into the river and seaside vibe and doing some walks in the national park but we had a pretty good taste in our flying visit. Lets be honest... its no Ningaloo!
Had a lovely drive into Geraldton the next day, taking in a drive by of Pink Lake, some wheat fields, and an afternoon tea at Oakabella Farm (no photos taken here but lots of discussion about the supernatural as the farm was said to be haunted).
Had a lovely drive into Geraldton the next day, taking in a drive by of Pink Lake, some wheat fields, and an afternoon tea at Oakabella Farm (no photos taken here but lots of discussion about the supernatural as the farm was said to be haunted).
We had a pretty sweet couple of days in Geraldton. Paul and I enjoyed our walks on the beach in the morning near the enormous barbershop lighthouse. The kids loved the park and foreshore area. We all loved the jumping pillow so close to the van, at the caravan park, although for different reasons! I liked reversing the van into our site, if not like a pro, at least as a competent novitiate. Our last shared love was the beautiful and very touching memorial to the HMAS Sydney II. Each element of the memorial was meaningful and moving, for example the Dome of Souls below made up of 645 seagulls representing the 645 lives lost. It is well worth looking up the story of each element here http://hmassydneymemorial.com.au/memorial. I can't make the link active but I might get the know how and time at some later stage. In the interim, you know what to do!
This lovely, and at times rushed, drive south was through the spectacular wildflower season. We stopped any number of times by the side of the road to snap a couple of shots and get a close up view of some of these west coast beauties. There is another post dedicated to these photos coming up. Our last stop pre Perth was in a lovely free camp on the side of a wheat field out of Jurian Bay, called Wandoo rest area. The golden light over the bush and wheat at dawn and dusk will not leave me in a hurry. We did the campfire and damper thing and the boys loved it. We all loved it, really. OK, Paul gets a bit over the poking the sticks into the fire thing that must be done by small boys, but that was not enough to totally dampen the experience!! The best thing about our van is feeling you can pull up anywhere and live for a few days. If the tanks are full you can even have the odd shower and really feel like a princess in her castle!
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