Kalbarri

Kalbarri:  29 – 30 June

Our first activity on Saturday was to go to the feeding of the pelicans.  While there were only three pelicans (apparently the rest have gone to Lake Eyre!), there were lots of people from all over the world.  We all had fun feeding small fish to the pelicans.

Our first disappointment of our trip occurred when we were told that there was no access to the lower reaches of the Murchison River in the Kalbarri National Park.  This meant that we were unable to see the gorges carved out by the river nor could we see the natural rock formations – particularly Nature’s Window.  We were not very happy about this, as this time of year is peak tourist time and many people would have travelled to this area to visit these features.  While we accept that redevelopment must occur, it seems as if the planning of this work could have been managed a lot more effectively.  Ah well!  It means that we now have another reason to plan further visits to this region! 

 

So, we went for a drive to Blue Holes - a seaside area just to the south of Kalbarri.  There we watched a magnificent surf roll in. After a while, we were able to watch a bloke ride some of these waves in a wonderful display of surfing.  We later discovered that he is a world champion surfer from Haiwai called Clay Marzo.  What a sight. We had a lovely view of Red Bluff through the waves. 

 

Tim managed to get some snorkelling in the Murchison in the afternoon, although the river was too murky to see anything.  Still, the water temperature was fabulous.  We spent some time at the Rainbow Jungle - a breeding centre for Australian parrots.  It has a wonderful display of Australian and foreign birds.

We drove out to Eagle Gorge later in the day to see if any sea eagles or ospreys were flying around but there were none on show.  We did enjoy the panorama to the north along the Kalbarri Cliffs, with the Zuytdorp Cliffs in the distance;  then we watched the sunset over the ocean, with our own version of ‘staircase to the sun’!

 

Perth - Kalbarri

Perth – Jurien Bay:  26 June [259 km]

[Note that this segment included a number of side trips]

Today we start travelling north up the coast of WA.  It was a lovely day and we had wonderful views of the ocean as we drove along the Turquoise Coast on Indian Ocean Drive towards the Pinnacles.  We stopped for morning tea at the pretty little seaside town of Lancelin.  The striking feature of the coast in this region is the reef some distance off shore which protects the coastal edge from the full effect of the sea.  We saw many blackboys along the way as well as interesting signs.

Then it was on to the Nambung National Park with the spectacular Pinnacles Desert.  What a sight!  Having seen photos of the pinnacles over many years, the reality was even better than we imagined.  We were unprepared for the extent of the area covered by the pinnacles, the wide variation in their size – some are 3 metres or more high and 5 or 6 metres around their bases and the fascinating panorama which the pinnacles provide. 

We walked among them following a marked track for a couple of kilometres.  From the higher points, it is possible to see the Indian Ocean sparkling in the distance.

As we drove to Cervantes, we saw a lot of red flowering bushes:  we learnt that it is called templetonia retusa or cockie's tongue. It is a valuable source of winter nectar. 

We had a late lunch of crayfish – called rock lobster in this part of the world! – at the famous Lobster Shack in Cervantes.  It was a delicious meal and a sign of things to come with the prospect of even more seafood.  We arrived in Jurien Bay by late afternoon and settled in to our cabin for a relaxing evening.

Jurien Bay – Geraldton:  27 June [199 km]

We got an early start on another beautiful day and had a smooth run through to Geraldton following the coast for most of the way.  It was interesting that the reef, which we had first seen much further south, continued north for many kilometres;  it is easy to see how the early sailors got into so much trouble as they sailed east across the Indian Ocean. 

After morning tea looking over Geraldton port and the sparkling ocean, our first objective in Geraldton was to seek out Abrolhos pearls – the so-called ‘black’ pearls.  We found a wonderful selection displaying the extensive range of colours in these pearls and, of course, we made some purchases.

We drove up to the memorial site for HMAS Sydney and spent a while looking over the features of this striking memorial.  It is interesting to see the addition to this memorial highlighting the discovery in 2008 of the last resting place of HMAS Sydney. 

The list of names of those who died and the sculpture of the woman looking for her lost family are particularly poignant.

As we were now on the Batavia Coast, we visited the WA Museum Geraldton to see the exhibits relating to the Batavia disaster.  These added to our insight into this dreadful event which took place in the Houtman Abrolhos Islands just 70 km off the coast from Geraldton.  Then we drove to our caravan park where we relaxed for the evening.

Geraldton – Kalbarri:  28 June [180 km]

[Note that this segment included a number of side trips]

We started slowly this morning, as we had arranged to meet the niece of Wim, a friend of ours from church, later in the morning.  We spent a lovely time with Catherine and her four children on the new waterfront recreation area in Geraldton.  We also saw a great statue of Wiebbe Hayes, the soldier who resisted the mutineers from the Batavia.  Then, it was on the North West Coast Highway heading for Kalbarri. 

We called into Port Gregory and enjoyed lunch looking out over the small fishing fleet, the offshore reef and the Indian Ocean beyond:  it was a lovely setting.  As we left this fishing village, we had a closer look at Hutt Lagoon – more commonly known as the Pink Lake.  The pink colour comes from a bacteria which is a rich source of beta carotene.  The expanse of pink water looked stunning in the midday sun.

As we neared Kalbarri, we drove into the various sites where the spectacular Kalbarri Coastal Cliffs can be seen.  These cliffs are predominantly comprised of sandstone and they take a quite different shape to the Bunda Cliffs of the Bight.  The action of the sea is just as vigorous as elsewhere and the sculpturing of the sandstone is clearly evident, especially with the Natural Bridge and the Island.  North of Kalbarri, we could see the Zuytdorp Cliffs stretching as far as we could see.

Then we went into Kalbarri – what a wonderful location on the estuary of the Murchison River.  After settling in to our cabin, we did a bit of walking to explore the town in the warm afternoon sun.  Our first sunset over the Murchison River looked superb.  We enjoyed a beaut seafood dinner at the Black Rock Café and then relaxed for the evening.

We have already mentioned the names of our friends from church in Wanniassa – Matt and Rachel Brain – to some people in Kalbarri and they and their children are remembered with much affection.

Perth

Perth:  22 – 25 June

On our first full day in Perth, Helen and Peter drove us to Kings Park.  It was a glorious day and there were people everywhere through the Park.  We walked around a number of the flora gardens, admiring the way the Park has been developed.  One very interesting feature is the large boab tree which was transported from northern WA to Kings Park some years ago.  There was considerable uncertainty as to whether the boab would survive the six day road trip to Perth – but, a few years later, the boab is looking really good and damage from the trip is gradually being repaired. 

 

 

The Narrows Bridge is of course an iconic view of central Perth.  After a most enjoyable picnic in the Park, we drove back to Duncraig along the coast:  it was very picturesque with the sparkling Indian Ocean. 

Sunday saw us head off to St Matthew’s at Shenton Park.  We went to their 10.00 service and it was packed with people from a variety of cultures and ages.  We managed to have a chat with Kanishka before the service.  After the service, we spent some time chatting with Cailey, so it was good to see them after so long.  As the rain came down, we set off for Fremantle, where we had lunch at iconic Cicerello’s – an extremely crowded fish and chip restaurant, with alfresco views of Fremantle Harbour.  This was quite an experience with great food and people absolutely everywhere.  We then visited the Maritime Museum and saw, amongst other exhibits, Australia II, as she was when she won the America’s Cup in 1983.  Then it was back to Helen and Peter’s home;  we brought our blog up to date posting lots of photos.

We spent the next couple of days relaxing and visiting sites of interest around Perth.  In particular, we visited the Western Australian Shipwreck Gallery in the Fremantle port precinct.  This Gallery has a magnificent exhibition of the Batavia:  the Dutch ship that was wrecked on the Abrolhos Islands in 1629 on its maiden voyage to the East Indies.  [Question:  Where are the Abrolhos Islands?]  The aftermath of that disaster and mutiny in terms of appalling human behaviour and misery and suffering are almost too awful to contemplate.  The Gallery has reconstructed part of the Batavia’s hull from timber recovered from the wreck site.  As well, 37 tonnes of stones for a portico which was to be built in Java have been assembled and many other items that were recovered from the wreck site are on exhibition.

This Gallery also has exhibitions on the Zuytdorp [pronounced zowt-dorp], which was wrecked on the WA coast in 1712 and a number of other maritime disasters.

We also enjoyed spending an evening with Kanishka and Cailey, their daughter, Lucy, and their dog!  We had a lovely meal and our conversation ranged over many topics as we caught up on years of activities.  It is now 14 years since Kanishka moved from St Matthew's, Wanniassa to St Matthew's, Shenton Park.

After a few days enjoying Perth, we cleaned Chaunticleer, packed all our things and prepared to start our journey north up the coast of WA.  Kerryn said 'Goodbye' to her friend, Helen.

 

Goolwa to Perth

Goolwa:  14 – 15 June

We spent a couple of days relaxing in Goolwa with Kerryn’s Dad, Frank. 

Kerryn,s Dad, Frank with Kerryn and Tim

Goolwa with Hindmarsh Island Bridge

Goolwa is located at the mouth of the Murray River and it was one of Australia’s major ports in the 19^th century.  Large volumes of wool and grains were shipped down the Murray River in barges towed by paddle steamers.  It was also the port from which a range of goods were distributed upstream and elsewhere into Australia’s interior.

We visited Kerryn’s cousin, Alwyn and his wife, Anne, and other friends, Ian and Evelyn:  dinner at the Goolwa Hotel was of high quality as usual and lunch at the Hotel Victor in Victor Harbor was up to its usual standard.  We also enjoyed a splendid seafood lunch at a new café in the port precinct at Goolwa – overlooking Lake Alexandrina.

We prepared our car and gear for our journey across the Nullarbor Plain.  In particular, we needed some minor repairs after all the water that was across the road between Strathalbyn and Goolwa.

Goolwa – Port Augusta:  16 June [408 km]

We finally had a sunny day as set off from Goolwa for Port Augusta.  Once you get beyond Adelaide, the highway is very flat and straight.  The paddocks were emerald green after the recent rain.  As we drove north, the foothills of the southern Flinders Ranges came into view. 

We arrived in Port Augusta in mid-afternoon and relaxed for the evening before we head off due WEST tomorrow!  Port Augusta is at the head of Spencer Gulf and is the gateway to the beautiful Flinders Ranges.







Port Augusta – Ceduna:  17 June [483 km]

We woke to a glorious morning;  once we had cleaned the ice off our car, we set off on the Eyre Highway.  We drove past Iron Knob – an iron ore mine that dates from the late 19th century and which was one of main reasons for steelworks being established at Whyalla.  Then it was long straight stretches of road past enormous wheat paddocks. 

At Kimba, we visited some sculptures of John Eyre and his aboriginal mate, Wylie – in recognition of their magnificent work in travelling across what is now known as the Nullarbor Plain nearly 200 years ago! 

 

We arrived in Ceduna in the early afternoon and checked out this pretty, seaside town.  At the end of a quite long jetty, we watched dolphins frolicking just off the end of the jetty.

 

Ceduna – Eucla:  18 June [523 km]

What a fabulous day we had.  We were on the road by 8.00 am and this gave us a great run for the 300 km to the Head of the Bight;  we travelled through more pastoral country until Penong, where the paddocks gave way to mulga scrub and then to lots of saltbushes on an absolutely flat plain.  We had reached the eastern edge of the Nullarbor Plain, where the road has lots of long straight stretches.

The fine and mild conditions were perfect for our time at the whale watching site at the Head of the Bight.  As we walked down to the boardwalk, we could see a number of Southern Right Whales lazing in the ocean.  Once on the boardwalk, we saw that there were two mothers with calves right below where we were standing.  What a magnificent sight. 

 

We saw upwards of 12 or more whales, some with calves, while we were at the Head of the Bight.  It was difficult to count them, as some kept disappearing under water.  We also marvelled at the grandeur of the Bunda Cliffs:  they were stunning and rugged as they disappeared to the west of us.

After that stop, we drove into three more lookouts and got different perspectives on the Bunda Cliffs:  these Cliffs stretch for hundreds of kilometres and tower out of the ocean.

 

The Nullarbor Plain is flat - very flat - and has various animal hazards along the way.  The sign says it all:

Then, it was on to Eucla – and we had crossed into Western Australia!

Coincidence:  After not seeing any ACT people since Hay, we found that the bloke in the room next to us at Eucla lives in Theodore and the couple in the room next to him live in Jerrabomberra!

Eucla – Norseman:  19 June [720 km]

Today started with us dropping off the escarpment, through Eucla Pass, onto the coastal plain. 

 

We saw a large number of wedge tail eagles feasting on carrion by the roadside:  what beautiful birds they are.  After some hours, we climbed out of the coastal plain at Madura.

 

As we left Caiguna [Question:  where is Caiguna?], we started on the 146 km straight – the longest piece of straight road in Australia.  After 90 minutes, there is a sign saying curve ahead! 

 
At last, we reached Norseman:  720 km in what will be our longest day of driving on our trip.  Whew!  We had crossed the Nullarbor:  Kerryn for the first time and Tim for the second.  We were tired but very satisfied and Chaunticleer – our Holden Cruze – had performed extremely smoothly throughout.  We walked around town to get some much needed exercise and then had dinner;  while we were eating, the rain came pouring down.

Norseman – Kalgoorlie:  20 June [188 km]

We woke to a bright and clear day.  This would be a relaxing day, with a short run to Kalgoorlie.  Traffic was light and we were in Kalgoorlie by morning tea.  We walked around the east end of Hannan Street looking at the fabulous facades of the Palace Hotel, the Australia Hotel and a number of other buildings dating from the glory days of Kalgoorlie.
Our main interest was to look at the super pit – actually the Finiston Open Pit.  The super pit is simply enormous:  the trucks and other equipment working in it look like little play vehicles. 

 

Around the super pit, there are equally enormous mullock heaps – like small mountains – reflecting the years of mining for gold in this area.  Then we relaxed for the rest of the day in preparation for a longish drive into Perth tomorrow.

Kalgoorlie – Perth:  21 June [616 km]

We woke to an unusual sight:  there was fog over Kalgoorlie, although visibility was reasonable.  We were on the road by 8.00 am, as we had a fairly long day to Perth.  We drove through fog for nearly 200 km, so we can only imagine how much area the fog actually covered.  Once it cleared, however, we were in a beautiful day:  sunny and cool – ideal for touring.  We started passing paddocks of wheat as we neared Southern Cross, so we were definitely past all the poor soil country that we’d entered way back at Penong in South Australia.

Our run into Perth continued smoothly, with the traffic building up as we neared the city.  We managed to navigate our way around the city to the north to get to Helen and Peter’s home in Duncraig by 4.00 pm.  All in all, we had had a good drive to Perth.

That evening, Helen and Peter took us to Hilary’s:  the place where all the cool people go to hang out!  As it was the depths of winter in Perth (actually the winter solstice), there weren’t quite as many people there as usual although the precinct was still buzzing quite well.  We then had a well-earned sleep after a long day.