Closer to Perth

Butcher's shop, Beverley, WA

Monday, 11-7-11 to Saturday, 23-7-11

Well we have done it again, it's raining in Beverley. We arrived last night and the rain started not long after we settled in. Beverley is a small country town about 100k from Perth. We stayed in doors today, too wet to go out.

On Tuesday we ventured out to the information centre where we met Barry Ferguson and his wife Kathleen. Barry took us to his place to see his collection of old things. It is one of the best collections we have ever seen. He has just about everything old in several sheds at the back of his house and he knows about all the items in the collection. He opens it to the public most weekends and we spent several hours there looking and listening.

We spent two weeks in Beverley, meeting friendly locals, friendly travellers (two couples named Sue and Alan) and taking short drives around the area. Brookton is a nearby town which was worth the drive but not one we would want to stay in. We also had a trip to Avondale Discovery Farm, formerly an Experimental Farm that is now run by the National Trust as a museum and landcare education site. They have a great display of old machinery and a lovely old homestead. Saturday morning we decided to do some shopping and get ready to move on and Crawf bought a raffle ticket at the street stall, and won second prize, a bottle of wine, cooler bag, insulated mug and a carry bag.

Swan Bells, Perth, WA

Sunday, 24-7-11 to Sunday 7-8-11

Swan Bells, Perth, WA

We moved to Bonney's Water Ski Park at Baldivis, just south of Perth.
Spent the first few days exploring the area and had a trip into Perth by train to check out how the train system works and how to get to Shenton Park for Crawf's appointment. The trains are very good. We also went to the Perth Truck and Trailer show at the Convention Centre. The wet weather is still following us and we have had rain nearly every day for two weeks. We also went to Pinjarra to find somewhere to camp when we go to the rally next month. We also managed to get the van licensed in Western Australia.The cost is a lot less than in NSW and no yearly inspections so that will be handy while we are travelling.

Fremantle, WA

Had a great day when we went to see the Swan Bells in Perth. The bells are from St Martins in the Fields in London and are the ones that are mentioned in the children's song, Oranges and Lemons. We were there when six bell ringers were practicing and it was great to see and hear them in action. The tower also houses a carillon of 18 bells (electrically rung) which rings at regular times during the day. The bell tower overlooks the Swan River and provides great views of the city and river. We had a ride on a CAT bus (Central Area Transport) which is a free ride around areas of the city if you have a valid transit ticket, a good way to get around.

Sunday was a nice fine day so we went by train to Fremantle. Visited the Fremantle Markets and the Ship Wreck Museum and were amazed how many ships came to grief along the WA coast in years past. Also had a CAT bus trip around to see the lovely old buildings.

More Interesting Country Towns

Saturday, 2-7-2011

Cunderdin was our first stop today where we found a great museum in an old water pumping building and also another "Ettamogah Pub". From Cunderdin we moved to Meckering, the scene of a devastating earthquake in 1968 when the whole town was destroyed without the loss of any lives.

Homestead ruins at Meckering, WA

Sunday, 3-7-2011

We had a good look around the town area of Meckering and drove out of town a couple of kilometres to see the ruins of an old farm homestead where a baby was asleep in her cot in the middle of the home but survived the earthquake.
There are only a few sites left untouched in the area that show the impact of the quake as most of the rubble was removed for safety reasons.
We then went on to Northam where we had trouble getting into the caravan park and there was no where else to camp. We won't be recommending this park to any other larger rigs.

Northam, WA

We spent 4 nights at Northam and did several drives around the area to view the lovely old towns and buildings in the area. Toodyay is another historic old town nearby.

Toodyay, WA

Thursday, 7-7-2011

This morning, after a lot of maneuvering, we left Northam Caravan Park and wandered on to York, the oldest inland town in Western Australia. We had a visit to the info centre and a look around the main street and received some advice that the caravan park was expensive and that we would be able to camp at Gwambygine Rest Area, about 11kms from town. This proved to be a great spot on the banks of the Avon River so we stayed two nights.

Avon River, Gwanbygine Rest Area, WA

Saturday, 9-7-2011

We packed up camp and moved back into York caravan park for one night. We had a good look around the town and visited the Car Museum and the markets. Most of the shops and attractions are open on weekends to cater to the day trippers from Perth.

Sunday, 10-7-2011

The York Motor Show was held in Avon Park and the range of motor vehicles was amazing. From the very old, not so old and the new, to rare and even some motor bikes. Took lots of photos of the cars and then the magnificent old town hall and then travelled to Beverley.

Town Hall, York, WA

York, WA

Still heading inland

Monday, 20-6-11

Wave Rock, Hyden, WA

We continued our trip inland, moving towards Hyden. We visited the small town of Varley, just a small town in an agricultural area but it has a very cute rabbit cemetery. The cemetery is in memory of all the rabbits who lost their lives because of the Rabbit Proof Fence.

Hippo's Yawn, Hyden, WA

We then arrived at Hyden and booked into the Wave Rock Caravan Park as there are no campsites in the area. After lunch we tackled the Wave Rock and Hippo's Yawn Walks.
The rock formations are just magnificent.

A 'tafone', Hyden, WA

Most of the rocks in this area are tafoni (which is plural for tafone). A tafone is formed when salt crystals which are trapped within the rock are eroded away resulting in a hole or crack forming in the rock and then erosion causes the rock to split or crack.

The walks are sometimes gradual but sometimes quite steep. We managed them quite well but had a couple of ache the next day. We walked about six kilometers that afternoon as we decided to walk to the Breakers, a smaller version of Wave Rock before it got dark.

Tuesday, 21-6-11

Today we drove approximately 20ks to the Humps and Mulka's Cave. Here we found more spectacular rocks to climb and admire. Mulka's Cave has some of the most significant rock art in Western Australia. Most of the art work has been done by stenciling.

Rock Art, Mulka's Cave, Hyden, WA

Here we saw some great examples of tafoni and gnammas. A gnamma is a waterhole formed in the rock by erosion.

A 'gnamma', The Humps, Hyden, WA

Crawf at the Humps, Hyden, WA

Street sculptures, Hyden, WA

After our long walk around the rocks in the morning we went into Hyden for lunch. Hyden has some very interesting street sculptures which tell the history of the town. They are all made from old scrap metal and make a great tourist stopping point. After lunch we went back to the caravan park where we visited a wildlife park with some interesting animals and then a toy soldier display which proved to me that some men never grow up, a brilliant display.

Wednesday, 22-6-11

Kondinin was our next stop after refuelling at Hyden. Kondinin is a small farming town in the middle of red soil farming land. We had our lunch and walked along the main street where we found an op-shop which Crawf had to look at. While there he was asked to draw the local raffle.

Swimming Pool at Gorge Rock, WA

We then went to Gorge Rock and set up camp in the rest area. At one time there was a hall, tennis courts, sports ground, school, swimming pool, scout campsite and amphitheatre at this site. The swimming pool which was constructed by damming an area between the rocks was kept clean and drained annually by the locals and the area was a very popular spot in years gone by.

Thursday, 23-6-11

Moving towards our next stay we passed through Corrigin, a nice little town with a very interesting dog cemetery.

Corrigin, WA

Corrigin, WA

 The doggie graves are often very elaborate and sometimes very basic.

Corrigin also holds the record for the number of Dogs in Utes. They surely love their dogs in this area.

We then travelled north to Bruce Rock, another small farming town.

 

 Friday 24-6-11 and Saturday 25-6-11

Bruce Rock is a very friendly town, we talked to the locals in the street, shops and at the sports club. Bruce Rock is not as large and spectacular as some of the rocks we saw at Hyden.

We had a walk around the rock and then decided to drive to Muntadgin and had a picnic lunch at the rest area there. There is a very traditional country pub but it was closed and I suspect it only opens for local special events.

The Munty Pub, Muntadgin, WA

A well at Bruce Rock, WA

Sunday, 26-6-11

Today we travelled towards Quairading, on the way we stopped at Shackleton for a picnic lunch next to the smallest bank in Australia and then continued to Quairading. Checked into the caravan park as the free campsite at Kokerbin Rock was too small for us. Good value in the caravan park, pay for 2 nights stay for 3.

It works out at $11 per night.

Quairading is only 165k from Perth and is a very large grain growing area, when it rains.

Kokerbin Rock is reported to be the third largest monolith in Australia.
It has some very spectacular views from the summit which both Crawf and I managed to reach. We are becoming very good rock climbers.
Some of the rock formations are as good as those at Wave Rock.

Kokerbin Rock, WA

Kokerbin Rock, WA

Smallest Bank in Australia, Shackleton, WA



 Quairading has several interesting sites including the Pink Lake which is blue on one side of the road and pink on the other. The pink colouring is caused by some bacteria in the water combined with the salt which is very highly concentrated in the lake.

Pink Lake, Quairading, WA

Remains of Rabbit Proof Fence No. 2
Corrigin  to Quairading, WA

Grain Silo sign, Quairading, WA

 The remains of No.2 Rabbit Proof Fence can be seen in several locations. There were 3 fences built in WA in the early 1900's in an attempt to keep rabbits out of the state.

Miniature road train, Quairading, WA

Other things of interest in Quairading are the signs around the town depicting the grains grown in the area. They are represented by the grain family of Wesley Wheat, Basil Barley, Ollie Oats and Lucy Lupin. The sign near the grain handling silo is possibly the funniest.
Crawf went to visit the local Vintage Machinery Club and discovered a wonderful little miniature road train. It is used as a children's ride at the local festivals and fund raisers.

Looking around WA

Saturday, 4-6-11 to Friday, 17-6-11

Debris from crashed Sky Lab, Esperance, WA


Esperance is a very pretty harbour with a long jetty and a very large shipping wharf.

We checked the town facilities and arranged to meet Cyril, Crawf's cousin, who we supplied with family history information. He and his daughter, Suzanne, were very surprised to get this info.

On Sunday we had fish & chips on the waterfront and then spent the entire afternoon browsing through the local museum. The museum has some very interesting displays, including a display about the Sky Lab that crashed over the area in 1979, debris littered the area and the shire council fined the USA government $400 dollars for littering. This fine was finally paid in about 2009.

Monday began very damp but improved so we were able to go on an island cruise. We cruised passed several islands and saw sea lions and seals on many of the rocks. We also saw a pair of sea eagles who eagerly await the boat for a feed of fish. They are very large, graceful birds with incredible eyesight.

Whistling Rock, Cape Le Grande NP
Esperance, WA


We then landed on Woody Island which is set up as an enviro camping area, with small huts and camp kitchens etc. Heidi, Suzanne's daughter, was our guide and she took us on a long walk around the island, showing us the plants and animals.
The weather held until we were nearly back to Esperance when the rain set in again.

The next few days were wet and cold so we didn't go out very often. When the sky cleared we went on several great drives around the area. Great Ocean drive, west of Esperance, and Cape Le Grande National Park, to the east, have great views of the coastline, cliffs, rocks and beaches.

We had the ute serviced while in Esperance, were unable to get the generator repaired so will have to wait until we get to Perth for this. We spent the next few days catching up with Cyril, Suzanne and some of her family, cleaning the van and ute and waiting for some wheel studs for the ute to arrive from Gympie.

Seals, Esperance, WA


We have decided to head inland again, towards Wave Rock and the wheat belt to avoid the windy weather along the southern coast and will visit that area in the springtime.

Saturday, 18-6-11

Left Esperance and travelled to towards Ravensthorpe. We have been intrigued by the names in WA. Most of the towns in the south of the state end with up, eg. Munglinup, Dalyup, Jerdacuttup and Jerramungup just to mention a few and the names in the north of the state end in down although most of these are property or station names.
We spent the night at an old mining town site, Kundip, in a rest area on our own, it was very quiet.

Sunday, 19-6-11

Went for a drive to the coastal town of Hopetoun, with the hope of seeing whales but our hopes were dashed because of the really rough sea. Hopetoun is possibly a great place in spring and summer but most places were closed for the winter but we managed to find a nice lunch. We then returned to Ravensthorpe, refuelled and headed north to Lake King which is a large farming area and only 30kms from the "Rabbit Proof Fence". This fence is the longest fence in the world, 3,236.8 kms.

The "Big Paddock"

Friday, 27/5/11

We have started the trip across the Nullarbor, known around here as the big paddock.  Our first stop was at the BP service station on the road out of Ceduna as the price of fuel is the cheapest we have seen since leaving Griffith. Next stop was the Oyster Bar on the side of the road to pick-up another dozen oysters, they are delicious.  From there we travelled to Penong, a very small town famous for hundreds of windmills and possibly more wombats.  You can see wombat holes in all the paddocks and along the sides of the road. We called into an old wool shed museum and craft shop. It was interesting but unfortunately not at all like it would have been in it's original days.  It was last used as a piggery and now has a sloping floor. Next stop was Nundroo where we found a roadhouse with a caravan park with very basic facilities but as there was not a good campsite around the area we decided to stay the night. We had a nice roast dinner in the roadhouse restaurant.

Road to Yalata

Saturday, 28/5/11

We travelled towards Yalata, passed the sign which told us that we were at the Eastern End of the Treeless Plain. There are many signs on the trip which make interesting reading and photos, ranging from animals crossing, to the Royal Flying Doctor emergency landing strips on the road where the road widens and is specially marked for the planes to land.

Signs seen across the Nullarbor

We passed the Yalata Aboriginal Reserve then went down a side road to the Head of Bight Whale Watch area. There is a long boardwalk and viewing platform there and we were lucky to see two whales. They were very lethargic as they are still pregnant so it was a bit hard to see them clearly.The
 cliffs and beaches are brilliant in this area. We also saw the start of the "dog fence"and then found a great campsite at the 164k peg Rest Area. We met some nice people there and they convinced us to stay another day and meet their friends who were about to arrive, so Crawf and Glen went wood gathering and we had another campfire. Great time.


Eastern end of "Treeless Plain"





Head of Bight







Monday, 30-5-11

Left this campsite and continued along the long straight road until we came to Bunda Cliffs Lookout where we were told there are beautiful cliffs and beaches to see. This is so true.  We also wanted to say goodbye to "Misty" Thornton, the most beautiful border collie dog who was killed in an accident a couple of weeks ago and is buried at this lovely spot. We moved on to another lookout 13kms east of the WA border and had our lunch and used up the last of our salad veggies. We had cooked all our other vegetables last night ready for the trip into the next "country", Western Australia. We reached the WA border and passed the quarantine point without incident. I was so busy taking photos of the signs that I missed the only real wildlife we had seen all trip, three emus having a bath in a puddle on the side of the road just before the border.

From there we went to Mundrabilla Roadhouse for fuel, $1.81 p/l but this was cheaper than Eucla.



Bunda Cliffs



SA/WA Border



At the SA/WA Border

Tuesday, 31-5-11

Today we travelled to Madura, over Madura Pass with spectacular views of the Roe Plains.

As we approached Cocklebiddy Roadhouse we saw an orange vest on the right-hand side of the road. It was Andrew, the guy we met at Cowell. We talked to him for a few minutes and he seemed in good spirits and has raised a lot more money for the Cancer Council.

We continued on to Caiguna Blowhole, a limestone cave beside the road. This area has many caves which were eroded by water over thousands of years when this area was an inland sea.

From here we commenced the trip along the longest straight stretch of road in Australia, 90 mile straight, or 146.6 km. This straight stretch is then followed by several more long straight stretches. the bends in the road are hardly noticeable but they are bends.



90 Mile Straight



Caiguna Blowhole

We found another good campsite and there was already a fire still smoldering from the previous night so it didn't take much to get it going again.



90 mile straight



 Wednesday, 1-6-11

This morning we continued to Balladonia, topped up the fuel a little then found a nice rest area called Newman Rock and it sits on top of a huge granite rock from where you have a great view over the plains below and some salt lakes. There are also natural waterholes that attract lots of wildlife.

We then passed the Fraser Range Station camping area which is like a farm stay so we decided not to stay as we are over the farm experience. People told us later that tours cost $40 each and there was nothing to see as they don't have any animals yet and it is not an area that can be cropped.

We arrived at Norseman and booked into the caravan park for 2 nights to do some washing and restock the food supply.

Norse, the horse that discovered gold



Thursday, 2-6-11 



Corrugated Iron Camels at Norseman

Norseman has a very good lookout from where you can see the gold mines, gypsum mine and the salt lakes as well as the large plains of the Nullarbor.

 

Gold was discovered when a horse, Norse, got a nugget stuck in his hoof.

 

It is a very old mining town but very neat and tidy considering it's age and history.

 



5th Wheeler & Truck at Salmon Gums

  Friday, 3-6-11

Today we left Norseman and headed south to Esperance. Very few campsites on the way so we stopped for lunch at Salmon Gums, so named because of the colour of the gum tree trucks in the area. Here we saw an interesting 5th Wheeler and truck, Crawf thinks it is a Land Cruiser made to look like a Peterbuilt truck.



Green Patch, WA





 

Next town was Green Patch, an agricultural town, and then came Gibson Soak, only a hotel, shop, service station and a couple of agricultural business. As we couldn't find a good campsite we continued into Esperance and as we were not sure if we could fit into the National Park we booked into the caravan park for a week to get the generator fixed, the ute serviced and to catch up with Cyril.

On our way, again!!!

Friday, 13/5/11 and Saturday, 14/5/11

We are now at Streaky Bay, great campsite. Each night we are able to have a campfire and most of the campers join the circle.

Went for a drive around Westall Way Loop and decided there was not better campsite for us than the one we are at.  The coastline is very spectacular in this area also. The Granites and the Whistling Rocks and Blowholes at Cape Baurer are the highlights. The Whistling Rocks were whistling but the Blowholes weren't blowing.


The Granites





The Blowholes



The Whistling Rocks

Sunday to Tuesday, 15/5 to 17/5/11

Had a couple of attempts at catching a fish but with no luck. The area is very popular with dolphins so there is not much hope for us. The nights have been very cold, a couple of frosts.


Wednesday, 18/5/11

Post Office at Haslam

 and Thursday, 19/5/11



The cheeky seal at Haslam

Moved to Haslam, a small seaside town with a good free ($5)
campsite.  We saw a couple of dolphins and one very cheeky seal, so no chance of catching any fish from the jetty.


Post Office at Haslam

Friday, 20/5/11 to Thursday, 26/5/11

We have moved on towards Ceduna. Had a look at Smoky Bay but not much to do there so we booked into the Foreshore Caravan Park at Ceduna and have decided to spend a week here and clean the van and do some shopping and washing before we head off across the Nullabor.

The weather is not very nice at the moment, cold, windy and misty rain.

On Saturday morning, Sue and Steve Thornton, who we met at Cowell, arrived with their dog, Misty, and were able to get a site next to us.  It was great to see them again and Misty was pleased to see us, especially when we arrived home from the pub with a steak bone for her.

Sunday was another miserable day weather wise but after lunch the sun came through for a while so we put Misty on the back of the big ute and went for a drive around the area.

Sue, Steve and Misty leave us on Monday and we spend the next few days looking at the museum and a drive to some of the beaches and sites in the area.

On Tuesday we receive the sad news that Misty had been killed in a tragic accident.

We will leave here on Friday and will visit Misty's grave on the way across the Nullabor.