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Day 98: 4 September – Retail therapy and another WA hospital visit

Author: Mr A

From: Karrinyup Waters

To: Perth City Centre

Distance driven: 14km

Distance walked: 13km

We drove the Cruiser into Perth City Toyota, acting on an introduction from the Trenfields to the Service Manager there. 12,000km and remediation needed – a few minor repairs. What a terrific reception we got there – knowledgable, personable and friendly service. A world of difference from Mosman Toyota in Sydney! 


We left the Cruiser in good hands and headed into the city on the FREE buses. Then we went for a FREE (if we wanted to be mean, which we didn’t) lunch at the payment optional vegan Indian restaurant right overlooking the Swan River.


Things went downhill from there in the payment dept, new glasses and prescription sunnies for me after my recent eye test (although a 2 for 1 deal at Specsavers pretty good though), some outdoor shop power purchasing (we’re not on holiday if we don’t visit every gear shop), and so it went on.  Actually we loved Perth City Centre. So quiet, almost carless, clean, a pleasant change from Sydney’s clogged CBD. 


Our last task of the day was to visit an ENT specialist Catherine has got to know through her Facebook group and get her trachea looked at (for those not regular readers she has a rare disease which blocks her airway). Basically not very good news. She will need to have another op when she gets back from her world tour. Ah well…such is life for the Andersons – if its not her throat its my eyes – all the more reason to cram in the travel while we can. 

We decided to not worry about it and ram a decent Thai meal down us. Marvellous….an Uber back to camp and that was day 98. 

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Day 97: 3 September – Chilling in Perth (literally) 

Author: Mrs A

From: Roleystone, Perth

To: Karrinyup, Perth

Distance: 48km

Caroline and Andy treated us to a delicious full English breakfast which set us on the right path for the day ahead, helping us warm up on this fresh Perth morning. We farewelled our new friends and set off to our campground, about 14km north of Perth. 

We decided to head first to the local shopping centre, marvelling at all the choice – we even replenished our herbal tea stocks in T2!


From there we headed towards the coast, checking out the beaches. The wind was quite chilly and wintry – only about 17 degrees – at least 10 degrees cooler than we like! 



We had a short explore before heading back to the mobile apartment for an evening of leftover curry and movies (thank you Donna and Andy!)

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Day 96: 2 September – Arriving in the big city

Author: Mr A

From: Cervantes

To: Roleystone, Perth

Distance: 231km

A short cruise down the coast had us arriving at the Pinnancles, an alien looking landscape of limestone rock formations protruding from the desert.


The origin of their unique structure is still unknown, and little work has been done to understand them. This trip has really underlined the incredible diversity of our landscape here, and how much of its formation remains lost in the 500 million years of its evolution. 


By mid afternoon we were entering our first city for three months. Closer to Jakarta than Sydney, the fact that we’ve driven here (the long way!) makes it all the more rewarding. We headed to the hills where we had arranged to visit friends of friends, Andy and Caroline. We watched the temperature drop on the Cruiser’s thermostat as we climbed up the tree lined roads. By the time we had arrived it was late afternoon and around 12 degrees! 

They had a fabulous roaring fire on the go and we settled down with a bottle of red to get to know each other. They have travelled over 64,000 km around Australia, yup that number is not a mistype. What an incredible journey, all written up in their blog (https://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/kangaroojack/). It’s just wonderful for us to meet new people like this and get an insight into their lives. There was certainly a lot of common ground around how health issues focus the mind on living life to the full while we can.  

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Day 95: 1 September – First day of spring…

Author: Mrs A

Location: Cervantes

Distance cycled: 12km

A blustery, showery day met us as we awoke this morning, making it very hard to muster the energy to get out of bed and greet the world. But we did, jumped on our bikes and explored Cervantes, heading first to Lake Thetis home to more ancient stromatolites. 


A 3,500 year old stomatolite in the rain:


From there we cycled back to the coast to the Lobster Shack. This is home to a multi million dollar business, fishing for and processing Western Rock Lobster (known locally as ‘crayfish’) – most of which are exported live overseas. They also have a very basic restaurant where their chefs cook up the locally caught lobsters for visitors. We had to try it out.


Verdict: delicious! I’m looking forward to cooking the one in our freezer soon…

The sunshine disappeared after lunch, replaced by ever strengthening wind and increasing showers. We decided to give up our cycle exploration and retired to the mobile apartment for an afternoon holed up with chocolate and binge watching some of the Netflix we downloaded in Geraldton! 

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Day 94: 31 August – A recovery day…

Author: Mr A

From: Geraldton

To: Cervantes

Distance: 230km

Dusty…very dusty…after last night’s wonderful dinner with the Sivrights. We stopped by their lovely home (incidentally its for sale if anyone looking for a cliff top, ocean views property in a gorgeous beach suburb of Geraldton – long shot I know!) and showed them round the Zone. Well it does show itself off rather well :). We left with the addition of a frozen crayfish for a future dinner!

We continued south past a ‘famous’ leaning gum tree, practically horizontal from the strong southerly winds they get in summertime in these parts. It was a good metaphor for how we both felt after the alcoholic excesses of last night!


We stopped in Dongara for some hangover food – fish and chips – they were awful! Fussy Poms, I know. Back on the road we followed the very scenic Indian Ocean Drive down the coast, pulling up for a quick nap right on the beach. Well an hour and 40 mins later we were up and at them.


Arrived in Cervantes and set up quickly at the RAC park there. Pretty ordinary.  Cervantes is named after a shipwrecked whaling ship of the same name, and these days is more famous for its cray fishing, stunning beaches, islands and natural beauty.


So we forced ourselves out for a late afternoon walk along the beach, that blew the cobwebs away finally. Back at the van I’m contemplating a beer 🙂 

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Day 93: 30 August – Entering the stalker’s lair…

Author: Mrs A

Location: Geraldton

We had booked our Toyota Landcruiser in for a service this morning, so that is how our day began, dropping it off for its mid-trip check up. While the mechanics were checking it over, we settled ourselves down at a busy little cafe in town, next to a wi-fi hotspot, and enjoyed some food and drinks while making good use of the speedy network. 

Geraldton was one of the first locations in Australia to receive the NBN (National Broadband Network – nationwide fibre optic high speed internet) and this is our first opportunity to try it out – it’s impressively fast, and we managed to download lots more from Netflix.

The car passed its service with flying colours with no serious problems identified. 

Our next task was a lot more nerve wracking, and the major event Mr A alluded to yesterday. Mr A’s driving licence expires in October, and in order to get a new one, he needed to pass an eyesight test. As many of you are aware, Mr A suffers from a rare degenerative eye disease, Pigment Dispersion Syndrome (PDS), and has lost some of his peripheral vision due to that. 

Over the past few weeks we have been discussing what we would need to do if he was unable to continue to drive…how I would need to learn how to tow and park the caravan – something that so far only Mark has done.  So, into the opticians he went. 

Forty-five minutes later I get the call – he has passed! What a relief! He can continue driving for another five years…


And so we returned to the campground. Yesterday we mentioned the stalker who approached us in town. Well he and his wife invited us over for dinner tonight. We quickly Googled to confirm there were no outstanding warrants, before bravely accepting.

We jumped into a taxi and headed across to the other side of town to Greg and Claire’s home. They live in a gorgeous big house overlooking the Indian Ocean, a koi pond in the front garden and tastefully decorated. It was funny being in a house again – reminding us our entire living space is about the same size of their kitchen! 

We had a lovely evening, good wine coupled with delicious homegrown olives, endemarme and cheeses, followed by a seafood paella. Lots of laughter had, enhanced by the timely message from friend Paul in Sydney:

‘Just read the blog. Run away from the man in the car. Have you not watched the movies?’


A fun evening discussing travels and adventures, and new friends made. Awesome! This is what travelling is all about…

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Day 92: 29 August – A touch of civilisation

Author: Mr A

From: Kalbarri

To: Geraldton

Distance: 150 km

The storm raged in the early hours of this morning, the rain smacking against the van roof and reminding us again how pleased we are to have swapped the canvas of our beloved Ultimate camper trailer for the Zone RV’s fibreglass! A wet pack up with canvas…yuck.

It was an early wake up today with 17 German very close neighbours on the next pitch to us. They were all travelling together in this “unique mobile capsule hotel” (http://www.uniqhotels.com/rotel-german-bus-hotel)  – a bloody great bus. So just after 6am it was clashing pans and cooking a breakfast for their hord of hungry folks (yup…that’s a lot of sausage). I listened in on one conversation between the English speaking driver and a passenger who was complaining how she hadn’t really enjoyed the trip because…Australia was so big!  Mmmm..bit of Googling beforehand might have helped when booking. Imagine sharing a bus for 3 months with 16 other fellow passengers 24×7. My idea of hell but it takes all sorts!

We pointed south down the coast, sadly the rain was pelting down so we didn’t get to enjoy the incredible scenery we had passed yesterday on this stunning road. Surely this area is going to explode with tourism in the coming years, it has so much to offer. 

We arrived at our park in Geraldton at lunch and headed into town…our first “real town” since leaving Sydney at the end of May. We parked on the front and immediately noticed a wifi network….logged on with low expectations and WOW!!! We had several episodes of Suits downloaded in a flash…rather than the hours/days we normally take at the speeds we have seen on caravan parks offering “free wifi” since leaving home. Brilliant…we love this town already! Apparently its provided by the local council. 

Then this guy who has just parked next to us lowers his window and says “It must be Catherine and Mark?” Well…we wondered if he was a Council ranger about to arrest us for not just web browsing but downloading a TV series….but no….he had been following our blog and recognised us. A little spooky right. Australia is a big place but you can’t hide 🙂 We felt nearly famous!

We head into the shops…everyone is super friendly and helpful, and there’s so many choices of places to buy things from….could those two things be connected? I even got excited to walk through a Harvey Norman store…all that stuff for sale. It feels like we have been an age away from that world.  


Coles was our next treat. Oh so much choice, They even sold Scotch eggs (minor addiction). I even got a haircut. I’ve been trying to find someone to cut my hair since Broome, in the intervening 1,916km not one town had an appointment that involved waiting less than a week for a quick trim. If we start running short of cash I’m going on a hairdressing course and our Zone will become the Cutting Zone.


Well then it was back to camp, we’re staying at Sunset Beach Caravan Park, and it lived up to its name. One sunset to order for Mrs and Mr A as we wondered along the beach, pondering how this trip is changing us, because it is. I’m going to save that for another day. I have a big event coming up tomorrow which could change everything again anyway….so lets hang fire on those thoughts until we get that out of the way…

  

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Day 91: 28 August – Not your average Monday…

Author: Mrs A

Location: Kalbarri

Distance kayaked: unknown – time 3 hours

Distance hiked: 4 km


In spite of hearing rumbling thunder all around us, we made the decision to head out on to the Murchison River estuary for an explore in our pack rafts this morning. Lightning strikes were seen in the distance, but for the most part it was dry for our paddle. As always we were lucky enough to see lots of birdlife including pelicans, kites, a kestrel, turns diving for fish and more. And no other boats on the water.


We weren’t lucky the whole time though, with the clouds taking a sudden turn and then dumping their cargo on our heads. We returned to the car, deflated the boats and went back to the mobile apartment for hot showers and lunch.


After drying off and warming up we decided to head off again, this time in the car to see more of Kalbarri National Park, the coastal aspect. And what a coastline it is. This seems to be south-west WA’s answer to the Great Ocean Road, without the flies and icy cold winds, with rock formations including the likes of ‘Island Rock’, ‘Natural Bridge’, ‘Castle Cove’, ‘Grandstand Rock Gorge’ and ‘Eagle Gorge’. There is an 8km walk along the cliff tops linking all of these, but we didn’t have time to do the whole thing, so did short walks between sections.


There has been quite a bit of money spent on these decking walkways – stunningly crafted along the edge of the cliff with no barriers, tastefully designed to complement the scenery. As we walked along whales breached and fin slapped out at sea and a number of kestrels swooped artfully along the sheer walls. We even saw a stunning bright blue Splendid Fairy Wren – sadly too far out of reach of my camera to get a good photo.


And there was non-feathery wildlife also. At one lookout we arrived to find a rock wallaby waiting for us in the carpark, while at another an echidna strolled nonchalantly across the road in front of us. Just magic!


Our final evening at Kalbarri finished with a lovely sunset and the promise of more storm activity tonight to see us on our way south. We really feel we have only touched on the surface of Kalbarri – there are so many paddling, biking and hiking opportunities here, a week or more would have been better. 

Regardless, tomorrow we head off towards Geraldton via Northampton to adventures new.


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Day 90: 27 August – Exploring Kalbarri National Park

Author: Mr A

Distance hiked: 10.5km

Flights climbed: 24 floors

Kalbarri National Park is 40km out of town, but a world away from the coastal scenery we had seen here. Towering walls reared up from the Murchison River. 


We set off on a walk called the Loop – yup – no one way stuff for us today. The river looked so pristine below as we peered over the edge of the sheer cliffs.It was a fabulous walk, one of the best day walks we have have done on this trip. Only a kilometre from the crowded car park and ‘Nature’s Window’ and we were alone, only seeing one other family during the 4 hour walk. 


After heading along a ridge line we climbed right down to the river. 


A game of swans (yes that’s right – look it up) sailed regally along the river. The cygnets just picture perfect.

We followed the river as it bent around, eventually leading us back to almost the same spot we had started from….very convenient. We got back to the car as the first spots of rain fell – perfect timing. 

The colours of the spring flowers as we left the national park were incredible, splashes of pink, yellow and white wherever we looked. It seems Western Australia’s famous wildflowers are beginning to finally show themselves.


We had decided on a fish and chip supper this evening, purchased as the sun set behind rain laden clouds. We were woofing these down by 6pm in the mobile apartment as the rain beat its tattoo on the roof. 

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Day 89: 26 August – Beautiful Kalbarri

Author: Mrs A

Location: Kalbarri

Distance cycled: 17 km

Mr A woke up early and full of beans so set about cleaning the van, car and mountain bikes all before 7am! Of course I couldn’t really just stay in bed, so before long all the washing was on also, and Mr A heading off to the nearest bakery in town for freshly baked bread.

So by 9am, we were breakfasted and all tasks done, so we leaped on the bikes for an explore. First impressions are impressive. Kalbarri is a very small sleepy village, with about 6 places to eat out, either small cafes or pubs other than one, a single souvenir shop, two tiny privately owned local supermarkets (extremely expensive of course), and little else. There is a fishing fleet at the marina, and a fabulous coastal cycleway all along a stunning coastline. Kalbarri is where the Murchison River meets the ocean – the very same river we camped and hiked beside in Wooleen Station winds its merry way down to here. Hard to imagine!


The town reminds us of a smaller and quieter version of Coffs Harbour in NSW, probably as it would have been about 20 years ago. It sits in the midst of a national park – with walks along the coast as well as along the Murchison River gorge. 

There is even an ice creamery here – Mr A was excited to try a couple of flavours (Nutella and caramel ice cream), but I am sorry to say their sorbet choice extended to a single orange variety which was extremely sickly and tasted like it had been in the display unit a few too many months. Straight to the bin.

We cycled along a lovely shared pathway which follows the coast to Red Bluff, where the stunning turquoise waters meet the iron filled rock of the cliffs.


We were recommended a new eatery to dine at, ‘Upstairs Restaurant’, which had only opened in early July. We checked it out for dinner tonight. The chef is Spanish, trained in a Michelin Star restaurant in France, and the owner a young Iranian lady who has moved up here from Perth. She has brought a lot of class, with tablecloths (I know! in WA!), an excellent menu and wine list, and incredibly cooked food. Having skipped lunch, we were hungry and booked an early meal to watch the sunset over the sea. The owner had some time to chat about the challenges of starting a new business in a small town. Apparently she was told ‘It’s all too much for Kalbarri‘ – but being booked out for weeks on end and getting rave reviews on TripAdvisor suggests otherwise. We told her to stick with it.

The food was brilliant, and the Clare Valley Shiraz-Tempernillo blend we had with it was ideal. We shared some tapas for entree (hummus, baba ganoush, olives, olive oil and balsamic served with delicious bread from a Perth bakery plus fresh local king prawn skewers) and had separate mains (a half rack of glazed pork ribs with salad and crispy potatoes for me, and a whole crayfish tail for Mr A with salad) – exquisitely cooked.


A lovely night and back in the mobile apartment before 8.30pm! 

Need to burn all this food and drink off tomorrow – we are planning to head into the National Park for some hopefully tough hiking!

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