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Regan and I make it our mission to have as many adventures as possible, even if it is just a weekend camping at a local park. Read more Melbourne, Australia
  • TravelerThe Long Road Home
    Day 95

    Moora again

    September 29, 2021 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 15 °C

    Today feels like our last day on our tourist part of our holiday as tomorrow we arrive in Perth where we get back to rekindling old friendships. It's been over 6 years since we left and so much has changed in the city and the lives of the people we left behind.

    A quiet start with light rain early then the town heated up to a humid and windy 25 degrees. A walk down the river track to town then a book read back at the van. After lunch a circuit around the outlying villages in the ute ended up well over 100km of travel. We must check the scale of our maps! Ended with a small walk in a local reserve which is set up just for tourists to be harassed by bushflies.

    We tried the local pub for an evening meal. Very large helpings so a walk back to the caravan was welcome. The country pubs are always good to see the locals. A few farmers in jeans and airtex type attire shows we are in the country.

    Bushfly facts:
    They are suckers, not biters
    They want your saliva, sweat etc, not blood.
    They are officially not a pest as they don't spread diseases or adversely affect livestock. ( I beg to differ. They are a right nuisance!)
    They are not repelled by insect repellent (much to my disappointment)
    They are useful as they can pollinate plants. Wow... I found something positive about them.    Read more

  • TravelerThe Long Road Home
    Day 94

    Moora

    September 28, 2021 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 14 °C

    Left Carnamah camp and parked up to try and locate more wildflowers in the village. Overnight rain dampened the dust and cooled the air. The campground was really good by the way. After a wander around we found nothing new so headed south 120km to Moora. We had 120km of wheat fields! We have no idea what we will find in these small towns except that they are a surprise for us.

    Moora is the WA wheatbelt's largest service town. It's a clean but small town well looked after. We are staying at the very small council campground looked after by Shirley the caretaker. It is also very tidy and friendly. We made good use of the free washing machines.

    We spent the afternoon checking out the town then a larger walk to Candy's Bush reserve. This is a large area with a lot of different native orchids. They hide well as we saw none! There are also Carnabys Black cockatoos which are endangered. Didn't see any of those either. So a 6km walk was good for the thirst at least. Ironically 3 black cockatoos flew past as we returned to the campground.

    The weather is now calm and warm but once we get to Perth at the end of the week we are in for a shock with forecasted rain and cool temperatures.    Read more

  • TravelerThe Long Road Home
    Day 93

    Coalseam reserve

    September 27, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    The first stop this morning was Coalseam Reserve which has displays of everlasting wildflowers. We took the caravan into the reserve as we were heading further south after we were finished. The dirt road into the reserve was rough and the caravan got a good shaking. The caravan and ute are once again dusty but with the rain later in the day the dust is now caked on. The reserve is on the Irwin river and had in the past had several attempts of coal mining, none of them successful.

    The flowers were spectacular but possibly 2 weeks past their prime. They were mainly yellow and white and there were still plenty to imagine how incredible it would have looked. We did a 3 km walk and took plenty of photos. We drove onto Mingenew for a lunch stop. It is a public holiday here in WA so nothing was open.

    We had thought we might stay at Mingenew but decided to push on further. The next “town” was Three Springs where there is a talc mine and the beginning of a series of salt water lakes called Yarra Yarra lakes. The next town was Carnamah which is rural supply town for all the grain farms around here. On the road down there were wheat, barley and lots of canola. The fields that these crops grow on are really large.

    We decided to stay here and went to the info centre where a very helpful fellow kiwi told us all about how he had ended up here. He also told us the local wreath flowers were much better here than Pinder. After setting up the caravan in the very tidy camp we headed out for another drive to photograph more flowers. Bush flies were prevalent again today.

    The flowers were perhaps younger than yesterday’s but there weren’t nearly as many. I did take some more photos amongst the rain showers. The roadside flowers on the way out were certainly worth the drive. Regan tried to catch some of the flowers on a video. My wildflower exploring is done for now although Kings Park is on the hit list when we arrive in Perth.    Read more

  • TravelerThe Long Road Home
    Day 92

    Wildflowers

    September 26, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    We experienced an unusual event this morning being woken up by rain on the caravan roof. The first time since we left Victoria, it only lasted 15 minutes but nice to experience after 90 days without. Before breakfast we walked the wildflower walk that starts beside the campground. Some of the flowers were past their best but there was enough colour to imagine what it would have looked like a week ago.

    In Mullewa there is an amazing church built by a catholic priest who was also an architect. Monsignor Hawes was responsible for over 50 churches all over the world along with being a committed parish priest. The church is impressive and the town is extremely proud of it and Monsignor Hawes.

    After walking through town we had a coffee and muffin at a pop-up cafe created by local artist Helen Ansell during the wildflower season. Her art was beautiful so it was an enjoyable way to spend some time. Unfortunately that is the only business left except for petrol and a food store.

    Next stop was something exciting for me. We drove to Pindar to see the wreath flowers. They are some very special flowers that only grow in a few areas. They also only grow on dirt that has been disturbed such as roadsides. They were incredible and every time I thought I had photographed the perfect one I found a better one. There were also beautiful flowers on the roadside and we reached a point where Regan threatened to take the camera off me.

    On the way back to the camp we did a tour of some of the farm land and noticed how the flowers changed on each road. We caught up with some friends on video and finally finished the Schitts Creek series. Tomorrow we continue in wildflower country as we head south.    Read more

  • TravelerThe Long Road Home
    Day 91

    Mullewa

    September 25, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    The campground was busy this morning as there was an influx of new bookings due to the school holidays. We noticed the increase in traffic almost immediately after leaving Kalbarri. On the way to Geraldton 3 out of 4 vehicles were towing a camper.

    We unfortunately missed Hutt Lagoon which is a lake that is bright pink for most of the year. There is an algae which causes the pink colour. It is actually harvested as it has high levels of betacaratine and is used as a natural food colouring.

    The landscape reminded us strongly of the land around Greta Valley and Motunau. There was plenty of crops and even sheep farms. Our first stop was Northampton which is a small rural supply town which many of the original shops. The news agency has the original floor boards with all the gaps and noisy creaks. There were also a collection of painted sheep statues dotted around the town.

    Next stop was a shopping mall in Geraldton, very exciting for me. A few essential clothes and a large supermarket shop. We also had lunch there and watched two duelling seagulls fighting for well over 30 minutes.

    Our destination was Mullewa which is small rural town almost 100km from Geraldton. The intention was to stop at a free camp site but we are still looking for it. When we realised we had missed the spot we decided to come to the caravan park in town. The main camp was full but they have an overflow area where we are for 2 nights.

    As it was the AFL grand final we walked to the country club next door for a drink and caught up with some neighbouring campers from Denham. Well done to the Demons they really put on a master class in the second half of the game. The country club was really busy as there was also an 80th birthday party happening. A real local watering hole that we were lucky to share.    Read more

  • TravelerThe Long Road Home
    Day 90

    Kalbarri last day

    September 24, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    We got out before the wind and heat (almost) and biked south along the trail following the shoreline. Mainly sealed so quite easy. The coast at Kalbarri is very rugged with weather beaten cliffs and heavy seas. A few surfers braved the waves but there seemed more spectators than actual surfers. The mouth of the Murchison River was being suction dredged as there are some fishing boats which brave the mouth. It's not a wide exit out to sea.

    Julie walked into town to look in the few shops - mainly surf-wear and swimming costumes while Regan baked scones. In the afternoon the wind returned so we took the ute further south than the bike trail to check out more coastline. The bushflies were out there waiting but the high winds slowed the majority from buzzing our heads. Most were happy to just take a ride on our backs and arms and weather the gusts until an opportunity arose to annoy.

    The cliff views were quite incredible and the trail around the cliff was a little surprising with no safety barriers at all. Pot Alley was our favourite with dramatic red cliffs and a hidden sandy beach. We were sand-blasted climbing back up to the car and the sea was very rough but it would be fabulous on a summers day.

    Yesterday I tried to get some wildflower photos, I have attached a few but they don't really do it justice. We can both see how appealing Kalbarri is as a holiday destination as it has such a great mix of adventure and relaxation. With the WA school holidays starting tomorrow this town will fill up. We are moving south to find more wildflowers and new places to explore.    Read more

  • TravelerThe Long Road Home
    Day 89

    Kalbarri National Park

    September 23, 2021 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 18 °C

    The national park is nice and close to the town so we spent a few hours discovering. First stop was the most strenuous walk into Z Bend River trail, this drops down into the gorge between high rock walls. Warm and sunny at the top and shaded and cooler down the bottom. A bit of rock scrambling and a few ladders to negotiate.

    Wherever we went today we had really annoying bushflies (Latin term..... littleliss bastardiss). This is by far the worst on this trip. Regan wore a head net which helped but they still landed on any exposed skin, especially enjoying the sweat that we produced climbing back out of the gorge.
    There were more people at Nature's Window and the new skywalk so the bushflies shared themselves amongst the tourists. The skywalk was opened last year and is two large steel platforms pivoting out over the gorge. A nice cafe there also so iced coffee and iced chocolate required of course.

    We decided to check out the last two walks which are about 50km further on from the skywalk. Hawks Head and Ross Graham lookouts. The latter had a megacity of bushflies waiting for a snack.Stopped for a great view of Kalbarri town at Meanarra lookout. Was very windy by then so only the high power flies were around.

    Returning to the caravan park the wind had struck so a lot of people retracting awnings and reinforcing their tent ropes. The wind lasted all night so we gave up sitting outside and invited our camp neighbours inside for a drink which turned into dinner and a few wines. Great company from John and Jo.    Read more

  • TravelerThe Long Road Home
    Day 88

    Kalbarri

    September 22, 2021 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 20 °C

    We were a little later leaving this morning as we were messaging all our friends in Melbourne and watching the news to check everyone was okay due to the earthquake. Thankfully it did not result in major damage. First stop was Shell Beach which was 50km from Denham. It is a bay where the salt concentration is higher than the rest of the environment. The high salinity has allowed the cockles to proliferate and causes a huge build up of shells, which is more than 10 metres deep. Initially it was used as a building product in the area, it eventually compresses and can be cut in blocks like limestone.

    When we got back on the main highway it was super busy. It was a really interesting road with ups and downs and incredible wild flowers. Up to this point the wild flowers had been pretty but muted colours (white, silver, mauve). Today the colour wheel had been turned right up, I tried to get a few photos but by the time you find a place to stop you have missed the best bits. Also amazing today we hit farm land with fences and barley crops, the increased traffic reinforced we were in a more populated part of the coast.

    We reached Kalbarri around 3pm, and had been lucky to secure a booking yesterday thanks to a cancellation. It is a great camp on the mouth of the Murchison river. Kalbarri is a very popular holiday place for people as it is around 500km north of Perth. It was hit by a cyclone in April and evidence of the damage is very visible. Lots of tarpaulins instead of roofs.

    As we drove in we passed the Kalbarri National Park which we will be heading back to tomorrow for some gorge walking!    Read more

  • TravelerThe Long Road Home
    Day 87

    Shark Bay last day

    September 21, 2021 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 21 °C

    We started early so as to catch the dolphin feeding back at Monkey Mia. It was quite busy and started at 7.45am but the dolphins have their own itinerary and came wandering past at 8.25am. There were 10 bottle nose dolphins of which all were female. Only 2 of these are fed as this minimises any dependence on food from humans. There are also strict limits on the amount of food and close contact. Was quite interesting as the females stick together with multiple families grouping together and will never travel far from their birthplace. The males stick together as a team or an "alliance". We were dipped in insect repellent today so we were safe from the midges. The morning weather was perfect and very calm.

    After the feeding we found a 2.5km walk through the scrubland behind the resort so worked hard in soft sand, hot sun with no shelter, and persistent bush flies. They ignore insect repellent. By the time we returned to Denham we deserved a trip to the bakery for a late breakfast.

    A few household chores and calls to people today. Granddaughter birthday today (Lola is 5!). I fuelled up at the local service station then found out later from our camp neighbours that the diesel fuel ran out about an hour after I filled up.

    Decided to try a swim at the Little Lagoon which is just behind the town. It's a big inland seawater lake which is clean but really shallow. We waded out in the water for well over 100metres and the water was still only knee deep. So Regan did a small swim in very shallow water, I decided to skip it.

    Back to camp for drinks with camp neighbours that have just arrived. Talking to fellow travellers has been great to find out about new places to visit and of course learning their stories.
    Tomorrow we have quite a big drive to another national park- Kalbarri.    Read more

  • TravelerThe Long Road Home
    Day 86

    Monkey Mia Midges

    September 20, 2021 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 24 °C

    A slow start to the day with some house cleaning before the heat. We drove over the Peninsula to Monkey Mia. This is a private resort so had to buy a day pass to enter. There are resort rooms, a campground, restaurant, pools and a shop. It appears to be quite new and the campground was clean but lacking any shade from trees. People have asked the background to the name Monkey Mia, we have put an explanation into the photos.

    As we were walking through the campground we happened upon an emu just cruising around. On the way back to the office a lady was shooing the emu away from her tent. The cheeky bird had pinched her toastie off the cook top, so it had definitely adapted to the human environment.

    There is dolphin feeding which happens early morning, we had missed it today so will go back in the morning. After a restaurant lunch Julie sampled the cool seawater. Regan went to the pool area but was attacked by midges. Julie lasted about 5 minutes in the sand with the same issue so we both retreated back to the ute and managed to kill another dozen of the blighters as they drilled into our legs. Hoping we got away without too much damage. From experience in Derby and Cossack the bites take a day or so to show.

    Headed back to Denham which by now was 33 degrees so after a break we walked down the hill into the village and visited the info centre. There is an exhibition about the sinking of the HMAS Sydney which happened when a German warship was found about 200km off the coast in 1944. It was just a bloodbath as both ships sunk. There were 645 on the Sydney and all were lost. Some from the German ship survived. The wrecks were only located a few years ago. We watched a presentation with a lot of eerie footage of the wrecks that are in water 2500 metres deep. There are still sailors shoes on the sea floor!

    Back to camp for a swim as the temperature was up again today. We then had a Zoom birthday call for Pete in Melbourne. Such a different world with everyone bundled up in winter clothing.    Read more

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