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Fremantle to ExmouthFremantle to Exmouth
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A trip 17 years in the planning. Read more
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  • Fremantle to Exmouth
    Day 23

    Heading home

    April 28, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    We were blessed once again with a beautifully sunny day. The temperatures are definitely a lot cooler down south than our northern adventures but we really have been fortunate with the weather the whole way. The only significant rain has been on long driving days and hasn’t had any impact upon us. We have had amazing weather for all our aquatic adventures and the eclipse day was flawlessly blue skies (unlike the day before and after).
    We ended our time in Fremantle with a walk around the markets - first to the ones at Pier B (that sadly looked rather tacky) and then to the markets near the Sail & Anchor to grab some coffee and Claire to buy some jewellery.
    Walking around a different town whilst on holidays imparts a different feel. No work pressures. No need to race to appointments or pay bills. It was as if everyone else is busy racing around but for us, time stands still. And so as we packed the car there were university students racing past (Notre Damme university has many of the heritage buildings in Fremantle) worrying about their next assignment, whereas for us life restarts when we touchdown in Sydney.
    We made our way to the airport via Cottesloe beach and the city of Perth (just a drive past) to board our plane for the trip home.
    As we headed east, somewhere down there was Macca and Fi and the boys also making their way eastward.
    I’m looking forward to getting home and downloading all my photos once I sort out the MacBook.
    We hope they everyone’s has enjoyed following our journey.    Read more

  • Fremantle to Exmouth
    Day 22

    Gage Roads Brewery, Fremantle

    April 27, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Our last full day in Fremantle started with breakfast at Gino’s. We went to this cafe on our honeymoon and had a fabulous breakfast - Gino’s Special and pancakes.
    Daniel had the special again whilst Helen went with a bruschetta but the kids went for pancakes, but they didn’t come with berries this time - not that the kids cared!
    We visited the second hand bookshop across the road before returning to the hotel to start to pack - the plan being to send a few bags back by road freight but it turned out it would cost twice as much as buying extra baggage on the aeroplane.
    Fremantle was the first settlement in Western Australia before the settlement was moved to Perth (a more defensible location). The Fremantle Prison was made from local limestone and replaced the Roundhouse to house the convicts (who built both) and other criminals until 1991.
    We did the Real Crimes tour where we heard about some of the criminals who were housed (and escaped) there.
    Afterwards we went to the Shipwreck Museum and saw material from the Batavia (which was wrecked on the Houtman Abrolhos in 1629 and has a story that is fascinating - read about it here https://museum.wa.gov.au/research/research-area…) and Dirk Hartog’s plate that he left on an island (now named after him) in 1616 and is the earliest record of Europeans setting foot on the continent.
    In the evening we had dinner with Dani Brown and her son. Dani is partially responsible for us getting together - if she didn’t appoint Daniel as CAPA IT officer and give Hawkesbury the ACM in 1997 we may never have met!
    Throughout the trip Daniel and Macca have been enjoying different beers from local breweries and sharing photos with a group of friends. Gage Roads has been popular so it is was appropriate to finish the trip at the brewery and pick up a couple of take home cans!    Read more

  • Fremantle to Exmouth
    Day 21

    3,670 km later

    April 26, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    This morning we drove out of Geraldton, leaving the McDermotts to make their way across the Nullarbor. We’re not sure if the Nullarbor is ready for their return just yet!
    It was another big travel day as we retrace our route down the Indian Ocean Drive from Geraldton to Perth.
    The vegetation is, generally, noticeably more green and lush than the landscape we have travelled from.
    We make a quick stop at The Pinnacles to admire again these unique and mysterious formations amid the golden desert sand.
    Back on the road again, we drive past huge inland sand dunes of shining white sand, and a shallow valley full of grass trees. Claire point: ‘There’s Grug! And another! And another Grug!’ Further down the road we pass fat granddady ‘Grugs’, their trunks a metre or more in diameter.
    We skirt past Yanchep National Park (no koalas visible from the road!), pine plantations and market gardens (including eggplants to Helen’s delight!) to our last stop, Twin Swamps Nature Reserve, home of the endangered Western Swamp Tortoise… (Pseudemydura umbrina) which, sadly, was tightly fenced off with no public access or information why the area was fenced off (the biggest cause of decline of this species is land loss and foxes).
    Daniel studied this endangered species at uni and when he came out to Perth in 1998 he got to see 1% of the entire population in one tank - there were 4. At the time they were the most threatened vertebrate in Australia.
    With our detour to see the natural home of the tortoise thwarted, it was time to swap our home on wheels (the turtle!) for a hire car.
    We travelled 3,670 kilometres in the van, using 540 litres of diesel, visiting 7 caravan parks over 17 days, drinking countless bottles of wine and beer, eating a tonne of cheeses!
    We now sojourn back in Quest Fremantle to prepare for our flight home on Friday.    Read more

  • Fremantle to Exmouth
    Day 20

    ANZAC Day

    April 25, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    We all attended the dawn service at Monkey Mia resort. It was one of the more unconventional ANZAC Day services we have attended, with no MC, no speech and no Ode to Service. It was rather disappointing.
    With a light drizzle falling and a long drive to Geraldton ahead, we packed up and took to the road again.
    The roos were active this morning, with several crossing the road in front of us. Thankfully they heard the van horn tooting and moved off the road. We have not yet added to the roadkill count (except for bugs).
    By the time we get to the end of Shark Bay Road the rain has cleared and the glorious sunshine we have been blessed with all trip has returned. Our progress down the North West Coastal Highway was slowed by several stops to gaffa tape the van door where an internal clip holding the fly screen to the main door has disappeared since yesterday. Instead of roos we now have goats and other livestock to look out for and at the Billabong Roadhouse we see a white goat with 2 tiny kids at her heels cross over just before a B-double truck and a row of vans thundered past. Phew!
    The main road is busy today with 4WDs, vans and trucks, including a convoy transporting a dwelling in 3 sections!
    As we pass the Kalbarri National Park the seemingly endless low bushes out to the horizon - varying in type, colour and density but rarely growing taller than around 1 m - that has characterised the landscape between Exmouth and Nerren Nerren gives way to small gum trees and ti trees. This in turn gives way to pastoral land. Just over 100 km north of Geraldton we pass a field full of emus, well over 50 adults and chicks. Probably not the farmer’s preferred crop!
    Now, instead of native brushland, the stubble of harvested pasture stretches to the horizon, while banksia, acacia and grass trees grow thickly in counterpoint along the shoulder of the road.
    We pause briefly in historic Northampton, established in 1864 before proceeding to check into Sunset Beach, Geraldton for our last stop before Perth and last night with the McDermotts.
    In the late afternoon we visit the HMAS Sydney II Memorial and the Horizon sphere (designed for upside down photographs of the Indian Ocean).
    Returning to the caravan park we toasted the end of our trip and the last happy hour with a bottle of Moët and Scotchmans Hill Sauvignon Blanc (from a previous tour to Barwon Heads, Victoria).    Read more

  • Fremantle to Exmouth
    Day 19

    So long and thanks for all the fish…

    April 24, 2023 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 19 °C

    This morning we got up to witness the famous Monkey Mia dolphins. We aimed to be there early so as to get a good spot. Lined up behind the rope we waited until being told we can proceed to the water’s edge (but only after we had our entry passes checked… that was never going to work!) Whilst we waited we were teased by a loggerhead turtle that kept popping up.
    Piccolo and her calf Oboe first arrived, followed shortly later by Piccolo’s sister Kiya.
    The adult dolphins slowly swam along the beach as us humans had our feet in the water. The dolphins would turn to their side to see what today’s humans looked like.
    We thought that some lucky people would be picked from the crowd to feed the dolphins, but no, it was volunteers (wearing face masks… we don’t need a porpoise variant of COVID!)
    When the feeding was finished we headed to the conveniently located restaurant for breakfast. The berry waffles chosen by Claire and Michael seemed to be the winner!
    We decided to explore this part of the world today - one of the goals was to get a shot off the blue water, white sand and red earth that this area is famous for however it seemed that those areas were only accessible by 4wd, not our motor home.
    Heading off though, Daniel spotted an opportunity, with low winds and clear skies the drone was carefully piloted to capture some impressive shots.
    We then went to Eagle Bluff to look down on the sea grass of Denham Sound s we heard that sharks and rays could be seen here and maybe even a dugong but alas, all we saw was a ray.
    We moved onto Discovery World - a former farm for re-establishing pink snapper that converted to an aquarium of sorts after the snapper spawn died in a heatwave. The place boasted shark feeding and had a lot of local species but all stuff we had seen diving. It did however have a large wearable beach towel that fit Daniel!
    After a quick lunch in Denham we headed into the homestead in Louise Peron National Park. Most of the park is only accessible by 4wd, but the homestead is accessible by all vehicles… in theory.
    The road in is a dirt road with lots of sand. The motor home didn’t feel right, sliding along the sandy road, but we made it, with only one incident of spinning tyres!
    At the homestead there is an artesian bath - this one with water temp at 40°C. Most took their time to settle into the hot water - Daniel just jumped in and sat down.
    It was too warm to stay in for a long time. We had two stints in being par-boiled before returning to camp where the kids played in the pool and the adults chilled.
    On this trip we have experienced a new phenomenon- fishing shirts of each local area. Everyone has a shirt (or several) from different locations. Today we wore a different shirt each and posed for shots. A great momento of the trip!
    Tomorrow is ANZAC day and we’ll be up for Dawn Service at Monkey Mia before we drive to Geraldton for our last stopover before returning to Fremantle.    Read more

  • Fremantle to Exmouth
    Day 18

    Monkey Mia

    April 23, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Today was a big travel day. After a relaxed start and a last visit to the Coral Bay shopping arcade, we started on the long trek to Monkey Mia, 580 km or so.
    We stop for a quick photo at the Tropic of Capricorn, but it is very hot, dusty and devoid of anything other than thousands of flies.
    The road is mostly flat with low ridgelines. We cross over a number of floodways, and a couple of dry rivers, including the blip that is Manilya. Manilya consists of a service station, a picnic area and a bridge over Manilya River. This is a distinct river bed, around 30 m wide and 5 m below road level, mostly dry except for a couple of pockets of water. The river bed is a contrast to to the flat floodways we cross along much of the route.
    We crossed back over Wooramel River. The river had been calf- deep when we stayed just 9 days ago us now dry again. We were truly fortunate to experience the river flowing above ground when we stayed.
    We also went below (and back up) the 26th Parallel which apparently is the half way point of Australia - half the country is above and half below.
    As we took the Shark Bay turnoff we noticed the vegetation and landscape changed, with bushes starting to get taller and denser.
    We stopped at Shell Beach - a beach that is composed entirely from the Fragum Cockle. The water there is so saline that the cockle is the only thing that survives there and as a result it makes up the beach.
    Driving a little further we came across a recommended photographic spot - we stopped for a quick shot before continuing onto Monkey Mia, only to stop shortly afterwards to watch an echidna cross the road…. And later, two emus strolling along the road.
    We finally made it to the caravan park, just in time to watch an amazing sunset.    Read more

  • Fremantle to Exmouth
    2
    Day 17

    Coral Bay

    April 22, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    A 5am start this morning for the trip from Exmouth to Coral
    Bay to make it in time for our manta ray tour.
    As we drove along we were greeted with a fabulous sunrise.
    We made it to Coral Bay with an hour up our sleeves. The feared mass exodus of Exmouth hasn’t yet occurred and we had clear driving all the way.
    With an hour to kill we grabbed some food from the local bakery that was doing a roaring trade and picked up a few more souvenirs.
    In June last year we booked the tour whilst waiting to get on the ferry for Vivid. We booked with Ningaloo Marine Interactions because of their scientific research.
    Early this morning we boarded Utopia (after getting a group photo in our tour t-shirts) to search for manta rays, tiger sharks and dugongs (and anything else we came across).
    The skipper, Fraser gave us a brief which included information about the reef and why they aren’t as colourful this far south as the reefs higher up in the tropics - it’s about the coral’s need to absorb light by the zooxanthellae and there being more light at higher latitudes and therefore more light is reflected, giving the colours.
    Fraser is doing his PhD, with a thesis on the impact of manta ray feeding within the bay compared to outside the bay and the impacts of the feeding. An interesting topic but one that hasn’t been written yet.
    In doing the role call, Fraser decided we looked like the Griswolds in our tshirts and so we adopted that name for the tour.
    Brittany was on the camera whilst Naomi and Sophie were our guides.
    We managed to see two manta rays - even though they were at depth and viz wasn’t the best, we still had a good time with them.
    Having seen manta rays we searched for tiger sharks to snorkel with, but were unsuccessful.
    Throughout the day the girls spoke to us about our trip and diving experiences.
    After searching up and down the bay, we had a quick snorkel with two pink whiprays which would occasionally stop, reverse about 30 centimetres, shiver and then continue going forwards - they were feeding.
    We finished off the tour with a snorkel at a site called Mazes where the viz was fantastic. We saw heaps of coral and fishlife, including a Tawny Nurse Shark that was about 2 metres long. To top it off, Fiona was snorkelling above it at the time - a rare event, seeing Fiona snorkel for such a long period of time! 🤣
    At the end of our tour, back at the dock, Fraser led the crew and guests in a rendition of Happy Birthday for Macca and Daniel. A lovely touch.
    Tour over, we could finally book into our caravan sites before heading to the on-site cafe for a seafood platter.
    A long day, but a really enjoyable day.    Read more

  • Fremantle to Exmouth
    Day 16

    Farewell Exmouth

    April 21, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    Today is our last day in Exmouth and sadly represents the turnaround point in our journey.
    It has been great to relive parts of our honeymoon and to be able to share it with our kids and best friends, the McDermotts. It is also a part of the celebration for Daniel and Macca’s 50th year.
    We have seen parts of Exmouth that haven’t changed (VLF towers, red dirt, the dry heat, the Navy Pier, Stalag 20, Turquoise Beach) and some that have (no emus in the Main Street, the “crowds”, no kangaroos and few reptiles, a lot more shops).
    We spent our last day at the beaches - first we tried Oyster Stacks, supposedly one of the better snorkelling spots but we found there to be les diversity in corals and aquatic life. The entry and exit are also terrible with razor sharp rocks that cut up many.
    After an hour we moved onto Turquoise Beach. We were lucky to jag one of the last parking spots with the help of the Parks & Conservation staff.
    Returning to what I think has to be the best beach in Australia, we snorkeled for over an hour, finding all kinds of aquatic life, including white tip reef sharks, turtles, the big grouper of Turquoise Beach, anemone fish and an octopus. Michael found the sharks and turtles and was very pleased with himself.
    We spent around 3 hours At Turquoise Beach. A nice end to our time here in Exmouth.
    Again there was a concert at the oval opposite the caravan park. We headed over that way to get a group photo in our tour t-shirts.
    A very early start tomorrow to drive to Coral Bay to be on a boat for manta rays.    Read more

  • Fremantle to Exmouth
    Day 15

    Total Solar Eclipse

    April 20, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Photographing a solar eclipse is a rare opportunity and it needs special equipment so not to burn out the camera - the lens is essentially a big magnifier glass and remember what happens when you focus the sun on a piece a paper. Well the same will happen with the camera sensor if not done right.
    A special lens filter is required that blocks essentially all of the light except for the sun. The glass lenses cost a lot. A simpler solution is special astronomy film and to make your own lens cover.
    With the eclipse fast approaching, Daniel made up a filter for his lens, finishing with just ten minutes to spare before the moon began its journey across the face of the sun at 10:05am.
    We sat adjacent our van in the caravan park - there were other places to go and watch the eclipse, but we had a good view of the path of the sun and the luxury of having our food and wine handy!
    Covered from head to toe (literally), Daniel sat in the sun with his camera on a tripod and manually took photos of the eclipse every 2 minutes, getting some amazing photos - in some you can see the solar flares shooting out from the sun and during totality the corona can be seen.
    At the moment of totality the light dimmed dramatically - like twilight (not complete darkness), a roar of cheers erupted from across the caravan park and the town.
    Special protective glasses and the special filter could be removed for the 50 odd seconds of totality. The birds flew around as if it were dusk.
    And in a very short amount of time the sun’s rays started to come back around the top of the moon as it continued its journey across the sun.
    By 1:05 pm it was all over.
    Heading down to the pool we came across a professional photographer who had even more amazing shots - it was his 15th eclipse and he had a lot more expensive camera gear!    Read more

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