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On the road once more.....
  • Around the World with Jan

On the road once more.....

Karijini National Park and Ningaloo Coast Read more
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  • Trip start
    May 23, 2022
    Around the World with JanOn the road once more.....Around the World with Jan
    How I felt when I got here
    Perth evening skyline

    Perth

    May 23, 2022 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 16 °C

    I left Sydney in stormy weather and landed in Perth with a bump - pretty wild weather there too. I was just glad to be on the road again.

    I haven't been to Perth for 20 years so I didn't really remember very much. Fortunately the following day was bright and sunny, great for walking and exploring as I familiarised myself with the city again.

    I'm here to explore Karijini National park and fulfill one of my bucket list wishes - to swim with the whale sharks at Ningaloo reef.    Read more

  • Around the World with JanOn the road once more.....Around the World with Jan
    Home away from Home Karajini National Park
    Such intensity of colours - magnificentKnox GorgeDeep into the canyon - can't go furtherKalamina Gorge - a slash in the landscapeDales Gorge - time for a swim - brrrr!Just wow!1There's nothing quite like an outback sunsetMount Nameless (but it does have a name)

    A long way from home (and loving it)

    May 27, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Well, it was a marathon to get here but we made it over corrugated roads and in spite of flight delays. Thank goodness all our luggage arrived when we did.

    The terrain here is quite different to N.T. - yes there is amazing red earth and the beautiful deep blue sky but the flora is different and the look of the landscape is different.

    Most of the walking we're doing is into deep steep gorges with crystal clear streams and pools at the bottom. Rocks are stacked like roof tiles towering above us, making us feel very small indeed. It's something you feel - no picture can do justice to how incredible this landscape is - deep gashes on the earth's surface, not yet rounded and smoothed by time.

    Mt Nameless stands at 1128 metres with sweeping views of the Hammersley Ranges and the town of Tom Price and the adjoining scar on the land, the iron ore mine. But of course, the mountain isn't nameless, it has an ancient aboriginal name - Jarndunmunha. It's a steep walk but not a hard one - well worth the effort to get to the top.

    A bone jarring drive back to our comfortable campsite in the national park, our home for the next few days and a lovely hot shower - always welcome on a camping trip. Great food, a glass of wine - what more could we possibly need?    Read more

  • Around the World with JanOn the road once more.....Around the World with Jan
    Lighting up the landscape
    The view from above - Joffre GorgeMt Bruce in the distance1Vibrant colours everywhereIt doesn't look that far1Nature's sculpting

    A stunning landscape

    May 28, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    We walked from the campsite under a brooding sky to Joffre Gorge a couple of kilometers away. The light gave the grass a golden glow as we headed for another gash in the landscape, painted brilliant red.

    It was a steep climb down into the gorge, well worth the effort. Our end goal was a waterfall trickling down a rock face stacked like tiles into a deep pool. I wasn’t tempted to swim – too bloody cold! It was lovely to sit and feel and enjoy such a stunning place.

    Today we tackled Mt Bruce – you would think they could come up with a better name than that! The traditional name is Punurrunha, much more interesting.

    At 1,234m high, it's Western Australia's second tallest peak. The views were stunning, making the climb worth the effort. Again we were lucky to avoid the rain which came later in the day.

    The next day, our travelling day started out wet - fortunately we made it out of the park before the roads got too flooded, our guides constantly checking what was still open as the rain swept in. We are all looking forward to a change of scenery and some new and different adventures so were keen to be underway.    Read more

  • Around the World with JanOn the road once more.....Around the World with Jan
    Our first view of the coast
    Looking for the whale sharksYes, that's me, snorkelling on the reef - no whale sharks yetSadly, not my picture - isn't he beautiful?Mandu Mandu GorgeMaybe if we stay still they won't see usYardie Creek

    Heading for the coast

    May 31, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    We were all ready for a change of scenery as we headed to the coast and Exmouth. We made it in two hops – happy to have a straight run ahead of the rain.

    The campground at Yardie Homestead was packed – we went from having our own little space in a vast park to being surrounded by motor homes and caravans in a commercial camping ground. It was great to have top notch facilities but it was busy.

    People had told me how stunning the colour of the water is out here – I wasn’t disappointed. It is the most brilliant blue and the beaches are the whitest sand.

    One of the reasons I had decided on this particular trip was the opportunity to swim with the whale sharks on Ningaloo Reef. Wow. I’m so glad I was able to spend time with these massive creatures – it’s easy to forget that they are actually sharks because they seem so non-threatening.

    The experience was full-on to say the least. You can’t just float in the water and watch them because they swim quite quickly. Your guide tells you to jump in and you can watch them pass and then you swim to try to follow them. It’s hard work. You can’t get too close because they are protected and they don’t slow down. If you can’t keep up, tough luck. After 4 times in and out of the water again we were all exhausted. It was worth it.

    The terrain of the Cape Range National Park is quite different to Karajini. Our first hike was Mandu Mandu Gorge walking along a dry riverbed listening to the sweet singing of birds we couldn’t see. We got really close to a couple of gorgeous rock wallabies who didn’t seem to mind us at all.

    Our next adventure was one of my favourite excursions - a boat trip down Yardie Creek with a larger than life character who told stories, teased the children and entertained as we made our way slowly into the gorge. We saw rock wallabies and monitor lizards sunning themselves on the cliffs above us and watched magnificent ospreys soar over our heads. At the end, a walk along the top of the gorge gave us a very different perspective and the opportunity to see the ospreys a little bit closer - the area is a protected zone for them.    Read more

  • Around the World with JanOn the road once more.....Around the World with Jan
    Vlamingh Head Lighthouse
    A welcome coffee break on the beachTurquoise Bay of courseHow cute - Hardie Homestead campgroundThe final image - Perth

    The last few days....

    June 3, 2022 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    We were lucky to have the time and good weather to do some snorkelling on the reef, floating above giant oyster stacks and walking off the sand into crystal clear conditions to watch hundreds of tropical fish swim below and around us. It was a much more relaxing experience and Turquoise Bay well and truly lived up to its name. The sand was almost blinding, it was so white.

    Exmouth is a tiny town with a few shops and some nice cafes. Its surprisingly well stocked supermarket caters for all those motor homes coming through as grey nomads make their way along the coast now that W.A. is open for business.

    We saw pictures of what Exmouth used to look like before the Americans set up a communication base similar to Pine Gap – there wasn’t much here at all.

    Sadly, all good things have to end and the same goes for the trip. Flight delays made getting home painful and tiring. By the time I got back to Perth it was really cold again and Sydney even colder.

    I’ve missed travelling so much - I was made for walking and it's great to get out on the trails again. This is just the beginning....    Read more

    Trip end
    June 4, 2022
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