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Bert’s Loop
  • Regina and Ian
  • Regina and Ian

Bert’s Loop

A 552-day adventure by Regina and Ian Read more
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  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler
    Amazing tides. This spot will be 5-6m underwater on the high.Be vary careful when walking on the land side of the reef. Very careful.Relaxed

    Cape Keraudren

    October 11, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Here the massive tides recede over a hard coral reef. It is wide, flat and ... hard.
    The coastline has changed as we head south, with red cliffs being replaced by white sand dunes.
    Great birdlife including big flocks if inquisitive Zebra Finches, and entertainment from the acrobatic White Breasted Woodswallow.Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler
    Sweer looking pub, harbour control, and Rio Tinto Salt Mine in background
    There was 26 bulk congainer ships out to see and this one under the Pilots control.

    Port Headland and beyond.

    October 11, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    It’s really great that the coast line in the Pilbara is stunning because National Highway 1 in these parts is quite frankly, very dull - except - for the road trains. 53meters long, up to 200 tonnes or 181,500 kg, some configurations have 25 axles, with up to 4 wagons attached, they are usually going 90kph and do not slow down for anyone unless you are holding a stop/go lollipop. If I see one coming in the rear view, I park up the van and wait. With just one exception of the incident Regina had while crossing the causeway over the Nicholson River at Doomadgee, the R.T. drivers haven’t yet lived up to their Spawn of Satan reputation.
    After Cape Keraudren we detoured into Port Headland. An amazing industrialised place. Everything is BIG. Everything is also red and dusty. Very iron ore dusted. We saw it for ourselves but it was verified by some public toilet graffiti - “F#+k The Dust!” It must get you down when you step out in your best white jeans. By necessity, most folk have opted for High Vis.
    Watching the 2k long ore trains coming in loaded and leaving empty was awe inspiring. The train movements and ship loading is a 24x7 operation. There is a nice pic of one of Rio Tinto ore train on their home page: https://www.riotinto.com/en/operations/australi…. Plus some other oversized toys.
    There was 26 bulk carriers out at sea awaiting access to the loading facilities in the harbour. All the big players have their own loading facility and there are 4 more ports south along the coast that I know about. (Port Samson where we are headed shortly for one). Quiz: If a single train can cary 29,000 tons, how long will it take to send the Pilbara to Asia?
    Who knew that Rio Tinto also mines Salt? Right on the outskirts of the town centre they are producing > 3 million tons annually of high grade salt for export. https://www.westernaustralia.com/en/Tour/Salt_E…
    The salt purification ponds are bigger than the International Airport at Port Hedland
    https://goo.gl/maps/QvmbtZQ5o6JDse7M9

    Out of Port Headland we head to another amazing free camp on a farmers property. Yule River Camp is on the river plain and has sites tucked in amongst the Melaleuca and River Gums. Beautiful, as are numerous Forrest Kingfisher and flocks of Blue Winged Kookaburra. These guys are just a bit prettier than the Laughing Kookaburra that we know so well on the NSW Central Coast, but, their call is a little more staccato, less rollicking, less musical and not as quintessentially Aussie (in my opinion).    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler
    First time on this side of the machine!Come and try what Chef Bruce can do.Cleanup - almost done

    Cossack - Residents of a Ghost Town

    October 12, 2021 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 24 °C

    We are temporarily living and working in Cossack W.A. For the Garlbagu Enterprise. Garlbagu is a foundation to support Ngarluma Yindjibarndi People of the Pilbara with training and commercial opportunities. The Bert’s are working in the Cossack Cafe doing “whatever it takes”.

    Cossack is positioned on the “harbour” of Nullagine River and just 200m from the ocean. 52k from Karratha and 206k from Port Headland. It has a permanent population of 2 people 2 dogs and 2 cats.

    Looking out from the village in the arc from NNE through WSW the land and waters are pristine and it feels so very remote in this postcard place of Cassock. But when we climb to Tien Tsin Lookout on the edge of the village, while still beautiful we can see the impacts that industry has made in this part of the Pilbara:
    - Bulk container ships out to sea.
    - The massive ore loading facility feeding the carriers at Port Samson which still hosts a small seaside fishing village.
    - The (quite frankly, soulless) town of Wickham that supports the port.
    - A jail. Too sad.
    - The local community radio station 96.1 xxxx transmits into and supports the largely Indigenous interred population (listening now actually - a bit too much R&B for my liking).
    - The township of Roebourne is the support hub for the First People of this region. They are very up front about keeping the stories alive that tell of the atrocities committed against their ancestors following white settlement. [Back in the early and mid 1800’s the local pearling captains of industry rounded up the traditional owners with guns and whips and enslaved Aboriginal people forcing them to dive and forced the women into prostitution. Very shameful. A public outcry in the late 1800’s put a stop to the slavery and slaughter. The town is now back in the hands of First Nation Australians. They are working with an NGO to increase training opportunities for traditional owners and to increase tourism revenue in the area.]

    As ever, there is plenty of wild life, especially the birds:
    - Our first sighting of Spinefex Pigeon.
    - Huge population of Zebra Finch all of whom are busy building nests in the tree in the cafe courtyard.
    - A Kite has made a nest in the eaves of the courtyard and has a chick growing rapidly.
    - Galah who feed their young in a very vigorous and noisy ritual.
    - Turtles and Sawfish in the harbour.
    - some big strong looking Red Kangaroo.

    If you are still reading this post, you might fancy some history of Cossack.
    - Established 1863 as a Pearling centre, a hub for gold mining and for pastoralists. The town was dissolved in 1910 and abandoned in 1950 after Pearling moved to Broome and the Gold Rush ended.
    - you can explore the customs house, the courthouse, the post and telegraph office, the bakehouse, police buildings, and one of the stores (Galbraith’s store). Chinese market gardens, the tram station, the schoolhouse, and the Tien Tsin lookout. Many of the buildings are listed by the National Trust of Australia.
    - Flattened by cyclones in 1881 and 1898 then later restored.
    - The decline in the financial and viability of the settlement was evident before the last of the buildings were complete.    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler
    Brunoise for the prep'. Chef says "Not bad at all. Bit bloody slow!"

    Work work work work.

    October 25, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    Who knew work was so much fun. It’s been a while, so we had missed the routine and discipline. A little. Actually we probably won’t miss it at all when we stop working again in just over a week. Can’t believe we have been here 3 weeks, as the time has flown.
    The team here is great the work can be frantic at times but it is fun, the Chef is a star so we get to bask in Chefs’ praise.
    The best of it is the people we meet. Seems like everyone is on “holiday” of some sort when people are at their best. Almost universally they are captivated by the prettiness or the history of Cossack or both. There have so many stories that they are willing to share and love ours in return.
    Some 15 year olds might consider what we are doing as a shit job, but we find it rewarding and because it is central to the support of the Ngarluma and Yindjibarndi people through the Foundation of the same name, it is important. We are on Ngarluma Lands, but those people have largely lost their culture and language, while the neighbouring Yindjibarndi were able to stay on country and continue to grow their culture and are the major hosts in the Foundation.    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler

    Cossack update

    October 26, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    Living and working here in Cossack is such an experience. During the days there are visitors looking around and photographing the buildings, scenery and the wildlife. Less than 2k down the road there is a camp site on the beach (book in advance or you’ll miss out, and please move on after 72 hours so others can have a taste) so it is a destination kind of a place.
    At night we have it to ourselves. Well not completely. The caretaker and his lovely wife live permanently in the old Police Barracks building. Chef Bruce, who was enticed away from his travels hack in June lives in his van over behind the Galbraith & Co building, and we are located behind the Courthouse (currently a museum) and one of the town wells. Outside the bricks and mortar there are plenty of other residents. The Galah population here is really large, a Nankeen Kestrel has a nest in the eves of the cafe with 2 or 3 chicks. They have been spending time away from the nest so I expect they will be off doing their own thing soon enough. Spinefex Birds and Zebra Finch are populous as well. Surprisingly Sea Gulls only visit in ones and twos - until yesterday when some food was left on the terrace tables and a squabbling 30 or so descended. We can usually see large Turtles from the jetty wall at high tide, and folk report Saw Fish sightings - haven’t seen them yet.
    at least two types of kangaroos, and the last few nights we have been visited by Spinefex Hopping Mouse. The latter is so cute with their great big ears, chubby kangaroo proportioned body and legs, a log tail with tufting along the last 1.5cm and super speedy side-step. Side-hop?    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler
    For sale direct from Cossack Cafe walls
    For sale direct from Cossack Cafe wallsFor sale direct from Cossack Cafe wallsThaanggangarli-Yarndu History and Heroes Exhibition presentation spaceWelcome to Country - Smoking CeremonyArt space - before sunset.

    Cossack Dining Room

    October 29, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Chef said let’s make this old storage space into a dining room. Makes sense as there is just a bunch of random crap in here and the room is air conditioned.
    Your wish is our command Chef!
    Now our customer can enjoy the Courtyard under the enormous tree, the Terrace overlooking the Nullagine River, or, we have a rectangular room with tables and chairs. Nothing noteworthy there, except for the air conditioning, and 4.5m high ceilings which is a treat in the Pilbara and great acoustics. Oh yes, and the artwork that found its way to the walls. (With more on the way). One of these item has a price tag of $16,000 virtue of some considerable Artistic notoriety. Cossack is the home of the largest and most prestigious indigenous Art Exhibition in regional Australia. Have a virtual viewing from 2021.
    https://cossackartawards.com.au/virtual-gallery/
    The Art scene is growing in the Pilbara. There has been an art focused event every other week since July. There are even a rotation of “Artists In Residence” who run workshops and judge some competitions.
    Thursday night was the inaugural Thaanggangarli-Yarndu History and Heroes Exhibition (to give it is full name) in Roebourne’s Ganalili Centre. A big turn out and a significant achievement to showcase the Yindjibarndi culture. The exhibition space is in the ruin of an early settlement building which is roofless, dirt floor blue stone and very beautifully lit for the occasion. Present were Elders, community and Government leaders and corporate supporters (miners et al) and we the people of course.    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler
    Extinct Mega faund - Fat Tailed Kangaroo (carving more than 1.5m across)
    Each yello strike has a carving below it.

    Nganjarli (Deep Gorge) Rock Art

    November 9, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    We got on board a tour of this site with Vince, a Ngurrangga guide. Benefits of an end of (tourist) season adventures is there was only one other participant.
    We went to see petroglyphs, and we got that in spades.
    The terrain around Nganjarli on the Burup Peninsula onto the plains beyond blows my mind. It looks like somebody dumped big basalt boulders in heaps that stretch for a hundred kilometres in all directions. They don’t have vegetation growing on them which makes them even more prominent.
    On these hard metamorphic rock surfaces over 10’s of thousands of years, the Yaburara people etched 100s of thousands of carvings of fauna, flora, their stories and law. Following generations would maintain and refresh the drawings as the stone weathers. Unbelievably difficult when the only tools available are rocks of the same material. They must have been incredibly industrious folk because of the number, size, geographical spread of the petroglyphs. and the imposing difficulty of the work. Some anthropologist and palaeontologist believe that some animals depicted may have gone extinct 40-50,000 years ago.

    The tour ended promptly as the sun dipped toward the horizon. The indigenous folk won’t stay here after sunset because the spirits are very bad and very strong. Flying Foam Massacre occurred in this area which effectively wiped out the Yaburara tribe who were the original owners in a series of massacres triggerd by an Aboriginal woman who refused to work as a slave and was killed to make her an example, there was a response by the tribe who killed 2 policemen, and then the disastrous escalation. Up to 150 (many say much more) people are now buried in mass graves in the area.
    It’s gut wrenching to think this could happen just 100 years before Regina was born. We also learned of massacres at Timber Creek NT making us seriously consider the extent of theses atrocities?
    Because the people were eliminated the stories of the petroglyphs are largely lost. Yindjibarndi people, the nearest neighbouring tribe, care for the land, but their law won’t allow the Yindjibarndi to maintain the art because they don’t have the knowledge or permission of the original owners.
    Eventually it will be lost.

    A tidbit about the art:
    https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/amp.theguardian…    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler
    On the Ashburton River
    How good is this?Gillie and Marc's Papparazzi Dogs1

    An Arvo (or two) beside the Ashburton

    November 11, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    Free camping - is the life for us!

    Looking at the map we spied the coastal town of Onslow that the highway does not access. In the hinterland are a series of lakes. South and east is a major river and the historical, original site of the Onslow town. Appears to be worthy of further investigation! There is a caravan park in town, but there are free camps on the river about 20k’s out. Sound perfect. Let’s go!

    Seek and ye shall find! Amazing place.
    The town exist to support mining (like every other town on this coast). Here the treasure is LNG and salt. The main LNG plant being on Barrow Island 100k North- north-east into the Indian Ocean. The scale of operations is massive but because the Pilbara is so vast its presence doesn’t feel consumptive but we do feel overwhelmed every time we encounter a new operation.

    The town is quirky. With a Resort and a brand new hi-feature caravan park, museum, visitor centre, shell museum (closed for the season). “World Famous” sculptures, 1.2k of (recycled plastic) boardwalk through the Sandhills, a Lest We Forget remembrance park that would be the envy of most RSL’s across the land (especially today 11/11 at 11am) and the ubiquitous mining infrastructure that is far enough away to make it interesting yet not overpoweringly ugly. It is still disconcerting that those massive conveyor belts are feeding enormous international ships full to the gunnels with giga-tonnes of Australia.

    We find our way to the campsite and whooopie! A long stretch of the riverbank that is well shaded by a crowd of river gums, other than birds and the wind it is so quiet, and there is not another soul in sight.

    Did I say how delighted we are?    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler
    Pathway to heaven is lined with clam shells.

    Exmouth.

    November 15, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Details of the trip down here from Onslow:
    - 580klm
    - 197.7 cents/litre on the way at the Nanutarra Road House. I mention that it was at Nanutarra only because it has a cool name.
    - An overnight stop in an isolated, untitled and non-descript rest area. Lovely sunset and star packed night.
    - Vegetation changes are very subtle until Cape Range with almost nothing above a meter tall.
    - Geological changes are much more evident. We have left the Pilbara and the terrain of the Mid-West is more evenly covered with dirt/sand and an absence of the crazy granite and basalt outcrops of the Pilbara. It’s softer/smoother here.
    - The military is here as well. Big airforce base at Learmonth. Just north of Exmouth is the Harold E Holt, VLF (very low frequency) transmitter established by the USA for comms to their submarines in the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean. Exmouth was established to support the base
    - the Ningaloo coral reef is in swimming distance from the beach at our camp site. Never seen that before.
    Exmouth has Gold Coast like aspiration (or perhaps St Huberts Island). There is a very wealthy looking area with man made canals and big boats. It is different to G.C. because they need to accommodate big tidal differences and cyclones, so it looks a bit more industrial strength. Real Estate has several of these for sale between $2.2 and $3.7 million if you fancy establish a holiday home.
    - We are camped at North Mandu which has only 5 sites that are booked on the diabolically challenging WA Parks web site. We got some coaching from a ranger in the Chichester NP so we get by.
    - did you know that Cape Range was a target for the Japanese during WWII because the Yanks had Radar and Naval Bases in the area.    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler
    Muiron Islands
    Shothole Cannon

    Ningaloo

    November 18, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    We spent a couple of days on the west coast where we snorkeled from the beach directly onto the reef.
    - At Turquoise Bay, a convenient current allows for a low energy flipper along the reef and a walk back for another run.
    - Oyster Stacks has little islands that are formed by Oysters growing over themselves and forming a large flat top. Fish love these things and pack into the shelter under the ledges. Great fun for snorkelling @ less than 100m from the shore.
    - We moved into Exmouth Town from the National Park to access some amenities and for an early start on a snorkelling tour on the outer reef off Muiron Islands (Some underwater photos are coming from some folk with underwater cameras). Really diverse reef features on a day with “epic visibility” according to those that know. So many corals, so many fish, heaps of green turtles, White Tip and Black Tip Reef Sharks of various sizes, a massive Cow Tailed Ray and other watery critters. The boat had a fantastically enthusiastic and knowledgeable crew and only 20 passengers: 12 Scuba and 8 snorkelling so it did not feel at all busy.

    Back on dry land we squeezed in a bush walk traversing the top of Cape Range on the Badjirrajirra Trail that takes in some extraordinary terrain around Shothole Cannon.    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler
    Gascoyne River. Soon to be 400m wide.

    Stopover en route to Jimba Jimba Station

    November 20, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    About 80k down the road from Jimba Jimba Station is a Gravel Pit stopover. Gravel pit doesn’t sound very sexy does it? However Gravel Pits have - unsurprisingly - gravel. This is a good thing as the gravel covers the red dirt - clean camp.

    And then to Jimba Jimba.

    Nice little potted history:
    https://www.realty.com.au/off-market/lot-3-carn…

    A Wiki entry:
    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimba_Jimba_Sta…

    It is crazy being here. Let’s just say the owners are eccentric and leave it at that. Martin the farmer is 75 years old and runs a 360,000 acre property with his wife Virginia and other help as required. Did I mention that Martin loves a chat. It’s surprising that the cows are so fat and that anything ever gets done.
    Every shed (and a number of paddocks) on the property are jam packed with “treasure”.

    Day 1 - set up the van, scope out some of the farmhand and handyman jobs that we will do while we are here; learn how to service and run the pumps and generators; repair the pump feeding the house tanks and install a generator at one of the windmills where an accidentally drained tank needs a faster than windmill speed “rapid fill”.    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler
    The fuel shed.
    How can you resist those big brown eyes?Replace the drum and various pipe work.Repair cracked pipe with car inner tube.Will you plesse let me in the gate Senti?

    Jimba Jimba est. 1878

    November 23, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Day 2: feed potty calves (there are four. 2 x Orphans1 x rejected by mother, 1 x injured during the muster); service various water pumps, bore equipment and cattle watering bits and pieces (there are about 15 around the property, varying from 52ft high windmills to 18kva generators drawing water from 60m); Rebuild a hot water donkey (there are a few around the homestead. The only hot water source).Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler

    Meet Senti

    November 26, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 37 °C

    This is Senti. He has just dropped by to trim the edges.
    Senti is a pet on the station. He keeps himself nice and close to the homestead h to keep the undergrowth nice and tidy.
    He saunters about the close-in yards all the while engaged in self discourse of issues of Senti proportions. Constant self chatter while he is not sitting about. In case you didn’t notice Senti is big; chunky; without being rude - quite fat.Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler

    Its 40° again

    November 30, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 35 °C

    One of the activities photographed is not recommended for silly old blokes.

    The water flow in the Gascoyne River is intermittent with long stretches underground. Sad face - at Jimba Jimba where the water is deeply separated from us by thick layers of Shale rock and golden sand. The swimming spot is in Gascoyne Junction, it is deep, wide and refreshingly cool in places.

    Gascoyne Junction is an interesting place. There has been white settlement here since the 1870’s however most of the town is brand new. The tavern/garage/general store, the caravan park, the council buildings and houses are all shiny and new. The bridge over the Gascoyne heading off to Kennedy Range is a significant new construction. In the town centre there is a very grand park that is still under construction. The other 5 buildings, the school and the power station are a little older.    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler

    Tweeters around and about.

    December 1, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 42 °C

    A couple of up close and personal encounters.
    Out at the Coongan Well one of the water tanks is a steel open-top affair. Looking inside to check the water level (very low) and surprisingly we have two dead Budgerigar and a Micro Bat. Nothing to be done for them, but there was also a Whistling Kite (juvenile?) swimming laps. Not exactly swimming - because they don’t. We were able to lift him out using a trough cleaning brush, but he appeared hypothermic and could barely move. We tried to dry him off which is not to hard in near 40°. With the nearest Wires/vet being just under 200k’s away, the little fella was going to be on his own. We made a bit of a nest in a tree fork which has an active Kite nest above to keep her away from ground predators (and ants) and wished him luck. We had seen a single bird in the nest on the previous 3 days, so hopefully, mum would be on the lookout and lend a hand.
    The photo of Regina on our rounds the next morning shows the outcome. With two birds in the nest one of them quite clumsy, and we reckon our rescue. You beauty.
    Next day and there is a Pacific Heron wading the shallows trying to feast on the small school resident fish.
    One of my favourite little birds visit the homestead in enormous numbers. Their incredibly beautiful markings are disguised by their diminutive size. I love their chorus of voices and constant movement. All of which makes them terrible subjects for an iPhone portrait.

    The Wedge Tailed Eagles also don’t fancy posing for a pic. We have seen flocks of up to six, three and 4 very common.

    Postscript: 4 days after the rescue same bird - same tank. Slow learners that one. Our response and rescue are getting slick.    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler

    Sometimes things dont run to plan

    December 4, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 41 °C

    We were shown where (most of) the Wells are located with a suggestion to check in on them every couple of days.
    It has developed into a mostly daily jaunt. 150k in total composed of 52k on bitumen, 26k of 4x4track and 72k of gravel.
    Coongan well has been our nemesis. It has a windmill feeding an old leaking and many times repaired steel tank. Also a pump driven by a petrol generator which pumps into a new Polly tank. From here, into two feed troughs.
    The Coongan area has terrific feed and lots of cows, but the water is not abundant and only at 16-19 meters deep. So if the wind don’t blow the steel tank don’t fill. The generator is connected to the Polly tank and has fuel for ~10 hours but if it runs too long/fast it will “fork the well”.
    There is either not enough water or too many cows. Either way we are visiting daily to juggle the supply to the troughs.
    Eventually we had an enough is enough conversation with the owners. “Get some water delivered to Coongan.” Sounds simple but the truck connected to the water trailer is broken down in a paddock nearby. Abundant water is available at CLV1 bore (240m deep and enough water to supply the nearby town of Gascoyne Junction.

    The most distant well is West Tank (45k each way). It is solar powered and we usually see about 80 cows here. On an afternoon visit we find that the cattle have broken the piping the trough. They now have a very muddy lake and the tank is empty. On this visits there is 140 of the big, fat, thirsty buggers and they are all bleating “we are beautiful shiny cows, we don’t drink muddy water! Person, we want a drink now! Moooo”
    We have never laid & connected Polly piping, but can now tick that box.    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler
    Regina was nott allowed to leave with Byron.

    Saviour

    December 6, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 37 °C

    A saviour arrived from the sky to help our Coongan troubles.
    No not rain.
    It was a little yellow helicopter containing Byron, the diesel mechanic, truck driver and all round handy guy.
    He fixed the broken Mercedes and we brought water to the troubled well.
    Byron then flew off to Canarvon for his next job.    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler

    From Paddock to Surf

    December 12, 2021 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

    The transition from Jimba Jimba to Point Quobba Blowholes is remarkable. The Goscoyne plains where Jimba is located is a massive catchment as the Gascoyne River is the largest in WA at over 700k. It is bordered by the spectacular and brooding presence of the Kennedy Range in the north.
    There is a bit of cold snap in the Mid West of WA at the moment. Gascoyne Junction’s max only reached 36° and here on the coast is a break-out-the hoodie 23° with a blow coming off the ocean.
    Fingers crossed we get a chance to snorkel on the reef in the morning.
    The camping facilities here are pretty basic, that is, bring your own everything. All worth it for the beauty of the place. There is a small off shore island protecting a bay containing a coral reef. The landscape is that uniquely WA combo of many kilometres of flat, semi arid hinterland up to the coast where some small features mostly hold back the sea. The vegetation is low mulga. All so different from the hills of home.
    The Blowholes are impressive with a roar of compressed air and huge jets of water.
    [Next morning] A little too windy for the anticipated snorkelling on the reef so pressing on to the south.
    Topically and sadly, this is the site where 3 year old Cleo was abducted during November. Happily she is now back with her family.
    The low, flat coast of WA is popular with the mining companies so they can use their big machines to mine salt. The Gascoyne region will take on a different focus in the future with a big push to establish alternate power generation with Hydrogen, solar and wind the front runners. We also hear of innovation coming using sand to store and later radiate heat to generate power. Our host at Jimba Jimba have survived flooding rivers but they are now up to their armpits in lawyers as the Pastoralists, Government and Indigenous Groups jostle for position. Watch this space. We are so glad that Jimba’s problems are not ours. You might notice from the map attached that given the significant percentage of WA’s area, that Jimba’s issues can be significant.    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler
    Mineral rich spa anyone?Some great old River GumsGreat place for morning yoga.

    Same but different - Wooramel Station

    December 13, 2021 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 23 °C

    It’s a cattle station. It’s on a seasonally dry river bed. Similarities to Jimba Jimba probably stop there.
    This place has a big focus on fun and relaxation of the visitors.
    The sites are spacious, the amenities are quirky and include spa baths using the artesian water.
    Interesting that while only separated by a few hundred K’s the birdlife is quite different.    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler
    Park and boat ramp - our van in the background
    Replica of the longboat from the Batavia.Beaches for miles

    Geraldton

    December 14, 2021 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 21 °C

    Now this is different. Right on the edge of the CBD, at a park with a boat ramp, there is free RV parking. It will probably be much much noisier than what we have become accustomed, but it will be so convenient with all the coffee/cafe options in the morning. There is a cycle-way starting about 25m away from the van that traces the shore northwards along the beaches.
    Just about to leave to a movie about 200m down the road.
    Love the diversity in our days! From a station stay to the town - just like that.
    Also love Geraldton. Compact CBD and interesting architecture around the town. Beautiful beachfront with lots of newly developed parks and recreation area.
    There is a strong link to culture and history here. More-so than many other towns along this coast.
    Perhaps the best regional Museum we have seen and the Regional Gallery with many sophisticated works.    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler
    Trying our hand making Gin. At Republic of Fremantle Gin School
    Fremantle Markets. So many colours and smells.Lots of PubsHigh Voltage townArty spaces

    Freo

    December 19, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    Great vibe, mix of Victorian, Georgian, contemporary and Nouveau architecture. So many bars, restaurants, cafes, harbour outlook, markets and historical elements.
    This and more make Freo our favourite town so far. We could have easily had an extended stay here.Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler

    What’s wrong with this picture?

    December 20, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Here is a funny story.

    This building is the GPO in Perth. It was constructed between 1914 and 1923. A difficult period with a war and resultant materials shortages and construction difficulties because of the sandy soil. Money was getting tight for the £400,000 project and payments to the builders were being delayed.
    Here, in this Coat of Arms, is evidence of the dissatisfaction of the builder.
    We know the Kangaroo and Emu represent continuous forward progress as animals that can’t walk backwards easily. Tradition and standards would have our representatives looking steadfastly ahead. Why then, is the emu peering askance at the Kangaroo, and what is it that has the Kangaroos attention?

    Turns out the Kangaroo is looking accusingly toward State Treasury in expectation of payment and Emu is in full support of his colleague.
    It’s hilarious that this little aside was never corrected.    Read more

  • Regina and IanBert’s LoopTraveler
    Stormy Mills - Wolf LaneCheeky Sparrow - Wolf Lane"Inside your head there is a heart"by Hurben. The Adnate work is in the backgroundQueen StreetGrand Lane Perth. "Trolls" by Tim Rollins

    Street art tour - Perth

    December 20, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Took a guided culture and coffee street art tour. Highly recommended! The older woman featured, Mrs Reid, owned the two main hotels in Perth in 1902. A huge effort as women could not get bank loans in those days, and she saved the money from working in hotels. With no children, upon her death, she granted her considerable wealth to WA University.
    Perth council strongly supports street art, you just need to know where to look.

    Some interesting links if you are interested in street art:

    https://www.aholeinmyshoe.com/grand-lanes-stree…

    https://www.wolflane.com.au/mural/    Read more

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