Week Five days Twenty Nine to Thirty One

A fish cut out "fence panel" overlooking the marina


We are still in Geraldton WA and have found out our car suffered a severe case of Crank Sensor malfunction so not being mechanically minded, we Googled this item. It appears that it is the computer chip that pretty much looks after everything and makes sure everything works in a precise manner on today's electronic vehicles. Sounds as if our breakdown is going to be expensive!!!!!!!

We booked out of the B&B and into the Batavia Backpackers which is part full of Asians, all heading for local work in a factory, for the rock lobster season. Any way as we are stuck here we may as well check the place out.

But wait we also have an unexplained heatwave to contend with apparently the driest hottest spell in 40 years. It has been above 40 degrees since we got here. Well what else can go wrong????????.........We have just heard that bush fires are raging South and North of Geraldton and the roads are closed to Monkey Mia and Coral Bay .................. Some Japanese Chaps were stopped on the road and have also booked in the Backpackers due to the bushfire's.

Any way having sat in the shopping centre on several occasions to cool down in the air-conditioning (we only have a fan in the room) we were getting funny looks from the security guard so we ventured out. Actually Geraldton is a very nice place pretty much everywhere you go the drain covers and sidewalk covers have ornate emblems or cut outs of sea creatures. We came across an unusual sundial and weather vane in the city square and watched large fish
swimming around the marina.

The unusual sundial

We had a lovely Italian Meal in "Topolinis Caffe" with ice cold Sauvignon Blanc. We have had ice cold beer in the "Freemasons Hotel", swam in the warm Indian Ocean and blistering heat of the beach, and strolled around a lovely cool museum which hosts a very interesting Shipwreck section. Geraldton also hosts an ice cream parlour that is all home made fayre and proudly adorning the walls are the prizes that have been won by the owner. Yes of course we sampled and it was beautiful Hope said it was the best Chocolate ice cream she had ever tasted. Two more days to go before we get our car back................................


Hope digging for clams at Geraldton beach

Hope's Blog............. We dug for clams at the waters edge, it was fun watching them dig themselves into the sand again. We put them on our hands with some sand and watched them trying to dig into our hand. it was ticklish. It wasn't fun when we dug a crab up.... that was funny because I screamed as I got a fright.

Week Four Day Twenty Eight

A view from the Champion Bay B&B


Boo Hoo our poor car.

Well we set off this morning early as we were headed for Monkey Mia, over 400km's away. Folks we drove only 34km's. Why you wander was there that many amazing sights to see, that you kept on stopping. NO!!!!!

After 34km's our car gave a cough and then died, right there on the Brand Highway. We managed to get it to the side, luckily we were about 200 metres from the Greenough Pioneer Museum and a small cul de sac of homes, including a B&B.

Again we found that Vodafone has no coverage, which means no phone service. Mmmmmmmm time I changed server.

So Hope and I tootled off to the B&B, "The Rock of Ages Cottage". The lady was lovely and let me use her phone to phone RACQ. We were promised a breakdown van within the hour. Anyway he arrived and told us there was nothing he could do, so he called a tow. Now the good news was that we were only 30km's away from Geraldton, and not somewhere in the Nullabor.

John and Hope went off looking for some shade, while I waited by the car. What seemed like forever, probably only 30 mins, the tow arrived. I had to laugh later though, because John said that he was getting antsy about how long the tow was taking, when a road train drove passed with "Patience" written all over it. Anyway the car and us made it to Geraldton, although not in the fashion we envisaged.

Typical the dealer had three mechanics down, it is coming up to a long weekend and by 4.00 this afternoon still no news. Mmmmmmmm, some whisky I think tonight. However we are in a lovely B&B overlooking Geraldton. It is called "Champion Bay Bed & Breakfast."

Let us see what tomorrow brings. By the way today was reaching 40 Degrees and tomorrow it is 40 degrees. So the heat we know will continue.

Hope's Blog........ Well today I did a lot of things I have not done before. I walked on the freeway, our car broke down, I got a lift in a van with our car on the back., and I got bored (that is not the first time for that). Anyway I did get a Wendy's ice cream.

Week Four Day Twenty Seven

The view of Dynamite Cove


The Pinnacles (just a small part)


It was an amazing sight



Sawtooth Banskia

Today we bade farewell to Perth where we had relaxed for the longest period of time on our entire trip. We were however looking forward to what lay ahead. Our intention today was to visit "The Pinnacles" south of Cervantes and make our way onto Dongara-Denison.

However the inevitable happens when you see what looks like a beautiful spot to stop. Firstly we drove past miles of Sawtooth Banskia a very hardy looking scrub in the middle of a desert with temperatures reaching 35Degrees, of course we had to take photos. It was then onto "The Pinnacles" an amazing army of upright limestone spears each one resembling something from your imagination!!!!! One theory is that the limestone spears are petrified forest from millions of years ago, the second theory is captured in the link please read it it is fascinating. We drove around the area which is a sand road and took some amazing photo's. We then wanted to go swimming at Kangaroo Point which was very close by, but roadworks prevented that so we found ourselves driving another track to "Green Head" and "Dynamite Cove" ............Sounds far more dramatic than Kangaroo Point don't you think !!!!!!! WOW............. Brilliant White sands headlands and crystal clear water - we are once again hooked on the beauty please check out the photos.

The time is now running on and we still need to find a campsite so we picked a place on the GPS called "Sea Spray Caravan Site" Which is directly on the beach We are always very sceptical as we have found some good but some not so good campsites and I must say this is brilliant.Our own en-suite next to the tent, swimming pool, good facilities and beautiful white sand beach (all to ourselves) Hope and Wendy opted for the pool (Its 5pm and still about 30 degrees sunshine) I opted to walk to a vantage point for photos and a walk along the beach before the pool. What a wonderful day we all decided after home made kebabs, to stroll along the beach to take photos of the sunset ...............brilliant.

Hope's Blog........... It was so hot today, and mummy and daddy made me walk around looking at stones. They were pretty. It was great fun exploring the rocks and beach at the cove and I found some nice shells. But the best part was swimming when we got to the campsite. That was really great.

Week Four Day Twenty Six

One of the pelicans at Woodman's Point



John and Hope snorkeling at Woodman's Point



Feeding the birds at Jervoise Beach



Bacon butties.


Such clear water at Jervoise Beach

John went out this morning while we still slept for an early morning walk. He discovered Jervoise Beach. When he got back we grabbed our breakfast and headed out. What a fantastic relaxing day it then turned out to be it . It started off with bacon butties at Jervoise Beach. We unpacked our cooker and cooked the bacon and boiled the kettle for coffee overlooking the beach. John and Hope went snorkeling while breakfast cooked. Afterwards it was great fun feeding the seagulls the last bread roll. Naughty I know.

We spent the rest of the morning swimming in the pool at the caravan park and just relaxing. At the caravan park a butcher bird took an interest in our car windshield. For about 10 mins this silly bird was using it to slide down, then fly back up again and do it all over again. John took 40 pictures of this. You will have to wait to see it on Picasa.

In the afternoon we headed back to the jetty at Woodman's point. There I was designated photographer while Hope and John once again went snorkeling. There was loads of activity, what with fisherman, snorkelers, kite surfing and of course swimmers. The pelicans where once again there, funny looking birds. John cannot get over how fast starfish bury themselves in the sand. Once detected they cover themselves, hidden by the sand.

One of the fisherman had pulled out a puffer fish, probably one I saw yesterday swimming away, and just left it to die. So sad!

Week Four Day Twenty Four and Five

View of Perth from Captain Cook Cruise


The jelly fish


John and Hope on the cruise.

Lets be honest here..... I was so tired last night that sleep won over blog. Sorry!

However let me bring you up to speed. We have booked into a campsite at Woodman's Point just south of Fremantle. Yesterday we went into Fremantle and wandered around the markets, stopped and watched to street entertainers and had some Chinese food at the market. Yummie! We then went swimming in the campsite pool, which we had all too ourselves, and a walk down to the beach. As it was Sunday the park at the beach was full of families enjoying themselves. There is a fantastic jetty and the whole area was busy. There were crabbers, fisherman, snorkelers and divers. The pelicans squashed for space were sitting on top of the lamp posts. There were loads of fish at the end of the jetty and we couldn't wait to go snorkeling.

We had great fun at the camp kitchen last night talking to Swiss and German backpackers. There was also a couple from Canterbury, Kent. I must say we are gravitating to the kitchens because it is fascinating hearing all these "kids" stories!

Today we caught the bus into Fremantle. We then went on Captains Cook cruise to Perth. It was a beautiful day, the views from the boat were fantastic. There were loads of jellyfish in the water. Hope calls them squishies. They were promoting Australian wine so we had a free wine tasting on the cruise as well. What a bonus!

We wandered around Perth, went into a few shops and galleries. The one shop we went into was Roc Candy. It was great watching them roll out and cut the candy. We tried some samples and it was great.

Eventually we caught the train back to Fremantle and luckily we did not have long to wait for our bus. Back at the tent we got out our snorkels and swimmers and headed for the beach. It was magical, just off the beach we saw starfish, puffer fish and schools of little fish. I picked up a shell and showed Hope the hermit crab.

Tomorrow we plan to spend the day at the beach...

Week Four day Twenty Three

Hope in the lift that will take us underground


Jim, and us underground


A working dumper truck in the Super Pit



More machinery


The Super Pit, Kalgoorlie

As soon as the birds are up, so is John. 5.15 This morning Hope and I where having our airbeds deflated under us. "We must go before the flies appear" Not impressed! However we where on the road to Kalgoorlie by 7.00 am.

We only stopped long enough to take photos of the camels in the middle of a traffic circle in Norseman. By this time the flies where out in force, and when you climbed into the car you had picked up about 20 extra passengers.

Kalgoorlie, the home of the Super Pit. This is a gigantic pit with all the massive mining machinery working it. This was an awesome site, and one that must be viewed as trying to photograph it is impossible. However we did try. from there we went to the Australian Prospectors & Miners Hall of Fame. Hope and I panned for gold (didn't find any) and then we went 127 metres down the original mine shaft. We had a fantastic tour with a really interesting tour guide by the name of Jim. Jim worked the mines for many years and gave us first hand experience and humour of the workings "down under". (Anyone see what I did.. he he he.)

We could not deal with the thought of more flies so we decided to drive through to Perth. We are here staying in a Formula 1 near the airport. We decided on this for tonight as it was dark when we arrived. Tomorrow we will find a campsite.

Week Four day Twenty Two

Bush Fire outside Balladonia


Speaks for itself.


Somewhere in this picture is 5 emu.


I had set the alarm clock to wake up at 7.00 am but for some reason it went off at 5.30am. So unbeknown to us at the time we got up, had breakfast and packed up. We where ready by 7.00am.

Between us and the next major town was over 700km's of road. Including 146.6 km's of road which is completely straight. Now we have been keeping an eye out for all these animals that we are supposed to be careful of and so far we have seen nothing. Until today.... we saw five emu crossing the road outside one of the roadhouses. We think that Australia has no animals.... ha ha ha.

Well there is nothing between Eucla and Norseman, anything worth seeing is only accessible by 4 wheel drive, so that counts us out. However we did pass two bushfire's outside Balladonia Roadhouse. We had stopped for some drinks and I asked the guy whether the "clouds" was a storm or bushfire. His response was bushfire, however it was 80km's away. I then mentioned the one on the same side as the roadhouse further along the road, he was not aware of that one. Scary......

Anyway passed through the area without incident and eventually entered Norseman. I am sure that it is a lovely little place but the flies are terrible. They are everywhere. Thank goodness for our fly hats. The heat is also unbearable. 44 Degrees today. You guys in the UK come and get some!

We are in our tent and will look around the town tomorrow, but I don't think that we will be staying another night. So tomorrow, who knows where we will end up.