Not far from the Western Australian town of Augusta, at the very south west corner of Australia called Cape Leeuwin, there is an old water wheel that once provided spring water for the Cape Leeuwin light house keepers. It is now calcifying and turning to stone. The water still flows and drips over the waterwheel. The water is sweet. Continue reading The Waterwheel at Cape Leeuwin
I think I found Nambung Station on the internet while researching our WA trip. It was only 22kms off the main highway along a very good dirt road. As we drove through Moura I rang ahead just to make sure that they were still accepting guests. When we arrived the manager Sonia greeted us warmly with a freshly baked cake. The camping area is large, flat and well grassed. Water is available and a dump point, there is even an airstrip. I’d like to see Big4 and the other formal parks try to match that. From our caravan we could … Continue reading Nambung Station
The quarantine officer at the SA border was so helpful. He even gave us a quarantine guide booklet listing the do’s and don’ts for each state. After much discussion and cooking of the vegetables that shouldn’t cross the border, we reach the WA border quarantine point. I think we must have read the booklet in reverse because we had all of our fruit and vegetables confiscated except for one measley carrot (the one that somehow missed last night’s stir fry) and an unopened bag of lettuce leaves. Poor Woody is frantically unlocking hatches and Eskies for inspection while choking on … Continue reading Mental Telepathy
We had hoped to get into El Questro and the staff had informed me that our van would have no trouble at all and that he road in was great. We take the iconic Gibb River Road which is sealed at this end and cruise on down to the turn off. It is a wide gravelled road but within minutes we realise that it is a no go for Priscilla. We shudder our way through five kilometres before we can find a spot wide enough to turn around then shudder back to the bitumen cursing bad roads for the second … Continue reading Oh dear, not again
We unhook Priscilla at the Bungle Bungles Caravan Park (Mabel Downs Station) and take off down the track to the Purnululu National Park. Fifty three kilometres of bone jarring corrugations, twists, turns and blind rises. Not to mention the five or six creek crossings although I do notice Woody grinning like a Cheshire Cat with those. When we finally get to the ranger station we learn that there is another 60km return journey just to reach Cathedral Gorge. Deciding to err in favour of caution we choose to visit the nearby lookout before skedaddling back to camp. The view is … Continue reading Boy did we bungle that
This morning we had doubts about towing the van up the steep road to Vlamingh Head lighthouse. It turned out to be easier than it looked and well worthwhile. We camp for the night at the Barradale Rest Area which is beside the Yannarie River. It is a well appointed rest area and we are kept entertained watching the road trains as they approach the bridge. The highlight being when one prime mover tows another fully loaded four tray road train across the bridge, now that’s torque. He’d have no trouble getting up to the lighthouse. Our neighbour John and … Continue reading Barradale, WA
Beasley River Rest Area in the Pilbara in Western Australia is well off the road with good facilities and shady trees. We’ve driven for two days without seeing a town. There are red mesas covered in buttons of green spinifex with purple ranges in the distance. Dry creek beds are lined with white ghost gums. Real Australia. We make camp and I bounce over the red dirt to meet a couple from Berlin and extol the virtues of the area. They look at me in shock “Vot zees?” he says. They leave shortly after, obviously he’s looking for the scenery. … Continue reading Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder
Tom Price is WA’s highest town and we decide to take the Jeep up the 4WD track to the top of WA’s highest peak, Mt Nameless. A Mitsubishi comes down the track and the driver declares it as not being too bad. So the challenge is on. I sit gritting my teeth in the back terrified while the boys discuss the use of low range, like there’s a choice! The road rears up in front of us at a frightening angle and it’s rutted from the rains. I’m just about looking for rosary beads and the boys are having a … Continue reading We bought a Jeep….what colour?
We’re feeling quite settled in Broome WA. Brian has chosen to forgo Japanese cemetery visits and rock hopping to cook dinner and I’m on a mission to see the dinosaur footprints. The tide is 30 mm below the required level for viewing them, yippee. People are wandering left, right and centre about the rocks as there are no marked pathways to get out onto the lower rock ledge. It’s a case of every man for himself and hope that you don’t break a leg. A mother is trying too hard to teach her kids about dinosaurs “now remember what I … Continue reading Looking for Dinosaur Footprints
In Western Australia the National Parks have a system of camp hosts. Camp hosts are volunteers who stay on site for about six weeks at a time. Their task is to manage the camp and the fees and keep the amenities clean. The system works very well and the camp grounds are a credit to the camp hosts. When we arrive at Big Brook Arboretum it is being hosted by Jim and Flo. “It’s a Conservation Park so dogs are allowed”. Says Jim as he puts his arm around Flo. We sit around the campfire and celebrate Jim and Flo’s … Continue reading Big Brook Arboretum, Pemberton
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