11th to 17th Dec - Perth

Well, I look in my diary for the week and I have no notes, sometimes when on holiday time just gets away from you.  All's I know is that week went pretty quickly.   We arrived on Sunday without too much drama to find the Central Caravan Park.  We had booked ahead and here for 11 nights.  I decided on Central cause it was a Top Tourist which we are members and get a 10% discount, it all looked nice and new and glossy on the brochure I picked up, it just isn't quite like I expected.  A small van park, but pretty comfortable and we set up our camp, annex and all on a double slab site a first for us, it will be okay.  No trains close by, but the bus stops right on the Great Eastern Highway a 5 minute walk away.  We went for a bit of a "famile" on our pushies, the bikeways along the river go right into the city and beyond!   We past the Ascot Racecourse, Darl got attacked by a Maggie!

Ascot Racecourse by the River

We went into the city by bus on Monday, had to put the camera in to get fixed as the lens was quite dirty and scratched, spots appearing on the photos and that will just not do.  Managed to find a fix it man quite easily, asked if we wanted back by Xmas!!   Ah well, yesterday would be better, anyway after a chat and some gentle persuasion he said we could have back by Thursday.   A couple days without a camera, that will be hard.    So happens my brother Graham is in town for work so we meet up and have a few drinks and dinner back at the Irish pub near the Casino and meet also a few of his work associates, all in all a great outing and great to catch up with big brother.  We left the pub to be confronted with a storm and heavy downpour, gees we hope the annex held up.   It did just and no leaks in the tent that we sometimes get so that was a bonus.  Apparently it is not the season for rain/storms in Perth, Summer is usually pretty dry and hot over here.   The double slab worked a treat also, no mud.

London Court, camera fixed here

Haven't worked this one out yet.....at entrance one of the malls

As the annex tends to fill with water, we set off in search of a BCF or camping store on Tuesday.  Head for Midland we were told, so off we set - my navigation skills haven't waned much, only one wrong move and we got there without too much effort or getting lost.  We got the poles, bargain!  We also put our underwater disposable camera in to get developed at Big W down the road, so went back to collect those today, but they didn't turn out all that well, ah well we still got the memories.  Our friends Ian and Alana arrived on Monday, so we have some happy hours coming up.

City view from King's Park

Wednesday, what to do today??  Well they do have some great bike tracks around this city and in the main they are all flat, so we decide to make a day of peddling into the city.   The tracks are well signed, one we come across said Perth city 14.9 kms, okey dokey we can do that.   It was a long interesting ride, we went by the Tennis Club, the one with the grass courts, very swish, the bowls club, the dragon boat club, a little historic house, the Police academy with horse stables n'all, a power station, old brick works, golf club, yes all this by the river.   Also, via a couple of riverside parks - we notice a lot of activity on and near the water, people fishing, boating, skiing even a dog obedience class, it all happens here.  Oh yeah and we pass the Ascot Racecourse right on the river.  The racecourse is surrounded by mansions with HUGE stables out the back and the droppings on the road are a dead give away that horses frequent the streets around here, the smell too is a dead give away....

Kangaroo Paw mural Kings' park

Still on Wednesday, we arrive in the city at Northbridge, this area has a lot of restaurants, clubs, pubs and we find out later that this area is known as the "Kings Cross" of Perth.  Had a good look around, a drink at the Mustang bar where we have been told is a good place to go dancing, bands on every night. Our first stop here was a deli that sells everything from tea, coffee, herbs, spices, flours, legumes, lollies, nuts, cheese, olives, pasta, sauces, you name it they had it all in those bulk bags sitting on the floor of the store, the aromas were unreal, not something you see in Brisbane.  From here we went for a look see up to Kings Park (yep up a hill) no camera so no photos, then we struggled to find our way back down to the city riverside to find our way home.  All in all a big day out (approx 40kms all up)and I might add a pretty tender rear end (for me) by the time we got back to our camp.....

Under the shade of the Coolibah tree, where's the cask?!

Thursday we catch the bus into town to have a look around the shops and hopefully pick up the camera, yes!  It's ready and I can merrily click away again, no spots!   I have taken a few photos on the phone over he last couple days but I haven't quite yet worked out how to get the things onto the computer...... I'll give it a go one day.     The camera repair man is in an arcade called London Court and you guessed it, you feel like you are in some little alley way in down town London, except for all the Aussie souvenir shops here.  We take a stroll through the malls (they have two here) and check out the buskers.  Always something happening.  There is also free bus services available within the city centre, CAT (Central Area Transit) .   Today we venture down to the Perth Mint in Hay street and take the tour ($13pp), just one of those things you have to see and something different to the museums and gaols we have been doing. No photos whatsoever are allowed inside the mint.  The gold pouring was good to see, they have Australia's largest display of natural gold nuggets including Normady nugget weighing 25.5kgs.  Also a gold bar to tease us with, in a glass cabinet with a hole you can stick your hand through to touch and/or pick up the bar, don't worry it bolted to the bottom with about 1 cm for movement and is valued approx $600 000.  But my Darl did give it a good go!!

Front of the Mint

Typical of camp site in "Gold Rush" days

From here we took the free bus back up town, hopped off and caught another free bus over to the bottom of King's Park, we have camera now so can take some pics.  Trouble is we have to walk up the side on a hill, 242 steps.   Not as bad as Ayers Rock..... They have a great Anzac memorial with great views of the city and river.   The Swan river is awesome and we discover that there is actually two rivers that join here, the Swan and the Avon(?).     We have a wander around through the Botanic gardens, went to do the sky walk but it just closed, time to go home.  Back down the 242 steps - Jacob's climb - it is plain to see that this staircase is used mainly by people doing their daily exercise, we were the only ones not in excercise gear, yep they even run up these steps, I am so unfit......

It's been a while since we seen a boab tree.....

Old Swan Brewery by the river, now apartments

Big Lord John Forest, first Premier of WA

Friday - We have another great day out with Ian and Alana.    Ian drives us into the city to King's Park and Botanic Gardens, we decide to do again as the park is so big and we want to do the elevated walkway, then the plan to go check out some of the northern beaches.  We arrive just in time to take the 10am free guided tour of the Botanic Gardens with Kim the volunteer.  It is a very informative walk and Kim knows his stuff.  Just how big is King's Park - all of 400 hectares worth, yep that's big!  Opened in 1965, only one third of the park has been developed but it filled with avenues, cycleways, paths into the surrounding bushlands. 

Anzac Memorial

Secret Women's business

 We are about probably 3-4 weeks late to see the park in full bloom during spring, however there is still plenty to see and in flower.  We leave here about 3pm, you can easily fill in a full day here.  We set off towards the beaches, end up in Fremantle and have a good cruise/look around.   Lots of old buildings, the old gaol here, alfresco dining, port.  Yachting championships on this week in lead up for the olympic games next year.  Back at the van park the owners putting on a Xmas party tonight, free tucker and entertainment and a visit from you guessed it, Santa.  They encouraged everyone to buy presents for partners, kids.  Well Ian, Alana, Mel and I were the only 4 adults in the crowd that participated and got our pressys from Santa all the others must have been BAD!   A great night, drinks and dancing. 

We had to do Rio Tinto Naturescape, kid's play park

DNA Tower 101+242 x2 total 686 steps in total in 2 days!!

An early start Saturday morning, a work associate and friend of mine over from Brisbane, Peter picks us up at 7am to take us sight seeing and for brekky.  Now Pete is a born and bred Perth boy, knows the place inside out and back to front......still managed to get a bit lost and side tracked, lucky he knew how to find himself again.   We went for a drive by the Fremantle port then worked our way along the coast up through Cottlesloe to Scarborough for breakfast by the beach.  The beach side of Perth is stunning, with bike tracks stretching some 50kms along the foreshore, looks like a days outing for Darl and me one day.  While enjoying brekky, sirens went off a few times over by the beach, we had to go and investigate after as we assumed it could only be a shark alert.  While we didn't see any fins out there, all the bathers were on the beach at the waters edge, no one was in the water, not even a pinky, so we guess we were right.   The more we see of Perth the more we like it.  

We can dream on, they come in red and black too!

10th Dec - Toodyay (pron Toojay)

En route to Toodyay, we pass through hay country, this time the bales are quite large, it reminds me of the Pinnacles, hay bales as far as the eye can see.   Toodyay is a quaint little historical town, the main street is full of 19th century buildings.   We booked into the van park by the Avon river, a nice camp and set off on the river side track on our pushies to explore the town.  A lot of the shops now have crafts, local produce, antiques etc.  We're a little over goals, museums so decide just to take a stroll down the street.

Now here's something different, the Coca Cola cafe and museum.  The collection was started nearly 60 years ago and now boasts over 6,000 items.  It is free to visit the museum, being incorporated into the cafe.  It has everything imagineable, from signs, to cups, clocks, keyrings, water containers, coke machines, coke bottles, cans etc.   This place looks like a popular spot for bikers to come for rides up from Perth, it is only an hour from the city.

Phone home Darl!  You don't see too many phone boxes like this around these days.  Note the cop shop in the background, all decorated up for the festive season.  We got chatting to the lady at the haberdashery shop, she said things went very quiet for the town after the 2009 fires, but things are slowly picking up again now.  Even though the fire didn't affect the town, only the surrounds, people just seem to stay away.

Toodyay old Post Office building, now houses Bee Happy Honey and crafts, art works etc.  The new PO at the new IGA shopping centre.   It is a pretty long main street as we soon figure out, as we left the pushies at the Coca Cola cafe and kept walking and walking, didn't quite make it out to the Emporium, probably good job as it wouldv'e been shut.  We did however manage a drink at each of the 3 town pubs.   The Toodyay Tavern, the Victoria Hotel and the Freemasons pub.

Toodyay memorial hall, if you get caught short, this is the spot to go, inside facilities for visitors.

The grand Freemasons pub, we always enjoy a drink with the locals, it's where you find out most about the place.   They're not having much luck with their wheat crops here.  They've had too much rain.    This time of year is generally the dry season in this area.

This is the track between camp and town, a narrow little track through the bush with a few little surprises of steps, steep drop offs and a couple of dips..... I managed okay going into town, but on the homeward run I misjudged a dip and toppled off, much to Darl's amusement!  Pleased to report no injuries or bruises this time...

Our camp by the Avon river, just see through the trees, we were the only ones in this row, yet again we spread out and make ourselves at home, could stay here for a few nights, but we are booked in at Perth so it's only an overnighter here.  Check this guys.......my Darl is actually cooking a barby!!  Yep that's probably twice since we left home.....but I can't complain, he does all the driving and loves it!

We're getting a few dollars worth of stickers on the trailer, won't be long we will have the back covered.    Off to the big smoke tomorrow, we have mixed feelings about this.   Freaking a bit about hitting the traffic, I am really going to have to concentrate now with my navigating....

9th Dec - New Norcia

This part of the country is amazing, sand dunes as far as the eye can see and this was on the left side of the road.  All part of Nambung National Park where the Pinnacles are located.   When we set off from Cervantes, I had intended for us to take the inland route to New Norcia, however according to the map I was looking at the road should have been directly opposite if not a bit south getting back to the Indian Ocean Road, but it wasn't it was a little ways north.  We ended up heading south down the Indian Ocean Road.

We travelled via the Wanagarren NR and Nilgen NR to Lancelin.    We are still fortunate enough to be spotting some wild flowers along the way, even though we are now into summer.   This one of the prettiest we have seen, the fringed lily.  It was one of those drives, we probably only had a couple of hundred kms to travel today, but it took us about 4 1/2 hours, as we had so many stops taking pics along the way.  We have never seen so many black boys, growing wild along this stretch.

And some of them are quite tall, taller than the one we have at home in the front garden.   The skies are looking dark and dismal but we are managing to avoid the storms and rains so far.

My Darl just happens to find some flowers by the side of the road at different points, just a little collection to enjoy as we are travelling along.....
The first we even heard of New Norcia was way back at Weipa, people who had been said we must do this place.   We had heard the same thing from other travellers along the way, so make this one of our must do towns. 

We arrive at New Norcia just after lunch, check out the accommodation options, either $7 to park across the road by the sports fields, you need your own amenities, or $14 a night for power, shower and toot.   We go for the latter.   Looking at the skies we are hoping it doesn't rain tonight, as we can see the water tracks of previous rains running through the ground right through our camp site.  We have to camp there as there is only one power board to connect up to, so have to camp within reach on the most level grounds available.  We check out the info centre, in the museum, art gallery.

We do a bit of a self guided tour around town on our pushies.  First stop the shed, housing all sorts of farming implements, including this scrub roller above.  It is made from trees, bolts, wire used to clear land in preparation for seeding. Originally pulled by horses, then tracters, how hard did they do it back then.  New Norcia is a one off experience, it is the only Monastic town in Australia, founded by a Spanish monk back in 1847 and to this day the Abbot and monks still live and work here.  The buildings are so majestic and large, some I am flat out fitting in the camera scope.

Above is the centre and right side of the Visitor centre, Museum and Art Gallery (ex Old convent), we lost ourselves in there for a good couple of hours.  Left is the St Ildephonsus College, this was the boys boarding house and college.  We ran into a cook just outside who was there catering for a school group.  Apparently they have lots of school, church groups visiting for retreats etc.   This lady stays in this building when working there and told us of her ghostly experiences, now that would be something else. We took a peek inside the ground floor.

This is the chapel inside St Ildephonsus.   The girls had their own separate accommodation etc., St Gertrudes, also with in built chapel.  Though the monks live in their Monastery, which is off limits to visitors, unless you are a paying guest, you often see them out and about in the streets.  You are however guaranteed to see them in action at any of their 7 pray sessions throughout the day in the Abbey Church and they have church open to public every Sunday.   People get married here, have christenings etc.

Now this is a sight to behold, this is the New Norcia Hotel.  See the monks are very enterprising chaps.   Built in 1927, this is no ordinary country pub, still owned by the monks offering accommodation, meals, function facilities and tantalise your taste buds with an Abbey Ale or glass of New Norcia Wine.  Other local produce on sale here is olive oil, bread, nut cake, biscotti and Dom Salvado Pan Chocolatti.  We only tried the nut cake, very rich and yummy. We also caught half hour of the happy hour, half price drinks!   The best happy hour we have come across, who would've thought.

The piano room in the hotel.   The only down side to this quaint little monastry town, is that the Great Northern Highway, runs right through the guts of it.    This highway is most popular for transporting heavy, oversized mining machinery. We saw two humungi dump truck buckets go through while there and then on our way out of town the next day, we had to pull over for a few oversized trucks.

They do it well, with pilot vehicles and these are so huge they also have police escorts.  This one here I counted on the trailer and prime mover 112 tyres.   What amazed Darl and I even more was that this then had another prime mover attached in front, all up 1800 horse power to pull this rig through the hills.  The tyres belonging to this mining rig were transported on another semi travelling behind.   We quickly got off this highway and headed through the back roads to our next destination Toodyay (Toojay).

8th Dec - Pinnacles and Sights

You never know what to really expect when visiting some places for the first time, but the Pinnacles did not disappoint us.  It is an amazing spectacle.   We did the 1.5km walk through the pinnacles, then we did the 4km drive through.  The drive does not close so you are able to do at sunrise and sunset.  At these times there's more chance of seeing some of the native life.  We did spot a couple of galahs, nesting on one of the pinnacles, that was a bargain.  As with all National Parks we have come across an entry fee applies, $11 per car.

I knew early on in the peace that my Darl liked to get back to nature on occasions...... and this was one of them, he did a little "tip toe throught the Pinnacles".   The Pinnacles are truly amazing, the more you look, the more you see the different colours, sizes, shapes.  They range in size up to 5 metres tall and 2 metres thick at the base.

On this occasion I am not as daring as my Darl, chosing to keep my gear on.... There are thousands of limestone pinnacles in this desert.  They were formed thousands of years ago when ancient plant roots formed a weak cemenation of calcite within the dunes and have been exposed by wind and shifting sands.

Colours of gold and purple in these pinnacles.

The road way through the pinnacles is quite narrow in spots.

We are a little amused back towards Cervantes the touriest information board is a little blank and transparent.  Lucky they have a tourist info service in town at the local store, post office which is a bit more informative.

On the way back to town from the pinnacles we stop via Lake Thetis, this is the 2nd site we have seen stromatolites (last Hamelin Pool and way better display).  Apparently there is only 4 known sites where stromatolites are found.  We did the walk around the lake 1.5 kms, bit windy but fine day.

A little further down the road is Hansen Bay Lookout, 360 deg views from bush to bay, town, sand dunes, lake.  This view looking back towards the township.   We decided to walk down the other side of the lookout over to the beach, however found that walking along the track would eventually lead us back to town.  That would be  no good, as the ute is at the lookout car park, so we returned the way we come.

Back in town we met Jason the Canadian on a bit of a journey with his 3 wheeler bicycle.  The 3rd wheel acting as a "trailer".  Jason does 150 - 200kms per day and can carry up to 7 to 8 litres of water, which one would need on such big rides.  He is one fit dude!  Maybe we can look into doing that for our next adventure.......or maybe not!

7th Dec - To Cervantes

We left Dongara-Denison this morning headed south along the Indian Ocean Road, this is a reasonably new highway on the coast and takes in a number of small townships. It makes a nice change the short drives between towns instead of the few hundred kms or more we have sometimes travelled to find a sign of civilisation.  Our first stop was Leeman, this is a small jetty there, the gulls took a liking to.  Here we make our plan of attack for Perth and Xmas.  We book into a caravan park in Perth for 10 days and then head further south booked into a park at Waroona for 10 days, for Xmas and New Year.

Next stop is Green Head and this is Dynamite Bay, a pretty little spot and a nice walk to a couple of look out spots.  All these coastal towns are obviously fishing villages, come holiday destinations.   They all seem to have new estates being built, we have been told either the fishermen or fly in fly out miners are building for living or holidays.  We pass through Jurien Bay, one of the bigger centres with a couple thousand population.  We're heading to Cervantes today, looking forward to exploring the surrounds including the iconic, Pinnacles Desert in Nambung National Park.

We jump on the treddlies for our usual famile of the area, after checking into the only van park.  There is a  mix of old and new housing and a few little surprises in between. This house would be the  most colourful we have seen in all the little coastal towns we have visited.  Cray fishing season is in full swing and I am dying to try one, Darl not so keen, but I talk him into checking out the bowls club as we have been given the tip, they do a  nice seafood  platter, including a cray.

$65 - oysters kilpatrick, salt and pepper squid, snapper, prawns, cray and chips plus salad bar, a good bargain we feel.   I had the cray, Darl had the oysters, squid and most the prawns and we shared the other.  We're starting to get into the swing of Xmas a little, I think this one clashes with my shirt really..... 

5th/6th Dec - Dongara / Port Denison

We leave Allendale Pool this morning, via the wheat fields, Alinta wind farm, Walkaway.  Hay is a big industry out here also, the fields and sheds are chockers with hay bales.  It's pretty amazing country side, fields of wheat or grass lead up to the sand dune hills along the coast, as we travel south the Dongara - Denison.

Every town has one right, the old historic police station and gaol which is transformed into a museum.   At this one at Dongara - Irwin District Museum, my Darl has a mate to share his cell with.  

This is the best kept display of old tools and relics from household to blacksmith to farming etc., we have seen so far, all so neat and everything clearly displayed, also old mate gives us a personal tour of the shed and demonstrates all the workable items.

The main street is lined with Moreton Bay Fig Trees, all bought for 18 shillings and six pence a lot of years ago, and look at them now!  They have blossomed now, today with their roots dominating the foot paths.   Quite a few historic buildings in this street, a heritage trail walk is marked out for those interested.   We did quite a few of them on our own little custom made tour.

One of the main industires in this town, besides wheat is Cray Fish!   If I haven't said before, it is cray fish season now.  We met an interesting chap at the van park, Bill, he was a cray fisherman for 48 years, so has seen a lot of changes over the years and knows the crays inside out.  He told us how now the fishermen have got reduced quotas and they have to leave the pots out for 3 days before harvesting and during this time the Oca's come and help themselves to the pots, day after day. When we queried what Oca's were, Octopus.  They go into the pots, strangle the necks of the crays and suck the meat out, then leave when they have had their fill, amazing.   Stuff you just wouldn't know unless you talk to the locals.

We got up this morning and thought we would take our treddlies for a spin, it wasn't the nicest day as you can see, but nice and cool for the ride.  We rode along the foreshore, they have a nice boardwalk there for viewing black swans, pelicans etc.   We didn't see any of them today, they probably away somewhere breeding.  This pic taken at the lookout, about 135 steps to the top.

We went over the bridge from Port Denison to Dongara (bit like twin towns down the coast).  We looked at this treddly in awe, 3 wheeler with motor, rear view mirrors and plenty of compartments for shopping, I want one Darl!  It was here I suddenly realised my Darl had left the back pack at the bikes with my wallet and phone, geepers, we hurried back to the bikes past a 4WD with 2 dogs sitting in the back, not that unusual to see really.

Only these dogs were 100% pure bred dingoes. Boss and Streak, these are alpine dingoes, Phil the owner also has 2 pure bred Desert dingoes.  What he didn't know about dingoes.  He has had cattle dogs previously but will never go back to them, the dingo one of the most intelligent dogs around.  They keep Phil's block clear of roos, rabbits, cats.  Alpines can do up to 80kmph, desert up to 90kmph.  He has made a business of it for the tourists or anyone wants to have a look, Dingo's at Dongara.  We have had our interaction today in the main street.

Saint Domonic's Priory, built in 1881, first served as the Dongara Hotel, before being run by the Dominican Sisters for 70 years as a school and boarding college.  These days it is run as the Priory Resort Hotel.  The pic only shows a third of the property with a huge court yard, an adjoining building to the right is the accommodation rooms, with swimming pool and a beer garden to the left of this pic.  Yes we did enjoy a coldie at this one.

When we arrived at Dongara Tourist Park we noticed this awful smell.  We asked the receptionist what it was, seaweed!   Never seen seaweed like it, washed ashore on South Beach, usually a pristine, white sandy beach stretching as far as the eye can see.  Not today........

I finally jagged a decent shot of an eagle, it took me several to get this one, lucky for digital and delete option.    This fellow on a sign post in the marina from Fishermen's lookout where an obelisk is built in memory of sailors lost at sea.   There seems to be a lot of that happening right along the WA coast.   Down along the harbour, they have a lot of shelters for picnics and also a Shipwreck walk, a short stroll walking patch lined with plaques, naming the ship downed with details of each one.

Check this for a barby area, it is like a green house, lots of plants, walls lined with artworks and nice big tables, 2 of the most spotlessly clean barby's we have come across in our travels.  Good idea they supply the water, scourer and town to clean them down, so this probably encourages people to do the right thing.  We like to use our barby mat, makes cleaning even easier.  The other amenities here the same, abablutions look brand new, nice tiles, even curtains and kitchen facilities great also.

Run rabbit, run rabbit, run run run!! before my Darl gets you......  Yes he did have a go with one of our walking sticks, I think he thought he was an aboriginal out hunting, but it didn't work, they just ran away, stopped turned around, looked at my Darl, kicked up a bit of dust.....blow it!!  They have big bugs here too and big hornets.