Day 143 13/08/2011 Bathurst

Day 143 13/08/2011 Bathurst

It was a rather slow start to the day, but eventually we all got out of bed. I can’t promise that there weren’t any sore heads around the house through!!  We settled into a morning of relaxing in the sun and chatting!!

After lunch and a couple of nana naps we headed to the famous Annie’s Ice-cream Parlour for yummy ice creams!!  Yum Annie’s truly makes the best ice cream.

With bellies full of ice cream we headed across the park to feed the ducks!!  The kids had a great time.  A trip to Bathurst would not be complete without a lap around Mt Panorama!!  The kids were really excited because they thought I was going to make them walk around it, so when they realised we were driving they were stoked!! 

A yummy dinner of pizza was enjoyed, whilst the adults were all slowly recovering, the idea of cooking was not entertained!! It is hard to believe that tomorrow we will be heading home.

Day 142 12/08/2011 Cobar – Bathurst.

Day 142 12/08/2011 Cobar – Bathurst.

We woke this morning to a glorious western NSW winter’s morning, fog but clear blue sky, this was the winter we thought we would get in Western Australia and South Australia, not the wind and rain we received.  Everyone was up and ready early, we really wanted to make it to Bathurst tonight. Our plan was to stay with friends for a few days before heading on the last leg home, we were also keen to have a day out of the car!!

The travel was uneventful and the scenery beautiful, clear blue sky and huge flat outback paddocks.

Travelling through Orange gave me the opportunity to reminisce about when I once resided in this great place and for a while I pondered why we had never relocated back to the area. 

We arrived in Bathurst just before dinner time; it was awesome to get out of the car and almost straight into the shower.  We were really looking forward to a fun weekend with Lisa and Scott and their kids. 

Pete was excited because we were sleeping in the house, I don’t think he relished sleeping in the caravan as it was expected to get below zero overnight!!

After a fun night, with a few bottles of wine emptied I don’t think it would have mattered where we slept!!!

Day 141 11/08/2011 Yunta (SA) – Cobar (NSW)

Day 141 11/08/2011 Yunta (SA) – Cobar (NSW)

Across the SA / NSW border we sailed, the kids were so excited, the very first thing Callum announced was all the cars had NSW plates so we must be close to home!!  



the children playing in a roadside park!!



Today we saw more wildlife hanging out on the side of the road than we have the whole 141 days we have been away!!  There were feral goats everywhere, feral pigs, flocks of emu’s even an emu mother with a couple of chicks, horses, cows, sheep and the expected kangaroos.  Western NSW was full of animals!!  We did our best to avoid them and kept a high level of vigilance in case they decided to stroll across our path.  Thankfully they all stayed on the grass.

We stopped for a quick look around Broken Hill, with a promise to ourselves that we would definitely be back!!  The kids quickly spotted a park and had a lovely time burning off some of their energy.

Everyone travelled well given the large amount of kilometres we covered today.  We are definitely homeward bound!!

Day 140 10/08/2011 Streaky Bay – Yunta (SA)

Day 140 10/08/2011 Streaky Bay – Yunta (SA)

It is always the way, once we make a decision to do something ie Plan A the very next day things change and we are tempted to make a different decision ie Plan B.  When we got up this morning happy with our decision to head straight home and leave exploring the Eyre Peninsula to our next trip, of course there was the sun, the beautiful blue sky and not a rain cloud to be seen.  Should we stay or should we go??  No, I didn’t trust the sun today, so we packed up and hit the road.  We had decided that we would do the dash to Bathurst to stop with Lisa and Scott for the weekend.  We were excited about seeing them and their kids as it has been a few years since we last got together.



Yunta - sun peeking out at the mountains.



The trip almost came to a screeching holt as we headed out of Streaky Bay, as a very large kangaroo decided to cross the road in front of us, thankfully Pete had time to hit the brakes and the very large kangaroo bounded off the road just before we careered into it!! Wow that was close.

The drive to Port Augusta was sedate after such an exciting start!!. Since we have previously visited Port Augusta we headed straight to Coles for milk and bread and the kids were very pleased to see that the play park had been completed and they had a great time running around. As we were leaving Port Augusta we looked longingly towards the Flinders Ranges wondering if we should detour, but the dark cloud and obvious pockets of rain over the ranges convinced us we were better off leaving the Flinders Ranges to another day.  Pete was also very reluctant to take the caravan of peace, love and happiness on any bumpy dirt roads because of the broken spring!! He kept reminding me how lucky we had been so far to have the axle, given the spring had been broken for an extended period.

We headed out after lunch, not exactly sure where we would stay tonight, we eventually settled on Yunta, a small country town close to the SA/NSW border. As we got close the sun decided to once again show herself and the vision across the plains was beautiful. The kids travelled well and we were sticking to plan A – goal to make it to Bathurst for the weekend.

Day 139 09/08/2011 Streaky Bay

Day 139 09/08/2011 Streaky Bay

Yeah the sun was trying her hardest to break through the clouds, so as a response we decided to stay another night and go exploring!!  I also did a huge amount of washing and was hoping that it would dry happily in the cool breeze.  We made a picnic lunch and headed off to Cape Bauer and the Blowholes and Whistling Rocks (again don’t think Kiama Blowholes).



Cape Bauer



Just as we were leaving the sun retreated back behind the clouds and we heard the gentle pitter patter of rain on the car roof. It was not looking good for our day of exploring the coastline.  We arrived at the first stop, Hally’s Beach, here we met some very chatty fishermen who were hoping to catch some salmon.  They had been fishing for a few days but advised that they had not been very successful.  The beach was stunning, white sand and beautiful turquoise water, the water even sort of looked inviting except that it was only about 12 degrees and the sun had remained hidden behind the dark grey clouds.  We could also see a huge storm front coming our way so we headed back to the car and on to the next stop, Whistling Rocks and Blowholes. 



Streaky Bay



Whistling Rocks was an intriguing phenomenon as the water rushed up onto the limestone rocks and into the cracks and crevices it really did sound as if the rocks were whistling!!  The Blowholes was again nothing close to what we expected, I guess we have been spoilt with Kiama Blowhole!!  Small holes in limestone rocks shooting up small burst or water aren’t really a blowhole.  The information boards also advised that these waters were frequently inhabited by seals, and that they could be seen frolicking on the rock below!! Well the seals must have all been inside with their heaters on because we did not see any.  We did though get rained on as we walked briskly back to the car.  It appeared that the sun had tricked us and she wasn’t coming out again today.  Based on this we decided to head back to the caravan, bring in the washing and play board games.

After lunch the boys braved the elements and with raincoats on they headed off to fish around the bay.  They returned a few hours later empty handed.  Claudia and Pete enjoyed a peaceful afternoon playing games and then walked into town to check out 3D TV !! Claudia thought 3D TV was amazing.  I rested, read and waited patiently for the washing to dry!! 

With the long range weather forecast not looking good for us we made a decision tonight that we would head for home, taking the next 6 – 7 days to drive back.  This would give Pete time to fix the major issues in the caravan before the 22/8 – rego day.  I have at last accepted that positive thinking was not going to bring about sunny winter’s days and whilst the kids are happy to travel anywhere it really isn’t much fun being stuck in a car and caravan for days on end!!

Home, here we come, it seems almost surreal that we will be home within a week.  Hopefully the rotting step in the caravan will hold out and the plastic bag covering the broken window will remain waterproof….the poor caravan of peace, love and happiness is limping home!!  What and adventure this has been.

Day 138 08/08/2011 Ceduna – Streaky Bay

Day 138 08/08/2011 Ceduna – Streaky Bay

We left the road side stop near Ceduna after breakfast, once again we had all slept in, but I’m not sure how given we were camped in the side of a major highway with road trains rumbling past all through the night!!

The drive to Streaky Bay was thankfully uneventful and again took us through some sheep / wheat country.

When we arrived in Streaky Bay we went straight to the Visitor Information Centre and there we were able to see a life size replica of a great white shark that was caught off Streaky Bay on a 24kg line.  The shark is the largest caught on a rod and reel in history and took the fisherman 5 hours to land. Unfortunately for the shark the fisherman did not practice catch and release!!   

We had decided to initially stay in Streaky Bay one night and depending on the weather maybe two.  The afternoon was overcast but the kids were keen to try their luck fishing off the local jetty so we rigged up a few rods and hand lines and headed off.  The rain held off but we didn’t get a single bite, in fact I couldn’t give my bait away!!  A rather disappointing outcome for us, the rain stayed away for most of the afternoon but returned as we settled down for dinner, maybe tomorrow the sun will peak through??

Day 137 07/08/2011 Nullabor NP – Ceduna SA

Day 137 07/08/2011 Nullabor NP – Ceduna SA

We had a very late start this morning as crossing the border meant that we lost 1 ½ hours yesterday so whilst we were in SA we were still functioning on WA time!! Also it is a change to be waking up whilst it is still dark!!

We decided that our first stop with be the Head of the Bight, where we had been assured that we could see Southern Right Whales and their calves from the shore line.  Apparently this bay is renowned as a whale nursery and 100’s of people travel every year to see these whales.  Southern Right Whales are an endangered species and we were excited at the prospect of seeing them up close.

Head of Bight is known as a premier whale watching area of Australia, and it is also where white sand dunes and beaches meet the Bunda Cliffs of the Nullabor.  When we arrived we were overawed by the gorgeous scenery, the towering cliffs with their sheer drops into the pounding Southern Ocean.



Spot the whale tail!!



To assist all visitors to maximise their opportunity to see whales there was a fabulous boardwalk out over the cliffs with strategically placed lookouts, room for everyone!!  There where whales everywhere, we could see up to 10 most with calves.  Southern Right Whales do not breach like other whales but they do great pectoral fin and tail slaps.  Today was one of the few days that I wished I had a better camera!!

After spending a significant amount of time just watching whales and their calves cruising west we realised that we needed to continue to head east, the path to home.

It was interesting to also watch the terrain change from shrubby bush land to by the time we camped for the night just outside Ceduna, very fertile sheep / wheat country!!  I’m not sure the kids appreciated any of this as their heads were stuck in movies and games!!

A very memorable day!!

Day 136 06/08/2011 Caiguna – Nullabor National Park (back into South Australia)

Day 136 06/08/2011 Caiguna – Nullabor National Park (back into South Australia)

We travelled across the Western Australia / South Australia border today and straight into Nullabor NP.  Our first lookout gave us an idea of the beauty that we could expect over the next few hundred kilometres.  The first lookout was breathe taking and so began the beauty of the drive across the Nullabor.

We explained to the kids that Nullabor means “treeless plain” or “nullus arbor” so of course they took great delight in pointing out trees!!  I must express some surprise at how heavy the vegetation was, I expected the Nullabor to be a desert!! Sand, sand and more sand but I was vastly mistaken, the Nullabor is a shrub covered plain but flat, as flat as far as the eye can see it was flat. Given I had no idea what to expect I was even further surprised to learn that the Nullabor, once part of the ocean floor, it is now the world’s biggest, flattest piece of limestone, covering an area approximately 200, 000 kilometres and up to 300 metres thick.

All the lookouts gave a great opportunity to really appreciate the coastline of the Great Australian Bight, where the cliffs of the Nullabor meet the Southern Ocean. 

We kept our eyes peeled for whales, but unfortunately we did not spot any.

We enjoyed a leisurely night camped in the Nullabor NP.

Day 135 05/08/2011 Norseman – Caiguna

Day 135 05/08/2011 Norseman – Caiguna

Bbrr it was very fresh this morning!! That was a great sign because the sky was clear and we enjoyed a gorgeous winter’s morning.

Hardy Norseman

We stopped for morning tea at Norseman, this is a very small country town but the kids found a park and managed to let some of their pent up energy out!!  Norseman is a historic gold mining town and is the gateway to the Nullarbor, we were excited because it meant we had started the pilgrimage home!! Norseman is also known for its tin camels and “Hardy Norseman”.  Hardy Norseman was a prospector’s horse who was tethered overnight in Norseman in the late 1800’s.  According to the story the horse pawed the ground all night and dug up a piece of gold bearing quartz!! And this caused a gold rush and since his discovery over 5 million ounces of gold has been taken out of Norseman.



Tin Camels



The tin camels in the main street are a memorial to the camels that supported the gold rush in the early 1900’s.

Once we left Norseman Pete gave me the bad news that with the bush fix to the caravan spring there was no way that the caravan of peace, love and happiness would pass registration in any state!!  This meant that we went from having five – six weeks to get home to 17 days.  All of a sudden we need to be home by the 22^nd August 2011, the day the registration runs out on the caravan.  In reality this means we will be home three weeks earlier than planned, not so bad really, but we are all a little disappointed with this latest development.

Given, the significant change in plans we now needed to make a little bit of a nudge into the kilometres that were still ahead of us, so that we could get home on time, before rego runs out!!  So without any ado we started the trek across the bottom of Australia.  We settled for the night at a road side stop just outside of Caiguna.  Caiguna has the distinction of being either the beginning or at the end of Australia’s longest straightest stretch of road, 146.6km’s of straight road, not a bend or curve to been seen.  Luckily we were able to look at woodland, shrub land and then a savannah plain.

Just as we were pulling into our night time stop we were privileged to see two huge wedge tail eagles feasting on a dead kangaroo.  These birds of prey were so huge!!.  We were not able to get a photo but it was awesome to see two of them in the wild and so close.

Day 134 04/08/2011 Esperance - Norseman

Day 134 04/08/2011 Esperance - Norseman

We were up early as the caravan of Peace, Love and Happiness had an appointment with the caravan Dr to have her brakes fixed!!.  Thankfully the mechanic had a courtesy car that we could borrow but we needed to stay within mobile range so that they could ring when the caravan was ready to be picked up.  We were hoping with fingers and toes crossed that all could be fixed today.



Esperance Beach



So what were we to do??  Firstly we went shopping to ensure that the caravan was well stocked with food before we headed off over the Nullabor in the next few days.  I had already check out the local movies – only three cinemas and only showing M rated movies – darn.  After we walked up and down every aisle in Woolies and checked out the local Target Country we headed off to find a park!!  Our plan was to go to the library for a few hours but it didn’t open until 10am!!  Esperance did not have a bowling alley or any other inside entertainment venue so we were a little stumped.

Fortunately the rain held off for an hour and the kids got to play in the park.  Yes we are nerds, once the rain returned we headed to the library and for a small period of time the kids were entertained reading books and magazines.  Whilst at the library Pete took a call from the mechanic who advised that he had fixed the caravan’s brakes (yippee) but the caravan had a broken spring on the right back axle. 



Family fishing trip.



Apparently this is bad news, I had no idea what it meant for us.  Pete explained that we needed to get a new spring but one couldn’t be sourced locally, we could get a new one from Perth but that would take about a week and we really didn’t want to stay in Esperance for another week in a motel OR we could get this one repaired (bodgied up!!) and then fixed properly once we got home.  We voted for the bush repair, just to get us back on the road and once again crossed our fingers and toes and hoped that someone could be found to make the welding adjustments today.

After lunch the rain had cleared so we set off for an afternoon of fishing.  Pete and Zac each caught a Zebra fish each, Zac also caught a Sea Gull that flew into his line as he cast out.   The rest of us just fed the fish our bait.

Thankfully late in the afternoon we received the call we had been waiting for – the caravan of peace, love and happiness has been temporarily repaired and we could continue our journey home!!  Yippee we all cried.

We left Esperance to the sound of rain on the car roof, choosing to travel for an hour before stopping for the night at a roadside stop near Norseman.

Day 133 03/08/2011 South Coast Highway – Esperance.

Day 133 03/08/2011 South Coast Highway – Esperance.

Yeah, the sun came out!! Well for a little while at least, but just when we thought we were home free from mechanical problems the light on the electric brake unit in the car no longer lit up when Pete touched the brakes, indicating that we no longer had working brakes on the caravan!!  Unbelievable!!  Luckily the rain held off until we arrived at Esperance.



Esperance coastline



We had a long days drive but it took us through what appeared to be a significant crop belt in the south east of WA.  For the duration of the trip I heard Pete mutter over and over, “my those are big paddocks!” and “oh my that’s a huge shed and check out how big those silo’s are!!” 

We arrived in Esperance and were lucky enough to locate a brake repairer who can check out the car and caravan tomorrow!! Unfortunately as we settled into the caravan park for the night the sky once again opened up and the rain poured and the wind howled.  This stopped any plans the kids had of playing in a park or fishing off a jetty that we could see.  Cabin fever is slowly setting in……….

Esperance is a gorgeous coastal town and I’m sure on a spring, summer or autumn day the town and surrounding coast would be described as stunningly beautiful, but today it was grey, wet and we were all a little miserable L.

Day 132 02/08/2011 Albany – Road side stop on the way to Esperance

Day 132 02/08/2011 Albany – Road side stop on the way to Esperance

The coastline of Albany is described as having some of the most raw and dramatic natural settings in Australia,

The Gap



 it is where land and sea converge to offer contrasts so unique they cannot be seen anywhere else in the world.  Today we explored a couple of the places that best highlight Albany’s natural beauty.

First stop was a look over Cable Beach, here we could see a 100 tonne bolder that had been thrown up upon the beach by wild surf.  I used the boulder to reiterate to the children not to get to close to the rock edge.  Luckily for us the sun was peaking though the clouds and for the first time we caught a glimpse of the turquoise waters of the Southern Ocean.

Next stop was Natural Bridge and The Gap.   These are two natural features carved from ancient granite by the forces of nature. The gap features a 25 metre sheer drop to the ocean.  Because of the strong westerly wind the ocean was pumping and we were all fascinated watching the ocean smash up against the granite cliff face of The Gap. 



Natural Bridge



Natural Bridge was awesome to watch as the swell pummelled into the opening under the natural granite bridge.  Of course we were waiting for the big wave that would send the sea water spray into the air, we were not disappointed!!

Next stop was the Blowholes (don’t think Kiama Blowholes), here sea spray is forced up through natural gaps in the granite rock, whilst this wasn’t such a captivating event the walk down to the Blowholes took us around Peak Head and we got a different view of Cable Beach and we were once again able to watch the tumultuous ocean pound into the granite rocks!!

On the walk back to the car Pete called out “whale” and we were delighted to watch a mother humpback and her calf frolic in the water below.  The calf was practising his/her breeching technique so it was a great show.  We have been lucky this trip to see a number of whales migrating along the west coast.



This is the saw that was used to cut of the whale's head!!



After lunch we headed to Whale World.  Whale World is on the site of the once operational Cheynes Beach Whaling Company’s whaling station.  Once an industrial site to rend whales to useable products, the station has been transformed into a tourist attraction that took us through the journey of Australian whaling.  This was an interesting afternoon with the kids completely perplexed about why whales were hunted in the first place.  The kids though did enjoy learning about the size of whales and how the whale hunters had to fight of the great white shark after they had harpooned and killed the whale!!  We even got to watch a movie on the history of whaling whilst sitting in one of the three tanks that once held whale oil waiting exportation to other areas and countries.



Harpoon used to catch the whale!



Luckily most of the exhibits were undercover because when we emerged the wind had again picked up and we could see an afternoon storm rolling over the hills.  Once again we had to hold onto Claudia so that she didn’t blow away!!

As the weather had set in we decided to start the pilgrimage to Esperance and camped the night on the side of the South Coast Highway.

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Day 131 01/08/2011 Shannon National Park – Albany via Walpole and Denmark

Day 131 01/08/2011 Shannon National Park – Albany via Walpole and Denmark

We were awoken this morning by the noisiest birds. I’m not sure what breed they were but they were having some sort of family fight in the trees about our caravan.



Giant Tree Top Walk!!



After we packed up with great excitement we headed to Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk.  This was a great experience for all of us, the Tree Top Walk took us through the tree tops of a tingle forest.  Western Australian tingle trees are some of the most enormous trees in the world and can only be seen in this area.  The Tree Top Walk soared 40m into the tingle canopy and gave us an amazing view over the trees and across the valley.  This was a great alternative to yesterday’s tree climbing experience!!

After the Tree Top Walk we completed the Ancient Empire Walk. The walk meanders through a grove of veteran trees at ground level and gave us another perspective of the magnificent giant trees that grow in this unique area!! The kids had great time comparing their height to the height of the trees and where possible they walked through the holes in the trees base and trunks!! It was a great way to spend the morning submerging ourselves in this amazing wilderness.

This tree trunk is almost as spacious as the caravan of
peace, love and happiness!!

For lunch we headed to Conspicuous Cliff Beach in Walpole-Nornalup NP.  Here we were able to gaze upon spectacular limestone cliffs and to once again marvel at the large surf as it pounded the pristine beach.  We headed up to the lookout aware that rain was heading our way, unfortunately we thought we had enough time to get up to the lookout, we were wrong.  Just as I arrived at the lookout the heavens opened up and we got rained on!! It would have been funny to watch us running back down the hill to the shelter below.  Again the rain didn’t last long and we were soon on our way.

Elephant Rocks!!



Off to Green Pool and Elephant Rocks we headed in William Bay NP.  Green Pool is described as a beautiful place to swim in turquoise waters and is popular for its beach views.  Today, given the fierce winds and the raging surf the pool didn’t look quite so inviting!! (although there was one very brave young man in the water whilst his girlfriend sat rugged up reading a book)

We then headed up over the hill looking for Elephant Rocks, these are a unique granite formation that looks uncannily like a herd of elephants.  Although we could see the swimming potential today was not one that invited us to get wet!! The kids had a great time climbing over the rocks and trying to turn themselves into human kites by holding their jumpers above their heads.  Thankfully they were not blown away.

We left Green Pool and Elephant Rocks hoping that next time we visited it would be warmer, the water would be calmer and we would be able to explore this fabulous part if the West Australian coastline from the water.

Given the bad, poor weather we decided to head to Albany for the night.  Another  great day.

Day 130 31/07/2011 Pemberton to Shannon National Park via Windy Harbour

Day 130 31/07/2011 Pemberton to Shannon National Park via Windy Harbour

Oh my gosh, I’m surprised that we just didn’t float away given the amount of rain that fell last night. I am also grateful that even with everything that is breaking, falling apart and being broken on the caravan we are still relatively water proof.  I say relatively because we have a leak under the front window but this has not had a negative impact on us….so far!! 

Our first glimse of the Bi Centennial Tree

 Once packed up we headed straight to the Dave Evans Bi Centennial Tree, one of three fire lookout trees in the Pemberton area.  The tree is a giant karri tree that has a fire lookout built into the top of it and metal pegs that wind all the way up to the fire lookout.  This didn’t sound so adventurous until we realised that the fire lookout was 68m in the air!!  The kids were so keen to climb, Pete was keen to climb, I myself couldn’t think of anything worse, but thought “oh what the heck”.  To add to the adventure it had recently been raining and the winds were beginning to pick up ….again.  Pete and the kids headed off and I followed, they were making great inways on the climb but I confessed I pulled the pin at about 8m’s.  The rest of the family made it to the one and only rest stop and then they headed off to the lookout.  To say I was terrified for them was an understatement!! 

The wind picked up more and then to make matters worse it started to thunder!! When I looked up to see



And this was the ladder!!



where the family was all I could see was the top of the giant karri tree swaying in the wind!! It was all too much and I demanded that they return to earth.  Pete must have been having similar thoughts to me as he too heard the thunder and felt the first few drops of rain and he began calling the boys back, Claudia had stuck with Pete for the climb.  The boys of course stopped climbing and argued back about why they should be able to get to the top!!  Ultimately the parents won out and the family headed back down the tree with the cries from me in the background “be careful”!!

Zac and Callum climbed approximately 50m’s up the tree and Pete and Claudia about 40m’s!!  I was very proud of their achievement but I was happier still to have them all safely back on the ground.  We had to do the mad dash back to the car as the rain came down.

We decided that we would head out to Windy Harbour with the possibility of camping there for the night!! In hindsight this probably wasn’t the best plan for the day given the weather had set in!!

And there they go!!

Windy Harbour kept true to its name it was cyclonically windy when we got there and there were a number of times on the drive in that the wind tried to push the caravan of peace, love and happiness off the road!!  After a quick look around we assessed that the camp area was a quagmire and we needed to find another spot for the night!!

We finally settled on Shannon National Park campground.  We had the entire campground to ourselves.  It is a beautiful spot to camp for the night.  It even has showers and flushing toilets.  All Pete had to do was stoke the fire in the hot water system with the wood supplied.  After a few hours we all had a lovely hot shower.  Due to the foul weather we spent the rest of the afternoon playing board games with the kids!!  A much better day even though the weather is still foul!

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Day 129 30/07/2011 Leeuwin Naturaliste NP – Pemberton via Augusta

Day 129 30/07/2011 Leeuwin Naturaliste NP – Pemberton via Augusta

With the wind howling around us and the rain sporadically falling we decided it was time to leave the Margaret River Region and continue the pilgrimage south.



We made it to the middle of the maze and eventually
escaped!!



As we were packing up though Pete decided that he would try to put the water jerry cans (40L plastic tubs) on the back of the van rather than in the van unfortunately there just wasn’t enough room and the pressure applied by squeezing the plastic jerry can between the bike rack and the caravan smashed Zac’s bunk window.  Oops not such a good outcome.  Oh well now we have a taped up window to add to the injuries the caravan has sustained on this trip.  We did though have one final cellar door that we wanted to stop at so after we taped up the window, we hitched up the caravan, tossed the kids in the car and headed off to The Berry Farm. As with all good plans though we got side tracked at the A’mazin Maze in Margaret River. 



Cape Leeuwin - the storm was coming



At A’mazin Maze we spent an hour working our way through a two metre high hedge maze, part of the challenge was to not only find our way out of the maze but to also locate 8 chairs hidden throughout the maze.  It was a great way to spend the morning and we felt very clever once we had worked our way through.  The kids were a little surprised that it was harder than they thought and each time they hit a dead end they were a little more surprised and bamboozled as we wound around and around in circles.

We extricated the kids when the rain started even they could tell it wasn’t much fun playing in the rain.  We then headed to The Berry Farm, this had come recommended to us by a couple that we were talking to yesterday so based on their recommendation we headed out into the Margaret River wilderness in search of the Berry Farm. 

The Berry Farm was amazing, they had yummy jams, conserves and chutney’s open for tasting the kids were in heaven and it was great to watch them again explore with different flavours.  Pete and I enjoyed tasting their liqueurs, even at 11am they were nice.  We left The Berry Farm a little poorer but happy. 



Cape Leeuwin



The road trip then headed south to Augusta, we weren’t sure if we would stay in Augusta or turn left and head to Pemberton.  Augusta was a significant spot for us to visit as it is where the Indian and Southern Oceans meet on the time of the Australian West Coast and it is home to the tallest lighthouse on mainland Australia – Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse.  Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse guards one of the world’s most dangerous shipping lanes.  Whilst we were is a spectacularly beautiful place it was horrendously cold and very, very windy, it was a challenge just to get the kids out of the car and when we did it was only for a few minutes before the heavens opened up and tried to drown us.  Based on the foul weather we decided that we would drive on to Pemberton, the foul weather is predicted for another few days so we thought we would skip whale watching in Augusta and look for a tour further up the coast.

The drive to Pemberton took us through some of the most magnificent country side that we have seen so far on this trip, the drive is world famous for its soaring karri trees and tingle forests, and the deep red timber of the jarrah trees, unbelievable just how tall the trees were.  We pulled up in Pemberton late in the afternoon and even though the wind was less ferocious it was still raining.

The rainy days and cramped conditions took their toll on everyone tonight, I guess there is only so much peace, love and happiness between five people when they spend days on end couped up together in a caravan and a car!!  Unable to get out and really explore, here’s hoping there is a break in the weather soon….

Day 128 29/07/2011 Leeuwin Naturaliste NP - Exploring the Margaret River Region

Day 128 29/07/2011 Leeuwin Naturaliste NP - Exploring the Margaret River Region

Today we went on a gastronomical tour of the Margaret River region. Whilst Pete and I would have loved to book into a winery tour the kids objected, so instead we headed to the Margaret River Tourist Information Centre and obtained heaps of information about the gourmet trails, the kids were very excited.



Not sure how to describe the flavour sheep in wine but
it must be important as they were in all the paddocks



Our first stop was the Candy Cow and Fudge Factory. Here we all got to try some delicious fudge in an assortment of flavours!! And to the kids delight gob stoppers!! The kids were so excited that they could pick their own flavours to taste.  The stimulus package for Margaret River had commenced!!  We left the Candy Cow a little poorer.

Second stop was The Old Cheddar Cheese Company. To Callum’s delight there was over 8 cheeses on offer for him to try as well as 2 yoghurts!!   Callum loves cheese and this stop was the highlight of the day for him.  It was so hard deciding which cheese and yoghurt to buy so we settled on a lovely Romano and two yummy yoghurts.



The water came up ...



Third stop was Margaret River Nuts and Cereals, yum, here we tried an assortment of nuts with different flavours, and the kids stayed right away form the wasabi peanuts!! and focussed more on the chocolate and yoghurt coated nuts.  Lots of yummy nuts were tasted but unbelievably we managed to leave with our wallets intact.

Fourth stop Margaret River Chocolate Factory…..not much to say here except when we left we were all full of chocolate and our wallets were much lighter!!  Yum, the chocolate was unbelievably smooth and tasty. The kids had all brought their own money so Callum and Claudia treated themselves to a bubblegum ice cream!

Fifth stop Margaret River Providore – here we tasted lots of jams and pickles, sauces and olive oils.  It was funny watching the children taste each one, they were becoming very adventurous in their tasting and at times their facial expressions were priceless.  Here we also got to try a couple of wines, our first for the day.  Yep we left with wallets lighter but with some yummy wine and our first Christmas present purchases!! Yeah Christmas shopping has commenced.



and then over!!



Sixth stop, Margaret River Nougat Factory, this stop was not such a success with the children but Pete and I enjoyed the nougat.

Seventh stop, Laurence Wines, and oh my we were getting full, so much that the packed picnic lunch was still in the picnic bag!! Laurence Wines is one of the few wineries that charges for tasting so we had a good look around and left.  The wines started at $40 per bottle so we were pretty confident that we wouldn’t be buying any.

Eighth stop, Saracen Estate, this would have to be the most amazing boutique winery I have been to, the grounds were perfectly manicured, even in the rain the island in the middle of the dam looked inviting and the tasting area was tastefully set out with bar chairs, lounge chairs and a glorious fire.  If we wanted we could have kicked back all afternoon, unfortunately the children’s attention span in a winery was short so we started our tasting.  Saracen is a very small winery but oh my gosh the wines were divine.  We enjoyed the reds and whites and settled on purchasing a few.  In reflection, I realised that I paid more for a bottle of red at this winery than I do for a case of Peter’s beer!!

After the eighth stop we headed back to the van, full and happy we had had a great day exploring the region. 

As we tucked ourselves up in bed the rain still fell down and the wind howled around us, occasionally there were claps of thunder and bolts of lightning, the caravan of peace, love and happiness though was well protected and so far we have been sheltered from the worst of the weather that the south west of WA is experiencing at the moment.

Day 127 28/07/2011 Leeuwin Naturaliste National Park (exploring the Margaret River Region)

Day 127 28/07/2011 Leeuwin Naturaliste National Park (exploring the Margaret River Region)

Well, when we woke this morning all was OK. The big storm came and went and we survived!! Yippee.  We decided today we would explore up around Dunsborough and maybe visit a cave or two.

After a leisurely breakfast of pancakes we headed to Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse.  Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse offers panoramic views of the Indian Ocean, Leeuwin – Naturaliste NP and Geographe Bay.  Today on offer was the spectacular 6m swell that gave us mountainous Indian Ocean waves smashing up against the rugged coast line.  Once we climbed to the top of the lighthouse we were able to go out on the balcony. This was only for the brave hearted though, due to the 70km per hour winds that were buffeting the lighthouse.  The kids had a great time fighting against the wind as they ran loops around the balcony. I was so windswept I didn’t get a chance to look down and worry about the height!!

The guided tour through the lighthouse was informative and enjoyable.  After the tour we took the leisurely stroll on The Lighthouse Loop track.  Well this would have been leisurely if we were still not being buffeted by really strong wings, one gust blew Claudia over.   Overall though, it was a successful morning. 

We stopped for lunch at Sugarloaf Bay, here we were treated to some spectacular king waves crashing over the rocks and smashing into the coastline.  The boys were transfixed as they had never seen the ocean so tumultuous!! I’m not sure Pete or I had either.  The wind was so strong that we ate lunch in the car, thankfully though it wasn’t raining so we could watch the ocean at her best.

Given the weather had not improved we headed to Ngilgi Cave. Beneath Cape Naturaliste lies Ngilgi Cave, one of the most popular limestone caves in this area.  We chose to explore the cave in a semi self-guided tour.  The cave took us 38m underground and took 350 stairs to get to the bottom and unfortunately 350 stairs to get back to the surface. We did get to see a stunning display of stalachite’s, helicite’s and shawl formations.

After wandering around the cave for a few hours we headed back to the surface and back to the caravan.

Now you may be wondering where all the fabulous photos are from the last few days, photos of Busselton Jetty, Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse, maybe a few of the pounding surf or even the cave are, well umm unfortunately when extracting the photos from my camera to upload on to my computer I pushed the delete button instead of the cut button!!  I couldn’t believe it, in one press of the button over 100 photo’s gone!! I was very cross with myself, hence no photos!!